《Seeds of Discordia》 Prologue -The End of the World, the Beginning of an Adventure Since many could remember, humans have tried to predict the end of it all. The day when the planet and all its life ceases to exist. From a coding bug during the Y2K to an airborne illness. Everyone tried to claim the next big thing that didn¡¯t come to their end. However, this time it really is about to end. The sky had a scarlet hue slowly growing darker, while the air was sultry. Mass fires blossomed around the people from random locations. Screams and panicked cries danced around like a chaotic symphony. Liam watched through his hazel eyes, from his apartment on the third floor, as a couple of people kicked the door in of the building across the road. Shortly after they ran in shots were heard. The same two people ran back out in a hurry running away from another holding a shotgun. His messy black hair waved about as he shook his head. ¡°The world has literally gone to hell in a hand basket, hasn¡¯t it?¡± He turned away from the heat emanating from the window to listen to the news that was on the television. ¡°We are just minutes away from when Asteroid Doreen will crash into the planet,¡± The News anchor announced. It was a middle-aged man wearing a suit. He was trying to keep his professional demeanor up, but some of his anxiety slipped through every now and then. He continued, ¡°As promised We, here at the station, will keep going until the last moment arrives. The timer we set up is still ticking down showing we have no more than ten minutes before it hits.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± a woman added in. ¡°We also have reports of more people suddenly disappearing without knowledge of how or where they are ending up at.¡± She, much like her partner, tried to school any emotions from showing, but failed every now and again. That last bit of news wasn¡¯t new to him. For the past few years, people suddenly disappeared without so much of a clue of where they went. When it happened, a light wrapped around them and made their bodies vanish like some sort of teleportation magic or tech you¡¯d see in a movie or read about in a fantasy, sci-fi novel. Liam¡¯s thoughts wandered off as he thought about his family. ¡°I hope you guys are safe and out of this crazy world,¡± he whispered as he looked towards a photo that laid bare on the kitchen table next to a mask with a unique design. He slowly walked over to it, picked it up, and stared at it. In the picture was a middle-aged man who was his father, his two younger brothers, himself, and his stepmother. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His father vanished 3 years ago. This caused a stir as Liam and his bothers didn¡¯t want to be left alone with their stepmother. Half a year later, his brothers followed in the same fashion, leaving him alone with his stepmother, who raged about the whole ordeal. Luckily for him she disappeared half a year later after his brothers, leaving him on his own to fend for himself. After they all disappeared, he learn just how cruel the world really was. The government abandoned everyone to fend for themselves. Laws, morals, and basic human decency were a rare commodity that, if you weren¡¯t strong enough to hold them, could get you killed. Liam turned his gaze upon the mask and stared at it. He grabbed it and said with a mix of sorrow and regret, ¡°Looks like this is the end for us buddy. We can finally put all this chaos to rest now.¡± Still gripping the photo in one hand and the mask in the other, Liam looked back at the television and saw the timer had reached one minute. The color of the timer turned red as the minute turned into seconds. ¡°Less than a minute and the world will come crashing down upon us,¡± Liam muttered softly. A slight chuckle escaped his lips as the chorus to an old R.E.M. song came to mind. It¡¯s the end of the world as we know it. He then looked back out the window to see the day sky was completely pitch black. His thoughts swam as he thought to himself, ¡°It would have been nice if I had been taken me with them¡­" As Liam was finishing his thought, a pitch-black silhouette suddenly manifested outside his window from a swirling puff of raven-black smoke. ¡°What the hell!¡± Liam exclaimed, startled by it. The figure¡¯s body had the same build as him from what he could judge by looking at the outline before him. The body had no defining features due to the pitch black¡­shadows¡­ smoke? ¡°Wait¡­what exactly is that? It looks human shaped, but what is it? And how is it standing there midair?¡± Liam¡¯s body froze as he took in more details of the mysterious creature. The shadowy smoke started expanding from the body engulfing everything around it and yet the outline of the body was still visible. A pair of menacing blood red eyes that swirled around, opened up and stared at him with a sinister smile. This made a chill run-down Liam¡¯s spine. The creature raised his right arm up allowing his hand to point towards Liam. Without warning, the glass from all the windows shattered, letting in loud painful screams to fill the air around them. The creature went to speak, but the noise all around it blocked out its voice as it slowly moved towards him. The figure came to a stop as its smile quickly turned into a scowl. Liam was confused by the sudden change in the creature¡¯s demeanor until a pale green circle lit up around his torso and started to spin. The abyssal creature then tried to lunge towards Liam in a panic but was too late as the circle began to expand to Liam¡¯s feet and head, making his body start to disappear. The last thing he saw before his vision was engulf was the creature screaming with rage. Tutorial 1 - A thing of Fantasy or Sci-fi novels A small wet sensation dropped on Liam¡¯s cheek as his consciousness slowly returned to him. He felt something hard and flat pressed against his back and head. Muffled noises started to enter his ears, but he wasn¡¯t able to tell what they were. To him it sounded like he was underwater. Liam tried to sit up but struggled to do so. His muscles were sore as if he had run a marathon to the point of collapse. He tried to open his eyes but regretted it as a sharp pain stabbed his head causing his vision to swim around. The feeling was akin to a strong hangover. He kept his eyes shut as he forced himself up. After finally sitting up he brought a hand to his aching head. His hearing finally cleared as he heard a voice say, ¡°Take your time. The pain and disorientation will disappear soon.¡± After waiting a few seconds, he was able to open his eyes again without any problems. The sharp pain had dulled greatly to a minor headache. He looked to see a female hunched over staring at him. Liam was shocked to see this beautiful milk chocolate skinned young lady in front of him. Her glossy curly light red hair that flowed down pass her shoulders made her hypnotic ocean blue eyes stand out. Judging by the way she was hunched over, he guessed she was a little taller than him. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± She asked. Her voice had a charm to it, mixed with an accent he wasn¡¯t familiar with, it made him want to hear her speak more. She reached out a hand to him and said, ¡°I¡¯m Ariyana. What¡¯s your name?¡± Liam took her hand and allowed it to help him to his feet. As he stood, he found he was right. Ariyana stood just a couple inches taller than he did. He went to speak, but had to clear his throat to say clearly, ¡°I¡¯m Liam. Thank you.¡± Ariyana smiled happily as she replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Ariyana¡¯s smile drew his attention in and made him relax a bit, until he realized something he should have the moment he woke up. He was alone before passing out. Now he wasn¡¯t. Liam tensed up and got into a defensive stance as he scanned the area around him. ¡°Rule fifteen, getting distracted by pretty girls can get you killed, Liam,¡± Liam admonished himself. The area he was in was a bit dark, but had enough light from five glowing stones to be able to see. Stone walls surrounded him, and it didn¡¯t look like there was a way out. This made Liam feel trapped. ¡°Whoa!¡± Ariyana shouted as she raised her hands. ¡°Calm down. There¡¯s no need to freak out. No one¡¯s going to hurt you.¡± Liam stared at her. He could tell by her body language she wasn¡¯t lying, but the whole situation still had his guard up. The fact that he was supposed to die in his apartment, that strange shadow creature that appeared before him, and then suddenly being teleported at the last minute. ¡°That¡¯s right. I got teleported,¡± Liam quietly whispered as his tension slowly disappeared. His memories of what happened slowly came back. Even with that question being answered he still had an uneasy feeling. The fact that he didn¡¯t know where he was and why he was there was one of the reasons. The other reason was the fact that there were a few other people in the room besides him and this Ariyana. There was a tall male leaning against a wall to the right of Liam. From a quick glance he looked over six feet tall. He had a bit of heft to him compared to the others in the room. He had short shaggy brown hair and olive-green eyes. His eyes expressed how anxious he was as he quickly stared at the ground after glimpsing at Liam. For a big guy he was kind of skittish Liam gathered. Near the male was a much shorter boy. He looked to be about five foot two inches. His features looked a bit childish, with a slightly baby-like face still going for him. However, when he looked at Liam, he could feel the gaze of his brown eyes having a mix of cocky, but calculating feel to them. The way he stood with his athletic build showed he had gone through much more than you¡¯d think when first looking at him. His slicked back blonde hair didn¡¯t sway as he glared and questioned, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± His voice sounded a bit older than his body led on. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam responded as he looked to his left. Closest to him and Ariyana was a lanky and slender male. He had short curly blond hair and emerald, green eyes. His clothes looked more expensive than anyone¡¯s so far, but still looked unfamiliar. Liam noticed a couple of rings on each of his hand as the male gave him a cheerful smile and waved slightly. His face was youthful and smooth making him look a bit younger than Liam. Liam gave a slight wave back as he nodded in greeting. Next to the male was another lanky slender figure that was sitting down on the ground leaning against the wall. This one was a female. She had short black hair in a pixie cut that was brought by her lightly tanned skin. Liam couldn¡¯t tell what color her eyes were because she looked asleep. She wore black boots that complimented her cargo shorts and tank top. She didn¡¯t have much muscle, but she was toned a bit more than the guy next to her. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Liam looked forward towards the final person in the room, who was staring back at him. It was another girl. She looked a bit younger than he was. Her sharp facial features were complemented by her gunmetal grey eyes. Her long wavy hair looked midnight black, but the light reflecting off of it from the stone revealed it was a deep dark blue giving it a majesty look. She had a small frame with an athletic build you could see from the way her t-shirt and pants fit on her. After assessing the people in the room, he noticed something different. Their clothing. He wasn¡¯t a fashion guru or anything, but he knew these designs were foreign to him. ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± he thought before moving on to more important thoughts. After assessing the potential threats in the room he decided to asked, ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Ariyana stated with a shrug. ¡°We all woke up here with the same questions and then waited for you to get up,¡± the girl across from Liam added. ¡°I¡¯m Avery.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Mercer,¡± the male to Liam¡¯s left said and then pointed to the girl next to him. ¡°She¡¯s Blair.¡± Blair gave a slight wave without opening her eyes. ¡°Artem,¡± The tallest guy stated before looking away from everyone. ¡°Roman,¡± the shorter individual informed as he stared at everyone. Before anyone could say anything else, a monotoned feminine voice filled their minds saying, ¡°Beginning assessment of individuals. Please wait.¡± ¡°What the¡­!?¡± Blair exclaimed as she quickly opened her eyes and shot to her feet. She got into a defensive stance ready for anything. Her icy blue eyes gave off a cold stare. Liam felt a cold sensation wash throughout his body. It was the same feeling one would get when an iv drip entered their veins when donating blood or plasma. As this sensation washed over him a dim white light outlined his and the other¡¯s bodies. The light grew brighter as the seconds passed until it disappeared. ¡°Assessment completed. Please proceed to the next area.¡± ¡°Next area?¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Um, what area?¡± Roman asked with annoyance. He gestured around with his arms and began to say, ¡°If you can¡¯t tell there¡¯s no way ou¡­¡± He trailed off as a section of the wall next to Avery slid open. Everyone swiftly glanced at each other before looking at the opening. ¡°Should we check it out?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°Not sure,¡± Avery responded. ¡°Smells fishy to me,¡± Roman stated. ¡°I agree,¡± Blair commented still in a defensive stance. ¡°Getting teleported to a random place without your consent, being scanned, and then being told to move to the next area sounds a lot like cattle being lured to their death.¡± ¡°You say that like it happens a lot to people,¡± Liam remarked. Blair turned her head to give him a confused look before saying, ¡°It has.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Teleportation and being scanned are a thing of fiction and sci-fi novels or movies.¡± Liam said sounding skeptical. ¡°Fantasy and sci-fi novels and movies? What the hell are you talking about?¡± Roman asked sounding just as confused as the others looked. ¡°Don¡¯t you have teleporters and the like where you¡¯re from?¡± Avery asked. ¡°No. It¡¯s something that people looked into and tried to make possible, but it never came to be,¡± Liam explained. ¡°What part of Exlar are you from where they don¡¯t have that?¡± Blair asked. ¡°What is Exlar?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°What do you mean? Exlar is the planet we¡¯re on,¡± Blair answered. ¡°We can¡¯t be. We are on Teslar,¡± Roman interjected. ¡°Wait, wait, wait¡­¡± Liam started as he placed his hands up. ¡°I am from a planet called Earth. I have never heard of Exlar or Teslar. What about you guys?¡± He looked at the others. ¡°Kelora,¡± Avery replied. ¡°Hessia,¡± Artem continued. ¡°Goldaria,¡± Mercer added. ¡°Feltia,¡± Ariyana finished. Liam placed a hand on his head trying to process everything. He thought about what had happened before waking up and then asked, ¡°What happened before you guys woke up? My planet was about to explode from a meteor ramming into it.¡± The others looked at him before saying in unison, ¡°The same thing happened to me.¡± Liam remembered his encounter with that abyssal creature and shuddered. ¡°Did you guys have a creepy shadow thing appear and try to attack you before getting¡­teleported here?¡± It felt strange to Liam for saying the words. Everyone gave him a puzzled look. ¡°A creepy shadow thing?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Yeah. It had a sinister aura and was floating. Its demonic looking red eyes felt like it could stare into your entire being.¡± Liam recalled. Avery stiffened. ¡°Nothing appeared before me,¡± Mercer stated after thinking it over. ¡°Same,¡± Artem, Blair, Roman, and Ariyana said in unison. After a few moments passed Avery added, ¡°It never appeared before me either.¡± Liam thought to himself, ¡°Why would it appear before me if no one else saw it?¡± Before anyone could say anything else a noise filled the room. It sounded like random idle chatter. At first it was a bit quiet, but then it grew louder as seconds started to go by. ¡°I know what that sounds like,¡± Liam began as he focused. ¡°What does that sound like?¡± Avery questioned as she gave him a confused look. ¡°That is the sound of panic, confusion, and uncertainty,¡± Liam said confidently as he looked at them. ¡°I think there are others in the same predicament as us.¡± ¡°How do you know it¡¯s not a trap? What if they want us to believe what you think it is?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Blair agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think, I know. When you spend as much as time as me hearing the sound of people panicked by the uncertainty of things happening from those trying to trick you, you can distinguish the real from the fake.¡± Liam gave them a look of certainty. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I¡¯m going to see what is going on.¡± He then walked out the door. The area outside the room expanded into a huge cavern. The ceiling was high in the air and the walls were spread out far. The floor, walls, and ceiling were made of solid rocks giving the area a cavernous feel to it. Glowing stones lined the walls giving enough light around for people to see. The crowd of people standing before Liam, filled up the area. In front of them was a stage made from wood. Glowing stones strapped to poles illuminated the stage from both sides. ¡°I¡¯m curious to know what those glowing stones are,¡± Mercer stated as he walked up next to Liam. Liam turned to him and nodded in agreement. ¡°It seems like you were right,¡± Blair commented as she and the others approached behind to stand next to him and Mercer. Liam gave a slight smile as he looked forward. ¡°Now if this is just like a novel then I¡¯d say someone will appear up there to explain what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°What the hell!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Where did it go?!¡± Liam turned around to see the room-like areas had disappeared and turned into a solid wall. He then thought to himself, ¡°That¡¯s strange. I hope we didn¡¯t just screw ourselves.¡± ¡°Ahem, if we could have your attention here, please,¡± a commanding, but soft voice called out. The voice didn¡¯t sound like it was yelling, but rather it was a talking to everyone like they were close. Tutorial 2 - My own Personal Character Sheet Liam spun around to see three people standing on the stage. On the left was a middle-aged strict looking man. He had a clean cropped brown hair style and blue eyes. His tank top fit snuggly over his torso and chest as his muscular arms rested behind his back. The bottom of his brown pants was sucked into his boots. The figure in the middle was a lady who looked like she was in her early thirties. Her long flowing golden hair looked flawless. Her green eyes hid behind glasses. She wore a weirdly designed white and yellow robe giving her a scholarly appearance. The last individual was an elderly woman. She wore her long white hair in a ponytail fashion. Her assessing, but kind hazel eyes took everyone in as she looked around the room. Her outfit gave her a martial artist look. The sleeveless shirt showed that even though she looked old, she wasn¡¯t far from her prime. ¡°Damn, are you psychic or something?¡± Blair questioned as she looked at Liam. Liam shook his head. ¡°No, it was just a guess.¡± The younger lady took a step forward and started, ¡°Greetings, lost lambs. I know you are confused about the present situation. If you could give us some of your time, we will explain what is going on. I am Nalia. This gentleman is called Phorge. And the elderly woman next to me is Adva.¡± The loud chatter slowly became murmurs as the crowd gave their attention to the three before them. ¡°Lost lambs?¡± Liam thought as he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Prior to arriving here, your planets were on the brink of destruction. Before that could happen, we did all that we could to make sure you could survive by summoning you here.¡± ¡°Where is here!?¡± A voice called out. ¡°You are on the planet called Paracosm. Well¡­to be precise¡­you are in a small area separated from the world of Paracosm. In a few of your worlds you can think of it as tutorial area of sorts. A place to help you get better acquainted with how our world works,¡± Nalia responded. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± A random person asked. ¡°Tutorial area? What is this? A video game?¡± Another shouted. ¡°Summoned us? How do we know this isn¡¯t a ruse!?¡± The idle people started up again as panic slowly kicked back in. ¡°Silence!¡± Phorge roared. The force of his voice bared down on everyone causing them to cover their ears. The voices became silent as they looked back at the three. ¡°We know this is confusing to you all,¡± Adva began. ¡°However, you must understand. We didn¡¯t have you summoned directly into the world due to the dangers hidden within it. Walking into a world you have no clue about is equivalent to dropping you in an ocean with no support. This world is much different than the ones you¡¯re from,¡± her voice sounded like a soothing grandmother who was parting wisdom upon her grandchildren, ¡°Instead, we created this place to help you accumulate better knowledge and gain the skills and abilities you¡¯ll need to survive.¡± People looked at her skeptically. ¡°The best way for you to understand what we are talking about is real, is by pulling up something called a Character Sheet. To do so just think the words, Character Sheet.¡± Liam looked dubious, but played along and thought, ¡°Character Sheet.¡± A shocked expression replaced his uncertainty as a light blue see-through screen much like ones he¡¯s seen in games popped up in front of him.
Character Sheet
General Information
Character Name: Liam Health Pool 100/100
Race: ????? Mana Pool 100/100
Bloodline: ????? Stamina Pool 100/100
Zodiac Gemini Age: 22
Class: Locked Level 1
Secondary Class Locked
Faith and Blessings
Patron or Matron Deity N/A
Deity Description: N/A
Deity Blessings: N/A
Attributes
Available Category Points Used
0 Body 39
0 Mind 34
0 Spirit 39
Locked
Physical Skills
Skill None Skill Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Skill Description N/A
Skill None Skill Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Skill Description N/A
Magical Abilities
Ability None Ability Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Ability Description N/A
Ability None Ability Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Ability Description N/A
¡°This is¡­,¡± Liam softly muttered as his brain began to swirl trying to make sense of it all. ¡°This is an actual character sheet¡­my own personal character sheet.¡± he brought a hand to cover his mouth as a smile slowly crept on his face. ¡°I have a question,¡± someone shouted with a hand raised. ¡°Yes?¡± Nalia responded. ¡°Why does my character sheet say points used? I don¡¯t remember putting any points anywhere. Also why are there areas blank and locked?¡± Nalia smiled. ¡°That is an excellent question. Areas you see blank means you have not been given or achieved anything to fill that area. Places you see locked means you have yet to unlock that specific area. For example, you¡¯ll see that your Class is locked. That is because you haven¡¯t unlocked your starting class yet. I¡¯ll get to that in a moment though.¡± The crowd was filled with light murmurs as they stared at their personal Character Sheets. Nalia continued, ¡°The reason why you have points used is because of the experiences you had in the other world you lived in translated into their respected stats. Also, please keep in mind no one can see your character sheet unless you allow them to.¡± ¡°If you want to see where your points were put into, simply click on the Body, Mind, and Spirit sections for a drop-down window to appear showing where everything is placed,¡± Adva said. Liam did as she suggested and was mind boggled at how it broke down. ¡°While you all look at that we will explain how it all works,¡± Nalia started up. ¡°As you have seen there are three categories for your attributes. Body, Mind, and Spirit. The Body Category deals with your physical stats. The Mind Category deals with your mental and magical stats. Lastly, the Spirit Category deals with your recovery, focus, and luck.¡± Nalia waited for her words to settle and then turned to Phorge, ¡°Would you like to explain the Body Categories?¡± Phorge stepped forward and began to speak. The powerful roar from earlier was still fresh in everyone¡¯s minds so they braced for it again but was shocked as he spoke normally. ¡°The Body Category has four main stats. They are Constitution, Dexterity, Endurance, and Strength. Each stat has a sub-stat you can train to bring your capabilities up. Constitution has the sub-stats: Ailment Resistance, Resilience, and Vitality.¡± ¡°Your Ailment Resistance is a sub-stat that deals with different types of physical afflictions that can harm your body. The Resilience is a sub-stat that strengthens your pain tolerance as well as your natural defenses from attacks. I will warn you that you will never be completely numb to pain so don¡¯t get your hopes up. And lastly, Vitality is the sub-stat that ties in with your Health pool, or HP for short.¡± Someone in the crowd raised their hand as they asked, ¡°How do we know what our Ailment resistances are? Does it just focus on all or does it show what resistance we have to what?¡± Phorge gave a smile as he answered, ¡°That is an excellent question. Like many things you¡¯ll learn, for things like Ailment Resistance, you¡¯ll have a drop down for that to show you. You¡¯ll have to learn how to get a resistance to an ailment on your own. I will say this though, working on your resistances will be painful.¡± Phorge waited to see if there were any more questions before continuing, ¡°The next main stat in the Body Category is Dexterity. Dexterity has four sub-stats: Agility, Fine Motor, Reflex, and Speed. Agility raises the ability to being able to move stealthily, attack speed, and controlling the direction and position of one''s body while maintaining momentum. The Fine Motor sub-stat works your small muscles to be able to control movements in areas such as the hands and fingers. Reflex works the larger muscles in the arms, legs, torso, and feet to dodge away from strikes and surprise attacks. Lastly, Speed raises your movement speed when running or sprinting.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying by raising your speed you can just run faster and longer?¡± A random female asked. ¡°Yes and no. Most sub-stats are tied in with your other sub-stats in other categories. For example, Your Speed sub-stat doesn¡¯t work on how long you can run or sprint. It¡¯ll only work on your movements going forward. I believe you can see colored bars in your peripherals.¡± Liam looked around but couldn¡¯t see anything. He then tried to focus on what Phorge meant until he finally saw it. ¡°The green bar is your Health Pool. The blue is your Mana Pool. And your yellow bar is your Stamina Pool. Your Stamina Pool plays into your physical movements and ties in with your physical activities. The more you run, dodge, grip something harder, etcetera, will drain your Stamina Pool.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Then how do we work on lessening that drain?¡± Someone asked. ¡°By working on your Endurance sub-stats. There are three sub-stats in your Endurance stat. They are Stamina Endurance, Body Endurance, and Crafter Endurance. Your Stamina Endurance determines how long you can run, dodge, and carry heavy items. Body Endurance determines how many times you can block attacks before getting tired.¡± ¡°The last one, Crafter Endurance plays into effect when you are crafting. It takes a lot of stamina to wield a hammer or focus on stitching something when tailoring an item. Not to mention the heat you must endure while in the smithy and other variations.¡± Phorge paused to wait for any more questions before continuing, ¡°The last sub-stats are in Strength. These are Power and Body Strength. Power, like how it sounds, determines the damage you can deal when attacking. Body Strength determines the type of weapon and armor you can wear and use. I will tell you now that most weapons and armor have requirements in order to use them.¡± People searched for what he was talking about and grew confused as they kept looking. ¡°Is the Weapon¡¯s training and Craft¡¯s section the same as a drop down? We can¡¯t see what crafts are out there or what weapons and armor we can use,¡± A man questioned. ¡°Correct,¡± Adva replied. ¡°Many things in this world require you to find them out yourselves and learn them. Weapons training can start after using a weapon for the first time and either train with it to get a better feel or during combat. However, please keep in mind¡­before the first level of training for the weapon skill appears you will have a heavy penalty wielding it. Power in your strikes are weak, successful hits are less likely to land, and for heavy weapons they drain your stamina quicker than it would if you have a level in it. So please think twice before going into battle with a brand-new weapon you have no knowledge in.¡± ¡°Speaking of learning and knowledge,¡± Nalia chimed in. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the Mind Category. There are three main stats: Fortitude, Intelligence, and Wisdom. The Fortitude has two sub-stats: Cognition Perseverance and Mental Resilience. Cognition Perseverance helps your mind focus more on your surroundings as well as being able to think while going through painful experiences. Mental Resilience is much like the Ailment Resistance sub-stat except it focuses more on mental ailments.¡± ¡°Why is there Cognition Perseverance if there is a Resilience sub-stat in the Body Category?¡± A curious person inquired. ¡°Excellent question. There is a difference between the two. My fellow colleague here doesn¡¯t always explain things thoroughly.¡± Nalia glanced at Phorge who frowned at her. ¡°The difference between the two is that one helps you to still be able to move through pain when your body is screaming not to, and the other helps your mind focus through the pain.¡± Nalia waited to see if there was any more questions before continuing, ¡°Intelligence has three sub-stats: Knowledge, Mental absorption, and Perception. Knowledge raises your ability to understand how something works by reading or by experimenting. The more you read and re-read a subject the better you understand it. Mental absorption helps your memory on what you learn. Lastly, Perception helps you to perceive your environment and surroundings, to pick up clues and any subtleties.¡± ¡°Does knowledge have a drop-down window as well? I feel like it¡¯s one that would,¡± Someone asked. ¡°Yes. In that drop down section you gain things called a Knowledge Theory. Knowledge Theories are bits of knowledge of a subject that can help you gain a better understanding for them. These bit of information can be anywhere from weapon skills to magical abilities, or sub-stats to history.¡± Nalia again waited to see if there were any questions. When no one spoke up she carried on saying, ¡°The last main stat is Wisdom. This has four sub-stats: Magical Practicality, Physical Practicality, Crafting Practicality, and Common sense. Magical and Physical Practicality are fairly the same except one deals with magic while the other doesn¡¯t. Working on these sub-stats will help you to better understand how to use magical abilities and weapon skills. However, you can¡¯t have a better understanding of how to use things without having equal knowledge of said abilities or skills.¡± ¡°Crafting Practicality is the same except its more with your crafting. The last one is Common Sense. This helps you understand other races and peoples¡¯ cultures, what to say or not to say during certain times.¡± Nalia gave a sigh. ¡°You¡¯d think many would have some and there wouldn¡¯t be a need for this to be a sub-stat, but many mortals are, surprisingly, lacking it.¡± Adva glared at Nalia as Phorge lightly elbowed her arm. ¡°Ow,¡± Nalia complained as she rubbed her arm. ¡°Mortals?¡± Liam thought as he caught the comment. Adva gave the crowd a friendly smile as she said, ¡°The last is the Spirit Category. There are three Main stats. They are Luck, Recovery, and Will.¡± ¡°Luck has two sub-stats. They are: Lucky Break and Lucky Soul. There are still many things we are unclear on when it comes to these. The only things we know is that these two play a part in critical strikes, dodge successions, being able to craft a level above what you can and finding rare items or resources.¡± ¡°How can no one fully know what they can do if they are a sub-stat?¡± Someone commented. ¡°Because we cannot determine luck based on knowledge. No matter how long one studies a thing like luck, luck will always prove you wrong. Luck in of itself is a mystery,¡± Adva replied. She looked around and waited for the murmurs to die down as much as they could before continuing, ¡°Next is Recovery. Recovery has three sub-stats. They are HP Recovery, MP, Recovery, and Stamina Recovery. All three of these can be explained easily together. These sub-stats tie in with how quickly you can recover lost health, mana, or stamina. The last main stat is Will. There are two sub-stats in this. They are Willpower and Zen. Willpower helps strengthen your resolve when faced with obstacles that would bring you down or hesitate. Lastly, Zen helps you focus on your tasks more efficiently.¡± Adva, Nalia, and Phorge waited as they looked at everyone. After a minute passed, Nalia inquired, ¡°Does anyone have any questions they would like to ask?¡± ¡°Yes, how do you level these sub-stats? Do they level up when you level?¡± a random person asked. ¡°Yes and no. There are two ways to level sub-stats,¡± Nalia lifted a hand up with her index finger pointing. ¡°One way is when you personally level you get a certain number of points in each Category. You use these points to place them into a sub-stat to level them up. Please keep in mind the higher your sub-stat level is the more points it¡¯ll take to level it.¡± She then raised her middle finger up. ¡°Two, you train the sub-stats individually. There are numerous ways to raise them, but you¡¯ll have to learn them as you grow.¡± ¡°This seems like a lot. Why is everything so separate? Why not just combine things together?¡± A skeptical voice questioned. ¡°There¡¯s the question I was waiting for,¡± Nalia sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll answer this one,¡± Adva said. ¡°The reason is simple. Not everyone needs certain things for the type of build they are trying to make or envision themselves with. For example, a person who is making a purely physical build wouldn¡¯t have much need for mana or a purely magical person wouldn¡¯t need much power for physical strikes. Instead of people training and getting things they don¡¯t need they can focus on what it is they truly need to make the best build for their class.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about quality over quantity,¡± Phorge smiled. Nalia glanced at him and said with a look, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Why does our Zodiac show up on our character sheet?¡± someone inquired. ¡°Dear me, I almost forgot about that,¡± Nalia started. ¡°Your Zodiac comes into play with your abilities. Each Zodiac has different abilities that can help you grow. For example, the Aries Zodiac gives a person a berserk like ability without losing their minds to the berserk effect. The after affects still come into play where the person with it will feel drained and weak so use your ability wisely when using them. Anyone else have any questions?¡± Liam remembered the strange event that happened before they came out of the room and asked, ¡°Earlier something said it was assessing us as a light outlined our bodies. What was that and what did it mean by assessment?¡± ¡°That was just a magical spell casted on everyone used to help with filling out your personal character sheet as well as determining what your starting class and abilities will be.¡± Nalia smiled. ¡°So, it looked into us to see what our starting classes would be?¡± Liam pressed. ¡°It determined what your starting class is, not classes. Unless you meant it in the context of everyone¡¯s then yes you are correct,¡± Nalia eyed him. ¡°That is what you meant right?¡± Liam looked at her straight in the eyes before smiling and answering, ¡°Yes, that is what I meant.¡± He looked back at his character sheet and stared at the words Secondary Class. He then thought to himself, ¡°Why do I have two classes then?¡± ¡°Why is our class locked if they were assessed?¡± Avery asked as she glanced at Liam before looking back at the three. ¡°We will explain that next,¡± Adva replied. Adva, Nalia, and Phorge turned their bodies around and then snapped their fingers. After they snapped their fingers five colorful portals appeared. They were colored from left to right: Light green, light red, light blue, light yellow, black. ¡°These portals are entrances to what we call dungeons,¡± Nalia began as they turned back around. ¡°Dungeons have different colors to help you determine the type of environments and monsters to expect in them. They also have different shades to the colors to help determine the difficulty. The lighter the color the easier they are while the darker they are the harder they become. After some time, they will change colors, especially when they have not been challenged after a while.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll also come across other types as you adventure the world,¡± Adva stated. ¡°Keep this in mind as you come across them. Not all is what it seems in them.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound ominous at all,¡± Artem whispered. Liam and the others nodded their heads in agreement. ¡°Now in order to unlock your starting class you will have to go in the dungeon assigned to you and beat the first-floor boss. Since this is a tutorial dungeon there aren¡¯t many enemies. There should be just enough for you to get your first level on the weapon given to you.¡± ¡°What weapon? I never got any weapon!¡± Someone shouted. ¡°How do we know what dungeon we are assigned to?¡± Another asked. ¡°Quiet!¡± Phorge yelled trying to stop the discord slowly brewing. After the crowd quieted Nalia reassured, ¡°Your weapon is in your inventory. You¡¯ll be able to take it out of your inventory once you enter the dungeon. Well, inside a starter bag that¡¯s in your inventory. Oh, now that I think of it we never got to that.¡± Adva closed her eyes and shook her head slightly while giving a quiet sigh. Nalia glared at her before continuing, ¡°You all have an inventory space. There is not much room in there, so I advise you only keep your most precious items. Also, I advised getting a spatial bag when you earn enough money. Spatial bags are not as grand as the inventory because your inventory doesn¡¯t affect your carrying capacity, but they do reduce the weight of the items you place in them. The amount it reduces depends on the bag you get.¡± ¡°Nalia, you¡¯re going off topic,¡± Phorge remarked. ¡°Silly me,¡± Nalia said with a laugh. It was one that felt forced and made Liam grimace. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Avery asked quietly as she saw the expression. ¡°I hate it when people force a laugh. It¡¯s kind of a pet peeve of mine,¡± Liam replied in the same volume. ¡°Hm¡­interesting,¡± Avery responded before looking back at the stage. Liam gave her a questioning look. ¡°Anyways,¡± Nalia started up again. ¡°The light that assessed you also assigned which dungeon you¡¯re going into.¡± She twisted her left wrist up and produced a clear orb. She then placed a hand into the air and pulled out a table. After the table was set with a cloth over it and a stand, she placed the orb on it. ¡°You each will come up to the stage one at a time and place a hand on this orb. The orb will glow one of the five colors and that color will be the dungeon you¡¯ll enter.¡± ¡°The first floor is an individual floor meaning you¡¯ll be going in alone. Take your time in there and get acquainted with what you¡¯re given. These dungeons are for training, so you won¡¯t die, but that doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t feel pain or get hurt,¡± Adva advised. ¡°After you defeat the first floor, you¡¯ll be given a chance to rest in the city behind you,¡± Nalia informed causing everyone to turn around. The solid wall that was once there was gone showing a deep dark cavern. Suddenly a small light glowed, then another, and another. Before they knew it a city had appear all lit up. It wasn¡¯t a big one, but you could hear voices coming from that direction. ¡°There in that city you¡¯ll get to know the others that went into the same dungeon as you. Form teams with them and prepare to tackle the rest of the floors. There are places where you can practice your skills, libraries to learn things, and even buildings to start learning certain crafts. Not all will be available, but there are some useful ones that can help.¡± ¡°There are a total of six floors in these dungeons. Each floor gets increasingly tougher for your levels. You can take your time approaching each floor. Train your sub-stats, hone your skills, try out strategies, whatever you want to do that¡¯ll help you,¡± Phorge added. ¡°Now then,¡± Adva clapped. ¡°Let¡¯s have you line up and start entering so we can proceed.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After an hour of waiting in line Liam was finally close enough to see the orb. Avery was in front of him. She placed a hand on the orb and watched it fill with a dark color. ¡°Black dungeon with you sweetie,¡± Adva smiled softly. ¡°I guess so,¡± Avery softly said as she slowly walked over and entered the portal. ¡°Next,¡± Phorge said with a yawn. Liam approached the orb and placed a hand on it. At first it didn¡¯t do anything, then a black smoke filled the orb. Liam froze as he saw the smoke form an indistinguishable face smiling at him. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared. ¡°Hm, that¡¯s weird,¡± Adva muttered with a volume that was barely a whisper. ¡°What is?¡± Liam questioned. Adva looked at him forgetting he was there before answering, ¡°In all my life I have never seen it appear as smoke. It¡¯s supposed to be only a color. Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it. Looks like it¡¯s the black dungeon for you too, young man.¡± Liam glanced at the orb once more before walking towards his destination. He stopped in front of it and took a deep breath in. As he released it Phorge stated, ¡°Nothing happens by just idling around.¡± Liam jumped at his sudden voice took him out of his focus. Phorge laughed. ¡°My bad. I was just trying to give you some encouraging words.¡± Liam smiled sheepishly before looking back at the portal. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He took one more deep breath, released it and stepped forward. Tutorial 3 - How is that fair? Liam¡¯s body felt weird as he exited the portal. His head felt dizzy as his vision swirled. He hunched over as he felt bile start to rise and began to dry heave. After a few failed attempts he righted himself and muttered, ¡°That was horrible. I hope that does not always happen.¡± A sound that resembled a bell chime echoed in Liam¡¯s mind as a notification screen popped up.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Mental Resilience - Teleportation Sickness. Mental Resilience - Teleportation Sickness has reached level 1!¡±
¡°Teleportation sickness? What is that?¡± Liam questioned as he clicked it. A description notification appeared.
¡°Teleportation sickness ¨C a mental sickness that occurs when going through portals or when using a teleportation gate/ability. The higher you raise this resilience the better you feel when going through portals or transporting lengthy distances. Creates less chances of being disoriented and lowers the chances of upchucking your recent meals.¡±
Liam gave a mixed expression as he read the description. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m pleased that I can work on creating a resistance to this or upset that I¡¯m going to have to play upchuck roulette every time I go through a portal.¡± He then shook his head dismissing the thought as he waved away the notification and looked at his surroundings. He was standing in a long wide corridor. A red-carpet tapestry with gold lines around the edges covered most of the solid grey stone floor. Several glow stones lined the white walls on both sides giving plenty of light. Next to the walls, spaced out evenly, stood different life-like creature statues. Most of the creatures looked like duplicates of the same kind. For example, there were a lot more Skeletons holding swords and spears than goblin-like creatures. Some of the statues were carved into beast forms that stood on either two or four legs. There were also armored human-like beings standing on pedestals. ¡°Before I move on, I should probably see what I have in that bag,¡± Liam muttered as he brought up his inventory. He stopped and stared blankly at it as he thought to himself, ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is a thing now. Inventories and the like. It feels like some sort of game.¡± He shook his head again to stop himself from getting distracted as he looked back at his inventory. It looked similar to one you would see in an RPG style game. It had three rows of ten boxes. All the squares except for one were empty. At the bottom there were pictures of coins with an X and the number zero next to them. One coin was the color of iron, another copper, a third silver, the fourth was gold and the last was a platinum color. He then took his finger and moved it like he was clicking on the square that had a bag. A notification popped up.
¡°Starter Bag.¡±
A smaller separate box appeared with the question. ¡°Would you like to open Starter bag? Yes No?¡± Liam clicked yes. The small notification box disappeared along with the bag. A few boxes filled with pictures. There was a dagger with an x and the number two in it, a small greenish vial with the number four in it, a small yellowish vial with the number four in it, a small blueish vial with the number four in it, a photo, and a mask. It was the family photo and mask he was holding onto before teleporting. He then saw that the numbers next to the iron and copper-colored coins changed too. The Iron coin had the number one hundred and the copper had fifty next to them. ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Liam said to himself before he groaned. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to learn how the currency works here.¡± He shook his head as he clicked the two daggers.
¡°Crude daggers. Daggers made using the lowest skills while blacksmithing. Negative 15% to attacks and successful hits. Would you like to equip Crude Dagger? Yes No?¡±
Liam clicked yes and was shocked to see a red notification window appear.
¡°Warning! You do not have any skill levels in daggers. Equipping will give you an additional negative 15% when trying to land a successful hit on an enemy. Would you still like to equip Crude Dagger? Yes No?¡±
¡°I guess there¡¯s got to be checks and balances. Although I¡¯m curious to see what it means about the successful hits,¡± Liam thought as the dagger appeared in his right hand. He then went to click on the other dagger.
¡°Would you like to equip Crude dagger? Yes No?¡±
Liam clicked yes again but frowned as a red notification popped up.
¡°Warning! Cannot equip second Crude Dagger. Need to have a level of 10 in Weapon skills - Daggers in order to dual wield.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°What the hell,¡± Liam groaned as he stared at the screen. He then looked at his crude dagger and muttered, ¡°God damn checks and balances.¡± He then looked at the vials and clicked the green one.
¡°Weak Health Potion. A weak potion made by a beginner alchemist. Restores 25 HP. Would you like to use Weak Health Potion? Yes No?¡±
Liam clicked no and then clicked the blue vial.
¡°Weak Mana Potion. A weak potion made by a beginner alchemist. Restores 25 MP. Would you like to use Weak Mana Potion? Yes No?¡±
Liam clicked no again, then looked at the yellow vial and stated, ¡°This one must be a Weak Stamina Potion. Makes no sense to see how much it can give if the other two give the same amount.¡± He then gripped the dagger in his right hand and looked at it. The craftmanship was in fact crude, but still looked like it could do some damage. It felt light as he practiced swinging it around. When he felt comfortable enough with the weapon he walked forward cautiously. He eyed the statues and stuffed creatures on the pedestals. He paid close attention for movement as well as at the detail of them on both sides. The realism made him question if they would jump at him. Once when he reached the end of the hall, he felt his body ease up. He lightly jumped up a few times to loosen his stiff muscles. He rolled his neck and shook his hands as he looked at the door. He then stretched his arms across his chest and over his head as he thought, ¡°If there¡¯s no monsters in this hall then there¡¯s bound to be one behind this door.¡± After he stretched his legs, he opened the heavy wooden door with his free hand and peered inside. The room had an old dark Victorian church feel to it. The walls were a deep black with several paintings hung up. Glowing stones were planted on the walls as well as on a couple of chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. There were no windows to found in the room. Pews lined up in two rows with a scarlet red carpet rolled down the middle to a couple of steps. Two organs, one on each side of the room near the steps along with two harps, violins, and weird shaped acoustic guitars. On the raised platform stood a podium. From the angle he was looking at, he saw a thick book resting on top of it. Hanging up on the wall behind the podium were seven paintings. Liam peered as hard as he could but could only see they were blackened out, devoid of any pictures in them. ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± he whispered as he took a couple of steps in. After he was fully inside the room, the wooden door slammed behind him. This cause Liam to jump and swiftly turn around. Nothing was there. An eerie angelic sound started to float in the air. It was soft reverberations of strings being plucked in a slow but mesmerizing rhythm. Liam slowly turned his head to see the strings of both harps being strummed. As soothing as it sounded, it was also alarming at the same time. The hair on the back of Liam¡¯s neck stood up as he witnessed a form rising from behind the podium. It wore a ragged and ripped black and red church robe with a biretta hat on its head. Liam looked closer to see the figure had no eyes, nose, or mouth. In fact, there was no skin on the figure. It was a smooth whitish grey skeleton. A notification popped up, causing Liam to raise his hands up to block his face out of sheer reflex. He then let out a shaky sigh as he read the message.
¡°Church of %$#^%$ Undead Priest.¡±
Liam gave a confused look. ¡°Why is the Church¡¯s name errored out? Is my notification bugged or something? That would be my luck,¡± Liam complained as he waved the box away and stared at the creature before him. He then pondered, ¡°Now how should I do this?¡± Without waiting the skeleton raised one of its clothed arms and pointed at Liam. A small dark orb appeared and shakily pulsed in front of its index finger. Liam went wide eyed and jumped to his left as the ball shot forward. The object flew pass Liam and collided with the door causing a loud boom and dust to appear. He fell to his stomach as he hid behind one of the pews. ¡°That thing has magic!? How the hell is that fair!?¡± Liam shouted as he looked at the spot where the orb landed. The dust cleared to show the door still perfectly intact, but the floor had a hole with broken wood and cement. Before he could think or say anything else, a part of the pew he was hiding behind exploded into splinters. ¡°Oh crap!¡± Liam shouted as he scrambled to his feet and ran towards the end of the pew before another explosion happened where he was. Liam noticed the skeleton slowly readjusted to focus on him as another orb grew. He ran forward, towards the steps dodging the attack. As he reached the steps, he ran around to position himself in front of the podium and on the side of the skeleton and stabbed forward with the crude dagger. The dagger pierced through the robes to puncture the rib area, but nothing happened. ¡°What the?¡± Liam stated with confusion. This hesitation gave the skeleton enough time to turn his finger right in front of Liam¡¯s chest. Liam¡¯s eyes grew wide as he pulled the crude dagger out and started to move out of the way, but it was too late. The orb was released and slammed against Liam. The explosion caused him to fly over the podium and crash into a couple of pews. ¡°Ow,¡± Liam groaned as his mind swam and pain danced through his body. After a moment of reorienting himself, he noticed his health bar drop a third. It was the same amount as his Stamina bar except his stamina was slowly rising back up. He looked at the skeleton and noticed the area he stabbed was the open part of the rib cage. ¡°Mistakes like that get you killed Liam,¡± Liam admonished himself. He then saw the skeleton had charged up another orb. He sprung up as fast as he could and jumped out to his right. He rolled to his feet and turned his attention, back to the enemy. He then chastised himself again, ¡°Not paying attention can get you killed too.¡± As he stared at it, he noticed something. The skeleton moved slowly to readjust. ¡°Its magic can be hurtful, but it looks like its movements are slow,¡± Liam thought as he jogged to his left to assess a theory that was brewing. As he jogged in the line of sight of the glowing ball it shot towards him. Liam jumped out of the way again and watched as the creature¡¯s finger slowly moved to its right to point at Liam again. Liam went from a jog to a fast walk to stay ahead of the finger and looked at his stamina to see if it would rise back up. He then went over in his head, ¡°So, if the finger is pointing in your direction the spell will be released. Its movements are slow, but its spell is powerful.¡± Liam smiled. ¡°I love checks and balances.¡± As he continued to circle around the figure, he whispered to himself, ¡°Let¡¯s see how much milk you drank growing up.¡± Liam approached the skeleton from the side and swung down with his crude dagger. As he swung down the dagger¡¯s trajectory curved to the left and missed. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Liam moved away and circled again as he thought to himself, ¡°How did I miss? I know I was close enough to hit it.¡± A notification message appeared.
¡°Missed.¡±
Liam glared at it. ¡°Are you mocking me? I know I missed! But how did I miss?!¡± As he shook the message away, he remembered what he read earlier about successful hits having a negative fifteen percent. He looked at the dagger. ¡°Is that what it meant? That is so stupid.¡± He gripped the dagger tightly as he thought, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m going to have to strike more than once to get a successful hit to land.¡± He timed the moment when he was behind the skeleton and ran in. When he was in reach he swung down then back up. The downward motion sliced against the bones, but the upwards missed. He continued striking up and down before the creature turned around. Liam backed up and moved to the right in order to get out of the finger¡¯s trajectory. Multiple messages had appeared. Some read miss, while the successful hits read.
¡°Crude dagger strike caused 5 damage.¡± ¡°Crude dagger strike caused 3 damage.¡± ¡°Crude dagger strike caused 3 damage.¡± ¡°Crude dagger strike caused 5 damage.¡±
¡°Only three to five damage? These negatives are killing me,¡± Liam complained. He let out an annoyed sigh as he squinted his eyes at the enemy. ¡°Oh well, only way to get out of here is to keep at it. Tutorial 4 - Exit Stage Right Liam kept the strategy of going in and striking as much as he could before having to back out. He missed more than he was able to land. After a few attempts he started to feel out of breath. He was panting as he was trying to keep out of danger. He looked at his stamina bar and saw he had close to twenty-five percent left in it. ¡°I think I have enough to go in to do more damage and back out before it gets too dangerously low.¡± He thought as he rushed in again. His first strike came down to hit the head of the skeleton. As his weapon struck a dark purple light rushed out and Liam flew backwards. He hit the wall hard and slide down on his butt. As he sat there, he saw both his health bar and stamina bar blink red. There was a sliver left in them. A warm liquid slowly ran down Liam¡¯s head and over his left eye. ¡°Ouch!¡± he croaked as he tried moving his arm causing pain to shoot up through his arm and down his chest as he clicked on the green vial.
¡°Would you like to use Weak Health potion? Yes No?¡±
He clicked yes and watched the vial appear in his hand. He struggled to pop the cork off causing more waves of pain to ricochet throughout his muscles and bones. After three attempts, he just brought it to his mouth and gripped it with his teeth, yanking it off. He gagged as the horrible tasting concoction slid down his throat. ¡°God! What ingredients did they use to make it taste so horrible?¡± Liam complained as his health raised to a little over twenty-five percent. He looked at the yellow vial in his inventory. He grimaced as he clicked it and accepted it. He coughed after chugging it down. ¡°That was even worse!¡± As his stamina went back up, he then realized he was too focused on non-important things and looked back at the skeleton. It was standing there shaking violently as black orbs started to appear in the air around it. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Liam said with horror. A loud fanfare rang through Liam¡¯s head causing him to wince. A message suddenly appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Level 1 in Weapon Skills ¨C Daggers! The additional negative 15% to successful hits from not having any skill levels in Daggers has been lifted.¡±
Another Fanfare rang causing Liam to squint his eyes and bring his hands over his head.
¡°Congratulations! Intelligence Sub-Stat Perception has reached level 10. You can now see Health and Mana pools when assessing creatures.¡±
¡°As appreciative as it is. I wish there was a volume control on these sounds,¡± Liam said as the pain in his head died out. He then looked at the Skeleton and stared at it. After a moment, a window appeared.
¡°Church of %$#^%$ Undead Priest. 8/75 HP 50/200 MP.¡±
¡°Looks like a couple of good hits will do the trick,¡± Liam said as he tried to get back up. A hum started to buzz in the air as he stood up. He looked to see where it was coming from then quickly jumped to his left to dodge beams that shot at the spot he once was. ¡°Jesus!¡± Liam shouted as he stayed low to the ground. He stared at the orbs and saw them charge up again. ¡°Op, time to go!¡± Liam scurried to his feet and began to run away. He opened his inventory again and clicked on the yellow vial and drank it as fast as he could to replenish the draining stamina. He forced himself not to upchuck the liquid as it ran down his throat. He then jumped to dodge a beam that shot at his feet. As he landed, he saw two more charge up and shoot at him. He tried jumping again and arched his body into a spin to dodge the beam that shot at his feet and his head. As he landed, he threw his Crude Dagger at the skeleton and watched it fly far to the right. Embarrassed, Liam said as he pulled out his other Crude Dagger, ¡°Good thing no one saw that.¡± He jumped again to his left and aimed for the skeleton¡¯s head. ¡°Please don¡¯t miss!¡± He shouted as he brought his arm back and flung the dagger forward. He watched as it hit the forehead of the creature and bounce up in the air. ¡°What! That was a hit! That should have ki,¡± Liam started to complain before the dagger fell back down and collided with the top part of the skull again. The dark purple orbs suddenly fizzled out into puffs of smoke as the skeleton crumbled. Shocked and amazed, Liam stared at the pile of bones. Too stun to speak, he just stood there with his mouth a gapped. ¡°How¡­why¡­wha¡­Huh?¡± Liam finally said while still trying to process what had happened. A fanfare sang loudly in his mind bringing his attention to a notification message.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Level 1 in Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Weapons! All Negative restrictions from not having any skill levels in Throwing Weapons have been lifted.¡±
Liam stared at the message. He then shrugged and said matter-of-factly, ¡°Well I guess that checks out.¡± Pain ached as he made the gesture. His adrenaline was slowly dying down from just standing there. ¡°God, I thought I was in perfect shape before, but this world has really changed my perspective on body health.¡± Liam grabbed a thin piece of wood that splintered off from one of the broken pew and walked over to the pile of bones. He stared at it as he stopped in front of it and said, ¡°I wonder how loot works here.¡± He looked around to see if a chest would appear. Nothing. He looked at his inventory and noticed nothing went in it after the fight. He poked the pile with the piece of wood and stated in a faint voice, ¡°Come on¡­do something.¡± A couple of notification messages suddenly appeared in front of Liam as multiple sounds blared in his mind, causing him to flail his arms backwards. As he did this, the piece of wood flew out of his hand and hit the wall behind him.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Church of %$#^%$ Undead Priest.¡± ¡°Would you like to loot Church of %$#^%$ Undead Priest? Yes No?¡±
¡°Well, that answers that question.¡± Liam muttered with a small smile. ¡°Yes, I would.¡± ¡°Items have been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s convenient,¡± Liam said approvingly.
¡°Starting class is now Unlock. Please wait as your starting class and abilities process.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Liam felt something build up inside of him. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel too ba¡­ah!¡± Liam started to say until he saw a ghostly figure floating above the pile of bones suddenly manifest. Its cloak looked to be made of black and ghastly green shadowy smoke. The inside of the hood was too dark to see any features. Crimson orbs suddenly brightened where the eyes would have been. The air became heavy as an indescribable raging aura washed over Liam causing his body to freeze. Panic crept up within Liam as the specter rushed forward and engulfed him. Pain beyond any Liam has ever felt filled him to the core as screams and furious roars rang in his ears. His muscles tightened as he felt his body vibrate with a familiar uncontrollable emotion. He gritted his teeth as he tried fighting the invasive attack, but it was too much for him to manage. He watched as his stamina bar rushed to depletion and his health bar slowly drained. His vision darkened the closer his stamina emptied. Before he fell unconscious an unknown, yet familiar primal roar rang in his ears. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam slowly stirred as his consciousness returned. He opened his eyes slowly to see his vision blurred. After blinking four times, it cleared up to show he was lying on his stomach. As he moved his arms closer to his sides, his bones creaked, and a soreness ached in every fiber and muscle in him. ¡°Why do I feel like I was hit by a bus?¡± Liam groaned as he managed to push himself to lay on his back. He then moved his arm as slowly as he could and placed it across his face covering his eyes. His breathing was labored as he took in as much air as he could. He could feel his heart thumping hard against his chest. ¡°If this is what it feels like to get a class then I hope this is the only time I have to go through this.¡± After his breathing calmed down, a thought suddenly popped in his head causing him to widen his eyes, throw his arm down and race to his feet. He swiftly scanned the area to try and find that mysterious creature. It wasn¡¯t there. He looked around a few more times before he was satisfied and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s still around. But I swear if that thing Scooby Doos me, I will not only scream but I will punch it and run away.¡± He brought his arms down to sides as he let his guard relax a bit. A blaring alarm-like sound startled Liam into jumping and flailing his arms. ¡°What the¡­!¡± A bright red message screen appeared in front of him. ¡°Jesus! I almost had a heart attack!¡± Liam complained as he placed a hand over his heart trying to slow it down. After he calmed down, he looked at the message.
¡°Warning! During the unlocking attempts on classes a couple of anomalies surfaced. Reconfigured class one to allow progression to happen. Second class has been sealed due to tampering. Class one: ????? has been reconfigured to Crafter. Second Class 3rr0r Corrupted will be sealed. You must find a way to cleanse the anomalies within you to unlock your full potential.¡±
Liam stared disbelievingly at the screen. After reading and re-reading and re-reading it, he let out an irritated and anger exclaim, ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! A Crafter! A freaking Crafter! I mean yes, I loved crafting since it helped me when the world went to crap, but how is having Crafter as a class going to help me when anyone can do crafting!¡± He kicked the closest piece of rubble as hard as he could. He took a deep breath in and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see what abilities I was able to get. Maybe it¡¯ll be more helpful than I think.¡± He then pulled up his character screen.
Character Sheet
General Information
Character Name: Liam Health Pool 125/125
Race: ????? Mana Pool 125/125
Bloodline: ????? Stamina Pool 110/110
Zodiac Gemini Age: 22
Class: Crafter Level 2
Secondary Class 3rr0r Corrupted (Sealed)
Faith and Blessings
Patron or Matron Deity N/A
Deity Description: N/A
Deity Blessings: N/A
Attributes
Available Category Points Used
0 Body 39
0 Mind 34
0 Spirit 39
Crafter
Physical Skills
Skill None Skill Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Skill Description N/A
Skill None Skill Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Skill Description N/A
Magical Abilities
Ability None Ability Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Ability Description N/A
Ability None Ability Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Ability Description N/A
Non-Combat Abilities
3rr0r Corrupted (Sealed)
Physical Skills
Skill None Skill Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Skill Description N/A
Skill None Skill Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Skill Description N/A
Magical Abilities
Ability ???????? Ability Cost ????? Skill Type ????
Ability Description ????????
Ability None Ability Cost N/A Skill Type N/A
Ability Description N/A
Non-Combat Abilities
Liam¡¯s mouth gapped open. ¡°Where¡­where are they? Did I not get any abilities?¡± Liam questioned as he stared at the screen. He then noticed a new screen name Non-Combat Abilities and clicked it open.
Crafter
Non-Combat Abilities
Ability Harvest Ability Level 1 Skill Type Instant
Ability Description Can harvest and identify materials easier. At low levels you can harvest one item at a time.
Ability Mobile Crafter Ability Level 1 Skill Type Instant
Ability Description Able to craft or Forge items anywhere as long as tools needed are present. Negates need of Forges, alchemy lab, etc.
Ability Item Understandance Ability Level 1 Skill Type Instant
Ability Description Gives you a better understanding of items that are craftable by using them.
¡°Non-combat¡­,¡± Liam said sounding exasperated. He then threw his hands into the air and continued. ¡°I have a non-combat class with non-combat abilities!¡± He crouched down and placed a hand over his face. After a few minutes of crouching in silence he stated as he was working that wheel in his mind, ¡°It stated that I needed to cleanse the anomalies found. One of those three might know how.¡± He got up, let out a long sigh, and stated sounding hopeful, ¡°That¡¯s what I need to do first when I get out of here. They¡¯ve lived here longer than any of us so they might know.¡± As he said that a faint whisper echoed, in fragments, in the back of his mind, ¡°Use¡­Caution¡­¡± Liam looked around. ¡°Am I hearing things?¡± He thought about what the voice said. He had to agree that he should use caution whenever asking questions. One of the few things he did after Earth went to hell these past couple of years was grow cautious towards people. It was a habit that helped him survive. A good habit since almost everyone in that world lost their morals and common sense. He then thought about the look Nalia gave him when he said classes. That look alone told him he had something not normal. He needed to figure out why he had two classes on top of why these things happened. After giving it some thought he decided that he would try to find some trust worthy people and gain information through them. He wont out right trust Adva, Phorge, and Nalia, but he¡¯ll test them out. See what they have to say, confirm it through others, and see if they have any nefarious intentions. He looked back at his abilities and gave another sigh, ¡°As disappointing as this is, I¡¯ll have to make do with what I¡¯ve got. Just because I have a Crafter class doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t fight. I¡¯ll just have to practice harder.¡± He dismissed the screen and looked at the pile of bones. He walked over to it and grabbed a bone. As he looked at it a green message screen appeared.
¡°Bone of Undead Priest. Uncommon Crafting Component. You can use this as a crafting component with other crafting components to make a better item. Would you like to harvest Bone of Undead Priest? Yes No?¡±
¡°Huh. I¡¯ll have to see if those who craft without the class can see this too or not,¡± Liam muttered as he clicked yes.
¡°4 Bones of Undead Priest have been sent to your inventory.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll also have to see what I can use these for. Once when I get back and settle for the day, I¡¯ll have to see what spoils I got too. Now where is the exit?¡± The door Liam had entered through, opened with a swirling black portal inside the frame. ¡°Exit stage right I guess,¡± Liam said as he walked towards it. Tutorial 5 - Calm the Storm Liam placed his hands on his knees while fighting the urge to throw up the moment he stepped out of the portal. He really didn¡¯t like the feel it brought as he went through it. During that brief moment stepping through, it felt like his insides were spinning around like one of those prize wheels. When he was fully through the portal it felt like the wheel inside of him was forcefully stopped. A chime echoed in Liam¡¯s mind as a notification popped up.
¡°Mental Resistance - Teleportation Sickness has reached level 2.¡±
¡°Not throwing up when going through portals is an impressive thing to be able to do when you¡¯re starting off,¡± a rough voice said, sounding impressed. Liam looked up to see Phorge staring at him. Even though he was cautious he wanted to gather some information. He decided to go with some small harmless information first. ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± a sweet grandmotherly voice agreed. Adva appeared next to Phorge. ¡°Not many can handle teleportation so early. You might have a knack for it. There¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll gain some ability to teleport later down the road with your class.¡± ¡°I can only hope then.¡± Liam straightened himself before asking, ¡°Do you know if there¡¯s a way, I can turn down the sound that accompanies level ups?¡± ¡°There is,¡± Adva smiled warmly. ¡°If you think Notification Alarms, a screen will pop up. You can turn it down there, but not all the way.¡± ¡°You can also choose when you receive notifications from there too,¡± Phorge added. Surprised Liam did as they said and saw a new screen.
Notification Alarms
Personal Level Up
Volume Loud
Notification Timing Immediately
Sub-Stat Level Up
Volume Loud
Notification Timing Immediately
Weapon Skill Level Up
Volume Loud
Notification Timing Immediately
Ailment and Resilience Level Up
Volume Loud
Notification Timing Immediately
Crafting Level Up
Volume Loud
Notification Timing Immediately
Skills and Abilities
Volume Loud
Notification Timing Immediately
¡°Of course, the settings would be on loud and immediately,¡± Liam disgruntledly muttered as he clicked and changed the volumes to soft and the notification timing to After Battles, Training, or Crafting. He then looked at the two and said, ¡°Thank you for that. Those notifications popped up at the worst time during my fight.¡± Phorge gave a loud laugh. ¡°That is the initiation rite for all newcomers coming into our world. You didn¡¯t let it do you in, so that¡¯s a good sign that you¡¯ll make it far.¡± Adva elbowed Phorge¡¯s arm as Liam stared at him. ¡°What do you mean do me in? I thought we can¡¯t die during the tutorial run?¡± Liam asked with some confusion. ¡°That¡¯s right! You can¡¯t!¡± Phorge quickly stated. ¡°I¡­I forgot since I¡¯m not used to dungeons from here.¡± Adva narrowed her eyes as she clarified, ¡°What he is trying to say is that even though your HP won¡¯t drop below one it still hurts a lot. He was trying to applaud you for overcoming that experience and still finishing up your fight. A lot of people are still in their dungeons especially those in the dungeon you were in.¡± Liam searched their faces as he listened. He felt they weren¡¯t lying, but a part of him felt there was something not being said. ¡°Maybe there were cases where people died before this?¡± Liam thought as he tried working his brain around the words. No matter what he tried to come up with there was still not enough information about this world and Tutorial Area. He¡¯d have to try and gather as much as he could. After staying silent he questioned, ¡°Hm¡­So what¡¯s next? What do I do now?¡± ¡°Next you can go to the city,¡± Phorge informed. ¡°You can explore, get something to eat, find an inn to sleep in, whatever you want.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s still pretty early I¡¯d suggest you take a look around. Check out some of craft shops if you¡¯re interested taking up a craft,¡± Adva suggested. ¡°Check out the training hall if you want to test abilities or work on weapon skills, or head to the library to learn some things.¡± ¡°This town has all that?¡± Liam asked sounding interested. Checking out the what crafters there were would be helpful so he could see how well his starting class faired against those who didn¡¯t have the class. The library was great to hear to Liam. That meant he could try and see if there were any information about this world, why he had two classes, and if there was any way to fix his situation. The Training Hall was also a nice bonus to hear. It meant he could keep up with his exercises as well as train his dagger weapon skill. Having these area available to him lifted some worries that he didn¡¯t realize he had. ¡°There aren¡¯t as many craft shops here, just some basic ones,¡± Adva started. ¡°You won¡¯t learn how to craft the best of items, but they¡¯ll get you started on what you need to know. The library isn¡¯t as big as the ones out in the world; however, it does have some books you can learn Knowledge Theories in or chances of picking up some skills.¡± ¡°Same with the training hall,¡± Phorge added. ¡°It¡¯s not meant for learning and training the best techniques, but it¡¯ll help with getting the basics down for weapon handling, forms, and build a foundation.¡± Liam was about to say something until an annoyed voice stated, ¡°What¡¯s going on over here?¡± Liam, Adva, and Phorge turned to see Nalia approaching them. She looked as annoyed as she sounded. ¡°This young man was asking questions, so we were just answering them,¡± Adva stated with as much annoyance as her younger counterpart. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be wasting more time than necessary here. There are more people with questions than just this¡­,¡± Nalia started to say. She squinted as she stared at him like he was a puzzle. ¡°Why do I feel something strange coming off of you?¡± Adva and Phorge gave each other a confused look before looking at her and then at Liam. ¡°Something strange? What do you mean?¡± Liam asked as alarm bells rang in his mind. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right about you. Why is that? Is it your class? What class did you get?¡± Nalia inquired as her gaze deepened on him. ¡°That¡¯s my business and not yours,¡± Liam quickly said. ¡°And what do you mean doesn¡¯t feel right about me?¡± Liam suddenly felt something invisible begin to poke around his mind. It felt invasive and strong. His mind started to pound as he tried to fight back, albeit failing horribly. He then questioned with a confused and slightly painful tone of voice, ¡°What the hell is going on?! What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to see what class you got,¡± Nalia stated matter-of-factly. ¡°Nalia!¡± Phorge started. Adva clapped her hands sending a gust of wind over Liam causing the feeling to disappear. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing Adva,¡± Nalia turned to her, baring her teeth. ¡°Stopping you from doing something stupid. You know you¡¯re not allowed to pry into other¡¯s minds like that. If he doesn¡¯t want you to know then he doesn¡¯t have to tell you,¡± Adva answered pointedly. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he doesn¡¯t want to tell me. If I want that information, I¡¯ll get it out of him. I have the power to do it and he¡¯s not strong enough to resist,¡± Nalia challenged. Phorge clenched his fists and was about to let out a furious retort until Liam softly said, ¡°Crafter.¡± ¡°What?¡± Nalia asked as Adva and Phorge looked at him. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I said Crafter. My class is Crafter. Are you happy!¡± Liam glowered. Adva and Phorge gave him a look. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was pity or sympathy? Nalia stared at him. ¡°Crafter? Well, that¡¯s hardly a useful class. Maybe that¡¯s why I felt something strange from you. I don¡¯t come across many Crafter classes¡­actually I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve come across any before. Hm.¡± Nalia gave him a dismissive look as she turned around and walked away. ¡°You won¡¯t last long as a Non-Combative class. I feel sorry for the team you¡¯re stuck with.¡± Liam stared daggers as he watched her walk away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for her actions,¡± Adva apologized with a sorrowful look upon her face. ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Liam stated with a matter of fact like tone. ¡°It¡¯s just a reminder that not everyone in this new world will be nice or helpful. I just need to stay away from people like that and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°An attitude like that will help you survive,¡± Phorge commended. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. It isn¡¯t about the class, it¡¯s about the techniques and skills you work hard on with your training that will help you survive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Adva smiled with her grandmotherly charm. ¡°One¡¯s class is but a tool that you can use and it¡¯s not the end all be all. It¡¯s the time you take training, honing your skills. I highly recommend you look at the three places we listed earlier. They will aid you in your long and dangerous path forward.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word. If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Liam said sounding skeptical as he began to walk away. He wanted to get away from there as fast as he could. Even though Adva and Phorge did nothing wrong, Nalia just reconfirmed that he should not trust any of them just yet. Liam knew that Phorge and Adva just wanted to be helpful and friendly, but whose to say they didn¡¯t plan that. Until he found any evidence that Adva and Phorge were genuinely nice, he was going to avoid them as much as he could. As he walked pass the whispering people, a soft bell chime sound echoed in Liam¡¯s mind as notification screens popped up one after another.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Mental Resilience ¨C Divine Eye. Mental Resilience ¨C Divine Eye has reached Level 1.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Divine Eye has reached Level 2.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Divine Eye has reached Level 3.¡±
He scanned through each notification and exited them until it reached the last one.
¡°Congratulations! Fortitude Sub-stat Mental Resilience ¨C Divine Eye has reached Level 10. You can now feel whenever anyone is trying to probe your mind for information as well as know which direction it¡¯s coming from. 5% chance to feel a hint of the hidden power of the one casting this spell on you.¡±
¡°Divine Eye?¡± Liam thought. He looked at the description and froze as he read it.
¡°Divine Eye ¨C A magic ability that Divine beings use to peer into others minds seeing their stats or other information.¡±
Liam slowly turned to look at Nalia. She was talking to a few enthusiastic people, but her line of sight was still on Liam. Even though she had a smile on her face, Liam could feel an uneasy and terrifying aura coming off her. Liam swiftly turned back around and walked away as he thought, ¡°A Divine Being? Did I just¡­against a¡­No¡­It¡¯s probably just flavor text to spice things up a bit¡­¡± He glanced back once more quickly before turning back around and then gulped. ¡°Hopefully.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The city was spread out with most buildings melded into the side of the rocked wall. Other structures were scattered about on raised grounds with stairs leading up to them. People walked throughout the city. You could tell who was from this world and who wasn¡¯t by the way they looked in awe as they saw the unbelievable and unfamiliar architecture. The new arrivals had either a curious or anxious look to them while they walked about. Natives of this world walked like this city was normal or worked stalls and shouted out deals with hope of gaining a profit. Liam stared at the ceiling and noticed a giant bright glow stone emitting a yellow light that he concluded was acting like the sun. His proof was as time passed the glow began to slowly dim. Liam looked around and marveled at the buildings built within the wall. Some had designs that outlined the shape and length of the building. These ones he determined were shops as signs hung above the door. Others had a door and several windows spread out around head level and a few more rising up. He came to find out they were inns after getting a good look through the open windows. ¡°This is amazing,¡± Liam stated while starting up some stairs to a new area of the city. After reaching the top he saw more buildings. He found a two-story grey building with a sign that had a stack of books with one open in front of the pile. ¡°That must be the library,¡± he thought as he walked to it. The inside of the building was rounded out. Rows of books filled shelves that expanded out in a methodical way starting at the walls. There was a staircase that led up to a second floor. A sign stating second floor unavailable was seen in front of the stairs. In the middle of the building were tables and chairs. A librarian¡¯s desk sat close to the tables near the front door. After looking around Liam noticed not many people were in the library. He did, however, see a couple of familiar faces sitting at a table with a few books around them. One of them was a male who was a bit hefty. His short brown hair was disheveled from running his free hand through it as his olive-green eyes scanned through a book. He looked like he was debating something and was anxious about it. Another was a slim lanky female. Her pixie haircut not getting in the way of her icy cold blue eyes as she sat cross legged on her chair reading. The last was a long wavy deep dark blue haired girl with sharp facial features. The way she was reading looked like she was on a mission. As he approached the small group of three, he said, ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± The three turned to look at him. Artem nodded acknowledging him. ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± Blair questioned keeping her legs crossed on the chair. ¡°You look like hell,¡± Avery stated as she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you clean yourself up?¡± Liam looked at his clothes and noticed his shirt had a couple of rips on it and some small dark stains. He had forgotten about the state of his clothes after what had happened. It now made sense to him why people stared at him while walking through town. He shrugged and stated, ¡°I just got back and figured it would be better to get some information before cleaning up.¡± Avery and Blair nodded approving his decision. Artem glanced at him again before looking back at the book he was reading. ¡°I take it you guys are doing the same. Did you find anything interesting?¡± Liam asked as he sat down next to Artem. ¡°Not a lot. Just how the currency works here and some similarities from our worlds and some other things,¡± Avery started. ¡°Oh? How does it work?¡± Liam asked with curiosity. ¡°Basically, it works in hundreds. For example, one hundred iron coins equals one copper coin. A hundred copper coins equals one silver, etc.¡± Blair answered. ¡°Hm, interesting. That¡¯s not how it works where I live unless you¡¯re saying a hundred pennies equals a dollar or a hundred one dollar bills equals a hundred dollar bill.¡± The three stared at him. ¡°What?¡± Liam inquired with a confused look. ¡°Nothing.¡± Avery avoided. ¡°They have a wide variety of books from stretches to basic fighting techniques. Magic, crafting, weapons, etcetera. From what we¡¯ve gathered so far, the more you read on a subject the better chances you get in gaining a knowledge theory on the topic.¡± ¡°Knowledge Theory?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes. Knowledge Theory gives you a better understanding on a topic. The more knowledge you gain on it the better the understanding. I¡¯d suggest you grab a book on something that interests you so you can start on your foundation now,¡± Avery suggested. ¡°Hm,¡± Liam started as he looked at Avery. He then looked at Artem and Blair as well and asked, ¡°What are you guys looking into?¡± ¡°I¡¯m reading a book based on sword practice techniques. Specifically for the Rapier,¡± Avery answered. ¡°I¡¯m reading a book based on the different types of cooking.¡± Artem quietly said. Avery, Blair, and Liam looked at him. ¡°What?¡± Artem started. A sheepish expression grew on his face before saying, ¡°I know I may look big, but that¡¯s just how I look. The food in my old world was bland. Knowing how to cook was a blessing, but knowing how to cook good food was a blessing not many were able to afford.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with reading a book about that. I just wasn¡¯t expecting a book like that to be in here. I guess Avery was right when she said the books vary,¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m reading a basic magic book.¡± Blair replied then added, ¡°Apparently, you can learn magic even if your class isn¡¯t a magic one. It¡¯s not as strong as a mage class nor will you learn amazing magical abilities, but you can learn magical abilities and theory that can be useful. Oh, also apparently, you¡¯ll need magic knowledge for certain crafting.¡± Liam gave her his attention. ¡°Oh yeah? What crafts need magic? Does it say?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten that far yet. This is just an introductory into magic, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll tell me or not. Why? Are you interested in Crafting?¡± Blair asked as she put her eyes on the book. Liam hesitated as he thought about. ¡°Yes and no. I used to dabble into some crafting to help me survive when my world went to crap.¡± Liam nodded his head side to side the corrected, ¡°Well the crafting I did was more like mish mash stuff. Tinkering is probably the best way to describe it compared to this world¡¯s version of crafting. However, magic is something that everyone dreams about, at least in my old world.¡± Blair surprisingly smiled as she commented, ¡°Magic is something everyone dreams about regardless of what world you¡¯re in, I think. I will admit I was disappointed when I got my class but reading this is giving me some hope that I can use some sort of magical abilities with it.¡± Liam smiled as he agreed with her. ¡°Alright I¡¯m going to go see what I can find. Did any of you find anything on starting classes, history of this world, or anything similar?¡± Avery and Blair shook their heads. ¡°Apparently, those books are located on the second floor and that floor is currently restricted to us,¡± Blair replied. ¡°That was the first thing I asked about when I got here.¡± ¡°Why is the second floor restricted to us? Are they trying to hide something?¡± Liam questioned as he gazed up to the railing of the second floor above him. ¡°No,¡± Avery started. ¡°They said something about not wanting to overload us with too much information all at once. Also that the second floor becomes available once when we defeat a certain Dungeon floor. I don¡¯t know, it all seems to fishy to me to be honest.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Liam said. He then let out a tired sigh as he stood up. Oh well, not much we can do now I guess.¡± He walked away and towards the first bookshelf. He ran his eyes over the books but didn¡¯t see anything that caught his eye. He walked to the next few bookshelves and looked over the contents, but still didn¡¯t find anything interesting. As he looked over the books on the next bookcase he thought, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t be picky, but nothing is standing out¡­¡± He began to turn his head to the next case, but then stopped and looked back. A light greenish-blue covered book stood out from the light grey books. He stared at it as a nagging feeling slowly poked his mind. ¡°Ah what the hell,¡± Liam thought as he pulled it out. The cover read ¡°Calm the Storm¡±. ¡°Hm, tacky name¡­maybe the contents within are better,¡± Liam muttered as he opened it and began to read the first page. ¡°Opportunities await those who take the time to calm the storm brewing within oneself. People often miss out on opportunities when they let outside forces distract them. By taking the time to silence the noise, put your thoughts in order, and relax yourself you can see the path of growth. This book will guide you in better understanding the power of Zen.¡± ¡°Hm¡­maybe I¡¯ll give this a shot.¡± Liam thought as he walked back to the table. Tutorial 6 - True Value Faint voices muffled around Liam. He slowly noticed the muffled sounds as the noise began to grow a bit louder. As his concentration started to wear off Liam noticed that vision was narrowed as well. A moment ago, there was nothing but him and this book. Now he was sitting in the library, confused on what was going on. ¡°What?¡± Liam said as he looked bewildered at Avery and Blair. ¡°Damn dude. You were really sucked into that book,¡± Blair commented. ¡°We tried talking to you but didn¡¯t get any response. It was like you were in your own world.¡± ¡°What book did you find?¡± Avery asked as she tried looking at it. Still confused by what they meant Liam took a moment to gather himself. He had just sat down a moment ago to read this book. Why were they acting like a lot of time had passed. Calmly, Liam closed the book and showed them the cover. ¡°It¡¯s called Calming the Storm. From what I¡¯m understanding I believe it is about Zen and how it can help you calm your mind when you have so much going on around you. It also talked about how calming your mind can help clear your thoughts when trying to figure out the best paths you want to walk.¡± ¡°Zen huh? Wasn¡¯t that a Spirit Sub-stat?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°Zen is a Will Sub-stat of Spirit yeah,¡± Avery corrected. ¡°What Knowledge Theory did you get? You¡¯ll be able to see what the focus of the theory is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Liam said as he pulled up the message notifications that were waiting for him.
¡°Congratulations ¨C you have received Knowledge Theory Calming the Storm Level 1.¡± ¡°Calming the Storm ¨C This theory helps you understand how to calm any storms brewing inside of you through the power of Zen. It also offers many successful techniques you can use to practice Zen. By helping you calm your inner thoughts your Zen can help you see paths you can take to further your future.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory ¨C Calm the Storm has reached level 5. Progression to next level 79%.¡±
Liam looked at Avery and Blair. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s about Zen. I was able to progress it to level five.¡± ¡°Level five?!¡± Avery and Blair exclaimed. ¡°You must have a knack for it to get it that far already. I only got to level three on my Knowledge Theory Magic Understanding,¡± Blair stated. ¡°I got that far on my Knowledge Theory Rapier Finesse,¡± Avery chimed in. ¡°We had a head start and you still out paced us. Maybe it¡¯s due to you getting so focused when reading it.¡± This confused Liam. How did he outpace them in just a few minutes? He shouldn¡¯t have been possible to do so. He was also confused by what Avery stated about being so focused while reading. He used to love to read back before his world fell to shit. Back when he could just get lost in a book. ¡°Maybe, how about you Arte¡­¡± Liam looked around and noticed Artem wasn¡¯t there anymore. ¡°Where¡¯s Artem?¡± ¡°Wow you really did lose yourself,¡± Blair said. ¡°He left to go find a Cooking Crafter... A chef? I don¡¯t know what they call them here. He looked really enthused to be honest.¡± Liam looked shocked as he asked, ¡°How long have I been reading?¡± ¡°You sat down about an hour ago,¡± Blair replied with a confused look. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°An hour? I¡¯ve been reading for an hour. It felt like I just sat down a few minutes ago,¡± Liam thought. He then gave a sheepish look and apologized, ¡°My bad. I guess I really lost myself. It¡¯s been so long since I last was able to enjoy a book without worry.¡± Avery gave him a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s all good. At least you found something you have an interest in. We¡¯re about to go check some stalls out. Do you want to join?¡± Liam stretched his arms and legs before standing up. ¡°Sure. Let me just put this back.¡± ¡°You can check the book out if you want to. While you were stuck in the book the librarian told us we were allowed to check out four books while were here in the city,¡± Avery informed. ¡°Really?¡± Liam asked Avery. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to do that before heading out. You want to grab a couple more?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°No, I¡¯ll start with this and come back another time for more.¡± ¡°Alright then let¡¯s head out. I need to stretch my legs before they get too stiff,¡± Blair stated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Avery, Blair, and Liam turned down a street fully occupied. Stalls filled with different items lined up on both sides of the street. Shouts of sweet deals escaped people¡¯s lips as they tried grabbing the onlookers¡¯ attention. Liam glanced over each stall to see the items being sold. Some had different plant like objects from leaves to vines, weeds to flowers, and more. Another stall had lumps of stone-like ores. Other stalls had armor, weapons, leather, bows, arrows, food items and more. Seeing strange and foreign items was really driving it home to him that he no longer was on Earth. It was both concerning to him and exciting. ¡°I keep forgetting that I¡¯m on a different planet,¡± Liam muttered with awe. ¡°I know how you feel,¡± Avery agreed. ¡°I keep thinking this is a dream, but it¡¯s not.¡± Blair eyed them both but didn¡¯t say anything. The three of them stopped as a voice caught their attention. ¡°Are you kidding me? That¡¯s way too much,¡± a calm yet agitated voice shouted. ¡°Nonsense, my prices are fair and cheap,¡± A husky leveled voice answered back. ¡°Its fine, I¡¯ll pay the price he stated. Let¡¯s not create any problems,¡± another familiar voice said with a hint of anxiety within it. ¡°No, he¡¯s right,¡± A smooth feminine voice argued. ¡°He gave different prices to the people who came before us.¡± The three looked around to see if they could pinpoint the familiar voices amongst the crowd. After searching, their eyes laid upon Artem, Mercer, and Ariyana standing in front of a stall filled with bowls, utensils, whisks, and other basic cooking tools. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Avery asked as they walked up to them. Artem, Mercer, and Ariyana turned to look at them. ¡°Artem¡¯s getting ripped off is what¡¯s going on. If you¡¯re looking to buy stuff I¡¯d suggest looking elsewhere. This guy¡¯s prices are as flippant as his stock,¡± Mercer said in a slightly louder voice. The stall merchant placed his hands out waving them up and down slowly as he said in a quieter voice, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Are you trying to ruin my business?¡± Liam assessed the man¡¯s body language and then looked at Mercer. He noticed Mercer¡¯s facial expression was trying to tell Liam something. After a moment of thinking it through he stated, ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true then I think its best we look elsewhere.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Blair eyed Liam and added before Avery and Artem could say anything, ¡°I agree. The last thing we need is to pay above our money¡¯s worth. I think there was a stall a little farther down with better prices.¡± ¡°No! I was mistaken with my calculations. I mistook a couple of these items for other ones. I¡¯ll sell what you want for fifty copper and seventy-five iron coins.¡± The merchant panicked. ¡°Fifty copper and seventy-five iron coins!?¡± Mercer said with an affronted look. He then pointed to a big black metal pot, and a couple of kitchen knives as he added, ¡°That would be an adequate price with these items added to the pile.¡± The merchant gapped at Mercer. A light shade of red slowly colored his cheeks and forehead as he gritted his teeth saying, ¡°That would be quite adequate indeed. Will that be all?¡± Mercer gave the man a playful smile before looking at Artem and he replied, ¡°That should do just fine don¡¯t you agree my friend?¡± Artem scratched the back of his head before timidly agreeing. He then paid the man and put the items in his inventory. ¡°Thank you for your business. Now get out of here!¡± The man stated with a hint of anger in his tone. Ariyana placed her hand to her mouth as she gave a little giggle. Blair, Mercer, and Liam kept their emotions schooled as Avery fought back a laugh. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you. I wish you the best with your endeavors my fair and cheap stall merchant.¡± Mercer formally bowed before placing his hands behind his head, turning, and let out a light playful whistle. The group watched Mercer before looking at each other, shook their heads, and then followed him away from the stall. ¡°What was that all about?¡± Avery asked after they were far enough from the stall. ¡°That guy was selling his stuff at a higher price than what they were worth,¡± Mercer stated as he put his arms down. ¡°Which by the way, great job on the back up there. I wasn¡¯t sure if you guys were going to catch on to what I was doing. I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°It was easy to see what was going on after I read both yours and the man¡¯s body language,¡± Liam said. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s not an easy feat to catch on to what¡¯s going on so quickly without knowing the plan,¡± Mercer complimented. ¡°How do you know that he was trying to rip you off?¡± Blair questioned. Mercer stared at the others while contemplating something. After a moment he nodded and said, ¡°I have an ability that tells me the true cost value on items. It¡¯s called True Value.¡± Blair¡¯s eyes widened as she stated, ¡°That¡¯s a useful thing to have.¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Mercer interjected. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Blair and Avery asked. ¡°My ability can only show me the name and the TCV, True Cost Value, of said item. It can help when I¡¯m shopping, but some items come back as question marks. Also, I noticed there are grades for items, but my ability doesn¡¯t show the grade which I believe hinders the TCV of the item. Without knowing the grade of the items I¡¯m assessing I can¡¯t get an honest value,¡± Mercer explained. ¡°I see what you mean,¡± Liam said as he listened to Mercer. ¡°It gives accurate TCV on items like the ones we helped Artem with, but items like weapons, armor and the like, it¡¯s hard to give an accurate TCV. I get ballpark estimates,¡± Mercer added before looking at the others. He gave them a confused look as he asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°How do you know so much about these things. The terminology you¡¯re using isn¡¯t something that is casually known,¡± Avery pointed out. ¡°Ah,¡± Mercer began as he gave a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m from a business-like family. I learned a lot about sales, gains and loss, etcetera. I think the reason why I have this ability is because of what I learned from growing up. I also have Knowledge Theory in something called The Mercantile System Trading.¡± ¡°Still, that¡¯s useful to have especially in a new world. It¡¯ll help you out when trading or selling. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a sought-after ability,¡± Avery said. ¡°Anyways what are you guys up to?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°We just came from the library. We were just going to do some exploring,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I want to check out the Training Hall and see what that has to offer,¡± Blair suddenly said. Everyone looked at her. ¡°Sounds good to me. I was wondering what we can learn there myself,¡± Avery responded. ¡°You guys down?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the others replied. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam and the group arrived in front of a stone archway with a pair of wooden doors wide open. On both sides of the archway extended a tall stone wall that wrapped around the perimeter. After they walked in, they noticed a nice wooden structure that resembled a Japanese dojo building. To the right was a canopy where people were practicing archery. A hallway opened to the side of the building that looked like it led to another area behind the Archery. To the left were what looked like wooden and straw dummies that some people were striking with either their fists or weapons. The area that opened to this side of the build were open packed dirt spaces with a red colored square outline for each space. There were some people sparring unarmed while others practiced with their weapons of choice. ¡°This looks promising,¡± Blair commented as she looked around. ¡°It does. Maybe that¡¯s why it¡¯s so crowded here,¡± Liam commented as he watched crowds of people trying to get a spot that was already occupied. ¡°Yeah, it is a bit crowded,¡± Ariyana agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to try any of the benefits they have here today.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside,¡± Avery suggested. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t get a spot in somewhere we can at least get some information on what we can gain from this place.¡± ¡°True,¡± Mercer stated as he brought a hand to his smooth chin. ¡°Information is worth more than just diving in blindly.¡± The group walked towards the building in the middle of the complex. They walked past the few people walking in and out of the as they made their way up the stoned pathway and into the building. They looked over the room as they entered. It was a wide-open area that looked like a reception room with a hallway to the left and right, wooden flooring, red and black walls, and a desk tall enough for the employees to be standing. Two individuals stood behind the desk wearing a strange uniform. They were talking to a group of people who were thanking them before they walked away. As the group walked towards one of the halls, Liam and the others approached the desk. ¡°Hello and welcome to the Training Hall,¡± One of the individuals started. It was a female with long blond hair and green eyes who appeared to be in her late twenties¡¯ early thirties. ¡°If you have any questions, we¡¯d be more than happy to answer what we can,¡± the other individual continued. This individual was a younger male who stood a little shorter than his co-worker. He had copper hair combed back neatly and brown eyes. ¡°We were wondering what this place has to offer,¡± Mercer questioned with a curious and professional manner. ¡°We see a lot of people using your facility more than the others, but we¡¯re unsure about what we can gain by using this place.¡± Liam noticed the male¡¯s and female¡¯s posture straightened a bit as they started their explanation. ¡°The Training Hall is a place to practice a range of things,¡± The female began. ¡°You can practice and gain new weapon skills or practice the weapon skills you have. You can also practice your class or non-class offensive or defensive skills here.¡± ¡°You can practice by yourself or with a partner without fear of dealing deadly or harmful damage to one another thanks to the protection magic placed in the practice areas,¡± the young male added. Intrigued, Blair asked, ¡°What do you mean non-class skills?¡± ¡°It is possible to learn things that is not related to your class. It is harder to gain, but it is possible,¡± The female answered. She paused while contemplating something. She then nodded as she concluded and added, ¡°You would originally learn this later, but since you¡¯re one of the few who has asked about it, gaining non-class skills can help grow your class in a different direction than what it was intended for. By doing so it will help evolve it as well as help you shape how you want your fighting style to be later as you grow. However, you¡¯ll learn more about it after you leave this Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°I appreciate your willingness to share that extra bit of information,¡± Mercer smiled as he placed his hand down and moved it to reveal five silver coins. The lady smiled back as she placed a hand over the coins and replied, ¡°You are very welcome.¡± The young male kept a professional face as he continued, ¡°What this facility holds are training dummies for you to practice your weapon skills as well as personal skills, a long-ranged hall for archery and throwing weapons, dueling pits for you to spar, and a small arena for small teams practice battles.¡± ¡°I will have to add that this facility isn¡¯t equipped for magical ability practices,¡± the lady chimed in. ¡°For that you will have to visit the Mage¡¯s Tower. The facility there is equipped to handle magical practices as well as books and mentors to help study or gain new abilities. Although here in the Tutorial Area you¡¯ll only learn basic magical Fields of Studies.¡± ¡°Fields of Studies?¡± Blair and Avery questioned. ¡°You¡¯ll have to visit there for more information, but I¡¯ll tell you that Fields of Studies are commonly referred to when talking about the study of Magic. There are many different magical Fields of Studies.¡± ¡°Thank you for telling us that,¡± Avery slightly bowed her head. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± the lady smiled back. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± ¡°No, that should be all for now. If we have more questions, we can count on coming to you for answers?¡± Mercer questioned with a professional yet flirty smile. ¡°As long as they are questions, I am able to answer then yes you can,¡± the lady answered. ¡°Then we will take our leave for now,¡± Mercer stated as he turned and walked away with the others. Once when they walked out of the building Blair questioned, ¡°What was that all about?" ¡°What was what about?¡± Mercer asked with an innocent smile. ¡°You flirting with that lady and giving her some coins for information that should be free,¡± Blair said matter-of-factly. ¡°Ah, that wasn¡¯t flirting. I was being kind and friendly.¡± Mercer started. ¡°I was gathering information. As for the coin bit, the information she gave us I felt was deemed worth of giving her a tip. Information like that won¡¯t be given to just anyone. You could tell by the way she hesitated before telling us all of that.¡± ¡°Even if she wasn¡¯t supposed to give us that information, I still don¡¯t think it was worth giving her coins for it,¡± Blair argued. ¡°Ah, but that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. Giving her coin for that information opens us up for opportunities on more information we beginners would normally never get. I saw the chance and grasped it so in case we have more questions we know who is willing to answer.¡± Mercer gave a wry smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said information was worth more than just blindly diving in.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say that information was worth the coin. It¡¯s good to know we aren¡¯t restricted to the class skills we receive,¡± Liam stated as he looked down thinking about something as he muttered, ¡°Now we need to figure out how we can get new skills and abilities.¡± Before anyone could say anything, someone shouted out, ¡°I was here first! Go find another spot!¡± Tutorial 7 - How About We Form A Group? Liam and the others turned to look at the area where the training dummies were at. A group of people started gathering around one specific spot in the middle. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on over there,¡± Avery said with a curious look. ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out,¡± Blair suggested. ¡°Do we have to?¡± Artem asked. The others stopped to look at him. ¡°I mean it has nothing to do with us. So, do we really have to go check it out?¡± Artem questioned with a sheepish look on his face. Blair stared at him for moment, regarding what he said and replied, ¡°You¡¯re right. I let my curiosity get the better of me. I¡¯m so used to checking things out when it seems like a fight is about to happen. Back on my world you¡¯d have to always know what kind of trouble is brewing. I have to remind myself that I¡¯m not on my world anymore.¡± Artem gave a relieved smile as he looked at the others. He noticed Mercer was staring at Liam. The others looked at Liam as well as Mercer asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°That voice sounded familiar,¡± Liam began as he stared at the clumped group. ¡°I was trying to think where I¡¯ve heard it before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving up this spot! You guys can look elsewhere or wait your turn like everyone else,¡± the voice shouted with defiance. ¡°It does sound familiar,¡± Ariyana agreed with a nod trying to think of where she¡¯s heard it from. ¡°If it sounds familiar to more than one of us then it could only be¡­,¡± Avery started until she and the others saw Liam start to move towards the scene. Artem sighed as he followed behind the others. Liam made his way around to an opening. He was curious on the voice and what was happening. He knew he shouldn¡¯t let his curiosity get the better of him, but he just couldn¡¯t help it. Once when he got to the spot he saw a short young male with brown eyes, an athletic build and slicked back blonde hair. He was staring up at two other males and a female. One of the young males stood taller with a slim lanky physique. He had oily slicked back black hair and seedy blue eyes. He wore a grey shirt with a blue jean vest, black cargo shorts and black boots. The other male was a little shorter than his taller companion but was still taller than the one he was staring at. He had short blond hair, and an athletically fit body, much like a bodybuilder. His jaded green eyes looked playful. However, it was the kind of playfulness a predator held when they wanted to toy with prey. He wore a white shirt with the short sleeves rolled up to show off his toned muscles, black shorts, and black boots. The female had blond and black hair held up in a short ponytail. Her icy blue eyes gazed condescendingly down at the male before her. She wore clothes in a similar fashion as her two companions, except she had a tank top on showing she had a sinewy figure. ¡°It¡¯s Roman,¡± Artem quietly said. ¡°I thought I recognized the voice,¡± Avery stated with the same level of volume as Artem. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait. Waiting will take forever,¡± The athletically built male said. ¡°So why don¡¯t you just give me this spot and you can wait for another to open up.¡± ¡°Hell no,¡± Roman quickly stated. ¡°I already waited for almost two hours for this one to open up.¡± ¡°And you can wait longer for another,¡± the taller male chimed in. ¡°How many times do I have to say no,¡± Roman argued feeling irritated. ¡°You can say no all you want. That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll get to keep this spot,¡± the athletically built male added. Liam could see the frustration starting to well up inside Roman. ¡°Looks like shorty here is getting angry,¡± the woman mocked with a wicked grin. Roman glared at her. ¡°What do we do?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°Do we help him?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know him well enough to butt in,¡± Artem stated, firmly voicing his opinion. ¡°That¡¯s a coward¡¯s excuse. Are you a coward?¡± Blair chided. ¡°Very much so,¡± Artem answered without hesitating or shame. Avery and Mercer looked at Liam. He stood there, staring at the three troublemakers. He contemplated on what he should do. Artem was right. He didn¡¯t Know Roman that well, but not doing anything didn¡¯t sit well with him. As if his body made up his mind for him, it began to move on its own. Artem, Ariyana, and Blair turned their gaze to Liam and watched him walk through the crowd. Blair looked back at Artem before making her way to join him. Roman clenched his fists together as he was about to lash back until a voice said, ¡°What¡¯s his height got to do with his drive to train?¡± Roman turned to see Liam appear on the left side of him while Blair appeared on the right. ¡°If it¡¯s not your turn then wait. Everyone else is doing it. You¡¯re no more special than the rest of us,¡± Liam finished. The athletic looking young man gave a harsh laugh. ¡°Buddy, you might not be special, but you shouldn¡¯t speak for the rest of us. I know for a fact, I¡¯m way more special than second rates like you three.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. You are right. You are special,¡± Liam smiled. His eyes gave a look of pity as he continued, ¡°You¡¯re stupid with an over flatted ego. You¡¯re the kind of special that makes yourself important when you¡¯re not.¡± The athletically fit male glowered as the taller man stated, ¡°How dare you! Do you know who you¡¯re talking to?¡± ¡°Yeah!?¡± the female chimed in. ¡°He doesn¡¯t, but I do,¡± a calm and calculative voice joined in. Everyone turned to see Mercer walking up next to Liam. The two males and female looked shocked as they saw him. ¡°Mercer?¡± they said. Mercer looked at the athletically built male and greeted, ¡°Hello Theodore.¡± He then looked at the taller male. ¡°Henry.¡± Then at the female. ¡°Mia. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you all here, let alone still acting like you¡¯re bigger than you are.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t back in our old world anymore Mercer. Don¡¯t think your family¡¯s power can hold us back,¡± Henry quickly lashed out. Mercer gave them a sad but friendly smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream that my family has any power to throw around here. That being said¡­I know you¡¯re not na?ve enough to think you have any here either.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Mia questioned as she glared at him. ¡°Because we¡¯re all at the bottom of the barrel here. Raw material that just arrived on the production line,¡± Mercer explained. ¡°Speak for yourself you coddled brat. Still acting like you¡¯re better than everyone else. I know where I stand and if you think you can whip me into place then I¡¯ll make you regret that,¡± Theodore scowled. ¡°Is there no way we can resolve this professionally Theodore?¡± Mercer asked. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°There you go again with that high and mighty act. I¡¯m tired of people underestimating me. If I want something I will get it and right now I want this spot. Now either you give it to me, or I make you give it to me.¡± Theodore threatened. Mercer glanced at Liam who looked at Roman. ¡°There will be more time to train. I have a feeling it¡¯s better to do so when small unnecessary distractions aren¡¯t present,¡± Liam stated calmly. Roman let out an irritated sigh as he released his fists and stated, ¡°You might be right. I¡¯m not in the right mind set anymore to practice.¡± He then turned around and walked away with Blair. ¡°That¡¯s right walk away,¡± Mia goaded. ¡°Know your place weaklings,¡± Henry added. Liam stared at the three. Without saying anything he began to turn around and walk away until Theodore threatened, ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you¡¯ll regret butting your nose into business that doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡± Liam slightly turned his head and stated, ¡°You¡¯re right about me regretting this. I don¡¯t need petty little plebs causing more a headache than I need right now.¡± Mercer stifled a laugh as he gave a quick glance before walking with Liam. Theodore, Henry, and Mia shouted something indistinguishable as Mercer stepped in line next to Liam and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re an interesting person. I feel you will bring in some gains that I never knew existed if I stick by you.¡± Liam gave a sigh as he said, ¡°You might be a headache in disguise too.¡± He then gave a small chuckle as he added, ¡°But not as bad as those three.¡± As Liam and Mercer arrived to the group, Roman commented, ¡°You know you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to do a lot of things. I just chose to do it,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Why?¡± Roman asked. ¡°You don¡¯t know me. We only met briefly today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said, ¡°Artem stated then grew a bit timid as Blair and Avery glared at him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I just wanted to and that¡¯s all you need to know,¡± Liam answered. Deep down he wasn¡¯t sure either why he did it. If he had to guess then he would say it might be because of something that happened back in his old world. Roman stared at him. He observed Liam, looking for something. After a moment he relaxed a bit and said, ¡°Thanks. Sometimes my pride gets the better of me. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you didn¡¯t show up.¡± Liam smiled. ¡°So now what?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Let¡¯s grab some food and do an information swap?¡± Mercer suggested. ¡°Sounds good to me. I¡¯m hungry,¡± Artem said as he rubbed his stomach. ¡°Alright,¡± Avery and Ariyana added. Blair and Liam nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll follow your lead then,¡± Liam stated as he looked at Mercer. ¡°Oh? And why would you do that?¡± Mercer asked with curiosity. ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve seen so far,¡± Liam began. ¡°You¡¯re more likely to know an establishment that have fair prices for their food.¡± Mercer gave Liam a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s like you know me or something.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lamp posts with glow stones started to brighten up as the giant glow stone above the city dimmed. Once when the brightness of the giant stone flickered out, a luminous blue slowly started to replace the darkness. Several smaller stones responded to the color and luminated across the ceiling, giving a night sky feel to it. A light breeze blew across the city cooling down the people from their rigorous exercises. The light breeze also brought around wonderous smells from freshly made food wafting out from restaurants. Liam and the group sat at a table in front of an outdoor restaurant. They heard the chatter of people who walked by mixed with shouts from the distance from stalls. ¡°That glowing stone up there still gets me,¡± Roman stated as he sat staring up. ¡°It¡¯s called a Yooperlite,¡± Mercer stated nonchalantly before taking a sip from his drink. ¡°A Yoperite?¡± Roman asked. ¡°A Yooperlite,¡± Mercer corrected with a slight chuckle. He then explained, ¡°A magical stone found underground that lights up in two different colors. A bright yellowish color and a luminous blue. Apparently, the stone follows a twelve-hour schedule. Twelve hours of bright yellowish representing the day and twelve hours of luminous blue for night.¡± Everyone stared at him while listening to his explanation. ¡°How does that work?¡± Artem asked, confused by it all. ¡°Not too sure yet. When I asked about it that¡¯s what they told me. When I asked how it works, all anyone could say was magic,¡± Mercer answered. ¡°Ah, someone did say that there are researchers on subjects like these, but they are hard to find.¡± ¡°Where do you get this information from?¡± Avery asked. ¡°You have all this knowledge and yet I could barely get the locals to tell me anything.¡± Mercer gave her a warm smile as he said, ¡°Getting the info isn¡¯t as hard as you think it is. It¡¯s a matter of figuring out who is willing to talk and for how much.¡± ¡°Well how do you figure out who is willing to?¡± Avery asked with much interest. ¡°A professional doesn¡¯t reveal all his trade secrets right off the bat my lady.¡± Mercer winked. Avery frowned as she sat back against her chair. She then brought her cup to her lips and said before sipping it, ¡°Still, that bit of information you got at the Training Hall was amazing.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Roman stated. ¡°When you told me about it, I was shocked. It makes up for what happened earlier.¡± He leaned back and looked at the darkened make-shift sky. ¡°Now I know I¡¯m not stuck with what was given to me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°When I got my class revealed to me, I was conflicted.¡± Roman started as he looked at Ariyana. ¡°I mean the class is something I¡¯m sure many people dreamed about, but my past experiences lead me to a different path. Now that I know I can gain other abilities to evolve it towards a direction that is better suited for me, I¡¯m more willing to try it out.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking. What class did you get?¡± Mercer questioned, seeing an opportunity. Roman glanced at him and asked with a teasing smirk, ¡°How much is that information worth to ya?¡± Mercer laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡­,¡± Roman started. He looked at the others before proposing, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what class I got if everyone else also shares.¡± ¡°Sounds fair,¡± Mercer nodded then looked at the others. ¡°What do you all think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± Avery agreed. ¡°Same here.¡± Ariyana smiled. Artem and Blair both nodded. Everyone looked at Liam who sat there quietly. He was thinking it over and was about to decline but hesitated. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Avery asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to share if you don¡¯t want to. You can decline if you¡¯d like,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to share. I¡¯m going to have to share with whoever I team up with eventually,¡± Liam started. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­like Roman was, I¡¯m conflicted with what I got.¡± ¡°Hm, alright then¡­how about we share ours and maybe by hearing ours it¡¯ll help with you deciding on if you want to share or not,¡± Avery suggested. Liam nodded in agreement as he said, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°So, who wants to go first?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you, big guy?¡± Avery teased. ¡°Huh?¡± Why do I have to go first?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Mercer interjected. ¡°I got the Mage title.¡± Roman and Ariyana quickly looked at him as they said in unison, ¡°So did I?¡± Mercer looked at them as he smiled, ¡°Yeah?¡± Ariyana gave a surprised giggle, ¡°How strange that the three of us got that.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Roman said. ¡°What do you mean by Mage title?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mage a class?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Mercer started. ¡°I found out that the Mage class or title is more profound than it sounds. Those with it must go to the Mage Tower to get their true class through a magical examination.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Apparently,¡± Ariyana piped in. ¡°The reason why they are given the Title,¡± Ariyana air quoted the word. ¡°Mage is because the person has a higher aptitude for magic. However, there is just too many types, and it can be overwhelming for beginners like us. Causing people not to know where to start.¡± ¡°A magical examination helps show what magic a person can really excel at,¡± Mercer continued the explanation. ¡°It changes your class to show that area, so you have a starting point to grow from.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the word Mage is being used loosely? And our true class starting point is what we find out through this examination?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°Yes,¡± Mercer answered. ¡°Not only that, but even those who didn¡¯t get the mage title can see if they have any aptitude in any magic.¡± Blair, Avery, Artem, and Liam perked up. ¡°I want to try then,¡± Blair quickly said as she slammed her hands down on the table. She then gave a sheepish look. ¡°Same here,¡± Avery smiled wryly. ¡°I can imagine myself wielding magic as I strike monsters down with my weapons.¡± ¡°Oh? What class did you get?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I got the Swordswoman class with a rapier as my starting weapon,¡± Avery replied. ¡°That¡¯s not bad,¡± Blair said. ¡°Not bad at all,¡± Mercer agreed. He then asked Blair, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I got something called Defender,¡± Blair stated. Artem chimed in, ¡°I got that too.¡± ¡°I could see it with you, but me? I¡¯m confused on how or even why that happened,¡± Blair grumbled. ¡°Maybe it has to do with how you conducted yourself before coming here?¡± Mercer suggested. Blair thought about it before saying, ¡°If that¡¯s true then maybe I can understand the choice.¡± She leaned forward and placed her arms on the table. ¡°I used to protect those who couldn¡¯t and took a lot of beatings while doing it.¡± Everyone turned to look at Liam. Liam thought it over. He wasn¡¯t sure how he would explain it or if he even wanted to. However, after looking at them he decided to take a chance and said, ¡°There was a complication that happened during my trial and I ended up with a non-combat class called Crafter.¡± ¡°What do you mean a complication happened?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°Non-combat class?¡± Artem inquired. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure of it myself,¡± Liam said. ¡°All I can say is something tampered with my class reveal and changed to Crafter.¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t heard anything about it,¡± Mercer replied. He then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Did you ask Adva, Phorge or Nalia about it?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t fully trust those three.¡± ¡°Adva and Phorge seem like they can be trustworthy,¡± Avery said. ¡°I was thinking the same thing, but that could just be a rouse,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Nalia is definitely a no go. I don¡¯t like her at all.¡± Liam stared at the table with much hostility. ¡°I agree,¡± Mercer said. ¡°Something is off about her.¡± ¡°Still though, I¡¯m sure your class has plenty to offer. I¡¯d suggest checking out some of the crafters here in this city and see what you can gain from them,¡± Avery offered. ¡°You could also see if you have any knack for magic as well as train weapon skills,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°What weapon did you receive?¡± ¡°I got two daggers, but I was only able to use one,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Apparently, I need to raise my dagger weapon skill to level ten to dual wield them.¡± ¡°Level ten to dual wield a weapon?¡± Roman asked. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Mercer smiled. ¡°That¡¯s info I didn¡¯t know about so great job finding that out. Now I can understand why you were hesitant to say something. Not many would allow a non-combat class to join them in fear of that person being a liability.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d get through this tutorial, but now that I know I can level up my weapon skills and gain non-class skills as well as magical abilities then I can make up what I¡¯m lacking and hope some group accepts that.¡± ¡°About that¡­I have a suggestion,¡± Avery started as she looked at everyone. ¡°How about we form a group when taking on the dungeon?¡± Tutorial 8 - Like a Temp thing? Everyone looked at Avery. After a few moments of silence Artem asked, ¡°I don¡¯t mind it, but I have to ask why? We only met today and don¡¯t really know each other that well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because we met today,¡± Avery started. ¡°I don¡¯t know about any of you, but after I looked around, I didn¡¯t see anyone I recognized here. I mean besides Mercer.¡± ¡°I know them, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed from the interaction I wouldn¡¯t team up with them,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°We could tell,¡± Roman and Artem said. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we have to stay in a group till the end,¡± Avery continued. ¡°We can do a few floors, see if we mesh well. If we don¡¯t then we can look for another group. No hard feelings.¡± ¡°So, you want to do something like a temp thing?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°A temp thing?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Temp, like temperature?¡± Artem questioned with a confused look. ¡°No. Not like temperature,¡± Mercer shook his head as he started to explain. ¡°It¡¯s short for temporary. In my world we have places called Temp Agencies where they group people with businesses for a certain amount of time. If they are a good fit, then the company hires them temporarily.¡± The more Liam listened to everyone around him the more he noticed some similarities his world and theirs shared. Even if there were differences it was shocking to him that he could recognize certain things. ¡°I had those on my world too,¡± Liam said then looked at Avery. ¡°So, if we¡¯re going off the temp theory then what you¡¯re essentially saying is the group would be considered the business and we are the temporary hires, right?¡± Avery stared at the two guys. ¡°Sure¡­I didn¡¯t know there was a term like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more of a business term than a regular term. I¡¯m surprised you knew of it,¡± Mercer said as he looked at Liam. ¡°We had a lot of businesses in my world. Technology was widely used there and needed people that understood how to run them at a cheap cost. I¡¯m going to have to get used to not seeing a television or a phone anymore.¡± Liam said as he looked away from the group. ¡°What¡¯s a television?¡± Artem asked as he looked confused. ¡°And a phone?¡± Ariyana questioned with much interest. ¡°Technological devices. One is big and only shows T.V. shows, movies, or the news,¡± Liam explained. ¡°The other is smaller and can do the same as well as take pictures and you can communicate with others from a farther distance.¡± ¡°So, a phone is like a coms device minus the picture taking feature?¡± Blair and Roman asked trying to understand. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam replied. ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic,¡± Avery interrupted before they could say anymore. ¡°What do you guys think?¡± ¡°Hold on. I don¡¯t want to put a damper on this, but you can¡¯t form a group with those who were assigned to different dungeons,¡± Roman added. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what dungeon you all got, but I was assigned to the black Dungeon.¡± ¡°I was assigned to that dungeon,¡± Liam replied. He then looked at Avery who nodded. ¡°So was Avery.¡± ¡°I got the black dungeon as well,¡± Blair answered. ¡°Same here,¡± Ariyana and Mercer chimed in. ¡°I did too,¡± Artem finished up. ¡°Ok, now that we have confirmed that we¡¯re all in the same dungeon. I¡¯ll ask again,¡± Avery started. ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Liam thought about it. He really didn¡¯t know anyone here. Having to go around and try to find anyone who would be willing to take him in with his class felt like trying to play the lottery. And he sucked at that. Liam shook his head as he continued to think. Here were some people who knew his class and were fine with it. He might not know them that well, but that worked out well for him. They didn¡¯t know what went down these past couple of years on his planet nor did he think they would ask. With a nod he stated, ¡°I¡¯m okay with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with it as well,¡± Mercer said. ¡°Same.¡± Ariyana smiled. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t back stab me, I¡¯ll agree,¡± Blair stated as she crossed her arms and leaned back. ¡°Same here,¡± Roman agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how well I¡¯ll do, but I¡¯ll do it,¡± Artem said. ¡°Alright, now that¡¯s taking care of what¡¯s the plan now?¡± The group thought for a bit without saying anything. Liam broke the silence as he said, ¡°I think we should make preparations before tackling a floor. I want to check out at least one or two crafts tomorrow and see what they entail as well train my weapon. I also want to try and get a new skill or ability so I¡¯m not relying on just my weapon.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good plan,¡± Avery stated. ¡°We should also go as a group to the Mage Tower so you three can unlock your actual Mage class.¡± ¡°You guys should see if you have any magical capabilities as well,¡± Mercer added. ¡°Sounds good.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Then we should probably get some rest,¡± Blair suggested. ¡°From the sounds of it we¡¯re going to have a busy day tomorrow.¡± ¡°That sounds like a plan,¡± Roman said as he stood up. ¡°Where should we meet up tomorrow and when?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet up for breakfast in the morning. Let¡¯s say¡­ten?¡± Mercer suggested. ¡°That¡¯s well and good but how do we tell when ten is?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°There¡¯s an internal clock you can see when looking at your stats and such,¡± Mercer explained. The others stared at him for a moment before pulling up their stats. ¡°Huh,¡± Avery started. ¡°Holy crap there is!¡± Ariyana stated with shock. Mercer gave everyone a disbelieving look. ¡°You mean you guys didn¡¯t see that?¡± Everyone gave a sheepish look while not trying to look at him. Mercer shook his head as he muttered, ¡°I fear for this group already.¡± ¡°In our defense we were a bit overwhelmed by all that has happened,¡± Avery stated as she tried to hide her embarrassment. ¡°Uh huh,¡± Mercer said. ¡°We¡¯ll I¡¯ll take my leave now. I¡¯ll see you guys tomorrow.¡± ¡°Later,¡± the others said as they stood up and left too.
Theory Calming the Storm Level 6 Progression 50%
¡°All that reading and all I got was a level and a half?¡± Liam thought as he closed the screen. He noticed the first five levels were easy to get, but as he continued to press on it was getting hard to level. ¡°Are all the stats this way?¡± He shook his head. ¡°It probably depends on what I¡¯m trying to level.¡± He sat the book off to the side and began to reposition himself. ¡°Let¡¯s try some of the techniques it was talking about.¡± He crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees, trying to keep his back straight. This was the first position the book talked about. The book had said it was a good starting point. Next, I¡¯m supposed to close my eyes and do short breathes to help clear my mind. He closed his eyes and he breathed in and out in a slow pace. As he did this, thoughts of the day flooded his mind. ¡°Clear the mind,¡± he thought. Images of meeting everyone appeared in his head. Nalia, Adva, and Phorge appearing and explaining everything played back. ¡°Clear the mind.¡± No change. Liam opened his eyes as he thought to himself, ¡°If clear the mind doesn¡¯t work then let¡¯s try a different phrase. But what would work?¡± He thought it over and couldn¡¯t think about what a good phrase would be. He looked around the room to try and get some inspiration. After a moment his eyes fell on something. It was the cover of the book. With a shrug he said in a whisper, ¡°Worth a try.¡± Liam closed his eyes again and started his breathing exercise over. ¡°Calm the storm.¡± He thought as he breathed in. Images started to slow down. ¡°Calm the storm.¡± He breathed out as the scenes slowed even more. He did this three more times until his mind became empty. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. An eerie silence filled him until the sound of a water drop lightly hitting a liquid surface echoed. Another drop hit. A new sound mixed in with the water drop. It was quiet at first, but slowly started to grow a little louder and faster as the water drop kept pace. An image of water bubbling in a vial and going through tubes to an open glass beaker outlined in the background of Liam¡¯s mind. Appearing next to it was a hammer floated up and then swung down on a piece of metal. Sparks exploded from each strike. A sewing needle with a thin string attached to it snaked around until it dove in and out of a piece of cloth. A scalpel appeared next, scraping against an expensive looking jewel. An odd dark colored rock appeared next with a symbol being etched into it. As each item being worked on finished, they began to float and circle around a ghastly greenish blue ball of light. When the last one got into place tendrils from the light began to snake out and touch the items. Images of creatures appeared above the finished products. Each creature let out a deafening roar causing the light to grow so bright it was blinding. As the blinding light engulfed Liam¡¯s vision a feminine voice whispered, ¡°Crafting is filled with hidden potential. Learn, practice, create, repeat. Craft with the soul to awaken the art once lost and forgotten. Place faith in the creations and the creations will lead you higher than you¡¯ve ever been.¡± Liam suddenly opened his eyes and was panting. He looked around to see he was still in his room. He looked down to see beads of sweat rolling down his face and arms. ¡°What¡­was¡­that,¡± Liam spoke between breathes as he placed a hand on his heart. ¡°That¡­was¡­,¡± he gulped, ¡°not what¡­I was expecting.¡± Liam slowed his breathing down a bit as he tried to organize his thoughts. ¡°Crafting is filled with hidden potential? Craft with the soul to awaken the art once lost and forgotten? What does that mean?¡± Liam continued to wrack his brain around what he saw and was told. After a couple minutes he said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about it more later. For now, I¡¯m guessing I shouldn¡¯t fight the fact that my class is Crafter. I will have to see where it leads me to.¡± He then opened the couple of notification screens that were waiting for him.
¡°Congratulations! Core Spirit Attribute Will Sub-stat Zen is now at level 6.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory ¨C Calming the Storm has reached level 7.¡±
¡°Hm. I got a level on my Knowledge Theory and two levels on my Zen. That¡¯s not bad at all,¡± Liam said as he looked pleased. ¡°Now that I think about it. I haven¡¯t really seen all my stats. Let¡¯s start with the Body stats.¡± He then brought the page up and saw.
Body Attribute Drop Down
Body Stat: Constitution
Sub-Stat: Ailment Resistance Level 0 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Resilience Level 6 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Vitality Level 1 Progression 0%
Body Stat: Dexterity
Sub-Stat: Agility Level 5 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Fine Motor Level 5 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Reflex Level 5 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Speed Level 4 Progression 0%
Body Stat: Endurance
Sub-Stat: Stamina Endurance Level 7 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Body Endurance Level 8 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Crafter Endurance Level 0 Progression 0%
Body Stat: Strength
Sub-Stat: Power Level 5 Progression 69%
Sub-Stat: Body Strength Level 3 Progression 0%
Liam stared at the page. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ailment resistances yet, nor Crafter¡¯s endurance. That makes sense.¡± His face grew dark as he stared at the Resilience sub-stat. He remembered Phorge saying this sub-stat has to do with strengthening one¡¯s pain tolerance along with the natural defenses of the person. He wasn¡¯t completely sure about how you could determine a person¡¯s natural defenses, but the pain tolerance; He knew all too well how raising that can be beneficial. Memories from the past filled his head. He felt his right-hand ball up tightly into a fist. The tension of the grip started to make is arm shake which caught his attention and snapped him out of it. He shook his head to clear the negative thoughts away as he muttered, ¡°I think I have a good grasp as to why that¡¯s as high as it is.¡± He looked at the others trying to think of why they were at the levels they were at. He shook his head as he couldn¡¯t think of anything. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how the others were computed this way.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see the Mind stats.¡±
Mind Attribute Drop Down
Mind Stat: Fortitude
Sub-Stat: Cognition Perseverance Level 9 Progression 75%
Sub-Stat: Mental Resilience Level 6 Progression 0%
Mind Stat: Intelligence
Sub-Stat: Knowledge Level 7 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Mental Absorption Level 4 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Perception Level 10 Progression 56%
Mind Stat: Wisdom
Sub-Stat: Magic Practicality Level 0 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Physical Practicality Level 1 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Craft Practicality Level 0 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Common Sense Level 7 Progression 45%
¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered to himself. As he looked over these stats, he tried to come up with how it came out the way they did. Some made sense after thinking them over, but he shouldn¡¯t have had any mental Resilience yet. He clicked on the drop-down portion of it. Liam took in a deep breath and slowly released it. After seeing them it made better sense as to why they were there. ¡°She is nowhere to be found,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°Hopefully she died on that planet and did not get summoned here.¡± He locked the memories of his step mother away and decided not to think about it anymore. He looked over everything once more before dismissing it and bringing up his Spirit Stat page.
Spirit Attribute Drop Down
Spirit Stat: Luck
Sub-Stat: Lucky Break Level 5 Progression 50%
Sub-Stat: Lucky Soul Level 8 Progression 50%
Spirit Stat: Recovery
Sub-Stat: HP Recovery Level 6 Progression 50%
Sub-Stat: MP Recovery Level 1 Progression 0%
Sub-Stat: Stamina Recovery Level 8 Progression 0%
Spirit Stat: Will
Sub-Stat: Will Power Level 9 Progression 50%
Sub-Stat: Zen Level 7 Progression 53%
Liam was shocked to see his Spirit Stats. Besides his MP Recovery, the levels on these sub-stats were over halfway to ten. He might have had a couple in his mind and body sub-stats, but it looked like his Spirit was looking good. However, he didn¡¯t have anyone to compare them with so he couldn¡¯t be sure if this was normal or not. Liam shook his head as he dismissed the page. ¡°There¡¯s too many unknowns that I need answers for. For now, I should take things slowly and figure everything out as I go.¡± A thought came to mind as he said, ¡°Speaking of unknowns. I haven¡¯t seen what I got from that fight, yet.¡± He pulled up his inventory and saw some new items. He clicked on each and read the description given.
¡°Starting Armor Set bag. Open to receive items? Yes No?¡±
Liam clicked yes.
¡°Beginner gloves. Light Armor. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Armor +5.¡± ¡°Beginner Sleeveless shirt. Light Armor. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Armor +5.¡± ¡°Beginner pants. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Light Armor. Armor +5.¡± ¡°Beginner boots. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Light Armor. Armor +5.¡± ¡°Kassan¡¯s Beginner¡¯s Goggles. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Armor +5. +5% to Perception when worn over the eyes.¡± ¡°Kassan¡¯s Beginners Goggles. Goggles made by Kassan when he was just an apprentice crafter. Although the quality is poor, he was able to pass on a perception bonus to help other beginner crafters spot details while working better.¡± ¡°Beginner Light Armor set. Basic armor set given to people whose dexterity is higher than their strength or constitution starting off. When wearing the complete set wearer gets a +5% bonus to small and throwing weapons. Would you like to pull out the items? Yes No?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s check it out,¡± Liam thought as he clicked yes. Liam watched as all the items appears on the bed side by side. After checking them out he took off his clothes and tried them on. After he slipped the boots on, he looked at the mirror that was in the corner of the room. The fingerless gloves fit snug on him and ran up to his elbow. His dark sleeveless shirt was fit around his shoulders and neck, but a little loose letting his chest and stomach to be able to breath. The dark colored pants looked like they were the equivalent to skinny jeans, but they were flex-fit formed allowing him to move freely. His new dark leather boots ran halfway up his shins and covered some of the pant legs. He moved his arms around and crouched a few times to get a good feel for his new clothes. ¡°Not bad,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°They fit nicely. Not too tight nor too loose. I can make swift movements without anything restricting me. The only thing I¡¯m unsure about is this.¡± He then looked at the goggles in his hand. They were basic black strapped and rimmed goggles with emerald colored lens. They reminded him of cosplay alchemist googles from his old world. After debating it over and over he finally slipped the strap over his head. He laid the eyewear on his forehead and looked at the mirror. ¡°I look so stupid,¡± Liam thought. He then brought them over his eyes and gave a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t see how this ca¡­¡± He started to add until his sight changed. He saw things a bit clearer. Details he didn¡¯t see before were now seen on some of the items around him. The stitch patterns of his clothing were slightly more noticeable as he looked at his outfit through the mirror. He turned and saw the details of the chairs and bed clearer. Smaller objects on the other side of the room looked like they were a bit closer now as well. ¡°Whoa,¡± Liam whispered in awe as he took in the new sight. ¡°I don¡¯t care if they look stupid on me. This is so cool.¡± After taking in the feeling, he finally took off the goggles. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to have to practice training with this armor set, but for now I¡¯ll wear my old clothes when I¡¯m not in the dungeon.¡± He glanced at his internal clock and saw that the time read six a.m. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take a break from this for now.¡± He waved his head side to side as he thought something over. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already worked up a sweat I might as well go for a jog to start the day. It¡¯ll help break this armor in a bit.¡± Tutorial 9 - Its Different Here Liam jogged through the empty streets of the city. His eyes scanned every corner and alleyway as he readied himself for anything out of habit The silence that accompanied him felt a bit foreign to him. Back in his old world, after the government collapsed, there wasn¡¯t a moment that passed without screams or shouts from people struggling to stay alive. If there was any form of silence it was a sign something big was about to happen. He tried to remind himself that he didn¡¯t need to worry anymore, but to no avail did it help relax him. He shook his head and whispered to himself, ¡°Just take things one day at a time, Liam.¡± As Liam continued on, he noticed the green lights above were dimming away as the bigger Yooperlite started to light up with a faint yellowish color. To Liam it looked like a stadium light slowly starting to warm up before it was fully on. He started to slow down his momentum as he noticed his stamina bar getting close to empty. He placed his hands behind his head as he took in gulps of air. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s hard to grasp this stamina bar thing,¡± Liam muttered. Liam felt that having a stamina bar was great since he could see how long he could run or do other things. It helped him to also know he could push himself a bit harder because he saw how much energy he had left in the tank. His one complaint so far was trying to get it back up without having to rely on those crappy tasting stamina potions. The nasty taste of the potions he drank while fighting that monster on the first floor left a big impression on him. His body involuntarily shuddered. Even though it was yesterday when he drank them, he could still taste the nasty flavors. An unfamiliar sound suddenly echoed around him. It sounded like something banging against a metal object. Liam looked around until he saw a long brick building off to the side away from all the other buildings. It had wide double doors opened with a flickering light peering out. Three chimneys were spread out over the roof with black smoke coming out of one of them. Liam walked over to the building and peered inside. Against one wall were different sized hammers, metal claps, and pokers. Next to the tool area were bags of ore and wood. Next to that were, in what Liam assumed was the best organization system, shelves of ingots of metal. Finished weapons were organized by barrels while piles of crudely made weapons were next to the containers. On the other side of the room were several furnaces with anvils close by. Slack tubs with fresh water in them were placed near the anvils as well. A figure stood with their back to the door at the middle anvil near the only furnace burning. Liam saw they were wearing a tank top, pants, boots, and gloves the ran up to their forearms. Their dark hair was wrapped up in a ponytail. The individual stood a little shorter than Liam from what he could see. The individual lifted their arm up in the air, a hammer gripped to their hand, before striking down hard. A sharp ting sound echoed. The figure raised the arm back up and kept a steady rhythmic pace as the sound continued to fill the room. After a few more strikes the figure placed the object they were striking into the slack tub next to them. Steam hissed off the water cooling the object. They then placed the tong-like tool and hammer down on the anvil before taking their gloves off over the tools. As they turned around letting out a sigh, the person noticed Liam standing at the door and pulled their goggles up to their forehead. Liam was able to take in the figures details a little more. It was a woman who looked a bit older than he was. She had emerald-green eyes and full lips. Some black dust substance was smeared, due to the sweat rolling down, on her cheeks giving Liam the impression she had been working for a few hours already. She had a physically built physique. One that looked like if you crossed her, she could knock you out with a single punch no questions asked. She gave Liam a disapproving look as she stated with a thick Scottish-like accent, ¡°What are ye doin here so early? If ye¡¯re looking for someone ta make ya a weapon, then ya come too soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was going for a jog and heard some noise coming from here, so I came to check it out,¡± Liam explained. ¡°After I saw that this was a blacksmith shop my curiosity grew and before I knew it was watching you.¡± ¡°Gah, this is a smithy not a blacksmith shop boy,¡± the woman corrected. With a bit of curiosity she asked, ¡°Are ya interested in Blacksmithing?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Liam started. ¡°My class is Crafter, and I was going to check out some crafters workshops later to get a feel for what I need to start.¡± The woman stared at Liam, assessing him from head to toe. After a moment she said, ¡°If this was a different world then I¡¯d tell ya ta start packin more muscle on ya. But luckily the way things work here aren¡¯t the same. If ya has a Crafter¡¯s class then by practicing, ya¡¯ll get what ya need.¡± ¡°Oh? Is there difference on this world when it comes to crafting?¡± Liam asked with much curiosity. He hadn¡¯t given it much thought. He assumed that crafting items was going to be like back on his old world. He kept forgetting that the rules have changed, so why couldn¡¯t thing be different for crafts as well? ¡°Just a wee bit. Ya still need to put plenty of work in to get quality product, but the process is different. If ya¡¯d like to learn how, I could teach ya,¡± the woman stated. She then pointed a finger at him and added, ¡°But it¡¯ll be the basics. Ya¡¯ll still need to get the first level to start ya path.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said as he approached her. ¡°What do I need to learn?¡± ¡°The first thing ye¡¯ll need to do is tell me yer name,¡± the woman instructed. ¡°I¡¯m Liam,¡± Liam answered as he reached his right hand out. ¡°Liam, eh? I¡¯m Fia.¡± Fia shook his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll tell ya now. The basics ya¡¯ll be starting with is smelting. Ya got ta learn how to smelt before anything else. For that ya¡¯ll need some proper equipment.¡± She pointed to the wall with the tools. ¡°Grab yerself a pair of gloves and a smelting rod,¡± Fia ordered. ¡°The goggles ya got on will do fine, but those gloves won¡¯t stop the heat from burnin ya fingers.¡± Liam nodded as he took his gloves off and placed them into his inventory. He then asked, ¡°What¡¯s a smelting rod?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the things that¡¯s different from probably both our worlds. It¡¯s a rod with a double layer bowl at the end,¡± Fia explained. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he did what he was told and walked over to Fia who was standing at a furnace at the end of the room. ¡°Took ya long enough,¡± Fia teased with a slight smile. ¡°Now what we¡¯re gonna do is get the furnace to the right temperature. Since ya don¡¯t have the blacksmithing skill yet you don¡¯t have the Temp Check ability. This ability will allow ya to see the temperature of the flames inside a furnace so ya¡¯ll know if ya need to raise the heat or lower it for whatever yer working on.¡± Fia placed some wood inside the furnace. After putting what she felt was the right amount she placed a hand out and chanted, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before ya. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and burn bright.¡± A flame suddenly blossomed on Fia¡¯s hand. It didn¡¯t touch her palm or explode. It just flickered before she blew it into the furnace catching the wood on fire. Liam¡¯s eyes were wide as he watched it. ¡°Is this the first time ya seen magic boy?¡± Fia questioned as she saw Liam¡¯s expression. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam replied. He then corrected himself as he remembered the magic used against him during his first floor run. ¡°Actually no. It is the first time I have seen someone grow fire out of their palm.¡± Fia let out a jovial laugh. ¡°Then ya¡¯ll be in more of surprises when ya seen actual magic. This right here is just a basic fire lighting magic. It¡¯s perfect for blacksmiths, alchemists, and cooks to start a flame up. Doesn¡¯t really do much for a damage spell though,¡± Fia informed. ¡°We call the style Crafter¡¯s magic. That spell was called Light and Burn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to learn that. It sounds really useful,¡± Liam said. Fia let out a loud chuckle. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s useful. There¡¯s no such thing as useless magic.¡± She pointed at Liam with a playful smile on her face. ¡°Remember this boy. It¡¯s not about the magic. It¡¯s how ye use the magic. Even magic like this can be useful in a fight if ye apply it right.¡± Liam smiled as he responded, ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡± ¡°Now back to learning,¡± Fia started as she pointed to the furnace. ¡°I¡¯ve got the temp right where it needs to be. Now ya¡¯ll place the iron ore in the bottom bowl by pushing this to the side.¡± Fia pushed the top bowl to reveal the second bowl that was underneath it. She then placed some iron ores in it and closed it. As she handed it to Liam she said, ¡°Now ye¡¯ll pull the goggles over your eyes so ye don¡¯t hurt your sight from staring into the flames. Also make sure ye never take your gloves off. The heat will cover the entire rod.¡± Liam pulled the goggles down and placed the gloves over his hands as he grabbed the rod. ¡°Now yer gonna hold the rod into the flame,¡± Fia instructed. As Liam did, she continued to explain, ¡°This is another thing that differs. The ore will separate itself from the impurities that are there. The impurities will rise to the top bowl, so they don¡¯t mix together. This process takes a while to do, but ye¡¯ll feel a strain after a while. Ye¡¯ll feel it cuz your stamina bar will be draining quickly from holding the rod for so long. Don¡¯t worry about not having enough stamina. This process is long enough for the first timers that it won¡¯t completely drain it. So don¡¯t fret.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he began to feel his body start to strain a bit. Even though Fia had told him that he would feel the strain he wasn¡¯t expecting it to happen so soon. He looked at his stamina bar and noticed it was already a quarter gone. ¡°Make sure ya don¡¯t pull it out too soon. If ya do then ya mess up the whole process and ruin the material,¡± Fia added. Liam felt his arms start to shake slowly at first. ¡°Make sure ta keep it up off tha flames,¡± Fia instructed as she kept her eyes on the rod. ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Liam said as he grunted. ¡°Keep it up. Almost there.¡± Liam¡¯s arms started shaking more as sweat rolled down his forehead. His stamina bar already passed halfway gone. ¡°A little more,¡± Fia said as she watched liquid start to fill the top bowl on the rod. ¡°Don¡¯t shake too much. We don¡¯t want the liquid to fall into the fire or a nasty smell will fill the room.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­trying,¡± Liam said as he felt his muscles tighten more. His stamina bar now less than a quarter left. ¡°Alright,¡± Fia said. ¡°Bring it out and pour the contents in the top bowl in the pit next to the furnace.¡± Liam pulled the rod out and dumped the greenish-brown liquid. He panted as he watched it go down into a deep pit. Steam and smoke going with it. A foul odor slowly rose causing Liam to feel his stomach swirl. ¡°Now open the top bowl and pour the liquid from the bottom one into that mold right there,¡± Fia ordered as she pointed to an opened square mold. Even though his arms were sore and felt like jelly, Liam did as he was told. He closed his left eye as sweat rolled into it. After he finished pouring the contents into the mold Fia handed him a rod with a horseshoe-like shape at the end. At the ends of the horseshoe shaped hooks were what looked like connections. Liam placed the double bowl rod down and grabbed it. ¡°Connect this to the two sides of the mold then place it in the slack tub to cool it down,¡± Fia commanded. Liam nodded as he did what he was told. As he lifted the mold up he fought his arms that were refusing to pick it up. He tried again and was finally able to get it to the water. As he lowered it into the water steam started to bubble. ¡°Again, yer going to want to time it right or ya¡¯ll get a crappy ingot,¡± Fia explained as she stared at it. After a few seconds she ordered, ¡°Pull it up now!¡± Liam hefted it out of the water and placed it on a stone table. Fia grabbed the rod and flipped the mold upside down and whacked her hammer against it a couple of times until the ingot fell out. As she pointed at it she clarified, ¡°Not like the other world. This is the best method to get properly made ingots here.¡± She inspected the finished product and said as she roughly patted Liam on his back, ¡°It¡¯s not fully perfect, but its damn good for yer first time.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam said as he hunched over gulping in some air. ¡°What yer feeling right now is crafter¡¯s fatigue. The more you craft the better your Crafter¡¯s endurance will be.¡± The sound of a chime echoed lightly in Liam¡¯s mind as a couple of notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have reached level 1 in Crafting ¨C Blacksmithing! Smelting is now possible. Progression to level 2: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have reached level 1 in Smelting! Progression to level 2: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have reached level 1 in Body Stat Endurance Sub-stat Crafter Endurance! Progression to level 2: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Strength Sub-stat Body Strength has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 0%.¡±
Liam mentally exited out of the notifications as he straightened his back and said while slowing his breathing, ¡°Looks like I got that to level one along with Blacksmithing and Smelting. Also looks like my Body Strength Sub-stat reached level four.¡± Fia grinned proudly as she said, ¡°We¡¯ll make a proper smith out of ye yet boy. Now this is just the first step. Since ye got these to level one, my suggestion for ya is to learn Light and Burn as well as Temp Check. I also insist on ya goin ta the library and checking out the Purge the Impurities book to get that Knowledge theory. It¡¯ll help ya.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do that later today. Thank you for your help.¡± Liam smiled. ¡°No problem. Ye took ma instructions and didn¡¯t complain so I know how serious yer curiosity is. Many would have given up during the purging stage of the smelting,¡± Fia said as she stared at him. She then asked, ¡°Want to have another go at it?¡± Liam looked at the time.
¡°6:45 A.M.¡±
He nodded as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve got some time. Can you spare some time guiding me again?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the attitude ye¡¯ll need to grow. Sure, I can spare some time to help,¡± Fia said as she grew a strict expression. ¡°I¡¯m going to drill this so much into ya, ye¡¯ll be wishing ye¡¯d walk away.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam sat down at a table his temporary companions were occupying. The Yooperlite had brightened up over the hours that had pass giving the city a mid-morning feel to it. ¡°Hey there,¡± Ariyana teased as she let out a yawn. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Roman greeted. Liam stretched his arms out letting out a mix of a groan and a yawn. ¡°You¡¯re a bit late. Did you have a hard time resting and slept in?¡± Avery asked. ¡°No, I went for a jog this morning and came across a Smithy. I checked it out and ended up getting a mentor who was training me a bit on Blacksmithing,¡± Liam explained as he looked at the menu. ¡°I got lost looking for the bathhouse and ran late.¡± Mercer gave Liam an assessing look. Liam caught his gaze and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Mercer started. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t expecting you to find a mentor in a craft yet. Are you going to just focus on Blacksmithing?¡± Liam thought about it before answering, ¡°No. I talked it over with Fia, my Blacksmithing mentor, and she thinks I should dabble in the other crafts as well as blacksmithing and figure out a schedule. She agreed to train and guide me early in the mornings before the smithy gets busy so she can assess and correct any mistakes before they become bad habits. Once when I get other mentors, I¡¯ll figure out a schedule and go from there.¡± Mercer nodded in approval as he said, ¡°A wise woman she sounds. So, are you able to craft weapons or armor?¡± ¡°No. Not yet,¡± Liam said as he kept his eyes on the menu. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m just practicing Smelting. I was told to just work on that to help get my Crafter Endurance up. Not only that, but we agreed all the ingots I perfectly craft I¡¯ll be allowed to either use when I start weapons and armor crafting or treat it as helping the smithy out and get some funding.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°Are you disappointed in that?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°Hm?¡± Liam asked as he looked at her. ¡°Oh, no. I can understand the reasoning behind what she¡¯s having me do. Not only that, it¡¯s good to start earning now because crafting is not going to be so cheap later on.¡± ¡°I agree with that statement,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Earning capital now will help later on when you start to invest your time into it.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Liam said. He then popped his neck as he moved it left and right and added, ¡°It¡¯s just so taxing on the body. I¡¯m sore just from doing the basics. However, I¡¯ve also learned that I can raise other stats besides my crafting ones. I was able to raise my Body Strength sub-stat during the practice.¡± Everyone looked at him. ¡°You can raise that stat just from practicing Blacksmithing?¡± Roman asked. ¡°That¡¯s good information to know,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Yeah. Thanks to that discovery I¡¯m looking forward to what other stats I can raise through the other crafts.¡± Liam smiled. Mercer and Avery gave Liam a slight smile of their own. ¡°So, what¡¯s the agenda for today?¡± Liam asked. ¡°We were talking about heading to the Mage Tower after we¡¯re done here to get their classes unlocked,¡± Ariyana answered. ¡°As we talked about yesterday, we were also going to have you guys check out your magic affinities,¡± Mercer added. Liam nodded. He had forgotten about the magic examination they had agreed upon doing today. He got lost in his Blacksmith training and taking in any advice Fia had for him. Fia had been a wealth of information when it came to Blacksmithing. She did mention to him about getting Crafting magic, maybe he could do that while they were there. ¡°Sounds like a good plan. What else?¡± He inquired. ¡°Before we decided what to do after that we¡¯re going to need to decide when we¡¯re going to attempt the dungeon,¡± Roman interjected. ¡°Agreed, ¡°Blair stated. ¡°I¡¯d like to see how hard it¡¯ll be, but I also want to be prepared.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a hard thing to plan without knowing what Ariyana¡¯s, Mercer¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s Mage Classes are,¡± Artem said. Liam nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. After we¡¯re done eating let¡¯s get that done and well go from there.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Alright, then it¡¯s decided,¡± Liam said as he waved down a waitress. Tutorial 10 - Magical Examinations Liam and his group walked up a set of stairs to a view that took their breath away. A brick tower stood tall. The color subtly changed every minute as it darkened and lit back up like a slow strobe light. Floating platforms holding trees and shrubbery circled around. Bulky individuals made of stone and mud walked around carrying heavy objects. Translucent beings that looked like a small swirling gale of wind and ones made of clear blue liquid used their respected elements to move multiple smaller boxes around. ¡°Are those golems?¡± Avery softly asked with a look of excitement and awe. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t know what a golem is, but if that is what it is then that¡¯s so cool!¡± Roman stated as he too was amazed by the constructs roaming. ¡°This place looks so beautiful,¡± Ariyana stated as she gave a wide grin. ¡°Come on,¡± Mercer said trying to keep them from getting too distracted. He continued to walk forward as the others looked at him. ¡°How are you so unfazed by this?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°I¡¯m not as unfazed as you think. The magic coating the area creating this awe-inspiring distraction is amazing,¡± Mercer said with as much of a professional manner as he could. ¡°The golems aren¡¯t new¡­well the one¡¯s I¡¯m used too are metal, so these ones are new, but that¡¯s not the point,¡± Mercer shook his head. ¡°We need to focus on the task we came here to do.¡± He gave them a mischievous grin as he finished, ¡°As the old saying from my world goes¡­Daylight is burning and there¡¯s work that needs to be done.¡± ¡°Whoever came up with that saying was a corporate slave driver in your world, weren¡¯t they?¡± Liam questioned as the rest followed behind. As they walked up to the tower entrance Liam heard people talking excitedly about the magic they were able to learn as they made their way pass them. People wearing uniformed robes of different color gave advice to overly excited people who looked to be ignoring half of what was being said to them. Some of these professional-looking magic wielders held a staff or had a wand strapped to their leg or thigh. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get excited about this,¡± Ariyana gleamed as she held that excited smile she had from earlier. ¡°It¡¯s fine to get excited,¡± Mercer started as he kept a calm and collected manner. ¡°But remember that behind the awe-inspiring wonders there is an underlying danger being masked.¡± Ariyana stuck her tongue at him as she teasingly said, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Welcome,¡± a friendly voice greeted as they walked up to the counter. It was a female wearing a small light blue magic over her uniform. Her slightly short pointed violet hat matched her deep purple eyes. To Liam, she looked young, like she was in her late teens, but her demeanor told him she was a little older than that. ¡°Hello,¡± Mercer greeted back. ¡°Three of us are here to take the magic examination to unlock our Mage class and the others are here to see what magic affinities they have.¡± The lady gave a warm smile as she said, ¡°Thank you for letting me know exactly what you¡¯re here for. Many people tend to dilly dally before getting to what they need to get done.¡± Mercer smiled back as he replied, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely welcome. We know that things are a bit hectic due to recent events. Also, that you are busy trying to handle all the chaos happening. So, you do not need to rush. When you are ready for us to begin, we will start then.¡± The lady gave an appreciative look as she looked down at a piece of paper. As she looked back up, she stated, ¡°It has been a bit chaotic as of late and we appreciate those who are kind enough to not rush. I have taken a look at the schedule, and it looks like some of our rowdier guests are currently busy with something else.¡± She gave him a quick wink as she smiled and finished, ¡°We can begin now if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°We appreciate that,¡± Mercer smiled. ¡°My name is Elara. Follow me and I¡¯ll lead you to the room where we conduct the examination,¡± The lady instructed as she walked to the left. A door suddenly appeared next to the desk and opened. ¡°Right this way please.¡± The group stared at Mercer. ¡°I vote we leave anything that has do with people to Mercer,¡± Roman whispered. The others nodded in agreement as they walked through the open door. Liam looked around the room as they entered it. It was tall, spacious, and empty. The walls and flooring looked to be made from the same stone-like material. The pitch-black color gave him the feeling of a containment room. The more he looked at it the more he felt trapped. Like he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape no matter how hard he tried. The feeling didn¡¯t help when the door suddenly closed behind them. ¡°Do not worry,¡± Elara started. ¡°That sense of suffocation that¡¯s making you feel trapped is due to the concealment materials and magic used in this room.¡± Everyone looked at her as she stopped in the middle of the room, turned to them, and continued to explain, ¡°We fully believe in the practice of privacy. This room is so no one can know what the results are from your examination. Even we staff members are under a privacy pact spell to not reveal anything that happens in these rooms.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know, but it still doesn¡¯t shake the feeling,¡± Ariyana shivered as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to the feeling sooner or later.¡± Elara smiled as she waved a hand making a table appear in front of her with an orb resting on a cushion. ¡°Shall we begin? Who¡¯s going first?¡± Mercer and Roman looked at each other then at Ariyana. ¡°Ladies first,¡± Mercer suggested. ¡°If you guys are afraid, just say so,¡± Ariyana winked as she walked up to the table. ¡°What do I do?¡± ¡°Pick up the orb palm up and close your eyes,¡± Elara instructed. ¡°It¡¯ll take a moment for the magic to sort out what your affinities are. Once it happens, you¡¯ll get to see a truly marvelous sight.¡± Ariyana did as she was told. As she stood there holding the orb a solid white glow began to lightly outline her figure. The white glow began to change colors rapidly, like a strobe light, until a mixture of deep pink and light green ran across the outline of her body brightly. The colors then entered the orb until none of it was on her body. Once the orb filled it shot out and exploded into a deep pink flower before turning into a mist. As the mist floated down a sweet and intoxicating smell filled the room as a beautiful euphonious voice began to entrance everyone. There were no words to the song, but the harmony and sounds of the voice told a story that words couldn¡¯t describe. Before the mist touched the ground the mist swirled around into different clumps and took Ariyana¡¯s form. The shimmering versions danced around everyone capitalizing their attention, drawing them into their rhythmic moves and causing them to dance with the shapes. Then as quick as they appeared the forms dispersed. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Whoa,¡± Ariyana said with a smile so wide it could split her face. ¡°That was amazing!¡± ¡°And powerful,¡± Elara said as she regained her bearings. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt Charm magic that strong before.¡± ¡°Charm magic?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°Yes,¡± Elara replied. ¡°Your Mage starting class is Charmer. The Field of Study you should start your focus in, due to the affinity you have with it, is Field of the Charmed. A secondary focus should be Plant in the Field of the Elements.¡± She paused for a long moment and looked to be thinking about something before saying, ¡°Normally we don¡¯t give too many pointers because we want new people to figure it out themselves, but since you all were polite, I¡¯ll give you all some suggestions to help. I¡¯d look into some Dancer style form techniques.¡± ¡°Field of the Charmed? Elements? Dancer style?¡± Ariyana asked still confused. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the Fields of Studies later. Also yes, those forms dancing about were a clue as to how to best utilize your magic and battle style,¡± Elara answered. ¡°Ah ok,¡± Ariyana said sounding a bit confused, but slowly grasping something. ¡°I guess that would make sense since I used to do a lot of dancing before coming here.¡± ¡°Ok, who¡¯s next?¡± Elara asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Mercer replied as he took Ariyana¡¯s place. He did what she did and waited. Just like with Ariyana, a light began to outline him making him look like a kaleidoscope. A mixture of white, dark blue, and icy blue raced around him before entering the orb. Once the orb was filled it shot into the air and exploded into several musical notes. The sound of a well articulate orchestra filled the room. As the music notes floated down the tempo began to slow and grow silent. Before touching the ground, they transformed into different instruments bringing with them a loud crescendo bringing the music back to life with a fast tempo. A flute, a drum, a violin, a lute, and more danced around a wand that waved in a conductor like manor. Then as quickly as the wonderful music came it ended with the conductor¡¯s stick going down. Elara placed her hand over her heart as she gave an excited and shocked smile. ¡°Another entrancing affinity. Looks like the Mage starter class Bard is very much suited for you.¡± ¡°Bard?¡± Mercer questioned as he gave a hopeful look. ¡°Yes, the Field of the Bard study deals with the magic of music. By mastering each instrument, you can unlock potential that many didn¡¯t know about. Also, it looks like Ice and Water from the Field of the Elements can be a good secondary focus area,¡± Elara explained. ¡°My suggestion for you is to look into these Fields of study and see how best to mix them together and later find a way you can learn how to have multiple instruments play at once.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way to do that?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°None that I know of, but from what I just saw with the way those instruments danced around the conductor¡¯s wand I¡¯d say there is.¡± Elara smiled, trying to school her emotions. Mercer gave a happy smile as he slightly bowed his head. He then looked at Roman and said as he moved out of the way, ¡°Your turn.¡± Roman nodded as he approached the orb. Nervously he reached out for it and did as the others did. The light that outlined his body changed to a violet-yellow and brown color. The colors flowed into the orb then zigged-zagged up towards the ceiling and spiderwebbed out. Once when it filled the entire ceiling it crackled down with a loud boom causing everyone to duck or jump out of instinct. Sparks and solid rocky masses took form in the shape of Roman facing each other. They stood in a fighting stance then, as if choreographed, they started fighting. After a few moments, powerful strikes zapped forward towards the solid mass forms. The solid mass forms each slammed a foot down causing the room to shake from the raw power. As the two powers collided, they cancelled each other out making the forms of the individuals disperse. Elara, no longer able to keep her calm demeanor looked at him. ¡°Not one, not two, but three powerful affinities. What is with this group?¡± ¡°Is that bad?¡± Roman asked. ¡°It¡¯s not. It¡¯s just¡­unprecedented,¡± the lady replied as she calmed down and retook her professional appearance. She then said, ¡°It looks like your Mage starting class is Elementalist. Field of the Elements will be a great starting point for you. Congratulations.¡± ¡°Elementalist?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°Yes, an Elementalist is a Mage class specialized with the elements. It¡¯s a common Mage class, but your two strongest affinities are unique. Your strongest affinity is Lightning with Earth coming close. I¡¯d start with those two as focus points before venturing into other elements. I¡¯d also look into close quarter combat techniques as well. The way those forms were battling it looks like you might be able to incorporate the elements into a close combat style fighting.¡± Roman grew a smile as he clenched a fist and jerked his hand back in a pleased gesture. ¡°Now that¡¯s it for the Mage Title Examinations. Let¡¯s begin the Affinity examinations for those who didn¡¯t get a Mage focused starting class,¡± Elara started as she looked at the others. ¡°Who will go first?¡± ¡°I will,¡± Avery announced as she stepped forward. ¡°Do I do the same as what they did?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Elara said. ¡°However, please don¡¯t think that your reveal will be like your three companions. Theirs was a magical release to help narrow down where to start with their class. Yours will still have a show just not on the same scale as theirs.¡± Avery slightly frowned, but then nodded as she grabbed the orb palm up. As she closed her eyes a glow outlined her body. Colors began to flash until it settled on a bright reddish orange before entering the orb. As the last of the color entered it a sudden burst of flames appeared above the orb. The heat filled the room, warming everyone in it. The flame took the form of a sword before puffing into smoke. ¡°Congratulations,¡± Elara said with a smile. ¡°It looks like fire magic will be a great starting focus point. Like your friend, you should look into the Field of the Elements.¡± ¡°Fire magic, huh?¡± Avery said. ¡°Yes. I take it you are a swordswoman?¡± Elara questioned. Avery nodded. ¡°Then there is a chance you can take it into the path of a magic swordswoman with fire magic being the root of it. I wish you the best of luck if you choose to go down that path.¡± Elara gave Avery an encouraging nod. ¡°Thank you,¡± Avery smiled then turned and looked at the others. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Artem said with a nervous tone in his voice. Blair gave him a look before saying, ¡°Way to show some initiative.¡± Artem ignored her as he walked up and began the process. Colors vibrated around Artem¡¯s body quickly until a turquoise shined brightly before entering the orb. When the orb was full the color pulsed out in a wave. It washed over everyone, giving them a calm healing feeling. The wave bounced back after hitting the wall and then took the form of a shield with a cross on it before dispersing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that was but that felt soooo good,¡± Ariyana grinned merrily as she wrapped her arms around herself and did a quick spin. Artem gave a sheepish look as he looked at Elara. ¡°Congratulations. It looks like you have an affinity for healing magic. Field of the Healer should be a good start for you.¡± ¡°Healing magic? Me?¡± Artem asked with some disbelief. ¡°Yes, mixing that with a defender starting class can turn into something interesting, depending on how you want to go about things,¡± Elara started to explain. ¡°My recommendation for you is to understand the different styles of Defenders. Once when you have a direction you want to go with then tie in the Healing magic you learn. Also do not worry if the path you originally take doesn¡¯t turn out how you want it to. You can always change your style and walk another path. Field of the Healer is versatile.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Artem said with a warm smile. ¡°It is my pleasure,¡± Elara said returning his smile. ¡°Ok, my turn,¡± Blair rushed with a bit of excitement in her tone. As she took Artem¡¯s place and placed the orb in her palm, a smile grew on her face. The familiar glow started to brighten over her body as the rainbow of colors started to spin around her. After a few seconds the colors changed to a solid purple before being sucked into the orb. After the orb filled, it started to float off of Blair¡¯s palm. A purple mist swam out of the orb and circled around Blair causing her to float off of the ground. Before anyone could say anything the purple mist swam into a circle around everyone and lightly lifted them off of the ground. ¡°What the,¡± Artem, Roman, and Avery said with a bit of shock. Ariyana let out a giggle. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at everyone. A black dot suddenly appeared above the orb. The purple mist then slowly made its way to that dot as if it was being sucked in. When the last bit of mist was eaten into the mysterious dot, two purple circles appeared around it and the outline of a shield formed over the symbol. The shield then fell down into the orb causing everyone to forcefully be dropped down. A vibration pressuring them down for a moment before the feeling disappeared. Ariyana let out a happy laugh as she said with the most joyous tone, ¡°I love magic.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Blair asked as she tried processing what happened. ¡°That was Gravity magic,¡± Elara answered as she fixed her furled clothes. ¡°Gravity Magic? As in Gravity, Gravity?¡± Blair asked still having the same disbelief written across her face. ¡°Unless if you know of a different kind of Gravity, yes that Gravity,¡± Elara said with a slight chuckle. ¡°Gravity Magic is a wonder and mystery.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°It¡¯s one of the few magics that¡¯s not too sought after due to the poor performances at the beginning as well as one of the hardest to advance,¡± Elara began to explain. Many who tried their hands at it fully expressed their dislike of this focus point in the Field of the Elements because it is one of the few studies that require patience and full focus to make it grow. Albeit, those who have persevered in it have expressed that the magic has great capabilities. Although I have not heard of any Defenders having an affinity with it. If you choose to pursue it, then you will be the first to show a new and never before seen combination. I wish you the best of luck if you do choose to step down that path.¡± A mix of excitement and uncertainty filled Blair as she nodded. She then turned to Liam and said, ¡°Your turn.¡± Tutorial 11 - Seed of the Arcana Liam gulped and slowly nodded before walking up to the orb. With everything that happened during his starting class reveal, Liam was unsure if he was going to have an affinity or if it would make him look like an idiot. He steeled himself for the worse and held back any hope so he wouldn¡¯t disappoint himself. He took a deep breath before placing the orb in his palm and closing his eyes. As he stood there a warm, yet cold feeling washed over his skin. It then felt like it absorbed inside and started swirling around his solar plex. As Liam opened his eyes, a light eerie green color emanated from his body. Dark red and black began to faintly mix with it before entering the orb. As the orb began to glow from the colors entering it, anticipation grew as Liam waited for the results. The light eerie color began to take the form of a hammer that lifted itself above the orb. The same color slowly started to hum on the skin of everyone. As other forms started to take shape the dark red and raven black colors started to rise out causing the small hairs on the back of everyone¡¯s necks to stand up. The scene before Liam reminded him about that vision he had on his first night while practicing his Zen. A smile slowly crept on his face as the hope he held back started to fill him as he continued to watch. Without warning, the hammer violently stuck down smashing the orb into pieces. A primal deep roar echoed out from the broken orb causing the feeling that was building up inside him to suddenly popped and dispersed as the color abruptly dimmed and faded. A feeling of dread washed over Liam as he stared mouth wide open. He looked at Elara then back at the broken pieces of the orb. ¡°What happened?¡± Staring with disbelief as well, Elara responded, ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve never seen this happen before.¡± ¡°Does this mean I have no affinities with any type of magic?¡± Liam asked as fear began to creep within him. ¡°No,¡± Elara started. ¡°Magic did respond to your examination; however, I have never seen those colors before. My best guess, and again this is a guess, is that some of the magic you have the greatest affinities with is in a more advanced Field of Study. I have never seen nor heard of magical forms smashing Magical Examination orbs. This exam is meant for only basic magics for starting mages and non-mages to help them start their path to growing and evolving their classes.¡± ¡°So do you have any suggestions on where I should start?¡± Liam asked as his body began to slump. ¡°It felt like something was blocking all the signs that could help give me a better idea for what is your best starting path,¡± Elara started as she began to think. A thought suddenly formed in her mind causing her to tense. She quickly relaxed her body trying not to give anything away. Mercer caught the subtle changes and eyed her suspiciously. ¡°My suggestion is¡­,¡± Elara started. ¡°Look into Field of the Craft and then look at focus points in other Fields of Studies that seem interesting to you. Don¡¯t dabble into too many though because it can hinder your growth if you do. Start off with at least two or three so you can see if there¡¯s any that resonate with you.¡± Liam nodded as he listened. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take your advice into consideration.¡± Elara smiled as she said, ¡°No worries. It¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. Although not many take what I say seriously. As long as you think it over during your growth period then I¡¯ll be contempt with that.¡± She then looked at the others and continued, ¡°Now that you each know where to start there is another bit of information, I must tell you before you start diving into those fields.¡± Everyone gave her their attention. ¡°This next bit of information is given to all who are entering the magical fields. To be able to wield any type of magic you must have Magical Knowledge Theory in and some practical use of the Seed of the Arcana.¡± ¡°Seed of the Arcana?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Seed of the Arcana is the correct name for what we call Arcane Magic. What that is will take some time to explain. Would you like a proper explanation or the short version?¡± Elara asked as she waited for their reply. Everyone looked at each other before nodding. ¡°You¡¯ve been great help in guiding and offer advice so as long as we¡¯re not taking too much of your time, we¡¯ll listen to everything you are willing, and able, to tell us,¡± Mercer said with a grateful smile. ¡°I thank you for that,¡± Elara nodded before starting back up. ¡°Seed of the Arcana is a specialized magic called Arcane Magic. In the world of Paracosm we have magic categorized in many different groups as well as points in the groups. Focus points, Fields of Studies, Branches, roots, combined, and advanced are some of the terms we use. An example to give of a Field of study is the Field of The Elements. This field has the focus points Fire, Earth, Water, Lightning, Plant, Ice, Air, and Gravity. Each focus point is a specialized magic in that Field of Study. Each field of study has many different focus points so you can either broaden your knowledge of that field or focus on certain points in it so you can branch out into more advanced magic. Does this make sense so far?¡± Everyone slowly nodded as they digested the information being fed to them. Liam felt this was a lot to take in. However, the explanation helped break it down. There were different types of magic. Each types had a Field of Study. To best understand that field of study you chose either one or more focus points to get better at it. It was an interesting way to do it. ¡°That makes sense why you kept saying field of study earlier when we were being examined,¡± Avery said. ¡°But what does the Seed of the Arcana have to do with any of this? You didn¡¯t say anything about focusing on it when we were being examined,¡± Blaire inquired. ¡°Ah yes,¡± Elara started up again. ¡°So, all fields of magical studies have a beginning. Also known as the seed. That seed is the Seed of the Arcana.¡± Elara waited a moment before continuing, ¡°Think of it as the starting point. Just like a plant you must plant a seed. Once when the seed has absorbed enough nutrients it¡¯ll begin to grow roots. Once when the roots are set it¡¯ll sprout out and begin to form a base and then branch out.¡± Mercer nodded as he listened. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the Field of the Arcana is the seed and the fields of study are the roots?¡± Elara smiled happily. ¡°Yes, in order for you to learn any magic you must plant the seed, also known as the Seed of Arcana. Once when you have enough Magical Knowledge and practical use in this field of study then you¡¯ll be able to open up a field or two of a different style of magic and can start the paths you wish to take.¡± ¡°Oh wow,¡± Ariyana stated with awe. ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± Artem said as he ran a hand through his hair. ¡°There are no shortcuts when creating a better you. Only hard work awaits those who are serious enough to grow,¡± Elara expressed. ¡°Thank you for that,¡± Liam said. Filled with curiosity he asked, ¡°Can you tell us about the other terminologies you mentioned?¡± Elara slowly shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, I am not authorized to explain past that. Since this is a tutorial space you can only learn the basics. Once when you leave here you can learn more at Magical Academies for higher Magical Knowledge Theories.¡± ¡°Ah ok,¡± Liam responded, feeling a bit dejected but still satisfied with the amount given. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I can, however, offer you this bit of advice,¡± Elara started. Everyone looked at her again. ¡°Study as much as you can and continue to study the Seed of the Arcana even after you¡¯ve started your other fields. The higher your aptitude is in it the better the affects will be transferred to your other studies.¡± Everyone looked at her with appreciation. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of advice we really need,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± everyone else said with a nod. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Elara said with a bow. ¡°If that is all¡­once when we exit this room, I can point you where to go in the build so you can take your first step down the magical path.¡± ¡°I believe that is all for now,¡± Liam said. ¡°Can we come back to you if we have any more questions?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°You are more than welcome to seek me or any of the other staff members here for answers,¡± Elara responded. ¡°Sweet,¡± Roman replied. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Blair grinned. ¡°I¡¯m eager to start this.¡± Elara giggled a bit as she led them to the exit. Elara stopped at the closed door. Before opening it, she instructed, ¡°If you are all ready to plant the Seed of the Arcana then when you exit this space, please go down the hall to your right. The fourth door on your left is the room you will go to get a copy of the book called Exordium Arcanum that you can keep. You can use any of the open tables to read and study the book. When you receive an Arcane ability and want to practice the ability just let one of us know and we will get you set up.¡± ¡°Thank you. We appreciate your help,¡± Ariyana said with a warm smile. ¡°It is my pleasure to have been of help,¡± Elara said. ¡°Before I forget. After you¡¯re done here I¡¯d suggest going to the library and checking a book called Beginner¡¯s Magic Volume one.¡± ¡°I have that one,¡± Blair suddenly said. Liam looked at her and then remembered, ¡°That¡¯s the one you were reading yesterday, right?¡± Blair nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve almost finished it. If you¡¯re interested, I can hand it over to you so you can start on it?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m going to study up on a couple of crafting ones first before diving into it since the library only offers you to take so many at a time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it next then,¡± Roman said. Blair nodded. ¡°Alright then when I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll hand it over to you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Roman said. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got a head start already. Once when you¡¯re done with it, I¡¯d look for the next volume,¡± Elara instructed. ¡°How many are there?¡± Avery asked. ¡°There are three volumes for Beginner¡¯s Magic Theory. Once when you are finished with that third one, you¡¯ll have to look for the next scale up, but there are no such books here.¡± ¡°Alright sounds good,¡± Blair stated. Elara turned and opened the door. ¡°Now then. Welcome to the Magical side of Paracosm. I hope your journey into self-growth is filled with awe and wonder.¡± As they walked out the room Liam looked back and saw Mercer standing next to Elara. ¡°You coming Mercer?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be there soon. I just have a couple more questions,¡± Mercer said. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long or we¡¯ll get too far ahead of you,¡± Roman grinned as he waved a hand without looking back. Mercer shook his head with bemusement. He then looked at Liam and Avery who were still there. ¡°Want us to wait for you?¡± Avery asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine I¡¯ll be there shorty,¡± Mercer assured them. ¡°Okay.¡± Liam responded as he and Avery followed the others. Liam and Avery entered the room that the others had turned into and was surprised by how spacious it was. The room reminded him of a college classroom. The wall lined to his left from the door running forward was a chalk board with words, numbers, and pictures on it. To his right were stairs that lined up perfectly with platforms raised with desks in a row on each level. There were a few people scattered about reading or talking with others. In front of the chalkboard was a desk with stacks of dark violet mixed with specs of white books. A sign floated around the books reading, ¡°Please take one¡±. Avery and Liam walked over and picked up a book. The cover read Exordium Arcanum: Intro into the Arcana. The book was a bit thicker than the Calm the Storm book he had grabbed from the library. ¡°Hm, doesn¡¯t look like a light read,¡± Liam muttered as he stared at the book. Avery let out a quick chuckle before stopping herself. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked with a raised brow. ¡°I believe that all Intro books aren¡¯t going to be light reads. After all, they hold theories we have no knowledge of nor have ever needed to comprehend,¡± Avery smiled as she looked for the others. Liam let out a sigh. ¡°I know that. It¡¯s just¡­a lot. I feel like there¡¯s so much to learn. It¡¯s a bit overwhelming.¡± Avery waved at the others who were sitting at the top in the back. As they started up the stairs she said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Everything we¡¯ve learned so far has basically turned all we knew before coming here upside down. It¡¯s a lot to take in. Luckily, we have time to process it all as we learn more.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam agreed as they arrived at the others and sat down. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡± Liam opened the book and started reading. ¡°All things have a beginning. Birth begins life, curiosity begins education, commitment begins dedication, mistakes begin growth process, Arcane begins the magical development. So, what is Arcana exactly? Like all things in life, Magic starts with the Arcana. The Arcana is a non-element, non-attributive style of magic.¡± ¡°Its form is not set nor committed to a specific form or style. Many believe that the Arcana is one of the freest forms of magic. Many also believe that the Arcana is all magic, but also none of them at the same time. To truly understand this, you must take the first step and begin to understand what the Arcana truly is. Are you ready to plant the seed?¡± A notification suddenly appeared in front of Liam. ¡°Are you ready to plant the Seed of the Arcana? Yes No?¡± Shocked, Liam read it with disbelief. After a moment of hesitation, he clicked yes. A warm sensation washed over Liam¡¯s body before it started to absorb inside of him entering his blood stream. Liam felt the sensation run through his blood towards his heart. Once when the force fully entered his heart a violent thump pounded against his chest. Liam gritted his teeth causing him to grip the spot where his heart was as it thumped harder and harder with each beat. After several beats a new feeling began to swim through his blood stream allowing his heart to return to normal. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Liam quietly whispered as he steadily gulped. ¡°Are you alright man?¡± Mercer asked as he approached. Liam looked at him. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What the hell just happened to me?¡± Artem asked. He too looked like he had something happened to him. After Liam got a better look the others looked the same. ¡°That was the seed being planted inside us,¡± Blair stated. Everyone looked at her. ¡°In the Beginner¡¯s Magic book, it said that this would happen,¡± Blair started to explain. ¡°Magic needed to get a grasp of our bodies, which has never had magic in it before, so it entered our blood streams. After entering our blood streams, it searched for a place to create a focal point for it to plant the seed. That focal point was our hearts. Once when our hearts were filled with magic the Seed of the Arcana was formed and planted. That seed was able to restart the cycle of magical circulation to allow our bodies to accumulate the feel of magic and allow us to use magic a bit easier.¡± Everyone stared at her. ¡°What?¡± Blair asked. ¡°You really are ahead of us on this,¡± Roman stated. Blair waved her left hand in a dismissive gesture. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of information any of you could have gotten.¡± Mercer shook his head as he said, ¡°Either way that¡¯s good to know. Now I know what to expect when I start. However, before we continue, we need to update our plans going forward.¡± Everyone sat there in silence thinking. ¡°I want to challenge the next floor of the dungeon,¡± Roman stated breaking the silence. ¡°I do too,¡± Blair agreed. ¡°Did you guys get any abilities after getting your class?¡± Avery asked. ¡°No,¡± Roman replied. Mercer and Ariyana shook their heads. ¡°If we want to attempt the dungeon then we¡¯re going to need you guys to have some class abilities,¡± Liam said. ¡°What about armor? Does anyone have any armor?¡± ¡°I got some generic beginner armor from that first floor,¡± Artem stated. ¡°Same here,¡± Blair said. ¡°I think that¡¯s what everyone got as a reward,¡± Avery pointed out. ¡°Ok, so armor and weapons aren¡¯t an issue for the moment,¡± Liam started as he wracked his brain. ¡°We don¡¯t really have a healer till Artem gets some magic¡­so we¡¯ll need potions.¡± Liam blanched at the thought of the taste the potions gave. ¡°I can get some stock on it later,¡± Mercer suggested. Liam nodded. ¡°Ok so our only concern really is you guys getting some abilities.¡± ¡°How about,¡± Ariyana started as everyone looked at her. ¡°We spend the rest of the day getting our Seed of the Arcana up till we can get an ability or two. We can also work on whatever else we want to and then try an attempt tomorrow afternoon?¡± Everyone thought about it. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good plan. We can at least take a peek at the floor. If we feel it¡¯s not doable then we can always leave the floor and make a better plan for the next attempt?¡± Mercer suggested. ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Liam asked as he looked at the others. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Avery replied. ¡°Same here,¡± Roman and Blair answered in unison. Ariyana and Artem nodded with their agreeance. ¡°Alright then let¡¯s work on this and see what we can get done,¡± Liam said. As everyone sat back down and looked back at the books a few system notifications appeared in front of Liam.
¡°Congratulations! You have received the Knowledge Theory - Exordium Arcanum.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory - Exordium Arcanum has reached level 1!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory - Exordium Arcanum has reached level 2!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory - Exordium Arcanum has reached level 3!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have planted The Seed of the Arcana!¡± ¡°Congratulations! 3rr0r Corrupted (Sealed) ability ??????? has reached level 3!¡±
Liam stared at the last notification. He then thought to himself, ¡°What the¡­What ability did I raise and how?¡± Liam was utterly shocked. He had no clue what he did to level it up or even how it got raised. He didn''t even know he could raise an ability he couldn''t see, let alone an ability from a sealed class. He shook his head as he thought, ¡°I really need to find a way to purge or whatever I have to do to get that fixed.¡± Liam looked at the others before looking back at the book. He then thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯ll just focus on what¡¯s before me now. When I see an opportunity, I¡¯ll figure it out then.¡± Tutorial 12 - Lets go have an Adventure Liam slowly opened his eyes as he sat in a meditative position in his room. His calm mind gradually starting to stir with thoughts as his Zen-like focus dissipated. He let out a sigh as he muttered, ¡°I guess I won¡¯t always get visions when I get in that focus. If that¡¯s the case, then I need to understand the other benefits it brings.¡± A soft chime sounded in his mind as a notification popped up in front of him.
¡°Congratulations! Zen has reached level 8!¡±
Liam frowned as he dismissed the message. He really didn¡¯t understand how everything was tied together. He recently got his Knowledge Theory on Calming the Storm to level ten. Liam thought that his Knowledge Theory on the subject was tied with his Sub-stat Zen from his Will Stat in Spirit, but it didn¡¯t raise with it. He stretched his arms and legs as he got to his feet. He made his way over to the mirror and muttered to himself, ¡°Let¡¯s go over what I was able to get done yesterday.¡± He thought about it as he stared at himself in the mirror. He then looked at his right hand as he raised a finger up, he said, ¡°I got my Exordium Arcanum Knowledge Theory to level five.¡± He raised another finger. ¡°I raised the Arcane practice I got which raised my Magic Practicality to the same level.¡± He raised a third finger. ¡°I got the Arcane Shot, though it was a pain to get. The others got it when they got to level two in their theory. I got it at level four.¡± He raised a fourth finger. ¡°My Sub-stat Knowledge got to level ten when I got my Calming the Storm Knowledge Theory to level ten. Thanks to that I got a bonus of two point five percent to studying knowledge theories under level ten. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯ll help move things a little faster.¡± He raised a fifth finger and added, ¡°After a bit of shopping I got a some pjs, casual, and workout clothes so I don¡¯t have to rely on just my old clothes as well as my armor. Although the styles the locals have are¡­weird. I¡¯m glad they had some plain looking ones.¡± He raised a sixth finger and said, ¡°I also got a few crude daggers for throwing.¡± He sighed. ¡°I should have had Mercer go with me. The price of the poor-quality ones seemed like a scam. I¡¯m going to have to craft my own if I want to save on buying them.¡± He looked back at the mirror. ¡°After our trip into the dungeon I¡¯m going to have to stop by the library and get some more theory books to look into. Get my Seed of the Arcana up so I can get a couple of Fields of Studies and look into the other crafts.¡± He let out a sigh as he shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s so much I need to do. Not only that, but I need to work on my Weapon skills and try to get a physical skill or whatever they call them here.¡± He let his hand drop to his side as he brought up the internal clock. It read 6:24 a.m. ¡°I¡¯ll have to work out a schedule to work on all this later. For now, I¡¯ll just work on my Sub-stats: Stamina Endurance, Speed, and Agility by running to the Smithy. I¡¯ll also work on my Blacksmithing craft and my Sub-stat Crafter Endurance till I need to meet up with the others.¡± He pulled up his inventory and looked at the items in it. He looked for his workout clothes and clicked on the set.
¡°Would you like to pull out Workout Outfit Quality Poor? Yes No?¡±
¡°Thankfully the inventory allows you to set clothes up as outfits by layering them together.¡± Liam Thought as he turned to the bed and clicked yes. As the clothing set appeared he said, ¡°It saves so much room by doing this.¡± After he changed and put his pajamas away, he stretched his legs and arms. He then looked at himself in the mirror and noticed how long and messy his hair was. ¡°I think I saw a barber shop somewhere in town. If I have time, I should get a haircut.¡± Liam muttered before facing the door and said, ¡°Alright let¡¯s get to work.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Yooperlite stone sitting on the ceiling of the cavern shone as bright as a noon sun while a light breeze blew over the inhabitants. Sounds of voices filled the area around the portals as people stood around from either waiting to enter, exiting, or waiting for others to arrive. One group stood waiting as a light armored male jogged up to them. ¡°There he is,¡± Blair announced as the group turned to him. ¡°Ooo la la. Someone got a new haircut,¡± Ariyana teased. Liam slowed his jog as he approached. His messy hair was no more. He got the sides of his head shaved and got the top cleaned up a bit. He decided to go with an undercut. The remaining hair he had was long enough for a ponytail which was tied back. Sheepishly he said, ¡°It was getting a bit messy, so I decided to clean it up. Sorry about the wait. I got too focused while in the smithy and lost track of time. I wanted to try and get this done before we went in.¡± Liam got a good look at them and noticed the gear they were wearing. He assessed their armor and notifications appeared. Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman wore plain grey shoes that ran up to their mid shins, and plain grey hooded robe that stopped mid shin.
¡°Beginner Mage Armor Set. Beginner Mage Robe. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 2. Beginner Mage Pants. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 2. Beginner Mage Shoes. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 2." "Beginner Mage Armor set. Basic armor set given to people who has the Mage Title starting class. When wearing the complete set wearer gets a +5% bonus to spell damage.¡±
Avery was wearing some sort of metal coated boots that ran up mid-calf, plain white pants, plain brown belt with a sword sheathed next to her right leg, and a plain black shirt that was tucked in with a metal breastplate over her chest.
¡°Beginner Swordswoman Armor Set. Beginner Swordswoman Iron Grieves. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 6. Beginner Swordswoman pants. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 4. Beginner Swordswoman Iron Breastplate. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 6. Beginner Swordswoman belt. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 2. Beginner Swordswoman Breastplate. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 6. Beginner Plain Shirt. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 1. Rapier. Quality ¨C Crude. Attack +3." Beginner Swordswoman Armor set. Basic armor set given to people whose Power sub-stat is higher than their strength or constitution starting off. When wearing the complete set wearer gets a +5% bonus to sword attacks.¡±
Artem and Blair wore iron-colored boots, iron-colored pants, breastplates that covered their chest stomach and back, and gloves. They each had a circled wooden shield in one hand and a sword in the other. Liam chuckled at the thought that they looked like twins with how similar their armor set was. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°They would be the worst twins,¡± Liam thought. This made him think about his brothers. They were twins and loved to argue with each other any chance they got. He then thought to himself, ¡°On second thought they would be great twins.¡±
¡°Beginner Defender Armor Set. Beginner Defender Iron Grieves. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 6. Beginner Defender Iron Pants. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 6. Beginner Defender Iron Breastplate. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 6. Beginner Defender Iron Gloves. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 6. Circled Wooden Buckler. Quality ¨C Crude. Armor + 4. Iron Broadsword. Quality ¨C Crude. Attack + 3.¡± "Beginner Defender Armor Set. Basic Armor set given to those whose Vitality and Body Strength sub-stats are higher than their other sub-stats."
¡°Besides Avery, you all look¡­uniformed,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Ha, ha. Very funny,¡± Roman said dryly. ¡°I hate this beginner¡¯s gear. It¡¯s plain as all hell and doesn¡¯t look good at all.¡± Ariyana stuck her tongue out and made a gagging noise. ¡°It¡¯s starting gear. What did you expect?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Besides the goggles you look more rogue-ish. Why¡¯s that?¡± Mercer asked as he looked Liam over. ¡°For some reason I was expecting you to wield something like a small hammer instead of a dagger.¡± ¡°This is the Beginner Light armor set for those with good start Dexterity Sub-stats,¡± Liam explained as he looked himself over. He then looked at the dagger and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think a blacksmith hammer would make for a good weapon.¡± Mercer let out a small chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. Here.¡± Mercer pulled out a brown leather satchel and handed it to him. Liam assessed it as he grabbed it. ¡°Small brown leather Satchel. Item type ¨C Spatial Bag. Quality ¨C Poor. Item Space ¨C 10.¡± ¡°I already gave everyone theirs, but this is a small Leather Satchel. In it, there are health, mana, and stamina potions. I also got a crude pickaxe for you in case you see some ore or something. I¡¯m not too sure how gathering is done, but I figured if you had a chance and want to try its better than nothing.¡± ¡°Hm, thank you. I appreciate it,¡± Liam said then asked as a thought appeared. ¡°Did you just take this out of your inventory? I thought inventories and spatial bags were separate things and you couldn¡¯t put them in your inventory?¡± ¡°I found out that that is true for bigger bags,¡± Mercer explained. ¡°Small ten space bags can be placed in your inventory, but there¡¯s also a limit to it unless you have a certain class or craft. Oh, you can also access the contents in the satchel from within your inventory as well as place items into from your inventory as well.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Liam nodded as he placed it in his inventory. He then asked as he placed his remaining potions from the other day into the satchel. ¡°Are we ready to go?¡± ¡°I believe so,¡± Avery answered as she looked at the others. They all nodded. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go have an adventure then,¡± Liam said as they walked towards the Black swirling portal. Liam¡¯s vision swam as his stomach lurched. He took a couple of steps away from the portal, so he wasn¡¯t in the way of the others. Ariyana, Artem, and Roman took a couple of steps out of the portal and then fell to their knees, releasing liquids from their mouths. Mercer, Blair, and Avery placed their hands on their knees coughing a few times while forcing back the bile that threatened to rush up. After a few moments they started to recompose themselves and stand back up. ¡°Why were you not affected by the telepor¡­,¡± Roman asked before feeling move liquid trying to escape. He closed his mouth and breathed heavily through his nose. After calming himself he dared to open his mouth and finished, ¡°Teleportation?¡± ¡°I was affected by it. I was disoriented and almost threw up,¡± Liam replied as he looked at them. ¡°I call bs,¡± Blair glared. ¡°You didn¡¯t look fazed at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Teleportation sickness has a great chance for you to get sick or disoriented. That doesn¡¯t mean it happens all the time,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I¡¯m thinking upchuck roulette is the most accurate description for it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Mercer chimed in. ¡°About it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll happen all the time. What¡¯s your Mental Resistance to Teleportation Sickness at?¡± ¡°It¡¯s at¡­,¡± Liam began to say until a couple of chime noises echoed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! Sub-Stat Mental Resistance ¨C Teleportation Sickness has reached level 3.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Sub-Stat Lucky Break has reached level 6!¡±
¡°Huh, two level ups. Nice,¡± Liam thought before continuing, ¡°It just hit level three.¡± ¡°Level three? What the hell?¡± Roman said with disbelief. ¡°I just hit level two. ¡°Same here,¡± Avery, Mercer, and Blair said in unison. ¡°Lucky for you guys,¡± Ariyana started. ¡°I¡¯m still at level one with it.¡± ¡°I am too,¡± Artem said as he hunched over again. ¡°God, I hate this feeling.¡± ¡°The more we go through the portals the more you can raise that Mental Resistance,¡± Liam explained. ¡°Which means more chances to play Upchuck Roulette.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say upchuck. Just hearing that word makes me want to¡­,¡± Artem began to say until he placed a hand over his mouth and made a weird noise. He heavily breathed a few times then righted himself. ¡°I think I¡¯m good now.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Blair said. ¡°It won¡¯t do us any good if one of us Defenders is not at full focus.¡± Artem frowned. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see where we are now,¡± Liam changed the topic as he looked around. Behind the portal was a small run-down church. Patches of dirt and grass stretched out from all around them. A light fog drifted in the air, blocking out the sky making it dark. Patches of light from Yooperlite stones attached to poles that stood straight from the ground gave some light. From that little lighting they were able to see gravestones scattered about. There were a couple of trees close to the portal and spread out amongst the graveyard. The leaves dropped, looking like they were wet. ¡°From a church to a graveyard? That¡¯s not ominous or anything,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°From the information I¡¯ve gathered from others that have attempted this floor it is a graveyard. Not a small one either. It stretches out for miles. Monsters will appear at random, but there are two main monster we¡¯ll have to look out for,¡± Mercer started to explain as the others turned to him. ¡°There¡¯s a slightly stronger monster that roams about. Apparently, the others are calling it an E.F.M. or Elite Floor Monster. The other is the Floor Boss, which is a lot more powerful than the E.F.M.¡± ¡°Did they say what kind of monsters they were?¡± Avery asked. ¡°It varied,¡± Mercer thought about it as he pulled out a small notebook. He opened it and turned to a page. ¡°The weaker monsters were skeletons, ghouls, or zombies. The E.F.M. was a stronger variation of Skeleton with a weapon or a Zombie with a better constitution or strength. As for the boss it was the same. Just a bigger and mean version opposite of the E.F.M.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯ll know who the boss is when we come across the E.F.M?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Not sure how I like saying that word.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take some time getting used to using the terminology used on this plan¡­,¡± Liam began to say until a thought came across. ¡°What is it Liam?¡± Avery asked as she stared at him. ¡°How are we talking?¡± Liam muttered as his brain started to think. ¡°Uh, with our mouths?¡± Roman stated in a matter of fact like tone. ¡°No. I mean yes, but how can we understand each other?¡± Liam tried again as he looked at the others. ¡°We all came from different worlds and we¡¯re in a different world right now. How is it that we¡¯re able to understand each other?¡± Understanding dawned as they looked wide eyed. ¡°I guess with all the excitement no one thought about that,¡± Mercer said as he began to think it over. ¡°No one would have thought to ask because everyone thought they were all from the same planet probably?¡± Avery suggested. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to ask when we get out of here,¡± Ariyana said. She then waved her arms out as she added, ¡°It does us no good thinking about it while in here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll see what I can learn once when we get out,¡± Mercer nodded. Liam nodded agreeing with Ariyana and acknowledging Mercer, but still couldn¡¯t let the question go. He then thought to himself, ¡°Just another mystery that needs to be solved.¡± ¡°So which way should we go?¡± Blair asked as she looked around. ¡°I vote back,¡± Artem suggested. Everyone turned to stare at him. ¡°What?¡± Artem asked looking like he wanted to shrink for the suggestion. ¡°I hate scary things and this place is screaming scary.¡± Blair let out an annoyed puff of air. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m going to be taking a lot of hits during our time here.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Artem apologized as he looked down. Liam patted Artem on the shoulder causing him to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Liam started. ¡°We all have things we don¡¯t like and are afraid of.¡± Artem continued to stare at him without saying anything. ¡°Just remember that you¡¯re not alone here. You have us to depend on just like we are depending on you to do what you have to.¡± Liam smiled. Mercer, Ariyana, and Avery nodded in agreeance. ¡°If worse comes to worse we can use you as a meat shield and run away,¡± Roman suddenly said with a straight face. Everyone swiftly turned to glare at him. ¡°What?¡± Roman asked. He then scoffed as he added, ¡°It was a joke, obviously.¡± Artem looked down and was about to say something until he felt a soft hand touch the side of his arm. He looked at who the hand belonged to and found Ariyana giving him a warm smile. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s just jealous that he¡¯s not as tall and strong looking like you,¡± Ariyana said with a sympathetic and soothing voice. She then gave him a pouty face as she added, ¡°Besides, if you¡¯re not here then who¡¯s going to protect me when I¡¯m in danger.¡± Artem looked like he was fighting something inside him when he finally said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± Ariyana gave him a beaming smile as she planted a quick peck on his cheek. ¡°I knew I can count on you.¡± She turned and looked away from the shocked Artem and gave a wink to Blair, Liam, and Mercer. Mercer held back a chuckle as Blair shook her head and muttered as quietly as she could, ¡°Men.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Roman started as comprehension dawned on him. ¡°Did you just call me short.¡± Ariyana gave an affronted look as she mockingly feigned ignorance. ¡°Who? Me? No, I would never call you that.¡± Avery and Liam turned away trying not to laugh at the look Roman gave her. Liam let out a cough as he regained his composure. ¡°Alright, if we¡¯re done with all that. Let¡¯s try this direction.¡± He pointed to a dirt path that had wooden poles with Yooperlite stones on the tips. ¡°Looks promising,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get this adventure started!¡± Ariyana shouted with a fist in the air. Tutorial 13 - Mistakes were Made! Liam and the others walked down a path with gravestones spanning out on both sides. Posts with small Yooperlite stones rested on the tips lit the dirt pathway. The light emanating from the stones weren¡¯t as bright as the ones Liam saw in the town. The small stones gave enough of a glow that he could see the dirt road they walked upon. Outside the path, however, a mild fog surrounded them. Up to seven feet, Liam was able to see the grass, some trees, and gravestones. Beyond that, the fog thickened. Sounds lightly danced in the air as they pressed forth slowly. Crickets strumming, owls whistled, and other unknown noises mixed together. Artem and Blair walked in the front with Avery right behind them. Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman walked in a v formation with Liam taking the rear. Liam was amazed by how this place looked and felt. It was different from the Tutorial Area. A heavy aura could be felt in the air making Liam feel like eyes were on him. ¡°You know it¡¯s kind of eerie that we haven¡¯t come across any monsters since we¡¯ve entered here,¡± Roman mentioned, breaking the silence between them. ¡°This whole place feels eerie,¡± Ariyana said trying to fight back the fear slowly creeping up her spine. ¡°Well, it is a graveyard,¡± Blair stated as she walked a bit more relaxed than the others. ¡°This fog also doesn¡¯t help,¡± Mercer added. ¡°The fog is a bit of a hinderance,¡± Liam said as he looked to his right. As he started to turn his head an alluring and singsong voice whispered, ¡°Over here.¡± Liam snapped his head back and noticed a shadowed figure run farther into the fog. Was that a person he heard? No one, but he and his group should be in this dungeon floor. But that was a woman¡¯s voice he heard. ¡°What¡¯s up, Liam? Did you see something?¡± Mercer asked as he noticed Liam had stopped moving. The others stopped to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure,¡± Liam responded. ¡°I thought I heard a woman¡¯s voice.¡± Mercer gave him a confused look as he said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone else here besides us.¡± He placed his goggles over his eyes and tried peering into the fog. Even with the bonus that his goggles gave he wasn¡¯t able to see through it. He gave it some thought as he tried to think about what to do. His vast knowledge of horror movies and novels screamed that it was stupid to follow the mysterious figure into the dense covered fog. However, his vast curiosity screamed louder wanting to know who that was and how they got here. After coming to a decision, he announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to go check it out. You guys wait here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go with you,¡± Avery suggested. ¡°No, it should just take a second,¡± Liam said as he shook his head. ¡°Rule number one. You don¡¯t split the party,¡± Blair stated with a bit of sternness. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine with staying here,¡± Artem voiced. Blair glared at him and then muttered, ¡°Of course you are.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m only going to go as far as I can to see if there was anything over there,¡± Liam said. ¡°If there¡¯s any monsters I¡¯ll come back and let you guys know.¡± The others stared at him for a while. Breaking the silence Avery said, ¡°Fine, but if it looks bad come straight back.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Liam waved as he walked off the path. ¡°Another rule is you don¡¯t walk off the beaten path.¡± Liam could hear Blair mutter. Liam softly walked pass the gravestones. The ground was a bit softer than the carved path was. He could smell a mildewy scent in the air making him think the ground was softer due to it being a little wet. He glanced around quickly every few seconds to make sure the coast was clear as he push forward. He stopped when he saw something move again. He focused as hard as he could to make out what had moved. As he focused the goggles began to clear the fog little by little in his line of sight. ¡°That¡¯s a handy thing,¡± Liam thought as a chime sound dinged. ¡°Must have leveled up something. I¡¯ll check it out later.¡± As he continued to watch the fog lift, he noticed a lone tree standing still amongst the gravestones. One of the low hanging branches swayed a bit. No leaves covered the tree. Multiple branches were spread out above the thick trunk. It gave the appearance that the tree was dead. Liam let out a quiet groan. ¡°Ah, what the hell. It was just a tree branch.¡± As he started to move his eyes away something else caught his attention. He looked back to see small plants around the ground close to the tree outlined in a light green color. Several were green moss-like plants, while others were a violet bell-shaped flower. He assessed the plants.
¡°Moss Mint. Rarity - Common. Item type ¨C Crafting component. Can be used to add flavor to consumable items.¡± ¡°Shallow Bloom. Rarity ¨C Common. Item type ¨C Crafting component. Can be used to make certain potions.¡±
Liam stared at the plants. ¡°Hm¡­I could use those Shallow Blooms for alchemy. I could probably find a use for the Moss Mints too.¡± He swayed his head back and forth contemplating. After mulling it over he slowly made his way towards the first plant.¡± He slowly brought his hand to the plant then stopped. He then thought to himself, ¡°How do I get this without ruining it¡­I think I have an ability that could help.¡± He thought about the abilities he had and remember one in particular. He then said as softly as he could, ¡°Harvest.¡± A light blue light washed over the plant. As soon as the light got to the stem it snapped and fell on its side. ¡°Crap did I ruin it,¡± Liam swore under his breath. He gently grabbed it and saw a message screen appear. ¡°Would you like to place Shallow Bloom in inventory or Small Leather Satchel?¡± Liam was shocked. He quickly regained his bearings and clicked Small Leather Satchel. A smile grew on his face as another message popped up.
¡°Congratulations. You have received the Gathering Craft Herbalism. Herbalism has reached level 1.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Crafter Class skill Harvest has reached level 2.¡±
¡°Sweet!¡± Liam thought as he continued the process with the few plants closest to him. He continued to gather the plants as he slowly moved closer to the tree. He was able to gather several amounts of both plants until he felt something ominous looming above him. ¡°Above you!¡± A faint voice whispered in his mind. Liam quickly looked up to see a thick branch begin to swing down on him. He swiftly dodged out of the way as the branch crashed down. ¡°What the hell!?¡± Liam shouted. He stared at the tree creature until a screen appeared as it turned to reveal an ugly wicked scowl and glowing violet eyes.
¡°Withered Treant. 150/150 HP. 80/80 MP.¡±
Liam watched as it brought the branch up from the ground and then realized that branch was its arm. A second thick branch moved to its other side forming into another arm. The ends of the two thick branches made a breaking noise as three fingers formed from the broken pieces. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°A Treant?!¡± Liam yelled. ¡°What the hell! I thought only skeletons and zombies were on this floor?¡± He relaxed a little bit as he noticed it was rooted to the ground. ¡°At least its stuck to the ground.¡± It let out a husky roar causing Liam to cover his ears. Liam then watched as it pushed down with its makeshift hands. This caused Liam to involuntarily take a step back. As he did this, he felt something grip his left ankle. He looked down to see a rotted hand holding it. The arm of the hand had emerged from the ground. He grunted as he jerked his ankle free from the hand. He then looked at the Treant and saw four bulky roots rip out from the soil it was in and formed legs. A cold shiver ran down Liam¡¯s spine as he softly whispered, ¡°Mistakes were made.¡± He then saw several boney and rotten hands pop out around the creature. The hands then grabbed the soil and pulled their main bodies out. ¡°Mistakes were definitely made,¡± Liam repeated as he turned around and bolted away. Avery, Mercer and Artem stared at the direction Liam had gone. ¡°He¡¯s sure taking his time,¡± Roman said as he picked up a rock and skipped it across the dirt hitting a gravestone. ¡°Maybe he found a treasure?¡± Mercer suggested. ¡°Or maybe he got caught by a pack of monsters,¡± Roman countered. A roar suddenly echoed in the air causing them to look at the direction it came from. Ariyana glared at Roman. ¡°What?¡± Roman asked defensively. ¡°You had to jinx it didn¡¯t you?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°There he is,¡± Artem pointed as they saw Liam running towards them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Avery called out. ¡°Mistakes were made!¡± Liam yelled back as a small pack of skeletons and zombies were chasing him. ¡°It¡¯s just skel¡­,¡± Roman started to say until a withered evil looking tree emerged from the fog behind the pack. Ariyana glared at him again. ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Artem shouted. ¡°Trouble!¡± Liam replied as he approached them. ¡°Retreat to the portal!¡± Avery ordered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice!¡± Artem complied as they started running down the path back towards the portal. After running as fast as he could and ahead of the group Liam saw the portal appear near the gate. As they got closer, he noticed something weird. The portal started to fizzle out and grow smaller. ¡°Crap!¡± Liam started as ran faster. ¡°It¡¯s disappearing. Everyone hurry up!¡± He turned to see the others were slowly falling behind. Avery, and Roman were close behind with Ariyana and Mercer behind them. However, Artem and Blair were a few feet behind and losing ground from everyone. ¡°Artem! Blair! Pick up the pace!¡± Liam barked. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re trying!¡± Blair growled as she breathed heavily. Liam looked forward and saw the portal grow smaller and smaller the closer they got. Liam tried to calculate their chances of making it. When he realized they weren¡¯t he began to slow down. ¡°Damn it,¡± Liam thought. ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it!¡± ¡°What are you doing!¡± Avery and Roman shouted. Before Liam could answer they saw the portal disappear. They slowed down and came to a stop as the others caught up to them. Artem, breathing heavily, gulped for air as he slowed down and stopped in front of the group. ¡°What did you do?¡± Mercer asked as they ran up to him. ¡°I harvested plants I found,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Harvested plants? Were they that things lovers or something?¡± Blair asked with a bit of angry sarcasm laced in her voice. ¡°Great you pissed off a tree because you stole its girlfriends,¡± Roman said as he threw his arms up. Liam ignored their comments as he looked around. Panic slowly filled his mind as thoughts started to swirl. He knew it was his fault for catching the attention of that creature and luring the undead to him and his group. The portal disappearing on them didn¡¯t help at all. In fact, it only brought more tension to the group. He knew they just needed to calm down, but the situation they were in wouldn¡¯t help calm his mind. Liam suddenly had a thought. He remembered reading in his Calming the Storm book that when your mind is racing during certain situation sometimes you just needed to calm the storm brewing. By Calming the storm of emotions and rampant thoughts you can better assess the situation and could possible form a plan to get you out of a bad one. ¡°Maybe if I try that it might help,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°What else do I have to lose.¡± Liam closed his eyes and took in a deep breath and thought as he released it, ¡°Calm the Storm.¡± The noise around him didn¡¯t disappear. He tried again. ¡°Calm the storm.¡± His thoughts still raced as the arguments of the group were still heard. Liam frowned and took in a deeper breath. He relaxed himself and tried once more as he slowly released the air, he held in. ¡°Calm the Storm.¡± The noise around him faded away as his mind cleared. He and his group appeared in his mind as light blue figures. Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman were shown firing spells while a version of himself and Avery appeared striking their weapons. Another image showed Artem and Blair smacking their shields and swords against unidentifiable figures. As the scenes ran across his mind a plan started to form. Liam snapped his eyes open and looked at the still arguing group. He had a plan, but wasn¡¯t sure if they would follow along with it. No one had claimed leadership and he wasn¡¯t going to assume they would follow, but he also wasn¡¯t going to let them fall apart here at the beginning. With a final decision he readied himself for any resistance. ¡°Let¡¯s focus,¡± Liam stated with a firm calm voice. The others suddenly turned their heads to face him. Mercer and Avery recognized something in Liam¡¯s voice. Blair saw a strange calmness in his eyes and stopped any retort she was going to say. ¡°We can¡¯t leave, and it looks like the information we got was wrong,¡± Liam started. ¡°We need to take care of the monsters before us before we can leave. Artem! Blair! Have you guys gotten your stamina back up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m as good as I can get,¡± Blair replied as she rolled her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m good now,¡± Artem answered as he walked up next to Blair. ¡°Ok,¡± Liam started as he looked at the others. ¡°Ariyana, Mercer, Roman¡­Launch as many offensive magic abilities you can. Focus on the ones in the front. When they get about ten yards away focus your attacks on the ones behind them. Rinse and repeat. When all the skeletons and zombies have past that ten-yard line focus on the Withered Treant.¡± He looked at Avery and said, ¡°Avery, you and I will attack the ones that get pass the ten yard line.¡± He glanced at Artem and Blair and instructed, ¡°Artem and Blair, try to aggro the ones Avery and I aren¡¯t attacking. If any get passed us that you don¡¯t have, try and get their attention so they don¡¯t go after Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman.¡± Avery nodded. Blair and Artem looked at each other. Artem let out a breath as he stated, ¡°This is going to suck, but screw it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Blair replied as she brought her buckler up and gripped her sword. ¡°Got it,¡± Ariyana and Mercer replied. ¡°Wait.¡± Roman argued as he stared at him. ¡°Why do we have to follow your orders?¡± ¡°Do you have any better ideas?¡± Liam challenged. ¡°If you do, I¡¯m all ears.¡± After a moment of not saying anything, Roman clasped his hands together and stretched till they popped. He then bounced a couple of times on his feet while shaking his hands loose. ¡°I don¡¯t. I was just asking.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Use your head on when to use potions. Try to get away when drinking them. You don¡¯t want to get attacked while replenishing your reserves. Let¡¯s do this people. This is a test on our teamwork. Something like this can make or break a group. Let¡¯s prove we can¡¯t be broken.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± the others shouted as they watched the first group of monsters appear from the fog. It was four skeletons. Their bones clattered as they slowly ran towards them. ¡°Avery,¡± Liam started. Avery turned to him. ¡°Use your judgement. If you think you can use any offensive magic attacks then go ahead, but if you¡¯re not in a good spot then don¡¯t. Our goal is to whittle down the small fry before taking down that Withered Treant.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Avery nodded as she pulled her rapier out of its sheath. ¡°On my mark! Ready!¡± Liam shouted as he gauged the skeleton¡¯s distance. Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman pulled out plain wooden wands and pointed them at the skeletons. When Liam felt the timing was right, he yelled. ¡°Now!¡± ¡°Oh, mystic and wonderous arcana,¡± Ariyana, Mercer and Roman began to chant as a violet ball the size of billiard ball appeared and swirled in front of the wands. ¡°We employ you to appear before us and shape into a bead of destruction. Fly fast, fly true. Shoot forth, Arcane shot!¡± The small spherical masses suddenly shot forth and clashed into three of the skeletons. ¡°Again! Make sure you each rotate to compensate for that forth skeleton. Mercer, Ariyana, then Roman in that order!¡± Liam instructed. ¡°Got it!¡± the three shouted as they began to chant again. They were able to shoot the spells three more times before the skeletons arrived at the line. Two zombies and a skeleton suddenly appeared from the fog not too far from the first group. ¡°Switch it up!¡± Liam order. ¡°Avery let¡¯s¡­¡± Before Liam could finish Avery was already rushing to the skeleton on the edge of the right side. ¡°Well then I better get to work too,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he gripped his crude dagger and ran towards the skeleton on the left. As he approached the skeleton he struck down and missed. ¡°God damn checks and balances,¡± Liam muttered as he continued to strike as many times as he could. After his third strike, he jumped to the right to dodge a slash the skeleton made with its bare hands. After the skeleton missed, Liam jumped back in and slashed five more times. He landed three successful hits, but still missed twice. The skeleton swung its left arm in a back hand motion catching Liam off guard across his cheek. Liam took a step back from the strike, but swiftly regained his balance. He took two more steps back and assessed the skeleton.
¡°Graveyard Skeleton. 8/75 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°A few more hits should do it,¡± Liam thought as he rushed behind it and slashed down then back up. The skeleton stopped moving and then crumpled to the ground. He turned around to see Artem shoulder chuck a skeleton with his buckler. Blair blocked a slash from another skeleton as Avery appeared behind it. With quick motions she slashed the creature three times. Liam assessed the two skeletons.
¡°Graveyard Skeleton. 25/75 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Graveyard Skeleton. 6/75 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
He looked at the two zombies and the skeleton in the second group that was slowly approaching them and assessed them too.
¡°Rotten Zombie. 30/90 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Rotten Zombie. 39/90 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Graveyard Skeleton. 19/75 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
Liam peered into the fog behind that group to see that no more skeletons or zombies were coming. After confirming he shouted, ¡°Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman. Focus on the zombie in the middle. After it drops then finish off the skeleton in that group.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Mercer and Roman called out. Ariyana nodded. ¡°Blair, you and Avery finish that skeleton then take care of the other zombie!¡± Liam relayed. Blair grunted as she blocked another attack. ¡°I¡¯m coming Artem,¡± Liam yelled as he rushed over and swung his crude dagger down. The trajectory missed as it went to the right and hit air. He tried again but missed again. He tried a third time and missed again. ¡°Are you going to hit it any time soon?¡± Artem commented. ¡°I¡¯m trying to!¡± Liam replied as two attacks finally landed. The skeleton tried to turn around but stopped as Artem let out a roar causing the creature to focus its attention on him again. ¡°Was that a taunt?¡± Liam questioned, confused by what had happened. ¡°Less talking, more stabbing please,¡± Artem replied as he blocked a strike with his buckler. Liam was taken back by Artem¡¯s comment. He quickly regained his focus as he continued to slash at the boned figure before him. After five more successful strikes the skeleton finally crumpled down. Liam turned to Avery as the zombie she was attacking died. All the skeletons and zombies were dead. Everyone was breathing heavily as they looked around. Nothing stirred. Silence filled the air. ¡°Is that it?¡± Roman asked between breathes. A vile husky screech echoed out towards them as the sound of wood creaking came their way. A tall shadowy figure appeared revealing the Withered Treant. Ariyana slowly turned to Roman and said with a mix of irritation and frustration, ¡°After this is done. You and I are gonna have a talk about jinxing things.¡± Roman let out a long groan. ¡°You¡¯re right. My bad.¡± Tutorial 14 - I think you need a Refund for that. Liam stared at the Withered Treant as it made itself known. A small feeling of dread prickled his skin. He shook his head to snap out of the negative emotions trying to grasp his mind. Liam looked around to see if any other monsters were approaching them. After confirming that the only thing making its way to them was the Nasty looking tree, Liam yelled out, ¡°Ariyana, Mercer, Roman drink a mana potion to replenish your lost MP. When that thing gets into your spell range start pelting it.¡± ¡°On it,¡± Mercer said as they pulled out a blue vial and drank it. The three blanched at the taste of the liquid running down their throats. Liam then looked at the others. ¡°Artem, Avery, Blair take a Health potion. Artem and Blair, when it gets a respectful distance charge in and take turns drawing its aggro.¡± ¡°Aggro?¡± Blair questioned as Artem pulled out a green vial and drank it. He too didn¡¯t look like the taste sat well with him. ¡°Aggression. Get it angry and focused on you. However, try to split the damage you take by rotating that aggro amongst yourselves,¡± ¡°Avery, you and I are going to join the others with the spells. When Artem and Blair have drawn enough of its ire on them we¡¯ll rush in. Albeit, I don¡¯t know what kind of attacks or magic it can use so we¡¯ll have to use our judgement,¡± Liam instructed. Avery nodded as she stared at the Withered Treant slowly making its way towards them. Liam tried to think if he had any knowledge on a Treant from any video games he played in the past. Nothing came to mind. He remembered games that had friendly tree creatures, or that one annoying wiggling one that was, for some reason, a rock type. It made no sense to him either. After confirming he had no knowledge of the creature, he went with what he saw and his intuition. ¡°It may look slow, but what it lacks in speed it could make up for in power or defense. It¡¯s got a health pool of one hundred and fifty. It also has a mana pool of eighty. If it looks like it¡¯s going to use any magic call it out. Got it?!¡± Liam ordered. Mercer, Avery, Blair, and Roman gave him a questionable look before responding with the others, ¡°Got it!¡± They watched as the creature stabbed the ground beneath it with the tip of the roots with each step it took. With each stab the ground gave a slight shake. The sound of wood creaking almost to the point of breaking whispered in the air as the roots came back up to move forward. ¡°Almost,¡± Liam muttered as he watched the Withered Treant get closer and closer. He readied his crude dagger and pointed at it. Once when it got close enough, he, Avery, Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman began to chant, ¡°Oh, mystic and wonderous Arcana. We employ you to appear before us and shape into a bead of destruction. Fly fast and fly true. Shoot forth, Arcane shot!¡± Four violet colored billiard sized balls shot quickly and slammed against the Treant. One grazed past the side of its right arm and collided against a gravestone. Damn it! Liam thought. I should have practiced my Arcane Shot a little more. He then assessed the creature.
¡°Withered Treant. 130/150 HP. 80/80 MP.¡±
¡°Only twenty health was taken away?¡± Liam thought as annoyance grew inside of him. He shook his head as he instructed, ¡°Again!¡± They chanted their spell and shot the attack towards the creature once more. Liam¡¯s spell hit this time while Avery¡¯s missed. His three magical companions struck true once more causing the Treant to give a scowl in their direction. His attention was on one of the three. The creature pointed a splintered finger in their direction and shot a thin small twig at them. The speed of the attack was too fast for them to react in time causing the objects to puncture a spot on their bodies. One of the twigs hit Mercer on his right thigh, another hit Aryana¡¯s right bicep, while the last pierced Roman¡¯s right shoulder blade. ¡°Ah!¡± Ariyana screamed. ¡°God damn that hurts!¡± Roman shouted. As they pulled the twigs out Mercer yelled out, ¡°That attack caused a debuff to spell damage.¡± ¡°Tch,¡± Liam clicked. ¡°Does it state how long the debuff lasts?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a thirty second debuff,¡± Roman responded. ¡°That¡¯s not great, but it¡¯s not too bad,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Not much we can do right now. Keep firing your spells! Defenders, try to block those attacks if you can see them coming.¡± The four complied as they chanted again and shot their spells. This time all five attacks slammed into the creature causing it to stop its progress. It then let out a high pitch shrill causing everyone to place their hands over their ears. After the sound died down Liam assessed the Treant again.
¡°Withered Treant. 100/150 HP. 50/80 MP.¡±
Liam thought back to his knowledge on video game bosses and mini bosses. They tended to act differently than normal mobs. Usually when something like this happens the creatures did an Area of Effect attack, debuff, or something close it. ¡°What was that about?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°Anyone got a new debuff?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°No,¡± Avery and Artem said. ¡°Just this annoying Sap Splinter Debuff,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just scared and is going to run awa¡­,¡± Roman started to say until two skeletons and two zombies began to crawl out of the dirt from a couple of tombstones behind the Treant. Ariyana gave Roman a withering glare. She was about to belittle him, but Roman beat her to it by shouting out in frustrating, ¡°I get it! I won¡¯t say anything anymore!¡± ¡°Crap!¡± Liam cursed. He thought over the best plan of attack since new creatures were now added to the mix. There were two defenders, three magical wielders, and two melee damage dealers. The only strategy that came to mind was to split the defenders and the attackers to deal with the monsters while keeping the Treant distracted. Coming to a decision he ordered, ¡°Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman take cover behind a tree by you and then focus down one of the skeletons then move to the next.¡± Liam turned to Avery and said, ¡°Avery, you and I will take on a zombie. Blair, try to get the attention of the ones not being attacked.¡± ¡°What am I going to do?¡± Artem asked with a dreadful feeling starting to rise. ¡°Get that Treant¡¯s attention for as long as you can,¡± Liam instructed as the three mages reached a tree and started their spells. Liam and Avery rushed towards the closest Rotten Zombie. ¡°Uh, can I switch with Blair?¡± Artem gulped looking a bit unsure about facing the creature. ¡°No, we need you to do this. You¡¯re the only one close to it,¡± Liam responded and as he started attacking the zombie. Artem hesitated. His body twitched as he tried to figure out what to do. After a few moments he let out an irritated outburst and rushed towards the Treant. When he arrived, he stomped a foot down make a small ripple and let out a battle shout causing the creature to turn its gaze on him. The Treant lifted one of its arms and hammered down at him. ¡°Ah crap,¡± Artem groaned as he brought his buckler up to block the attack. The force of the impact caused the ground to shift down a bit and pain to rattle in Artem¡¯s arms. ¡°Good job!¡± Liam called out as he and Avery took down their target. They bolted over to the next zombie that went to strike at Blair¡¯s side. As the creature¡¯s hand was about to hit, Avery swung her rapier up to counter the strike. Blair glanced over and gave a grunt of appreciation as she turned back to the skeleton and watched violet-colored balls destroy the creature. With all four of the weaker creatures done, they turned they gaze back towards Artem and the Treant. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Liam assessed the situation again. Things looked like they were going well. They were able to bypass a point that usually took teams down. The accursed random mob attacks during boss battles. Many times, in MMORPGs, newly formed teams fall to not being able to handle these situations. ¡°The debuff is gone. Our spell damage is back to full power!¡± Mercer informed. Liam looked at each of the members and decided it was a good time to replenish their reserves before going back in. ¡°Down another Mana potion and restart the volley!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Take cover when it tries to debuff you again.¡± He then looked at Blair and said, ¡°Switch with Artem. When you¡¯ve taken some damage let him know so he can switch back.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Blair acknowledged as she rushed off. ¡°Avery, let¡¯s each take a side and try to whittle it down the best we can,¡± Liam added. Avery nodded as she ran to the right side of the creature dodging a spell that whizzed by her face. ¡°Sorry!¡± Mercer shouted. Avery shrugged it off, planted her foot down, changed her direction and lunged forward with a flurry of strikes. Liam ran to the left side, jumped, and slashed down at the side of the trunk. He switched between stabbing and slashing earning him more successful hits than misses. After volleys of attacks hit the Treant it let out another high pitch shrill causing everyone to stop what they were doing to cover their ears. Another group of two skeletons and zombies unearthed themselves and started for the group. ¡°Again?!¡± Avery shout with disbelief and frustration. Confident in being able to do what they did before, Liam stated, ¡°Repeat what we did earlier!¡± He looked at Artem and Blair and added, ¡°Artem you¡¯re tanking the creatures we¡¯re not attacking this time. Blair, can you handle the Treant for now?¡± Blair blanched as she finished drinking a health potion. ¡°Yeah, I got this.¡± ¡°Okay let¡¯s go!¡± Liam shouted as they rushed for the incoming mob. Like last time, Liam and the group were able to take down the additional monsters with ease. Liam was impressed with how they were handling the situations being thrown at them. He felt like things were going well. As he thought that he shook his head and muttered to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t relax yet. Usually when things go well something always tends to¡­¡± As Liam was saying this the Treant swung its thick left arm at Blair¡¯s side. Everyone was slow to react to the attack as it got closer to Blair who didn¡¯t see it coming. Before Liam could shout, Artem swiftly charged faster than he was moving before, lifted his buckler while lowering his head down, and shoulder chucked the arm. Blair saw what was going on and got ready to help cushion the blow until a loud cracking sound echoed. Artem¡¯s buckler exploded into pieces as the thick arm crashed into him causing him to fly backwards, land and slid across the ground on his back. Blair was able to handle the rest of the arm¡¯s momentum, but it still slid her backwards a bit. ¡°Artem!¡± Ariyana shouted. ¡°I fucking knew it! Me and my god damn mouth,¡± Liam chastised himself. The others turned their heads in his direction to see him slowly get back up. Artem pulled out a green vial, popped it open and grimaced as he took the contents down in a single gulp. He looked at them and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s take him down,¡± Liam nodded as he said, ¡°Join us in attacking then. Blair! Sorry, but you¡¯re going to be getting hit a lot.¡± ¡°Had already planned to,¡± Blair grunted before letting out a battle cry. Artem ran behind the creature and began to slash with his sword while the others unleashed attack after attack. After a few strikes Liam noticed the roots begin to act funny. Trusting his gut he shouted, ¡°Melee back off!¡± Artem, Avery, Blair and he jumped back right as the roots spun around in a sweeping motion. ¡°What¡¯s happening now?¡± Roman asked. Before anyone could say anything the Treant lifted its hands up and started shaking while the roots plunged into the dirt. The four roots then surfaced and dug again reaching out farther and farther with every surface and dive. To Liam it looked like water snakes with a long body. He then saw as one of the roots surfaced in front of a tree close to him. The root wrapped around it and gripped tightly. Liam looked at the root behind the creature and the one on the other side and noticed it was doing the same thing. He assessed the Treant and noticed what was going on.
¡°Withered Treant. 43/150 HP. 35/80 MP.¡± ¡°Withered Treant. 44/150 HP. 35/80 MP.¡± ¡°Withered Treant. 45/150 HP. 36/80 MP.¡±
¡°It¡¯s sapping the life out of those trees to heal itself!¡± Liam shouted. Ariyana let out a scream causing Liam to see one of the roots slithering its way towards the tree she was behind. Liam noticed something different. It couldn¡¯t break the ground in that direction. A thought popped up in his mind. ¡°Attack the roots!¡± Liam shouted as he rushed to the closest one. ¡°It¡¯s trying to heal itself from the trees. If we cut off its source, it won¡¯t be able to do it!¡± The other nodded as they turned their focus and attacks on the closest root to them. Liam hacked and slashed as fast and hard as he could. He noticed bits and pieces of the root falling off with each successful hit. After several more attempts the root snapped in half. The other roots did the same shortly after causing the Treant to let one final shriek before slumping over and losing all color in its eyes. Liam felt all the tension in his body drain as he fell back and sprawled on the ground, panting. He gulped as much air as he could while sweat poured down his head. He pulled his goggles off his head and kept them in his grip. ¡°What¡­the¡­hell,¡± Artem said as he was hunched over with his hands on his knees. ¡°I thought¡­you said¡­only¡­skeletons and¡­zombies,¡± Blair commented as she rested on her knees with her head facing down and her buckler holding her up. ¡°That¡¯s what¡­I was¡­going to¡­say,¡± Avery agreed. Mercer stood with his back against the tree he took cover at. As he panted, he replied, "That¡¯s what¡­I got¡­for info.¡± ¡°I think¡­you need¡­a refund¡­back,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I agree,¡± Ariyana said as she fanned herself while sitting on her behind and looked at the others. Liam felt his heart start to slow down and his breathing evening out. He took one more long breath and released it. As he released it, he let out a chuckle. The others looked at him with concern. ¡°We did it!¡± Liam laughed as he raised a fist to the air. ¡°We overcame that!¡± The others looked at each other before letting out a small laugh themselves. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Aryana said. ¡°Good job guys,¡± Avery slow clapped as she stood. ¡°Good job to Artem for the bull rush he did to shield Blair!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°What skill was that? I didn¡¯t think you could move that fast.¡± Artem looked sheepish as he placed a hand behind his head and rubbed it. ¡°It¡¯s actually called Rush. For a certain distance I can build momentum by running a bit faster than usual and rush into enemies.¡± ¡°You used a bulldoze move to counter a heavy strike?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s some thinking on your part.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you had it in you,¡± Blair commented as she looked at him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really thinking. I just¡­reacted,¡± Artem replied as he looked down. ¡°Either way,¡± Blair started before giving a slight smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Speaking of thinking,¡± Mercer began. ¡°Good job with those easy and quick instructions Liam.¡± ¡°Yeah, were you a commander or something in your old world?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Nah,¡± Liam said as he stood up. ¡°Then how were you able to come up with a strategy like that?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°Video games. Specifically,¡± Liam placed his hands on his hip in a pose-like stance. ¡°MMORPGs.¡± The others stared at him in silence for what felt like a long minute. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± Avery stated breaking the awkward silence. ¡°I don¡¯t think the others do too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Liam replied as sounds of a bell chime echoed several times in his mind. ¡°Oh, looks like some things leveled up.¡± The others looked like they were staring at something as well when notification messages appeared in front of Liam.
¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex has reached level 6.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 7.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 8.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 9.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Endurance Sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 9.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Strength Sub-stat Power has reached level 9.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Strength Sub-stat Body Strength has reached level 4.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Strength Sub-stat Body Strength has reached level 5.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence Sub-stat Perception has reached level 11.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence Sub-stat Perception has reached level 12.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence Sub-stat Perception has reached level 13.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Magic Practicality has reached level 6.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Magic Practicality has reached level 7.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Physical Practicality has reached level 2.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Physical Practicality has reached level 3.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Physical Practicality has reached level 4.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Luck Sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 7.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Luck Sub-stat Lucky Soul has reached level 9.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Will Sub-stat Will Power has reached level 10. It is now 2.5% harder to shake your determination when faced with a difficult obstacle.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Class Ability Harvest has reached level 4!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Class Ability Item Understandance has reached level 2!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Class Ability Item Understandance has reached level 3!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Class Ability Item Understandance has reached level 4!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gathering Craft Herbalism has reached level 2!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gathering Craft Herbalism has reached level 3!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gathering Craft Herbalism has reached level 4!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon skills ¨C Daggers has reached level 3!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon skills ¨C Daggers has reached level 4!¡±
Liam let out a short whistle. ¡°Those are some level ups.¡± ¡°Sweet! I gained a personal level and a half along with some stat level ups,¡± Ariyana squealed with excitement. ¡°I got my Magic Practicality and my Knowledge Theory Exordium Arcanum up to level ten. Now I can start on my Field of the Charmed class magic when we get back.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Mercer said with a smile. ¡°Field of the Bard can now be explored.¡± ¡°I can start my Field of the Elements now as well,¡± Roman chimed in. ¡°Congrats guys,¡± Blair said to them as she was looked at her gains. Liam looked back at his notifications and noticed he didn¡¯t receive a personal level up. He then thought to himself, Why didn¡¯t I get a level in that, but the others did? He pulled up his personal Character Sheet and tried to find where the experience or progression for the next level, but couldn¡¯t find one. What the hell? Where is my exp or progression bar? Do I not have one? Liam thought as he started to worry. Is this because of what¡¯s going on with my stuff? I really need to figure out what¡¯s going there. He walked towards the Withered Treant and said, ¡°Let¡¯s loot these guys before they disappear.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± Mercer agreed as he rubbed his hands together and touched the pile of bones next to him. After a second, he frowned. He touched the bones again. His frown deepened as he muttered, ¡°Why isn¡¯t it working?¡± ¡°What¡¯s not working?¡± Liam asked as he stopped and looked at him. ¡°These skeletons can¡¯t be looted,¡± Mercer replied. Tutorial 15 - That wasnt the Boss. Liam was thoroughly confused by what Mercer said. As he walked towards him, he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°These zombies can¡¯t be looted either,¡± Blair called out as she kicked the creature. ¡°What?¡± Liam inquired as he looked at her too. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Avery replied as she poked another zombie with a broken stick. Not sure what was going on Liam pulled his goggles over his eyes and said while he assessed one of the zombies, ¡°Hold on. Let me see something.¡±
¡°Rotten Zombie. 0/90 HP. 0/0 MP. No loot available. No crafting materials available.¡±
¡°Hm¡­that¡¯s new,¡± Liam muttered before assessing one of the skeletons. ¡°What¡¯s new?¡± Mercer asked as he eyed Liam.
¡°Graveyard Skeleton. 0/75 HP. 0/0 MP. No loot available. Crafting materials available.¡±
Liam looked at the Withered Treant and assessed it as well.
¡°Withered Treant. 0/150 HP. 0/80 MP. Loot available. Crafting material available.¡±
¡°The small mobs have no loot, but the Withered Treant does have loot,¡± Liam stated as he pointed to the zombie then to the skeleton then ended on the Withered Treant. ¡°Also a few of the bones from the skeletons can be used for crafting. The Treant has some materials too.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Mercer asked. He gave Liam a curious yet skeptical look. ¡°Now that we have a moment, how did you know the HP and MP of that monster?¡± Roman asked as he walked up to Liam. ¡°I don¡¯t know what level your guys¡¯ Perception Sub-stat is at, but mine is at level thirteen. At level ten it allows you to see the HP and MP of the creatures you are assessing. As for knowing if they have loot or not, I¡¯m not sure.¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°Best guess is one of my class abilities.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Mercer said as he brought his hand to his chin. ¡°Mines almost at level ten. So, there are perks for getting each sub-stats to certain levels. That really is interesting and good to know.¡± Liam pulled his goggles to his forehead. He gave another shrug and stated, ¡°I guess so. Go ahead and loot the Withered Treant. I¡¯m going to harvest the skeletons for the crafting materials.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mercer questioned as he stared at Liam. Liam nodded as he said, ¡°You have more knowledge about items thanks to that ability of yours, I trust you to distribute it fairly.¡± He then looked at the others and added, ¡°Do you guys agree?¡± ¡°No problems here.¡± Aryana smiled. ¡°Fine by me,¡± Blair said. ¡°I agree with Liam,¡± Artem replied. Avery gave a nod. Roman nodded before saying, ¡°But you better be fair.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mercer smiled as he gave a nod and walked over to the creature. Liam turned to the pile of bones closest to him then said, ¡°Harvest.¡±
¡°3 splintered bones have been sent to your inventory. Moss of the Shallow Grave has been sent to your inventory.¡±
He did this with the rest of the skeletons and got roughly the same amount from them. Liam was liking the fact that he had an ability that could harvest. He wouldn¡¯t know where or even to harvest things if it wasn¡¯t for this ability. Harvest for the win! After he was done, he walked over to the group to see them staring at something Artem was holding. It was a shield. The shield looked like a kite shield from the shape. It had a point at the top that curved a bit to the sides and then curved out for a triangle tip on the bottom with dark grey branches outlining the edge of it. The material of the object looked sturdier than his crude buckler. A glowing violet orb sat in the middle of the shield. Liam assessed it and was shocked from what he saw.
¡°Wither Tree Kite Shield. Item Type ¨C Shield (Growth) Item Rarity - Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 8. Abilities ¨C 1. Splinter Spike. Description ¨C Splinter Spikes form on the shield. When bashed into an enemy, target will receive a 30 second 5% debuff to physical damage or magical damage depending on the target. 2. ??????? 3.???????¡±
¡°A growth item? Damn, that¡¯s amazing,¡± Liam stated as he approached them. Liam remembered reading about growth items in a few of his favorite Mangas. They had the capabilities of growing with the person who obtained them. Some required to fight certain monsters, others required materials. Either way, growth items were amazing. Everyone turned to look at him. ¡°Thanks,¡± Artem said as he smiled at it. ¡°We figured since his buckler broke, he could have it. Not only that, but it¡¯s too big for Blair,¡± Avery said as she gave the item an appraising look. ¡°I think he deserved it, so I¡¯m not upset about it,¡± Blair commented as she nodded her head. ¡°Was that all it dropped?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Equipment wise? Yes. It also dropped some coins which I¡¯m currently dividing up right now, as well as a couple of mana potions which we gave to Roman and Aryana,¡± Mercer said as he handed Liam a small cloth bag. ¡°Here¡¯s your portion. It¡¯s seventy-five copper coins, and ninety-five iron coins.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam said as he placed the small bag into his inventory. ¡°If all the loot has been retrieved from it, do you mind if I harvest the creature for crafting materials?¡± ¡°Go ahead. You should be fine,¡± Mercer said as he passed another bag to Avery. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Liam walked over to the Hunched over tree. He placed a hand over it, closed his eyes, and said, ¡°Harvest.¡± A light green glow outlined the creature. After a few seconds passed the Treant dissolved and disappeared.
¡°You have received 4 small Poor Wither Bark logs. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality - Crude.¡± ¡°You have received Orb of the Withered ¨C Unfilled. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality - Minor.¡± ¡°You have received Oak seed. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality - Crude.¡± ¡°All items have been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have obtained Gathering Craft Lumberjack.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gathering Craft Lumberjack has reached level 1. Progression to next level: 0%.¡±
¡°That was cool,¡± Roman said as he stared wide eyed. ¡°I agree,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°That was your class skill?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam answered as he looked at them. ¡°It¡¯s called Harvest. It makes harvesting easier and I can identify crafting materials easier too. Unfortunately, I can only harvest one target at a time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still a handy ability to have,¡± Mercer said as twinkle formed in the corner of his eye. ¡°If you¡¯re think of ways to exploit my ability I¡¯m going to have to pass right now,¡± Liam quickly stated as he saw it. ¡°I receive less materials than I would if I gathered the items in a normal way thanks to the checks and balances.¡± Mercer frowned. ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± ¡°Um, hey guys¡­,¡± Aryana started. ¡°The portal hasn¡¯t come back yet even though we defeated the boss.¡± The others looked at her then the spot where the portal once was. Liam turned to Mercer who started, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any cases like this happening. I even specifically asked if this could happen. Someone did say that if it did happen then it would reappear after beating the boss. So, if it hasn¡¯t arrived yet¡­¡± Comprehension dawn as Liam finished, ¡°That wasn¡¯t the boss.¡± Mercer shook his head. ¡°No. That was probably the E.F.M.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding right?¡± Artem gaped. ¡°No,¡± Mercer shook his head. ¡°If that wasn¡¯t the boss then we¡¯re in over our heads. That thing was horribly strong for people at our levels,¡± Ariyana said. Liam agreed with Ariyana¡¯s statement. Things might have seemed like they were going smoothly at the beginning, but towards the end things got a little sloppy. Especially the strike that broke Artem¡¯s buckler. That creature shouldn¡¯t have had the power to destroy it. ¡°I agree,¡± Blair said. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t sit right with this. How many people did you talk to that entered this dungeon?¡± ¡°I talked to four groups. Originally it was seven, but three didn¡¯t want to share any information with me,¡± Mercer replied. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to go forward with the expectations that not everything was given to you correctly,¡± Liam commented. ¡°Why are you acting like everything is fine?¡± Ariyana asked sounding a bit exasperated. ¡°How can you guys be so calm?¡± Liam, Blair, and Mercer gave her a calm and collected look. They were about to say something until Avery popped in. ¡°It¡¯s because of what¡¯s going on that we have to remain calm cool and collected,¡± Avery started softly. ¡°If we lose our cool then someone will get hurt.¡± Ariyana searched Avery¡¯s eyes. After staring into them she closed her eyes, took in a long breath, and slowly released it. She opened her eyes and regained her composure and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know what came over me, but you¡¯re right.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°So,¡± Ariyana began. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°That part is simple,¡± Liam replied as the group looked at him. ¡°We find the Floor boss and kill it.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°So, this is the spot where you found the Withered Treant?¡± Avery asked as she looked around. ¡°Yup,¡± Liam responded as he pointed to the torn-up dirt. ¡°It was right there.¡± Mercer, Blair and Roman looked over the spot Liam pointed. The dirt was around the area the Withered Treant once stood looked like someone took a shovel and just dug around. The plants Liam couldn¡¯t grab at the time were all destroyed as well. Liam was a bit upset about that. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s any hints as to which way the boss is,¡± Roman commented as he looked around. ¡°So do we explore this area, or do we go back to the path and try our luck that way?¡± Avery asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± Mercer questioned as he looked at Liam. Liam had his right hand on his chin while the elbow rested on his left hand and thought. He looked around, taking in any details he could. He then saw some dirt in front of a gravestone slowly move an inch up then down. As he rotated his right hand away from his chin he asked, ¡°Would anyone say the direction of the boss would be where there¡¯s no monsters in the path? Or a path of monsters would lead to the boss?¡± ¡°No monsters,¡± Artem quickly said. Ignoring Artem; Mercer, Roman, and Avery said in unison, ¡°Definitely where the monsters are at.¡± ¡°I was thinking the same thing too,¡± Liam smiled. He then gave Artem an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry Artem. The path of growth is where blood needs to be shed.¡± Artem sighed as he replied, ¡°I know. I just don¡¯t want it to be my blood.¡± ¡°Why do you ask? Do you see monsters?¡± Blair asked. ¡°I can see a spot of dirt moving slightly. My guess is there are monsters in that direction.¡± Liam pointed to a patch of dirt. ¡°Well,¡± Roman started as he popped his knuckles. ¡°Let¡¯s kill us some monsters and a boss.¡± He then walked over to the area Liam had pointed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ariyana questioned. Roman turned his head a bit to look at them as he continued to walk. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to lure these weaklings out,¡± he responded sounding confident. Liam continued to stare at the steadily moving dirt. The more he stared at it, different thoughts formed. The way that dirt is moving isn¡¯t the way something trying to get out would move. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Liam?¡± Mercer asked as he noticed a frown slowly started to form on Liam¡¯s face. A feeling he couldn¡¯t describe started to rise up his spine as Liam muttered, ¡°No¡­it looks more like¡­.¡± A notification appeared in front of Liam causing his eyes to widen. ¡°Roman! Wait!¡± Liam shouted. However, his warning came too late. As Roman¡¯s foot touched down, the ground begun to shake, making him fall face first into the grass. A long bony arm with chunks of ripped flesh mixed with wet dirt ejected up into the air and then slammed down. Its rotted fleshy fingers gripped the dirt as another disgusting arm did the same. The landscape Roman fell down on slowly ripped from the earth bringing a massive amount of dirt. grass, gravestones, and Roman with it. A bald smooth skeletal head with glowing crimson orbs for eyes appeared from underneath the dirt, letting out a gargled deep growl. Its upper body pulled the rest of its body out of the ground. Even though it was hunched over, carefully not letting the land mass on its back to tip over, it was as tall as a single story building. Its chest was nothing but a rib cage with chunks of dirt and grass slowly falling between the bones. Rooted vines began to snake outs around inside its chest cavity area, looking like veins. The roots came from the neck, the arms, and the lower torso connecting to a single beating dark purplish red object.
¡°Atlas the Grave Keeper. 200/200 HP. 120/120 MP.¡±
"Roman!" Avery called out. There was no answer. "Did that thing just eat...," Ariyana quivered as tried asking. "I don''t know," Blair stated as she got into a defensive stance. ¡°Liam¡­What is that thing?¡± Aryana questioned as they looked up at the lumbering zombie-skeleton creature. ¡°Atlas the Grave Keeper¡­the Floor boss,¡± Liam gulped. ¡°Oh fuuuuuu,¡± Mercer started to curse, but couldn¡¯t finish as he froze. Atlas stared at them through its makeshift eyes. The orbs moved around the eye sockets taking each person in. ¡°What do we do, Liam?¡± Artem asked as fear started to creep up. ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Because your plan with that Withered Treant worked out well,¡± Artem started. He then waved his arms out and finished, ¡°Can¡¯t you¡­you know. Do it again?¡± Liam gave him a confused look and argued, ¡°That first plan worked due to luck.¡± Without warning it took in a deep breath and released a deep roar as its back swayed a bit. Everyone involuntarily took a step back as the stomach-churning smell from its breath reached their noses. ¡°Luck or not. We need a plan. Like now!¡± Mercer shouted as he saw the monster lift his right arm up while taking a step forward. As its grey rotted foot touched down, the ground waved out like a ripple in the ocean. This caused Artem, Blair, Avery, Liam, Mercer, and Ariyana to almost lose their balance. The arm then swung down over Ariyana. Ariyana let out a scream as she watched frozen in place as it came crashing down on her. As the hand was about to swat her, Artem appeared in front of her and swung his shield in an angle to counter it. The clash made the hand slide off of his shield and hit the dirt next to him and Ariyana. Liam¡¯s mind started to work overtime. What can we do? How can we fight this thing? What is our best approach? Liam thought as he stared at the creature. He serious wasn¡¯t sure what to do. No plans were forming. No hints as to how to take this creature down. As his mind continued to race jumbled thoughts began to overtake his mind. That thing is huge and looks to be stronger than us. Roman''s condition is currently unknown, which leaves us down a person. The situation is bad, how can we deal with it?! ¡°Liam!¡± Avery shouted. ¡°Screw it,¡± Liam swore as he made a makeshift plan. Once when he convinced himself it was the best he could come up with, he shouted, ¡°Ariyana and Mercer, back up far enough to be out of reach and start shooting your spells!¡± He then ordered, ¡°Blair, get its attention! Artem back her up and switch up every minute if you can. If you can¡¯t switch every minute, then do it every thirty seconds!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Blair shouted back. ¡°About time!¡± Artem commented as he ran up to join Blair. Liam looked at Avery. ¡°Avery let¡¯s take it down a peg. Pick a leg and we¡¯ll attack it.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Avery replied as she ran to the left leg. Liam cracked his neck and thought before running up to join Avery, Here goes nothing. Tutorial 16 - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. Liam rushed in and sliced his crude dagger against the inside of its thigh. The dagger easily dug into the flesh releasing some black ichor out of the wound. Liam could feel the tip collide against something hard before coming out. His guess was it was his bone. His face gave a slight grimace at the thought. He went to attack again from above with a downward angle but missed as the dagger struck nothing but air.
¡°Miss.¡±
He tried again once more from another angle.
¡°Miss.¡±
A second time.
¡°Miss.¡±
A third time.
¡°Miss.¡±
The fourth strike hit a bump of flesh Liam noticed starting to form. As the blade opened the bump, a puff of foul air hit him in the face. Liam took a step back, coughing and tearing up from the stench. It smelled like a mix between rotten flesh and sewer water. A notification flashed across Liam¡¯s eyes before disappearing.
¡°You have been hit with Debuff Foul Odor. Disorientation for 5 seconds and 5% chance of vomiting.¡±
¡°Are you okay?!¡± Mercer called out. ¡°Debuff,¡± Liam coughed as he waved a hand around his face. Once when his coughing fit stopped, he assessed Atlas the Grave Keeper.
¡°Atlas the Grave Keeper. 173/200 HP. 120/120 MP.¡±
It doesn''t look like it was a magical type of attack. No MP dropped. Liam thought before calling out, ¡°Watch out for any bumps forming on the body. Try not to attack those spots,¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Artem and Blair responded. Liam watched Artem strike Atlas with his sword and then jumped back to miss an attack coming down on him. Blair swung her sword against the arm that hit the ground as Artem stepped and did the same. Avery let out a smooth side to side motion attack with her rapier. Three strikes successfully hit the outside thigh. Two violet balls of arcane magic crashed against the shoulders causing bits of dirt debris to sprinkle on Blair and Artem. Liam pointed his dagger at Atlas¡¯ head and chanted, ¡°Oh, mystic and wonderous Arcana. I employ you to appear before me and shape into a bead of destruction. Fly fast, fly true, shoot forth, Arcane shot!¡± A small violet colored ball of arcane formed, flew, and slammed against the creature¡¯s chin. Atlas¡¯ glowing crimson orbs flashed brightly as it let out a loud and deafening roar making everyone stop what they were doing to cover their ears. After it stopped, Liam saw it lift its right arm back. ¡°Back away from it!¡± Liam shouted. Artem and Blair jumped and rushed back as far as they could. Liam started to do the same until he saw Avery still attacking. What the hell is that girl doing?! Liam thought before yelling, ¡°Avery! Stop attacking and run!¡± She ignored him. Atlas¡¯ arm then swung in a sweeping motion across the ground. Avery kept attack, not letting up even as the creature¡¯s open hand got closer to her. Right before the palm slammed into her, Avery suddenly jumped up and arched her back as if she was pole vaulting over a bar. However, before she cleared it, the edge of the creature¡¯s hand clipped her feet making her spin midair. Liam rushed over and went to catch her. As she came down spinning fast, she crashed hard into Liam, causing him to fall backwards to his back. A gust of air rushed out of her mouth as she landed stomach first across Liam¡¯s chest. ¡°You okay?¡± Liam asked breathing heavily. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do that,¡± she said sounding irritated. ¡°Don¡¯t need to do a lot of things,¡± Liam smiled as he looked at her. His smile quickly faded as he gripped her shoulders and rolled them both three times away. Avery¡¯s eyes widened as she saw a muddy foot come down where they had laid. A fist followed close behind the attack in their direction. Before it could crush them, Artem appeared with his shield up. The collision made him slide back a bit, but he held firmly. ¡°Ok, enough resting you two,¡± Blair said as she appeared and helped Avery to her feet. ¡°That plan of yours isn¡¯t working,¡± Avery stated as Liam stood up. ¡°Yeah, I noticed,¡± Liam sarcastically stated as he stared at the creature. ¡°If the legs aren¡¯t a weak spot, then what?¡± He asked himself quietly. He kept staring as hard as he could through his goggles. After what felt like forever to Liam, he was finally able to notice something. Two spots on Atlas faintly glowed. One was a small crack on the side of the skull that zigzagged to the back of Atlas¡¯ head. The second one was makeshift disgusting looking heart. The back of the head and the heart? Liam thought. It makes sense that those would be weaknesses. The only question now is how to land attacks on them? Liam tried running through any ideas on how he or anyone on his team could land anything there. The creature stood pretty tall and had its back full of dirt and grass, which basically protected its head. The heart looked like it had its own defense with the bones and those vines. He was completely at a loss at what they could do. ¡°If you¡¯re done taking in the sights, I could use some help here!¡± Artem complained as he shielded another powerful blow. ¡°Quit your bellyaching,¡± Blair commented as she rushed in and slammed her buckler against the creature¡¯s wrist, making the hand move away. ¡°We need to strike the back of the skull and where its heart is at,¡± Liam said. ¡°I think that might do some real damage.¡± ¡°How are we going to get to both?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°Mercer! You and Aryana try attacking the rib cage! We need to try getting to that heart,¡± Liam shouted. Mercer gave him a questionable look, ¡°Alright we¡¯ll try.¡± Liam watched as the spells rushed towards the rib cage. As the violet magic sphere was about to collide, vines entwined into a shield blocking the attack. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What the hell!¡± Ariyana cursed. ¡°We¡¯re going to need a way behind that,¡± Mercer stated with frustration. He then took out a blue vial and knocked it back in one gulp. He then asked with a look of disgust, ¡°What do we do now?¡± Avery noticed something and then pointed towards Atlas¡¯ back where something started to rise. Liam, Mercer, and Ariyana peered and saw something move. The figure came into view as it stood up. It stomped its feet into the dirt planting itself firmly as it placed a hand on one of the gravestones for support. ¡°Roman?¡± Avery said perplexed. A red liquid trickled down the side of Roman¡¯s head. He wore a scowl as he shouted, ¡°How dare you get the drop on me! I¡¯ll show you, whose boss!¡± He then pulled out his wand, pointed it at the back of Atlas¡¯ skull and chanted, ¡°Gather forth, Oh, vast Arcana. When single is ineffective, dive in with numbers! Release the pent-up anger of the mass. Arcane Swarm!¡± A dark violet sphere the size of a coin appeared. With each word from Roman, the coin sized sphere grew larger and larger until it became the size of a beachball. The sphere then started to swirl quickly. After he finished the chant seven-coin sized spheres appeared around the edge of the swirling dark violet beachball. Lines connected with the smaller spheres before streams of arcane power swiftly shot out in different intervals, colliding against the back of the creature¡¯s skull. Atlas let out a painful howl as it straighten its back. Roman gripped the gravestone closest to him with a free hand while digging his feet into the dirt. He gritted his teeth and held firmly while trying to keep his attack going. ¡°Mercer and Aryana! Shoot another Arcane Shot!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°But,¡± Ariyana started to protest. ¡°Just do it!¡± Liam barked. Mercer and Ariyana did as they were told. As attack started to form, vines took form to protect the beating heart. ¡°No!¡± Liam began to think until he saw Blair jumped up and swung her sword down as hard as she could against the vine shield. The sword dug a quarter of the way through the shield and then started to dig through. Blair let out a grunt of frustration. A loud shout suddenly echoed in the air as Artem jumped next to Blair and brought his sword down on top of hers helping it slice through the vines. The force caused the vines to separate and the rib cage to crack. As the vines moved out of the way two spheres collided into the cracked ribs causing the bones to burst and leave the heart exposed. ¡°Damn it!¡± Mercer swore. As Artem and Blair land on their feet they heard someone yell, ¡°Shields up!¡± Without thinking or hesitating, Artem and Blair lifted their shield above their heads horizontally. They then felt weight push against them. The force pushed the shields away for the two defenders to see Liam and Avery jumping in the air with their weapons out stretched. As the tip of Avery¡¯s rapier pierced the heart vines shot out and push against the two daredevils. Avery and Liam flew backwards. Avery felt a dread as the rib cage slowly started to form again. She looked at Liam and was shocked. He had a look of outrage as he was muttering something that sounded a lot like, ¡°Where the hell is the checks and balances with this stupid mother¡­.¡± She then watched him fling his dagger at the direction of the heart, missed the vines and plunged into the heart. Avery started to feel hope form, but then noticed the strike wasn¡¯t enough as she hit the ground back first and slid. After she slowed, she witnessed Liam roll into a crouch and charge again. He pulled out another crude dagger and flung it.
"Miss."
A second flew and snapped one of the vines holding it. Atlas¡¯s right and left arms fell to its sides. A third flew.
"Miss."
A fourth hit and snapped another vine. It¡¯s dropped to its knee. A fifth flew and missed as it clattered around inside its stomach. Avery, confused, stared as Liam threw five more daggers into the hole that was slowly disappearing. As a sixth dagger flew, the group on the ground held their breath as they watched it enter and miss the rib cage that fully regenerated. A vine nicked the handle changing its trajectory up a bit. Everyone¡¯s hearts dropped until the blade turned sideways and sliced the final vine holding the heart firmly. Atlas let out one final roar before falling to its stomach and let out a brownish green stench cloud. Panting heavily with strings of hair dangling in front of his face looking like a mad man, Liam lifted a fist up and shouted, ¡°Yeah! Screw your unfair ass!¡± Then the gas cloud washed over him causing him to have a coughing fit. Once when the cloud disappeared, and everyone was able to breath properly they looked at him then at each other and then let out a laugh. ¡°That was ridiculous,¡± Ariyana started as she continued to laugh. ¡°Screw your unfair a¡­,¡± Blair tried mocking while mimicking Liam¡¯s pose, but then started coughing again from how hard she was laughing. Mercer had one hand across his stomach as he slapped a knee with his other hand. ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah. Laugh it up will ya,¡± Liam said sheepishly as he took his rubber band out of his disheveled hair and fixed it. ¡°You looked ridiculous striking that pose while wearing those goggles!¡± Artem said. ¡°Guys,¡± Roman called out. ¡°Can someone help me? I¡¯m kinda stuck.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m coming,¡± Artem replied as he recomposed himself. ¡°How the hell did you end up, up there Roman?¡± Liam asked trying to shift the attention off of him. As Roman and Artem jumped off of the creature, Roman answered, ¡°When it stood up I fell to my side and hit my head on one of the gravestones. The impact made me disoriented for a while.¡± He rubbed the spot on the side of his head and then looked at his hand. He then looked at Liam. ¡°I heard you say something about the back of its skull, so I decided to try out a new spell I got. Arcane Swarm.¡± ¡°Good job with that,¡± Artem said. ¡°Yeah, it was exactly what we needed,¡± Blair gave a nod with a quick approving smile. ¡°Hey guys!¡± Ariyana called out. ¡°I found two portals. I think they might be the exit portal and the next floor portal.¡± They all looked at her and saw she was standing next to the hole Atlas the Grave Keeper appeared from. They made their way to it and looked down. Inside the hole was a flat surface of stone and dirt with two portals. One sat in front of a pair of stairs while the other sat off to the side. ¡°Before we go, let¡¯s see if we got any level ups and then loot this guy,¡± Mercer suggested.¡± Everyone nodded before turning to their notifications.
¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Constitution Sub-stat Vitality has reached level 3!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Agility has reached level 8!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 6!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex has reached level 7!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 9!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Endurance Sub-stat Body Endurance has reached level 9!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Strength Sub-stat Power has reached level 10! +5% to Attack Damage!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence Sub-stat Perception has reached level 14!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Luck Sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 8!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Will Sub-stat Will Power has reached level 8!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon skills ¨C Throwing Weapons has reached level 2!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon skills ¨C Throwing Weapons has reached level 3!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon skills ¨C Throwing Weapons has reached level 4!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have reached Personal level 3!¡± ¡°You have 8 unused points available in Body, Mind, and Spirit!¡±
Finally! Liam thought as he saw his personal level rose. My sub-stats leveling up is great, but if I don¡¯t personally level up then I¡¯ll fall behind. Liam stared at his available points. He then continued to think, I think I¡¯ll save them for later. I still don¡¯t know where I should put them. He then closed out all his notifications and looked at the others. They each looked away from the ground and then at each other. ¡°Another good haul?¡± Liam asked. ¡°You could say that.¡± Avery smiled. ¡°As good as I can know,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Without comparing stats with someone I can¡¯t really know if it¡¯s good, average, or bad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Blair agreed. ¡°I¡¯d say let¡¯s compare, but I think we¡¯d all agree to getting out of here.¡± ¡°I could use a shower,¡± Ariyana frowned as she fanned herself with a hand. ¡°Same here,¡± Avery said as she closed her armpits. ¡°I could go for some food,¡± Roman added. ¡°I could too,¡± Artem said as he placed a hand on his stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s loot this thing and then go take a bath before grabbing some food then,¡± Liam suggested as he looked to Mercer. Mercer nodded as he walked over to the boss and placed a hand on it. After a moment he stared deeply at something. ¡°What is it?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Anything good?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a helmet,¡± he replied as he turned to them revealing it. It was a helmet fashioned from the top of a skull without a bottom jaw. It had vines falling from behind giving a braided hair-like look. The top jaw portion had four sharp teeth on the edge of the front of it. Liam assessed it.
¡°Helm of The Grave Keeper. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 8. + 2.5% Armor against Undead and tree monsters. Ability ¨C Vine Shell. Description ¨C the vines from the back will form a temporary weak shield to block surprise attacks aimed at blind spots. Cooldown 10 mins.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good ability,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I agree,¡± Mercer nodded as he and Liam unconsciously looked at Blair. Mercer handed the item to her as he said, ¡°Artem got a shield. So, you get this, since it seems like it¡¯s more for a Defender related class.¡± Blair stared at it for a good moment before asking, ¡°Is it clean?¡± Mercer let out a laugh. ¡°It should be. I don¡¯t smell any foul odors nor see anything that says otherwise.¡± Blair hesitated before grabbing it and placing it on her head. It covered the entire top part of her head. The edge, where the teeth were, covered her nose, the top part of her cheeks and ears. It didn¡¯t look like it would protect anything below her nose. It also allowed her mouth to be seen along with some of the bottom portions of her face. The vines that ran to her shoulders looked like it could have been her real hair. The eye holes of the skull were wide enough for the others to see her eyes. ¡°Someone looks like a badass,¡± Aryana complimented. ¡°Yeah? You think so?¡± Blair asked sounding a bit conscious. ¡°Definitely,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°That ability should help you out as well.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Mercer started. ¡°There¡¯s a couple of other items, but they aren¡¯t as important as the equipment. We can look them over after we get out of here. What do you guys say about us leaving.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me twice,¡± Artem said as he turned for the hole. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty exhausted and I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to be sore after I wake up,¡± Ariyana stated as she placed her left hand on her right shoulder before rolling her right arm around. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Liam agreed. Tutorial 17 - I dont trust them Liam covered his mouth as he stepped out from the portal. His stomach threatened to push up any liquids inside as his vision swam causing him to sway a bit as he walked out of the others way. Artem, Roman, and Aryana rushed over to the side, hunched over and released the bile that rose up. Mercer, Avery, and Blair walked out and suddenly placed their hands on their knees. Each of them started making noises as they dry heaved. Luckily for them nothing came out. Liam regained his motor functions and watched as the others regained their bearings. He was about to say something until Ariyana said with a glare, ¡°Not a word.¡± Liam gave a crestfallen look as he whispered to himself, ¡°Upchuck roulette strikes again.¡± He then gave a slight smile as a chime noise dinged. ¡°I can only guess what just dinged.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that smile for?¡± a strict, but curious voice asked. ¡°It¡¯s probably because their first attempt at a dungeon floor as a group went well,¡± a warm and sweet grandma-like voice replied. The group turned to see Adva and Phorge approach them. Liam straightened his posture and said as evenly as he could, ¡°You could say that.¡± Mercer and Blair looked at him. Mercer turned his attention to the two and added, ¡°It was definitely a new experience you could say.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Artem said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting the entrance portal to disappear when it did,¡± Ariyana complained as she dusted herself. Liam closed his eyes, breathed in, and then let out a slow sigh as Ariyana said that. Phorge gave a confused look as he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Artem pointed at the portal with his shield still in his hand and replied, ¡°We tried getting out when this tree monster sent a horde of skeletons and zombies after us, but as we ran to it, it disappeared on us.¡± ¡°A tree monster? In this dungeon? That shouldn¡¯t be right,¡± Adva said with a shocked expression. Phorge stared at the shield and then at Blair¡¯s helmet. He was about to say something, but then Liam stated, ¡°It was tough, but we got through it. I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re tired and hungry so we¡¯re going to go freshen up some.¡± Everyone looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adva started as she gave him a friendly and concerned smile. ¡°You just experience your first group floor together. You must be tired. Please don¡¯t let us hold you back.¡± Liam nodded as he started walking away. The others, confused, followed behind. Mercer and Avery walked a little faster and got on both sides of Liam. ¡°What was that about?¡± Avery asked as quietly as she could while still looking forward. ¡°What was what about?¡± Liam replied with the same volume. ¡°That bit with Adva and Phorge,¡± Mercer filled in. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you guys later,¡± Liam answered as he glanced around. He noticed Nalia off in the distance close to the yellow dungeon portal. A man with slick black hair wearing the Mage tower uniform was talking to her. After he stopped talking, Nalia and the man turned their gaze upon him. This made a chill run down Liam¡¯s spine as the man said something making Nalia nod. Who the hell is that guy? Liam thought. His eyes narrowed before looking back forward. He then said, ¡°For now, just know I don¡¯t trust them.¡± Mercer glanced at him for a brief moment before saying, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll trust your judgement.¡± Liam turned his head slightly to give Mercer a perplexed look. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say I trust you,¡± Mercer responded with a straight face. ¡°I do too,¡± Avery agreed making Liam look at her. ¡°Just fill me in on why you don¡¯t trust them later.¡± Liam faced forward again. After taking a few steps he nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sounds of people talking as they walked around the city filled the air. The light on the giant glow stone hanging on the cavernous ceiling was starting to change color as it began to dim very slowly. ¡°Mmmmm, it feels so good to be back here,¡± Aryana stated as she stretched her arms out behind her and her legs out under the table while sitting in her chair. ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Artem said as he stared at the menu. ¡°I¡¯m so hungry I can eat almost everything on this menu.¡± ¡°I believe it,¡± Roman silently commented. Then shouted as a hand smacked the back of his head, ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you,¡± Blair said as she laid her hand back on the arm rest of her chair. Artem placed his menu down and looked at Liam who was sipping some water from a cup. ¡°Um¡­Liam?¡± Liam looked at him as he sat his cup down. ¡°What¡¯s up Artem?¡± ¡°I wanted to wait for you to bring it up, but I¡¯m curious¡­,¡± Artem started to say. Realizing where he was going with this, Liam asked, ¡°It¡¯s about what happened earlier, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit curious too,¡± Blair inquired while keeping her eyes on him. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Liam let out a sigh as he thought it over. He then looked around his surroundings. He wasn¡¯t sure if talking about it in the open was a good idea. Did they have people under them keeping an eye or ear out listening in on people¡¯s conversations? Were they powerful enough that they even needed people to do that? Ever since the incident with Nalia and receiving the Mental Resilience to Divine Eye, Liam became very cautious of the three. It could just be paranoia, but after living on Earth these past couple of years, you didn¡¯t survive without some amount of it. After not finding any clues to anyone eavesdropping, Liam decided it would be alright to voice his concerns. The others noticed Liam was looking around. Confused by his actions they glanced around as well to see if they could spot anything he was looking for. Even though they didn¡¯t know what it was. As Liam turned to look them each in the eyes, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure if I can trust those three.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°I mean Nalia seems like a witch and Phorge, at first glance, seems up tight, but he has been nothing but helpful. Adva reminds me a lot like my grandmother.¡± ¡°I especially don¡¯t trust Nalia,¡± Liam frowned. ¡°As for Phorge and Adva, I¡¯m not sure on yet. Until I know I can trust them I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not sure if they are just putting on an act or if they are really like that.¡± ¡°Leaving Adva and Phorge aside. We can all agree Nalia is something else,¡± Mercer started. ¡°But tell us why you don¡¯t like her.¡± Liam stared at him. He hadn¡¯t told them what happened between he and Nalia before. He wasn¡¯t sure what their reactions would be, but from how they were talking about the woman; he felt like they would like her even less. With a scowl he replied, ¡°She¡¯s part of the reason why I questioned my starting class. She said I would just bring down any team I get with and will eventually die.¡± ¡°What a bitch,¡± Ariyana scowled. ¡°It definitely fits her character,¡± Avery muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t like her either. She said I¡¯d be nothing but a waste of time.¡± ¡°She told me my worth is being nothing, but a meat shield,¡± Artem lowered his head. Roman winced as he looked at Artem. ¡°I¡¯m sorry man. I really did mean it as a joke.¡± Artem shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re fine. I can tell a joke when it¡¯s said, but the way she looked at me when she said it¡­¡± Artem shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s like she thought I was an insignificant worm.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll we¡¯re just going to have to prove her wrong,¡± Blair suggested. ¡°No,¡± Liam interjected. Everyone turned their attention to him. ¡°She isn¡¯t worth our time. If she wrote us off, then it isn¡¯t worth wasting an ounce of our attention. We should focus on other things instead.¡± Mercer gave an assessing smile as he said, ¡°I agree. What about the other two?¡± Liam gave a shrug. ¡°Not sure. Until I know they can be trusted I wont divulge too much to them.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s change the topic. Instead let¡¯s recap our first adventure as a group,¡± Liam suggested. ¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s go over what we thought and what we think we should do going forward,¡± Mercer chimed in. He then looked at each person at the table before asking, ¡°Who wants to go first?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Artem started. Everyone was shocked when Artem spoke. Feeling their attention, he shrank a bit in his chair. ¡°After we left the dungeon, I¡¯ve come to a decision about something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Avery asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to continue using a sword as a weapon. I want to use a different weapon,¡± Artem answered. ¡°Oh? Why¡¯s that?¡± Liam asked, curious to why he wanted to change. ¡°During our fights it felt difficult trying to swing my sword while holding my shield,¡± Artem started. ¡°Even when my buckler broke and all I had was my sword it just felt¡­wrong.¡± ¡°It could be because you¡¯re not proficient enough with that weapon yet,¡± Roman suggested. ¡°Maybe, but the more I think about it the more I want to try a different weapon,¡± Artem said with some confidence. Blair studied him. ¡°Do you have a weapon in mind?¡± Mercer asked. Artem shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I want to see what weapons there are and see which one suits me better.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll join your search for a new weapon too,¡± Blair joined in with a form of conviction in her voice. Artem looked at her with a stunned look. ¡°You too Blair?¡± Mercer asked with a puzzled look. ¡°Yeah,¡± Blair said firmly. ¡°It felt awkward using both that buckler and sword. I couldn¡¯t time things just right. I know that my starting class uses a shield, but I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m limited to having to use a shield nor the sword. Like Artem said, I want to see what weapons there are. Once when I find one that interests me, I¡¯ll figure out a style around it that still suits my starting class.¡± ¡°Ok, just so we know, who here is going to find a new weapon? Raise your hand.¡± Mercer said with curiosity. Artem, Ariyana, Blair, Roman, and Mercer raised their hand. ¡°I know that I want a new weapon besides my wand. My starting weapon, a crude dagger, is useless to me,¡± Ariyana started. ¡°I don¡¯t know what yet. I think I¡¯ll figure that out once when I get a better understanding of the Field of the Charmed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m different,¡± Roman said proudly. ¡°I know what I¡¯d like to get once when I get my Field of Study. I want a glove type of weapon. I¡¯m good at punching and I want to raise my unarmed combat weapon skill up so I can join the front lines instead of relying on just my magic.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± Mercer agreed. ¡°I want to try a long-range weapon out. Maybe the bow, but I want to see how difficult it will be with my Field of the Bard before finalizing that decision.¡± ¡°Ok, so far we have five people looking at new weapons and working on their magic,¡± Liam said as he turned to Avery. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy with my choice of weapon so far,¡± Avery said as she looked at the table and thought something over. After a nod she continued, ¡°I think I want to get my weapon skill with the Rapier up some so I can do more damage and work towards getting a Field of Study.¡± She then look at Liam and asked, ¡°What are you wanting to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got some things I want to work on as well.¡± Liam lifted a hand up and started listing with each finger, ¡°My daggers, my throwing weapons, my blacksmithing, and my magic.¡± As he placed his hand down, he added, ¡°After those fights I have also figured out what craft I want to look into next.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°What craft is that?¡± Liam gave a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret because what I want to look into, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s possible and I don¡¯t want to raise anyone¡¯s hopes up.¡± Mercer stared at him. As he leaned back into his chair he said with a sly smile, ¡°Alright then, Keep your secrets.¡± Liam felt the urge to make a comment about a small man and a grey robed wizard, but decided to keep his mouth shut. ¡°By the way Liam,¡± Roman jumped in. ¡°That was sick how you kept throwing those crude daggers at the Floor Boss.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Artem shouted as he leaned forward. ¡°You had my heart racing with each throw.¡± Liam waved a hand in front of himself slightly embarrassed. ¡°That was nothing impressive. I missed more than I hit.¡± He remembered how he was just angry at the creature and was frustrated he couldn¡¯t do more. Him throwing those daggers wasn¡¯t even part of any plan. It was a reaction that his body did when he wasn¡¯t thinking about anything but winning. ¡°It¡¯s something to be proud of,¡± Roman interjected. ¡°No one would have thought to do that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Blair stated. ¡°It was innovative and creative.¡± ¡°Not only that, but your quick decisions and instructions really helped make this attempt successful,¡± Ariyana added as she placed a hand on his shoulder and patted it. ¡°I don¡¯t think we would have made it through without you.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°I vote that you are our control tower while this group is together.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± the others said in unison. ¡°I will only agree on two conditions,¡± Liam started while trying to keep a straight face. ¡°One, if anyone has any better ideas or instructions, they voice them. And two, Mercer you keep gather any information you can get. Even if it isn¡¯t accurate, it can still be useful.¡± ¡°Deal,¡± Mercer said. ¡°Alright, then how long do we want to spend out here before our next attempt?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I think we should spend a couple of days on working on what we talked about. After that we can decide on when our next attempt will be?¡± Mercer suggested as he looked at the others. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Roman said with a smirk. ¡°Ok,¡± Avery and Blair nodded with an evened look on their faces. ¡°No objections here,¡± Artem agreed. Ariyana smiled as she said, ¡°That works for me.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re in agreeance,¡± Liam said as he looked around the table. ¡°Yup. Oh, before I forget,¡± Mercer started as he pulled an item out and passed it to Liam. ¡°Here Liam. This is a crafting material item that dropped. Maybe you can do something with it?¡± Liam looked at the item as he grabbed it. It was a dark purplish red crystalized object.
¡°Grave Keeper Heart. Crafting Material. Item rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality - Poor. Crafting Material.¡±
As he placed it in his inventory, Liam said, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll have to find out what I can do with it. Once when I do, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°Much appreciated.¡± Mercer smiled. ¡°Now that, that¡¯s out of the way,¡± Artem started as he waved down a waitress. ¡°Let¡¯s get some food.¡± Liam let out a chuckle as he looked down. He then thought to himself as the smile faded. I¡¯ve got a lot of work ahead of me. He groaned internally. This is going to suck. Tutorial 18 - A Little bit of the Bubbly Liam walked through the town enjoying a mild breeze that gently caressed his face. The Yooperlite stone was almost fully dimmed as he turned down a quiet road full of specialty stores. Most of the stores were starting to close down for the day. Liam approached one of the buildings, taking in all of the details. A light shown through the window revealing an open sign sitting in the corner. A sign with a picture of a beaker with bubbles flowing out of it read, ¡°The Bubbling Potion.¡± Liam took a breath in and slowly let it out before opening the door and walking in. He was amazed by what he saw and smelled. On the wall to the left were two standing shelving unit that stood about halfway up the wall. One had vials of different sizes and colors. A sign hung above it of the shelves saying, ¡°Weak and Minor Hp, MP, Stam Assortments.¡± The other standing shelving unit held different sized clear bottles containing different shades of dark and sickly colored liquids with cork stoppers plugging them. Above the area was a sign that read, ¡°Assortments of Weak and Minor Poisons.¡± Long and short tables were spread across the floor with tins, paper wrapped around flowers and other herbal items laid across them. Across the wall towards Liam¡¯s right were more shelving units with empty glass vials, bottles, and alchemy tools. A card sat in front of each product with writing on them saying what they were, with prices. Liam looked at the wall in the back. It had more standing shelving units, but these ones were empty. There was a closed door to the left of the shelves. A long wooden ornate counter sat close to the back wall and had enough space to walk around it on both sides. A figure was hunched over in the middle of the counter with stacks of paper spread out. From what Liam could see it was a male with messy curly light blue hair. He looked to be much shorter than Liam from how long the males¡¯ arms were and how small his hands looked. Liam guessed he stood a little shorter than Roman. He also had a light blue mustache that was fully curled at the tips. As Liam approached the counter, he could hear the man grumbling unpleasantly, ¡°Go to the Tutorial area they said. It will be beneficial to you, they said.¡± He let out a displeased scoff. ¡°Hardly anyone is interested in the Alchemic craft.¡± Liam cleared his throat before saying, ¡°Um excuse me.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re looking for potions they are to your left. Same with poisons,¡± the man said without taking his eyes off the papers in front of him. His voice sounded a little high pitched but also a bit seasoned. ¡°I¡¯m not here to buy potions or poisons,¡± Liam tried again. ¡°I¡¯m interested in learning Alchemy.¡± The man stopped what he was doing and finally looked up at Liam. He gave him an assessing look. He frowned before asking, ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s a tedious craft that requires a lot of patience.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°That seems to be the theme for all crafts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The man stared at him before letting a grin form making his mustache curl a little more. ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth. Alright, I can mentor you, but I can¡¯t do it all the time. You¡¯ll have to practice by yourself whenever you¡¯re not here. Is that alright?¡± ¡°That works for me. When are you available to mentor me?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°I can mentor you around this time of day whenever you¡¯re available. At the beginning of the day I work on my own projects and during Mid-day I focus on selling the wares. So, it¡¯s best to come more towards the evenings where I can answer questions and guide you through new processes. Does that work for you?¡± Liam thought about it. Blacksmithing in the morning and Alchemy at night? Not a bad schedule. He nodded as he said, ¡°That works for me. I have another craft I work on in the early mornings so that is fine.¡± A curious look grew on the man¡¯s face. ¡°What craft do you do in the morning?¡± ¡°Blacksmithing,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Bah,¡± the man scoffed. ¡°Such a brutish craft. Let me guess. One of the short tempered males is mentoring you and causing you to question the craft?¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°My Blacksmithing Mentor is Fia.¡± The man gave a shocked expression as he stared at Liam. ¡°Fia is your mentor?¡± He brought a hand to his face and played with the curly end of his moustache as he muttered, ¡°If that woman is taking initiative with mentoring him then...¡± He looked back at Liam for a moment before smiling wide and reaching his right hand out. ¡°The name¡¯s Galin. Galin of the Bubbling Potion.¡± Liam reached out and shook Galin¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m Liam.¡± ¡°Alright Liam,¡± Galin started. ¡°Let¡¯s start your Alchemy training now. First, I need to know if you have gotten Field of the Crafter yet.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m almost there though.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ok, not to worry. The magic you get for that will be needed for later. We can start by getting you the Alchemy craft first and go from there.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said as he watched the man turn, step down from a step stool he was standing on, waved a hand in a follow me motion, and instructed as he walked towards the back door, ¡°Come with me. We¡¯ll get you started in the back.¡± Liam followed him to the back room and was shocked. It was a wide room filled with various alchemy tools. One table had small empty vials resting in test tube racks of various designs. Another table had glass beakers of different shapes and sizes. Some of the weirdly shaped glass beakers rested on an open circular metal holder. These ones looked like a glass watering can with a cover on the top. To Liam it reminded him of a high school chemistry classroom, but with a more fantasy-like feel to it. The smaller beakers were empty while the bigger ones had liquids with a flame underneath them. At a glance, he noticed the small fire floating above what looked like a Bunsen burner. However, the Bunsen burner-like object didn¡¯t have a hose leading to anything with gas. It was just a thin metal shaft with a base and a turn knob on the side. The liquid inside was bubbling causing some of the liquids to jump up and roll down the angled part of the glass into an open beaker placed off to the side. There were four open windows throughout the room allowing the smells to escape. Under a couple of the windows were barrels filled with stuff Liam couldn¡¯t see from where he was at. There was also a room off to the side with a sign on the door saying, ¡°Caution. Poison Crafting area. Proceed with proper gear.¡± ¡°Now, before we start,¡± Galin started as he pulled a stool over to the table with the test tube racks filled with empty vials. There were some larger vials with a flat bottom that sat next to the racks as well. ¡°Let me go over some of the basics.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said as he pulled out a notebook and pencil he got from Mercer earlier. He opened it and waited for Galin to continue. Impressed Galin complimented as he nodded, ¡°Taking notes is a great way to improve your crafting endeavors. It¡¯ll help raise your Knowledge Theory and Practicality if you write down what your taught as well as what you learn when working on your craft.¡± Liam gave a nod of understanding. ¡°Alchemy is the art of crafting both Magical and Non-magical potions, tonics, poisons, medicinal balms, and chemical creations.¡± Galin explained. ¡°Most items made do not require magic, however if you wish to make Mana Potions, and Magic Potions; your mana is required. However, that is something we¡¯ll cover when you get there.¡± Liam nodded as he started to write. ¡°Alchemy can be used for many things and many who devote their lives to the study of it are coming up with new ways to use it. I won¡¯t be going over advanced Alchemy with you, but instead the basics.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Galin then pointed at the empty vials. ¡°To get the Alchemy Craft started you will have to get the important and much needed Extraction skill. To get that you will need to fill a vial fifty-five percent of the way with clean water.¡± Galin then pointed to the window and instructed, ¡°Grab a large vial and go fill it with some clean water over in that barrel under the window.¡± Liam grabbed one of the flat-bottomed vials and walked over to the barrel Galin pointed at. He saw a wooden water dipper with a hooked end at the handle, hanging on the side of the barrel. As he grabbed it and slowly poured the water in the vial, he gauged the amount. He looked at Galin to see if it was right. Galin nodded and then said as Liam walked back, ¡°The amount doesn¡¯t need to be exact. You just can¡¯t have too much nor too little because it will affect the end result. After you practice and raise this skill, you¡¯ll get a better feel for the amount you need.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Liam said as he sat the vial down and wrote in his notebook. ¡°Now do you have any Shallow bells?¡± Galin asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t then that¡¯s fine, I have some in stock.¡± ¡°I came across some in the dungeon earlier,¡± Liam replied as he pulled one out from his inventory and handed it to Galin. ¡°Good. Good,¡± Galin said before examining it. ¡°Hm¡­This one was poorly harvested.¡± Liam winced. Catching Liam¡¯s expression, he waved a hand and stated, ¡°It is fine. Getting started requires poorly harvested items anyways.¡± ¡°Whys that?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°I¡¯ll explain in just a moment. For now, pluck the head of the flower, snap the stem and then place the stem inside the vial,¡± Galin instructed. Liam did as he was told. He then plugged a cork on it as Galin handed it to him. ¡°Now as we wait for that I¡¯ll explain the fundamentals of Extractions and how it works in Alchemy here,¡± Galin started. Liam brought his notebook up and got his pencil ready. ¡°Extraction is separating certain compounds from an ingredient to a liquid. To do this you must soak a solid item in a liquid, like water for example, for a certain amount of time. The longer you soak it the more properties get extracted from the item. For example, 10 minutes of extraction can give a weak effect, 30 minutes can give a weak and so on and so forth. However, the item quality being extracted plays a part in how long it can be extracted before it becomes useless to wait for more. Poor items can only get poor effects and not higher.¡± Galin waited a moment for Liam to finish writing. ¡°Now I say useless, but it¡¯s not what you think. You can keep the material being extracted in the vial for as long as you want, you just won¡¯t get any adding potential from it.¡± ¡°Ah ok,¡± Liam said as he erased something and rewrote it. ¡°While we are waiting for this to process, I¡¯ll explain the next part.¡± Galin stated as he turned his body and then pointed to the bubbling and boiling liquid transferring to another beaker. ¡°Distillation.¡± ¡°Distillation,¡± Liam repeated quietly. ¡°The term Distillation or Distilling for short, here, is to purify your extracted liquid or any certain liquids by vaporizing it, then condensing it by cooling the vapor, and collecting the resulting liquid. To distill you must have both a base liquid, Water, alcohol, etc., and an extracted liquid. Mix the two into a Cucurbit.¡± Galin pointed to the weird-looking glass beaker with the boiling and liquid. ¡°Add a flame hot enough to get it to a boiling point and watch as the boiling purified liquids bounce and pour into a beaker or flask, depending on what you¡¯re making.¡± As Liam finished writing a chime echoed in his mind. He gave a shocked look. He read the notification as it appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have reached level 1 in the craft Alchemy!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have reached level 1 in the skill Extraction!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have reached level 1 in the skill Distillation!¡±
¡°I¡¯m guessing from that expression you must have gotten it?¡± Galin smiled. Liam smiled sheepishly back. ¡°Yes sir, I did.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Galin said as he clapped his hands, stepped down, grabbed his stool, pulled it over to the closest emptied Distillation station, and said, ¡°Now bring that vial over here and pour it through the hole of the Cucurbit. Then grab some clean water and add about three scoops in.¡± Liam did as he was instructed. After he was done, he placed the lid back on top and looked at Galin. ¡°Now we will¡­,¡± Galin started to say until the door to the shop opened, and a voice called out, ¡°Professor Galin, I¡¯m back!¡± Liam and Galin turned to see a wiry looking girl walking towards them. She wore a black tank top with a pair of black skinny jeans torn in certain parts showing how slim she was. Her black ankle high boots covered the bottom of her jeans. A picture of a lime green liquid in the shape of a skull dripping down a red apple with smoke coming from the liquid spelling out the words ¡®Wanna take a bite?¡¯ rested on the tank top. She had shoulder length strawberry blonde hair. Some of it hung over the goggles that rested on her forehead. She had beautiful chartreuse green eyes that almost matched the color of her tank top. A slim red lipped smile was on her face. As she approached them, she saw Liam and gave him an assessing look. After a moment she gave him a mischievous smile that reached her eyes and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s he, professor?¡± ¡°Ah, welcome back Alicia,¡± Galin started. ¡°This is Liam. He came to study Alchemy like you.¡± Liam gave her a nod as he reached out to shake her hand. Alicia looked at it for a moment before grabbing it and saying, ¡°Welcome to the mad house.¡± Galin looked at Liam and informed, ¡°Alicia started yesterday. She¡¯s my first apprentice, making you my second. So, she¡¯s not too far ahead of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m interested in the poison craft aspect,¡± Alicia grinned. ¡°I think it¡¯ll help my class out.¡± Liam gave a slight chuckle as he commented, ¡°If that¡¯s the case then remind me not to piss you off.¡± Alicia gave him a once over and then with a playful smile and look in her eyes she teased, ¡°I think you won¡¯t have any worries there, but I¡¯ll gladly remind you every now and then.¡± She then winked. Liam blushed a little as he let out a cough. ¡°So, what made you interested in Alchemy, Liam?¡± Alicia asked as she brought both hands behind her back. ¡°Besides the fact that I find it interesting,¡± Liam started. ¡°What really made me want to try my hand on it is I want to find a way to make potions taste better.¡± Alicia and Galin stared at him. After a moment Alicia let out a laugh. ¡°I know exactly what you mean. These potions taste like the back side of a sweaty gorilla.¡± Liam grimaced at the thought as Galin pressed his thumb and index finger to his forehead and shook it. ¡°Please tell me that¡¯s not the sole purpose of why you want to learn alchemy,¡± Galin asked feeling disappointed. ¡°No,¡± Liam said. ¡°Back on my world there are games that have alchemy in them. I played them and was fascinated by it. So, when I found out that I could learn it here, of course I wanted to.¡± Placated by the answer, Galin looked at Liam and nodded. ¡°Good answer.¡± ¡°That being said¡­,¡± Liam hesitated before asking, ¡°Is there a way to change the taste of the potions?¡± Alicia placed a hand by her mouth trying hard not to laugh. ¡°There is. But¡­,¡± Galin started. Liam sighed in relief. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any successful concoctions because many Alchemists find it not cost efficient when making them,¡± Galin added. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s not cost efficient. I just want to get rid of that nasty taste,¡± Liam said with a shudder. ¡°The best way to do it is to add certain plants or minerals that only add flavors to the Extraction process,¡± Galin said as Liam wrote it down. ¡°The materials that can be used though are expensive.¡± Liam thought it over. ¡°What do you mean by expensive? Can¡¯t you just use something like Moss Mint?¡± Galin gave him a perplexed look. He then thought it over as he began muttering to himself, ¡°Can that work? Moss mint isn¡¯t something anyone has found a use for yet. Maybe¡­¡± He looked back at Liam and answered, ¡°You can try. I haven¡¯t heard of anyone trying it with Moss Mint yet.¡± Alicia looked at him. ¡°Where did you find that at?¡± ¡°I found it in the dungeon I have been assigned to,¡± Liam responded. ¡°Which dungeon are you in?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°I¡¯m in the Black Dungeon,¡± Liam answered. ¡°That dungeon will provide interesting ingredients,¡± Galin started. ¡°If you can harvest some bones in it they can help in Alchemy, Rune Crafting, and Enchanting as well as Blacksmithing.¡± ¡°I got some of them from fighting the skeletons,¡± Liam said. ¡°Good. Hold on to those and when your Alchemy has grown some, I¡¯ll show you what you can do with them,¡± Galin said. ¡°Alright, thank you,¡± Liam smiled appreciatively. ¡°Now let¡¯s get back to the basics,¡± Galin said before looking to Alicia. ¡°Alicia, can you light the burner please.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Professor,¡± Alicia said as she started to chant, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and Burn.¡± A small fire appeared on Alicia¡¯s index finger. She guided it to the metal rod under the Cucurbit and then moved her finger away. Galin reached for the knob on the side and clicked it to the right making the flame burn a little hotter. He then said, ¡°We call this a Bunsen Burner.¡± That¡¯s easy to remember since it looks like one from my old world. Liam thought as he wrote it down. ¡°Once when you get the spell Light and Burn you can create a small flame to place on it. This knob controls the temperature of said flame. You can put it out by turning the temperature down and blowing it.¡± Galin explained. ¡°I know you started your blacksmith training and have probably seen Fia use this spell. I¡¯ll clear up the question probably forming in your head. Yes, it¡¯s the same spell. You can make the flame big or small from the amount of mana you use for it.¡± Liam was shocked by this. ¡°The spell will produce small flames perfect for this at the beginning, but once when you get a better feel for it, you¡¯ll be able to make a bigger flame for blacksmithing or light an outdoor fire for cooking.¡± Liam saw the small bubbles start to rise up from the bottom of the container. ¡°Wait you¡¯re also learning Blacksmithing?¡± Alicia questioned. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to look into other crafts as well to get a better feel for them,¡± Liam answered as he watched small drops of liquid roll down into the open beaker. ¡°Why would you want to do that? I was told that learning too much can hinder our growth,¡± Alicia stated as she eyed him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. It¡¯s something I want to try,¡± Liam said as he gave her an even look. ¡°Okay,¡± Alicia said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to start my practice now. I¡¯ll see around.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it,¡± Galin said. ¡°Once this is done pour it into an appropriate sized vial and cork it. Then Voil¨¤! You have a weak health potion.¡± Galin then looked at Liam and added, ¡°The minor and higher up Health potions require more ingredients, but this is enough for a weak one. Depending on how much you want to make you can extract more in separate vials and then combine them into a bigger cucurbit and then distill it for more Health potions.¡± ¡°Thank you for that,¡± Liam said. ¡°Don¡¯t go thanking me yet,¡± Galin said with a greedy grin. ¡°You can practice here whenever you¡¯d like to, but I¡¯d advise you to at least raise your Extraction skill when you¡¯re not here. And for that you¡¯ll need to purchase equipment. Of course, you¡¯ll get an apprentice discount.¡± Liam gaped at the short man. He then let out a sigh as he thought, Where¡¯s Mercer when you need him. He shook his head before saying to Galin, ¡°Of course, let¡¯s see what you got.¡± Tutorial 19 - Slowly Growing A light breeze blew over the cavernous town. A calmness exuded from the silent city as the majority of the people were still sleeping. The giant Yooperlite stone hanging over started its warmup process while a small handful of people began to walk about. In one part of the town within a walled off area with a dojo-like building, two individuals scurried about within a square of compacted dirt. The shorter of the two threw a one two punch combination. Both strikes landed against the taller male¡¯s forearms as he blocked the punches. He then threw a two-punch combination himself against the smaller foe as the smaller man blocked it back. They both went back and forth for as long as they could until they couldn¡¯t move any more. ¡°Thanks for agreeing to this,¡± Roman said as he panted as he placed his hands on his knees. ¡°No problem,¡± Liam responded as he took in some air while keeping his hands behind his head. ¡°This helps me out just as much as it does you.¡± A notification message appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill Unarmed Combat is now level 4!¡±
Liam waved the message away. Sweat rolled down both of their faces. ¡°Either way. I appreciate it.¡± Roman gave a slight smile. ¡°I think you¡¯re the only other person in the group who gets up this early.¡± ¡°I used to do a light exercise to keep me fit every morning back in my old world, but doing it here¡­,¡± Liam said as his breathing began to even out. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m sorely out of shape and just starting to exercise for the first time.¡± ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Roman agreed as he straightened and pulled out a water bottle. He took a quick sip and then said, ¡°It¡¯s a pain, but it¡¯s got to be done. Those floor monsters showed me that cutting corners won¡¯t do it here.¡± ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Liam stated as he wiped away the sweat about to get into his eyes. ¡°I was completely spent after each fight.¡± ¡°We need to be at a level where we won¡¯t be as tired after fighting in case we get surprise attacked,¡± Roman said. ¡°We¡¯ll get there eventually,¡± Liam commented as he took a swig of his own water. He looked at his internal clock and noticed it was 6 a.m. ¡°I better head out and make it to the smithy before anyone else gets there.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it rough man. Didn¡¯t you also start Alchemy training last night?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Yeah, but I can prep my ingredients by letting them extract in a vial and then work on the rest over at the Alchemy training lab in the evening. Blacksmithing I can only do at the smithy right now so I need to go there as much as I can,¡± Liam explained as he stretched his arms and legs. ¡°Still sounds a lot to me,¡± Roman said as he looked up at the cavern ceiling. ¡°Do you have another craft in mind next?¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m going to focus on my blacksmithing for a bit then try go to the library to grab a couple of books then do some Knowledge Theory studying before working on my Magic Practicality. Then I¡¯ll end the day with Alchemy training.¡± Liam stated then asked, ¡°What are your plans?¡± ¡°I¡¯m probably going to work on my Magic Practicality after doing some more unarmed combat training. Since I got my Field of the Elements, I want to try some things out. I might do some Knowledge Theory studying but not sure yet,¡± Roman replied. ¡°You going to meet up with us for breakfast?¡± ¡°Probably not. I¡¯ll grab a light breakfast and lunch in between, but I¡¯ll meet up with you for dinner,¡± Liam said as he extended a fist out. Roman looked at it with a confused expression. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Surprised by Roman¡¯s question Liam replied, ¡°It¡¯s a fist bump. It¡¯s a way of greeting and farewell back in my old world. You just bump fists lightly.¡± Roman stared at him with an eyebrow raised. He then bumped his fist against Liam¡¯s and said, ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t know there was such a thing.¡± Liam was shocked at Roman¡¯s reaction. Out of all the things he could think of, he thought that fist bumps would be universal in any world. He¡¯d have to check with the others and see if they knew what it was too. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it man,¡± Liam chuckled as he started jogging away. He called out, ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friendly shouts and chatter danced in the air as people walked around doing their business in the city. The Yooperlite stone shined brightly giving a warm midday feel. Two people walked into the library, passing others by as they made their way over to a specific table. This table had three books stacked propping up an open book. The name on the spines of the stacked books read from top to bottom: Purge the Impurities, Exordium Arcanum, and Calming the Storm Vol. 2. The open book cover leaning against the books read Forging a Craft. A male was sitting looking at it and then turning his head to another open book in his left hand. ¡°Studying hard I see,¡± Mercer commented as he smiled and pulled a chair out next to Liam. ¡°I¡¯d call it more of a hard-core study session,¡± Blair said as she sat down across from him. Liam looked at the two as he laid the open book down pages first trying not to lose his page. The cover of the book read Extract to Distill, My Potion be Still. ¡°Hey guys what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Not much. Roman said you might be here during lunch, so we decided to do some Knowledge Theory studying and check up on you,¡± Blair stated. ¡°Have you had lunch yet? If not, we brought a sandwich for you,¡± Mercer asked as he looked at him. Liam shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ve been here for a few hours studying. I was going to get something light after I left here.¡± Mercer pulled out and handed Liam a small sandwich that contained hot chicken, lettuce, tomato, and a local sauce that tasted a lot like honey mustard. The dressing, not the mustard version. Liam grabbed it and said before taking a bite into it, ¡°Thank you.¡± He let out a happy moan as the taste filled his mouth. ¡°Why are you reading two books at once?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that hinder your Knowledge Theory progression?¡± Liam shook his head as he chewed. After swallowing he answered, ¡°I found out that some books can coincide with other books making your understanding on certain Knowledge Theories stronger. For example.¡± Liam pointed to the book he had open pages down. ¡°This Extract to Distill, My Potion be Still book works well with this,¡± He pointed to the open book leaning against the stack of books, ¡°Forging a Craft book. The Forging the Craft book talks about how certain crafts can help with Sub-stats, weapons, armor, etc. But it also shows that if you change techniques then you can get different outcomes. It¡¯s like a connect the dots sort of book.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting find,¡± Mercer said with a shocked expression. ¡°That book also works with Purge the Impurities, and I¡¯m going to take a gander and say that other crafting books work with it too.¡± Liam added before taking another bite. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that there are books that help connect other books thus creating a better understanding and strengthening your Knowledge Theories?¡± Blair asked. Liam looked at her with a confused look. A piece of bread stuck from his cheek. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I just said?¡± Blair glared at him for a moment. ¡°I just wanted to make sure that was what you were saying.¡± Sheepishly, Liam apologized, ¡°Sorry, my mind was all over the place and wanted to make sure I did say that and not just thought I said that.¡± Mercer gave a chuckle at the exchange causing the two to look at him. He calmed himself before asking, ¡°How did you come across this?¡± He pointed to his cheek as he looked at Liam. Liam wiped the crumb away as he answered, ¡°I hit a wall while studying my Exordium Arcanum and decided to grab a few books. After grabbing this book, I noticed something that made me think about what I read in the Purge the Impurities book and after comparing them I made the connection.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Mercer said as he wrote this all down. ¡°Not really,¡± Liam waved a hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure a bunch of people already made the connections.¡± ¡°Either way. This can help our studying out as well as help make connections to things we¡¯re trying to figure out,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Blair started. ¡°Even if others already found this trick. We wouldn¡¯t have figured it out if you hadn¡¯t.¡± Liam shrugged. Blair and Mercer eyed him. ¡°I heard you started working on Alchemy,¡± Mercer said. ¡°Yeah, I started last night,¡± Liam answered. ¡°It¡¯s an interesting craft. Has a lot of potential.¡± ¡°Yeah? Have you looked at other crafts yet as well?¡± Blair questioned. Liam shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I want to get my Blacksmithing and Alchemy to at least level ten before I start another.¡± He then finished the sandwich. ¡°Ok, good plan,¡± Mercer said with a nod. ¡°Just don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Liam said with a faint smile. ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan now?¡± Blair asked. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to pack it up and head over to the Mage Tower and get my Magic Practicality up. I¡¯m close to getting it to level ten.¡± Liam said as he placed a folded-up piece of paper into each of the open books. ¡°What about you guys?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to get Beginner¡¯s Magic Volume two,¡± Blair stated. ¡°I want to continue my Arcane studies while I work on some gravity. Did you know that gravity magic is a kind of utility and crowd control magic?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t. That¡¯s pretty interesting. If you can, can you make some notes that I can read later. I want to see if I can incorporate magic into crafting. However, the best way for me to do that is to get a better understanding as well as see how others view it.¡± ¡°That would be cool,¡± Blair smiled. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll write what I can. Can you do the same with your findings?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be more than happy to.¡± Liam smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to study up on some Bard Knowledge Theory before heading over to the Entertainment area,¡± Mercer said. ¡°Entertainment area?¡± Liam raised a brow as he turned to Mercer. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a place where people with Bard magic, Charm magic, and other entertaining style magic are practicing their skills for others to listen to. It¡¯s also where the instruments are. I need to find a starting instrument before I can decide on a new weapon,¡± Mercer explained. ¡°Interesting,¡± Liam said as he brought a hand to his chin. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to check it out.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to go tomorrow night,¡± Mercer started. ¡°Ariyana found a good restaurant over there and we¡¯re going to check it out.¡± ¡°That sounds good,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll catch you guys later.¡± ¡°Later,¡± Blair said as she walked towards the bookshelves. ¡°Good luck,¡± Mercer called out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A target dummy exploded as a small violet sphere collided into it. Liam panted and wiped away a bead of sweat that rolled down his forehead. The target dummy that he was practicing on reappeared in the empty dark colored room. Yooperlite stones were spread out evenly to give appropriate lighting. A chime and a couple of familiar notification boxes appeared as he took a drink from his water bottle.
¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Magic Practicality has reached level 10!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Seed of the Arcana has reached level 10! +5% to Arcane and all Magic spells.¡±
¡°Sweet! It¡¯s about time!¡± Liam shouted. A warm sensation started to pulse where his heart was as a fanfare suddenly rang in Liam¡¯s mind and a new notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Your Seed of the Arcana is ready to spread its roots. Open a Field of Study or 2 to allow the roots to spread.¡±
The Seed of the Arcana is ready to spread its roots? Liam thought as he stared questionably at the notification. He quietly muttered to himself, ¡°I wonder how you do that and open a Field of Study.¡± He opened his menus to see if he could just click something, but nothing looked promising. After closing everything he said to himself, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go find someone to help me.¡± As he walked out of the Magical practice room, he saw a familiar person walk by. He waved at her and said, ¡°Elara.¡± Elara turned and smiled as she greeted, ¡°Hello Mr. Liam.¡± ¡°Just Liam is fine,¡± Liam said. ¡°Do you have a moment or are you busy?¡± ¡°For you I¡¯ve got some time,¡± Elara responded then asked, ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°I was wondering if you could tell me how to open a Field of Study,¡± Liam said. ¡°I just got a notification saying to open a Field of Study or two to allow the roots to spread.¡± Elara gave him a big smile as she started, ¡°Congratulations! That¡¯s great news to hear. Yes, I can help you with that. Please follow me to the Seed Rooting Room.¡± ¡°Seed Rooting room?¡± Liam questioned as he followed her. The name sounded ridiculous to Liam. If he was back in his old world and someone said they were going to take him to a place called the Seed Rooting room he would have called the cops on them. That or assumed it was a plant room. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s where the Seed of Arcana can open up and begin to spread the roots. Remember my description of how magic is view here?¡± Elara asked. Liam nodded. ¡°The focus points in the Fields of Studies are the roots that begin to spread to nurture the base or the foundation of what will be your Magical plant, in a sense,¡± Elara explained. ¡°You¡¯ll start with one or two fields of studies with a couple of focus points to begin rooting your magic inside of you, allowing you to get a better feeling for magic before advancing it further.¡± ¡°Why only start with a one or two? Why not start with more?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It¡¯s best not to overdo it,¡± Elara began. ¡°Like plants and trees, depending on the type, not all require the same amount of roots to grow. As beginners your body can¡¯t take too many Fields of Studies just yet because it hasn¡¯t nurtured much magic in it. Not only that but picking too many can lead to a waste since you¡¯ll only work on those that truly interest you. Also, once when you open a field of study and focus point you can¡¯t undo it.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Liam started as he thought it over. ¡°Is that what the Magical examination is really about then? It¡¯s not just to give a person a starting point, but to help them not get any unnecessary focus points and not waste their time on magic they won¡¯t further study?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Elara said as she pointed at him. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re quick to pick these things up.¡± She let out a sigh as she added. ¡°Some people keeping asking the same question over and over and just don¡¯t get it.¡± They came to a stop in front of a door. ¡°This is the room,¡± Elara said as she stood next to it. ¡°I must ask if you¡¯d like me to help you through the process and advise what to start with.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Liam nodded as they entered the dark colored room. The room was smaller than the other rooms he¡¯s been in. Lining the walls were glow stones shining with different colors giving a club lighting feel to it. A metal disc sat in the middle of the room with four poles that reached hip height. On top of the poles were clear orbs. The door closed behind them as they made it a quarter of the way in. Elara stopped and asked, ¡°Do you have an idea of what Fields of Study you would like to open up?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Liam responded. ¡°I would like to start with Field of the Craft as well as whatever gravity magic is in.¡± Elara nodded. ¡°As a crafter I can agree with starting with the Field of the Craft since there will be some useful magic to help advance yourself with, but I would like to ask why Gravity?¡± Liam looked at her and replied, ¡°I was doing some Knowledge Theory study and came across a book that mentioned the best way to make better items, whether it be consumable or equipment, is to use them. By using them you can get a better understanding of said items. The better the understanding the better item can be crafted. That being said I have a feeling that the same can be said with magic.¡± Elara gave him a thoughtful look. ¡°That is an interesting theory. I haven¡¯t come across anyone who has talked about it so I can¡¯t confirm if it¡¯s possible or not. But I ask again, why Gravity?¡± ¡°I remember you saying that Gravity magic is not highly sought out due to how patient you have to be with it. Since this theory is going to take a while to prove, patience is all I can have to trial and error it. That, and I found Gravity magic cool when I heard its more of a utility and crowd control kind of magic.¡± Elara nodded after listening. ¡°As long as it is something you find interesting and willing to put time in, I won¡¯t sway you from it. That will be in the Field of the Elements.¡± She then pointed to the middle of the room and added, ¡°When you¡¯re ready, please step onto the disc and close your eyes.¡± Liam walked over and stepped onto the disc. As he turned around to face Elara, he took a deep breath and then let out a long sigh. Tutorial 20 - Mystical Landscape Liam stood with his eyes closed. As he tried picturing what he was told to do, an image of a dark violet seed with white swirls moving around it appeared. As the image took form, a notification box popped up.
¡°Would you like to open the Seed of the Arcana and allow a Root or two to grow? Yes No?¡±
Liam thought yes, making the current notification disappear and be replaced with a new one. This new notification was extensive as different Fields of Studies listed downward with a scroll bar at the right edge of the border to appear allowing him to see all the available Fields. Without opening his eyes, Liam¡¯s brows rose. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you have found the list of available Fields of Studies from that look,¡± Elara said with a calm voice. ¡°To start off please find the Field of the Craft.¡± Liam scrolled through and came across it about halfway through the list. Mentally he selected it causing a small notification message to appear in front of the existing one.
¡°Would you like to root the Field of the Craft? Yes No?¡±
Liam accepted.
¡°Would you like to choose another Field of Study? Yes No?¡±
Liam mentally said yes, returning him to the list. He then asked, ¡°Do I do the same with Field of the Elements?¡± ¡°Correct. After that it will ask again if you¡¯d like to choose another. When you select No it will ask what Focus points you want to spread,¡± Elara explained. After accepting the Field of the Elements and declining any new Fields of Study another notification message appeared.
¡°Which Focus Points would you like to Root? Field of the Craft: Production Craft, Gathering Craft, Construction Craft.¡±
Liam mentally highlighted the Production Craft, and Gathering Craft, but halted as he looked at the Construction craft. What is Construction Craft? He thought. I haven¡¯t heard or come across anything like that yet. He then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the Construction Craft about?¡± ¡°Construction Craft is how it sounds,¡± Elara began. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to find any mentors here in the Tutorial Area to learn more about it, but it tailors to building buildings, and other Construction style crafting. Normally I wouldn¡¯t suggest it, but for you I¡¯d accept it. You can get a head start with it and get a better feel for it by constructing small things like campfire, make small areas to help fortify your camp base when you¡¯re stuck on dungeon floors for a longer period to help your party rest easier, etc.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam responded as he highlighted and selected it as well. The message box disappeared and reappeared with a new one.
¡°Which Focus Points would you like to Root? Field of the Elements: Fire, Earth, Water, Lightning, Plant, Ice, Air, and Gravity.¡±
Liam highlighted Gravity and mentally accepted it.
¡°You would like to root the Focus Points Field of the Craft: Production Craft, Gathering Craft, Construction Craft and Field of the Elements: Gravity? Yes No?¡±
Liam mentally accepted making the notification disappear. Liam stood there waiting as the image of the seed remained in his vision. The dark violet seed started glowing as a light began to coat it. As Liam stood there waiting a quiet humming sound began to buzz around him. As the noise started to grow slowly. The warm sensation he had felt appeared where his heart was, started building pressure at the same pace of the sound. The four orbs around Liam started to shine. At first it was faded, but as a few seconds passed grey and purple colors started to float out from the orb and then shot fast into Liam penetrating into his skin without causing any damage. The seed shook lightly as motes of grey and purple colors collided into the coated light. The more it was coated with the colors the brighter it got. The pressure was barely noticeable at first, but as it and the noise grew it started hurting. The buzz was turning into an ear splitting white noise as the pressure building in his heart expanded making his heart feel like it was going to explode. ¡°Please endure the pain,¡± Elara said as the colors continued to shoot into him so fast that they looked solid lines of colors. Her voice sounded faint and far away. A dark color started to outline the seed as the light began to be absorbed into the seed. The seed started to blink rapidly as the colors disappeared into it. Once when the last bit of color vanished, a small crack appeared on the top middle of the seed. A pop sound echoed through Liam¡¯s mind as two really thin vine like roots broke free from the seed spreading out. One had three thin grey lines expanding from it while the other only had a purple colored one. The painful pressure that he was feeling disappeared as a relieving sensation washed through his blood stream. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt this causing him to open his eyes. A notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have successfully rooted Field of the Craft and Field of the Elements with the focus points Production Craft, Gathering Craft, Construction Craft, and Gravity.¡± ¡°You have unlocked a new Menu: Mystical Landscape.¡±
¡°Congratulations on taking the next step into the Mystical world of Magic,¡± Elara smiled broadly. Shocked Liam asked, ¡°What is this Mystical Landscape?¡± ¡°You waste no time diving into the important questions,¡± Elara smile remained. ¡°I like that about you. The Mystical Landscape is to help you see how your magic is proceeding. When you grow you can see how it grows through this page. It will also help you keep track of all the Studies, Advanced Studies, branches, so on and so forth.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Liam said sounding impressed. ¡°Going back to what we were talking about earlier,¡± Elara added. ¡°It will also help make sure you don¡¯t cause any root tangles from taking on too many Fields of Studies. So, in a sense it¡¯s there to help manage your magic. To unlock more Fields of Studies you can use that menu, but you must be at a place like this to do so. It is the same with Focus Points as well.¡± Liam walked up to her, pulled out two silver coins and handed them to her. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Elara asked as her eyes widened. ¡°My thanks for helping me with this as well as the guidance you keep giving.¡± Elara shook her head as she started to say, ¡°I cannot accept this¡­¡± ¡°I insist,¡± Liam responded. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Elara eyed him for a moment. She slowly grabbed one of the silver coins and said, ¡°I¡¯ll accept one of the two to honor your gratuity that which is was given, but out of good faith I¡¯ll reject the second one. All information given here in the Tutorial area is worth less than a silver coin.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Liam nodded, looking a bit sheepish. He felt that he felt like he needed to get a better grasp on how to best tip others in this world. As he put away the second coin he said, ¡°Thank you for that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Elara replied. ¡°Now to get your Magic Abilities for the Focus Points you rooted you can go to the Mystical Landscape and click each Focus Points. It will give you a list of Magical Abilities you can unlock. As you grow your Focus Points more abilities will be readily available to unlock. To grow your Focus Points, you must level the abilities through Knowledge Theory and Magic Practicality.¡± Liam pulled up the Mystical Landscape menu and saw a screen with a violet seed surrounded by dirt. The thin vine like roots were spread not too far from it. He clicked Production Craft and a notification box appeared.
¡°Production Craft. Abilities available to learn: Light and Burn, Temp Check, Item Understandance, Crafting Endurance Improvement (Weak).¡±
Confused Liam asked, ¡°One of the abilities available I already have as a Class Ability. How does that work?¡± Elara gave it some thought before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s rare for it to happen, but I think the progress you have in that ability will be the same. As you grow your class ability it will too maybe?¡± Liam accepted all the abilities.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Production Craft Ability Light and Burn! Ability type: Chant. Description: You can use this to start a small fire to use in daily crafts.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Production Craft Ability Temp Check! Ability Type ¨C Non-chant Instant. Description: With this ability, you can check the temperate of the items or non-items.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Production Craft Ability Item Understandance! Ability Type ¨C Non-chant Instant. Description: Gives you a better understanding of crafted items by using them and also identifies objects as crafting materials. As you grow this ability, your skill in understanding will reach new heights and more descriptions of crafting materials will be available. +2.5% to Knowledge Theories when using items.¡± ¡°Notice Update! Production Craft Ability Item Understandance has been detected with Crafter Class ability Item Understandance! Both abilities progression will be linked!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Production Craft Ability Item Understandance is now level 5.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Production Craft Ability Crafting Endurance Improvement (Weak)! Ability Type ¨C Non-chant Passive. Description: This ability allows the crafter to handle doing their tasks a little longer. As this ability grows, so does your ability to craft longer. +2.5% to Sub-stat Crafter Endurance.¡±
Liam waved the message box away and pulled up the Gathering Production Abilities and clicked yes to all.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Gathering Craft Ability Harvest! Ability Type ¨C Non-chant Instant. Description: Can identify and locate harvestable items easier as well as harvest them. At the lower levels you can only harvest one target at a time.¡± ¡°Notice Update! Gathering Craft Ability Harvest has been detected with Crafter Class ability Harvest! Both abilities progression will be linked!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gathering Craft Ability has reached level 5!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Gathering Craft Ability Mining Strike Accuracy! Ability Type ¨C Non-chant Passive. Description: Ability allows you to strike more effectively when mining. +2.5% when Mining for 1 minute.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Gathering Craft Ability Lumberjack Efficiency! Ability Type ¨C Non-chant Instant. Description: Using this ability will allow you to cut down wood faster. +2.5% when Lumberjacking for 1 minute.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± Liam muttered as he moved on to Construction Craft Abilities.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Construction Craft Ability Destruction Points! Ability Type ¨C Non-chant Instant. Description: Using this ability will allow you to identify small area that can cause a building to fall apart.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Construction Craft Ability Small Creation knowledge! Ability Type ¨C Non-chant Instant. Description: Using this ability will allow you to know where and how to best set up small creations without having issues or hazards. For example: outdoor campsites.¡±
Huh, I thought I¡¯d only get one. That¡¯s a nice surprise. Liam thought as he went to the final Focus Point.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Gravity Ability Force Increase! Ability Type ¨C Chant. Target range- Single target. Description: Increases gravity on a target making their movements a little heavier and slower when moving forward or upward. Increases force of strikes when striking down. +2.5% to Power. -2.5% to all Dexterity Sub-stats for 30 seconds. Cooldown 1 minute.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Gravity Ability Feathery Upforce! Ability Type ¨C Chant. Target range- Single target. Description: Decreases gravity on a target¡¯s weapon. This allows the heaviness of the weapon to decrease and allows target to make quicker strikes with the tradeoff of less damaging scale. +2.5% to Agility and ¨C 2.5% to Power for 1 minute. Cooldown 30 seconds.¡±
Liam brought a hand to his chin as he read the final two abilities he got. He then thought to himself, These two starting abilities are insane if used right. The cooldown is long, but that¡¯s understandable for the pluses. Having that crowd control capabilities can either win or lose a fight depending on how and when you use them. Since Blair has this too, then we can synergize and try to control the flow of battles better in the future. This wasn¡¯t a bad choice to add to my arsenal. Not a bad choice at all. ¡°Have you completed getting all the abilities that are currently available?¡± Elara asked. Liam waved all the message boxes away and responded, ¡°Yes, I am. Thank you again for all your help.¡± ¡°It has been my pleasure. Do you need help with anything else?¡± She asked. Liam looked at his internal clock and noticed it was only 4:30p.m. ¡°No,¡± He started. ¡°I¡¯m going to go practice this gravity magic a bit before heading out.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Elara nodded as the door behind her opened. ¡°Let me know if you have any more questions or need help with anything.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The hustle and bustle of people walking down the street began to slow down as the giant glow stone above started dimming. Smoke, gases, and scents floated out the open windows of one building that had a sign with a picture of a Beaker with bubbles flowing out with the words The Bubbling Potion on it. A wiry looking girl with a black tank top, black skinny jeans, and matching colored boots walked into the store and made her way to the back room. As she entered the make-shift lab she saw a male close to her age take a sip from a beaker and light gagged. Alicia let out a small giggle as she shook her head and commented, ¡°Still attempting to change the flavor of the health potions?¡± Liam took a sip from a cup of water and replied, ¡°Damn straight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a waste, but as long as you¡¯re determined to practice Alchemy I won¡¯t complain,¡± Galin stated with a shake of his head. He was staring at his own creation and writing down notes. Liam opened his notebook, crossed something out and wrote something new in it as he said, ¡°I¡¯m close. I was able to taste a bit of the mint, but it was faint. I think I¡¯m going to have to change the amount of extracted mint instead of adding fifteen percent maybe I should do twenty and add less water to it before mixing it with the shallow bell extract.¡± ¡°Hm, that could work,¡± Alicia mumbled as she walked over to him. ¡°Let me see what your calculations are so far. As Liam handed her his notebook, she saw many percentage number crossed out with a new one underneath them. After looking everything over she asked, ¡°Are you adding them separately?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam responded as he eyed her. ¡°Have you tried extracting them together?" Alicia asked as she looked at him. ¡°No,¡± Liam started as he thought about it. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that ruin the extract process?¡± ¡°During the early stages of raising your extraction skill yes. But as you raise its level, you should be able to extract things together to create new effects.¡± Alicia explained. ¡°Is that possible?¡± Liam questioned as he looked to her then to Galin. ¡°It is true for when you¡¯re making potions with added effects, but tastes to potions are really an unknown territory,¡± Galin started as he turned to them. ¡°Like I told you yesterday, no one attempts it because it¡¯s not cost efficient so in theory it could work.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your Extraction skill at?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°It just hit level ten earlier today,¡± Liam said. ¡°I was wondering what it meant by you can now extract more than one item at a time. I just figure it meant I can extract more items in separate contains at a time.¡± Alicia gave a teasing grin as she said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s your fault for misunderstanding the text. How many Mint Mosses and Shallow Bells do you have left?¡± ¡°I used my last one on this failed attempt,¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯ve got some I can sell you if you want,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°Sure, how much?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got about twenty Mint Mosses and fifteen Shallow Bells on me. I¡¯m not really going to need them for anything,¡± Alicia tapped a finger on her chin before replied, ¡°How about if this succeeds then you give me a few bottles?¡± She handed him the ingredients. ¡°How many is a few?¡± Liam questioned as he eyed her with a brow raised. He took them and started the extraction process in a vial. ¡°About a quarter of the batch made?¡± Alicia smiled devilishly. Liam swayed his head back and forth. After thinking it over he said, ¡°Fine.¡± Galin let out a laugh of his own as he watched them. The two looked at him with a bewildered look. ¡°You alright there professor?¡± Alicia asked with concern. ¡°Yes,¡± Galin responded as he recomposed himself. ¡°The way you two were just now made me think about how an old colleague and I were at the beginning of our Alchemy training.¡± ¡°Oh Yeah?¡± Alicia questioned. ¡°Yes, no matter how absurd of things we tried to experiment on, we did what you guys were doing. Bartering materials for finished products,¡± Galin said as he smiled softly. ¡°Those were fun times.¡± ¡°Do you still keep in contact with your old colleague?¡± Liam asked. Galin¡¯s soft smile slowly slipped as he said, ¡°Unfortunately no. She passed away during a dungeon run a few years back.¡± Alicia elbowed Liam on his arm and gave him a Way to go look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bring up something sad,¡± Liam said as he rubbed his arm. Galin shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. How would you have known? I¡¯m continuing her legacy through The Bubbling Potion. I¡¯m also continuing the research she was working on before she fell.¡± ¡°What research is that?¡± Alicia asked with much curiosity. Galin waved a hand as he said, ¡°It¡¯s a highly advanced one. You¡¯re nowhere near the level nor Knowledge Theory to understand it.¡± Alicia pouted at him. ¡°But if you both get to that level and I¡¯m still not finished with it then I¡¯d be more than happy to have you guys help me with it,¡± Galin added. This brightened Alicia up as she said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯m holding you to that.¡± Liam and Galin laughed. Liam¡¯s laughter came to a halt as a fanfare noise suddenly echoed in his mind with a notification message appearing.
¡°Congratulations! You have discovered a new Extraction Ingredient!¡±
Tutorial 21 - Practice and New Discoveries
¡°New Extraction Ingredient Minty Shallow Bell Extract. Description ¨C An extract made from Mint Moss and Shallow Bell.¡±
Liam, stunned and at a loss for words, stared at the notification in front of him. He was unsure if he had succeeded or if he had made something else. Alicia and Galin noticed Liam¡¯s expression. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Alicia ventured. ¡°I just got a notification telling me I found a new Extraction ingredient,¡± Liam responded. Baffled by Liam¡¯s proclamation, Galin and Alicia gaped. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the Extraction Ingredient?¡± Alicia questioned. ¡°It¡¯s called Minty Shallow Bell.¡± Liam said before turning to her. ¡°I think your theory might have worked. Congratulations.¡± Alicia stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who made it though. That was all you,¡± Alicia protested. ¡°It was you who suggested it¡­,¡± Liam began to argue. ¡°Let¡¯s just say,¡± Galin interrupted. ¡°That it was both of your findings. Alicia came up with the theory and Liam proceeded with it. Therefore, you both made the ingredient. However,¡± Galin raised a finger. ¡°We still don¡¯t know if it will work out the way you wanted to.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Alicia said as she placed a hand to her chin. She then looked at Liam and said with a quick and firm voice, ¡°Liam. You need to distill it and make the potion to see if it will work.¡± Liam didn¡¯t need any more prompting than that and quickly got to work. After lighting the fire and watching the liquid begin its process, Alicia paced back and forth behind Liam. With a mix of hope and anxiety as she said, ¡°If this works then do you know what this means?¡± ¡°It means no more disgusting after tastes when drinking a potion,¡± Liam commented. ¡°Not only that, but it¡¯ll stop people being distracted from that god awful taste during a battle when your mind needs to be on the enemy instead of your stomach,¡± Alicia remarked. ¡°If this works then you need to make batches of this and give me some.¡± ¡°Hold on now Alicia,¡± Galin interjected. ¡°We don¡¯t know if this will work or not. First let¡¯s see how the results are when its finished.¡± ¡°Ugh. Is it done yet?¡± Alicia asked impatiently. ¡°Not yet,¡± Liam said as he kept his eyes on the liquid being distilled and transforming into a finished product through his goggles. Alicia paced a couple more circles before asking again, ¡°Now?¡± Liam laughed inside. She reminded him of a child trying to make the drive to a theme park go quicker. ¡°You know how long the process takes,¡± Liam remarked. Alicia let out a sigh as she leaned back against a table behind her with her arms holding her up. She brought a hand up to her forehead, ran it through her hair as she tilted her head back and said, ¡°I know. I¡¯m just¡­I just¡­When you first talked about wanting to change the taste of potions, I didn¡¯t think it could be done.¡± She brought her head back to eye level and looked at Liam as he turned his head enough to see her. She added, ¡°But now that we¡¯re this close. I really want this to work.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you were teasing me earlier?¡± Liam asked with a brow raised. Alicia looked at him and said nonchalantly, ¡°I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about. I helped supply some ingredients so why would I ever tease you?¡± Liam shook his head as he looked back at the cucurbit and saw the last bit of liquid jump up and roll down into the open beaker. He then turned the flame down, blew it out and grabbed the beaker with his gloved hands. He walked over to the test tube rack and started to pour the liquid into three empty vials. After setting the beaker down he corked each vial and waited for the hot liquid to cool down inside as he moved his goggles from over his eyes to his forehead. The liquid swirled and radiated a dark minty green color. After waiting for a minute, a notification appeared with the sound of a fanfare.
¡°Congratulations! You have created a new item. Weak Mint Health Potion. Restores 25 HP.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he read the text. As he removed it from his sight, he looked at the two who were looking at the potions and then at him. ¡°Well¡­,¡± Alicia started. ¡°Are you going to try it?¡± Liam gave her a look before turning to the vial. He gulped before grabbing it and uncorking it. He brought the top to his nose and sniffed it. It had a slight peppermint smell to it. He then cracked his as he said, ¡°Well, here goes nothing.¡± He braced for impact as he tipped the liquid into his mouth. As the substance hit his tongue his eyes widened. The nasty haunting taste that usually accompanied the liquid was gone. Instead in its place was a strong taste of mint. Liam let out a cough as he tried covering his mouth. Alicia¡¯s open mouth dropped to a frown as she started to look disappointed. ¡°I take it that it¡­¡± Liam quickly interrupted as he wiped away the escaped content, ¡°Was a success!¡± Alicia brightened as Galin jumped up with a fist in the air. ¡°Can I try?!¡± Alicia quickly asked. Liam nodded as he passed one to her and Galin. Galin and Alicia uncorked the vials and drank it. ¡°Holy crap!¡± Alicia exclaimed. ¡°That mint is strong!¡± ¡°We can probably mix less Mint moss in the extraction process or add more water during the distillation, but I must say,¡± Galin started as he looked at the two. ¡°I am so proud of you two for accomplishing this! Congratulations!¡± Alicia gave a wide grin as Liam balled a fist and jerked his arm back in victory. ¡°We need to make as many as we can. I need some for my dungeon run tomorrow,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°I promise to restock you with any ingredients I come across. Maybe some new ones too so we can try out different flavors.¡± Liam gave her a frown and said teasingly, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡± ¡°Please!¡± Alicia begged. Liam gave her a smile as he stated, ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Let¡¯s try to make as many as we can.¡± He looked at Galin and said, ¡°What do you think, do you think they will sell well?¡± Galin gave him a wry smile, ¡°Oh yes. I¡¯ll even sell them a little higher than the normal ones so you can get your money¡¯s worth from them.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how many we can make then,¡± Liam said. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam jogged through the open roads, changing his direction at a moment¡¯s notice every couple of minutes. After each directional change he did a short sprint. It felt like he was in training to be a fullback for a football team as he was doing this. As he approached his destination, he slowed to a walk to catch his breath. He pulled out a water bottle and began drinking from it as he walked into the smithy. Fia set her hammer down as she saw him entering the building. ¡°Yer takin this pretty serious if yer back again this morning,¡± She greeted. ¡°I¡¯ve got to if I want to be able to make better equipment for my team,¡± Liam responded as he stretched his arms. ¡°That¡¯s a good mindset to have as a crafter,¡± Fia started as she eyed him. ¡°However, ya won¡¯t be able ta do much if yer as exhausted as a pack mule after running uphill haulin cargo.¡± Liam swallowed a bit of water from his bottle and replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not exhausted. I can focus and work just fine. I promise.¡± Fia looked him over once more before saying, ¡°Fine, go change inta proper clothes and I¡¯ll go over how the next step of yer training.¡± She then pointed a finger at him and warned, ¡°But if ya waste any materials because ya can¡¯t focus properly, I¡¯m kicking ya out for the day. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Liam said with a small smile as he ran over to a room and started changing. ¡°I¡¯ll give ya ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll ram ma foot so far up yer¡­,¡± Fia started to grumble with a small smile of her own. As Liam walked back out, he asked, ¡°What are you going to teach me today?¡± ¡°What weapon do ya use when fightin?¡± Fia inquired. ¡°A dagger,¡± Liam responded. ¡°A bit of a little thin, but I guess it¡¯s the best kind startin off.¡± Fia winked. Liam shook his head. ¡°Go grab a small iron ingot for the wee little dagger,¡± Fia let out a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s not a wee little dagger,¡± Liam mocked good naturedly as he did as he was told. ¡°Don¡¯t forget ta grab gloves, tongs, a hammer, and an apron. We don¡¯t want to damage yer precious skin,¡± Fia instructed with a smile. As Liam got back, he placed the items down on the anvil. He then placed the loop of the apron over his head and wrapped the strings tightly on his back. He then pulled his goggles down over his eyes and the gloves over his hands. ¡°Now, just like how I told ya the other day. The way things are done here is different. Many tools are taken out of the process especially at the beginner¡¯s stage. Later on, ya¡¯ll need specialized tools to make better weapons, but for now this is all ya¡¯ll need,¡± Fia explained as she got ready herself. She looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Did ya get the spells I told ya to get.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Good. Now light the furnace,¡± Fia instructed. Liam placed his hand, palm up, in front of him and chanted, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and Burn.¡± A small flame appeared, hovering over Liam¡¯s palm. Fia let out a small laugh as she said, ¡°A small flame for a small weapon.¡± Liam gave her a frown. ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t get yer knickers in a twist. I¡¯m just messing with ya,¡± Fia said. ¡°After a while ya¡¯ll get an ability to help control the output. The more ya use that spell the bigger the flame can be. Judging by how smoothly ya chanted it, ya have been practicin the spell. I¡¯m guessin with yer Alchemy trainin with Ole Galin.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Good. He¡¯s a good one that one. He¡¯ll make sure ya get proper training,¡± Fia said. ¡°Now place the flame in and cast another.¡± Liam did as he was told and produced a slightly bigger flame and placed it into the furnace, making the flame inside bigger. He heard a chime sound echo as he did so. ¡°Good. Now use the Temp Check spell and see how hot the flame is,¡± Fia ordered. Liam looked at the fire and mentally thought Temp Check. ¡°Furnace fire ¨C 2,017 degrees Fahrenheit.¡± ¡°It looks like its two thousand and seventeen degrees,¡± Liam informed. ¡°Hm, not hot enough yet,¡± Fia muttered. ¡°Throw in a couple of wood pieces and throw another Light and Burn spell then check again.¡± Liam did as he was told. After seeing the temperature, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s now at two thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight-degrees Fahrenheit.¡± ¡°Much better,¡± Fia said then instructed. ¡°Use the tongs ta grab the ingot and then place it in. The fire¡¯s temperature will get to where it needs in just a moment.¡± Liam grabbed the tongs to grip the ingot and then placed the object over the flame. ¡°Now keep an eye on the ingot,¡± Fia started to say. ¡°When the color starts to glow a bright yellow check the temperature. If the ingot gets to two thousand pull it out.¡± Liam nodded as he kept his eyes on the object. He watched as the iron color started changing. From the bland iron color to a light red. After a few seconds to turned to a dark red. A few second more the dark red brightened to a yellow. Not yet. Liam thought. The color started to brighten a little more, but still wasn¡¯t at the desired color. Almost. Liam thought as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. After a couple more seconds the yellow brightened up and reached the target temperature. He then pulled the ingot out and placed it on the anvil. ¡°Now grab yer hammer and start flattening it. Form an image of a dagger in your mind and then start swinging. Start with the tip and work yer way down,¡± Fia stated as she watched him grab the hammer. Liam stumbled about as he tried to form an image in his mind of a dagger. After going over all the images of different types of daggers he knew of, he finally settled on one. After the image took form in his mind, he swung down and hit the ingot. ¡°Harder!¡± Fia suddenly yelled. Liam brought the hammer back up and swung down a bit harder. ¡°Harder boy! It¡¯s not gonna shape with those weak swings,¡± Fia barked. Liam grumbled as he brought the hammer over his head and swung down as hard as he could. The impact flattened the ingot a bit making the process truly begin. ¡°Better!¡± Fia smiled. Liam brought the hammer back to the same distance and swung hard again. The entire edge had flattened out. Liam was amazed. Even as he flattened the ingot, he knew it wasn¡¯t thinning, but condensing. It felt like he was reinforcing the parts he was working on so it wouldn¡¯t be too bulky. Before he swung down on the edge again his eyes noticed something. It wasn¡¯t just his eyes though. He had a gut feeling that if he swung at this part again it would ruin the progress he had made. Trusting his feeling, he aimed his next swing for the untouched section. This area started to condense as well. ¡°Good!¡± Fia shouted. ¡°Keep an eye out for certain spots. You don¡¯t want to flatten the blade too much in certain areas!¡± Liam nodded as he continued the process. After swinging so many times, he had fully flattened and condensed the object. It was now a sturdier and thinner version of its original shape. It was at this time Liam saw the color of the metal started cooling down. When it started losing its red glow, Fia instructed, ¡°Back into the furnace. Make sure ya get that bright yellow glow again before pulling it back out.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Liam responded as he put the metal back into the furnace. Liam felt his arms start to ache as sweat rolled down his face and arms. ¡°Ya don¡¯t want to hit the ingot when ya lose any heat because if ya do then ya can damage the object yer tryin to make,¡± Fia explained. ¡°Ya also don¡¯t want it to get past the bright yellow color because then it¡¯ll be too soft to form. Remember that.¡± Liam grunted an acknowledgement as he started feeling his muscles tighten. He quickly glanced at his stamina bar and saw it was under half. He then looked back at the ingot and saw the color reached bright yellow again. He pulled it back out and brought it to the anvil once more and started hammering away. He angled the ingot and made the top edge curve more than a regular dagger would. He worked his way towards the middle section of the ingot, continuing the curve. Once when he reached the bottom of the dagger Fia instructed, ¡°Now flip it over and strike it a few more times from top to bottom to make sure everything is evened out.¡± Liam nodded as he flipped it over. He continued to make the image in his mind take form with each swing. He watched the uneven parts start to even out and take the form he was imagining, except without a hilt part. ¡°If the form is what you wanted then place it into the water to cool it down some.,¡± Fia instructed, uncertain about the design Liam had made for the dagger. As Liam dipped it in steam started to sizzle off the water and bubble. Once when the bubbling stopped, he pulled it out and placed it on the anvil. Light smoke rose off the fully curved weapon.
¡°Curved Talon Dagger. Quality ¨C Crude. Unfinished.¡±
As Liam assessed the item, a chime sound echoed in his mind a few times.
¡°Congratulations! Weapon Crafting has been unlocked under Blacksmithing! Weapon Crafting is at level 1!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Crafting has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Endurance Sub-stat Crafter¡¯s Endurance has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 52%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Strength Sub-stat Power has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 34%!¡±
¡°Not bad for yer first try. Doesn¡¯t look like any dagger I¡¯ve ever seen before though,¡± Fia said. ¡°I was thinking about a curved dagger, but it came out more talon shaped than anything,¡± Liam stated as he stared at it. ¡°Talon shaped or not, it won¡¯t be able to do any damage till ya sand it down some to smooth the edges and then sharpen it,¡± Fia commented. ¡°Normally there¡¯s more steps you¡¯d have to do in order to forge a proper weapon, but in this world¡­this is all ya will need to get started on forming proper weapons. Advanced techniques for Above average and beyond will need more steps to get that kind of quality.¡± ¡°Got to love new rules for making things,¡± Liam muttered. He then asked, ¡°What kind of techniques are there for higher level smithing?¡± ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t say because higher level smithing is still beyond ya, but,¡± Fia started. ¡°I like yer attitude and yer commitment. I¡¯ll tell ya of a couple techniques that¡¯ll be very important later and that¡¯s Tempering and Folding. I won¡¯t say what they do, but when ya reach a certain level start practicing on as many weapons as ya can so you can create better weapons and armor.¡± ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Liam said with a nod. ¡°No problem,¡± Fia said with a smile. She then instructed, ¡°Go grab a piece of sandpaper and a sharpening stone. Grab some leather so ya can fashion a hilt together for it. After yer done with that we¡¯re starting all over again.¡± ¡°You got it ma¡¯am,¡± Liam said as he started walking. ¡°I¡¯ll show ya ma¡¯am if ye don¡¯t stop with that,¡± Fia playful threatened as she raised a hammer in the air causing Liam to jump up and run over to grab what he was told. Fia watched as he searched for the items she told him to get and let out a sigh. She then looked at the crude weapon before muttering with a little pride in her voice, ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a bad weapon¡­for a wee dagger.¡± Tutorial 22 - Our Conditions Liam struck a target dummy a few times. After his multiple strikes he took a step back and took a moment to catch his breath. He set his gaze upon his newest weapon he had made before leaving the smithy. It was curved like a talon and was sharp on the inside. He was able to shape an indent right below where the hilt and the blade met so his index finger could grip better. The hilt was made of leather and felt better than the bulky feel the other ones he had been using before. He had gotten lucky with it getting its quality to Poor instead of Crude. It wasn¡¯t the absolute best weapon, but it was a step up from his plain crude daggers. He had learned from Fia that there were different levels of qualities for weapons and armor. They were Crude, Poor, Average, Above Average, Well Crafted, Excellent, Superb, Masterwork, and Exalted. Fia had also taught him that anything below Average had a penalty placed on the object. The penalty made the object¡¯s stats less than it would be if it were at Average quality. The exact opposite would apply if an object was higher than Average quality. ¡°It¡¯s a step,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Just got to keep at it.¡± A chime sound echoed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Dagger has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 2%.¡±
Liam waved it away and then muttered, ¡°Just two more levels and then I can dual wield daggers.¡± More sounds of chimes echoed in his mind as a few more notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Agility has reached level 8!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Physical Practicality has reached level 6!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Recovery Sub-stat Stamina Recovery has reached level 10! +5% to recovering stamina!¡±
¡°Sweet,¡± Liam started as he stared at the last notification. ¡°That¡¯s nine Sub-stats that have reached level ten or higher.¡± He brought up a finger as he counted out. ¡°Speed, Power, Mental Resilience, Knowledge, Perception, Magic Practicality, Will Power, Zen, and now this.¡± After he waved the message away unconsciously, he looked around at the other people training. He watched as some of them were sweating while pushing their limits. Others talked leisurely with a friend or companion with the occasional laugh. A few were catching their breath while sitting and a few more were just relaxing. ¡°Comparing this to how things went the past couple of years, it feels¡­strange,¡± Liam muttered. A few images flew past his vision, too quick to see what they were. He shook his head to clear it. As he did so he felt a couple presences approach him from behind. He turned to see three individuals staring at him. It was two males and a female. One stood tall with oily slicked black hair and seedy blue eyes. He wore a grey shirt with a blue jean vest, black cargo shorts and black boots. The other male was about the same height as Liam. He had short blond hair, and an athletically fit body, like he had lifted a lot of weights before coming into this world. His jaded green eyes looked playful but held a predatory look within them. He wore a white shirt with short sleeves rolled up to show off his toned muscles, black shorts, and black boots. The female had blond and black hair held up in a short ponytail. Her icy blue eyes gazed condescendingly down at the male before her. She wore clothes in a similar fashion to her two companions, except she had a tank top on showing she had a sinewy built body. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°We want this spot, so get lost,¡± Theodore, the athletically built one, ordered with a distasteful look. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re finished here now get,¡± Mia said with her annoyingly high-pitched voice. Liam remembered the three from before when they tried bossing Roman out of his spot. He didn¡¯t know what it was about them, but their actions just annoyed him. If this was Earth, there wouldn¡¯t need to be any of this talking. It would be a dog eat dog¡¯s fight for the spot. Liam stopped himself from diving further into that mind set. He wasn¡¯t on Earth anymore. He could just fall back to the rules that heavily stained his soul and hands. Those last couple of years really did a number on him and he wanted to forget that way of living. Liam gave an even looked then sighed before saying, ¡°I was just finishing up so sure you three stooges can have it.¡± ¡°What did you call us?¡± Henry, the tallest one questioned. Liam waved a hand as he started walking away and said, ¡°Like I¡¯ve told you three before, I don¡¯t need petty little plebs causing me a headache.¡± ¡°What a minute,¡± Theodore started as he stared at Liam with a scowl. ¡°That¡¯s right you¡¯re one of Mercer¡¯s new lackeys aren¡¯t you.¡± Liam ignored him and continued walking, until Theodore added, ¡°You better hope I don¡¯t meet up with you with that sorry excuse for a sad sack Mercer after we all leave the Tutorial Area. Because when I catch him, I will make him my¡­¡± He started to say until Liam suddenly spun around and jolted for him but was stopped as Blair and Roman appeared grabbing his arms. Theodore noticed the fist inches away from his face and gulped with a wide-eyed look. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it Liam,¡± Blair stated as she glared at Theodore. ¡°Remember what you said before?¡± Roman asked, trying to hold back his dislike for the three. ¡°They¡¯re nothing, but small unnecessary distractions.¡± Liam¡¯s furious looking expression slowly disappeared as he pulled his fist back and started to recompose himself. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Roman and Blair eyed him before releasing their grip on him. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Liam suggested as he glared at the three before him and turned around. ¡°That¡¯s right. Run back to your master,¡± Theodore goaded. ¡°You three are nothing, but weak beings that follow a pathetic sniveling snobbish coddled master.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Henry agreed with a chuckle. Roman and Blair glowered as Liam questioned, ¡°Why are you doing this? I know you¡¯re grasping for something, but I¡¯m not sure what. What do you hope to achieve by doing this?¡± Theodore smiled as he said, ¡°I want to fight you. Specifically, I want to beat you so hard that you understand you¡¯re worthless and weak.¡± Something unfamiliar slowly stirred inside Liam bringing with it a familiar feeling. He recognized that feeling causing his blood to warm up. Liam tried to force it down, but Theodore¡¯s words echoed deep inside of him making the thing stirring fight back a bit harder. So, it all comes back to how it was over there. Liam thought as he failed to hold the frustration and annoyance down. A faint whisper tickled the back of his mind saying, If this guy wants to act all high and mighty then maybe it¡¯s time to show him who¡¯s truly worthless one. ¡°So, you want to assert dominance because you feel so weak?¡± Liam asked as he nodded. ¡°Okay, that make much more sense and more up to my speed of things. How do we do this?¡± Blair and Roman glanced over at him, shocked by Liam¡¯s readiness. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°There¡¯s an area in the back. We can have a match there without any worry of death so we can let loose. However, let¡¯s have a rule and a wager,¡± Theodore stated smugly. ¡°Oh? What are they?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Rule is no magic. Just weapons and physical attacks. If we win you will get on your knees and proclaim to everyone that you will disband Mercer from your group and that no one should have him in theirs,¡± Theodore demanded. Blair and Roman felt anger start to boil in their veins. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam agreed sounding unfazed. Theodore smiled malevolently. Liam, Blair and Roman turned and started for the arena in the back of the compound. ¡°Not that it matters, but what are you going to demand if you win?¡± Mia asked. Liam stopped, slowly turned his head, and said with a cold even voice, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we win.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ People crowded the seats around the small arena. They chattered as the six combatants gathered around on opposite sides. Blair placed her Helm of The Grave Keeper over her head then pulled out her sword and buckler. Her armor already dawned. She looked at Roman who wore shorts, a chain-linked vest over a black cotton shirt, and spiked gloves. She looked at Roman and questioned with a confused expression, ¡°What are you wearing?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wear that Mage beginner¡¯s robe set. It¡¯ll hinder my attacks and isn¡¯t meant for close combat,¡± Roman answered as he flexed his hands testing the fit of the gloves. ¡°This isn¡¯t much I know, but it¡¯s better for this style of fighting than that armor set.¡± Liam, wearing his Beginner¡¯s light armor set, stared at the opponents through his googles that covered his eyes. Theodore wore armor similar to Blair, but instead of wielding a shield and a sword, he gripped a long handled single sided axe that resembled a war axe. The handle was made from a red colored wood while the color of the giant blade was a crimson color. Liam assessed it. ¡°Crimson Lizard Broad Axe. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Quality ¨C Poor. + 2.5% against scaled and lizard type monsters.¡± He looked at Henry. Henry wore armor similar to him, but he wielded two daggers instead of one. ¡°Tch,¡± Liam clicked as he thought, ¡°He¡¯s already got his dagger skills to level ten.¡± As he looked at Mia who stood behind the two he noticed her armor was different and her weapon was a bow. She wore a tan hood over a white shirt. A quiver was strapped around her shoulder across to her right hip. Her tan leather boots hugged over her pants and ran up to her mid shins. He assessed her as well. ¡°Bowmen Beginner Armor set. Beginner gloves. Light Armor. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor +5. Beginner Cloth Sleeveless shirt. Cloth Armor. Armor +3. Beginner Cloth Cloak. Cloth Armor. Quality ¨C Poor. Armor + 3. Beginner pants. Quality ¨C Poor. Light Armor. Armor +5. Beginner boots. Quality ¨C Poor. Light Armor. Armor +5. Beginner Quiver. Quality ¨C Crude. Item rarity ¨C Common. Can hold up to 7 arrows at a time. Beginner Bow. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Quality ¨C Crude.¡± Liam looked back to Blair and Roman and stated, ¡°Looks like their formation will be two front liners and a ranged attacker.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Blair asked as she eyed them. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Roman questioned as he looked at Liam. ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not too sure about Theodore¡¯s or Mia¡¯s skills, but I do know that you need your Daggers to level ten in order to dual wield. Also, since Henry has the same armor as me, he¡¯s a dexterity build,¡± Liam started. ¡°You need a Sub-stat Power and Body Strength of ten to wield that weapon,¡± Blair informed. ¡°It was one of the weapons I was considering, so seeing it in action will be beneficial.¡± ¡°Why do you need both of those Sub-stats at level ten to wield it?¡± Roman asked. ¡°You need to have Body Strength in order to wield a heavier weapon than a sword, dagger, or any other smaller type weapon. Level ten is just the minimum to counter act the penalties, not only that you get the muscles needed to swing it better without spending so much stamina,¡± Blair explained. She glanced over at Theodore once more and then added, ¡°You need Power at level ten so you can do appropriate damage with it. So, without both those Sub-stats at least to that level you¡¯re just a weak person straining to swing a heavy object. Think of it like trying to pick a heavy rock. If you don¡¯t have the strength, then you can hurt yourself from the strain. ¡°Ah, ok now I see,¡± Roman said. ¡°So that¡¯s the difference between the two Sub-Stats Power and Body Strength. That makes sense.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°So that leaves Mia as an unknown. For now, try and dodge her attacks.¡± Liam looked at Blair and asked, ¡°If need be, can we jump behind you to support us from the arrows?¡± ¡°I can do my best but no promises,¡± Blair replied. ¡°Alright, if I can I¡¯ll try to throw some daggers her way to offset her. Roman, can you take Henry?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°My speed and Agility might not be up to par, but I can at least distract him,¡± Roman stated. ¡°Ok, at the start I¡¯ll hang back and instruct what to do until I get a feel for the flow of the fight. Does that work?¡± Liam asked. Blair and Roman nodded as Theodore yelled out, ¡°Are you done planning how you¡¯re going to lose?¡± The three glared at Theodore as they readied themselves. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re done planning,¡± Roman started as he cracked his knuckles. ¡°But it isn¡¯t us who¡¯s going to lose.¡± Henry and Mia let out a laugh. ¡°Tough talk for a shortie,¡± Henry commented. Roman¡¯s eyes narrowed. He then said with a thick lace of fury building in his voice, ¡°Forget what I said earlier. I want to take him down.¡± Liam nodded as he said evenly, ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°Ready!¡± a voice shouted. All six combatants nodded with affirmation. ¡°Fight!¡± Roman and Blair raced forward as Henry and Theodore charged. Mia pulled an arrow out from her quiver and aimed it at Liam. After steadying her hand, she released it. The arrow flew between her two companions and sailed forward, but was deflected as Blair swatted her buckler against it. Mia clicked her tongue sounding annoyed. Liam watched as Henry swiped one dagger down in a forty-degree angle at Roman with his right hand. Roman side stepped out of the way before dropping down to his knees to dodge the other dagger from striking him at a ninety-degree horizontal angle. After the dagger passed over his head, Roman stood back up and struck Henry in the stomach, making him take a step back. Liam turned his gaze to Blair who parried the axe strike, guiding it over her head. Before she could counter strike, Theodore brought a foot up and kicked her solar plexus making her let out a cough and take a step back. As Blair faltered backwards, Theodore swung his axe behind his head and swung down as hard as he could. Blair jumped to her right to dodge it, then took a step forward to strike. Liam caught Mia nock an arrow back, aiming for Blair. ¡°Incoming attack from your two o¡¯clock Blair!¡± Liam shouted. Blair ignored the warning as she continued her strike. Liam then watched the arrow zoom towards Blair¡¯s head. Before the arrow could collide, the vines hanging behind Blair¡¯s neck came to life and formed a small shield big enough to stop the attack. ¡°What the hell!¡± Mia shouted then complained, ¡°We agreed to no magic! You should forfeit due to cheating!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not magic, but an armor skill,¡± Blair grinned as she rushed towards Theodore to shoulder chuck him. Theodore swung his axe horizontally as hard as he could crashing it into Blair¡¯s buckler, making the attack attempt stop. The momentum of his strike hitting her buckler made her slide across the dirt. Liam looked back at Roman and saw Henry land a two-hit combo across Roman¡¯s chest. Liam went to take a step in that direction until Roman shouted, ¡°I¡¯ve got this! Just focus on your task.¡± Liam nodded before stating, ¡°He leads with his right hand. Be careful of feints.¡± Roman grinned. ¡°Got it!¡± After Liam said that, he swiftly jumped into a roll to his right, dodging an arrow. ¡°What the hell!¡± Mia shouted feeling frustrated. ¡°These guys should be easy picking for you Mia,¡± Theodore growled as he swung his axe vertically, missing his attack as Blair parried it to her left. ¡°What are you doing over there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing the best I can!¡± Mia shouted as she grabbed another arrow. ¡°You should have overpowered them by now Theo!¡± She knocked it back and aimed for Roman. ¡°One O¡¯clock incoming Roman!¡± Liam barked. The arrow flew fast. Roman jumped to his right but was still grazed by it. A thin red line formed as a crimson liquid slowly trickled out of the wound. Theodore let out an angry yell as he spun around and charged Roman while swinging his weapon over his head. Liam saw Theodore charge as Henry pincered Roman from the front. ¡°Crap! Roman, attack coming from the front and back!¡± Liam shouted. Blair rushed to get beside Theodore but couldn¡¯t reach the area she needed to be in to block the attack. Liam watched Roman give a small smile as he surprisingly spun his right foot in a circle behind him and stopped on the other side of his other foot, pivoting his body to narrowly dodge the powerful strike. The axe came crashing down on top of Henry, making him immobile for the rest of the fight as his body flashed red. Shell-shocked by what happened, Theodore and Mia stared at Henry. Liam saw the opportunity and shouted as he started sprinting, ¡°Blair! Shield up!¡± Without hesitating, Blair raised the buckler horizontally above her head. Liam jumped and used it as a springboard to launch himself into the air and started throwing dagger after dagger from his inventory drilling them into Mia. After the fifth successful dagger penetrated her skin, she dropped to her knees being taken out of the fight as her body flashed red as well. Theodore snapped out of his confusion and was about to swing his axe around, but was a moment too late as Liam gripped the small amount of blond hair Theodore had, pulled his head back and plunged his dagger into his neck. Theodore let out a silent scream as his body flashed red indicating he was no longer able to fight. Before Liam released Theodore¡¯s hair, he gripped it harder and tugged his ear next to his mouth and whispered in a low tone laced with thick anger, ¡°Our conditions for winning are¡­you don¡¯t come near my crew ever again. Because if you do I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.¡± He then flung Theodore¡¯s head away from him watching it land face first into the dirt. Liam took a couple of breaths in and then out. He then looked at the crowd and noticed Mercer, Aryana, Avery, and Artem looking at them. The unfamiliar thing that was stirring inside Liam dissipated allowing panic to suddenly replace itself inside him. As the panic started to grow a few images flashed before his eyes. His breathing began to quicken a bit before he took a shaky breath. Trying to keep a calm composure he then looked at Blair and Roman and stated, ¡°I¡¯m going to get out of here. I¡¯ll catch you guys later.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Blair said as she put her buckler away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Roman questioned as he saw Liam jog away. Confused by Liam¡¯s actions, both Roman and Blair stared at each other. ¡°What was that about?¡± Blair asked with confusion. ¡°Who knows,¡± Roman replied with a shrug. ¡°Maybe he needed to poop?¡± Blair looked at him with a bit of disgust on her face. ¡°I think I¡¯ll tell Ariyana that you need more lessons on your talking habits.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Roman stated with widened eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything bad though. That was a logical guess.¡± ¡°One that probably should have been kept to yourself,¡± Blair replied as she walked over to where Liam¡¯s daggers were. As she picked up the daggers, she noticed the design. She had both interest and respect for the design, but a frown still won over her face. With a thought she mentally added, I¡¯m going to need to have a talk with him about leaving his stuff on the ground. Tutorial 23 - That kind of Responsibility is Expensive Liam sprinted out of the Arena. While he ran, images flashed through his mind as the people and buildings started to blur around him. Undistinguishable noises echoed in a teasing knowing way. As he turned a corner, he collided into someone. ¡°Ow!¡± A feminine voice shouted, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going as¡­Liam?¡± Breathing heavily from the sprint and the fight, Liam felt a small wave of clarity as if whatever was affecting him washed away. A couple of chimes echoed as notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience Doubt has reached level 5!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience Confusion has reached level 6!¡±
¡°Confusion and Doubt?¡± Liam muttered quietly as he shook his head and he thought, Was I mentally attacked? He then looked at who he had ran into and apologized, ¡°Sorry Alicia. I don¡¯t know what came over me there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± Alicia smiled wryly. ¡°You just owe me for running into a delicate flower such as myself.¡± Liam rolled his eyes as he asked, ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you were doing a dungeon floor run?¡± ¡°My team and I were getting ready to until we heard a fight had started and was being taken to the arena,¡± Alicia began. ¡°When I saw that you were one of the combatants, I knew I had to see this. I didn¡¯t know you were a dagger wielder too. That was bad ass the way you guided your team and how you won that fight! We¡¯ll need to spar some time so we can exchange pointers.¡± ¡°Oh¡­thanks,¡± Liam started as he thought about the fight. Alicia gave a concerned look as she added, ¡°Are you alright? I saw how you ran out of there. I was actually on my way to find you to see if you were okay.¡± He looked at her. He then said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened, but I just received a level up on my Doubt and Confusion Mental Resilience. I think someone used a magic debuff on me after the fight.¡± Alicia gave a wide-eyed look at him. ¡°Are you serious? That¡¯s messed up!¡± ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°But then again, I¡¯m not sure if they did it out of spite or if they saw an opportunity to use it since¡­¡± ¡°Since what?¡± Alicia asked, curious on what he was going to say, but waiting for him to say it. ¡°Nothing¡­,¡± Liam started as he let out a breath of air. ¡°Let¡¯s just say the last couple of years on my old planet weren¡¯t the best. It¡­left a kind of mental scar you¡¯d say.¡± Alicia felt her body slump as she said, ¡°I can understand that. My old planet, Earth, had an apocalyptic environment for a couple of years before it.¡± She made a squishing and then a boom noise as her hands closed then expanded out to emphasis what happened to the planet. ¡°Wait,¡± Liam stated with a startle as his eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re from Earth too?¡± Realization appeared on Alicia¡¯s face as she asked, ¡°You too?!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Liam exclaimed as he let out a small chuckle. ¡°No wonder your tank top looked familiar.¡± Alicia let out a laugh of her own. She then asked, ¡°Are your teammates¡­¡± Liam shook his head, not letting her finish. ¡°No, they¡¯re all from different planets.¡± ¡°Damn, that must be tough,¡± Alicia commented. ¡°Not really,¡± Liam said with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s a bit refreshing since they don¡¯t know¡­let¡¯s just say they don¡¯t ask about past things. Instead we look towards the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. My whole team is from Earth so we¡¯re all kind of wary of each other,¡± Alicia said. Liam grimaced. ¡°Sorry.¡± Alicia shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s whatever. It¡¯ll make more sense to them now that I know you came from our planet.¡± She then stated, ¡°You should go meet up with your teammates I think I heard a couple say they were concerned.¡± Liam looked down before saying, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to cool off before meeting up with them.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good idea. Collect your thoughts before seeing them,¡± Alicia suggested. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go head out now.¡± ¡°Alright. Be safe,¡± Liam said. Alicia gave him a teasing smile as she mocked, ¡°What? Do you think I can¡¯t handle myself?¡± Liam let out a laugh as he said, ¡°Your scrawny butt looks like it can¡¯t fight itself out of a plastic bag.¡± Alicia gave an affronted look before lightly punching his arm. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I am deadly in my own right.¡± ¡°Oh, I know. I¡¯ve seen those poisonous clouds fuming out of that room,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Good. At least you know,¡± Alicia crossed her arms. After a moment she released her arms and stretched her right arm with a fist and said, ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later.¡± Liam bumped her fist with one of his own as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later.¡± As she walked away and disappeared into the crowd he leaned back against the wall and tilted his head back. He placed a hand over his eyes and thought to himself, Maybe the looks on their faces weren¡¯t what I was thinking¡­.Not the time to waste on it. I¡¯ll just take it head on. He then slowly walked into the crowd and made his way to the next destination on his growing list of things to do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam let out a breath of air as he opened his eyes slowly. He relaxed his meditation posture as he looked around the bedroom inn he was using. On a small table in the corner of the room sat large flat bottomed vials of light green liquids. A notebook rested close to the edge. Clothes were scattered across the floor. Surrounding him on the bed were books. A couple were wide open while the others were closed. He breathed in once more and held it. He could feel his heart thump against his chest. After a moment he let it out and then leaned back against the wall. He felt his hair move around freely against the shaved sides of his head. Images of the fight played back in his mind. He thought about the sensations he felt right before, during, and after. He shook his head feeling his hair sway a bit. He then muttered to himself, ¡°This place isn¡¯t there. I¡¯m not there anymore. I can afford to...¡± An unidentifiable image flashed before his eyes. A sudden pain in his heart thumped causing him to grip his chest. As quickly as the pain came it disappeared. He took in a gasp of air as he muttered in a low voice, ¡°What the hell?¡± A knock echoed from the door. Liam stared at it. Not sure who it could be. Another knock echoed as a familiar voice called out, ¡°Liam? You in there?¡± Liam slowly got up, tied his hair in a short ponytail and walked to the door. As he opened it, he saw Avery and Artem. ¡°Hey what¡¯s up?¡± Liam asked as he looked at them. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Hey man,¡± Artem greeted with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re about to meet up with the others for dinner and wanted to see if you were going to join us?¡± Liam looked at his internal clock and saw it was 6:30 p.m. Liam nodded as he responded, ¡°Yeah, give me a minute to clean up.¡± ¡°Sure, can we come in?¡± Avery asked as she eyed him. Liam hesitated before saying, ¡°Yeah. Sorry about the mess though.¡± Artem and Avery stepped in and saw the contents of the room. ¡°You call this a mess?¡± Artem commented. He let out a short laugh as he added, ¡°If you do then my room must be a pigpen.¡± He then walked over to the small table in the corner and looked at the vials with flat bottoms sitting freely while the rounded bottom vials rested in test tube racks. As Liam started picking up the clothes off the ground Avery walked up to the bed and looked at the books spread out. She picked one up and read the title, ¡°Tactics of a Control Tower.¡± Liam saw her looking at the book. He then stated, ¡°I found that one at a stall earlier today.¡± Avery looked at him and asked, ¡°Is it the one by the cloth stall?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah, the older gentleman who is running it was really nice.¡± ¡°Is he? I¡¯ve been wanting to check it out, but thought the library would be a better place for Knowledge Theories,¡± Avery stated as she opened the book and read the Index. ¡°The library is a good place for free books to borrow, but there are some books you can¡¯t get there. Like that one for example,¡± Liam informed as he pointed at the book. ¡°Dude, what are these?¡± Artem asked as he pointed at the vials. Liam and Avery turned to see what he was asking about. ¡°Those are some extraction experiments I¡¯m testing out,¡± Liam replied as he took off his shirt. Avery quickly averted her eyes as he did this with a light blush forming on her cheeks. She let out a cough as he changed into a light blue tank top and said, ¡°The others are waiting for us. Before we go, I wanted to ask if you were alright?¡± Liam looked at her as she looked at him. He then turned his gaze to Artem who was giving him a look of concern. He let out a sigh as he replied, ¡°Yeah. Someone hit me with a debuff and it didn¡¯t wear off for a bit. I¡¯m fine though.¡± ¡°A debuff? Who would do something like that?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone use any magic after or during your fight,¡± Artem added as he looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but it messed with me for bit. After it lifted, I just figured it was best to focus on getting some things done instead of running back.¡± Avery eyed him for a moment. ¡°I can understand that. As long as you¡¯re fine that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Artem said. He then looked like he was staring at something off at the distance and stated, ¡°We should head out now. The others are probably waiting for us.¡± ¡°Alright let¡¯s head out,¡± Liam said as they left the room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music and beautiful voices enchanted the air giving off a festive feel to the area. The giant glow stone above had already faded as light red, orange, yellow, and light blue colors emanated off of smaller glow stones hanging from the scaffolds of buildings. They gave off a lantern feel as you stared at them. Artem, Avery, and Liam walked down a people filled road, trying to make their way to their destination. Men and women stood on small boxes entertaining crowds while they danced, played instruments, or sang. Their rhythmic and melodic talents pulled in random people walking by. The three appeared in front of a red wooden building with two long windows expanding on both sides of an open door. A folding sign sat next the door with pictures of different foods with their names and prices. The name of the establishment was written above the menu saying, The Dancing Baboon. As they walked in, they saw the building was full of people sitting at tables or walking around carrying a small circular serving tray with drinks and food. A hand raised up from the sea of people catching their attention from the back corner of the room. It was Aryana waving with a wide smile on her face. As they approached the table, they each took an empty seat. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°We didn¡¯t think you guys would make it.¡± ¡°It was a pain trying to get here,¡± Avery stated as she teasingly added, ¡°Liam couldn¡¯t pick a more further inn could he.¡± ¡°Sounds like a bet,¡± Liam smiled back. Avery and Aryana let out a laugh. ¡°After what happened today I don¡¯t think anyone would want to make a bet with you,¡± Aryana commented good naturedly. Liam¡¯s smile evened out as he looked at Mercer who was sitting across from him. Mercer stared at him as he said, ¡°They told me what happened. Thank you. You didn¡¯t have to do that.¡± Hesitating, Liam thought how to respond. After thinking it over he decided to say what he would say to anyone, ¡°I don¡¯t have to anything. I chose to.¡± Mercer smiled. ¡°Thank you again.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me for something that should be obvious. We¡¯re a team. Regardless of if it¡¯s kind of a temp thing,¡± Liam started as he looked over at Avery. Avery formed a smile as she chuckled a bit. ¡°One thing any of you will learn about me is,¡± Liam started as he looked at each of them. ¡°I can handle people trying to put me down, get under my skin, or plain attack me. Mess with my friends though, then that¡¯s a whole different story.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ariyana started with a raised brow. ¡°Do you view us as your friends?¡± Liam looked at each of them one by one. He thought it over for a good long minute and said, ¡°I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure yet¡­¡± Ariyana was about to make a comment, but Liam finished by saying, "But I¡¯d like to. I don¡¯t know you guys fully. I don¡¯t know all your stories, but one day I would. After spending this small amount of time both here and in the dungeon, I can say if you guys view me as a friend, I¡¯d be more than honored. If you don¡¯t then I¡¯ll still be happy with having the chance of getting to spend this time with you all.¡± Everyone stared at him. Smiles started forming as a couple of them turned away. Roman grabbed two small shot glass looking cups, stood up and walked over to Liam. He had an even expression on his face as he said, ¡°That was so sappy I could puke.¡± Liam let out a laugh as Roman placed one of the shot glasses in front of him and added with an impish smile, ¡°However, I¡¯m glad one of us said what I didn¡¯t know how to.¡± He then looked at the others and raised the other shot glass up while shouting, ¡°Cheers to making new friends!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± the others shouted in agreement as they drank the alcohol. Liam grimaced at the taste as it burned down his throat. He let out a cough as he said, ¡°Jesus!¡± ¡°What the hell did you make us drink?¡± Artem asked. ¡°It¡¯s a local specialty called Fool Proof,¡± Blair answered as she set her glass down. ¡°Well, the name fits because only a fool would drink it,¡± Ariyana stated. A mischievous grin formed as she asked, ¡°Who wants another?¡± The others laughed as they raised their hands. ¡°We should probably order some food before we get drunk,¡± Artem commented with a look of worry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry sweetie, I already ordered some food. I wasn¡¯t sure what everyone wanted so I ordered what I guessed you¡¯d like,¡± Ariyana replied. ¡°I put my faith in your hands,¡± Liam said. ¡°So, I have to say,¡± Avery started as she changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯m impressed with how your fight went.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Artem agreed. He looked at Liam and he added, ¡°I was going to ask earlier but we were in a hurry. How did you pull off both strategizing and fighting?¡± Liam looked at Avery then at Artem before answering, ¡°I¡¯m studying a Knowledge Theory called Tactics of a Control Tower. It talks about surveying the area, your opponents, and your teammates. By catching little habits your opponents do, like the way they move, their attack patterns then you can create a counter strategy or find ways to use their habits against them.¡± ¡°Is that why you said something about Henry leading off with his right hand and to look out for feints?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°Yeah, I noticed he always started an attack with his right hand and some of those attacks were just diversions for his left hand,¡± Liam replied. Mercer nodded as he listened. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting way to fight. I wouldn¡¯t have thought about that.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Ariyana jumped in. ¡°You guys had us on the edge of our seats.¡± ¡°I almost yelled at you to watch out when that arrow shot for your head,¡± Artem said as he looked at Blair. ¡°I totally forgot about your helmet¡¯s ability.¡± ¡°Not only that, but I thought for sure you were going to get hit by Theodore¡¯s axe when he and Henry pincered you,¡± Ariyana added as she looked at Roman. ¡°Yeah, where did you learn how to dodge like that?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I picked up some tricks training with Liam,¡± Roman stated smugly. ¡°I also saw you use our attack maneuver from that boss fight on them,¡± Avery smiled wickedly. ¡°I wanted to see if it could work in other situations,¡± Liam shrugged as a waitress arrived with some interesting looking dishes full of chicken-like meat, rice and a local variety of beans. There were also bowls of salads with cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers with a local dressing. They stared at the food as it was placed in front of them. Liam could smell the spices and herbs mixed in with the food. He heard as much as he felt his stomach grumble. ¡°Ariyana,¡± He called out as she lifted her head to look at him. He gave her a smile as he said, ¡°It looks like my faith in you is paying off.¡± He then dove into the delicious smelling food. After they were done eating the music started to grow in volume. It was a bouncy dance style making a few people get up and walk to an open area. ¡°What do you guys say we go and dance,¡± Ariyana asked as she lit up. ¡°I¡¯m down,¡± Avery said as she stood up. ¡°Me too,¡± Blair joined in. ¡°What about you boys?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Artem started as Roman stood up. ¡°Screw it. I¡¯m in,¡± Roman said. Everyone looked at him, shocked. ¡°What?¡± He asked. ¡°I like to dance.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Artem caved in as he stood up too. They looked at Liam and Mercer. ¡°I¡¯ll join soon. I need to let this food settle before I start showing off any moves,¡± Liam stated with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll chill with Liam for a bit before joining,¡± Mercer answered. ¡°Alright, you better come join,¡± Aryana teasingly said as she started moving her hips rhythmically while leading the others to the dance floor. After they left Mercer stood up and walked to a free seat next to Liam and sat down. He looked at him and said, ¡°I know you said I don¡¯t need to thank you, but I¡¯ll say it again.¡± He gave Liam a meaningful smile as he added, ¡°Thank you.¡± Liam waved a hand to dismiss it. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any friends. Real friends back in my old world,¡± Mercer started. ¡°People acted friendly with me because of my parents, but they weren¡¯t genuine.¡± Liam stared at him as he continued to listen. ¡°When I heard you took the duel because of what Theodore said,¡± Mercer continued, ¡°It meant a lot. Also, when the others told me what you demanded as your winnings I¡­I still don¡¯t know what to say. How can I ever repay you?¡± Liam stared at him for a long moment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to repay me. I didn¡¯t like how he talked about you. You don¡¯t deserve to be treated like that. I just did what I felt was right. That was all to it. Just know¡­from here on out I have your back.¡± Liam saw a tear start to form on the side of Mercer¡¯s left eye. Before he or Mercer could say something, Avery and Ariyana ran up to them and pulled them to their feet. ¡°Come on you two. We need the full crew to let loose tonight!¡± Ariyana giggled. ¡°Are you drunk?¡± Liam asked with a smile. ¡°What if I am? Are you going to take responsibility for my buzz going away waiting for you both to join us?¡± Ariyana gave him a challenging look. Liam lifted both hands up as he shook his head and said, ¡°Hell no. That kind of responsibility is expensive.¡± Ariyana smiled and let out a laugh. ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad you understand that. Now come join us!¡± Tutorial 24 - Shush You Liam sat comfortably at a table enjoying the light emanating from the giant Yooperlite stone hanging from the roof of the cavern. He listened to the people walking by one by one or in twos or threes. His thoughts began to wander as random thing popped in. How do the Yooperlite stones work? Why do I feel like I¡¯m under the sun while inside this sealed off location? He thought. Then his thoughts turned to something else as a flash back from the night before appeared. A frown formed. What exactly was that last shot? It tasted a lot like cheap Vodka. ¡°What¡¯s with that sour faced look?¡± Ariyana asked as she took a seat across from him. Liam shook his head as he responded, ¡°Nothing was thinking about something.¡± ¡°Must have been something bad to make that face,¡± Mercer stated as he took a seat next to her. Roman, Avery, and Blair let out a groan as they took a seat and covered their faces with their arms on the table. Artem took a seat next to Liam and gave him a nod for a greeting. ¡°To be honest if anyone has a sour face it¡¯s those three,¡± Liam chuckled slightly as he pointed to Avery, Blair, and Roman. ¡°Someone is on Ariyana duty when we drink,¡± Avery said as she let out a burp. ¡°Woo, excuse me.¡± Mercer laughed before looking at Ariyana and asked, ¡°Where did you learn that saying from?¡± ¡°What saying?¡± Ariyana asked innocently. ¡°The Sun is down but our Spirits are high. Last one to finish, is the Next one to buy,¡± Liam recited. ¡°No!¡± Blair, Avery, and Roman shouted as they looked at him with panicked expressions. Ariyana, Liam, and Mercer rolled at their reaction. ¡°It was something we used to say back at the bar my friends and I used to visit on my old world,¡± Ariyana responded. ¡°How are you guys fine?¡± Roman asked sounding annoyed as he leaned back on his chair. ¡°I¡¯m a heavy drinker,¡± Ariyana winked. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink all night like you guys,¡± Mercer answered. ¡°I paced myself,¡± Liam replied nonchalantly. ¡°I really don¡¯t know,¡± Artem said with a shrug. ¡°Ugh, I hate you all,¡± Blair groaned. ¡°After some food you should feel better,¡± Mercer started. ¡°After we eat, we¡¯ll discuss what our next step is and where we¡¯re at.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan, ¡°Liam said as he looked over the menu. ¡°Before I forget,¡± Mercer added as he reached into his inventory. ¡°Blair and Roman grabbed these after you ran. I have to say the way their shaped is very interesting.¡± Liam looked to see him pull out the daggers he threw at Mia during the fight. ¡°Oh these?¡± Liam asked as he placed them back into his inventory. ¡°They¡¯re just the trial models I worked on yesterday morning. Their Crude Talon Curved Daggers. Once when I level up my Weapon Smithing, I¡¯ll be able to add better designs and make them¡­less crude.¡± ¡°That last part was very articulate,¡± Avery smirked as she rested her head on her arm. Liam narrowed his eyes and commented back as he pointed at her, ¡°Shush you.¡± ¡°Still, I¡¯m amazed that you even thought to make them like this,¡± Mercer started back up. ¡°Many of the freshly crude weapons all look the same boring design. Have you made anything else that doesn¡¯t fit the same design status quo pro?¡± Liam gave him a slight smile as he replied vaguely, ¡°Maybe I have¡­maybe I haven¡¯t. Speaking of which, have you restocked out potion supply?¡± ¡°I was about to do that today,¡± Mercer answered as he eyed him. ¡°I figured I¡¯d also get some antidote potions, and some others while I¡¯m doing it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the Health Potions. I¡¯ve got us covered there,¡± Liam stated with a smug look. ¡°Oh?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Did you make them or buy them?¡± ¡°If I said I made them would drink them?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Roman and Blair said in unison. Liam gave a mock hurt expression as he scoffed and said, ¡°Well fine. No potions for you.¡± The group let out a good-natured laugh. ¡°Come on let¡¯s eat we got a lot to talk about,¡± Mercer stated as he called out for a waitress. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Oh man¡­I feel so much better,¡± Roman said as he let out a long deep burp. Avery and Ariyana stared at him with an aghast look. ¡°What?¡± Roman asked. Mercer shook his head. ¡°Ok, now that we have our bellies full. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam started. ¡°What did you find out?¡± ¡°So, it turns out each floor gets a little harder like you thought,¡± Mercer began. ¡°As we take on more floors more E.F.M.¡¯s appears. The number floor determines how many big monsters are there.¡± ¡°So, Floor two, one E.F.M., one Floor Boss. Floor three, two E.F.M.¡¯s., one Floor boss?¡± Roman asked. Mercer nodded. ¡°Great, that Withered Treant was tough, now we essentially have to fight two of them on the next floor then three and so on?¡± Artem asked. ¡°It won¡¯t be the Withered Treant we come across,¡± Mercer said. ¡°I have come to the decision that our dungeon is¡­different.¡± The others stared at him. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Explain,¡± Blair inquired as she stared at him intently. ¡°So, I asked the others, that are tackling the same dungeon, about their experiences on the second floor. Each stated their portal was at the end of the dirt road where the Floor Boss was.¡± Mercer said as he waited for them to understand what he was saying. A moment passed before their eyes widened. ¡°But our portal appeared in the ground where the Floor Boss was at in the graveyard¡­,¡± Artem said breaking the silence. ¡°Yup,¡± Mercer agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we found a secret area or something, but ours will be both fundamentally and widely different than the other groups assigned to the Black Dungeon. Going forward we will need to be very careful because we will be going blind.¡± Artem threw his hands up. ¡°Great. Just great. I should be happy, but I¡¯m not.¡± Liam had a hand over his mouth as he began to think. Mercer looked at him and stated, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Liam turned to look at him. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not what I was thinking.¡± ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Avery asked. Liam shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t have enough to form a theory.¡± They looked at him. ¡°That being said. How is everyone with making their changes? Did you all get to where you wanted to be before we attempt another run?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I¡¯ll need a couple pieces of gear to make a sloppy attempt of what I¡¯m going for, but as for my magic and solidifying a base for fighting I should be good,¡± Roman replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure you noticed from that fight yesterday, but I¡¯m going to help out in the front lines. I can still use spells so I can switch between the two depending on the fights.¡± Liam pulled out a notebook and started writing notes. Mercer noticed it and gave a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ve worked on my magic enough to be able to use it. I can help with buffs and debuffs along with the two Arcane attack spells I have, but as for a fighting style I haven¡¯t really worked one out because I haven¡¯t figured out a weapon I¡¯m interested in yet,¡± Ariyana joined in. ¡°However, I can take another look after the next run. I don¡¯t want to rush it.¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°After that fight yesterday, I bought a crude Great Axe and practiced with it,¡± Blair chimed in. ¡°I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m going to forgo the sword and shield defender style and go with a more damage dealing style Defender. I know it might be a bit unorthodox and I might be a little slower though. I¡¯m still rough with my foundation so I won¡¯t be too effective.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as unorthodox as you think,¡± Liam commented as he continued writing. ¡°It brings diversity to the group. The more damage you can do in front as a defender the more you will catch its attention towards you. That will help the attackers to be able to attack more without any issues. Also, with the slow attack speed it, Artem can use taunt like abilities to get the monster¡¯s attention as you get ready to hit it again.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Blair muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it like that.¡± ¡°Also, Blair, I unlocked my Gravity magic and I have some ideas we can try out in the dungeon. I wrote them down in a notebook I¡¯d like you to check out and tell me what you think,¡± Liam remembered as he pulled out a notebook and handed to her. ¡°I wrote some ideas down to and wanted you to see what you thought,¡± Blair said as she traded her notebook with his. ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Liam smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on something I think can help as well as other things so I¡¯m good to¡­try,¡± Artem said. ¡°I¡¯ve also got my healing magic and I got a mace yesterday and worked on leveling my weapon skill on it. I can¡¯t do a lot of healing yet, but I can manage during the fight. However, for heavier attacks I won¡¯t be able to replenish you quickly. Some healing abilities also require me to get closer so if you¡¯re far away I¡¯ll have to run to you. ¡°I should be at a level where I can be a bit more versatile on the field,¡± Avery nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing with Fire, Water, and Wind magic so I can use different abilities for different situations.¡± ¡°I decided on using a bow to be able to do more damage from the back when I¡¯m not using my bard abilities,¡± Mercer informed. ¡°Like Aryana I have a couple buff and debuff abilities, but I can also use some attack spells. However, they are mana hungry. Right now, I can use a couple of spells only twice during a fight before I have to drink a potion.¡± ¡°Duly noted,¡± Liam said as he wrote it down. ¡°What about you?¡± Avery asked. Liam looked up from his notebook and asked, ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡¯m not at the level I want to be with my dagger, but I¡¯m close to it. As you guys know from yesterday, I tried figuring out ways I can be helpful with. As a non-combat class, I don¡¯t get to pack that extra oomph like you guys can. I¡¯m almost at a level with my Alchemy where I can test some things out, but for now I focused on fixing some¡­distractions.¡± Liam grinned as a thought popped up. ¡°That¡¯s not creepy at all,¡± Roman remarked. ¡°Does one of those ways have to do with that Knowledge Theory you were talking about last night?¡± Aryana questioned. Liam shook his head still holding that grin. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been thinking about strategies and positioning of the team. I¡¯ll need to get a list of what you can do so I can readjust some things and come up with some plans. If you guys are alright with?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine,¡± Artem and Avery said. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Ariyana smiled. ¡°Alright,¡± Roman and Blair stated. Liam stared at them as they answered without hesitation. ¡°Why the confused look?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Well, I guess I didn¡¯t think you all would be willing to share stuff like that,¡± Liam replied. ¡°You¡¯re our strategist. Our Control Tower. If we plan on getting through fights, it¡¯s only natural you¡¯d need to know what we can do to make the best use of us. To create the best possible outcomes in battles,¡± Mercer explained as he handed him a notebook. ¡°I¡¯ve already got a list of everyone¡¯s current spells and abilities.¡± Liam eyed him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be impressed or worried. It¡¯s almost like you knew I would ask.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Mercer smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a sly one, Mr. Mercer,¡± Liam said with a little laugh. ¡°It¡¯s like you know me,¡± Mercer said while keeping that smile. He then looked at the others. ¡°Anyways, it sounds like we¡¯re ready to attempt another run. What do you guys think? Do we try today?¡± ¡°I suggest we don¡¯t,¡± Liam argued. ¡°I say we work on some things to get a little more foundation with our current skills and weapons then get some rest. Late tomorrow morning or afternoon is when I think we should try it. Especially since we¡¯ve got three lightweights that still need more rest.¡± ¡°Hey now!¡± Roman and Avery quickly said with a glare. The others laughed. ¡°That sounds like a good plan,¡± Mercer said. ¡°That being said you should also take it easy today as well.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°You¡¯ve been working as hard or even harder. I know you¡¯ve been busting your ass off at the Smithy and Alchemy Lab. Have you picked up another craft on top of that?¡± Mercer questioned as he stared at him. ¡°I¡¯ve been working just as hard as everyone else has. No more no less,¡± Liam stated. ¡°And not yet. I was thinking about¡­¡± ¡°Idea rejected,¡± Avery said. Liam quickly looked at her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°After getting a good look at your room and seeing those daggers, you clearly have been putting in more hours than the rest of us,¡± Avery replied with a stern look. ¡°I agree. If the potions you¡¯ve made are on a different scale like these daggers, then you need to focus on these for now,¡± Mercer said with a concerned look. ¡°Besides, when do you sleep? I keep hearing about how the others see you from morning to night all over the place.¡± ¡°I get plenty of sleep thank you very much,¡± Liam interjected. ¡°Besides these daggers are just crude quality. They aren¡¯t on some figurative scale you made up to make them sound better than they are.¡± Mercer and Avery gave him a concerned look without saying anything. ¡°Fine, I try to get a little more sleep than I usually do, but I won¡¯t hear any complaints if my contributions to tomorrow¡¯s dungeon run is minuscule,¡± Liam grumbled. ¡°We need you to be in top condition tomorrow to lead us in battle,¡± Mercer said with a caring tone. ¡°Yeah Mr. Control Tower. You need to be able to focus so you can guide us minions properly like that weird game of chess,¡± Roman stated. Everyone looked at him dumbfoundedly. ¡°What?¡± Roman asked. Blair brought a hand to her forehead as she corrected, ¡°Those are called pawns. Not minions.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Roman stated. ¡°I don¡¯t like the term pawn, so I used minion.¡± ¡°Even though they are technically the same thing, it¡¯s still best to use the correct term when talking about chess,¡± Avery said. ¡°Or do you want to lose to me again for the thirty-eth time.¡± ¡°Nope, I¡¯m good,¡± Roman quickly said. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing, I hate more than losing, it¡¯s losing to you. Somehow you make it feel like I¡¯m just a bratty child when I lose to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you can be a bratty child when you lose,¡± Avery smiled wickedly. Liam looked at Mercer then Blair as he asked, ¡°Did I miss something?¡± ¡°Nothing worth mentioning,¡± Blair answered. Mercer was about to say something until Blair swatted his arm and repeated, ¡°Nothing worth mentioning.¡± Surprising everyone, Artem answered, ¡°She beat everyone here who¡¯s challenged her, very badly. The only ones she hasn¡¯t played yet is me, because I refuse to, and you.¡± ¡°Artem!¡± Blair said as she gaped at him. Artem shrugged as he said, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Liam let out a laugh. ¡°Once when we get out, I have to play her then.¡± ¡°You can play me as many times as you¡¯d like to,¡± Avery started. ¡°You¡¯ll just end up like the others. Shocked, unsure, and pissed off.¡± ¡°Sounds like a challenge,¡± Liam commented with a playful grin. ¡°Oh, I can be,¡± Avery winked holding back a chuckle. ¡°And on that note, I¡¯m heading out.¡± Blair stated. ¡°Mercer you still need to do some shopping right?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Mercer answered as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll join you guys I want to check some things out,¡± Liam said. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll catch you guys later then,¡± Blair said as the three walked off. Tutorial 25 - Tasty Surprises Liam stared at the book he was reading contemplating some of the content. He found the Knowledge Theory Tactics of a Control Tower interesting. Out of all the books he¡¯s read, besides Calming the Storm, this one he was really enthralled with. It talked about how to best make plans and strategies with groups of two to seven people. What to look for during fights, how to best guide your teammates to be where you need them to be and more. When he first came to the Tutorial Area and heard about Knowledge Theories, he was a bit skeptical. His thoughts were in the range of, ¡®How can raising a stat like Knowledge and those Practicality sub-stats really help with understanding things better¡¯ to ¡®Why are the things he learns under the sub-stat Knowledge called Knowledge Theories?¡¯ It made no sense to him at the time. However, after gaining a few Knowledge Theories and raising those sub-stats he began to understand. The reason why they are Theories is because they were just that. Theories you can use to practice and gain better understanding of things with. By gaining a Knowledge Theory you open your mind to possible ways of taking that subject and creating ways that can better help you. It was a lot like going to school and learning a new skill and practicing different methods to see which is a better way for you to understand it and use it. After all, everyone has different learning techniques that range from visionary, motion, kinesthetic, etc. As Liam closed the book a fanfare noise echoed in his mind as a notification message appeared in front of him.
¡°Congratulations! Your Knowledge Theory Tactics of a Control Tower has reached level 10! Due to your study progression on the Knowledge Theory, you have obtained the Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower.¡± ¡°Perception of the Control Tower description ¨C This ability allows you to see the HP, MP, and Stamina of those in your party. It will also allow you to see any beneficial or negative buffs along with a timer. Raise this ability to unlock more hidden features.¡±
Liam stared at the notification message stunned. ¡°I didn¡¯t think an ability like this was possible,¡± He muttered under his breath. ¡°This can help out in so many ways. Judging when heals need to be done, when to take potions, who needs priority over who, when someone gets surprised attacked¡­the possibilities are endless.¡± This ability excited Liam. It was just like a party status screen from all the games he used to play before the end of the world started to happen. The fact that he could unlock hidden features excited him even more. He wanted to know what he could get from this ability. Liam closed the message and leaned back as he ran a hand down his face. If I can find a way to combine this ability with my perception on enemies¡­that would be an amazing combo. Liam shook his head. No, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. For now, I need to tie this in with what I can do already. Liam looked at the notebook Mercer gave him. A smile crept up on his face. Those guys really saved time by doing that. He looked at his internal clock and read 10:07 pm. Since they took the time to get me all this, I¡¯ll have to show their trust in me isn¡¯t in vain. I¡¯ll just go over a few more ideas and then get some sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam ran through the crowded streets making his way over to the portal area. The Yooperlite stone hanging above was brightening up with each step he took. ¡°The one time I decide to sleep in, and I oversleep,¡± Liam cursed himself. As he made his way up the hill, he spotted a familiar group standing around. One of the six members spotted Liam and waved a hand to him as he approached them. ¡°About time you made it,¡± Roman teased. He was wearing a pair of brown pants that ran into his tan boots that ran up to his mid shins, a chain-linked vest over a black cotton shirt, and spiked gloves. ¡°So, he says, but he just got here himself, ¡°Ariyana giggled. She was wearing a pair of cotton shorts that stopped right above her knees, a purple belt with a frilly cloth design hanging from under it, a pair of black knee-high laced boots that revealed the skin of her legs, a pair of black crisscrossed laced gloves that stopped mid forearm. Her shirt was a three-quarter length black crop top with purple frills running along the edges of the bottom of the shirt, the cleavage area, and on her arms. It revealed her slimmed toned stomach and made her chest pop a little more than her previous robed attire. Mercer laughed at Roman¡¯s glare. Mercer was wearing a dark green cloak that ran over his shoulders and to his back, a dark green robe that opened up below the brown belt around his waist. He also had a pair of tan pants with dark brown leather boots. Avery shook her head at Mercer as she said, ¡°How can you make crude gear look so fancy?¡± She was wearing the same gear that she wore from their first attempt. The couple of dents that were on her breastplate from the last boss fight were gone. ¡°He did look a bit fancy the first time we met didn¡¯t he,¡± Blair commented as she shook her head. The vines that hung from behind her helm moved along with her. The rest of her armor was the same as before. The only thing that was different was she no longer had a buckler and sword. Instead in her right hand was a great axe. The weapon stood as tall as her with the shaft constructed of stout wood running to the ground. The top of the axe was a double-bladed head. Artem shook his head as he stood next to Blair with the same armor equipped. He also had his Wither Tree Kite Shield on his back and an Crude Iron Mace in his left hand. ¡°I see some of you have gotten some new gear,¡± Liam stated as he looked them over. He then looked at Roman and asked, ¡°I thought you were a spell caster? Isn¡¯t that armor going to take away the bonus you had in the mage beginner set?¡± Roman looked at him, ¡°Yeah, but like I said yesterday, I want to be in the front lines. Whenever I need to cast a spell, I can jump back and use them, but I can¡¯t move the way I¡¯d like to with that armor set. So, I made a compromise with the armor and the magic bonus. I worked on my magic enough that I shouldn¡¯t do horribly with it.¡± Liam nodded, understanding what he was trying to get at. He then looked at Ariyana. She caught him looking and gave a teasing smile as she struck a pose asking, ¡°What do you think? Doesn¡¯t this look so much better than that plain drab mage robe?¡± Liam let out a cough as he looked down. ¡°It definitely¡­suits you.¡± Avery elbowed him in the side as she glared. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it suits her if it¡¯s not practical.¡± Ariyana gave a giggle as she said, ¡°Oh, I assure you that for my class its very much practical.¡± Artem and Roman blushed as they turned their heads away before Avery looked at them. Blair shook her head as she muttered, ¡°What am I going to do with you guys?¡± Mercer let out a laugh before saying, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough playing around. Are we set to make our next attempt?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Artem stated without hesitation. ¡°But we might as well get this done with.¡± ¡°Oh Artem,¡± Avery said with slight disappointment before they made their way to the Black Dungeon Portal. As they approached it, Liam had a thought. He turned to the others and said, ¡°You know I never asked, but how does the portal know where to take us?¡± Before anyone could answer, a sweet grandmotherly voice replied, ¡°The Dungeon portals have a way of remembering those who enter and with whom.¡± The group turned to see Adva slowly approach them from behind. ¡°How though?¡± Liam asked again. She gave a shrug. ¡°No one really knows how it works. It¡¯s not something even the current deities know. Since the portals pre-date them. However, if you place a hand on the portal a notification will appear. Go ahead and try it.¡± Liam eyed her for a moment before reaching a hand out towards the portal. His hand stopped as he felt a barrier of sorts. A notification message appeared shortly after.
¡°Graveyard of the Forgotten Realm. Which floor would you like to go to? Floors available: 1st, 2nd,3rd.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Liam muttered before looking at Adva. ¡°Why is it stopping me from entering it and why did this notification ask which floor would I like to go to? Does this mean we can go back to the previous floors?¡± ¡°After you have conquered at least two floors and have decided to exit them it will record your progress and allow you to take another crack at the floors you have previously defeated,¡± Adva began her explanation. ¡°However, if you choose to go back and attempt to try the previous floors again it will make the Floor Bosses and Elite Floor Monsters stronger. In the case of the Tutorial Area this means the limitations placed on them will gradually rise after each floor you conquer.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the monsters are weaker than they should be?¡± Artem asked as his eyes widened. ¡°Very much so,¡± a gruff strict voice replied. Everyone turned to see Phorge appear next to Adva. ¡°These portals have a magic placed over them to restrict and limit the damage to help you beginners get used to things,¡± Phorge explained. ¡°As you grow stronger so do they. So don¡¯t go thinking you can go back and fight weak monsters for easy experience.¡± Mercer, Liam, and Avery gave each other a quick look. ¡°Thank you for that tid bit of information,¡± Mercer thanked. ¡°Is there anything else we should know before departing?¡± Phorge looked at him for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s not much really to say for now. However, I can say after you conquer the fourth floor you get a surprise.¡± He grinned knowingly. ¡°I like surprises,¡± Artem stated with a slight smile. Ignoring Artem¡¯s comment Liam asked, ¡°Does it wipe our progress if we decide to go back to a previous floor? Also is the first floor now open to a group attempt or is it still a solo dungeon floor?¡± Adva shook her head. ¡°If you guys decide to attempt a previous floor then it will not take away the amount of floors you have conquered already. And no, the first floor still remains a solo floor.¡± Phorge smacked a hand against his forehead. ¡°Oh, there is something else I can add to this.¡± Everyone looked at him and waited. ¡°If you swap out party members then you can only go to the highest floor that either you or the newest member has gotten to. For example, say your newest member has only gotten to the third floor and you have made it to the fifth then you have to redo the third with the penalty of the monsters being stronger or visa versa. This is to persuade groups not to switch out members or find a loophole in getting to higher floors without putting in the effort.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± Avery said. ¡°That does sound reasonable,¡± Mercer agreed as he wrote it down. ¡°Thank you for that,¡± Liam said as he looked at the two. ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all,¡± Adva smiled. ¡°It¡¯s our job to help you out if you have any questions please don¡¯t hesitate to ask,¡± Phorge said. ¡°Now off you go. You¡¯ve got a floor to conquer.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Liam said as he turned back to the notification and clicked the 3rd floor option.
¡°Are you entering with the team Artem, Ariyana, Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman? Yes No?¡±
Liam looked at it wide eyed. He then thought, How the hell does it know? He hesitated for a brief moment before clicking yes. A new message appeared for a moment before disappearing too.
¡°Good luck.¡±
Adva and Phorge watched as the group entered the portal one at a time. Adva sighed as she muttered, ¡°They are going to need it.¡± Sounds of dry heaving and gasping echoed around them as they took a moment trying to prevent the stomach from revolting against their wishes. A chime sound rang in Liam¡¯s head as he looked at the others. ¡°No upchuck roulette today I guess,¡± Liam muttered as he tried fighting back the urge himself. ¡°That¡¯s progress,¡± Avery said as she took her hand away from her mouth and straightened her back. ¡°Where are we now?¡± ¡°It looks like a tunnel system,¡± Roman stated as he looked around. They were standing in a wide open tunnel that rose up high enough and was wide enough for at least three groups of 5 people to stand side by side and weapons to be swung around with ease. Glow stones lined the rocky and dirt packed walls giving enough light to see. Liam looked around the area they were in and got a sudden feeling in his stomach. He placed his goggles over his eyes and slowly rescanned the place. To the left side a few rocks faintly glowed a tannish color. He walked over to it and assessed it while placing a hand over it. ¡°What¡¯s up Liam? Did you find something?¡± Mercer asked as he watched Liam walk over to the wall. Liam smiled as he took a step back, kept his hand out and said, ¡°Harvest.¡± Pieces of stone crumbled down the wall as a small hole appeared. He then placed his hand over another spot on the wall and repeated, ¡°Harvest.¡± Just like the last spot another hole appeared.
¡°Congratulations. You have received the Gathering Craft Mining! Mining has reached level 1.¡± ¡°Congratulations. Mining has reached level 2!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Crafter Class skill Harvest has reached level 6.¡± ¡°Items have been placed into your inventory.¡±
As he turned back to the group, he pulled out two solid chunks of colored rocks. One had a coppery shine to it while the other had a dull silverish color. ¡°You found shiny rocks?¡± Roman questioned with a brow raised. Everyone turned and gave a ¡®Are you Serious?¡¯ kind of look. ¡°What are these?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°This one,¡± Liam started as he lifted the copper-colored stone. ¡°Is copper ore. While this one,¡± He then lifted the dull silver looking colored rock. ¡°Is a tin ore.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Blair said with a brow raised. ¡°When you smelt these together you make a bronze ingot,¡± Liam said as he started feeling a bit sheepish for getting excited. Mercer¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Isn¡¯t Bronze a step higher than iron?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Does this mean you can make bronze armor or weapons now?¡± Mercer asked. Liam deflated a bit as he said, ¡°No. My Weapon Craft and Armor craft isn¡¯t high enough yet, but my smelting is high enough that I can get the ingots ready for when I can. Right now, the Smithy is only allowing me to smelt iron ingots.¡± ¡°What good is smelting them to ingots right now if you can¡¯t craft them into anything?¡± Roman questioned. Liam was about to say something until Mercer chimed in with realization sinking in. ¡°If you can make as many Bronze Ingots as you can now before you can craft them then you¡¯ll have a stock pile ready instead of waiting to be able to or having to pay for them.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Liam said. ¡°I can get a stock pile ready and make bronze tier equipment with them when I get high enough.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Roman stated as it dawned on him. ¡°If you¡¯re only allowed to smelt the iron ore at the Smithy because the guys there don¡¯t want you taking away from their progression then by supplying yourself with these ores here the guys there can¡¯t complain.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Liam exclaimed as he pointed to him. He then calmed down as he said, ¡°Sorry, I know it might slow us down, but I want to try and get as much as I can as we go. If that¡¯s alright with you.¡± Ariyana smiled as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Neither do I,¡± Artem agreed. ¡°You getting materials also helps us out so get as much as you can,¡± Blair stated with a nod of approval. ¡°If you run out of room let us know. We can help,¡± Avery offered. ¡°Thanks guys,¡± Liam smiled as he scanned the room. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s any more in this room.¡± ¡°Alright then let¡¯s proceed,¡± Mercer said. ¡°Hold up,¡± Liam started. ¡°There¡¯s a new ability I picked up from one of my Knowledge Theories I want to try.¡± He looked at everyone as they looked at him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He then said, ¡°Perception of the Control Tower.¡± Small images of Avery, Artem, Aryana, Blair, Mercer, and Roman appeared to the left of Liam¡¯s vision. Three colored bars with numbers popped up next to their pictures. One green, blue, and yellow. ¡°Whoa,¡± Liam said as his eyes widened. ¡°What happened?¡± Blair asked curiously. ¡°My new non-combat ability, Perception of the Control Tower, allows me to track each of your HP, MP, and Stamina while we¡¯re in here,¡± Liam said. His eyes widened as he looked at Artem¡¯s and Blair¡¯s HP. ¡°Damn Artem and Blair! Your guy¡¯s health pool is big.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes bugged out as they shouted, ¡°What!?¡± ¡°How does that even work?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°Simple, a picture of you is located where I can see it along with your HP, MP and Stamina numbers,¡± Liam started. ¡°Whenever you get hit, use magic, or use stamina your numbers will drop. If you get attacked when I cant see you then I¡¯ll know you¡¯re under attack and I can send support. I can also guide Artem to heal who needs it the most and more. Oh I can also see how long we have with buffs and who¡¯s debuffed.¡± ¡°The possibilities you have with this kind of ability,¡± Mercer said as he began thinking. ¡°I know. Once when I read it, I started forming ideas,¡± Liam stated with a smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s official. You are truly our Control Tower for this group,¡± Roman commented. ¡°You said it can tell how long buffs lasts? Does it specify the kind of buffs?¡± Artem asked. Liam shrugged. ¡°Not sure. Why do you ask?¡± Every watched as he pulled out seven small colored muffins. Two were tan with brown sprinkles, three were tan with red sprinkles, and the last two had violet sprinkles. He passed a brown sprinkled muffin to Blair, the ones with red sprinkles to Avery, Roman, and Liam, and the last two to Aryana and Mercer. ¡°Try these out,¡± Artem said as he ate the last one with brown sprinkles. They each ate the muffins. After Liam was finished a notification appeared.
¡°You have eaten Poor Attack Muffin and received a weak offensive food buff. Damage increase by 2.5% for the next hour.¡±
Liam closed it and noticed a picture of a sword pointing up appear next to Roman¡¯s and Avery¡¯s pictures. A shield with a plus sign on the side appeared next to Artem¡¯s and Blair¡¯s picture as a wooden staff with a plus sign appeared next to Ariyana¡¯s and Mercer¡¯s pictures. ¡°Food buffs!? You can make buff¡¯s with food!¡± Liam exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Roman shouted as he patted Artem¡¯s shoulder. Artem looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Did it appear?¡± Liam nodded as he responded, ¡°It did appear. Looks like a timer of an hour is ticking down on the bottom of the buff too.¡± Mercer wrote down what he was hearing. After he was done, he said, ¡°These are amazing. Great job.¡± ¡°This taste so good!¡± Ariyana grinned happily. ¡°You know the best way to charm a woman is well made sweets.¡± She winked. Avery and Blair nodded in agreement subconsciously. ¡°Oh, speaking of good taste,¡± Liam started as he pulled out vials of green potions. ¡°These are for you guys.¡± ¡°Great gross po¡­why is the color different?¡± Roman questioned as he stared at them. ¡°These are what I have been working on,¡± Liam said with a wide grin. ¡°Weak Mint Health Potions. I haven¡¯t been able to work on Mana or Stamina Potions yet.¡± Mercer stared at them with disbelief as the name started to register in his mind. ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± Liam nodded as his grin grew even wider. ¡°I was able to make potions with a different flavor. Say goodbye to that crappy, try not to upchuck, tasting potion and say hello to less distracting and much better tasting potions.¡± ¡°I could kiss you right now!¡± Ariyana and Mercer shouted. They both looked at each other and started laughing. ¡°But I thought there wasn¡¯t a way to make these?¡± Roman questioned as he eyed them. ¡°It¡¯s not that there wasn¡¯t a way,¡± Liam started. ¡°Every Alchemist didn¡¯t think it was cost efficient. Because of that thought no one tried to make them. Thanks to Alicia, a fellow Alchemist in training, she gave me an idea and I created the extraction needed to make these potions. It was tough I won¡¯t lie trying to figure out the right proportions to make sure the taste didn¡¯t overpower the effects and more.¡± ¡°Wait you created the extraction? Are you saying you made a new type of potion?¡± Avery inquired as a thought cropped up. ¡°So those new potions that are being sold a bit higher, but get quickly sold out were your creations?¡± Liam beamed with a grin. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°I swear both you and Artem are proving how essential the crafts can be,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°Full of surprises.¡± ¡°If no one else has any surprises, I¡¯d say we¡¯re truly ready for this Floor attempt,¡± Blair stated as she put away the potions. She tried hiding the smile that was creeping up on her face. No one said anything as they turned to the open corridor that led deep into the tunneled system. ¡°Only thing left to do is to do this,¡± Roman said as he rolled his neck, cracked his knuckles, and bounced a couple times on his tip toes. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Liam agreed as they started walking. Tutorial 26 - I can. I will. I am! Blair swung her great axe horizontally into a skeleton causing it to collide into the two next to it. Avery, Liam and Roman rushed in and struck as fast as they could with their weapons before the creatures could retaliate. As the three creatures swung their arms out wildly, Avery, Liam and Roman jumped back to dodge. As they got out of the way an arrow whizzed by and struck one of the skeletons on the side of the face making it crumble. Artem rushed in and bashed his shield against one and his mace against the other, destroying them. ¡°That was the last one, right?¡± Blair inquired as she breathed heavily and looked around. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam responded after scanning the area. ¡°What¡¯s with these groups?¡± Artem asked. ¡°That was the fourth big group we came across. I thought packs only held four at a time.¡± ¡°Who knows, but its great practice,¡± Blair stated. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m getting used to this weapon a bit more with each of these groups.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good and all, but you¡¯re going to need better targets than skeletons,¡± Mercer commented as he grabbed the arrows that were able to be used again from the ground around the felled skeletons. Liam walked to each group and harvested them for materials as Avery asked, ¡°Speaking of which, why have there been only skeletons. I thought there¡¯d be more than that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure,¡± Mercer said as a bit of annoyance flashed over his face. ¡°Hey guys come check this out,¡± Roman replied as he looked around the corner. ¡°What do you see?¡± Aryana asked with curiosity. The group walked over and saw the corridor opened into a giant dark room. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s in there,¡± Roman said as he peered in trying to make anything out. ¡°Nothing good that¡¯s for sure,¡± Artem stated as he shook his head. ¡°Nothing is ever good from a dark and ominous room.¡± ¡°Oh Artem,¡± Aryana started as she gave him a playful smile. ¡°Where¡¯s your sense of adventure?¡± ¡°Not here,¡± Artem flatly said. Liam started walking into the dark room without saying. Artem reached for him and called out, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liam stopped and looked at him. ¡°In video games rooms like this usually lights up when you walk in them.¡± A devious grin slowly formed as he added, ¡°A strong monster usually appears in them too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Artem groaned as he paled a little. Aryana let out a laugh as she remarked, ¡°You¡¯re so mean Liam.¡± Liam kept his smile as he turned and took another step in. as his foot hit the ground light stones started lighting up revealing the contents of the room. It was an old room with walls and floors paved with stone bricks. The expanse of the room felt like it was the size of three football fields. Liam looked to his left and saw an opening to a dimly lit tunnel. To his right was an entrance to another tunnel with some weird white substance hanging from the opening. Both of these holes looked like something had broken in from the other side as broken bricks scattered from them. Across from them was a grey chiseled stone wall with columns, steps and glow stones on top of sticks. There was a door that was covered with a solid slab of stone. The sight gave an old ruin feel to it. Above the door was an expertly carved giant snake creature that covered the entire top of the ruined roof. The Head of the snake had its mouth closed and looked down at two empty stone bowls sitting at the bottom of the steps from the door. ¡°Whoa,¡± Aryana, Blair, and Roman expressed as they looked around with awe while they entered. ¡°This video game knowledge of yours seems to come in handy,¡± Mercer commented. Liam shrugged as he approached the steps and looked at the closed door. He examined the slab and then up at the snake. He appreciated the artwork that was put into it. It looked so life like that he could confuse it for a real snake. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Avery asked as she looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t see any monsters anywhere in here.¡± Mercer turned to Liam and asked, ¡°What does your video game knowledge have for a situation like this?¡± Liam looked at the bowls and stared at them. As he started to turn his head, he noticed something on the floor in front of them. Dust and crumbled stones made a trail to the opening to the left while scuff marks looking like something was dragged ran to the one on his right. Liam pointed to each as he said, ¡°It looks like something was taken from these bowls. If I would guess we¡¯re going to have to pick a room, go there, fight whatever that took what was here, and return them to open the door.¡± ¡°Sounds plausible,¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°So then which way should we go first?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°I¡¯ll let you guys choose,¡± Liam said as he looked at them. ¡°Show of hands,¡± Roman started. ¡°Who votes right?¡± Artem, Mercer, Avery and Blaire raised their hands up. ¡°I guess right it is,¡± Liam said as he started walking. As he approached the hole he stopped and noticed the white stringy substance gave a soft glow. He assessed it.
¡°Silk Slinger Spider Silk. Crafting material. Harvestable. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average.¡± ¡°Would you like to Harvest Silk Slinger Spider Silk? Yes No?¡±
¡°What is it?¡± Mercer asked as he walked up to Liam and looked at the spider webs. ¡°It¡¯s a crafting material called Silk Slinger Spider Silk,¡± Liam answered as he mentally accepted and harvested the crafting material. Artem froze as he heard Liam. Without hesitation he threw his hands up and said, ¡°Nope. I change my mind. I vote the other hole.¡± Everyone turned to him. ¡°Are you¡­,¡± Ariyana started. ¡°Are you afraid of spiders?¡± ¡°Terrified. You guys can tease me all you want but I draw the line where spiders are concerned,¡± Artem argued. ¡°Artem,¡± Liam started. ¡°You voted for this way. You can¡¯t change your mind after it was decided.¡± ¡°I can. I will. I am!¡± Artem stubbornly said. Avery sighed. ¡°Artem no matter what we¡¯re going to have to go this way now or later. If we do it now, we can get it over with.¡± Artem stared at her. There was a long pause before he let out a sigh. ¡°Fine, but you guys owe me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you those Poor-Quality Cooking utensils you¡¯ve been eyeing after we get this floor done with,¡± Mercer said. ¡°And some new ingredients?¡± Artem asked, pressing his luck. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Mercer shook his head before saying, ¡°Fine, but no bulk items.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Artem said as he looked at the hole, shuddered and added, ¡°I¡¯m going to have nightmares for weeks after this.¡± Liam gave a slight giggle as he ordered, ¡°Defenders to the front. We don¡¯t know what to expect going in.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Blair responded as she made her way to the front. As Artem followed he grumbled to himself, ¡°God damn tunnel of spiders. Why can¡¯t it be a tunnel of butterflies. Is that so much to ask?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Roman and Avery, pick a wall and walk near it.¡± He then looked at Aryana and Mercer as he ordered, ¡°Aryana walk in the middle of Avery and Roman. Mercer, we¡¯ll take the rear.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Aryana said as she got in place. Mercer nodded as they started for the hole. As they walked Liam looked around. It was eerily silent as they made their way down the windy tunnel. The only sounds that could be heard were Artem¡¯s grumbling. As Liam thought about it, he couldn¡¯t hear their footsteps even though it was a dirt and rock filled surface. He looked down and noticed they weren¡¯t walking on dirt or rocks at all. The ground was covered in the same silk he harvested at the front except it wasn¡¯t harvestable. The surface was hard, and he was able to feel the rocky surface underneath it, but the silk was soft enough that it made each step they took quiet. As he lifted a foot up, he noticed the webbing slightly stuck to the bottom of his foot, but easily released after lifting his leg a certain height. The webbings shook for a moment before becoming still. ¡°Why would it¡­,¡± Liam started to mumble until realization dawn on him. ¡°The vibrations of the webbing. It was like an alarm system.¡± He quickly scanned the walls and the floor. Four spots caught his attention as slight movement was barely seen. ¡°Crap, stop!¡± His warning came too late as Artem walked close to one of the spots he saw. The spot was a lighter color than the floor around it due to extra webbing packed on. Without warning it flung open as a hairy dark brown spider reached two of its legs forward to grab Artem. A look of fear grew over Artem¡¯s face as his eyes widened. He couldn¡¯t move as the legs got closer. Right as the two legs were about to grab Artem, Blair¡¯s great axe swung up from underneath it and crashed into the bottom of the spider¡¯s body causing it to fly backwards spinning. Liam assessed it.
¡°Lower Burrower Soldier. 82/95 HP. 25/25 MP.¡±
As the spider creature crash landed on its back it swiftly righted itself. It lifted it two front legs and abdomen raised and started vibrating as a shrill noise echoed out of its fanged mouth. ¡°Snap out of it Artem,¡± Blair chastised as she readied herself. Three other tanned and dark brown spider creatures jumped out of their hiding spots. There were two dark hairy and muscular spiders the size of a miniature horse standing in the front while two tanned less haired and slimmer spiders stayed in the back. Liam assessed one of the two in the back.
¡°Lower Burrower Silk Slingers. 75/75 HP. 50/50 MP.¡±
Artem let out a short involuntary high pitch noise as he stared at them. ¡°Defenders get ready!¡± Liam barked. ¡°We don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll move but you¡¯ll need to be ready for anything. If you can try to¡­¡± As Liam was instructing Artem let out a panicked shout. The Silk Slinger standing on the right shot a line of webbing that hit Artem¡¯s shield and was spreading to his arm and slowly growing. ¡°Crap! Avery shoot a Fire Ball at that Silk Slinger!¡± Liam pointed at the creature. ¡°Mercer play a Resilient Defense song on Artem! Roman use Static Grasp on the Burrower Soldier heading towards Artem. Blair get the other Burrower Soldier¡¯s attention. Aryana, try and charm the other Silk Slinger. If that doesn¡¯t work, then use Dancing Lights to distract it!¡± Everyone started their assault. Avery brought her rapier to her chest then pointed it at the Silk Slinger that was shooting string and chanted, ¡°Oh, flame of burning power. I beseech you to come forth. Burning bright and hot shot true towards my enemy. Fireball!¡± An orb of fire the size of a baseball lit up and swirled at the tip of Avery¡¯s rapier while she chanted. After she was done chanting the orb shot towards the Silk Slinger and collided with it. Fire Ball was a Fire Focus Point Ability that, at higher levels and better understanding in the appropriate Knowledge Theory, could grow much bigger and do more damage. A screech left its mouth as the fire crashed against its head. A bit of the fire cut the web string connection and started disintegrating it as it rushed towards Artem. As it burned away the webbing the flame started dying out. As it reached Artem it disappeared allowing Artem to Break the rest of the webbing off of him. Mercer pulled out a wooden flute and brought the mouth hole to his lips and leveled it horizontally to his mouth before started to play. The sound was low and had a strong hollow feel to it, making you feel like you could get tougher. The way he played it also reminded Liam of a beginner as some mistakes were made in his playing, but he stuck to it as he slowly played through till the end. Resilient Defense was an Instrument Proficiency Focus point ability only available in the Field of the Bard that allowed Mercer to give a target a 2.5% buff to their Sub-stat Resilience. Allowing them to be able to handle more pain and raises their defense. Liam watched as a steel-colored light faintly emanated from Artem for a brief moment. Then an icon with the picture of a Shield with a plus sign appeared next to Artem¡¯s Food buff. The timer on it stayed at 30 seconds during the duration of the song. Roman balled his right hand into a fist as he held it in front of him. He started chanting, ¡°Lightning surge bright and engulf my hand with the sparks of your stunning force.¡± A couple of small electric arcs sparked around his fist. ¡°Static across my enemies as my grasp collides with their form. Static Grasp!¡± After he finished the chant, the static sparks multiplied around his fist as he brought it to his side and charged for the Burrower Soldier lifting its two front legs getting ready to drop down on Artem. Before it could bring its two legs down, Roman appeared to its side, opened his fist and slammed his palm against the creature¡¯s body. Sparks of electricity engulfed the creature and raced around its legs, head, and abdomen. A shrill noise escaped its mouth as its legs recoiled closer to its body. The muscles flexed as it tried to move but failed to do so. Static surge was a Lightning Focus Point ability that could not only do some damage, but also had a 5% chance to tighten the target¡¯s muscles causing it to be stunned for 5 seconds. Ariyana stared at the other Silk Slinger. She placed her hands on her legs before slowly running them up to her hips in a seductive way as she started chanting with a sweet and mesmerizing voice, ¡°Listen to my voice as you fall under my spell.¡± She then ran the tips of her fingers across her stomach crossing them as they ran under her breasts to the top of her shoulders. ¡°Let loose your mind and allow me to be the conscious to guide you.¡± She then rolled her right arm out away from her body to point at the creature with her index and middle fingers as she winked and finished the chant. ¡°Fall victim to my charm and ways so you can do my bidding. Charm!¡± Charm was an Entice and Distract Focus Point Ability. It has a 25% chance to charm a living creature or being with eyes, noses, and ears. If the creature is successfully charmed, then for 1 minute you can have it do whatever you¡¯d like it to. After the charm effects are gone though it will focus its ire upon you. You can try to charm it again, but the success rate drops by 5%. The Silk Slinger shook its body and then shot a web at Aryana in response to the attempt. Aryana jumped out of the way before stomping a foot down and shouting, ¡°How dare you not let it work.¡± She then pointed her wand at the creature and chanted another spell, ¡°Oh, dancing wisps of light. I call upon you to help me distract this creature with your delight. Have fun and be merry. Dance around to a beat of your own making without being wary. Dancing Lights!¡± As the chant ended three different colored balls of light shot towards the creature and began swirling above its eyes. The creature, distracted from anything else started swatting at them with its two front legs, but failed to hit them as they phased through them. Dancing Lights was another Entice and Distract Focus Point ability. The spell creates three dancing-colored lights that circle around a target¡¯s head for 1 minute; causing the target to focus on the lights every now and then causing the target to get distracted. Blair swung her great axe to the side then behind her before taking the momentum over her head and striking down hard against the Burrower Soldier. A bit of blood oozed out from the wound as she pulled out the weapon. ¡°Blair, keep that up!¡± Liam called out. ¡°Aryana keep that Silk Slinger distracted!¡± ¡°You got it!¡± Aryana replied as she watched the creature. ¡°Mercer, Avery, with me on that Silk Slinger!¡± Liam ordered as he and Avery ran towards the Silk Slinger closest to the Burrower Soldier Blair was attacking. They gave Blair a wide berth as they rushed towards their target. Mercer placed his instrument into his inventory and pulled out his bow and quiver. He grabbed an arrow, knocked it back aimed and released. The arrow flew towards its target and struck it in the eye. The Silk Slinger reared back with a pained noise. As it reoriented itself, Avery thrusted her rapier three times digging the tip in a couple inches with a swift motion. Liam swung his dagger across one of its legs, cutting it off. Another arrow crashed into it as Avery and Liam slashed a couple more times. Mercer¡¯s next arrow felled it, making it drop to the ground. Liam looked at Avery and pointed to the Burrower Soldier behind them. Avery nodded with understanding as she pivoted her foot quickly and lunged for it. Liam spun around and threw a dagger at the other Silk Slinger. It landed and embedded itself in the abdomen, making the creature turn its attention to him. It shot a web at him causing Liam to jump to the side and was about to shoot another until several streams of violet balls crashed into its side. The Silk Slinger turned to see more streams rushing towards it coming from a beachball sized violet colored sphere in front of Aryana. It shot two webs back-to-back to block the incoming magic. The collision cancelled both attacks. It got ready to shoot another web but felt a sharp pain as Liam pulled his dagger out from its abdomen. Liam then swung his dagger three times. Torn from who to attack, more streams of arcane magic collided against its face. After a streams and dagger strikes successfully landed the Silk Slinger dropped. Liam turned to see the two Burrower Soldiers drop. Artem walked up to the creature closest to him and kicked it several times as he said with a voice mixed with anger and fear, ¡°God damn stupid spider. Thinking it could get the drop on me. AHHHHH!¡± Everyone stared at him, not sure what to say. After he stopped kicking it and was out of breath Blair questioned, ¡°Out of your system now?¡± He looked at her breathing heavily and replied with a sheepish look, ¡°For now.¡± Liam shook his head and swung his dagger down to let the blood fly to the ground before ordering, ¡°Drink a potion and get ready.¡± He scanned down the hall and spotted more spots slightly moving. ¡°We¡¯re not out of the woods yet.¡± Tutorial 27 - Do you want the Good News first or the Bad? A screech left the fanged mouth of a Burrower Soldier as it slumped over. Liam and the others breathed heavily as they scanned the area for more monsters. Nothing was in sight, and nothing moved. Liam peered hard for the hidden doors these creatures loved to hide in so much but couldn¡¯t find any. After he confirmed he relaxed his body and relayed, ¡°All clear.¡± Everyone relaxed their bodies. Artem dropped to his knees trying to catch his breath. Goosebumps formed along his arms as he felt the silky substance that covered the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be done with this tunnel.¡± ¡°Is it just me or does it seem like they are coming at us less now?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°I would hope so,¡± Roman replied. ¡°That was what¡­ group number six that we came across?¡± ¡°I lost count after the third group since the size of the groups grew,¡± Ariyana commented as she dusted herself off. ¡°There were a lot, but thanks to that I got a couple of levels in my Sub-stats, abilities and personal level,¡± Blair said as she looked at her character sheet. ¡°Same here,¡± Avery agreed. Liam stared at his character sheet. His Sub-stats Fine Motor, Reflex, Body Strength, Resilience, Physical Practicality, and HP Recovery each gained a level. His weapon skills in Daggers got a nice boost too. A few of those were now sitting at level 9 while the others were getting close to it. As nice as it was that his sub-stats were leveling up so much, it was starting to be a concern to him that his personal level was slowly rising. While his team was getting personal level ups, he was still at level 2. He shook his head as he closed his character sheet, looked at everyone, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here.¡± He turned to Artem and asked, ¡°Do you have any more of those muffins?¡± Artem tore his gaze away from the disgusting floor, stood back up and answered, ¡°Yeah. I have enough to give everyone at least three more.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll eat one before we enter the E.F.M.¡¯s area so we don¡¯t run out before fighting it,¡± Liam said as he turned to the fallen monsters and started harvesting them.
¡°You have received Silk Slinger Spider Silk x 8. Crafting material. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Crude.¡± ¡°You have received Burrower Soldier Hide x 6. Crafting material. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Crude.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Class skill Harvest has reached level 10! You can now harvest better quality crafting materials. You can now harvest up to 3 harvestable crafting materials at a time!¡± ¡°You have received Silk Slinger Spider Silk x 7. Crafting material. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor.¡± ¡°You have received Burrower Soldier Hide x 6. Crafting material. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor.¡±
¡°We should probably eat them now then,¡± Roman stated as he walked back to the group. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Artem asked with a groan. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you found the area?¡± Roman nodded. ¡°It¡¯s actually right around the corner. I didn¡¯t spot any monsters lying in wait, so I am going to assume the E.F.M. is the next thing we¡¯re going to have to fight.¡± Artem placed a hand over his face as he asked with a look of desperation, ¡°Please tell me its not a giant spider.¡± Roman shrugged. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see what monster it was. However, the webs are thicker and have covered the entire area. Well covered more than this tunnel. All I saw was webs.¡± Artem let out an unhappy groan. ¡°There were also some weird web shapes in there too,¡± Roman said as he looked at Liam. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Come see what I mean,¡± Roman said as he motioned them over. Liam followed him around the corner and saw the wide open room. From the floor, up the walls and to the roof was covered with webs. You couldn¡¯t see a single rock or speck of dirt anywhere. Off to the back were several bundles of webs hanging from strings. Below them were webs formed in a shape like a creature was trapped inside. These wriggled around but couldn¡¯t get free. ¡°Are those people trapped in the webs?¡± Artem gulped as his face slowly turned white. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°We should be the only ones in here.¡± ¡°So, then what¡¯s trapped in them?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°Could be other monsters,¡± Avery guessed. ¡°I think that¡¯s what we need to get,¡± Liam interrupted as he pointed to the ceiling. A red stone hung from a long string of spider silk in the middle of the room. It emanated a red vapor while it hung. The red vapor looked more like it was pulse throughout the room. ¡°Where¡¯s the E.F.M. at?¡± Aryana inquired as she looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything in here.¡± Liam peered through his goggles scanning for any movement. What he found made him gulp. ¡°What do you see?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Well do you want the good news or the bad news first?¡± Liam asked without taking his eyes off what he found. ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of this,¡± Artem commented. ¡°Good news first,¡± Aryana decided. ¡°Good news is I found the E.F.M.¡± Liam started. He pointed to a spot under the red stone. ¡°It¡¯s in its hidey hole right there.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡± Roman asked. ¡°I also found several trap doors throughout the room,¡± Liam said. A muffled high pitch sound came from Artem¡¯s closed lips. Liam turned around and walked away from the opening. As the others followed, he instructed, ¡°Make sure your health, mana, and stamina are good to go before we take this monster on.¡± He looked at Artem and instructed, ¡°Can you pass everyone one of those muffins please.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Artem didn¡¯t respond as he muttered something over and over to himself. ¡°Artem,¡± Liam said again as he walked in front of him. Artem stopped mumbling and looked at Liam. ¡°I know you really don¡¯t like this, but after we beat it we¡¯ll be done,¡± Liam started with a soft tone. ¡°For that to happen I need you to focus. Can you do that?¡± Artem hesitated for a moment before he slowly nodded and replied, ¡°I can try.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask,¡± Liam smiled softly. ¡°Now can you pass out your famous muffins please?¡± ¡°Famous?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°They will be. The taste is amazing,¡± Liam winked. Artem blushed as he shook his head and remarked, ¡°I highly doubt that. Yeah, I can do that.¡± He pulled out and passed a muffin to each person in the group. ¡°Mmm,¡± Ariyana started as she took a bite. She gave him a satisfied look while doing a happy dance of sorts. ¡°These really are good.¡± Artem grew a shy smile as he said quietly, ¡°Thanks.¡± After they got done eating the muffins renewing the respected buffs, Liam looked at them and asked, ¡°Are we ready?¡± ¡°To go in there no¡­to get this done with yes,¡± Artem replied unconsciously. Blair rolled her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Ok, Artem and Blair you two in the front. Try to get that things attention right from the start. Aryana and Mercer in the back. Ariyana cast that Echoes of the Voice on Mercer when the fighting starts.¡± Ariyana nodded. ¡°Mercer, I want you to get Resilient Defense on Blair then Artem when you can.¡± Liam instructed as he looked at him. ¡°Got it,¡± Mercer said. ¡°After you guys get those spells out start attacking it.¡± Liam continued before looking at Roman and then at Avery. ¡°Once when they are set, we will go in and attack as much as we can. Try not to pull any aggro from the monsters. If you do back off and use a ranged magic ability.¡± Roman smiled wickedly as he popped his knuckles. ¡°Alright,¡± Avery nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep an eye out for any unwanted visitors from those trap doors I saw earlier. Once when they join in, I¡¯ll need either Artem or Blair to break away from the E.F.M. to get their attention while we take them down as quickly as we can. You guys got that?¡± Everyone nodded or expressed their agreement with the plan. ¡°Alright let¡¯s kill this thing,¡± Liam said as they made their way towards the entrance. As they entered the room the floor beneath them lightly thrummed with each step they took. A spot in the middle of the room vibrated slowly at first, but with each step they took on the web the faster it vibrated. After a few moments a solid web mixed stone door swung open and crashed behind the hole. Two large black smooth spider legs reached out and gripped the edge closest to them. It pulled out a smooth Black spider with crimson red eyes glaring at them. On the bulbus abdomen was a red hourglass symbol with a skull on each part of the hourglass. The size and length of the creature was as big as a school bus. Liam assessed it.
¡°Black Widow Matriarch. 275/275 HP. 120/120 MP.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°What!¡± Artem yelled back as panic started to creep in. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a Black Widow!¡± Liam replied. ¡°Back in my world Black Widows are venomous. Be careful not to let it bite you!¡± After the spider fully emerged from the trap door it moved to the side and closed it. ¡°Get started on those spells!¡± Liam barked. ¡°Voices raised high or volume of music reverberating around. Echo true inside the one who needs it most. Allow the sound to connect where it intends to. Echo loud and proud! Echoes of Sound!¡± Ariyana chanted as Mercer started glowing. Echoes of Sound is a Senses Focus Point Ability giving a 2.5% buff to spell damage or magical instrument effects. Mercer brought his flute to his lips and started playing a slow paced low and hollowed song. As the song started Artem glowed for a moment. ¡°Mercer, when you¡¯re done with that play that Swift Footed song on Avery before you play Resilient Defense on Blair!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Ariyana once when he¡¯s done cast Echo of Sound on him again before you start attacking!¡± Without saying anything Mercer started playing a fast-paced A sharp song. The sounds leaving his flute gave a flighty and swift feel just from listening to it. Swift Footed was a fast-paced song that gave a 2.5% buff to a target¡¯s Agility and Speed Sub-stats for 30 seconds after the song stops playing. As a light green glow washed over Avery, Liam ordered, ¡°Artem and Blair start your assault.¡± Artem let out a mighty roar causing the Black Widow to turn its gaze at him. Blair wound her great axe to the side bringing it to her back and flung her arms over her head bringing the heavy weapon along with her. She then let one of the bladed edges come crashing down against two of the creature¡¯s legs. The Black Widow¡¯s legs jerked from the force of the attack. However, it didn¡¯t change targets since Artem taunted it with his War Cry Defender skill. It recovered from the attack and swiftly struck four times at Artem. Artem brought his Kite Shield up in time to block the attack. ¡°I guess it has some pep in its step¡­attack I guess is the better word. Let¡¯s change that,¡± Liam muttered as he pointed his dagger towards the creature and chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Become heavier and stronger. Bring the Force down upon my enemy, slowing and hindering its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± The Black Widow glowed a light purplish color as its attacks slowed a bit allowing Artem to parry them and strike back with his sword. Blair swung her great axe horizontally as she spun with the momentum bringing it over her head once more for a powerful strike. Without needing any prompt Roman and Avery rushed in and started their assault against the creature. Blair glowed a light steel color as Liam heard Mercer play the Resilient Defense song. A violet ball suddenly flew pass Liam¡¯s side and crashed against the Black Widow Matriarch as Ariyana readied another spell. Liam watched as Avery swung her rapier fluidly across the creature¡¯s leg closest to her as Roman dared to get closer to the side of the creature¡¯s face and threw as many punches as he could. The Black Widow Matriarch lifted its right smooth leg up and to the side as far as it could go. The drop in speed was evident as it did this giving Liam enough time to shout, ¡°Everyone pull back!¡± The four front liners scattered away as the leg swiped horizontally, missing everyone in the strike. As they started to jump back in Liam noticed slight vibrations from the wall where Roman was currently close to. The four rumbling spots on the wall suddenly flung open. ¡°Roman behind you!¡± Liam shouted. He watched as Roman jumped forward into a roll and narrowly dodged the surprise attack attempt. As he rolled, he turned his body to face the monsters that appeared. It was three Burrower Soldiers and one Silk Slinger. ¡°All attacks focused on the mobs,¡± Liam ordered. ¡°Artem, can you grab one or two of the Burrower Soldiers attention?¡± ¡°Yeah, give me a sec¡­,¡± Artem started to say as he turned to face the creatures. Acting with some sort of natural or lucky instinct, he swiftly brought his shield up to cover his shoulder from a three-strike flurry from the Black Widow Matriarch. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be¡­,¡± Liam swore then relayed, ¡°Keep That EFM busy instead. Blair, can you¡­¡± Before he could finish Blair was already running towards the pack of spiders. ¡°Never mind. You¡¯re already on it,¡± Liam muttered under his breath. ¡°All attackers focus on the Silk Slinger first! That¡¯s the main threat of the group.¡± As the Silk Slinger started to spit a web out, a Fire Ball the size of a baseball collided into its mouth. While it recoiled from the heat of the spell Liam and Roman appeared on both of its sides and unleashed a flurry of strikes. After a couple seconds passed a violet ball and an arrow struck true and killed it. Liam turned to see Avery trading blows with the Burrower Soldier that Blair wasn¡¯t able to pull. ¡°Roman, go help Avery.¡± Liam said as he looked at him. Roman nodded as he ran for the creature. ¡°Ariyana and Mercer, pick a Burrower Soldier and whittle some of their HP down. After one of the three dies, Mercer play the Resilient Defense again on Artem!¡± Liam ordered. ¡°Got it!¡± Mercer shouted back as he released an arrow watching it fly and hit the Burrower Soldier Blair was striking. Liam ran towards the creature Roman and Avery were dodging and striking. As he approached, he jumped and plunged his dagger down into the abdomen causing it to slump with one final breath. As the creature fell down the three turned and ran towards the closest mob to them and repeated the attack pattern of two to three strikes then dodge. After the last Burrower Soldier fell, they turned to see Artem parry a leg strike and counter with his sword. ¡°Blair switch with him! Artem after she gets its attention heal yourself with a potion!¡± Liam instructed. Blair rushed towards the Black Widow Matriarch, jumped up with her arms up and great axe behind her. As she descended, she swung the weapon as hard as she could down on the head of the E.F.M. A loud thud was heard, but no blood was drawn. ¡°How hard is its skin!¡± Roman commented as he watched Blair release a mighty roar from her lungs, making the creature turn to her. A deep low hollow song danced in the air as she glowed a slivery color. Artem backed away as he pulled a green potion out and downed it. After he finished it, he commented, ¡°This tastes sooo much better now.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re ready Artem, join back in,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Attackers continue your assault.¡± Before anyone could move Mercer released an arrow, he had ready, and was able to lodge it into one of the creature¡¯s eyes. The Black Widow Matriarch reeled back from the pain and started vibrating its body. After a moment a shrill high-pitched voice escaped its fanged mouth. ¡°What¡¯s it doing now?¡± Avery asked while not moving from her spot. Liam scanned the walls but didn¡¯t see anything. His eyes then glued to something and then widened. One of the hanging sacks of webs behind it started to shake violently. Tutorial 28 - Never. Do. That. Again! ¡°Liam?¡± Mercer questioned as he caught Liam¡¯s expression. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Liam continued to stare at the sack trying to find any clue as to what was inside. Nothing appeared. ¡°Liam?¡± Ariyana prodded. ¡°I don¡­,¡± Liam began, but stopped as a notification appeared in front of him.
¡°Black Widow Swarm Egg Sack. 50/50 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
Like the name suggested, Liam watched as a swarm of Black Widow Spiders engulfed the webbed sack. He felt his blood run cold as the small arachnids flooded out. ¡°Oh my god! What is that!?¡± Ariyana shouted as panic filled her voice. ¡°That is a Swarm of Black Widows,¡± Liam relayed. ¡°What!?¡± Artem exclaimed. The creatures continued to cover the sack and over each other. They were the size of a small cat. A couple couldn¡¯t find proper footholds and fell. That was all it took for the rest to follow. Like a water tap turned on they continued to drop to the floor and created a massive puddle-like image. Liam watched as more and more continued to pour out with no end. After confirming his suspicions, he ordered, ¡°We need to destroy that sack! Ariyana and Mercer try shooting it down!¡± ¡°You got it!¡± Mercer replied as he grabbed an arrow, readied it and shot. Ariyana chanted a spell and shot it alongside the arrow. They both collided into it and bounced off. Liam assessed it once more.
¡°Black Widow Swarm Egg Sack. 50/50 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°What the hell!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°If that didn¡¯t work then¡­¡± He looked at Avery and said, ¡°Try shooting a Fire ball.¡± Avery pulled her rapier to her body before pointing it to the egg sack overflowing with the black legs and fangs. After she got done chanting the fireball formed and shot fast. As it collided with the egg sack multiple screams echoed. Shortly after, the sound of pop rocks when they enter your mouth mixed in with the creepy sounding screams of pain. Liam assessed it again.
¡°Black Widow Swarm Egg Sack. 32/50 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Black Widow Swarm Egg Sack. 20/50 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Black Widow Swarm Egg Sack. 15/50 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Black Widow Swarm Egg Sack. 9/50 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
He watched as the health point bar plunged. The fireball had caused a burn effect on the silky sack of nightmares making it easier to deal with. After it ticked zero the string holding the flaming egg sack snapped and dropped on the pool of multiple legs making them scatter out of reach. The ones that were hit by it lit up with fire and ran away from the group slowly dying an agonizing death. The rest of the spiders reformed into a group and moved like a wave towards Artem and Blair. ¡°Oh no, no, no!¡± Artem groaned with wide eyes. The color on his face drained as he started to panic internally. Blair rushed out of the way as Artem hesitated. ¡°Get out of their path!¡± Liam shouted. Artem took a step and was able to get out of the path at the last second, however a few had jumped on to his kite shield and crawled to his hand. He didn¡¯t realize it until he felt a prick on his bare skin. This made Artem freak out as he dropped his sword and shield and begun swiping his other hand over his arm. This made the tiny terrors fly back into the wave-like swarm. Liam noticed a purple drop icon appear next to Artem¡¯s picture as his health started to drop five points every two seconds.
¡°Venomous bite! Venom has been injected. If it is not properly taken care of health will continue to drop. The longer the venom spreads in the veins the more chances the body will lock up and stop moving.¡±
¡°Damn it,¡± Liam cussed. ¡°Artem! Grab your equipment, get out of there and cast Detox!¡± He then looked at Avery and instructed, ¡°I need you to cast Fireball on that swarm. When you get their attention kite them around the room and keep lighting them up.¡± ¡°Excuse you!¡± Avery exclaimed. ¡°Did you really ask me to have a swarm of nightmare inducing things chase me around and play exterminator with my fire magic?!¡± Liam gave her a firm expression. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can do it.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Avery conceded as she flung her arms up in the air. ¡°Mercer! Play the Swift Footed song on Avery! Ariyana cast Echoes of Sound on her too!¡± Liam ordered. Mercer pulled his flute out and started the fast-pacing song. His fingers slipped a few times as he played but pushed through as Ariyana started chanting. After Avery received her buffs, she looked at the wave moving around freely chasing Blair around. She shook her head as she let out a grunt of displeasure, shuddered and chanted, ¡°Oh, flame of burning power. I beseech you to come forth. Burning bright and hot, shoot true towards my enemy. Fireball!¡± A fireball shot out into the pool of Black Widows causing them to change course and scurry towards her. Avery let out an involuntary shriek as she started running. Liam turned to see Artem grip his mace and shield tightly as he chanted, ¡°Impurities coursing through the body have no place here. Expel, expunge, disperse all foreign substances to make the body healthy once more. Detox!¡± A faint glow covered his body as nasty purplish dark green liquid squeezed out of the bite marks on his arm and dripped to the floor. He let out a shudder after it was done. Detox was a Curing Focus Point ability that pulls out poisons, toxins, venom, or similar combative debuffs. ¡°We have incoming!¡± Ariyana shouted as she pointed at the Black Widow Matriarch. The giant spider stopped vibrating and scurried forward towards Blair. Liam assessed the Black Widow Matriarch.
¡°Black Widow Matriarch. 90/275 HP. 120/120 MP.¡±
¡°Artem, back up Blair!¡± Liam ordered. ¡°Mercer drink a Mana Potion then play your Sound wave song for as long as you can. Keep enough MP for a Health Pulse song just in case. Ariyana start blasting away.¡± ¡°On it!¡± Ariyana shouted as Mercer started playing a high-pitched shrilling song. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Sound Wave was an Instrument Proficiency Focus Point Ability. This song didn¡¯t need any proper form. It just needed Mercer to create the annoying ear-splitting noise. This sound didn¡¯t affect the party members, but it did do a certain amount of damage per second to the target as long as Mercer didn¡¯t stop playing. The draw back was it drained three M.P. per second. A translucent wave washed over the silky ground and crashed into the Black Widow Matriarch as Artem crashed his mace down on the head of the creature. The Black Widow Matriarch brought its left leg back and was about to swing, but stopped as Roman thrusted his palm against the abdomen allowing a current of electricity to zip and zap across the body making the legs flex and tighten before curling in. ¡°Good Job Roman!¡± Liam shouted. He then chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Become heavier and stronger. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing and hindering its movements. Force Increase!¡± A dark purple color washed over the EFM making its already scrunched body move slower as the gravity around it pushed down. ¡°Release everything you have now!¡± Liam shouted as he rushed towards the creature and started stabbing, slicing, and striking as many times as he could. The attacks didn¡¯t let up as they continued to hammer down on the Black Widow Matriarch. After the many successful hits landed, the Black Widow Matriarch Let out a shriek as an ominous liquid started pooling out from its mouth. It then extended itself to bring its mouth towards Artem as it moved its fangs out and tried taking a bite. Artem felt his fears take over as his swings became more erratic and missed more than landed. Panic escaped out his mouth as he shouted, ¡°No, no, no! I¡­am¡­not¡­food!¡± Before it could take the bite, a slightly bigger than usual, fireball crashed into the side of the head causing the Giant spider to tip over and fall. It let out one final breath as it curled its legs towards its body. Everyone looked at Avery who was breathing heavily. Her eyes held the kind of anger that every man knew they didn¡¯t want turned towards them. Her hair was as wild as the expression she had which made Liam gulp. He knew she was going to tear him a new one for this. Liam could feel the heat coming from her eyes as she locked hers with his. To emphasize how mad, she was her feet stomped down hard as she slowly made her way to him. Avery raised a finger up as she approached him. She then said with a furious but low tone emphasizing each clipped word, ¡°Never. Do. That. Again!¡± Liam saluted her as he said, ¡°Got it.¡± Avery took a deep breath in as she closed her eyes and brought her hands to a prayer position before balling them up and saying as she released the air, ¡°I don¡¯t think you are taking me seriously.¡± ¡°Oh, trust me. I am,¡± Liam said as he forced a friendly smile. Before Avery could scold him, Mercer called out, ¡°I grabbed the loot. Do you want to see if its harvestable?¡± Liam looked at Avery and said before slipping away from her, ¡°Duty calls.¡± Liam reached a handout and said as he touched the Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s body, but before he could do anything a slew of chime sounds echoed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Constitution Sub-stat Vitality has reached level 4!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Agility has reached level 10! You can now use stealth movements easier and can move 2.5% faster while in stealth.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 10! You gain a 5% success to all thrown weapons and/or arrows. Your smaller muscles have developed in a way that you now have a chance to curve the direction when throwing weapons.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex has reached level 10! You have a 5% chance to dodge surprise attacks or sudden attacks. Your body has developed a keen sense of danger and will attack accordingly with the best outcome.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 11!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence Sub-stat Perception has reached level 15!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Physical Practicality has reached level 9!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Recovery Sub-stat Stamina Recovery has reached level 11!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Knowledge Theory Tactics of a Control Tower has reached level 11!¡±
Not a bad level up harvest. Especially my Sub-stats in Dex. I¡¯m going to have to test that curving out. Liam thought as he swiped the notifications away. He reached once more and was about to use Harvest until another chime echoed. Confused he muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get lag when my sub-stats leveled up. Which one¡­,¡± His eyes widened as a grin formed as he stared at the message.
¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill Daggers has reached level 10! Your -15% to successful hits has dropped to -5% to successful hits when using Daggers. You can now duel wield daggers.¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s about damn time,¡± Liam stated. He shook his head and remembered what he was about to do. He paused and waited for a moment as he eyed the roof. No sounds echoed in his mind as he reached a handout and said, ¡°Harvest.¡±
¡°You have received Black Widow Matriarch Fang x 2. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Description ¨C Fang of a Black Widow Matriarch. Crafting material. Can be used for making arrow heads, daggers, and more.¡± ¡°You have received Black Widow Matriarch Clawed Leg x 8. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Description ¨C Clawed leg of a Black Widow Matriarch. Crafting material. Can be used for making weapons or armor.¡±
Liam stared at the notifications and muttered, ¡°Interesting.¡± He then placed the items into one of the three satchels inside his inventory before turning to the others. ¡°What loot dropped?¡± Mercer looked at something in his inventory and then glanced at Avery. He looked nervous as he looked back at the item. ¡°You alright?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just¡­,¡± Mercer started before turning to Avery and finished, ¡°It¡¯s an item you can use, but I¡¯m not sure how you would feel about it.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a helmet made from that thing¡¯s skull I¡¯ll pass,¡± Avery flatly said as she shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s not a helmet. It¡¯s a weapon,¡± Mercer informed as he pulled it out from his inventory to show everyone. It was a sleek slender pitch black sharply pointed rapier. The guard part of the sword where the blade meets the handle had a Black Widow design with four legs. The two back legs represented the knuckle guards for both sides instead of one while the other two reached out in front. It looked like the blade emerged from the mouth while the handle emerged from the abdomen. Liam assessed it.
¡°Widow Matriarch Needle Point. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. +10% to Agility +5% Sub-stat to Power Sub-stat Trait ¨C Each cut this weapon makes has a 10% chance to inject venom into a target. Venom can stack making it spread faster with each successful injection.¡±
Liam let out a whistle before turning to Avery. Without hesitation she said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± As Mercer handed it to her, he said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you would want it since¡­you know.¡± ¡°Hey, a weapon is a weapon. Not only is it an upgrade from my current one, this one has a chance to inflict venom when I strike. I¡¯d be a fool not to take it.¡± Avery stated as she looked over the weapon before gripping it and swinging it a couple times. ¡°Yup. Feels good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy,¡± Liam smiled, but then raised his hands up as Avery swiftly swung the tip to point at him. Avery smiled before bringing it back down. ¡°You better be because this just saved you.¡± ¡°If you guys are done,¡± Mercer coughed as he handed Liam two big bubble-bottom glass vials with cork stoppers plugging in a purplish dark green liquid. Liam assessed the contents.
¡°Black Widow Matriarch Venom. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Quality ¨C Poor. Crafting Material. Description ¨C Venom from a Black Widow Matriarch. You can use this to craft a type of poison to coat on weapons, make venom antidotes, or other creative ways in Alchemy.¡±
¡°Nice!¡± Liam exclaimed as he placed the vials into one of the small satchels in his inventory. He looked at the satchels and noticed he was filling up his spaces quickly. He then looked at Mercer and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to need to buy an actual backpack or something similar. I¡¯m running out of room from all this crafting materials I¡¯m getting.¡± ¡°We can look for some when we get back. I was just thinking about it myself,¡± Mercer agreed. He then looked at everyone and asked, "Are we ready to move on to the next part?¡± Everyone looked up at the stone still hanging. ¡°How are we going to get it down?¡± Roman inquired. Liam looked at Mercer. ¡°Think you can shoot it down?¡± ¡°I believe I can. Everyone back away. We don¡¯t want this to fall down on us,¡± Mercer called out as he took a few steps away, pulled an arrow out of his quiver, knocked it back, aimed, and released. The string snapped easily as the arrow sailed through it and lodged itself into the wall close to the ceiling. The stone fell and bounced on the silky ground. ¡°Damn it,¡± Mercer cursed as he watched the arrow get stuck. ¡°I was hoping it would come back down.¡± ¡°Artem, can you pick it up and carry it?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yeah, I can do that,¡± Artem replied as he made his to it. The stone was the size of his stomach and looked heavy. However, Artem made it look light as he picked it up with ease. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Blair said as they walked up to the exit. As they were about to leave the room, sounds of something snapping echoed in the air making their hearts drop. They swiftly turned to see the wiggling and writhing forms covered in webs start to break free. ¡°Oh god, please no,¡± Artem said as he paled a bit. ¡°I thought the fight was over!¡± Roman exclaimed as he brought his fists up ready to strike anything. As the first trapped victim opened its prison a bony skinless hand emerged. Following close by was a smooth skull and a skeleton frame. The other trapped creatures broke their cocoon of webs and freed themselves as well to reveal they were all Skeletons and Zombies. ¡°Skeletons?!¡± Ariyana shouted with shock. ¡°Oh crap, they¡¯re pissed we didn¡¯t save them in time, aren¡¯t they?¡± Artem whined. The trap door the EFM came out of started vibrating. After a moment it swung open as skeleton figures with weapons poured out of the hole. ¡°There¡¯s too many for us to handle, what do we do?¡± Avery asked as they all looked at Liam. Liam watched the new monsters and was forming a plan until he noticed an odd behavior. He straightened his posture and said, ¡°Hold on. Something feels¡­odd about this.¡± His companions stared at him with disbelief. ¡°What do you mean hold on?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°If we don¡¯t do something they will overwhelm us.¡± ¡°I said hold on. Watch,¡± Liam said as he pointed. The skeletons didn¡¯t make their way towards them, but instead to the corpse of the Black Widow Matriarch. Like a swarm of ants, they circled the body and then picked it up. Once when they picked the body up, they slowly made their way to the hole and carried it inside. As Liam watched one slowly pull the lid of the trap door close, he imaged a scene from one of the many favorite movies created by his favorite director and was waiting for one of the zombies to say with an evil and ominous laugh, ¡°New arrival.¡± The group stared at the trap door, dumbfounded and not sure what they had just witnessed. Liam turned and said, ¡°Well that was interesting. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± The others turned to look at him. Not wanting to jinx anything, they kept their mouths shut and joined him. Tutorial 29 - Whats Guano? ¡°How do you not find that weird?¡± Artem asked as they walked out of the web filled tunnel. After defeating the Black Widow Matriarch no monsters appeared to challenge their way back. ¡°I never said I didn¡¯t find it weird,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Then why did you say it was interesting and then walked away?¡± Artem tried again. Liam sighed as he stopped and looked at Artem who was behind him. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what else to say. Did I find it interesting? Yes. It¡¯s not every day I see skeletons and zombies drag a giant spider away instead of scurrying their legs towards us. Especially a size that big. Did I find it weird? Yes. For that same exact reason.¡± Liam paused for a split second before finishing, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find out sooner or later. Until then¡­I¡¯ll move on.¡± Artem watched Liam turned back around and walked away. Not wanting to be left behind Artem walked towards the empty bowl closest to them. He hurried over, placed the stone in it, and waited for something to happen. Nothing happened. ¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered as he looked around. ¡°Maybe nothing will happen until we get the other one?¡± Blair suggested. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking too,¡± Liam agreed as he stared at the other opening. He then looked at the others and asked, ¡°Anyone want to take a guess on what we¡¯ll have to fight next?¡± ¡°Maybe another insect monster?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°I hope not,¡± Ariyana said. ¡°After that last one I¡¯m done with bugs.¡± ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Artem agreed. ¡°Well, only one way to find out,¡± Mercer said as they started for the creature made hole. As they walked up to it, they peered inside. The tunnel was dimly lit, making it a little harder to see. What they did notice was there was no spider webs lining the walls, the floor, or the ceiling. Liam pulled his goggles up so he could look inside without them, then compared it again with them on. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I wanted to see if there was a difference between having them on and off,¡± Liam replied as he settled with placing them on his forehead. ¡°The dim lights make it harder to see with them on.¡± ¡°Of course they would make it harder to see. Those goggles are tinted,¡± Blair said as she shook her head while entering with Artem close by. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After walking for a few minutes Roman relaxed his body and placed his hands behind his head while saying, ¡°Are there no monsters going to show?¡± ¡°Roman¡­what did we talk about before?¡± Ariyana asked with a brow raised. ¡°What? Oh, come on its not like¡­,¡± Roman started to argue until a faint noise was heard. It was undistinguishable at first, but as the sound got closer the noise started to sound familiar. ¡°Does that sound like flapping to anyone?¡± Artem asked as he looked back. Ariyana glared at Roman. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to need another talking after this.¡± Roman groaned as he looked around for the source. Nothing was in sight. They continued to walk forward, but at a more cautious pace. As they turned the corner Artem shouted as three figures slammed against his shield, ¡°What the hell!?¡± The force of the collision caused his shield to bring his arm up over his head allowing the three creatures to fly behind him. They moved swiftly past Roman and Avery and straight at Ariyana who paled and let out a loud high pitch scream. An arrow sailed through the air and crashed into one as a dagger plunged into another. Avery quickly sped to the other and slashed it with her new rapier. The three creatures stopped making their way to Ariyana and floated where they were. They stayed hovering there as they flapped their wings vigorously. High pitch squeaks escaped their mouths as they looked for a target. They were brown short haired mammals with leathery wings. They had long pointed ears, long legs with 3 sharp claws. Their faces looked a little like a Bulldog¡¯s face with droopy skin around the snout. They were the size of a medium sized dog. The creatures¡¯ hesitation to pick a target was their downfall as Liam and Roman attacked one of them. Blair, and Artem cornered one and slashed at it while Avery and Mercer took on the last one. After a few seconds the three flying creatures fell to the ground dead. Liam assessed one.
¡°Lesser Bulldog Bat. 0/50 HP. 0/0 MP. Crafting material available. Harvestable.¡±
¡°Well, that explains why they reminded me of a bulldog,¡± Liam muttered as he reached a hand out and said, ¡°Harvest.¡±
¡°You have received Bulldog Bat hide x 3.¡±
A chime sound echoed in his mind as Liam smiled. He swiped away the notifications and quickly turned as he heard a panicked scream. ¡°Get away! Get away! Get away!¡± Ariyana shouted as she swung her arms around wildly with her eyes closed. ¡°It¡¯s okay Ariyana!¡± Avery called out. ¡°They¡¯re dead now.¡± Ariyana didn¡¯t hear her. Blair walked up to her and grabbed her arms after taking a couple of wild swipes. Ariyana¡¯s eyes opened wide as she stared at Blair. With a soft voice Blair said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. They are dead.¡± Out of breath Ariyana stared at her then at the others. Realization dawned on her as she relaxed then straightened her hair down. She blushed as she said, ¡°Oh¡­I see.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Artem started as he began raising an eyebrow. Ariyana swiftly glared at him and said with a firm, but dangerous tone, ¡°Not one word out of you.¡± Artem closed his mouth and stopped himself with a slight grin forming on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll say it,¡± Roman ventured as he voiced what Artem wanted to say, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of bats.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that word!¡± Ariyana clenched. ¡°Never say that vermin name around me. Those are rats with wings. Abominations. I want to find the one who thought it was a good idea to create them and make them wish they never did.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Liam held back the laugh building up as he looked away from Ariyana¡¯s death glare. ¡°Ariyana,¡± Mercer started as he eyed her. ¡°Is the monsters being bat like creatures going to be an issue?¡± Ariyana glared at Mercer as he said the despised word. She took a couple breaths in and then out. ¡°Since Artem handled the spiders¡­I think it¡¯s only appropriate that I¡­,¡± She shuddered at a thought that came across her mind. ¡°Try to do my best as well.¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all we can ask.¡± Ariyana thought of something then glowered at Liam and added, ¡°However, if someone gets the bright idea of having a group of those¡­vermin.¡± She said with much venom. ¡°Then I will have to take it upon myself to properly educate him on what he should not have a proper lady do.¡± Liam kept his back to her and raised a thumbs up. ¡°I won¡¯t make any promises, but I¡¯ll do my best. But with that being said¡­you better steel that resolve.¡± Ariyana stiffened as she asked dreading the answer, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Because I see several groups of them up ahead,¡± Liam replied. A long whiny groan escaped her lips as she frowned and slumped her shoulders. ¡°I knew karma was going to catch up to me.¡± Artem let out a quick laugh before turning it into a cough without looking at her. ¡°Let¡¯s get this done with quickly,¡± Ariyana said as she glared at Artem¡¯s back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the last Lesser Bulldog Bat fell to the ground, the group gathered. Each of them took out a bottle of water and started drinking while Liam harvested the dead creatures. ¡°Let¡¯s rest up a bit before we go inside,¡± Liam stated as he pointed towards the hole a few feet away from them. Ariyana rubbed her arms as she said, ¡°Is it just me or does it feel a bit cold?¡± Blair wiped away the sweat that rolled down her cheeks as she set her helmet down. ¡°I don¡¯t know about cold, but that breeze feels good. All that moving around built up quite the sweat.¡± She then leaned her head back and gave a look of relief. ¡°It gets a bit stuffy after a while wearing this armor and that helmet.¡± Liam stared at the hole. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Mercer asked as he noticed Liam¡¯s expression began to frown. ¡°I was just thinking,¡± Liam started. ¡°Why is there a breeze? I don¡¯t remember seeing any holes anywhere that allowed wind to pass through.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, you¡¯re right,¡± Roman agreed. ¡°It is quite strange.¡± ¡°Who knows, but I¡¯m not going to complain,¡± Artem replied. "I agree with Blair though this armor can get a bit stuffy after a while. I¡¯m going to need a shower after we get out of here.¡± ¡°No, no, no. Artem get down wind. I can smell you from here,¡± Avery said as she gagged. Looking affronted, Artem argued, ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t smell that bad.¡± Avery was about to say something, but Mercer cut him off, ¡°That isn¡¯t him.¡± Liam took in a whiff. It was a foul musty smell with a hint of ammonia. He then backed Mercer and Artem by agreeing, ¡°The smell is coming from that area.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ariyana asked as she plugged her nose. ¡°I think its Guano,¡± Liam answered trying to think if he could recognize the smell. ¡°What¡¯s guano?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Bat droppings¡­poop,¡± Mercer reiterated. ¡°Ew,¡± Ariyana frowned with a look of disgust. ¡°It is gross, but it¡¯s a natural thing,¡± Liam stated as he looked at them and asked, ¡°Are we ready? If so then, Artem will you do the honors?¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Artem replied as he passed out another round of muffins. ¡°These are the last ones. I¡¯m going to have to make more now that I know they are useful.¡± Everyone ate their food and washed it down with the water from their bottles. After they were done, they readied themselves and got into position. As they entered the room, they noticed how big it was. The room was wider than the Black Widow Matriarchs and taller. Several Yooperlite stones lined the walls. The light emanating from them were dimmed even more than the ones in the tunnel as some had a stacked white substance spotting over them. Others were chipped and scratched making them flicker. A blanket of darkness covered the ceiling blocking their sight. On the other side of the room the floor dipped a bit. In the dipped section was piles and piles of the same white substance that spotted some of the glow stones. ¡°Well, the good news is that that we found the source of the smell,¡± Liam coughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say anything else,¡± Artem complained. Before Liam could reply, something fell from the darkness blanketing above them and dropped between the defenders and the attackers. A foul smell exuded from it causing them to stagger for a moment. ¡°OH god!¡± Ariyana coughed before slightly dry heaving. ¡°That smells so bad.¡± Everyone coughed in agreement as a notification appeared before them. ¡°You have been afflicted with Foul odor. Disorientation and a 5% chance to vomit for 10 seconds.¡± Before anyone could say anything, a high pitch chirping sound danced in the air. Two more responded to it. Then several more. Soon the entire room echoed with the noise. This went on for almost a minute until a much louder deep click and chirping sound answered the high pitches. A gust of wind suddenly blew down making the group bring their hands up to cover their faces. Then an object the size and length of a greyhound bus dropped down to the ground creating a rippling in the rocks and dirt causing everyone to bounce off the floor for a moment. After Liam regained his balance, he assessed the creature that was now in front of Artem and Blair.
¡°Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch. 290/290 HP. 90/90 MP.¡±
It had a short tannish fur coat that covered its body, head, and ears. Its wings, that were folded up, were a dark brown. It looked like two legs as it used them to hold itself up. A claw protruded from the edge of both of the forearms of the wing digging into the stones. It perked up and shifted around picking up any sound as its snout sniffed. Ariyana let out a loud and fear induced scream. As if answering back, the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch released a shrill sound as it opened its terrifying fanged mouth. Everyone covered their ears from the sound. After the ear-splitting noise ended the creature lifted its right wing up and swiped at Artem, who swiftly brought his shield up to his left side to block the attack. The attack slammed into his shield causing his feet to slide across the stone floor. Blair swung her great axe up horizontally making the claw and wing fling back away from them. As the creature¡¯s wing touched back down, a violet ball and an arrow collided against its chest and forehead. Mercer pulled out another arrow and knocked it back as Ariyana shakily readied another chant. As Ariyana stared at the EFM she felt fear start to crawl up her spine causing her to fumble on the spell making it sizzle out. Mercer released his arrow and said as he turned to Ariyana, who was cursing herself, ¡°Its ok Ariyana. It¡¯ll happen. Take a deep breath and try again.¡± Ariyana took a shaky breath in and slowly released it. She set her eyes on the monster and felt her knees shake. She tried lifting her arm up to point her wand at it but couldn¡¯t. She just stared at it wide eyed. ¡°Damn it,¡± Mercer swore under his breath. He then called out, ¡°Liam! Ariyana is going to need a moment before she can cast any more spells.¡± ¡°What!¡± Liam shouted as he jumped into a roll to dodge a swipe from the right clawed wing. As he got to his feet, he turned and looked at her. He saw her staring at the EFM, her body was shaking. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth quivered. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± he said under his breath. ¡°Incoming!¡± Roman called out as an attack from the left wing came whooshing by. Liam rolled again, but this time he rolled backwards to get away from the action. As he rolled to his feet he sprinted to Ariyana. Ariyana didn¡¯t see him coming. Her eyes were glued to the cause of the fear freezing her in place. ¡°Ariyana!¡± Liam shouted as he approached her. No response. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her away. Her face was still glued to the monster. He then placed his right hand on her cheek and turned her head to face him. Her eyes locked on him. ¡°Liam¡­I¡­,¡± Ariyana tried to say. ¡°Listen to me,¡± Liam started with a calm tone. She waited for what he was going to say. A scolding, reprimand, chastisement for claiming she¡¯ll handle this like Artem? She wasn¡¯t sure what she was going to get. His calm, collective tone was not what she expected. ¡°I know you¡¯re terrified right now,¡± He began. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to just push away any fears you have, but I need you to rethink and prioritize your fears. What¡¯s more frightening, this winged creature? Or your teammates getting hurt badly and getting taken out of the fight?¡± Ariyana tried to think about his words. She tried her best to fight through the fear that was clamping tightly on her every fiber. Forcing herself to do so, she looked back at the giant winged rat and then at her companions who were fighting against it. She then said without taking her eyes off the scene, ¡°My teammates getting hurt because of my inaction is more frightening.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°It might not take away all your fears, but close your eyes, take a deep breath, and recite the words Calm the Storm. It¡¯ll help calm you down.¡± Ariyana looked back at him and did as he said. As she recited the words with shaky breaths, she felt the fear that was causing her to tense, lessen a bit. Liam watched as the shaking slowed down a bit. It was still there, but not as pronounced as before. ¡°There you go,¡± he encouraged. Ariyana opened her eyes. A faint smile appeared on her face as she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. That was all you,¡± Liam smiled back. He then asked, ¡°Think you¡¯re able to get back into the fight?¡± She nodded as she replied, ¡°I¡¯ll mess up some spells, but I¡¯m better now.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°If you feel the fear gripping you again just repeat what I told you to do.¡± He took a couple steps back as he walked away from her. ¡°You¡¯ve got this. I believe in you.¡± He then spun around and dashed back to the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch. As he ran, he threw a couple of daggers at the monster, plunging into the side of its face. Ariyana took a breath in and slowly released it as she quietly whispered, ¡°Calm the Storm.¡± She did this a couple more times, calming her nerves down. When she felt she was ready she pointed her wand at it and chanted, ¡°Gather forth, Oh, vast Arcana. When single is ineffective, dive in with numbers! Release the pent-up anger of the mass. Arcane Swarm!¡± She watched as a dark violet sphere the size of a coin appeared. With each word the coin sized sphere grew larger and larger until it became the size of a beachball. The sphere then started to swirl quickly. Seven-coin sized spheres appeared around the edge of the swirling dark violet beachball. Lines connected with the smaller spheres before streams of arcane power swiftly shot out in different intervals. The streams of arcane power crashed against the chest of the monster. ¡°Yes!¡± Ariyana shouted, feeling better. The smile that was forming on her face disappeared as the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch sucked in a massive amount of air and released a shrilling call. It then pushed its body up as it expanded its wings fully and started flapping, rising higher into the air out of their reach. ¡°Oh no,¡± Ariyana gasped. Tutorial 30 - Did the Poop just move? Liam watched as the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch lifted itself into the air and hovered above them like an angel of death. Its wrinkled and droopy face snarled as it took in some air. After it took in as much as it could it released it with much force sending a shockwave down onto Artem and Blair causing them to drop to a knee and cover their ears. To him he saw ripples in the air descend down in a cone angle. It extended wide enough to only be able to cover the two defenders. Liam then gazed at Artem¡¯s and Blair¡¯s HP bar and saw it drop a bit. That must be some sort of ability. Liam thought as he reassessed the EFM.
¡°Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch. 150/290 HP. 79/90 MP.¡±
¡°Thought so,¡± Liam muttered as he went over strategizes in his mind. After scraping up a plan he started ordering, ¡°Defenders, take a moment to regain your health with potions. Attackers and Spell casters, use any ranged attacks you have. If you need to replenish your mana do so in turns! Shout out when you¡¯re doing it so we¡¯re not giving it any breaks between attacks!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± they all shouted. Artem and Blair pulled out a potion and drank them as Ariyana, Avery, and Roman started chanting spells. Mercer aimed an arrow and released it as Liam threw a dagger towards the beast. Liam and Mercer watched as the arrow and dagger sailed through the air towards the creature, but then slowed and was repelled from the force of the wind the EFM created from flapping its wings. ¡°Damn it!¡± Mercer shouted. ¡°The wind is too powerful! Our attacks can¡¯t reach it.¡± A fireball shot towards the beast but was snuffed out by the gust of air inches away from it. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Avery shouted with frustration as she stomped a foot down. The beast gave a smug look that caused Liam to make a confused expression. ¡°Did it just¡­,¡± Liam muttered. His confusion slowly turned to anger, but then disappeared as two violet balls slammed against its chest and mouth. ¡°Hell yeah! Take that you snot nosed son of¡­,¡± Roman started to celebrate until the creature sucked in another portion of air and moved its body forward. Liam saw the direction it was moving and shouted, ¡°Roman, Ariyana! Get out of the way now!¡± The beast got closer to them while staying above and then released another shockwave at a downward forty-five degree angle with Ariyana and Roman in its path. Roman sprinted forward and got out of the way, but as Ariyana hesitated before finally moving the blast hit her. The force collided into her side causing her to topple over onto the ground, land on her right shoulder and knee scuffing them against a solid piece of stone. Her head luckily hit a soft patch of dirt. The impact cause slight disorientation, but nothing too harmful. Liam watched as the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch fly over her then turn left and readied another sonic blast. ¡°Keep an eye out! If it¡¯s flying in your direction, then get out of its line of fire. Don¡¯t let that blast hit you!¡± Liam barked as he sprinted to his right. ¡°Try and hit it with Arcane shot if you can get the chance!¡± Avery and Mercer released the spells they had chanted and watched as the violet orbs sailed towards the flying bus sized beast. One of the balls collided against its body while the other zoomed slightly above it and into the darkness. After repeatedly dodging any sonic blasts that came out of the creature¡¯s mouth and pelting it with successful Arcane Shot attacks the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch moved towards the middle and then turned upside down. Its clawed legs reached out into the dark blanket above and gripped something. The E.F.M.¡¯s lower half was covered by the darkness while its wings folded into its sides like a protective barrier and its head snarled at its prey below it. It sucked in another gust of air and then sent a very high-pitched echo throughout the cave. Confused, everyone stared at the creature since the noise didn¡¯t affect them. However, their gazes shifted around the room as calls were answered back. Six lesser Bulldog Bats appeared from the darkness above them. As they descended, they spread out around the group. ¡°Is the¡­is the poop moving?¡± Blair questioned with disgust pulling Liam¡¯s attention towards her direction. Liam rushed over to her to see what she saw down in the guano pit. Four piles of the guano started shaking. After Liam stared at it, he realized those four piles were not actual piles of bat poop. They were creatures with white fur that blended in with the feces camouflaging themselves perfectly. They turned their bulbus bodies with four sharp spiked legs to reveal a nasty looking head. The creatures had the face and ears of a bat; except they had no snout and some sort of cover where their eyes were. It gave their new prey a razor-sharp toothy grin as its long drooling tongue licked its lips. By its head were two short extended claws. Liam assessed one.
¡°Vicious Bat Mite. 75/75 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Artem shouted with complaint as he, Liam, and Blair slowly backed away from the angled pit. ¡°What¡¯s the plan Liam?¡± Blair asked as she shifted her gaze from the oncoming enemies that slowly scurried the ground and the ones that hovered above. Liam wracked his brain. He started fumbling his words as he tried thinking things over. ¡°We need to¡­we need to.¡± He looked at Ariyana as he thought of something. He looked to her MP gauge before asking, ¡°Ariyana, can use cast Dancing Lights on as many as you can?¡± Ariyana turned to look at him. She then looked at something before counting each mob. ¡°I think I can get at least half of them before I have to take a mana potion,¡± she said. ¡°Half is fine¡­,¡± he said as he looked at the monsters that were now on the same level as them. ¡°Start with those Bat Mites first. Ariyana pointed her wand out at one and started chanting, ¡°Oh, dancing wisps of light. I call upon you to help me distract this creature with your delight. Have fun and be merry. Dance around to a beat of your own making without being wary. Dancing Lights!¡± The lights danced in the air as they flashed towards their target. As they circled around the creature once they suddenly disappeared. ¡°Crap!¡± Ariyana cursed. ¡°What happened?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I got a notice saying the spell failed,¡± Ariyana replied. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°That might be because their eyes are covered!¡± Blair yelled out sounding frustrated. Mercer let out an arrow before jumping away from his spot. As the arrow flew pass his target, he suggested, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work on the Mites then try the flying ones. We need some sort of plan to handle these.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± Ariyana shouted as she chanted and shot forth her spell again towards the Lesser Bulldog Bat swooping in around Mercer. The lights spun around the creature and stayed this time. She used the spell on three more of the Lesser Bulldog Bats. This caused not just the ones hit with the spell to be distracted, but the two that were to fly over to the closest light and try swiping at them. ¡°Well, that¡¯s helpful,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Could use some help here!¡± Artem yelled as he parried a slash attack from one of the Vicious Bat Mites. ¡°I know! Hold on!¡± Liam shouted back. He then ordered, ¡°Roman, Avery, and Mercer try and take down the two Lesser Bulldog Bats that weren¡¯t hit by the spell as fast as you can then take out the ones that were!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The three responded as they started their assault. Liam looked at Ariyana and then hesitated. Ariyana stared at him knowing he wanted to ask or say something. After a moment when he didn¡¯t say anything, she shouted, ¡°Are you kidding me!¡± Liam looked shocked at her, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re about to ask me to do. I¡¯m already cringing at the thought of it,¡± Ariyana complained. ¡°Look I know it¡¯s something you don¡¯t want to do but¡­,¡± Liam started to argue until she raised a hand to stop him. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Ariyana stated, ¡°However¡­you owe me a few rounds at the Dancing Baboon. Got it!¡± ¡°You got it,¡± Liam replied as he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°And not the cheap stuff either. You make a girl do something like this and you have to make it up to her appropriately,¡± Ariyana protested. Liam faltered for a moment as he let out a groan. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare skip out on taking responsibility for this,¡± Ariyana quipped as she closed her eyes and started mumbling to herself. ¡°No sane woman would do something like this.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Liam contested as he watched a hint of smile appear then disappear. She suddenly opened her eyes and stared at one of the Vicious Bat Mites. It was standing a little farther back to Artem¡¯s side and was charging up for a run. Ariyana felt an involuntary shudder and thought she mimicked a gag motion before placing her hands on her inner thighs and started chanting with a sweet and mesmerizing voice, ¡°Listen to my voice as you fall under my spell.¡± She then ran the tips of her fingers across her stomach crossing them as they ran under her breasts to the top of her shoulders. ¡°Let loose your mind and allow me to be the conscious to guide you.¡± She then rolled her right arm out away from her body to point at the creature with her index and middle fingers as she winked and finished the chant. ¡°Fall victim to my charm and ways so you can do my bidding. Charm!¡± The Vicious Bat Mite sprinted towards Artem as the spell echoed into its ears. Right before it collided into him, it swerved left and crashed into the creature that was attacking Artem. The collision knocked the attacking creature into the other Vicious Bat Mite that Blair had distracted. The fourth enemy turned to look at its brethren and then jumped at the one who made the pile up. The two Vicious Bat Mites that were hit were on their backs. Their bulbus body made it hard for them to turn right side up. To Liam the scene looked a lot like turtles when they get flipped to the shells and struggle to right themselves. ¡°Attack the ones that are down while the Charmed beast is distracting the other one!¡± Liam ordered. Liam then charged towards them to help and muttered to himself, ¡°If only I could do more damage. I wish that my¡­¡± He came to a sudden stop as he looked at his free hand. He then cursed himself out loud, ¡°God damn it Liam!¡± He pulled out a second dagger and continued running at the toppled enemies as he chastised himself, ¡°Mistakes like that can get you killed you dolt!¡± As he approached the struggling Vicious Bat Mite on his right he started striking with both daggers. Left, right, left, right, up, down, side to side. He felt a bit more comfortable swinging with both arms instead of using only one. The enemy laying on its back screech with pain as it struggled to right itself. Each strike dug into its skin deepening each wound being made. After several successful attacks it let out one last pained gasp of air before its body slumped. Liam breathed heavily as he stared at his daggers. He gripped them tightly as he said quietly, ¡°Finally I can do a bit more damage.¡± He then turned to a Vicious Bat Mite inches away from him. Wide eyed he went to dodge but felt his leg muscles tighten and a blinking red Stamina Bar. ¡°Crap,¡± Liam swore as he brought his arms up to brace the impact coming. Before the collision happened Artem rammed his shield that had wooden spikes protruding from it into the left side of the creature moving it out of Liam¡¯s path and into streams of violet colored arcane power finishing it off. As Artem pulled his shield away from the dead creature, blood dripped off the wooden spikes. The spikes then pulled back into the Kite shield as Artem said with a playful grin, ¡°Tired after killing one monster by yourself? Maybe you should work out more.¡± ¡°Ha, ha, very funny,¡± Liam said as he pulled out a yellow liquid vial, popped the cork and drank it. After drinking the liquid contents, he gagged and watched his stamina bar rise back up. Liam then looked around to see all the mobs were dead. He turned his gaze up onto the Greater Bulldog Patriarch to see it start to stir. ¡°Crap we¡¯ve got to move!¡± Liam announced. Artem and Liam ran away from underneath the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch. They reached a safe distance as it dropped down onto the spot they were just at. It let a loud cry of rage out and started to crawl towards them. ¡°Back to work,¡± Liam muttered as Artem charged at it and slammed his shield against its right claw to prevent the attack from hitting anyone. Blair swung her great axe around and used the momentum of it to bring it over her head and slammed it down against the bone of the left wing. Avery rushed in and swiftly struck three times against the side of its body. Nasty purplish-green liquid snaked into its wounds as Roman threw a four punch combination against its rib cage on the other side. Ariyana released the Arcane Swarm spell as Mercer shot as many arrows as he could. The Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch, feeling overwhelmed, extended his wings out. ¡°It¡¯s going to try and fly off. Ariyana try to stop it from taking off with Entangling roots!¡± Liam ordered. Ariyana started to chant, ¡°Seeds waiting sprout release what¡¯s inside. Grow your roots strong and long. Pierce through the tough ground and wrap around the target. Entangled Roots!¡± Entangled Roots was a Plant Focus Point Ability from the Field of the Elements. It grows roots from the ground that wrap around a target¡¯s feet. Making them stop moving forward or backwards for ten seconds. After Ariyana finished her chant several thick vine-like roots shot out from the stoned ground and wrapped around one of the EFM¡¯s legs right as it lifted itself off the ground. The vines straightened out as the monster was pulled back. The Greater Bulldog Patriarch still hovered a bit in the air barely out of reach of Avery¡¯s, Roman¡¯s, Liam¡¯s, Blair¡¯s and Artem¡¯s weapons. The Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch swiveled its head towards the vines and tried swiping at them with its free foot. One of the vines snapped off. ¡°Blair! Use Force increase on it!¡± Liam shouted. Blair slammed the bottom of her Great axe down as she started chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Become heavier and stronger. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing and hindering its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± A dark purple glow washed over the creature as its body dropped a bit. Its wings slowed its beating but still pushed hard trying to keep it afloat in the air. Liam could see the strain the spell caused on the Bat as it struggled to keep in the air while clawing at the vines. Liam stared at the creature as he thought of something. ¡°I wonder if it could work,¡± Liam muttered to himself. Artem turned to him and asked, ¡°You wonder if what could work?¡± Liam gave him a devilish grin as he replied, ¡°If this works like I want it to then this could end the fight.¡± He then turned his gaze over to Roman and yelled, ¡°Roman! Cast a Stone Pike under it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too high up for it to hit though!¡± Roman protested as he gave Liam a confused look. ¡°I know, but I want to try something out,¡± Liam replied as another vine snapped leaving two left. ¡°Alright then,¡± Roman shrugged as he extended his right arm out and gripped his elbow with his left hand. The fingers on his right hand gripped the air looking like it was holding tight onto something as he started chanting, ¡°O Earth, strong and deadly. Shift and form anew. Bring pain to my enemies as you show them your pointed Anger. Stone Pike!¡± The stone floor beneath the EFM light up a dark brown color as a wave rippled inside a medium sized circle. Shortly after finishing the chant a spike shot up from the ground and stopped after reaching six feet tall with a thick diagram. Stone Pike was an Earth Focus Point ability in the Field of the Elements. A stone spike surges from the ground underneath the target and penetrates through anything in its path. ¡°See!¡± Roman started to protest giving him a I told you so look. He was about to say something else but then watched Liam start to chant. ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Become heavier and stronger. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing and hindering its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Liam chanted. The last rooted vine disappeared allowing the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch pushed up one time with its wings before a second layer of Force Increase washed over it. The pressure of having both spells on it was too much stopping it from moving any further. ¡°You can stack gravity magic!¡± Blair shouted with her eyes wide. A bit of excitement growing inside her. ¡°Now Roman use Electro Orb!¡± Liam called out panting. Shaking away the disbelief from the gambled attempt her got into position and chanted, ¡°O orb of sparks form before pure and true. Shoot fast and engulf the one in your path. Ripple through the muscles and make them lock. Electro Orb!¡± Electro Orb was a Lightning Focus Point ability in the Field of the Elements. It conjures a baseball sized ball of electricity and shoots towards the target. The electric orb shocks them and tightens their muscles for 5 seconds causing them to flinch or locks their movements. An orb of electricity the size of a baseball suddenly appeared to in front of Roman¡¯s hand as sparks of lightning discharged a bit around him. After it fully formed it shot towards the EFM and crashed into its face. As electricity rippled around its body, it let out a pained cry while its wings locked into place and stopped flapping. The force from the double gravity spells slammed the creature down towards the ground. As it crashed down a dust cloud blew out blinding everyone and making them cough. After the dust settled and their coughing fit stopped, they quickly looked at the creature to see the stone spike protruding from the bottom jaw and through its skull. It wasn¡¯t moving and was slumped over. Tutorial 31 – Nose goes! Liam fell onto his back as he felt the tension melt in his body. A few chimes echoed in his mind as notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Constitution Sub-stat Resilience has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Constitution Sub-stat Vitality has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Agility has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 15%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 21%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 7%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Endurance Sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 10! 5% reduction to stamina drainage when running, dodging, and carrying heavy items. Progression to level 11: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Endurance Sub-stat Body Endurance has reached level 10! 5% reduction to stamina drainage when being attacked by powerful strikes or blocking multiple strikes. Progression to level 11: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Strength Sub-stat Power has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 15%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Strength Sub-stat Body Strength has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Common Sense has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Recovery Sub-stat HP Recovery has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 3%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Recovery Sub-stat MP Recovery has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Will Sub-stat Zen has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 2%!¡±
Liam smiled as he waved the notifications away. ¡°We did it!¡± Ariyana shouted gleefully as she jumped up and down. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked!¡± Roman said sounding shocked. Blair dropped her great axe and ran to Liam. Excitement shown upon her face as she shot word after word in a fast-paced chatter, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you could stack the same gravity spells! How did you know! Do you know what this means?! We can do so much with this!¡± Liam lifted a hand up to calm her down as he tried answering, ¡°First¡­I didn¡¯t know that. Second¡­I agree we can come up with more strategies with this, but there¡¯s a draw back.¡± Blair stared at him. ¡°What do you me¡­¡± She then realized what he meant. ¡°The cooldown. If we tried using it at the same time, then it could hinder us when we need it the most.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°If we ever do this again it¡¯ll have to be at a critical moment.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Blair nodded after calming down. Liam then looked around her and shouted, ¡°Roman!¡± Roman turned to look at him. With a smile and thumbs up Liam said, ¡°Good job.¡± Confused Roman asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Artem clapped Roman on the shoulder as he stated, ¡°Those two spells worked out like a charm.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t have the Electro Bolt and Stone Pike spells then we would have had to figure out a way to finish that beast off,¡± Mercer added as he walked up to him. ¡°But it was Blair¡¯s and Liam¡¯s Gravitational Force Increase spell that brought down the creature,¡± Roman argued still confused. Liam shook his head as he slowly got to his feet. ¡°Our Gravitational Force Increase did bring it down, but only after your Electro Ball spell tightened its muscles up enough to stop it from moving. You¡¯ve been getting pretty lucky with that five percent chance to cause that. What¡¯s your Lucky Break Sub-stat at?¡± ¡°What does Lucky Break have to do with anything?¡± Roman questioned as he brought up his Character sheet and looked through it. ¡°It just hit level nine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s close to level ten,¡± Liam said nodding with approval. He then answered, ¡°It gives you a better chance at successfully landing those low chance success hit rates.¡± Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him. ¡°Liam,¡± Mercer started slowly. ¡°Yes Mercer?¡± Liam asked. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°I had some suspicions when I was landing some low chances, but confirmed my suspicions when it leveled after making my Poor Quality Talon Dagger,¡± Liam answered nonchalantly. ¡°Oh, and Lucky Soul levels when you find better quality or rare crafting materials and or items.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an amazing find!¡± Mercer shouted as he pulled out a notebook and wrote it down. Avery and Blair shook their heads as Artem and Ariyana smiled. ¡°Way to go Liam,¡± Ariyana grinned. ¡°Leave it to Liam to randomly figure something out like that hardly anyone knows about,¡± Avery commented. Liam coughed then asked as he changed the subject, ¡°Have you checked the loot yet Mercer?¡± ¡°Yes, I have,¡± Mercer replied as he pulled out a black leather-like choker. In the leather-like material were ornate designs that looked like swirls. In the middle of the choker was a metal circle with several smaller metal circles giving a ripple look to it. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Liam assessed it.
¡°Sonic Choker of the Bat Patriarch. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Poor. +5% to all chant type spells. +5% to all Field of the Charmed abilities.¡±
¡°I think this item dropped specifically for you Ariyana,¡± Mercer said as he handed it to her. ¡°Oooo. It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± Ariyana beamed as she stretched over her head and to her neck. She pulled her hair out from the back and dropped it. The rippled metal sat in the middle of her throat at the base of her neck, ¡°How does it feel? Not too tight?¡± Avery asked as she stared at it. ¡°No, it feels just right. Doesn¡¯t it make me look prettier?¡± Ariyana asked with a coy smile. ¡°I guess prettier is a type of word that can be used here,¡± Roman stated. Blair smacked him on the back of the head. ¡°Ow,¡± Roman protested. ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± Blair didn¡¯t respond as she gave Artem a challenging look. Artem kept his mouth shut and just nodded. Liam and Mercer let out a laugh as Mercer said, ¡°Yes it does look pretty on you. And these are for you.¡± Mercer handed Liam four bubble bottom glass flasks with a tannish liquid and a cork stopper. Liam assessed the items. ¡°Bat Oil. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Quality - Poor. Crafting material. Flammable. Can be used in several different Alchemy recipes. Or in a creative way.¡± ¡°Hm¡­interesting,¡± Liam muttered as he stared at the liquid. After a moment he placed them away in his inventory and started looking around. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°The stone the monster took from the main room. I didn¡¯t see it when we came in so I was wondering where it might be,¡± Liam responded. He looked up and tried peering into the darkness before adding, ¡°I hope it¡¯s not up there.¡± ¡°Uh¡­I think I found it,¡± Roman called out. Everyone turned to see he was looking down into the pit. He pointed a finger in the direction of what he saw. They walked over and saw the stone sitting in a pile of guano. ¡°Not it. Nose goes,¡± Liam quickly stated as he placed a finger on his nose. The others stared at him for a moment. Confused by what he meant and was doing, they each said the same thing. Liam watched each of them do it slowly one by one until the last one placed their finger on their nose. ¡°What does this do?¡± Blair voiced the question they were all thinking. Liam smiled as he said, ¡°The last one to say that and touch their nose is the lucky one who has to go down there and grab it.¡± He then looked at Roman and gave an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry man.¡± Each of them looked at Roman who was staring at Liam. A few seconds passed before realization dawned upon his face. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°A delay reaction?¡± Liam asked with a laugh. Roman looked down at the object then back at them and protested, ¡°You have to be kidding me?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Ariyana smiled. ¡°Sorry it¡¯s the rules,¡± Artem added as he looked away from him. ¡°Not you too Artem!¡± Roman shouted. He looked at the others who turned their gaze away from him as well. Feeling dejected he grumbled, ¡°Why does it feel like you guys are against me?¡± ¡°No one¡¯s against you. You just need to be quicker next time,¡± Liam said as he patted Roman on the shoulder. ¡°Screw that. I don¡¯t want to do it,¡± Roman argued as he crossed his arms. ¡°No can do. We all agreed to this,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°What? When?¡± Roman questioned with a glare. ¡°Just a moment ago,¡± Mercer replied. ¡°Where was I when this happened?¡± Roman inquired. ¡°Off somewhere trying to process what was going on,¡± Ariyana teased. ¡°Gah. Whatever¡­fine,¡± Roman grumbled as he walked down the slope. The group laughed as they heard Roman complain, ¡°Why is the ground so squishy down here? What the hell! I almost fell. Oh god that was slippery. I swear if I fall in thi¡­¡± Dry heaving noises echoed out the pit. ¡°It smells so bad down here!¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Come on Roman. Don¡¯t pout. You did well to not fall in any of it,¡± Ariyana said as they walked out of the tunnel. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I didn¡¯t fall into it. I still got some on me when I pulled it out of that pile,¡± Roman rebuked. ¡°We¡¯re almost there now. You can get rid of it soon,¡± Ariyana smiled as she moved a few more inches away from him. ¡°I can get rid of this stone soon, but I¡¯m still stuck with this smell till we get out of here and I wash my armor,¡± Roman countered as he approached the bowl. ¡°Hold up,¡± Liam said stopping Roman from placing the stone into it. Roman turned and asked while sounding annoyed, ¡°Why? I want to set this down already.¡± ¡°Then set it down on the floor,¡± Liam suggested. Roman grumbled under his breath as did so. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Blair asked as she, Mercer, and Avery walked up to him. Liam was staring at the stone slab blocking the door then up to the sculpted snake looking down at them. After forming his thoughts into words, he relayed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going to happen, but I want to make sure we¡¯re ready to go. Our HP MP is fine. Roman¡¯s Stamina needs to raise back up so let¡¯s take a moment to stretch and rest up.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± Artem agreed. ¡°What do you think is going to happen?¡± Mercer questioned. Liam looked at him. ¡°What I would like to happen is that slab drops down and we walk into an area where the Floor boss is. However, there¡¯s a possibility that stone snake comes to life and attacks us. In the likelihood that happens I don¡¯t want to be caught off guard.¡± Mercer placed a hand on his chin as he examined the statue above the roof of the ruin. ¡°Hm. You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t think there was a possibility but now after thinking about it, it could happen.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan if that snake thing comes to life?¡± Blair inquired as she stretched her arms across her chest. ¡°You and Artem stand a few feet away from this area. After Roman places the stone, I want him to run over to Avery and I who will be close behind you guys.¡± He looked at Mercer and Ariyana. ¡°You guys stay as far back as you can.¡± Mercer nodded as Ariyana replied, ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°If that thing is the Floor Boss, Artem I want you to taunt it with a War Cry the moment it gets down. Blair, I want you to start your attacks the moment it gets taunted,¡± Liam stated as he gave out orders. ¡°Ariyana cast your Echoes of Sound on Mercer. Mercer play your Resilient Defense song on Artem. When Blair gets its attention then play that song on her. Once when you guys are done with your buffs then start your own attacks.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Mercer and Ariyana said. ¡°Roman if you can, use your Static grasp on it to create an opening for us to land a few extra hits in. Avery, use your Light as a Feather spell and then unleash as many attacks as you can. I want you to try and get as much venom in it as you can.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Avery responded. Roman cracked his neck and popped his knuckles as a reply. ¡°We all know what to do and ready to go?¡± Liam inquired. Everyone nodded as they got into position. ¡°Roman, if you could do us the honor,¡± Liam said as he looked at him. Roman walked up to the stone and picked it up. He then placed it inside the bowl and jogged over to where he was supposed to be. With bated breath they watched for any changes. After a few moments nothing happened. They waited a few more seconds. Still nothing happened. As they relaxed Roman was about to say something, but then suddenly the two stones lit up their respected colors like a fire that came to life. Black and nasty green colored smoke started to rise from the stones and drifted up to the eyes of the snake. The smoke disappeared into them like they were being hungrily eaten up. After all the smoke filled them, the eyes flashed to life. A rumble vibrated throughout the room as the mouth of the snake widened. As the mouth widened a head began to slowly escape out from it allowing the creature to exit out from the stoned skin like it was shedding its skin. Liam and his group watched as it slid down to the ground in front of them. Its body had a jagged and spiked tannish with white speckled colored scales. Its tail was black with eight moving spikes sticking out from it. The way its tail was shaped looked a lot like a spider. Especially with the way the spikes moved on the ground. The size of the creature was as big as the Greater Bulldog Bat Patriarch, but its length looked like it was almost as long as a football field. Liam assessed it.
¡°Spider Tailed Horned Viper. 300/300 HP. 50/50 MP.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Artem groaned as he saw the tail. Goosebumps formed on his arms as he released a shudder. ¡°Is it two Monsters we¡¯re fighting?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°No! It¡¯s only one monster. That thing is its tail,¡± Mercer replied. Liam looked at him and gave him a puzzled look before realizing he must have reached level ten in his Perception Sub-stat. He then faced forward and called out, ¡°Defenders! Start your attack!¡± Artem released a mighty War Cry as he stomped a foot down trying to brush off his fear of the tail. The Viper coiled its head back as it released a loud long hiss while staring at Artem. ¡°Voices raised high or volume of music reverberating around. Echo true inside the one who needs it most. Allow the sound to connect where it intends to. Echo loud and proud! Echoes of Sound!¡± Ariyana chanted as Mercer started playing his song of Resilient Defense. Artem felt the buff wash over him and brought his shield up to embrace the incoming attack. However, as he did this, he noticed the Viper snap its gaze towards Blair and swiftly lunge at her with its mouth wide open. Tutorial 32 - Free materials is free materials The Spider-tailed Horned Viper turning away from Artem and striking Blair caught everyone off guard. As the Viper¡¯s mouth closed in on Blair, she brought her left hand as close to the head of the great axe as she could and swung up. The edge of the blade slammed against the chin of the creature making it close its mouth and change the trajectory of the head to face up. ¡°Shit!¡± Mercer cursed as he stopped playing his song. ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Liam called out. ¡°Once when the cooldown is done, play it again on Blair!¡± The Viper tried to strike again at Blair. Its mouth clamped down into the ground with nothing to swallow. Blair had jumped out of the way above the Viper¡¯s head and swung her great axe down as hard as she could. The force of her weapon collided with the top of the creature¡¯s head and bounced against the rocky terrain. ¡°Attackers in!¡± Liam ordered as Avery and Roman rushed on both sides and started attacking with their weapons. Liam pointed one of his daggers and started chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Become heavier and stronger. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing and hindering its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± A purplish color started to cover the Snake. After a moment it stopped and faded away. A notification screen appeared.
¡°Gravitational Force Increase has failed.¡±
¡°Damn it,¡± Liam swore. He watched as Avery swung her rapier as fast as she could against the scales and Roman punched it with his gauntlets. Blair blocked a strike from the snake¡¯s mouth as Artem tried letting out another War Cry and failed once more. A sudden movement caught Liam¡¯s attention. When he saw what it was, he sprinted forward and shouted, ¡°Artem incoming six o¡¯clock!¡± Artem turned his head to see the spider shaped tail skittering towards him at full speed. He brought his shield up and blocked it right before the mouth on it could bite him. Liam appeared on the left side of Artem and plunged both of his daggers into the side of the spider body. As he brought his daggers out, one of the spiked legs lifted and cut Liam on his arm. He felt a stinging sensation as a bit of blood trickled out of the cut. A notification appeared as he took a step back. ¡°You have been inflicted with Viper Venom. 5 HP per 15 seconds will drop until it has been cleansed.¡± A chime sound echoed in Liam¡¯s mind as he mentally closed the message and called out, ¡°The Spider tail can inflict venom! So, watch out!¡± ¡°Need me to detox it?¡± Artem called out before blocking a strike from the spiked spider legs. ¡°I¡¯m good for right now,¡± Liam responded as he winced from the pain. ¡°Focus on trying to block the tail for now.¡± Artem grunted his replied as he parried another strike. ¡°My sword isn¡¯t doing much against these scales,¡± Avery complained. ¡°Avery and Roman! If your attacks aren¡¯t doing much then switch to the tail,¡± Liam yelled. ¡°The spider body is less armored than the main body!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Roman shouted as he sprinted around the main body to get to the tail. Avery spun around, planted her foot then rushed over with her sword ready to attack. An arrow flew towards the main body and bounced off the scales as a violet orb collided. ¡°Arrows have no affect either,¡± Mercer informed. ¡°Arcane spells work!¡± Ariyana yelled. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said. ¡°Mercer switch over to Arcane spells for now.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Mercer replied as he put his bow away and pulled out his flute. Liam took in the scene before him. Blair used the weight of her weapon to pull herself out of harm¡¯s way or counter attacking the Viper¡¯s attacks. Artem used his shield to stop the spider-like tail from clawing Avery and Roman. Both Avery and Roman struck the tail with their weapons any chance they got. Ariyana chanted Arcane Swarm while Mercer cast his Arcane shot. The arcane attacks collided against the spiked scales and caused bouts of dust. The attacks Avery and Roman landed pierced and slammed against the sleeker shell of the spider tail but didn¡¯t look like it was slowing it down. Blair¡¯s attacks created loud sounds as if she was hitting solid stones but were effective enough to make the head move back. Liam assessed the Viper.
¡°Spider Tailed Horned Viper. 210/300 HP. 50/50 MP.¡±
¡°This doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he ran through different strategies. A sharp pain suddenly pulsed. He winced as he looked at his arm. A couple of black lines slowly crept up his arm. With each inch it moved up a pulse of pain made its presence known. Liam clenched his teeth as he looked back at the monster again. He quickly glanced at his HP.
¡°Liam - 106/138 HP.¡±
¡°We need to do something about that tail. Once when we take care of that I can get rid of this pain,¡± Liam thought as he pulled his goggles over his eyes. ¡°I need something.¡± He stared at the monster¡¯s head. Nothing.
¡°Liam- 101/138 HP.¡±
He stared at the creature¡¯s back. Nothing.
¡°Liam ¨C 96/138 HP.¡±
Liam winced again as the pain grew sharper. His eyes squinted as he tried to focus even harder on the snake. He stared at the tail this time, but still didn¡¯t see anything they could do to cause that extra damage. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°Liam ¨C 91/138 HP.¡±
¡°I could use some help here guys!¡± Blair called out as she swung her great axe around and collided one of the bladed edges against the side of the Viper¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯re trying our best here!¡± Ariyana shouted as she drank a mana potion. ¡°We need something here Liam!¡± Avery yelled as she swung her blade three times up and down. ¡°I¡¯m thinking!¡± Liam shouted as he felt the pulse reach his elbow.
¡°Liam ¨C 86/138 HP.¡±
¡°No not that way!¡± Artem cried out as Roman jumped backwards to dodge a spiked leg from the spider tail. Not paying attention to his surroundings Roman had jumped back right into the body of the Viper, hitting a couple of the jagged scales and stopping him dodging a strike from the claw-like leg of the spider tail. Roman let out a pained yell making the Viper bring its head up to look at him. Without waiting the Spider-tailed Horned Viper swiftly lurched down as fast as it could with its mouth wide open. Before it could eat Roman, Blair swung her great axe up as hard as she could against the chin of the creature making the head fly up and backwards. ¡°There it is!¡± Liam thought as a faint glow appeared in three different spots. The creature¡¯s eyes, the inside of the mouth, and the section where the tail and the main body connected. Fighting the painful pulse that brought another five points of health down, Liam formulated a plan. I have an idea that might work, but the chances are low. It¡¯s a gamble, but¡­ Liam thought as he finalized the plan forming. He then shouted, ¡°Blair! Gravity Option four!¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± She questioned. ¡°Yes!¡± Liam replied as he gripped his right arm. She let out a loud annoyed grunt before asking, ¡°What¡¯s my target?¡± ¡°The section where the tail and main body meet,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Are you serious!¡± Blair shouted as she parried another strike. ¡°I can¡¯t get a perfect hit from here.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Liam began. ¡°Artem when I say switch, lift your shield up and give Blair a boost. Then use your war cry to get the Viper¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t work last time though,¡± Artem protested. ¡°Then try again and make it work!¡± Liam argued. ¡°Ram some spikes into it! I don¡¯t care how you do it! Get its damn attention!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Artem replied with frustration laced thick in his voice. ¡°Roman!¡± Liam started up again. ¡°Once when its tail is gone use Static grasp!¡± ¡°Huh!? But¡­,¡± Roman began. ¡°Not on its scales but on its open wound!¡± Liam shouted as he fought the pain once more. ¡°Ok!?¡± ¡°Fine! Got it!¡± Roman yelled back. ¡°On my mark,¡± Liam instructed as he watched for an opening. He then mumbled to himself as he gauged the scene before him, ¡°You only get one shot at this. Don¡¯t screw this up Liam.¡± As soon as Blair knocked back the Viper¡¯s head, Liam shouted, ¡°Switch!¡± Blair pivoted herself to face Artem who had brought his shield up. As Blair jumped onto the shield, Liam started chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous.¡± Artem squatted down a bit and then pushed up as hard as he could, giving Blair an extra push as she launched herself up. ¡°Become heavier and stronger,¡± Liam continued as he kept his eyes on Blair. He¡¯s god damn crazy putting this much pressure on me. Blair thought as she searched for the spot Liam spoke of while flying up in the direction of the tail. After locking on it she brought her weapon up over her head. With a scowl she thought, I swear if I screw this up I¡¯m going to kick his ass for this ludicrous plan of his! Artem turned and let out a loud roar directed at the Viper as it looked at Blair. The Viper ignored him again and started to recoil to strike. Artem let out a yell of annoyance as he brought his shield up and used his Bash skill while forming spikes across his Kite Shield. He rammed into the belly of the monster with so much force it caused the Viper to finally look his way. ¡°Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing and hindering its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Liam finished as he unleashed the Gravity ability on Blair. Blair felt the gravity around begin to increase as she swung her Great Axe down, allowing the increased weight to pull them both down fast and hard. The blade connected with the spot she kept her eyes on. She felt some resistance for a brief moment before the weapon sliced through, cutting the spider-like tail cleanly off. Blood started spraying as the Viper let out a pained hiss. Using all her muscles she moved the weapon out of the way as Roman¡¯s electrified hand reached for the open wound, but missed as the numbed section flailed up. ¡°Run up!¡± Blair shouted as she turned her back to him and lowered her head. Roman jumped up on her back and pushed off trying to reach out once more for his target. He watched as the sparks started to die out. However, the open wound swung back and touched his open palm. Sparks started to rush into the spray of blood causing the snake to stop moving. Roman fell down wiping away from blood that sprayed against his face and arm. ¡°Now wha¡­.¡± He started until he saw Liam run up the snake. ¡°Five seconds,¡± Liam thought as he rushed up the back of the creature. ¡°Four.¡± He made it halfway. ¡°Three.¡± He put his daggers away and pulled out a bubble bottom flask with a tannish liquid inside as he continued for the head. A harsh pain caused him to feel his legs lock for a split second. ¡°Not now!¡± Liam thought as he pushed through the pain and continued. ¡°Two.¡± As soon as he judged he was close enough he threw the item in his hand and watched it crash against the nose of the monster. The liquid coated the eyes and the opened mouth. ¡°One.¡± Liam started to chant, until he felt the body arch down and then back up, launching Liam into the air. ¡°Liam!¡± Mercer and Ariyana shouted. Liam cartwheeled in the air. He righted himself to face the Spider Tailed Horned Viper. The snake recoiled its head back and struck for him with its mouth open once more. Liam smiled as he stated, ¡°Thank you for your cooperation for this experiment.¡± He then chanted as he brought an open palm out, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and Burn!¡± A flame appeared on his hand. He then brought it back and threw it as fast as he could at the snake¡¯s head. As the flame touched the liquid that was still on its nose, a raging fire lit up and spread across to its eyes and into its mouth. The Spider Tailed Horned Viper reeled back, hissing loudly and violently swinging its sliced tail. Liam grinned as he fell closer to the ground. He went to turn his body so he could roll when he landed to negate some of the damage, but when he tried his body spasmed a bit making him let out a pained grunt.
¡°Liam ¨C 36/138."
Crap! Why didn¡¯t you drink a fucking potion Liam! Liam chastised himself as he opened an eye to see the ground coming in hot. He let out a slight chuckle as he mumbled, ¡°Mistakes were made.¡± He braced for impact, as he accepted his mistake. However, right before he could crash land, Artem caught him while running. The weight from Liam falling so high caused them to roll, but Artem didn¡¯t let go as he got back to his feet from that roll and ran with Liam in his arms away from the creature. When they were far enough away Artem sat him down and started chanting, ¡°Impurities coursing through the body have no place here. Expel, expunge, disperse all foreign substances to make the body healthy once more. Detox!¡± Liam felt a cold sensation wash from his shoulder, down his arm, and out the wound he had. As the liquid started to pool out, Liam grabbed an empty vial with his other hand and gathered some of the venom as it started to fall to the floor. Artem shook his head as he asked, ¡°You almost died and the first thing you do is collect materials?¡± Liam grinned boyishly as he replied, ¡°Free materials is free materials.¡± He then corked it and put it away. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Artem asked as he extended a hand out. Liam grasped it and was raised to his feet. He glanced at his HP.
¡°Liam ¨C 11/138 HP.¡±
Liam let out a low whistle as he thought, Cutting it close there. He then answered Artem, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as I heal up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that,¡± Mercer said as he approached them. He put his flute up to his lips and started playing a light melody. Liam could feel the song touch him and bring his back up as a light green glow pulse out from Mercer and covered Liam. This was his Health Pulse Song from his Mana Channeling Focus Point. The song refilled five HP per second of the target. It drained three MP per second while he played the song. After Liam¡¯s HP reached halfway, he stated, ¡°That¡¯s good enough.¡± Mercer stopped the song, then pulled out a mana potion and drank it. Liam looked at the Viper, who was violent thrashing around trying to put the fire out. ¡°Artem, use your Healing Aura on the others,¡± Liam instructed as he kept his eyes on the snake. He assessed it again.
¡°Spider Tailed Horned Viper. 65/300 HP. 50/50 MP.¡±
¡°It¡¯s almost dead. Let¡¯s finish this,¡± Liam stated as he pulled his daggers back out. Artem and Mercer nodded in agreement as Artem ran back out to the front liners who were watching the creature. ¡°Avery! Use Fire ball and try to keep that flame going,¡± Liam called out. ¡°Everyone else, use any Arcane spell you have and try to take it down. ¡°Got it!¡± they responded. Artem got close enough to the others, reached both of arms out in front of him, and started chanting, ¡°O¡¯ Heart beating inside me, I beseech you to pulse loud and true. Release the healing sensation hidden within your pressure. Wash over those I wish to protect and refresh their spirits again. Refreshing Aura!¡± Refreshing Aura was an Aura Focus Point ability. It released an aura that healed five health points per second for ten seconds replenishing a total of fifty HP. The caster cannot move or else it would stop the ability. Avery pointed her rapier at the snake and chanted, ¡°Oh, flame of burning power. I beseech you to come forth. Burning bright and hot shoot true towards my enemy. Fireball!¡± A ball of fire the size of a baseball formed at the tip of her sword. After the chant was done it shot forward and reignited the dying flames as it crashed against the snake¡¯s head. Blair and Mercer chanted their Arcane Shot spells as Ariyana and Roman pelted the body of the creature with their Arcane Swarm spell. Liam watched as the health of the Spider Tailed Horned Viper plummet with each hit. The Floor Boss suddenly stopped thrashing uncontrollably as a purple gas started to roll out of its mouth. As a final ditch effort, it released the built-up gas pushing it out as it moved its head side to side. The purple gas washed over everyone as its body slumped and the head dropped to the ground. A couple of notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Spider Tailed Horned Viper!¡± ¡°You have been afflicted with Noxious Gas! You take 5 damage every 3 seconds till this has been lifted.¡±
¡°Not again,¡± Liam groaned. Tutorial 33 - Lucky Soul Coughing fits echoed all around them as the venomous gas started to disperse. ¡°What is it,¡± Blair coughed, ¡°with bosses¡­and nasty¡­gases.¡± ¡°I blame¡­Roman,¡± Liam teased as he waved a hand around. ¡°Why me?¡± Roman asked as he frowned at Liam. ¡°Because,¡± Ariyana started as she began to settle her coughing fit while turning to Roman. She then finished with a smile that felt more evil than sincere, ¡°You always say things when you should keep your damn mouth shut.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Roman said as he righted himself. Liam held back the laugh that was trying to escape fearing that another coughing fit would start back up. He shook his head as a few chime noises echoed before notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Ailment Resistance ¨C Venom. Ailment Resistance has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body main stat Constitution sub-stat Ailment Resistance has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body main stat Constitution sub-stat Ailment Resistance has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body main stat Constitution sub-stat Ailment Resistance has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body main stat Constitution sub-stat Ailment Resistance has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 31%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body main stat Constitution sub-stat Ailment Resistance has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 31%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution sub-stat Resilience has reached level 10! Plus 5% to physical pain tolerance. Progression to level 11: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution sub-stat Vitality has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 24%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity sub-stat Agility has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 4%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 12! Progression to level 12: 11%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity sub-stat Reflex has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 9%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity sub-stat Agility has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 7%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 34%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance sub-stat Body Endurance has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 23%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Fortitude sub-stat Cognition Perseverance has reached level 10! Plus 5% to mental pain tolerance. You can now focus a little better through the pain clouding your mind. Progression to level 11: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Intelligence sub-stat Perception has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 45%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Wisdom sub-stat Magic Practicality has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 5%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Wisdom sub-stat Physical Practicality has reached level 10! You can now wield your chosen weapon easier. Weapon arts are now available to learn. +2.5% to successful hits to any weapon skills level 10 or higher. Progression to level 11: 5%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 10! +5% to unfavorable situations being turned around. Progression to level 11: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Recovery sub-stat HP Recovery has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 1%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will sub-stat Will Power has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Production Craft Focus Point Light and Burn ability has reached level 4. Progression to level 5: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Elements Focus Point Gravity has reached level 2. Progression to level 3: 25%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravity ability Gravitational Force Increase has reached level 2. Progression to level 3: 25%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Personal level has reached level 4. You have received 4 points to allocate in each Main Stat Category. Total available points to use 12 in Body, Mind, and Spirit.¡±
¡°Damn,¡± Liam muttered under his breath with wide eyes as he looked at the notifications. As he stared at the Ailment Resistance level ups, he remembered what Phorge said at the beginning. He then thought about how much the venom hurt letting it run through his veins while trying to fight. Damn straight its painful to level up! I never want to go through that again. He thought. Even though he thought this he knew deep down that he was going to have to go through the pain again. It was a necessary evil to grow stronger. He brought his eyes to his Magic Practicality level up. ¡°Did using my crafting magic in that way have a play in it?¡± He whispered as he scrunched his brows. He shook his head as he thought, I¡¯m going to need to experiment more. Now that I know I can use it like that I¡¯m going to have to get more oil and come up with better ways to execute it. His thoughts then turned to his Physical Practicality. What the hell are Weapon arts? I¡¯ll have to ask that later. The five percent to successful hits will come into play with my daggers so that¡¯s a welcomed surprise. He stared at his Perception of the Control Tower level up notifications and wondered how it leveled up so fast. After thinking it over he surmised, I guess keeping it activated the entire time must have played a role in it. As he closed his windows, he nodded with a content smile. He was happy with his sub-stat growth. Now if only he could find out as to why his personal levels were slow to growing, progression to that level, and why he couldn¡¯t see any experience gains from killing monster then he¡¯d feel more at ease. ¡°Nothing I can do but push forward till I figure it out,¡± he whispered as he saw Artem approach and start chanting. ¡°Impurities coursing through the body have no place here. Expel, expunge, disperse all foreign substances to make the body healthy once more. Detox!¡± Artem finished. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Liam felt something in his stomach start to rise into his lungs then up his throat. The sensation burned as a purple gas rolled out his mouth causing him to cough harshly. After the last bit of noxious cloud filtered out, Artem said with a nod, ¡°Drink some water. It¡¯ll help take away that nasty after taste.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam croaked as he pulled a bottle out and started drinking it. A hand suddenly slapped his back causing him to cough up some of the water going down his throat. ¡°That was crazy! What possessed you to try a stunt like that?¡± Roman questioned as he brought his hand back. A bit of the blood that was on his hand smeared on Liam¡¯s back. ¡°I have to admit,¡± Blair started as she approached them, ¡°that gamble of yours paid off.¡± ¡°That really was a gamble,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I knew you¡¯d hit the right spot. However, I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d cut it all the way with one strike.¡± ¡°That Gravitational Force Increase spell did the trick,¡± Blair said. ¡°If you didn¡¯t time it properly, I don¡¯t think I would have pulled it off.¡± ¡°I got lucky.¡± Liam grinned as he stared at her. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± Avery agreed while she walked up to them with Mercer and Ariyana. Liam turned to Mercer and asked, ¡°Did you loot it?¡± ¡°You bet I did,¡± Mercer smiled happily. ¡°This is the equipment we got.¡± Mercer pulled out the first item for everyone to see. It was a bow. The top and bottom limb were a tannish color with small, jagged spikes that stopped right at the curved limb tips. Two spiders sat in the back of the top and bottom limb where the string ran through their mouths. The top part of the riser had the top jaw of a Viper head with two fangs. The bottom part was the lower jaw with two more fangs. The inside of the bottom jaw was hollowed out enough to protect the user¡¯s hand grip. The inside of the top part had a section that looked like a medium sized vial could attach. Liam assessed the weapon.
¡°Horned Viper Bow. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C A bow made from parts from a Spider Tailed Horned Viper. Attaching a vial of poison or venom allows a couple of drops to coat an arrow when notched back.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a sweet weapon,¡± Roman complemented. ¡°Congratulations Mercer,¡± Blair stated with a grin. ¡°Are you guys sure?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re the only one out of us all who can use bows,¡± Avery answered. ¡°So, it¡¯s only right that you get it.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Liam started. ¡°I have a request though.¡± Mercer looked at him. ¡°What is your request?¡± ¡°Can you give me your old bow?¡± Liam asked. He then looked at the others. ¡°Same with you guys. When you get new weapons can I get your old ones?¡± ¡°Sure, but why do you need them?¡± Mercer inquired with a quizzical look. ¡°I thought you only used daggers.¡± ¡°I do, but if I plan on trying to make better weapons later on it¡¯ll be best if I get a better feel for them by training in the weapon skills,¡± Liam answered. He saw the confused look on their faces. Liam then explained, ¡°Fia had told me that by training in weapon skills I can get a better understanding on how they work, how heavy or light they need to be, etcetera. By doing this I can make better quality items.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± they all responded. ¡°That makes sense,¡± Mercer said as he nodded. ¡°Yeah, I can give you my old bow. Oh, there was another item that dropped that you might be interested in.¡± Liam raised a brow as Mercer handed him a weird looking item that had straps connected with metal rings. Liam assessed the item.
¡°Throwing Dagger Scabbard. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Description ¨C A scabbard mean to be worn over your shoulders for throwing daggers. Holds 6 throwing daggers. Empty slots will automatically fill with throwing daggers only if you have spare ones in your inventory.¡±
¡°Holy crap!¡± Liam shouted while he stared at it with disbelief. ¡°How though? I thought Floor Boss Monsters drop only one equipment loot?¡± Liam placed his arms through the arm loops and set the equipment in place. The dagger holders suddenly filled with six of the Talon daggers that where in his inventory. The six daggers hung sideways against his rib cage. The blades were completely covered by the leathery scabbards. This kept his sides safe from being stabbed by his own weapons. He twisted his body and jumped to see how it felt. After testing his flexibility with his new equipment, he stopped, satisfied with it. Mercer shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Before Liam could say anything, a chime echoed in his mind as if answering their question.
¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck sub-stat Lucky Soul has reached level 10! +5% to more loot drop chances on monsters or finding random treasure and materials.¡±
Liam grinned as he closed the message. He then unconsciously said out loud, ¡°Well that explains it.¡± Everyone eyed him questionably. ¡°What explains it?¡± Ariyana voiced the question everyone had. ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry,¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°My Lucky Soul sub-stat just hit level ten. The perks gives a five percent to more loot drop chances. It also applies to finding random treasure and materials.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Ariyana shouted as an excitable smile grew on her face. ¡°Right?¡± Liam smiled back. ¡°Anyways was there anything else? Any craf¡­¡± ¡°You and crafting materials,¡± Artem snorted. Liam frowned at him before giving a sheepish smile. ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Mercer laughed as he pulled out some items. ¡°Yes, three medium sized vials of Viper venom.¡±
¡°Spider Tailed Horned Viper Venom. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Description ¨C Venom of a Spider Tailed Horned Viper. Extremely dangerous to ingest. Can be used to make improved poisons and antidotes. Can be used to coat on weapons after properly being deluded. Can be used for other things in Alchemy.¡±
¡°Score!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m going to see what I can harvest out of that thing and then let¡¯s head out of here.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Mercer nodded as Liam walked away. Liam approached the Spider Tailed Horned Viper and reached a hand out. He then chanted one word, ¡°Harvest.¡±
¡°You have received 4 Viper Fangs.¡± ¡°Viper Fangs. Crafting materials. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Description ¨C Sharp fangs from a Viper creature. Sharp enough that it can pierce almost anything. Can be crafting into a weapon or any useful craftable creation.¡± ¡°You have received 1 Viper Venom Gland.¡± ¡°Spider Tailed Horned Viper Venom Gland. Crafting material. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Description ¨C The Venom gland of a Spider Tailed Horned Viper. Contains potent venom that can be extracted and be made into a venomous coat for weapons or be diluted and used for certain Alchemic recipes. Due to it being poorly harvested, the gland holds only 50% of the venom it had before it was carved out.¡±
¡°That sucks that it only has fifty percent left. I really need to harvest more and get it leveled up, so I don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Liam frowned. A couple chimes rang as more notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Class Skill and Gathering Craft ability Harvest has reached level 12. Progression to level 13: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Class Skill and Production Craft ability Item Understandance has reached level 6. Progression to level 7: 0%.¡±
Liam shrugged as he muttered, ¡°Well played.¡± A rumble suddenly caught everyone¡¯s attention. They all turned to the solid stone slab and watched as it slid down to reveal two swirling portals. One stood in front of an open door while the other sat a bit off to the side. ¡°Looks like our ride is here,¡± Liam called out. ¡°Good, I could use a bath,¡± Roman stated as he started for it. ¡°I¡¯d say. I can smell you from here,¡± Ariyana teased as she waved her hand in front of her nose. ¡°Ha, ha, ha,¡± Roman replied as they started walking through the portal. After they walked through the exit portal skeletons slowly flooded the room. They made their way towards the dead creature. Like ants, they surrounded the monster, lifted it up and carried it through the opening of the spider hole they had come out of. Their bones rattling echoed as a sinister laugh danced in the air. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A chime sounded in Liam¡¯s head as he stepped out of the portal. Dizziness and a wave of nausea washed over him. He stumbled as he took a few steps away from the portal. He started to dry heave while fighting the urge to vomit. After a few moments passed, the disgusting sensation went away. He looked back at his team and watched as a couple weren¡¯t as lucky as him and the rest. He then turned his head to see groups of people staring at them while whispering. ¡°Why are they staring at us?¡± Avery asked as she walked up next to Liam. He turned to his group and then to other groups coming out of their assigned dungeons. After comparing his group to others, he noticed a difference. While other groups came out unscathed and with little tears or small dents in their armor; his group sported bruises and cuts over their bodies that weren¡¯t completely healed from the potions. Potions healed all wounds and replenished your HP, but only higher leveled potions took away all the wounds. Weak health potions could only close the wounds. Their armor was dented and ripped in some places. Roman still had blood from the Spider Tailed Horned Viper splotched around him. Liam muttered softly, ¡°I don¡¯t like where this could lead.¡± Before Avery could ask what, he meant, a grandmotherly voiced asked, ¡°My heavens what happened to you lot?¡± Liam slowly turned to see Adva walking up to them with a look of concern. ¡°Why do you look like you just came out of a massive battle?¡± Confused Mercer looked at her and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this normal for dungeon runs?¡± ¡°Dungeon runs in the ones outside of the Tutorial Area yes, but not here,¡± Phorge stated as he appeared next to Adva. ¡°These dungeons are designed to be tough, but not to the point where it makes you look like you fought an army or something,¡± Adva added as she took in each one. ¡°If your group¡¯s synergy is not where it should be then I would suggest splitting and find a new group that can compli¡­¡± ¡°Our synergy is fine. We¡¯re able to handle ourselves,¡± Roman pointedly stated. Everyone was taken aback by Roman¡¯s sudden attitude. ¡°I meant no disrespect. I was just simply,¡± Adva started to say. ¡°We have heard your advice and will take it with the consideration it was given in¡­ However,¡± Liam said was an even tone. ¡°What we decide to do and with whom, is our business.¡± Adva stared at him for a while. She then shook her head and said, ¡°I am sorry. I did not mean to sound like I was undermining you and your group¡¯s choice of companions.¡± ¡°That is fine,¡± Liam began as he started to walk away. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us, we would like to clean up.¡± ¡°I may have spoken out of turn, ¡°Adva said as he walked by her making him stop and glance over, ¡°Albeit, I want to still stand on what I have said. If you need advice about anything, please do not be afraid to ask us.¡± ¡°If and when I need it,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I just might. Until then, I find my own pace better.¡± The others followed behind Liam as he walked away. ¡°Something is going on,¡± Phorge said softly. ¡°Is there a way we can figure out what they have encountered?¡± Adva questioned as she kept her eyes on the group. ¡°I have a feeling they found a path they were never meant to.¡± ¡°I can ask one of the others if they have a way to, but I feel like it will take some time before we get results,¡± Phorge answered. ¡°Do it,¡± Adva stated. ¡°It is normal for a single group to find a path they are not supposed to, but if this group did then that makes four groups in this area alone. That is not a good sign.¡± Phorge nodded in agreement. ¡°Do you think it might have to do with¡­¡± ¡°Do not say it,¡± Adva cut Phorge off. ¡°If it is true, then things might get out of hand sooner or later. Then we¡¯ll need to keep an eye on the groups more than the others. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Adva started to trail off as a sad look fell upon her face. ¡°It¡¯s just what?¡± Phorge questioned. Adva looked him in the eyes and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just that I pray it is not true and there¡¯s just some mistake. However, if it is true and it is happening right now then the one who it will revolve around will only find death and blood trailing behind them.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After walking away from Adva and Phorge, Mercer questioned, ¡°So, bath and then dinner?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Sounds like a plan. However, I¡¯m going to see if my fellow Alchemist classmate is at the Bubbling Potion. I want to ask her some questions about poisons and venoms.¡± Mercer and Avery glanced at him. ¡°I want to argue that it can wait, but I see that glint in your eyes,¡± Mercer sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Liam replied with a grin as he pulled his goggles up onto his forehead. ¡°No seriously,¡± Avery started with a frown. ¡°You need to take a bath as soon as possible. Don¡¯t dilly dally with experimentations. There is always tomorrow for that.¡± Liam rolled his eyes as he retorted with a teasing tone, ¡°Yes mom.¡± Avery swatted his arm as she glared at him. ¡°Ow,¡± Liam said as he rubbed his arm. ¡°I get it. I get it. I won¡¯t waste time doing experiments. I promise.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Avery nodded hiding the smirk that was forming. Tutorial 34 - What did you say? Liam opened the door to the Bubbling Potion and saw no one in the front part of the building. Without waiting he walked towards the door that led to the laboratory. As he entered the room he scanned around and saw Galin focusing on an experiment he was working on. Galin glanced at Liam before turning back to the distillation process happening in front of him. After a moment he quickly looked back at Liam and asked with a shocked expression, ¡°What in Arcanus¡¯ name happened to you?¡± The door leading to the Toxic room opened as Alicia stepped out. She had goggles over her eyes and a damp handkerchief over her nose and mouth. As she pulled the cloth off her mouth and goggles up to her forehead, she raised her brows and questioned, ¡°Dude, what happened to you? You look like you have a fight with massive predator and almost lost.¡± Liam looked at his clothing and back at them saying, ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡± ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s not wrong?¡± Galin inquired. Ignoring Galin, Liam walked towards Alicia and stated, ¡°I have a request.¡± Confused, Alicia took a step back and replied, ¡°Depending on your request I might decline.¡± Galin turned back to his project after realizing he wasn¡¯t getting any answers. ¡°You¡¯ve been working on the Poison Craft of Alchemy, right? What level is it?¡± Liam asked, dismissing her comment. ¡°A bit personal, but I just hit level twelve with it,¡± Alicia answered, caution filling her face as she asked, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I want you to teach me how to craft poisons, how to make a solution of venom to coat on weapons, and antidotes for poisons and venoms,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I mean I should be able to, but what do I get in return?¡± Alicia questioned as she crossed her arms. Liam grinned as he pulled out two bubble-bottom glass vials. One had a purplish dark green color while the other had a blackish green colored liquid. Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at the items. ¡°What are these?¡± she asked as she started to assess the items. A gasp escaped her lips as she muttered, ¡°Black Widow Matriarch Venom? Spider Tailed Horned Viper Venom? And they¡¯re both rare?!¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Galin shouted as he spun around and rushed over to them. ¡°Professor do you know about these items?¡± Alicia questioned as she took a step out of his way, allowing him to move a step stool between them so he could get a better look at the items. Galin assessed the items. After reading the messages he got. He reread them again. Then again. Each time he did, his mouth slowly dropped further and further. He turned his head towards Liam, narrowed his eyes, and asked, ¡°How did you get these?¡± Liam took note of the expression etched on the man¡¯s face. The look on Galin¡¯s face took Liam aback. He calmed down and thought over his response. He decided to be cautious and said, ¡°The same way anyone would come across items like these.¡± ¡°Bah, what kind of response is that boy!¡± Galin stated. ¡°There¡¯s no one in this city that would sell these here. They¡¯re too rare and precious to be sold to beginners. The only way you could have come across these would be¡­¡± Galin shook his head dismissing the thought. ¡°No, that would be impossible.¡± ¡°What would be impossible?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°He¡¯d have to have come across the monsters and killed them,¡± Galin responded as he looked at her. ¡°There¡¯s no way he would have because monsters like these are rare to come across. Not to mention too high leveled for newbies like yourselves.¡± ¡°Too high leveled?¡± Liam questioned. He thought back to the fights. They were indeed tough, and something didn¡¯t seem right when he and his team took them on. It did feel like the creatures were holding back. Some of their EFM and Floor Boss fights didn¡¯t use their mana. A sudden thought came to mind. It was something that Phorge had said earlier that day. ¡°So, I ask you again,¡± Galin started, bringing Liam out from his thoughts. ¡°How did you get these items?¡± Liam eyed the man before repeating himself, ¡°The same way anyone would come across items like these.¡± He waited for a moment before adding, ¡°I¡­I mean, my team and I, killed them during our dungeon floor run.¡± Galin stared at him. His face started to turn a light red shade as he argued, ¡°I just told you that it is impossible for you to have come across, let alone kill these creatures. They would never come across a Tutorial Dungeo¡­¡± ¡°I really mean it. Here, I have items I harvested off of them to prove it,¡± Liam countered as he pulled out a Black Widow Matriarch fang, a Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s clawed leg, and a Spider Tailed Horned Viper Fang. Galin froze as he stared at the items. Speechless at the sight he stuttered, ¡°Bu¡­how¡­why¡­¡± It took him a minute to recollect himself enough to say, ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. You should be dead after coming across monsters like these. Even if you can¡¯t die in the Tutorial dungeon, these monsters should have killed your will to fight back.¡± ¡°What if they were limited on what they could do?¡± Liam suggested making Galin turn to him. After hearing the words something clicked in his mind, ¡°You¡¯re right. I vaguely remember there being a magic placed over the portals placing a limiter to the monsters in them. That would bring their damage down some. But still¡­¡± ¡°Ok, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I do know these are really good items,¡± Alicia butted in as she pointed to the vials of venom. ¡°I want to know if you have enough to spare for me. You know, as payment for my help in teaching you the Poison Craft in Alchemy.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Liam grinned at her as he replied, ¡°I was going to offer you these vials in exchange for teaching me.¡± Alicia snapped her head towards him with an excited look. ¡°Are you sure? Does that mean¡­¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I have another vial of each for myself.¡± Galin eyed Liam. He had a contemplating look on his face. He then asked cautiously, ¡°If you harvested these items off of the two monsters, then¡­by chance¡­did you¡­,¡± he rolled his right hand, ¡°harvest a venom gland?¡± Liam stared at him. He could see a look of hope in his eyes. Almost like he was wishing that certain material would truly be in his hands. ¡°There was something else that dropped,¡± Liam slowly stated. Galin¡¯s expression grew a bit excited, but held back a bit not wanting to get his hopes up as he waited to hear what it was. ¡°What would you need a venom glad for? If you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± Liam questioned. ¡°It¡¯s for a certain¡­experiment I am working on. Well, part of it. I need either a Black Widow venom gland or a Viper venom gland. Their potent venom is just one of the many items I need,¡± Galin explained. Liam could tell he didn¡¯t want to fully divulge the full details of it. After thinking it over he concluded that he would tell him about it. And if the man wanted it, then he would play by his mentor¡¯s rules. ¡°I may have harvested an item like that, however¡­¡± a grin slowly formed, ¡°How much would you give for it?¡± A confused look on Galin¡¯s face appeared. He then caught on to what his student was asking. He shook his head as he smiled back, ¡°I see what you are doing. It depends on the rarity and quality of the item.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s your lucky day then. Let me pull,¡± Liam started as he went to pull the item out of his inventory. ¡°Wait! Are you crazy?! You were not just about to grab it with your fingers exposed, were you!¡± Alicia yelled out. ¡°You need to change gloves first and find a box we can put it in. Venom glands are messy items that¡¯ll get everywhere. Once second, I¡¯ll grab the box, you put on those gloves!¡± Alicia then walked to the other side of the room and started rummaging around. Galin and Liam stared at each other. Galin shrugged as he agreed with Alicia and said, ¡°She¡¯s right you know. You shouldn¡¯t touch it unless you want to spend hours scrubbing your hands never fully knowing if its fully off your skin.¡± Liam nodded his understanding. He then thought of how Alicia reacted and asked with a hint of teasing in his voice, ¡°Alicia? Have you touched a venom gland barehanded before?¡± Liam saw her slightly jump as she let out a squeak. ¡°I have no clue what you mean,¡± she responded. As she walked back with a container, Liam noticed her eyes averted his and her cheeks were a little flushed. As she sat the box down on the table Liam unconsciously stated, ¡°You have, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Fine, yes!¡± Alicia replied as she threw her hands up. ¡°I spent half a day scrubbing. It¡¯s not something you want to do. I was so paranoid I thought I wouldn¡¯t get to eat again.¡± Liam started laughing. ¡°I¡¯m glad my struggle was so amusing to you,¡± Alicia pouted as she placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Liam said as he slowly stopped laughing. ¡°You know you¡¯d laugh at me if it was the other way around.¡± Alicia thought about as she brought her hands down. With a nod, she agreed, ¡°True.¡± ¡°Alright, enough playing around you two. Let¡¯s see the venom gland now,¡± Galin stated as he stared at Liam. Eagerness growing on his face. ¡°Okay, okay, settle down before you hurt yourself,¡± Liam commented as he replaced his fingerless gloves with a pair of magically treated leather gloves. He then pulled the Spider Tailed Horned Viper venom gland out over the box and placed it inside. As he pulled it out, he realized Alicia and Galin was not joking. It was a squishy pinkish-purple sac covered in some sort of mucus with a small tube dangling off the side. Translucent tannish liquid dripped out from a couple of holes and the tube-like part as he gripped it. The object slid out of his hands and fell into the container. As the venom glad landed a loud splat echoed out while a few drops of the liquid bounced out of the box in the three¡¯s direction. Alicia, Galin, and Liam jumped back, trying not to get any on them. ¡°What the hell!?¡± Alicia shouted as she glared at Liam. ¡°Are you trying to get that stuff on me?¡± ¡°If I was trying, it would have landed,¡± Liam shot back. ¡°I have better aim than that.¡± ¡°Like I¡¯ll take your word for that,¡± Alicia retorted. Galin stepped back on his stool and assessed the item. After a moment of reading the message, he swiftly turned his head at Liam and shouted, ¡°Is this really what it says?!¡± Confused, Liam asked, ¡°Has the assessment skill ever lied?¡± ¡°There have been times when powerful illusions placed on items have fooled Identification abilities,¡± Galin answered as he looked back at the object. ¡°Now tell me. Is this really a Spider Tailed Horned Viper venom gland?¡± ¡°Yes. It is,¡± Liam replied feeling annoyed with having to reassure him. ¡°This¡­this is fantastic!¡± Galin shouted. ¡°It may be poor in quality because of the low-level harvest used on it, but it¡¯s a rare item. You can¡¯t find these anywhere!¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Liam asked. Galin froze as a thought came to mind. ¡°Who knows about these items?¡± Galin asked. ¡°Besides my team? You and Alicia,¡± Liam answered as a concern slowly grew. Galin turned his body to face him. He brought a hand to his moustache and started playing with it as he started muttering something in a quiet and indistinguishable volume. After a quick nod he said, ¡°If you or any of your teammates come across rare items do not let it be known.¡± Liam stiffened as he questioned, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Rare items do not drop in Tutorial Dungeons. The highest rarity that ever drops is Uncommon,¡± Galin explained. ¡°Now I do not know how you could get something like this,¡± he pointed his right index finger up to stop Liam from saying anything, ¡°Nor will I press anymore into the matter. However, if anyone besides us comes to find out you are in possession of them it will create a hoopla.¡± Liam thought back to Phorge and Adva¡¯s reaction to Artem¡¯s shield and Blair¡¯s helmet. He remembered how confused they were when Artem mentioned the Treant. ¡°Crap!¡± Liam thought before he looked at Galin. Galin had turned back to the item before them and was studying it. Liam knew Galin didn¡¯t have any obligation to give this kind of advice. What he did made Liam reassess the little man in an appreciative way. ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam finally responded. ¡°Huh?¡± Galin asked, brought out from his thoughts. ¡°Thank you for your advice,¡± Liam clarified. ¡°I will let my team know as well.¡± ¡°Bah, no need to thank me,¡± Galin waved. ¡°You are my student. It is only right that a mentor looks out for a promising prospect.¡± He then gave him a mischievous smile. ¡°Especially one who helped further his experiments.¡± ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Liam returned the smile with one of his own. ¡°I think I know what I¡¯d like in return for giving you this item.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Galin started with a brow raised. ¡°You really are my student then.¡± ¡°Are we going to start the Poison Craft learning tonight?" Alicia interjected while frowning. ¡°Not right now,¡± Liam said as he looked at his internal clock. ¡°Crap! I need to head out and get cleaned up. I¡¯m meeting up with my team to go over some things.¡± ¡°Better get going then,¡± Galin stated. ¡°We¡¯ll go over what you¡¯ll get later.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Liam called out as he rushed out of the room. After leaving the lab, Alicia turned to Galin and asked, ¡°Why is it so bad that he came across items like these?¡± Galin looked at her. ¡°If I tell you, then you have to promise me you won¡¯t tell a soul.¡± ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Alicia inquired as she grew concerned. ¡°Yes,¡± Galin started with a stern look upon his face. ¡°In fact, I would like to ask you to keep an eye out in case certain¡­people,¡± Galin said that last word with emphasis. ¡°Catch wind of this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alicia asked again. ¡°I won¡¯t go into more details than that, but I will say if it is what I fear, then he may have found a forbidden path in the dungeon,¡± Galin said. ¡°A forbidden path? Is that a bad thing?¡± Alicia questioned again confused by what he meant. ¡°You¡¯ll learn this when you¡¯re out of here, but I pray you never come across one,¡± Galin continued. ¡°Why do you say that? Is a forbidden path so bad that is scares you to the point of not explaining more?¡± Alicia pressed. Galin turned to her. The look on his face caught her off guard. Not only did he look concerned, but sorrow grew on his face. ¡°My old colleague, the one I mentioned before,¡± Galin started as a look of longing and sadness filled his eyes. ¡°She and most of her team died in one.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as realization hit her. ¡°Oh.¡± Tutorial 35 - Youre from Earth...Arent you? Liam made his way through the crowd of people from the communal bathhouse to the entertainment district where his group was waiting for him. He ended up spending more time than he had planned since the men¡¯s section had just been cleaned and no one was around. Besides staying in his room reading up on Knowledge Theories or getting lost in crafting experiments, relaxing in a freshly clean bath with no one around was his favorite thing to do. However, sometimes when he is alone there, he would tend to lose himself in his thoughts. The conversation with Galin was still fresh in his mind. Liam knew the man was generally worried and wasn¡¯t trying to do him harm. The years of studying people¡¯s body language and facial expressions led him to believe that Galin was looking out for him. Albeit, he knew there was something the man wasn¡¯t sharing. Maybe it had to do with Galin wasn¡¯t sure about the path he and his group stumbled across, or maybe he wasn¡¯t allowed to say. Liam wasn¡¯t sure. The one thing he was sure of was he and his group needed to be careful going forward. He needed to warn the others about what Galin had told him. Liam had thought the power of the Elite Floor Monsters and the Floor Bosses they had fought already were odd. He had felt they had more abilities than what was shown. The odors from Atlas the Grave Keeper, that Noxious Gas from the Spider Tailed Horned Viper, even the E.F.M.¡¯s seemed to be holding back some of their true power. When he remembered Phorge¡¯s words about a magic being placed on the dungeons it made some sense, but it still felt a bit¡­off. According to Mercer, many who were taking on the same dungeon fought against nothing more than stronger variants of skeletons and zombies. So why was there dungeon so different? ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to the others to bounce some ideas off of them,¡± Liam muttered under his breath. He noticed the establishment The Dancing Baboon he was supposed to meet the others at but didn¡¯t see them outside. They probably got tired of waiting for me and went in already. Liam thought as he made his way to the door. As Liam approached the building the door opened. A tall male with a slightly toned physique walked out. He looked to be the same age as Liam with short blond hair and jaded green eyes. He wore plain looking clothes. Liam glanced him over briefly. He looked like a normal young man. One who was enjoying his night. His looks weren¡¯t too bad. More on the handsome side than on the mundane. The slight smile on his face was friendly and looked inviting to anyone who stared at him. However, Liam caught on to the man¡¯s act by studying his body movement. Liam¡¯s eyes caught the slight tension and release when the male saw him. The swift movement of his eyes, measuring him up and down. To Liam, it felt like a predator taking stock of his prey before they pounced. Liam slowly started for the door as he attempted to walk by. He kept his gaze forward, not wanting to provoke him. As the young man got to his side, he stopped. This sudden halt made Liam stop as well. He knew if he continued to move forward the man would try something. There weren¡¯t any pronouncements or notice, but no one knew if it was possible to strike anyone outside the Training Hall designated areas. No one knew the exact laws of this world either. For all Liam knew, murder could be legal. He didn¡¯t want to take the chance. ¡°You must be from Earth as well,¡± the young man started. His words made Liam suddenly tense up. He slowly turned his eyes towards the male to find him already staring at him. His slight fake looking smile replaced with a taunting one. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m from that planet?¡± Liam questioned, trying to keep his tone even. He kept his body facing the door. ¡°You¡¯re cautious,¡± he replied. ¡°People from other planets aren¡¯t as cautious than the ones from Earth. That, and the fact you tensed when I said you were.¡± Liam didn¡¯t like this. As someone who survived Earth¡¯s hell mode, he knew that if someone was able to pick up on little details of others body movements then they were trouble. There was a saying that went around the world during the lawless period. Short fuses were easy to understand and deal with. The silent patient ones, however, had many ways on how to kill you. His only bet was to try and convince him that he wasn¡¯t from the same planet. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything,¡± Liam began, schooling his emotions. ¡°Anyone can be cautious. We are, after all, in a new world.¡± ¡°Quit the bullshit,¡± the male countered quickly. ¡°Although I will agree anyone can be cautious. Earthlings however¡­have a certain kind of cautiousness to them. They assess those around them, their surroundings, and take calculative risks. I bet, as soon as you saw me, you tried to think if the laws here were ever mentioned to you.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes squinted for a brief moment before returning to normal. ¡°I knew it,¡± he said with a knowing grin. ¡°You know¡­now that I think about it. It makes sense why those three imbeciles lost. If an Earthling was added to the mix, then their loss was assured.¡± ¡°Those three?¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°My three idiotic troublemaker teammates. Theodore, Henry, and Mia,¡± he responded. Hearing their names reminded Liam of their arena fight. This guy mentioned they were his teammates. Was he¡­ ¡°Are you here for some sort of revenge?¡± Liam questioned as he looked around. The young man let out a laugh. His laughter wasn¡¯t a playful one, nor contagious. It was one of those kinds of laughs that made your skin crawl. It was a maniacal one. People stared at them, giving a wide berth as they walked by the establishment. ¡°Oh, gods no,¡± he said as he brought his laughter under control. ¡°Those three lost because they are weak. No. I was hoping I would run into you soon since I saw your crew inside.¡± ¡°Why? What do you want?¡± Liam asked, an uneasy feeling growing even more inside of him. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°There is only one thing that I want. You should know what that is, as a fellow Earthling who had to go through that hell,¡± the man stated with an evil grin. Liam let out a gust of air that he didn¡¯t realize he held. Following the line of logic he was saying, Liam did in fact know what he wanted. ¡°You want to fight me to see who is stronger,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Bingo!¡± he said, sounding excited. His hands and arms became more animated as he started to ramble, ¡°The way you strategized, used your pawns to enact your demands, and lastly¡­The way you orchestrated the fall of each of my crewmembers. It sent chills down my spine. I know you¡¯re a crafty one. The type that doesn¡¯t play by other¡¯s rule but carves a way of victory out of the unordinary. What do you say? Will you fall to my hands?¡± Anger grew inside Liam with each second, he listened to this crazed man. Even though he spoke nonsense, there was a side to Liam that wanted to see who was stronger. Fall to his hands? How foolish does this guy think he is? a voice whispered inside Liam¡¯s mind. Liam froze when he heard the voice. It was faint, but powerful. That scared Liam. To him, the voice sounded like it was egging his old self to resurface. The side he locked away and hoped to never see again. Calm the storm. Liam thought to himself as he took a deep shaky breath in. As he released it, that whisper wasn¡¯t able to be heard again. Liam knew it was still there, but not being able to hear it made him recollect himself and rethink everything in a calm manner. He could take him on and get this whole thing over with. However, with his current disadvantages, he knew he wasn¡¯t at that level yet. He believed the only reason he had been able to do what he had was because he had gotten lucky. And as the saying goes, lucky streaks come to an end sooner or later. After coming to a conclusion, Liam whispered, ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± the man asked as a look of disbelief appeared on his face. ¡°No,¡± Liam repeated. ¡°I have no reason to fight you. If that¡¯s all you wanted, then I¡¯m out of here.¡± Liam started to make his way to the door. The man, shocked at being declined, stared at him. Without warning he reached for Liam¡¯s shoulder. Before he could grip it, a strong hand grabbed his wrist. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough Jude,¡± a deep rich voice stated. Liam slowly turned to see three people stand between him and the young man. The one who was holding Jude¡¯s wrist stood three inches taller than Liam. He had a stubbled beard that complimented his short messy pitch-black hair and chocolate skin. His indigo blue eyes gave the surprised individual a disappointed look. Liam noticed that he was strong, just by how much Jude struggled to free himself. The second member of the three was female who wasn¡¯t skinny nor hefty. She had some curves that complimented the knee-length dress she wore. Her curly red hair bounced with just the slightest movement of her head. Her playful topaz eyes stared deep at the instigator as well. Liam couldn¡¯t tell if she was hoping for a fight or something else to happen. The third person was someone Liam knew. She gave him that mischievous grin she always had when she was ready to tease. ¡°You alright Liam?¡± Alicia asked. Confused, Jude demanded as his wrist was finally free, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Octavius?¡± ¡°Stopping you from doing something stupid,¡± Octavius answered. He looked at Liam and eyed him for a brief moment before continuing, ¡°What do you think you were about to do?¡± ¡°I was just trying to get him to agree to fight me in the arena,¡± Jude snarled. ¡°Trying to get him to agree?¡± the curly red-haired girl repeated. ¡°I am going to assume he said no, right?¡± Octavius asked. ¡°Yeah, but,¡± Jude started. ¡°If he said no then it¡¯s no,¡± Octavius firmly said with a disapproving tone. ¡°You can¡¯t expect people to agree with you just because you want them to. This isn¡¯t Earth.¡± Liam stared at Octavius, then at the red-haired girl and finally at Alicia. After a moment, it clicked. These two must be members of Alicia¡¯s group she mentioned before. ¡°I don¡¯t care if this is Earth or not,¡± Jude argued. ¡°If I want to fight someone then I will get that fight. One way or another.¡± Liam groaned at his persistent attitude. He felt that if nothing was done, he was going to cause more issues than necessary. Liam hated people who were persistent for all the wrong reasons. When someone who couldn¡¯t or didn¡¯t take a hint would get under your skin and rub you the wrong way a sour taste was always left in your mouth. When you get that annoying irritating feeling you always end up in a foul mood and clouded your judgement from making the right choices. After thinking his options over Liam finally chimed in, ¡°Fine.¡± The four other people turned to face him. ¡°Liam, are you sure?¡± Alicia asked, sounding concerned. ¡°If it gets him to go away and leave me alone then yes,¡± Liam answered with an irritated tone of voice. ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s just a fight. Like¡­Octavius, was it?¡± Liam waved a hand in front of him. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Like Octavius said, this isn¡¯t Earth. A fight in the arena is just like a sparring match.¡± ¡°But¡­,¡± Octavius started to say. ¡°He agreed Octavius, don¡¯t change his mind,¡± Jude interjected. He then scowled as he looked back at Liam and said, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t bring that kind of attitude into our match. I want you to fight me like your life depends on it.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Liam replied. ¡°How and when do you want to do this?¡± ¡°Two days from now at noon. Earth rules,¡± Jude stated. ¡°Just you and me.¡± To many who weren¡¯t from Earth hearing Earth Rules would sound strange. Even to those who had left two years ago. However, those who were stuck till the last minute knew very well what that meant. Anything goes. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said. Jude smiled wickedly as he started walking backwards. ¡°Good. I look forward to destroying you.¡± He then turned and walked away. ¡°Whatever,¡± Liam muttered as he rolled his eyes. After Jude had left Alicia turned to him and asked, ¡°Are you seriously going to fight him in the arena? Don¡¯t you know what he is capable of?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Liam stated feeling annoyed. ¡°But it¡¯s not like he was giving me a choice.¡± ¡°There is always a choice. We¡¯re not on Earth anymore. We can¡­,¡± Alicia started to argue. ¡°We can what? Choose not to fight anymore?¡± Liam countered. ¡°Choose to forget the kind of world we came from? Forget the¡­¡± Liam paused as unpleasant memories swiftly surfaced. He felt his anger start to swell a bit as they forced their way into his mind. He bit his lower lip and plugged those horrible experiences away. With a soft voice he said, ¡°I want to be able to do that. I want to forget the past and move on. However, I think what we went through was preparing us for something and I think that something is this world.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Alicia argued. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°There¡¯s so much that I don¡¯t know. Why were we summoned here. The real reason, not the reason we were given. Did everyone from every planet get summoned? Did some get left behind? If so, why? Also why did¡­¡± Before Liam could finish a sharp pain pounded against his mind. He placed a hand on his head as he winced from it. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Alicia asked as she reached out to him. Octavius and the other girl looked around to see if someone was casting any spells. Liam put up a hand to stop her and said as the pain quickly disappeared, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Alicia questioned as she gave him a look of concern. ¡°Yes. Sorry about all that,¡± Liam said. ¡°I know that you were just trying to be helpful. How do you know that guy anyways?¡± ¡°When he found out we were from Earth he tried challenging us too. Mainly Octavius here,¡± Alicia answered as she hitched her thumb in his direction. Liam looked at him. ¡°Did you accept?¡± ¡°Hell no,¡± Octavius stated with a frown on his face. ¡°Hasn¡¯t stopped him from repeatedly trying to get me to accept though. I have seen him fight in the arena plenty of times. He¡¯s¡­ not someone I can go up against as I am right now.¡± Liam studying the man. His stoic bravado faltered a bit as it looked like he was remembering something. Octavius then shook his head and stated, ¡°If you¡¯re really going to go up against him, I can tell you more of what I¡¯ve seen.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Sure, but first I need to meet up with my team and talk to them about some stuff. Maybe later we can get together for some drinks and go over it then?¡± Octavius gave a smile as he nodded, ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± Liam turned to Alicia and asked, ¡°Are you guys heading out or coming in?¡± ¡°We¡¯re coming in. We were planning on grabbing a few drinks. Our other members are all out doing gods knows what so it¡¯s just the three of us.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll come find you guys after I¡¯m done talking with my team.¡± Liam smiled as he walked towards the door. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Alicia nodded, returning the smile as they disappeared inside the building. Tutorial 36 - Discussion at the Baboon Liam felt the liveliness of the atmosphere as he entered the establishment. The fast-paced beat gave a lively and friendly ambiance as people talked, laughed, or even danced around. Even though the scene in front of him was great he still felt annoyed. His run in with Jude left a sour taste in his mouth. He was reminded as to why he wanted to avoid those from Earth that came here at the same time as him. Alicia was a different case. He felt that she was similar to him. Wanted to forget the last couple of years, but not foolish enough to think others were the same. Maybe that¡¯s why I felt so comfortable with her. Liam thought as he thought about her. He didn¡¯t get a feeling that she was fake with him nor that she wanted to do harm. She genuinely felt like she wanted a new start. Not only that but working on Alchemy with her was great. He forgot what it was like to do something he and another found interesting. Liam thought about his temporary group. They were interesting. They were all so different, personality wise, but so far, they have worked well together. They weren¡¯t like the group of friends he had before they disappeared. He shook his head to stop his train of thought. I can¡¯t compare them. It wouldn¡¯t be fair. It also wouldn¡¯t be fair to drag them into my duel. I¡¯ll just keep it to myself. After coming to a conclusion, he took a deep breath in and relaxed his body as he let it out. He then looked around to see if he could find the group. After a moment he saw a hand raised up in the air waving about. Liam let out a chuckle as he recognized who the hand belonged to. It was Ariyana. ¡°There he is!¡± Ariyana shouted over the music playing as Liam approached the table. ¡°I thought we told you not to do any experiments,¡± Avery stated as Liam sat down next to Roman and Artem. ¡°I didn¡¯t do any experiments,¡± Liam replied with slight annoyance still laced in his voice. Mercer stared at him. He noticed something in Liam¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was irritation, annoyance, or anger. After coming to a quick conclusion, he asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡± Liam was surprised by his question. Sure, Jude made him think about a lot of negative things he wanted to forget. But he took a moment to calm his irritation before heading to the table and thought he held his usual calm even expression he trained himself to have when going about his day. Before coming to this world, he learned to school his facial expressions when emotions like annoyance, irritation, or frustration rose within him. His step mother always made comments while growing up to wipe that look off his face whenever she scolded him and his two brothers over something they didn¡¯t do. He thought he had mastered the mask he crafted over the years. No. His facial expression was a calm and evened one. So how did Mercer know? Liam narrowed his eyes on Mercer and inquired, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Taken aback by Liam¡¯s gaze, Mercer responded, ¡°I¡¯m just curious. I felt like something was off about you.¡± Maybe Mercer has really good intuition. He thought to himself and then remembered Mercer¡¯s interactions with those around him. The guy was able to tell who could give information, who was lying about prices, and more. So maybe it¡¯s not that strange if he is able to pick up on emotions. Liam concluded that he was going to have to be more careful around him from now on. He didn¡¯t want him nor the others to see that other side of him. ¡°We will talk about that later,¡± Liam stated as he let out a sigh. ¡°There¡¯s something else more important that we should discuss.¡± Everyone at the table looked at him. ¡°What is it about?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°It¡¯s about what happened earlier,¡± Liam replied. ¡®Which part? The looks we were getting or with Adva and Phorge?¡± Roman inquired. ¡°It¡¯s the attention we brought upon ourselves, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mercer asked, giving a knowing nodded. Liam looked at him. Since the beginning of this group being formed Liam felt like he and Mercer were similar when it came to wanting to know things when irregular situations occurred. The difference between them was the way they got that information and the speed they got it. ¡°I was given some advice by my Alchemy Mentor, but I have a feeling you have a basic idea of why we look different coming out of our dungeons versus what the others look like right?¡± Liam stated. ¡°I have a vague idea, but I want to hear the advice given to you to see if it matches with what I was looking into,¡± Mercer countered. ¡°I was told that if we come across any rare or higher items during our attempts on the dungeon floors then we should not let it be known,¡± Liam informed. Everyone furrowed their brows as they listened. ¡°Why though?¡± Ariyana asked, genuinely confused. Liam looked around to make sure no one was approaching their table. When he was certain they wouldn¡¯t have any eavesdroppers he replied, ¡°Because rare items do not drop in Tutorial dungeons. The highest rarity that should drop is Uncommon.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense. Some of our items are rare in rarity,¡± Artem commented as he looked perplexed. ¡°I know,¡± Liam sternly said. ¡°We already confirmed that the monsters we¡¯ve fought are different than the others, right?¡± ¡°Compared to the ones that have been willing to talk to us,¡± Mercer confirmed. Liam nodded. ¡°He said that if people knew about those items it could create a commotion. It might catch the eyes of the wrong people. Even he didn¡¯t want to press more into how we got it. I believe we found a path in the dungeon we weren¡¯t supposed to.¡± ¡°Is that a good thing or bad thing?¡± Blair asked as she thought it over. ¡°I mean, it gets us ahead of the others so it should be good right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°Galin¡¯s reaction tells me it¡¯s bad, but I have nothing to compare it to.¡± He looked at Mercer who was silent and looked to be going over things in his head. When Mercer looked back at Liam, Liam asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I agree that we should probably keep our findings to ourselves. After our run on the second floor, I decided to look around to see if I could find any information on irregular monster sightings on floors,¡± Mercer started. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything in the library. There was hardly any information about dungeons there. So, I went to see if I can ask the lady at the Mage Tower.¡± Everyone listened intently as he continued, ¡°She wasn¡¯t there, but I was approached by a guy, wearing the Tower uniform with a black robe. He asked me questions that I wasn¡¯t comfortable answering.¡± ¡°What was he asking?¡± Avery asked. ¡°He asked if I was in a party with a certain crafter,¡± Mercer stated as he looked at him. Everyone turned to look at Liam. ¡°Me? Why me?¡± Liam inquired as his eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He was vague, trying to offer me coins for information on you,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it has to do with the dungeons or what but he was very adamant about wanting to know more about you.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Liam looked at the table. After hearing what Mercer had to say he felt that Jude¡¯s timing with his duel was too coincidental. Liam¡¯s thoughts started to swirl as he thought to himself. What would be the odds of them working together? It wouldn¡¯t be strange, but why? What is their goal? What would they gain from getting information on me? ¡°You didn¡¯t give him anything right?¡± Blair asked as she eyed Mercer. Mercer frowned at her. Shocked by the accusation. ¡°No. Why would I do that?¡± ¡°I was just asking,¡± Blair replied feeling ashamed for questioning him. ¡°I didn¡¯t give him anything. He rubbed me the wrong way.¡± Mercer scowled. ¡°There was one question in particular that made me very wary of him.¡± ¡°What question was that?¡± Avery asked, curious. ¡°He wanted to know what your magical examination results were,¡± Mercer answered as he looked at Liam. Liam snapped out of his thoughts when he heard this. With a brow raised he inquired, ¡°Why would he want to know what my magical examination results were?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know.,¡± Mercer shook his head. ¡°He gave me a feeling that it was pointless if I lied so I told him that was none of his business and walked out.¡± ¡°Did you get his name?¡± Roman asked. ¡°I think he said his name was Steve,¡± Mercer said as he thought back on it. With a nod he continued, ¡°Yeah, it was Steve. A tall slim fellow with hazel eyes and combed oily black hair. Had a very bad smell around him.¡± Mercer shivered. ¡°He was a total creep.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something about this before?¡± Avery asked with a stern look. ¡°To be honest, with everything going on I got busy and just forgot about it,¡± Mercer answered. ¡°You expect us to¡­¡± Avery started to argue until Liam interrupted. ¡°He told us now and that¡¯s what matters. We all have been busy with this tutorial thing. We can¡¯t fault him for this.¡± Liam looked at Mercer. With a slight smile he said, ¡°Thank you for not giving him my information.¡± ¡°Not a problem. We¡¯re a team, right?¡± Mercer stated. Liam nodded as he began to think to himself. The timing of Jude¡¯s approach and now this Steve guy is too close. Are they working together or is it just coincidental? There¡¯s too many unknowns. Liam looked at everyone at the table. Mercer¡¯s comment helped to strengthen his resolve to not bring them into the duel. He didn¡¯t want Jude to have his eyes on his team. ¡°We need to decide what our plans are for the next floor,¡± Avery stated. ¡°We are in agreement that going forward whatever we find must not be revealed then, yes?¡± Mercer asked. Everyone nodded. ¡°Good. Then I suggest we buy items to use as disguises for when we enter and exit the dungeon,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°What are we going to do about getting our rare equipment fixed?¡± Artem questioned. Mercer looked at Liam. ¡°I have my Blacksmithing level high enough that I can start learning how to repair weapons and armor. I¡¯ll talk to Fia and see if she can guide me through that,¡± Liam started. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll stop by the Tailoring shop and see if I can start learning the craft. I¡¯ll also ask her about if there is a bowyer too or if that is tied in with Blacksmithing.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Mercer commented. He then looked at the others and said, ¡°I think we have spotted some things we need to work on before attempting the next floor. Roman, what do you plan on working on?¡± Roman thought it over before replying, ¡°I¡¯m going to focus on working on my Lightning and Earth Focus Points.¡± He looked at Liam. ¡°The way you instructed me on when and how to use my abilities made me think that I really don¡¯t know them that well. I want to be able to do that without you prompting me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get there,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Can I make a suggestion for you?¡± Avery asked. Roman looked at her. With a brow raised he responded, ¡°Sure?¡± ¡°I think you should look into the Air Focus Point as well,¡± Avery suggested. ¡°The first ability unlocked is called Light as a Feather. It gives a two point five percent buff to the Agility Sub-stat. It lasts thirty seconds and is a self-targeted spell, but as a melee fighter I think it can be essential for you.¡± Roman brought a hand to his chin. He looked to be going over some things in his head. He then asked, ¡°How do you know about that ability?¡± ¡°I have it myself,¡± Avery answered. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to use it much, but I was thinking that I need to.¡± Liam had forgotten about that ability. He had a list of everyone¡¯s current spells and tried to remember them all. He made a mental note to try and memorize them all so he could properly utilize their skillsets. As he was thinking this, a thought occurred. ¡°I wonder if that can stack with a Gravity ability Blair and I have,¡± Liam said. Blair looked at him. After a moment passed, she asked, ¡°Are you talking about Feathery Upforce?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that ability?¡± Roman questioned as curiosity started to grow. ¡°It¡¯s an ability that is used on the target¡¯s weapons,¡± Blair started. ¡°It basically gives a two point five percent buff to the Agility Sub-stat. However, it gives a two point five percent debuff to the Power Sub-stat.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t used it since it comes with a debuff, but if we can stack both Feathery Upforce and Light as a feather, you might be able to strike faster and the debuff will seem negligible,¡± Liam stated waiting for some input. ¡°We can try it out in the practice room at the Mage Tower,¡± Roman stated as he nodded, liking the idea. ¡°I also want to practice some more unarmed weapon skills with you.¡± That last part reminded Liam of what one of his notifications said. He looked at his group and asked, ¡°By the way I got a notification that I can start learning Weapon Arts? Anyone have a clue what they are?¡± ¡°I can help with that.¡± Mercer raised a hand. ¡°Weapon Arts are skills or formations you can learn for Weapon skills you have at or above level ten. You know what skills are, formations are basically foundations for weapons. How to use that weapon better. It can also range from how you hold your weapon, swing it, when to swing, etcetera.¡± ¡°Good to know,¡± Liam nodded. Mercer looked at Ariyana and asked, ¡°What are you going to work on?¡± ¡°I want to find a weapon I feel comfortable using. Staying in the back all the time using magic is draining and I feel like I¡¯m wasting potential,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°I also want to work more on my Focus Points. Especially my Plant. I feel like I can do more with it.¡± Mercer nodded in approval. ¡°I want to work more on my Rapier Weapon Skill. Maybe learn a Weapon art or two,¡± Avery said without being prompted. ¡°I also want to raise my Fire and Air Focus Points. I want more abilities to work with. I don¡¯t want to be a one trick girl.¡± ¡°I feel you there,¡± Blair commented. ¡°I need to get my Great Axe Weapon Skill up to ten so I can get more use out of my weapon. I also want to get my Gravity Focus Point up. Lastly, I¡¯m thinking about getting a new Field of Study.¡± Liam and Mercer gave her a questioning look. ¡°What Field are you thinking about?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°Field of Inner Strength,¡± Blair replied. She then looked at Artem and said, ¡°I think you should look into it as well. It has a lot to do with body strengthening.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a Field of Study like that?¡± Mercer commented. ¡°It is not a well-known one here in the Tutorial Area,¡± Blair shook her head. ¡°Everyone here is too focus on power that they don¡¯t see the potential of other types of magic.¡± ¡°I can agree with that,¡± Mercer nodded. Everyone looked at Artem who was staring at the table. When he felt the gazes of his group he quickly looked up and said with an anxious tone, ¡°I want to focus more on my healing abilities as well as my Chef craft.¡± He then quickly added as he looked at Blair, ¡°I¡¯ll look into what you said Blair and probably get it too, but I feel like we can¡¯t rely too much on Liam¡¯s potions.¡± Mercer nodded in agreement. ¡°I agree with you. Those health potions are great, now that the taste isn¡¯t so bad, but we need more than that. I¡¯m also going to work on my healing ability to help out there.¡± Artem gave Mercer a sheepish smile. ¡°I¡¯m also going to pick up a couple new Focus Points from the Field of the Elements. Water and Ice. Of course, I want to work on my Bard focus points on top of that.¡± Mercer continued. ¡°I feel comfortable with a bow, so I want to get it leveled to ten for Weapon Arts. Lastly, I want to get my Flute skill to ten and pick up a new instrument.¡± ¡°Have any idea what instrument you want?¡± Ariyana asked. Mercer shook his head. ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m thinking of a string type instrument to help with my Fine Motor sub-stat. I think the bonuses from leveling that sub-stat will help with my String Instruments and bow." Every nodded as they agreed with the statement. Mercer looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Besides what I said about Tailoring and learning repairs,¡± Liam started as he thought over what he wanted to do. He felt that there was a lot he wanted to get done. There was always something new to learn, something new to do, something new to level up. He decided to do what he always did in the past. Make a list with all he needed to get done and figure out what he could focus on more than the others. He needed to work on his crafts. That would always be a high priority. However, Liam knew he needed to break that down as well. Learn repairs and ask about other types of Weapons Craft. He wanted to learn Poison Craft, but that could be done at night. He needed to figure out a schedule for Tailoring, he could figure that out when he got more information on it. After that would be his Weapon skills. He wanted to learn a Weapon Art for daggers. He also wanted to see if he could learn one for his Throwing Weapons as well. He could work on unarmed with Roman, but he still couldn¡¯t figure out what he would do with that. After weapons, came his magic. He was proud that he found out he could use an aspect of his crafting magic in battle. He needed to figure out more ways to utilize that. Maybe he could do that during his time at the Bubbling Potion. He felt his Gravity magic held potential and wanted to work on that, but he also felt that he could open another Focus Point or two. He could figure that out at the Mage Tower. Then there was his Knowledge Theories. He could work on them as well as pick up more in between all of his training or at night when he rested in his room. There was also his duel with Jude. He¡¯d be lying if he said he didn¡¯t want to do it, but the news about that Steve guy made him rethink it. ¡°I have a lot I need to get done,¡± Liam finally said as he took himself out of his thoughts. ¡°Crafting, weapon skills, Knowledge Theories, and forming new plans and strategies. I¡¯ll need to link up with you guys to work on some things, but I¡¯ll get with you when the time is right.¡± Everyone gave him a concerned look. Liam furrowed his brows as he asked, ¡°What?¡± The others looked at each other before Mercer stated, ¡°I know you said you have a lot to do, but don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Liam waved a hand trying to dismiss their concerns. ¡°I¡¯ve got it all handled.¡± Mercer frowned at Liam¡¯s attitude but didn¡¯t comment on it. Instead, he said, ¡°Okay, just make sure you¡¯re in top shape for our next dungeon run.¡± ¡°When do we want to do that?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s work on all we just said for the next three days and then attempt the floor in four?¡± Mercer suggested. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Avery said. ¡°I agree,¡± Blair chimed in. The others nodded their approval of the plan as well. ¡°With that out of the way,¡± Ariyana butted in with a wicked smile directed at Liam. ¡°I believe someone owes me some drinks.¡± Liam rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get some food in us first.¡± ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t think you will get out of it,¡± Ariyana giggled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± Liam groaned. Tutorial 37 - Swapping Information Liam made his way through groups of people who were either standing around, talking, or heading to the make shift dance floor. His destination was the counter where the bartender was. After he successfully maneuvered through the crowd, he noticed three individuals huddled together. It was Alicia and two of her teammates. He decided to walk up to them since it looked like there was a long line to get the bartender¡¯s attention. Alicia noticed him approaching them from the corner of her eye and greeted him with a smile. ¡°Hey, were you looking for us already? Done talking with your team?¡± ¡°For now,¡± Liam started. ¡°I promised one of my teammate drinks. I saw you guys here and thought I¡¯d come talk with you while I wait for that to die down a bit.¡± He hiked a thumb towards the bartender who looked to be overwhelmed. Liam noticed Octavius and the red-haired girl turned to look at him. Octavius had a stoic look while the young lady had an aloof smirk on her face. ¡°Good luck waiting,¡± the red haired girl said. ¡°That line will just continue to pile if you wait.¡± She placed a finger to her lips as she looked to be staring at something off in the distance. To Liam it looked like she was staring at a notification screen or maybe her internal clock, since that was the look many gave when looking at them. ¡°A couple more bartenders should be arriving soon,¡± She stated as she looked back at him. ¡°Oh? Got their schedules memorized?¡± Liam asked with a perplexed look. The red-haired girl giggled. ¡°This place is my favorite to grab a drink. It¡¯s only natural to know when it gets busy and when back up arrives.¡± She reached a hand out to him. ¡°I¡¯m Olivia.¡± Liam returned the handshake as he gripped her hand back. ¡°Liam.¡± Olivia¡¯s expression turned serious as she asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re from Earth too huh? What part? Did you belong to a faction?¡± ¡°Olivia,¡± Octavius chided. Olivia raised a hand up to stop him from saying anything as she explained, ¡°No. It is only right to know. Little Ali here might have a good feeling about him, but he¡¯s a mystery to us. After all, depending on his answer might tell us if he was a part of that family.¡± She spat the last two words with a scowl. Liam knew the drill. If you came across random people, whether they were alone or in a group, it was customary to ask the faction they were in. After the government left the citizens to fend for themselves the world became chaotic. Killing, stealing, and all criminal acts became a daily thing. It basically became a dog eat dog kind of world. Two Factions were formed during this time. The Rampart Faction, which appeared to protect the citizens who couldn¡¯t protect themselves. They acted like police and tried to keep the peace when the actual police were nowhere to be found. The other was the Fatal Faction. This faction appeared around the world seizing control of cities and countries. They painted themselves as the new government officials. Liam knew Olivia¡¯s concern about whether he belonged to a faction was just. Both were corrupt and were just a cover story. A cover story made by a certain powerful family that capitalized on the chaos and confusion left by the old government. This family used the world as a training ground for their younger generation. What kind of training? The kind where you have each member fight and kill other members to see who is stronger while growing a faction. Sometimes it wasn¡¯t just the members of the family. Majority of the younger generation went on mass murder sprees, killing both Fatal Faction members and innocent civilians. After too many civilians died the family made the Rampart Faction to guide the citizens out of harm¡¯s way before a major battle happened. After all, they needed the civilians alive to keep making essentials. ¡°To answer your first question,¡± Liam started as he stared at her. ¡°I am from a small country town around the central valley in a state called California in the U.S. And to answer your second¡­I wasn¡¯t apart of either Factions.¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°California was full of Fatal and Rampart Factions. If you weren¡¯t part of any faction, then how did you survive?¡± ¡°I have no obligations of telling you,¡± Liam countered. Before Olivia could respond he added, ¡°I did you the courtesy of answering your questions out of respect for¡­¡± Liam looked at Alicia and with a teasing smirk. Alicia noticed the smile and frowned as she realized what he was about to say. Before she could stop him, Liam continued with mocking tone, ¡°Little Ali.¡± His smirk then turned serious as he added, ¡°Now you must do it in return. If you don¡¯t then I¡¯ll treat you as a Rampart member and won¡¯t be kind with each encounter. And if you decide to never tell me then I will treat you as a Fatal member. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a member of Alicia¡¯s team or not.¡± To an outsider, his words might seem a little harsh, but those who hated the factions knew they had to be. If you didn¡¯t make it known where you stood, then there was always a chance you could end up with a knife in your back. Olivia stared at him, returning his serious look with one of her own. Alicia looked uncomfortable with the exchange. Even with the loud music and chatter going on in the room, a silence grew between the four people. Liam was ready for anything. He wanted to put the past behind him, but he knew there was no way he could as long as other people from Earth, who dealt with the same horrors, were around. Olivia was the first to make a move. Liam tensed, but then relaxed as Olivia laughed. ¡°You were right, Alicia,¡± Octavius stated. ¡°He really isn¡¯t one of the faction members.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Olivia responded. ¡°I hate having to do that, but you know how it is. I was in California as well as Octavius and Alicia. We weren¡¯t part of the factions either.¡± Liam let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Now that, that¡¯s out of the way, shall we talk?¡± Octavius asked. Liam nodded. ¡°Might as well since it looks like it¡¯ll be a minute before I can get the drinks. But before that¡­¡± Liam informed them about what he heard from Mercer. He left out the part of him being a crafter and his magical examination results. ¡°Hm, a member of the Mage tower?¡± Octavius questioned as he started thinking. ¡°Now that you mention it, I think that guy approached Jude after he tried challenging me.¡± ¡°I was afraid of that,¡± Liam said. ¡°Why does he need your results?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°That is supposed to be private.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s from earth and was a faction member?¡± Alicia suggested. ¡°Don¡¯t know. Do you know if Jude was a Faction member?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°We have our suspicions,¡± Octavius answered. ¡°His thirst for wanting to crush people and wanting to know who is stronger was always a sign of a faction member. However, with classes, magic, stats, and skills those who weren¡¯t before, are now acting just like those bloodthirsty killers.¡± ¡°You speak like you¡¯ve ran into many from Earth here,¡± Liam commented. ¡°I know of some,¡± Octavius replied. ¡°I have noticed majority of those assigned to the Black Dungeon are from Earth.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at his sudden statement. ¡°What?¡± Alicia stared at him. ¡°Yeah, at least three out of the nine groups assigned to that dungeon are from Earth¡­wait you were assigned to that dungeon, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I was,¡± Liam stated. He looked at them and asked with a confused tone, ¡°What about you guys?¡± ¡°Red Dungeon,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Oh?¡± Liam started. Full of curiosity he inquired, ¡°How is that one?¡± ¡°Hot,¡± Olivia said with a dissatisfied face. ¡°Full of fire and lizards.¡± ¡°Sounds horrible,¡± Liam commented with a smirk. With a flat look Olivia stated, ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡± The other three laughed at Olivia¡¯s obvious distaste for the red dungeon. ¡°So, what are you going to do about your situation?¡± Alicia asked, curious about his answer. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to reveal too much,¡± Liam started as he thought it over. He really didn¡¯t have a plan made. He was going to go all out, but now he wasn¡¯t sure. He didn¡¯t want to give out all of his cards. Even though he didn¡¯t have much to show. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll try to use some combination of sorts,¡± Liam started. A thought came to mind. ¡°I forgot to tell you. I came up with a way to use crafting magic during battle. I might try out the other crafting magics and see what I can use as a strategy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alicia said with a look of surprise. ¡°You need to tell me all about it.¡± She stopped and looked like she realized something. ¡°Speaking of crafting, Professor Galin asked me to give you this.¡± She then looked into her inventory for something. ¡°You know,¡± Liam started. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. Why do you call him Professor?¡± Alicia gave him a mischievous grin. ¡°That moustache of his, it makes him look like a professor.¡± Liam looked at her with disbelief. He then let out a hearty laugh as he thought about Galin¡¯s moustache. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Ah here it is,¡± Alicia said as she pulled out a book. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Liam asked as he grabbed the book. The cover read, Beginner¡¯s Guide to Understanding Mana Control Volume 1. The cover made Liam feel perplexed the more he stared at it. Why would he need a book on understanding mana? Isn¡¯t that what Magic Practicality was for? ¡°He said it¡¯s part of the compensation for that item you sold him,¡± Alicia responded. ¡°What item did you give him?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Alicia asked. Liam¡¯s stomach turned as he looked at Alicia. Is she really going to tell others about the item Galin told them not to talk about? Liam thought. He went to interject himself into the discussion, until Alicia stated, ¡°Those better tasting potions you love so much? Liam here made them.¡± ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Octavius shouted. His usual stoic demeanor suddenly disappeared. ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re the one who made those?¡± Olivia questioned with disbelief. Liam¡¯s eyes widened at his change of expression. He hesitated, but answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You are a god send!¡± Olivia stated as she grabbed his shoulders. ¡°You have no idea how much we appreciate those potions. The taste of the old ones were so horrible I was going to swear I would never drink them ever again if they were always going to taste like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome?¡± Liam replied with a brow raised. Alicia let out a cough. ¡°Anyways, he got you this book to help with your training on making the mana potions.¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Are you going to make better tasting mana potions next?¡± Liam was taken aback by her. I thought I was the only one who loathed the taste of those potions, but I guess I have a brother¡­sister in arms. ¡°Why would I need this book to learn how to make mana potions?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Did Professor Galin ever mention that each potion has different ways to make them?¡± Alicia asked. Liam thought back to his first lesson with Galin. He did remember the man telling him that. Liam nodded. ¡°Well, Mana potions require a certain process to be able to do it. It¡¯s called Mana Extraction,¡± Alicia answered. ¡°In order to do that process you need to learn an ability called Mana Channeling from this Knowledge Theory.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Liam said, still confused. ¡°But I thought Mana Channeling was a focus point in the Field of the Bard? How can it be an ability and a Focus Point at the same time? Do I need to open that field up and get that focus point?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was a focus point for another Field of study,¡± Olivia stated. Liam gave her a confused look. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Bards had their own Field of Study,¡± Octavius added. Alicia shook her head, ignoring the other two. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do that. Professor Galin told me that it isn¡¯t unusual for abilities and focus points to have the same name. In fact, some Focus Points appear in different Fields of Studies. Mana Channeling is one such example.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liam asked, sounding shocked. He fought the urge to take his notebook out to take notes. I¡¯ll have to ask her later to repeat this. ¡°Yeah, they do have a difference though and that¡¯s application,¡± Alicia clarified. ¡°Focus Points on Fields of Studies are there to help better the subject of the study, or so I was told. I¡¯m still trying to figure out why some have so many different Focus Points while others have only two or three.¡± ¡°I was wondering that too,¡± Liam stated. He then looked at Olivia and back tracked to what she said, ¡°What did you mean by what you said? What Field of Study did you open?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t bought me dinner or a drink and you¡¯re already asking personal questions,¡± Olivia teased with a playful grin. ¡°I opened the Field of Illusions. I¡¯m an Illusionist Mage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Liam said with a look of respect to her. ¡°Right,¡± Olivia agreed with a wide grin. ¡°Anyways,¡± Alicia said trying to bring the conversation back on track. ¡°The Focus Point Mana Channeling can be used differently depending on what the subject is. For example, for the Illusionist Mage have it to better understand how they can channel magic into their illusions.¡± ¡°And Bards have it so they can get a better understanding on channeling magic into their instruments,¡± Liam said as he started to understand. ¡°Exactly!¡± Alicia stated. ¡°So, then what is the difference between it as an ability versus it as a Focus Point?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It¡¯s in the name. Ability and Focus Point. Mana Channeling as a Focus Point only focuses on the understanding while the ability focuses on using it,¡± Alicia started to explain. ¡°When you get it as a Focus Point you don¡¯t need it as an ability because it¡¯s already being used. Having it as an ability when you don¡¯t have the focus point makes you learn how to fully use it in different ways. It¡¯s not restricted to only one thing when you have it as an ability.¡± After hearing Alicia¡¯s explanation, Liam started piecing together some of the questions he had on Focus Points. It made a lot more sense if he thought about it like that. He then started thinking about the purpose of Fields of Studies. He shook his head and stopped himself before going down that rabbit hole of theories. This was something that required more time and tests. Not during a night of drinking. ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam said as he put the book away. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at it tonight. Are you available tomorrow afternoon or evening?¡± ¡°I am. You wanted to learn about poisons and how to make them right?¡± Alicia inquired, remembering his earlier request. ¡°Yeah, I also want to learn how to make flammable oils too. Do you know how to make them?¡± Liam asked. He liked his application of using oils and his Light and Burn crafting magic ability. It was a creative way to cause burn damage when he didn¡¯t have the Fire Focus Point. If he could use it for different situations during battle, then he had another way to fight. He knew it wouldn¡¯t work all the time though. He was lucky that the Viper was a big enough target that he had little chance to miss, but what about smaller opponents? He would need to find a new way for those kinds of situations. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m available and can show you how to make them,¡± Alicia responded. Before Liam could say anything else a smooth arm wrapped around his neck. A teasing voice asked, ¡°Liam, what¡¯s taking so long? You¡¯re not trying to skip out on what you owe me right?¡± Liam turned to see Ariyana grinning devilishly. Liam shook his head and responded, ¡°No, the line was long, so I was waiting for it to die down some before grabbing the drinks.¡± ¡°Uh huh sure,¡± Ariyana jokingly said. She caught the looks Alicia, Octavius, and Olivia gave her. She took her arm off of Liam and put it out while greeting, ¡°Hey there. I¡¯m Ariyana.¡± ¡°Alicia,¡± Alicia said, returning the greeting by shaking her hand. ¡°Olivia,¡± Olivia smiled. ¡°Octavius,¡± Octavius stoically replied with a swift firm handshake. ¡°Are these friends of yours?¡± Ariyana questioned as she looked at Liam. ¡°I¡¯m learning Alchemy with him,¡± Alicia responded before Liam could say anything. Ariyana looked at her. She took in Alicia¡¯s features before getting a playful smile on her face. ¡°So, you¡¯re that Alicia.¡± Alicia grew a puzzled look before asking Liam, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­what does she mean by that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything bad by it. Liam has mentioned you to us a few times,¡± Ariyana answered. Olivia eyed Ariyana. She looked at Liam and questioned with a suspicious tone, ¡°Who is she? Is she from¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam quickly stated. ¡°She¡¯s one of my teammates. She¡¯s from Fel¡­Felta?¡± ¡°Feltia,¡± Ariyana corrected. ¡°Why does it matter where I came from?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Octavius replied. ¡°What does matter is making new friends.¡± Ariyana gave him a charming smile. ¡°I agree handsome.¡± She looked back at Liam and said, ¡°We should have them drink with us.¡± Liam looked at Alicia. ¡°You guys down?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Alicia shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet your team anyways.¡± ¡°We are going to have so much fun,¡± Ariyana squealed with delight. A devilish smiled then formed as she asked, ¡°Do any of you know any good drinking toasts?¡± Tutorial 38 - Picking up new Mana Tricks Liam sat on the bed in his inn. He was reading the book Alicia gave him to help take his mind off things from the day before. Running into Jude and then finding out someone was asking questions about him didn¡¯t sit well with him. He had his worries about their agenda but hated it even more that he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was they wanted. His other worries stemmed from his personal level growth. Because it was leveling a lot slower than his group and he couldn¡¯t figure out why and that really bugged him. He found out during the night that people got new class skills and abilities from their personal levels growing. Because his personal levels were growing slow, he was missing out on new skills and abilities, and he felt he was falling behind on being helpful to his team. Liam did get some enjoyment though last night. He was able to get out of buying so many expensive drinks for Ariyana due to Octavius being slow to react when it came to Ariyana¡¯s drinking toast game. Octavius, of course, was not happy about it. He was a good sport on playing along, probably thanks to Olivia. Liam did notice Olivia and Ariyana getting along well. Ariyana got interested in her when she told her about the Field of Illusions. After Olivia explained the pros and cons of it, Ariyana decided to pick it up and try it out. Liam closed the book he was reading and leaned back against the wall in his room. A chime sound echoed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory Mana Control has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 51%.¡±
At first Liam couldn¡¯t understand why there was a need to have a book called Beginner¡¯s Guide to Understanding Mana Control and one for Beginner¡¯s Magic. Why separate them and make things complicated? After reading both he understood why. Magic was, indeed, a complicated thing. The Beginner¡¯s Magic book Elara suggested he and his team look into was a Knowledge Theory all about why there was different Fields of Magic and why you only got a couple starting magics instead of a long list to choose from. It also talked about why one needed to know their affinity when starting off before exploring the other types. Knowing one¡¯s magical affinity helped them know what magic they should get first and use easier rather than getting a random one where it is harder for them to grasp. After they get better with the magic, they have been deemed best suited for, they can explore with other types and try to find synergy with them. The Beginner¡¯s Guide to Understanding Mana Control was a Knowledge Theory all about learning how to control the mana inside you. By learning how to control the mana inside you, you could make the spell you are using stronger or weaker, depending on what the situation called for. That¡¯s what Mana Channeling was all about. It was kind of like a boosting effect if you wanted to make the spell stronger. Or a dampening effect if you wanted to lessen the power of the spell. However, to be able to boost or dampen the magic through this skill you needed to practice and understand Mana Control. Just like any skill you gain through Knowledge Theories, the higher your understanding, the easier it is to control. Fia did mention something similar to this when I first tried my Light and Burn spell. Liam smirked as he remembered her teasing him about how small his flame was. Mana Channeling wasn¡¯t limited to just Magical abilities. It was also useful for crafting. Many higher crafts required Mana Channeling. A couple of things that were listed were Alchemy, Enchanting, and Rune Crafting. After reading the section of Mana Control for crafting he could understand why it was needed. For Enchanting and Rune Crafting you needed to pour mana into the item you were crafting in order for the effects to be placed. As for Alchemy the process was kind of the same except you needed to channel mana into an object before placing it into a vial to start the extraction process. It might seem easy to do, but it wasn¡¯t. If you don¡¯t know how to control the mana properly you could end up with the object you were channeling your mana into breaking. Or worse, they could explode and cause some damage. Without proper control you were basically a child holding a loaded gun. He looked at his internal clock and noted it was 4:30 a.m. I¡¯ve got some time to test out some of the theories I read. Liam thought. The book said the first step in understanding Mana Control was getting a feel for mana around me. A frown formed. How the hell am I supposed to do that? He thought back to when he cast his spells. He then realized he wasn¡¯t focused on magic itself when he chanted. He was only focused on chanting the right words and the enemy he was trying to use it on. Not once did he actually pay attention to the spell itself. He went over all the spells he had to see if there was one he could do that wouldn¡¯t do harm to the inn. After looking over the list he decided on Light and Burn. He placed his right hand out in front of him palm up. He focused on his hand as he started to chant, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and Burn.¡± A small flame suddenly came to life, hovering above his hand. Liam frowned as he stared at it. While he chanted the spell, he didn¡¯t see anything. Nothing gathering, no signs of mana swirling. Nothing. Why didn¡¯t I see anything? Liam thought as he shook his hand to put the flame out. To be fair I wasn¡¯t sure what to look for in the first place. Hm, see¡­maybe I need something to help me see mana better? An idea came to mind. Liam pulled out his goggles and placed them over his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he started the chant once more. ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and Burn.¡± Once more a flame flickered to life and hovered over his palm. Again, he didn¡¯t see anything of note. However, he did feel something. It was faint, but he felt where the flame was going to appear. Still not good enough. Liam thought as he closed his hand and snuffed the fire out. He then noticed the smoke of the fire wash over his hand and¡­seep into it. As the smoke entered his hand he was reminded of when he planted the Seed of the Arcana. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. He remembered feeling a warm sensation that washed over him as the feeling entered his body. This triggered another memory. The time he opened his Fields of Studies. He remembered seeing motes of color entering his body and making their way to his seed. Were those motes of color mana? Liam thought. He felt that he was on the right track. It was the same when I took my magical examination. How was I able to see the mana then? Clarity dawned on him as he remembered the orbs during his examination and Field of Study opening. I was able to see them because of the magic tools. He frowned at the idea. If those magic tools were the reason, then do I need them to be able to channel mana as well? Liam shook his head as a gut feeling told him that shouldn¡¯t be the case. No, that would limit me if that¡¯s the case. There should be a way to sense the mana around me. He looked around the room trying to get some inspiration. After scouring the room his eyes landed on something. It was his Calming the Storm book. An idea formed as he stared at it. His intuition told him he was on the right track. The idea he had was a long shot. It would require him to multitask his mind, but he felt it was a good challenge to push himself. He got into his favorite Zen position and chanted in his mind as he closed his eyes. Calm the Storm. His mind slowly started to quiet down. Calm the Storm. His mind became tranquil. This was when things would get complicated. He usually just sat there not moving, until an epiphany of sorts started to happen. However, this time he needed to move his body while trying to keep this trance going. As he moved his right arm, the tranquilness he had gained disappeared causing his mind to stir once more. His trance quickly disappeared along with it. Damn it! Liam thought as he opened his eyes. This is tougher than I thought. Liam began to think it over. He thought about the steps he took and what he thought went wrong. It felt like him trying to move any part of his body while in a trance-like state was too much for him to handle. He couldn¡¯t understand why though. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I don¡¯t have a better understanding of Zen that I can¡¯t do it that way?¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± A new idea came to mind. ¡°Maybe that can work,¡± he whispered as he placed his right hand out again and chanted, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and Burn!¡± He once more summoned the small flame upon his palm. Holding it and taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and thought to himself, Calm the Storm. He felt his mind start to calm as he fell into a trance-like state again. However, this time he felt something else. He couldn¡¯t see anything except for the darkness his closed eyes gave him. So instead of focusing on sight, he focused on feel. He felt a warm sensation. It was a faint and small feeling, but it was there. He felt it on his hand. He continued to focus on that sensation. As he felt it, an unknown texture Liam had never known to exist started to form. The texture felt like an ethereal layer coating his hand. It didn¡¯t touch his skin, but he was still able to feel it there. That ethereal layer then started to spread down his arm. It started coating him. Over his shoulders, head, stomach, legs, and feet. Once when it completely covered him, a light red glow lightly lit up over the palm of his hand within the darkness of his vision. Is that the mana of the flame? Liam thought as he continued to inspect it. As he continued to inspect it, he noticed underneath the red light was a thin violet line, the size of a hair strand. What is that? That thin line was connected to a ghastly violet smoke that wafted around, following the outline of something. Is that Arcane Mana? Am I seeing Arcane Mana and am I¡­engulfed in it? He looked back at the thin line, that what he now referred to as Arcane mana, connected to the flame¡¯s mana. He didn¡¯t know why the line was so thin and why the two were connected. The more he stared at it the more he felt like he could¡­influence it. Following his gut, he continued to stare at it. He wasn¡¯t too sure what he could do so he tried forcing his will on it to widen the thin line. After what felt like a couple of minutes the thin line still remained the same. Not wanting to give up he tried once more, but mentally pushed as hard as he could. This sudden force expanded the thin line into the size of a straw. With more room to jump into, the Arcane Mana rushed into the flame¡¯s mana. This caused the flame¡¯s mana on Liam¡¯s hand to suddenly explode in growth. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he felt heat nick his skin. When he looked in front of him, he saw that the small flame he had summoned earlier was now burning bigger and hotter than before. It was almost the same size as Avery¡¯s Fireball spell. That wasn¡¯t the only thing he saw though. Around the Fireball was a ghastly red light that Liam saw when his eyes were closed. He then looked at his hand and body and saw the same smoky violet color coating himself. A smile grew on his face as the realization of what he did came to light in the form of notification messages and sounds of a chime echoing. He put the fire on his palm out as he pulled up the messages.
¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory Mana Control has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! You have gained the ability Mana Channeling!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 9%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence Sub-stat Perception has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 19%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! For having Knowledge Theory in Mana Control at level 10 and your Perception Sub-stat at level 15 or higher you have gained the ability Mana Sight!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Sight has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 95%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory Calming the Storm has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 24%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence sub-stat Knowledge has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 24%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence sub-stat Mental Absorption has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%. +5% to retaining and memorizing skills, theories, and more.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom sub-stat Magic Practicality has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom sub-stat Magic Practicality has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 5%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Will sub-stat Zen has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 15%.¡±
Liam stared at the notifications with wide eyes. ¡°Holy¡­,¡± Liam started to say as he exited out of them. He then clicked on Mana sight to see what it was about.
¡°Mana Sight. Spell Type - Instant. Description ¨C Having an understanding of mana and a certain level of perception you are able to see the color of mana on items as well as spells being formed. Can identify the type of mana being used.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a nifty thing to get,¡± Liam muttered as he closed the screen. ¡°I have a feeling it will be useful sooner or later.¡± Wait. Liam suddenly thought. Why did I get this? I can understand why I got Mana Channeling, but Mana Sight? That wasn¡¯t anywhere in the Knowledge Theory book I read. Liam reread the description. He then remembered in his notification it said he got the skill because he had his Knowledge Theory in Mana Control at level ten and had his Perception level higher than fifteen. Did this mean that there were ways to get skills and abilities through hidden prerequisites? The idea was a game changer. He then wondered what else he could get just by having his stats and knowledge at certain levels. The possibilities of gaining new things this way was unfathomable. An excited grin grew on Liam¡¯s face as he understood one thing. He didn¡¯t need to worry about leveling his personal level to gain new things. In fact, his personal level growth was of no consequence to him now. If he focused on leveling his sub-stats and gaining new Knowledge Theories, then he could grow with the others without worry. A lukewarm liquid ran down the side of his face. The sweat drop brought Liam out of his thoughts. He then looked at his arms and noticed he was dripping with sweat. Huh? When did I start sweating? Liam thought. If I didn¡¯t even notice that I was sweating, then how long was I working on this? Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the time. 6:15 a.m. Almost two hours!? It didn¡¯t feel like it was almost two hours. It felt like it was at least fifteen minutes. Liam let out a sigh as he stretched his legs and arms. As he got up out of the bed he muttered, ¡°Since I¡¯ve already worked up a sweat, might as well start my day off with the usual.¡± Tutorial 39 - Theres a right way and then theres Liams way The cool air of the morning ran across Liam¡¯s face as he jogged up to the Smithy. During his jog over he did the exercise routine he came up with his first week arriving the Tutorial Area. It consisted of reps of sprints to help build his speed and Stamina Endurance, jukes to help build his Agility, and light jogging to help his Stamina Recovery. The progression to leveling them at the beginning was fast, but as the levels grew the progression slowed. It took more effort to be put into his exercises to get his progression to grow. He didn¡¯t care though. Doing these exercises helped clear his mind and create lists of goals he wanted to accomplish each day. While he was jogging up to the Smithy, he had reconfirmed what he wanted to do there. Liam wanted to get more information on the Blacksmith craft as a whole. He felt that he was missing something about the craft itself. In his Beginner¡¯s guide to Mana Control, he saw Blacksmithing on the list of things that could benefit from Mana Channeling. This both puzzled him and excited him that this skill was useful for many different things. He really wanted to explore the possibilities of gaining more understanding with it and see if he it was possible to obtain more abilities from the growth. As he entered through the door, he saw Fia, his Blacksmith Mentor, working hard on a weapon. As she swung her hammer, Liam noticed something he never saw before gaining his new ability. An ethereal layer of Arcane mana wrapped around her and her hammer. As she brought her hammer up into the air, a condensed amount of Arcane mana looked like it was being sucked up into the blunt end of the tool. When it looked like the hammer couldn¡¯t take any more mana it, she swung down as hard as she could. Liam watched as she brought it down upon the item she was working on. The hammer didn¡¯t collide with the weapon, but instead hit an invisible wall of sorts an inch away from the weapon. The condensed mana that had built up within the tip of the hammer exploded like a firework combusting. A third of the mana that sparked collided with the invisible barrier seeped through and washed into the object. Liam stood there, shocked and amazed at what he was seeing. He couldn¡¯t begin to understand what it was she was doing or how she was doing it. There was only one thing he did know and that was her control over mana was inspiring. As he continued to watch her, he noticed something else. The hammer she was using was not a normal hammer. Along the Head and the handle of the tool, markings of some designs were etched. Liam had never seen those kind of marking before, but if he had to compare them to something they looked similar to Norse rune symbols. From what he could remember each symbol held a powerful meaning. These ones may look similar to them, but they were not them. Fia stopped hammering and raised the weapon she was working on in front of her to inspect it. After she finished looking it over, she placed it on the anvil, and let out a gust of air before turning around. She let out a gasp as she saw Liam and placed a hand over her heart. With a scolding tone she cursed, ¡°For Latamyr¡¯s sake boy. Let a lady know when ya enter a room. Ya almost gave me a heart attack.¡± ¡°My bad,¡± Liam grimaced. ¡°I was enthralled by what you were doing. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt you.¡± Fia pulled her goggles to her forehead and glared at him. ¡°No excuses. It¡¯s rude ta be staring at someone without them knowin.¡± ¡°I know. I know,¡± Liam started before letting his excitement and curiosity get the better of him. ¡°So, what were you doing? I saw the Arcane Mana covering your body get sucked up to your hammer. Which, by the way, looks so cool with those symbols etched on it.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Fia said as she placed a hand up to stop Liam from asking anything else. ¡°Did ya just say ya saw Arcane Mana? And that it was being sucked up to the hammer?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam replied as he looked at her with a puzzled look. ¡°Is that not what you were doing? Sucking the mana to the tip of the hammer before you swung it down against the¡­barrier¡­whatever it is that was protecting the sword?¡± ¡°You¡¯re kinda correct on it, but before that,¡± Fia said. ¡°Do you have the Mana Sight ability?¡± ¡°Yeah. I just got it this morning. Right when I got the Mana Channeling ability,¡± Liam answered, still confused. Fia¡¯s eyes widened at Liam¡¯s statement. ¡°Ya got it the same time ya got Mana Channeling? What level is your Perception at?¡± Liam felt a little uncomfortable. He now understood why Alicia and Olivia acted the way they did when he asked them the same thing. ¡°It¡¯s at level seventeen. Why?¡± Shock grew on Fia¡¯s face. ¡°Seventeen? By Latamyr¡¯s grace.¡± ¡°Is that bad?¡± Liam asked feeling a bit self-conscious now. ¡°Is that bad?¡± Fia repeated the question before letting out a laugh. ¡°No, my boy. That¡¯s impressive. Not many can get that sub-stat up so high this quick. In fact, any sub stat close ta the tutorial cap is considered damn good. Great job.¡± Confused by what Fia said, Liam questioned, ¡°There¡¯s a tutorial level cap? What is it?¡± Fia stared at him questioning. ¡°Someone should have told you by now, but the tutorial level cap is level twenty. The first ten levels ya will fly by quickly, but after that its harder to level up due to the experience the monsters in the dungeons give. They aren¡¯t that high of a level, so they don¡¯t provide enough of a challenge for ya to keep the same leveling speed.¡± Not that high of a level? They don¡¯t provide enough of a challenge? What kind of bullshit was that? Liam thought with disbelief. Hearing what she was saying was nonsense to him. However, it did help to reconfirm that the dungeon he and his team were taking on was indeed a different one. The monsters they were fighting provided big challenges to them. It also made sense why his sub-stats were leveling so much after each E.F.M. and Floor Bosses. If that is the case, then we are ahead of the others in terms of strength. Liam thought as he felt a bit more relaxed. As he thought about the monsters they had already faced, he shook his head to take him out of the mindset. I can¡¯t be complacent. If those monsters were that tough on the lower floors, the monster here on out will be much tougher. I need to get stronger too. Liam felt it was better to change the subject by asking, ¡°So what were you doing? Were you trying to add magic to the sword?¡± ¡°No, nothing like that,¡± Fia replied as she slowly stopped laughing. ¡°I was working on my magic weapon crafting skill.¡± Liam gave her a perplexed look. He wasn¡¯t sure why she said she wasn¡¯t adding magic to the weapon when it looked like she was. If she wasn¡¯t doing that then why call it magic weapon crafting? ¡°I can tell I confused ya by that,¡± Fia stated with a smirk. ¡°Magic weapon crafting is specialized section in the weapon craft tab in Blacksmithing. The craft is all bout trying to successfully coat a weapon or armor piece in mana, so it is easier for the object to accept any magical enchantments or runes. At higher levels they¡¯ll be able to accept both.¡± Liam still felt confused. He was about to ask what she meant but was stopped as she clarified. Fia shook her head. ¡°I guess I should start at the beginning. All ores have a magical affinity in them depending on the environment they are found. During the smelting process any and all magical properties get purged, leaving behind a non-magical ingot,¡± Fia explained. ¡°That weird liquid, that manifests during the smelting process, is the magical properties that was purged in a physical form. Hence why it smells so bad.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at what Fia was telling him. If that liquid, was in fact, magical properties in a physical form, then maybe there was a way to utilize it somehow. Liam thought as he tried to think of ways to best use the substance. ¡°By purging the ore from the magical properties makes it easier to shape the ingot,¡± Fia continued. ¡°After shaping the ingot into a workable piece of art ya can reintroduce the magical properties to the object by injecting the right amount of mana into it. However, ya can¡¯t just add any type of properties. It has to be Arcane.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Is it because Arcane is the freest form of magic?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes and no,¡± Fia replied looking impressed. ¡°No because Arcane isn¡¯t as free as you think it is. Arcane has its restrictions. Just not like the others. The answer though is because Arcane has no affinities to it which makes it easier to place any type of Enchantments or Runes into them. Ya can learn more bout all that another day though.¡± ¡°I remember hearing about Enchantments and Runes from the book I read,¡± Liam stated as he tried to remember exactly what it said. ¡°The book didn¡¯t fully explain what they were though.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t surprise me that it didn¡¯t,¡± Fia responded as she shook her head. ¡°Enchanting and Rune Crafting are an advanced type of magical crafting. Ones I¡¯d suggest looking inta when ya leave the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°What are they though?¡± Liam asked as he looked at her. ¡°Can¡¯t tell ya,¡± Fia smiled teasingly. ¡°Ya¡¯ll have ta learn about them yerself after leaving here.¡± Fia watched Liam¡¯s expression turn to a frown. She debated something in her mind while staring at him. After she came to a conclusion, she stated, ¡°I¡¯ll tell ya what. If you can get yer Blacksmithing to seventeen or higher, I¡¯ll give ya a gift that can help ya out.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes beamed as he said with excitement, ¡°Really?!¡± Fia let out a hearty laugh before responding, ¡°Yes, but only if you can get there before you have to leave the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°A challenge huh?¡± Liam smirked at the thought of it. ¡°Well as a mentor what should I focus on that¡¯ll help me level my blacksmithing?¡± Fia thought about. She went over everything she could think of that would help his growth with the craft but couldn¡¯t settle on a single one. She felt like he needed something that could help challenge him to keep his momentum going. Before she could land on an answer, Liam asked as he remembered something he forgot. ¡°Is there a way to forge bones into weapons or armor?¡± Fia stared at him. The question was a simple one to anyone, but she felt it was the right question to ask. She felt it because there was a way to do it. And it was the best way to challenge a beginner blacksmith. A grin grew on Fia¡¯s face as she answered, ¡°Ye¡¯re a genius.¡± Confused Liam questioned, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah sorry, never mind bout that,¡± Fia coughed as she recomposed herself. ¡°There is a way to make bone forged weapons and armor. It¡¯s actually a specialized type of weapon and armor. It¡¯ll also help challenge yaself to grow more.¡± ¡°I like a good challenge,¡± Liam smiled devilishly. ¡°How do I do it?¡± ¡°This type of crafting is only possible when ya have gotten the Mana Channeling ability. It¡¯s even better since you have the Mana Sight skill.¡± Fia started to explain. Liam pulled out his notebook and started taking notes. After he finished writing that down he questioned, ¡°Why is it only possible to do this when you have the Mana Channeling ability? And what does the Mana Sight skill have to do with making it better?¡± ¡°In order to Bone craft, ya have to make a certain ingot. One that is mixed with both ore and bone,¡± Fia continued. ¡°In order to do that ya have to channel enough magic into the bone ya are going ta use ta fuse it. Ya have to channel enough magic inta the bone that it won¡¯t get easily snuffed out when ya smelt the ore and bone, but not so much that tha bone explodes. Once when ya have the bone ready then ya¡¯ll have ta fuse them together through a smelting technique called Bone Smelting.¡± Liam continued to write down what was being said. A thought came to mind that made him ask, ¡°I thought the smelting process takes away the magical impurities?¡± ¡°That is correct. That¡¯s where the Mana Channeling and Mana Sight come inta play.,¡± Fia informed. ¡°During the Bone Smelting process, as the smelting begins it¡¯ll try to purge the magical properties from the bone. In order ta not allow it ta fully take out the magic ya¡¯ll have ta channel mana into the bones. Ya¡¯ll have to use Mana Sight ta keep an eye on the amount of mana in the bones.¡± ¡°What does mana have to do with this? Why do I have to add it to the bones and then keep channeling more into it as we smelt it?¡± Liam asked, still confused. ¡°The answer is simple. Ya need to place mana into a bone, so it doesn¡¯t melt away during the smelting process,¡± Fia explained. ¡°If ya can keep the bone from melting away during the smelting, by continually channeling the mana, then the bone will combine with the ore, and ya will have a crafting material that is called a bone ingot.¡± ¡°That kind of makes sense, but why go so far doing for a crafting material?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Bones have properties that can help weapons and armor out. They are sturdy, can increase durability, and are better suited for coating poisons,¡± Fia listed. ¡°The list goes on. I agree the process is challenging, but any true crafter wouldn¡¯t let a challenge go by like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Liam agreed. The whole process sounded ridiculous to Liam. Why go so far for a single crafting component. Not only that, but you¡¯d need precise control over your mana to be able to pull it off. Wait a minute. Liam began to think. This could be a great way to practice my Mana Channeling ability and learn more about how to better control my mana. He looked at Fia as the realization shown on his face. Fia noticed it and smiled. ¡°Took ya long enough my dense apprentice.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you said I was a genius. You were looking for a way for me to challenge myself and what better way to do than to multitask?¡± Liam stated. ¡°That¡¯s correct now let¡¯s get started. Do you have any bones on you?¡± Fia asked. ¡°I do. How many do I need?¡± Liam asked as he pulled up his inventory. ¡°How many do ya have?¡± Fia questioned. ¡°A lot,¡± Liam answered. He collected a lot during these past couple floors and held on to them in case he had a use for them. Now was the time they were going to prove their worth. He pulled out a box and started filling it with bones. Fia¡¯s eyes widened as she watched him pull out bone after bone. She placed her hand up and stated since he looked like he wasn¡¯t going to stop, ¡°That¡¯s enough for now. What dungeon did ya get them out of?¡± ¡°I¡¯m assigned to the Black Dungeon,¡± Liam stated as he stopped. Fia froze. Liam noticed it and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Fia said softly. A hint of sadness lingered in her eyes as she thought about something. After a moment passed, she pushed the sad thought away and instructed with that familiar strict tone Liam¡¯s known, ¡°Now what ye¡¯re going ta do is channel mana into a bone. This is going ta be good practice for yer Mana Channeling ability.¡± Liam held his gaze on her for a moment longer before reaching for one of the bones. He looked at it for a moment. As he stared at the bone a sudden realization came to mind as he asked with a serious tone in his voice, ¡°How do I channel mana?¡± Not expecting Liam to ask that, Fia let out a weird noise before coughing. The noise sounded like a mix of surprise and worry. ¡°How did ya obtain the skill if ya don¡¯t know how ta channel it?¡± Liam explained to her the way he did it. He went through each step and explained why he did it. After explaining it all he felt proud of himself. However, that prideful feeling went away as he looked at her. Fia just stared at him without saying anything. A look of shock and uncertainty was plain on her face as she processed what he had told her. After two minutes of silence she said, ¡°Are ya bloody mad boy! Using Light and Burn ta practice Mana Channeling?! What would ya have done if it went awry?¡± Liam gave her a sheepish look as he stared down at the floor. ¡°I mean,¡± Fia started up again with a hint of astonishment. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a way ta get it. Not the best way, but one hell of one.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case then what¡¯s the best way to do it? The book was very vague on how to feel for mana, so I just tried,¡± Liam asked. ¡°You have to feel the seed in yer heart,¡± Fia informed as she placed a hand over hers. ¡°The Seed of Arcana is pulse with mana and that mana is coursing through yer veins. Ya had the right idea ta close yer eyes and focus on the feel, but ya focused on the wrong feel. Ya should focus on the mana coursing through yerself. Try it out.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly released it. As he did this, he tried focusing on his heart beat. He heard the thump it made as it beat against his chest. He heard it thump again. After the third thump he felt a small wave flow out. After a few more waves flowed out from the thump of heartbeat he noticed the waves felt weird. They weren¡¯t hot or cold. They had a sense of power. A magical power emanating from them. He redirected his focus on the waves as they escaped his heart and felt them rush throughout his body. The more he focused on it the more an image started to form in his mind. The image was an ethereal violet color mapping out the inside of his body. The color was the arcane mana he saw during his first time trying to gain the ability as well as the mana that coated Fia when he arrived at the Smithy. He watched as the arcane waves ran through his veins and throughout his arms, legs, stomach, neck, and head. They didn¡¯t stop there though. After running their course, Liam noticed the mana slowly start to seep out and coat his skin. His mind started to form theories about what he could try and do with the mana forming over him. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but he wanted to try anyways. Without any prompt he slowly reached for a bone and brought it close to him. Fia watched him do this. She wasn¡¯t sure if he understood what he was about to do, but as a mentor she wanted him to learn on his own. Liam lightly gripped the bone in his right hand. Keeping his eyes closed and still focusing on the feeling, he turned his head towards the bone. The bone had a silverish color outlining it. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what the color meant, but he felt like the color could be easily influenced by his arcane mana that was coating him. In fact, he felt like the color was hungry for it. That¡¯s weird. Liam thought. Is this silverish color hungry for mana? It was an odd thing for Liam to think, but he felt that it was right. He¡¯d have to ask Fia about that. For now, he needed to focus on trying to channel the mana he summoned around him into this object. He wanted to test a theory he came up with from what he did earlier. Liam remembered what he did to make that thin line expand to make his Light and Burn spell grow. He felt like forcing his will on his mana was a good way to channel his mana into the object. However, he also knew if he forced too much it flooded too much mana into it like a dam opening up. He needed to learn how to properly control the channel. How the hell am I supposed to do this? Liam thought as he ran his mind through any possibilities. Nothing felt like they would work. The more he tried thinking about different approaches the more he felt like they were dead ends. This was starting to annoy him. As he started feeling irritated over it, he noticed the ethereal coating of mana start to ripple around his body. It was like a stone thrown into a calm body of water causing the stillness to be replaced with chaotic waves. He needed to calm himself before¡­ Wait a minute. Liam suddenly thought. Maybe if I get into a state of Zen...it could help me figure this out. Slowly, Liam reached around for the table that he knew was close by. He kept his eyes shut, not wanting to lose his train of thought nor the sight of the mana. When he found the table, he placed the bone on it and moved both of his hands above both ends of it, making sure not to touch it. When he felt he was in a good position he took a deep breath and muttered in his mind. Calm the storm. Tutorial 40 - Bone Smelting Every time Liam tried getting into a Zen-like trance he had to mutter his mantra a few times. However, this was the first time he got it on the first try. Not only that, but instead of some vision showing him how to do something he felt his body and the mana coating him do it. The agitated mana that was rippling from his irritation smoothed out and became calm. Once when it became still, two small violet ethereal lines, the size of a pencil, slowly snaked out to the object from both of his hands. The silverish color, that outlined the bone, started to bend out on both ends as the violet lines got closer. At first the silver color tried to bend back into place, but the pull from the violet lines kept drawing it back to the line. Liam noticed the lines trying to connect with the silver color but was rebuffed with each attempt. This didn¡¯t bring back his irritation as he began to understand why it wasn¡¯t working and what he had to do. The ends of the lines pulled back a bit. He then reshaped the penciled sized lines of arcane mana into the size of needles. When they finished reforming, he tried again. This time the needle sized arcane mana was able to pierce the silver color. Understanding what the silver color was, filled Liam as he watched this. The color was a protective bubble. A bubble that was meant to stay over the object to be able to keep the mana from being injected into it. If that bubble popped, then the object wouldn¡¯t be able to keep any mana around or in it. He also understood that he needed to make the Arcane mana lines smaller because the object was smaller. The smaller the object the smaller the bubble was. He watched as his ethereal arcane mana start to fill the bubble. He decided to channel the mana into it slowly so the protective bubble wouldn¡¯t pop. As he did this he felt his mana coating over the object. He felt like he was getting an understanding on something he didn¡¯t think was possible. However, he stopped that thought process for now. He needed to focus on his task that was before him. He could always come back to this theory he was starting to form another day. Once when the object was filled enough with his mana he stopped and pulled the needle-like lines back out and slowly opened his eyes. He stared at the bone that was now glowing with his mana. A smile formed as he now understood that he could properly channel his mana. Well, properly compared to his first attempt. Chimes echoed in his mind as his Zen-like trance dissipated.
¡°Congratulations! Mana Sight has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 32%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Intelligence Sub-stat Knowledge has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Magic Practicality has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Will Sub-stat Zen has reached level 15! Progression to level 15: 15%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Magic Practicality has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory ¨C Calming the Storm has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory ¨C Mana Control has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 15%!¡±
Liam stared at the notifications with amazement. He wasn¡¯t expecting this to happen. From the sounds of it, someone else wasn¡¯t expecting the outcome either, but for something else. ¡°How in Latamyr¡¯s name were ya able ta get it in one go?¡± Fia questioned with disbelief. ¡°Hm?¡± Liam said as he gave a curious look. He then shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°I had an idea and just went with it.¡± ¡°Oh? What idea was that?¡± Fia inquired, curious to hear his answer. ¡°I calmed my mind and tried getting into a trance through my Zen. It¡¯s been hard to get into lately so I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work,¡± Liam started to explain. ¡°Once when I did, I just followed my gut with it and got it done.¡± Fia stared at him with incomprehension written on her face. She then closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and started with a sigh, ¡°Liam.¡± ¡°Yes Fia?¡± Liam responded. ¡°What level is yer Zen? And do ya have the Knowledge Theory, Calming the Storm?¡± Fia asked still pinching the bridge of her nose with her eyes closed. ¡°My Zen sub-stat is at fifteen. I do have that Knowledge Theory. It¡¯s at level sixteen,¡± Liam stated nonchalantly. Fia let out another sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know how ya got them both up so high already, but do ya know how Zen works?¡± ¡°It helps calm your mind and gets you into a trance like state. Once in it, it will help you see clearly?¡± Liam said, questioning his understanding of the sub-stat after looking at Fia. ¡°That¡¯s such a textbook answer,¡± Fia said as she shook her head. ¡°Listen here boy. Zen is a sub-stat that the best crafters focus on besides the obvious ones and Perception.¡± Liam stared at her and waited patiently to continue. ¡°It is true that Zen can put ya in a trance-like state and can help clear yer mind. However, that¡¯s what it does during the lower levels,¡± Fia started explaining. ¡°Once when you get it high enough ya¡¯ll be able to get inta a complete trance. During that trance ya block out any and all noise to focus on the task ya set yerself to do.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he realized what she was doing. He quickly took out a notebook and started writing what she was saying. ¡°Following yer gut when ya entered yer trance-like state is a good sign yer getting close to goin inta a full trance with it. It also means another part of ya is starting to surface,¡± Fia informed with a smile. ¡°During the lower levels it¡¯s meant ta help guide ya on what yer focused on. However, once ya get to a certain level ya will come to learn what it¡¯s really honing. Can ya guess what that is? Yer on the right track callin it following yer gut.¡± Liam stopped writing and started thinking. He hadn¡¯t given it much thought. He thought he had a great understanding of the sub-stat since it was his one of his favorites, next to Perception. If it had a different purpose, then he really wanted to know what that was. What is it really honing? If my mind is blocking out all of the noise to help me focus on my task, then is it to help my Perception sub-stat? Liam thought. He then shook his head. No. If that was the case then there wouldn¡¯t be a need to separate them. Fia smiled as she watched her apprentice think hard. She could have given him the answer, but she liked making him work hard for it. Her motto has always been ¡®Your success comes from your own hands¡¯. She has lived by that motto and has always wanted to pass that off to someone. The time she had spent teaching Liam made her appreciate his hard work and focus. She knew when he asked questions he was genuinely trying to learn and did not find shortcuts. She was impressed with his growth and wanted him to continue to grow in the first craft he chose. What could it be? Liam continued to think. What was it she said? Calling it following my gut was on the right track? Well, what¡¯s another phrase for that? Liam¡¯s eyes widened as an idea appeared. Maybe it¡¯s not a phrase but a single word. Fia smiled as she knew he figure out the answer. ¡°Tell me,¡± She started. ¡°What is Zen really helping you train when you get into a trance-like state?¡± Liam looked at her. He was hesitant to say it, but he felt it was right. With a small bit of confidence he answered, ¡°My instincts.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Fia answered. ¡°Now let me broaden that a bit more. You know how there are the core stats. Body, Mind, and Spirit. Each have their main stats that are broken down into sub-stats. Well, each main stat have a core focus behind their sub-stats.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Liam stared at her. Amazement and confusion etched on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to tell ya a lot bout these things because ya will learn them when ya get out of here,¡± Fia mentioned. ¡°But I like ya as my student, so I¡¯ll be nice and give ya one since ya figured a small bit of it out.¡± Fia gave him a wink. ¡°The Will stat¡¯s main focus is on Instinct.¡± Liam thought about what she said. It made a lot of sense. Zen, back in his world, was a way one would free their mind from anger, fear, or ego. It also helps to take away discursive thoughts and allows the person to let their instincts to take over. Willpower is a type of instinct as well. However, this type of instinct is a more biological one that helps the person protect themselves from themselves. ¡°If that is the case then you can say Zen is like an offensive Instinct allowing us to perform our actions while Willpower is a defensive instinct?¡± Liam questioned while muttering to himself. ¡°That¡¯s one way ta think bout it, but there¡¯s more to it,¡± Fia started as she nodded her head. ¡°What ya need to focus on getting ta the last floor so ya can leave this area and learn more.¡± Liam could understand what she meant. Hearing this now was nothing more than a distraction. If you focused too much on it, it would take away from the true goal of this tutorial. Liam froze as a thought began to formulate in his mind. After listening to Fia a few things started nagging at him. One of those things that was that last line of thought. What is the goal of this tutorial? ¡°Hey Fia?¡± Liam started. ¡°What is the true goal of this Tutorial?¡± Fia gave him a puzzling look. ¡°Didn¡¯t they tell ya at the beginning?¡± Liam thought about what was said. ¡°They said it was to help accumulate better knowledge and gain the skills and abilities needed to survive. However, you don¡¯t need a Tutorial Area for that.¡± Fia stared at him. Curious about what he was thinking about. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard there are Training halls and Mage towers outside of this area. We could easily learn there than here,¡± Liam continued. ¡°I¡¯m also sure there are easy dungeons for beginners out there too.¡± Fia nodded, confirming what he said was accurate. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then this Tutorial isn¡¯t truly needed for that. We can learn all this just as easily out there as in here,¡± Liam proclaimed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then there has to be a different reason a different goal for this tutorial.¡± Fia scrunched her brows together as she pondered on what Liam was saying. He made a compelling argument. One that not anyone she knew, has ever voiced, or pointed out. ¡°Who made this area?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Ta my knowledge, the gods,¡± Fia replied subconsciously. ¡°The gods?¡± Liam inquired skeptically. ¡°Gods really exist here?¡± Fia nodded. With everything going on he had forgotten that it was mentioned that Gods existed, and they could bless you. ¡°So, if that¡¯s the case then maybe the gods have a different purpose for this tutorial,¡± Liam muttered to himself. Liam shook his head. Once again, I¡¯m left with more questions than answers. I¡¯ll need to get more knowledge on Deities. For now, this is good enough. ¡°Regardless of all that we need ta focus on the task at hand before others start arriving,¡± Fia stated, deciding to change the topic. ¡°If I don¡¯t start teaching ya about Bone Smelting now, ya will have ta wait till tomorrow ta learn.¡± ¡°Oh crap. You¡¯re right. The others would be pissed if they found out I¡¯m ahead of them,¡± Liam said as he panicked a bit looking at his internal clock. Fia smirked. ¡°Ya damn right. Those blockheads are real competitive when it comes ta their craft. It would turn their cheeks red if they knew ya were actually taking a step further than them.¡± ¡°Ok so what do I need to do?¡± Liam asked with eagerness back in his eyes. Fia gave him a genuine smile as she recognized the fervor ignite in Liam. It was one of the reasons as to why she decided to be his mentor on the first day he arrived. ¡°First, go grab the tools for smelting,¡± Fia instructed as she went over to the iron ore pile. She shuffled through it and grabbed several small broken pieces. After she gathered enough, she met Liam back at the smelting furnace he was always at. Fia watched as he lit the furnace up and got it to the right temperature. ¡°Well done,¡± Fia complimented. ¡°Now, what yer gonna do is smelt these pieces like you would do if ya were smelting he normal way.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam replied as he went through the process. Once when he was finished, he poured the liquid that rested in the top bowl down into the pit. After the last drop fell out, he rested the tool on the anvil and looked back at Fia. ¡°Ok, now this is where things are gonna get tricky,¡± Fia started. ¡°Yer going to place the bone inta the bottom bowl with the melted ore. Ya have to do this while it¡¯s still hot or it won¡¯t work.¡± Liam stared at her for more explanations of what to do. ¡°Ok,¡± Fia started to instruct. ¡°When you bring this over the flame yer going to have to manage a few things.¡± Fia lifted a finger she continued, ¡°First, yer going to need to channel mana down the rod. By doing this ya¡¯ll blend the mana with the melted ore. Yer going to need to maintain a stable amount. Don¡¯t feed too much or it¡¯ll explode both the melted ore and the bone. Feed too much and the smelting process will snuff out the mana ya channeled inta it.¡± She lifted a second finger. ¡°Watch the process with yer Mana Sight ta keep an eye on it.¡± She raised a third. ¡°Once when ya have properly blended the mana with the melted ore, yer gonna have make it push through that protective barrier that¡¯s over the bone so the material can fuse together.¡± Fia placed a fourth finger up. ¡°Watch that the top bowl doesn¡¯t get too full. If it backs up it can clog the holes and ruin the entire process. Ya will know when the process is done when the mana coated melted ore has completely engulfed the bone and not a single drop is out.¡± Liam nodded as he memorized all of the instructions. ¡°Ok,¡± Liam stated as he slid the top bowl open. The melted ore glowed a bright red. Liam looked at the bowl skeptically. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was big enough for the bone to fit. However, the bowl was just big enough for the bone to fit. Both ends of the bone touched the metal part of the bowl. As he closed the bowl and placed it back over the flames, he activated his Mana Sight. There were three colors he saw. The violet purple that coated the bone, the silverish color that Liam called the barrier over the bone, and a black sludge-like color that slowly floated from the silverish barrier making it smaller. Liam took a deep breath and felt his mana start to coat his hands. Once when the violet ethereal color fully coated his hands, he slowly guided it down the rod and over the bowl. Liam took his time slowly pushing the mana down the rod. He felt like if he tried to rush it or push the mana harder, then it would ruin the whole process. He watched as his mana reached the bowl and started to coat the outside. He needed it to seep into the bottom bowl where the contents were. The more he stared at it though, the less that happened. He contemplated on what he could do, but the more time he wasted the more mana got filtered out of the bone and filled up the top bowl. He noticed the top bowl was almost full. He decided to pour out the liquid and watched it drip. However, as the purged mana passed through the channeled mana Liam noticed something. The channeled mana rolled over the purged mana and entered through one of the holes and touched the smelted ore. As he leveled the bowl again the amount of channeled mana thinned a bit, but was still merging with the ore. He tilted the bowl to the other side enough for another hole to open up and saw mana roll into it. You tricky bastard. Liam thought with a smile. Sweat rolled down his face. He did this two more times to get mana to enter the other two holes and did a victory dance internally. That victory dance slowly turned into a look of fear as the mana thinned out and one of the connections through the holes was lost. Damn it Liam! Focus! Liam cursed himself as he repeated the process to get the mana to re-enter the hole once more. After he got back to the same spot, he was he watched as the mana he was channeling started to blend with the smelted ore. The bowl was starting to fill with the color of his mana. Once when he got to this point, he stopped. He didn¡¯t know what to do next. What was it Fia said again? Liam thought as he went over the instructions once more. Channel the mana, blend it with the smelted ore, and¡­ Liam¡¯s brows furrowed. They lifted when he remembered. Push it through the barrier of the bone. But how do I do that? He tried to remember how he got his mana through the barrier the first time. He had to make his mana form a needle like line. It could work if there was more room, however, this was going inside a bowl. How could he form a needle inside a filled bowl? He dumped the contents filling up on the top bowl as he thought of his options. He slowly grew frustrated from not being sure what to do. His mana started to look like a row of spike like teeth trying to chew on a rubber ball. ¡°Calm yerself Liam,¡± Fia stated as she watched him. ¡°If yer mana becomes unstable it will destroy the barrier and explode the contents inside.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Liam stated as he let out a breath of air, calming his mana. Wait. Liam thought. That might work. Liam shook his head. No. That could cause the barrier to pop. But what if¡­ Trusting his gut feeling, Liam tipped the bowl over again. As he did this, a small bit of smelted ore slowly slithered into the holes giving a bit of room inside the bottom bowl. He then took this opportunity to form four needle like lines above the area of the bone where the holes were. When they took form, he evened the bowl out and he froze as the needles moved a little faster than he anticipated. The four spikes pierced the barrier without any resistance. He embraced for the contents to explode, but nothing happened. Instead of an explosion, Liam saw the mana coated liquid ore start to seep through the barrier. With a smile, Liam let out the air he was holding in. The liquid slowly entered the barrier and started to sink towards the bone. Liam watched as it continued to fill. Once when the last bit of mana filled, he turned to Fia and said with excitement, ¡°I did it! I got it through that barrier!¡± Fia beamed with pride as she smiled and said, ¡°Atta boy! Now pull it out and place it into the ingot mold before you lose any more mana.¡± Liam pulled out the rod and did as she said. He turned off his Mana Sight and watched the liquid fill the mold. When the last of the contents filled the mold, Liam lifted it with the rod and dipped it into the water. Once when the steam fizzled out he pulled it out and placed it on the table. As Liam placed the tool down, he felt the gloves and shirt he was wearing sticking to his body. He then noticed he was drenched in sweat. What the hell? Liam thought, but then pushed it off to the side as he turned his attention on what he had made. He assessed it.
¡°Iron Bone Ingot. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Crude.¡±
It looked like a bone in the shape of an iron ingot with swirls of iron colors covering the white. Liam grew an excited smile before a slew of chimes echoed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! You have received the skill Bone Smelting! Bone Smelting has reached level 1! Progression to level 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Endurance Sub-stat Crafter Endurance has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 47%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Strength Sub-stat Body Strength has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! +1.5% to Body Endurance. New Armor types and Weapon types are available to wield!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Wisdom Sub-stat Crafter Practicality has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 21%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Sight has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 78%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 69%!¡±
Fia placed both of her hands on Liam¡¯s shoulder¡¯s and gripped them as she shook him a bit. ¡°I knew ya could do it. Congratulations on takin the next step.¡± Liam was as happy as she was, but then grew concerned as he felt his knees suddenly stop listening and collapsed under him. Tutorial 41 - Can I trust you? Liam fell down on his butt before sprawling out on the floor. He didn¡¯t realize it till now, but his body was hurting. To him it felt like he went to the gym and started lifting weights beyond his capabilities. He peered at the ceiling and then noticed something blinking at the corner of his eye. It was his stamina bar. His stamina had almost bottomed out, leaving it at two points left. ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me that ya worn yerself out with all that wasteful movements,¡± Fia stated as she grabbed a stamina potion out from a bag by her side. A teasing grin formed on her face as she asked, ¡°Can ya sit up or do I have ta spoon feed ya like a child?¡± ¡°Ha, ha, ha. Very funny,¡± Liam sarcastically stated as he watched his stamina reach ten out of one hundred and fifty. He flexed his arms a bit to test his muscles. It still felt sore, but it was manageable to move. As he moved them both to bring himself to a sitting position, he felt his entire body ache. He reached out for the potion and stared at it hesitantly. Ah yes, my old nemesis. Horrible tasting potions. We meet again. Liam thought as he uncorked the vial and drank it. He grimaced as the horrible taste made him gag. He really needed to make a better tasting Stamina Potion. The aching and soreness in his body slowly disappeared as his stamina shot up to thirty five. As he stood back up, he questioned, ¡°What do you mean wasteful movements? Wasn¡¯t that the right way to do that?¡± ¡°It was¡­an interesting way ta approach it,¡± Fia shrugged. ¡°With practice, ya will learn the correct way to do it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the correct way to do it?¡± Liam asked, curious where he went wrong. ¡°There were a few parts ya could improve. One part was where ya mana got ta the bowl. Yer supposed to condense it down inta the bowl. Pushin it through the sludge,¡± Fia informed. ¡°Although, tipping the bowl over ta allow it to enter through the holes was an interestin way. It worked, so great job on that.¡± She looked like she was staring at a notification or screen as her eyes looked distant. With a frown she looked back at Liam and announced, ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s not much time ta learn the bone craft today. We¡¯ll pick up again tomorrow.¡± Liam looked at his internal clock. It read 7:45 am. ¡°Out of curiosity,¡± Fia started with interest. ¡°What made ya want to ask bout Bone Crafting?¡± Liam looked at her. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should say the exact reason why. He remember Galin¡¯s reaction and warning about not showing certain items. However, he felt like he could trust Fia. Sure, she was strict, but she also looked out for him and helped him when she didn¡¯t need to. He nodded after internally agreeing to the gamble and said, ¡°I came across some bones that I thought would be good to use to make throwing daggers. I figured they would be good to coat with poisons.¡± Fia nodded, agreeing with his assessment. ¡°Bones are more durable than regular ore when it comes to holding poisons. They don¡¯t corrode like an iron weapon would. What bones made you think about it?¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Liam said as he walked over to the open doors. As he closed them, Fia gave him a look mixed of worry and curiosity. ¡°Why do ya need to close the doors? Is it something ya don¡¯t want others ta see?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liam said with a bit of seriousness. ¡°Galin had told me not to show anyone this, but I trust you.¡± Liam¡¯s serious tone took Fia back a bit. Her body tensed at what he said. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, ¡°What do ya mean?¡± Liam approached the table and asked, ¡°Can I trust you?¡± Fia stared at him. ¡°It depends on with what. If ya killed a person from this place and want to use their bones I will refuse.¡± Liam shook his head. Hearing her say that though confirmed that murder can happen here. He replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not that then ya can trust me,¡± Fia stated as she watched Liam carefully. Keeping a calm yet serious look on his face, Liam reached into his inventory and pulled out a Black Widow Matriarch clawed leg. Confusion filled Fia¡¯s eyes as she assessed the smooth pitch black leg set down before her. After reading the name and the description her eyes widened. Without prompting, she turned and rushed to the door. Liam¡¯s heart dropped as he watched his mentor make her way to the door. He then was taken aback as she locked the doors from the inside. Confused by her actions, he was about to say something until she walked swiftly back to the table. With a harsh and fierce tone of voice she questioned, ¡°Where in Latamyr¡¯s name did ya get this?¡± Liam was about to reply, but was cut off as Fia added, ¡°And don¡¯t try lying ta me boy.¡± Liam felt rage emanating from Fia. He also noticed a hint of worry and concern lightly mixed in it. ¡°I got it from a monster I fought and killed on the third floor of my dungeon run,¡± Liam answered truthfully. ¡°Who else knows this?¡± Fia inquired, keeping the same tone of voice while not taking her eyes off of him. ¡°My team, Galin, and Alicia,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Can ya trust them?¡± Fia asked. ¡°Galin, I know ya can, but what of the others?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I can.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Fia replied. ¡°What did Galin say ta ya?¡± ¡°Not to show anyone,¡± Liam started to say. ¡°Then why did ya bloody show me?¡± Fia asked, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Beside the fact that I trust you,¡± Liam started again. ¡°I want to turn them into throwing daggers I can use during my fights in the last few floors.¡± Liam studied Fia¡¯s body language. From what he was seeing, he knew she had an idea what was going on. He decided to ask the question that was bugging him. ¡°You know something don¡¯t you? Please, tell me why I have to be secretive about these items,¡± Liam pleaded. Fia hesitated. She asked, ¡°Did Galin tell you anything?¡± ¡°No. He just asked if I had gotten certain material, but besides that he wouldn¡¯t tell me,¡± Liam answered. ¡°A certain material?¡± Fia repeated. She then shook her head before muttering, ¡°No, its best I don¡¯t know. Now I understand why yer so fixated on wantin ta know what the real purpose of the Tutorial.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what it is, but I have had some questions bout the type of dungeon paths yer experiencing now,¡± Fia started as she ran a hand through her hair. She let out a breath of air, frustrated by all this. ¡°What do you mean type of dungeon path?¡± Liam asked. ¡°There are normal paths in dungeons. Normal paths are just like they sound. Nothing strange bout them. Regular monsters for the type of dungeon,¡± Fia explained. ¡°Then there are irregular paths. Different monsters appear, but the path is the same as the normal path.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Liam nodded as he understood what she was saying. ¡°Tell me,¡± Fia started. ¡°Have ya compared your path to others who are tackling the same dungeon?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Are they the same?¡± Fia inquired. ¡°Comparing to the ones who were willing to answer, no,¡± Liam answered. ¡°I was afraid ya would say that,¡± Fia said with frustrated sigh. ¡°The last type of path in a dungeon is not a well-known one. They rarely appear. We call them the forbidden path.¡± ¡°Forbidden path?¡± Liam repeated with some confusion. ¡°Why are they called that?¡± ¡°They veer off the normal path and lead you somewhere else,¡± Fia began to explain. ¡°Not only that, but the monsters are those who would never appear in that level or environment. They are also extremely powerful.¡± Liam thought about the monsters he and his team had already come across. What she was saying checked out. ¡°Okay, but why are they called Forbidden Paths?¡± Liam tried again. ¡°We call them Forbidden Paths, because the difficulty against the monsters is so high that it feels that the dungeons themselves are trying to steer the team away. To what, no one knows. The only thing that awaits a team walked down a Forbidden Path is death,¡± Fia answered as she stared at Liam. Worry started to replace her frustration. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Does that mean we can die? But I thought that the Tutorial Dungeons prevent us from dying?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if ya can while in the Tutorial Dungeon. I have never heard of a case happening here before,¡± Fia replied. Liam thought about all that Fia had said. He had mixed emotions. He was happy he finally got some sort of information about why the monsters were the way they were. However, at the same time he was concerned about the possibility he and his team could die. As he let his thoughts run over the information, he came across a question. He looked at Fia and asked, ¡°How do you know about Forbidden Paths if they are not well known?¡± Fia tensed at the question. A look of sadness washed over her eyes as she looked down. She then looked back at Liam and said with a soft voice, ¡°My sister. Her team found one while taking on a Black Dungeon. Only two of her teammates got out alive.¡± ¡°Two of her teammates?¡± Liam repeated. ¡°They were a guy named Steve and her lover¡­Galin,¡± Fia responded. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. He knew that Galin knew her sister, but to find out that he was her lover! No wonder Galin held Fia with much respect. As much as it was a surprise finding out the information about Galin, he felt a cold sweat run down his spine on hearing Steve¡¯s name. Fia noticed Liam¡¯s reaction and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That guy Steve,¡± Liam started. ¡°Tall, slim fellow with hazel eyes and combed oily black hair? Works at the Mage Tower?¡± Fia furrowed her brows. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one. Have ya met him?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No, but one of my teammates ran into him. Apparently, he¡¯s been asking questions about me.¡± Fia frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know much bout the guy, but he¡¯s stepping over the line if he¡¯s going around asking questions. You should avoid him for the time being.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I plan to.¡± Fia looked back at the material that laid before her. She then nodded after deliberating something over and then pointed at the legs. ¡°Alright, leave this with me. I¡¯ll craft these inta throwing daggers for ya.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Fia nodded. With finality in her voice she stated, ¡°As yer mentor it is my job ta make sure ya learn what ya can and grow. How can ya do that with the possibility of death looming over ya?¡± ¡°So, you think there is a chance?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. There is always a chance boy,¡± Fia scolded. ¡°Yer my student and I want ya to come back in one piece no matter what. So, I¡¯ll make sure ya can go in with the best ya can get for now. Do ya have anymore?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liam answered with a small smile at the side of his lips. He then pulled out the rest of the Black Widow Matriarch legs he had on him. ¡°Good,¡± Fia stated as she looked at the pile. ¡°It¡¯ll take a couple of days to get them done. I don¡¯t want any of the regulars seeing what I¡¯m doin so that¡¯s why it¡¯ll take some time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. My team and I weren¡¯t planning to take on the fourth floor for a couple of days anyways,¡± Liam informed. ¡°The fourth floor ya say?¡± Fia repeated. ¡°Yeah, I heard something interesting happens there,¡± Liam said. ¡°Something does,¡± Fia smirked. ¡°Something magical does, but that just means I¡¯ll need ta make sure these get done before ya go there even more now.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said with an appreciative nod. ¡°If ya truly want ta thank me then survive,¡± Fia said with a stern look that quickly softened. ¡°Keep comin back so ya can learn more.¡± Liam smiled as he replied, ¡°You got it.¡± Loud sounds of pounding suddenly echoed throughout the smithy. This made Liam and Fia jump and turn towards the locked door. ¡°Fia!¡± a gruff voice called out. ¡°You in there?¡± ¡°Yeah! Be there in a moment!¡± Fia responded. She then said to Liam as she placed the materials in front of her into her inventory, ¡°Put that Iron Bone Ingot away. I¡¯ll teach ya how ta craft that tomorrow. For now, go take a bath and enjoy yer day. Ya deserve it after the work ya put in today.¡± ¡°You got it,¡± Liam said as he placed the material in his bag. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam walked down a street full of people. After he left the smithy, he made his way over to a Tailoring shop to see if there was someone who could mentor him in the craft. Unfortunately, the only Tailoring mentor in this Tutorial refused to teach him. The sassy, interestingly dressed, male informed him he had too many he was already teaching. Liam knew it was a bullshit excuse. It was probably because he smelled like the smithy. The man tried to hide the disgust in his eyes, but Liam saw it. Luckily the man had a knowledge theory book on the craft and sold him it, along with some starting equipment and supplies. For now, he¡¯d tackle this craft on his own. After he left the Tailoring store called Stitch by Stitch, he was contemplating on what he should do next. He had that fight coming up and needed to prepare. However, he wasn¡¯t sure what he could do. Should I work on my magic? Liam thought. I could probably get the Lightning Focus Point. It has some merit that I can utilize. He shook his head. As much as it would be helpful, he knew it wasn¡¯t enough. I¡¯ll get it later, but that¡¯s not what I need. Liam continued to think as he brought a hand to his chin. Right now, the only thing I can use besides my magic is my daggers¡­ Liam stopped as an idea formed in his mind. ¡°I can try and learn a Weapon Art,¡± Liam muttered under his breath. A smile formed on his face as he felt it was a good idea. He changed his direction as he made up his mind. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. With a Weapon Art, I¡¯ll be adding more fighting power to my list of skills.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Welcome to the Training Hall. How can I help you?¡± A familiar voice greeted as Liam approached the desk in the reception area. ¡°Hello,¡± Liam greeted back. ¡°I do apologize, but I don¡¯t think I ever got your name last time I was here.¡± The lady gave him a smile as she looked back at him with her green eyes. Her long blond hair swayed a bit as she let out a giggle. ¡°That is fine. My name is Menara. I do not hold it against you for not asking it last time we met; since it was your first day here.¡± Liam thought back. The days have gone by quickly since he came to this world. Over two weeks has already passed. ¡°It is nice to formally meet you Menara. I am Liam,¡± Liam stated as he returned her smile. ¡°I was wondering if you could help me. I want to learn Weapon Arts but wasn¡¯t sure how to go about it.¡± ¡°I believe I can help you,¡± Menara started. ¡°First, what weapon do you wish to learn Weapon Arts in?¡± ¡°Daggers,¡± Liam stated. He then added, not sure if it made a difference, ¡°Duel Daggers.¡± ¡°Alright. One moment please,¡± Menara replied as she looked through a binder. Liam watched her eyes flitter back and forth as she flipped through each page of the binder. ¡°Ah, here we go,¡± Menara started. ¡°We do have someone available.¡± She grimaced for a brief moment before correcting herself. Liam caught it and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You caught that did you?¡± Menara stated as she let out a short laugh. ¡°You must have good perception to be able to do that. The gentleman we have available is well trained in Duel Dagger Weapon Arts, but he¡¯s¡­¡± Liam stared at her waiting for her to finish. Menara let out a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s a bit of an oddball. Apparently, he lost a bet and had to come here to help with training.¡± ¡°An oddball?¡± Liam repeated. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s eccentric when he¡¯s motivated, but only if he finds something interesting. When he doesn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°When he doesn¡¯t, he¡¯s the most unmotivated person there is, right?¡± Liam finished for her. ¡°Yes,¡± Menara said with an apologetic look. Liam shook his head. ¡°And there¡¯s no one else?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± Menara answered. ¡°The others we have¡­basically picked who they want to train and refuse to train anymore.¡± Liam brought a hand to his chin. I don¡¯t think I have any choice in this matter. Sure, he might be unmotivated, but that could mean he might try to rush it. If he does that it could hinder me, or it could help me get through this faster. It¡¯s a gamble, but maybe¡­ As Liam let his hand drop, he stated with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll take him.¡± A bit surprised, Menara asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be a gamble if I can learn anything from him, but I¡¯m willing to take the chance.¡± Menara eyed Liam. After a moment passed, she said, ¡°Ok. Go ahead and go to the sparring area and I¡¯ll have him meet you there.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said before turning around and making his way to the training grounds. As he walked outside, he noticed the Training Hall wasn¡¯t as full as it normally was. I wonder if everyone decided to go to the Dungeon today. Liam thought as he found an open spot. After he arrived to claim it, he started to stretch. He brought one arm across his chest as he put the other at a ninety degree angle and held it. He counted to ten then switched. After counting to ten once more he grabbed his right ankle up and did the same. As he stretched his mind began to wander. I wonder what she meant by losing a bet and having to come here. Liam thought. Is it so bad that people hate coming here? Liam remembered his first encounter with Galin. He was grumbling about how annoying it was to come. Liam let out a small chuckle as the image of how excited Galin was when someone found an interest in learning Alchemy. Maybe that¡¯s how it will be with this guy? Liam shook his head. No, Menara said that there were others being taught the same thing. I wonder what it is then. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one that wants to learn the Dagger Weapon Arts?¡± a dissatisfied voice said. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get this over with then.¡± Tutorial 42 - Taking a gamble Liam turned around and was a bit shocked at what he found. It was a middle aged man who stood a little taller than Liam. He wore light clothing, a tank top, shorts, and knee high white socks that showed off his tanned slim well-toned physique. He had a well-groomed dark beard that reminded him of when the actor Robert Downy Junior played Tony Stark. He had a short black side-swept hairstyle, and baby blue eyes. However, what caught Liam off guard were the symbols under each eye. Under his right eye was a black club. Under his left eye was a red heart. Remembering how rude it was to stare at someone, Liam took in the man¡¯s body language. Menara was right, this guy really looked unmotivated. In fact, he looked like he¡¯d rather be somewhere else. Looks like I¡¯m going to have to get him interested in teaching me. Liam thought as he frowned. ¡°My name is Nabal,¡± the man stated with listless tone. Liam was about to respond to the greeting with his own, until Nabal raised a hand up and announced, ¡°I do not care what your name is. Our time will be short.¡± Feeling annoyed, Liam stated, ¡°I don¡¯t know what your problem is, but I¡¯m here to learn.¡± Nabal rolled his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what they all say at first, but then they switched to other weapons after learning one thing.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not like them,¡± Liam replied. Liam cringed after he said that typical line. ¡°Really?¡± Nabal questioned with a brow raised. ¡°Yeah, I guess I could have worded that different,¡± Liam winced. Nabal stared at him. He looked like he was thinking something over. After coming to terms with whatever he was thinking he pronounced, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what.¡± Two wooden daggers suddenly appeared in his hands. ¡°If you can dodge, avoid, or block one of five of my attacks. I¡¯ll get serious and teach you anything you want to know.¡± ¡°And if I can¡¯t, I assume I lose any chance of learning any Dagger Weapon Arts?¡± Liam asked. Nabal gave the most spiritless smile he had ever seen. ¡°You catch on quickly.¡± Liam watched Nabal reach his right arm out in a stretch. His hand opened, allowing the dagger to fall from his hand. The next thing Liam knew, Nabal appeared behind him with his other dagger across his throat. With an unmotivated tone of voice, the man said, ¡°That¡¯s one.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t see the man move. His eyes couldn¡¯t follow Nabal¡¯s movement at all. He was fast. Too fast. I think mistakes were made. Liam internally panicked. If I can¡¯t follow his movements how the hell am I supposed to dodge or block his attacks? Nabal slowly walked back in front of Liam and made his way to his fallen dagger. Liam watched as Nabal reached for the dagger. Once when he grabbed it, he flung his arm perfectly at Liam. Liam instinctually took a step out of the way, but stopped as Nabal once again appeared behind Liam with the thrown dagger in his free hand and pressing against his neck. ¡°What the fu¡­,¡± Liam subconsciously blurted. ¡°That¡¯s two,¡± Nabal taunted. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you taken your daggers out? Are you not taking this seriously?¡± Scowling, Liam pulled his daggers out. Nabal stared at the curved daggers and gave a puzzling look while walking back in front of Liam. Liam noticed a hint of curiosity in Nabal¡¯s eyes before he turned them back on Liam. Seems like I have caught his attention with something. Liam smirked. He then shook his head and thought, Wait no! I need to focus. Nabal saw Liam was caught up in some thought and let out a disappointed sigh. He was using the most basic Dagger Weapon Art he learned from his starting days, Back Stab. Even though it was the most basic it was also one any dual dagger wielder needed to train. It was a Duel Dagger Weapon Art that was versatile enough to be an opener in a battle or combination chain. It could also be the finisher of any fight too. He was disappointed by this newest trainee for a few reasons. One, he didn¡¯t look like daggers really suited him. The way he held the weapons were unfamiliar to him and made him look like an amateur. Two, he was slow to react. Three, he fell for the most obvious distractions. However, what disappointed Nabal the most, even though his skills and sub-stat levels were much higher than Liam¡¯s, he was holding back a considerable amount. A small part of him was hoping this young man would stir some inspiration within him and be skilled enough to at least dodge. Blocking the attack was out of the question due to the gap in sub-stats, but he still gave him the option. He took this moment to attack once more. Liam felt something in the back of his mind start to tingle. He quickly looked at where Nabal was and watched him suddenly disappear. After appearing behind Liam once again, Nabal stated, ¡°That¡¯s three.¡± Damn it! I can¡¯t get distracted or else he¡¯ll¡­. Liam thought before an idea popped up. I have been focusing on the weapon that he drops thinking he¡¯s going to use it. If that¡¯s just a distraction, then maybe I can use that to my advantage. Liam gritted his teeth. First, I should try and focus on his movements. Even if there is anything insignificant, I need to notice it. After all, miniscule bad habits are telling signs for any type of attack. Liam focused and studied Nabal¡¯s body after the man got into position. Nabal stared at Liam as he stood with a relaxed posture. He then thought to himself, It looks like he might have picked up on something¡­ He shook his head. But it¡¯s too late. He overlapped his arms over each other in a parallel. He then slowly moved his right arm out. Liam watched the arm but still searched other parts of the man¡¯s body through his peripheral. Nothing seemed out of place. No slight movements or signs of bad habits. As Nabal¡¯s right arm reached out, a slight tingling sensation started to buzz a bit in the back of Liam¡¯s head. Liam brought his eyes back to the rest of Nabal¡¯s body one last time before he suddenly disappeared. Nabal then stated as his dagger reappeared across Liam¡¯s neck, ¡°That¡¯s four. This is your last shot.¡± Liam ignored the man¡¯s words as a smile formed on his face. I got it. He thought. It was hard to spot, but I found the telling. Nabal got into place once more in front of Liam. He let out a sigh and stated, ¡°I can tell you may have figured something out. That smile you have plastered on your face is giving it away.¡± Liam was shocked by his words. It didn¡¯t, however, make the smile go away. ¡°You have no hope of winning this bet so please do not get upset when you lose,¡± Nabal finished. ¡°That¡¯s mighty confident of you to assume you¡¯ll win this,¡± Liam stated with the grin still growing on his face. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to persuade me into giving up then I will say I will not. If I lose, I lose. That¡¯s just how things go. However, we will not know how it will go until the end happens.¡± Nabal raised an eyebrow. This was different. The ones he tested before would always fall into a bout of anger or frustration. Curious, he asked, ¡°The gap in levels in our sub-stats is wide. Aren¡¯t you frustrated with this impossible bet?¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m frustrated by the difference in our skills. There¡¯s no doubt about it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Then why are you grinning like an idiot?¡± Nabal asked. ¡°I can¡¯t help it,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I always grin when I am faced with a challenge. I can¡¯t explain why, it¡¯s just¡­a habit.¡± ¡°A habit?¡± Nabal questioned. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a habit then. Oh well, let¡¯s get this over with then.¡± Liam took a defensive stance as he repositioned his daggers into different grips. The one in his right hand was set in a regular grip with the curve of the dagger facing Nabal. The one in his left hand was in a reverse grip with the curve of the dagger pointing away. Nabal overlapped his arms over each other in parallel once more. He then slowly moved his right arm out. Liam memorized his movements and watched the arm but kept a certain part of Nabal¡¯s body in his peripheral. As Nabal¡¯s right arm reached out, that slight tingling sensation buzzed again in the back of Liam¡¯s head. Here it comes. Liam thought as he tensed up. I have to time this right, or I¡¯m screwed. The sensation suddenly blared as he saw, what Liam believed was, the bad habit Nabal had when attacking. As Nabal released the dagger in his right hand, his body disappeared. As quickly as he could, Liam brought the dagger in his right hand up. As soon as he got it in place, Nabal¡¯s dagger collided with it. Liam felt the force of the collision and almost lost control as his opponent¡¯s weapon almost slid across his neck. ¡°What the¡­¡± Nabal suddenly said with a wide eyed expression. Did he really just block this attack? Nabal thought. But how? How did he manage to get the timing right to block it? There¡¯s no way he could have done that! This is impossible! As his mind whirled with plausible arguments, he noticed something else that made his blood start to pump with excitement. This youngster had not only blocked the attack, but he also had a counter ready to go. An excited smile slowly started to form as he started the dagger in Liam¡¯s left hand that was pressed against his lower side. This guy, in the heat of the moment, did something that wasn¡¯t in my calculations. He learned Counter Stab! Liam turned around and took a step back. That shit eating grin he had on just moments ago returned as he asked, ¡°So this means I won right?¡± Nabal stared at him. His questions started whirling again. After going over everything, he nodded and said, ¡°Yes. You won. But I have to ask¡­how did you get the timing right? What gave me away?¡± The grin Liam had slowly disappeared as he went over everything in his head. After organizing everything he said, ¡°You grip your left hand tighter than your right hand when you¡¯re about to strike.¡± Flabbergasted by the response, Nabal said, ¡°What? How did you see that each time I attacked? It didn¡¯t look like you were studying my movements each time.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t each time,¡± Liam flatly said. ¡°I noticed it on the fourth strike. It was gamble to trust my gut on that, but it felt right. That, and a tingling sensation started to buzz in the back of my head right before you disappeared.¡± Nabal¡¯s jaw dropped. This guy really left it all up to chance? He thought. ¡°You are crazy to leave it all to a gamble¡­¡± Nabal then caught what else he said. He then asked, ¡°A tingling sensation? What level is your reflex sub-stat at?¡± ¡°It¡¯s at¡­,¡± Liam started to say until a few chimes echoed in his mind. A smile formed again as he read the notifications that popped up.
¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 12! Progression to Level 13: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex has reached level 13! Progression to Level 14: 0%.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Luck Sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 11! Progression to Level 12: 0%.¡±
As he closed the messages he answered, ¡°It just leveled to 13.¡± Nabal gave Liam a look of respect after hearing that. He then explained, ¡°That sensation you felt has to do with the danger sense your body is starting to create within it. When you level it up higher it will help warn you about incoming lethal attacks before they connect.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liam said with a look of disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s something that sounds like everyone should have. That essentially mean I can look out for sneak attacks.¡± ¡°To point yes,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°What do you mean?¡¯ Liam asked, a bit confused. ¡°Like many things,¡± Nabal started. ¡°It works better on opponents and monsters who are weaker or similar in stats. Your reflexes can only cover you so much. You¡¯ll have to hone and work on them to be able to catch those who have better skills and higher levels than you.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Liam replied, starting to understand. ¡°The whole checks and balances thing.¡± ¡°What?¡± Nabal asked, this time sounding a bit confused. ¡°Never mind,¡± Liam said as he waved his hand in front of his face. ¡°Ok,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°Having said what I did, it begs to question how you were able to feel that sense when my skill and levels are higher than yours.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Liam asked. ¡°The Dagger Weapon Art I used on you was a very common and basic skill called Back Stab. Even though it is a basic one I have leveled it pretty high,¡± Nabal explained. ¡°I held back and went as slowly as I could, but once when a Weapon Art is activated it works automatically. My Agility, Fine Motor, Reflexes, and Speed are all taken into account when using my Dagger Weapon Arts. They are fundamentally the core when using them for this weapon.¡± ¡°So, Dagger Weapon Arts rely on the Dexterity Sub-stats?¡± Liam inquired. Nabal nodded. ¡°Since my Dexterity sub-stats are substantially higher than yours, I have to ask again¡­How did you manage to pull that off?¡± Liam stared at him. He then looked at the ground and brought a hand to his chin. What he says makes a lot of sense. Liam began to think. My Dex sub-stats are lower than his. If the Weapon Arts are automatic does it mean that they are flawless in their execution? Liam shook his head at the thought. The idea didn¡¯t sit right. Nothing in any world was flawless. Not skills, ideas, theories, or anything. There is always holes, slip ups, or even misconceptions. He remembered what sub-stats leveled after pulling it off. His jaw opened a but as he felt he came up with the answer. ¡°Luck,¡± Liam mumbled. ¡°What?¡± Nabal asked. ¡°I think it was my Lucky Break sub-stat,¡± Liam answered as he looked back at him. ¡°It was one of the sub-stats that leveled after I pulled that move off.¡± Nabal stared at him with disbelief. He was shocked that he didn¡¯t consider that sub-stat. Not many people knew how the Luck stats worked. And those that did never shared. If I consider what he said it makes sense. To be able to pull that off against a higher level opponent would take luck. Not wanting to push his luck, Liam waited patiently. After watching Nabal think over whatever he was thinking for a couple of minutes he decided to ask, ¡°So, getting back to the topic at hand¡­Since I won are you going to teach me Weapon Arts for Dual Daggers?¡± Nabal looked at him and studied him a bit. Liam felt his gaze upon him and shrunk internally a bit. Crap. I was told he wouldn¡¯t teach me if he wasn¡¯t interested, and I thought that I got his attention by winning this bet. Is he the type to go back on his word? ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll teach you,¡± Nabal slowly said. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll teach you more since you acquired a Weapon Art already.¡± Confused by what Nabal said, Liam asked, ¡°What do you mean by acquired a Weapon Art already?¡± ¡°That move you pulled at the end is a Dual Dagger Weapon Art called Counter Stab,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°You should have received the skill since you were able to use the move.¡± Liam stared at him. He blinked once. Twice. A third time. After the fourth he thought about if he had received a notification stated he had received a Weapon Art. His memory could not recall one ever popping up. ¡°No¡­,¡± he said slowly, hoping the worst wasn¡¯t going to happen. ¡°A notification never appeared.¡± Nabal frowned. ¡°That¡¯s strange. That¡¯s how it works. If you¡¯re at the appropriate level of weapon skill, then when you are able to first land the Weapon Art, you should receive it as a skill.¡± Liam closed his eyes and swore internally. God fucking damn it! As he opened his eyes again, he said with an irritated tone, ¡°I think I know why I didn¡¯t receive it.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Nabal asked, curious as to why. ¡°Why is that?¡± Liam was unsure what he could or should say. He knew that what was going on with the issues of the foreign obstructions were affecting certain things he could and could not get. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if he should divulge that information. Not only that but if he said he couldn¡¯t get any then this training was both pointless and he would lose Nabal¡¯s interest in teaching. Maybe it was just a fluke, and I didn¡¯t receive it because I didn¡¯t truly use the skill properly? Liam internally argued. Even after thinking that his gut told him that it wasn¡¯t true. He didn¡¯t know why but after Nabal said what he did was a Weapon Art Liam knew it to be true. When he went through the motions it felt like something was guiding him to the right places. It¡¯s a gamble, but maybe he¡¯ll still help me with my handling of the daggers? Liam tried reasoning, grasping for some hope. Feeling a bit uncomfortable and irritated he said as calmly as he could, ¡°It¡¯s a personal issue, but let¡¯s just say that I think something is preventing me from receiving any Weapon Art skills.¡± Nabal¡¯s gaze fell upon Liam as he stared deeply at him with a frown. Feeling frustrated with himself, Liam waited for the bad news. After a minute of deliberation, Nabal stated, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the issue is, but you were clearly able to use the art.¡± ¡°But you said¡­,¡± Liam started to say until he saw a look of excitement grow on Nabal¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why it didn¡¯t show up for you,¡± Nabal started as he stared at Liam. ¡°But if it didn¡¯t show up as a skill and you were able to still use it like that, then that means the possibility of using Weapon Arts not as a skill, but with pure reflex and muscle memory might be possible.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the pronouncement. ¡°I¡­Is that possible?¡± Liam asked with a bit of hope in his tone. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nabal replied as he frowned thinking about it. ¡°No one that I know has ever tried it. To others the idea might be ludicrous. Why use Weapon Arts as a pure reflex instead of a skill? The amount of time and work you¡¯d have to put into it is astronomical.¡± Nabal grew excited as a maniacal smile grew back thinking about it. ¡°This might be the key to truly master of the Weapon Arts.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Liam asked, confused by what he was saying. ¡°Weapon Arts have both pros and cons to them,¡± Nabal started to explain. ¡°Like I said earlier, when you use it during a fight the movements become automatic. You don¡¯t have to worry about placement or anything. It just happens. That, in itself, is a pro because sometimes in the heat of battle your mind can be all over the place and you can¡¯t lose focus on what¡¯s in front of you.¡± Liam nodded to the logic. ¡°So, what¡¯s the con then?¡± ¡°The con is the fact that the movement of the skill is automatic,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°Once you use the skill you can¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes. So, I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how I can better master my Dual Dagger Weapon Art skills, but haven¡¯t come up with anything¡­,¡± Nabal said then grinned. ¡°Until now. I am going to use you as a guinea pig to test this theory out.¡± Liam involuntarily took a step back as he heard a low crazy laugh escape Nabal¡¯s mouth. I guess this is what Menara meant when she said once when he finds something interesting, he¡¯s a bit¡­eccentric. Liam thought. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m happy he¡¯s now motivated or scared that he¡¯s taken an interest. ¡°I suggest you empty your schedule for the next few hours,¡± Nabal suddenly announced as he brought Liam out of his thoughts. ¡°I am going to work you so hard that every bone in your body will reflexively flinch to anything.¡± On second thought. Liam thought as he gulped. I think mistakes were definitely made. Tutorial 43 - Learning to craft Poisons ¡°God damn I¡¯m so sore,¡± Liam complained as he opened the door to the Bubbling Potion. For the past few hours, he trained with Nabal on trying to memorize the movements needed to land the two Dagger Weapon Arts. Since he wasn¡¯t able to learn the Weapon Arts as actual skills, he needed to learn how to land them through reflex and muscle memory alone. Since he didn¡¯t have anyone to train these skills around his level on, he had to practice on Nabal himself. Even though it was Nabal¡¯s idea, he still wasn¡¯t going to allow any half-baked attempts. Any mistakes or obvious attempts Liam made, Nabal responded with a punch to his gut or a chop to his head. The hits Liam took weren¡¯t soft either. They hurt like crazy when he landed them. The crazy training wasn¡¯t all bad though. He was able to learn from his mistakes and landed some a small handful of times. Not only that, but some of his sub-stats leveled up a couple of times from the training. He looked over the sub-stats that grew and smiled.
¡°Body Attribute Constitution Sub-stat Resilience level 12! Progression to Level 13: 32%.¡± ¡°Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Agility level 14! Progression to Level 15: 42%.¡± ¡°Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor level 14! Progression to Level 15: 2%.¡± ¡°Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex level 15! Progression to Level 16: 0%.¡± ¡°Body Attribute Endurance Sub-stat Stamina Endurance level 12! Progression to Level 13: 92%.¡± ¡°Body Attribute Endurance Sub-stat Body Endurance level 12! Progression to Level 13: 12%.¡± ¡°Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Physical Practicality level 14! Progression to Level 15: 9%.¡± ¡°Spirit Attribute Luck Sub-stat Lucky Break level 13! Progression to Level 14: 0%.¡± ¡°Spirit Attribute Recovery Sub-stat HP Recovery level 10! Progression to Level 11: 40%.¡± ¡°Spirit Attribute Recovery Sub-stat Stamina Recovery level 13! Progression to Level 14: 0%.¡± ¡°Spirit Attribute Will Sub-stat Will Power level 13! Progression to Level 14: 0%.¡± ¡°Weapon Skills Dagger level 14! Progression to level 15: 9%.¡±
When Menara said he was a bit eccentric when he¡¯s motivated, I wasn¡¯t expecting that eccentric. Liam thought as he closed his character profile. Still though, that was very insightful. If I keep this up, then maybe I can master the arts. Maybe I can ask him next time if he knows any Throwing Weapon Arts. Liam shook his head before muttering as he opened the door to the lab, ¡°One thing at a time Liam.¡± As he closed the door behind him Galin popped his head up from writing something down on and said, ¡°Oh Liam. I didn¡¯t know you were going to be coming by tonight.¡± Liam gave Galin a wave as he stated, ¡°Alicia is supposed to help me with some Poison Crafting tonight.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Galin responded. ¡°It might be a good minute then. I think she went to take on the fourth Floor in her Dungeon today.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Liam replied with a raised brow. He remembered Phorge mentioning that something special happens on that floor. With a curious mind he asked, ¡°What¡¯s so special about that floor?¡± Galin looked back at him. ¡°You haven¡¯t attempted it yet?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°That would make sense since you haven¡¯t asked yet,¡± Galin said with a furrowed brow. ¡°Ask what?¡± Liam questioned, confused and curious. Galin waved his hand in the air. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say anything. Until you get through that floor, no one will tell you. A special kind of magic prevents anyone from saying anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s lame,¡± Liam frowned. After saying that, memories of his conversation with Fia earlier surfaced in his mind. He looked down at the floor as he thought, How should I approach this? Should I even ask him? What if he¡¯s friends with the guy? The last thought was a possibility, but Liam didn¡¯t feel like it was right. Well, there¡¯s only one way to find out. Liam thought. He went to say something but stopped as the door to the store swung open. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Alicia announced loudly with a wide grin on her face. ¡°Oh?¡± Galin expressed with a look of interest as he stared at Alicia. ¡°I see you managed to make it pass the fourth floor. Congratulations! Not only that but you¡­.and you¡¯re a¡­.¡± Liam¡¯s body froze as he stared at Alicia and Galin. He rubbed a finger in both of his ears and tried to listen again. Alicia spun around and was talking merrily with Galin, but some of their words were soundless. He tried to read their lips, but for some reason they were moving too fast for him to understand what they were saying. Alicia turned to look at him and saw the confused expression on him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Liam?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°Ah you must be experiencing the effects of Info Block,¡± Galin started. ¡°Info Block?¡± Alicia and Liam questioned as they turned to face him. ¡°Yes,¡± Galin continued. ¡°Remember when I said that I couldn¡¯t say anything and until you get through the fourth floor no one will tell you?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam replied. ¡°You said that a special kind of magic prevents anyone from saying anything.¡± ¡°Yes. That magic is a spell called Info Block.¡± Galin started to explain. ¡°It¡¯s a Divine spell that is placed on people to block their senses from hearing, reading, or seeing things that is designated.¡± Liam nodded at the explanation. ¡°That makes sense. That explains why I wasn¡¯t able to hear anything you guys were saying. Also, when I tried to read your lips it looked like you were in an Asian drama that was never properly fixed after making it English dubbed.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alicia asked as her eyes lit up. ¡°I love those dramas. The story lines were always so attention grabbing.¡± Liam let out a laugh. ¡°I can agree that some were, but I prefer animes with English subtitles. English actors¡¯ ad libs way too much in English dub shows.¡± Alicia let out a laugh too as she said, ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth. Sure, some worked out great, but most were just plain horrible.¡± Galin stared at them with a confused look. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Alicia and Liam looked at him. They forgot that not everyone came from their world and wouldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about. ¡°Something from our world, never mind it,¡± Liam stated with a playful grin. ¡°You guys came from the same world?¡± Galin asked. Alicia nodded as she said, ¡°Yeah we found out not too long ago.¡± ¡°That must be nice,¡± Galin stated, deciding not to push it any further. ¡°So, like I said earlier, if you want to know what we were talking about you¡¯ll have to take on the fourth floor to get the spell placed upon you lifted.¡± Liam frowned as a question popped in his head. ¡°Why have the spell placed on us in the first place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so you don¡¯t get overwhelmed with too much,¡± Galin responded. ¡°The amount of things you still don¡¯t know about this world is vast. So, in order to not lose track of things the spell is placed upon you so you can focus on the basics first and then focus on more later.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Alicia and Liam nodded at Galin¡¯s explanation. Liam frowned. ¡°I can understand it, but it still sucks.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Alicia started with a playful tone. ¡°Are you truly curious as to what we were talking about? So much so that you stared at my lips to try and understand?¡± Liam eyed her. ¡°If you put it like that, that just makes me sound like a creeper.¡± Alicia laughed again. ¡°Oh, you can be sometimes with the way you stared at things.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just rude,¡± Liam said with mock hurt. ¡°Putting that aside for now,¡± Alicia started. ¡°Are you ready to learn how to craft poisons?¡± Liam stared at her for a moment. He really wanted to know what they were talking about, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to get any answers. He nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, I am ready.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Alicia said as she started for the door that read Poison Room. ¡°Follow me and remember to put the proper equipment on.¡± Liam nodded as he followed her. ¡°Since we¡¯re going to be in a room full of poisonous air, we need to make sure that nothing harmful gets inside our airways,¡± Alicia started to explain as she handed him a pair of gloves. ¡°The room filters the poison in the air through a magical filter that is way too hard for me to explain. However, we are still going to need to protect ourselves.¡± When they approached the door Alicia grabbed two gas masks that were hanging next to it. The design reminded Liam of a tactical gas mask with two circular filtration sections were the mouth would be, clear eye pieces and straps to make it tightly fit against the front part of the face. After Liam grabbed it, he noticed two small holes on the back side of the circular filtration sections. They looked like you could place something in them, but he wasn¡¯t sure what would be placed there. ¡°What are these holes for?¡± Liam questioned as he pointed to them. ¡°Those holes are there for us to put these vials into them,¡± Alicia answered as she pulled out two vials of transparent blue liquid. ¡°This is a potion called Toxin Cleanse. This is to keep any poison that accidentally gets inside the mask cleansed and doesn¡¯t enter our system. It also keeps the air we breathe within the mask is fresh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Liam said as he grabbed the two vials from Alicia and inserted them into the holes. He then placed the mask on his face and felt how tight it was. It was a bit nerve wracking at how tight it felt and almost made him start to feel claustrophobic at first, but after breathing in a couple of times the Toxin Cleanse started to flow through making him feel like he wasn¡¯t wearing the mask at all. ¡°This potion is amazing,¡± Liam said sounding shocked. ¡°Right?¡± Alicia smiled through her mask. ¡°Now that were prepared let¡¯s go in.¡± Liam nodded as they entered through the open door. As they entered Liam noticed the difference from the lab they were in to the one they entered. If he could compare the two, the room they left felt like a modern chemistry lab while this one felt like an archaic witch¡¯s room. Several cauldrons were spaced out on different tables with books next to them. Against one wall sat containers with dried out herbs and plants on shelves. A small box filled with weirdly colored looking mushrooms and plants growing in soil sat on tables pushed up against another wall. There were familiar tools from the previous room that were also on tables. For example, there were cucurbits, but instead of them rounding down they pointed up. I wonder if that is to catch smoke or vapor? Liam thought as he grew curious. Alicia took them to an empty cauldron in the middle of the room. It was the size of a large cooking pot. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s start with some of the basics,¡± Alicia started as she turned to Liam. ¡°Poison Crafting, like magic, is vast and numerous. There are many different types made, produced, grown, etcetera. However, to best organize them, they are separated into three categories and three forms. The categories are Toxins, Nerve agents, and Chemical. The three forms are Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous.¡± Liam pulled out his notebook and started writing. ¡°I won¡¯t go into all of them today so I¡¯ll only focus on the one you will learn to make. Toxins,¡± Alicia continued. ¡°The Toxin category is broken down into types. They are Corrosive, Irritant, Neurotic, and Asphyxiate. Each type has different uses and has different forms.¡± Liam nodded as he continued to write. Alicia lifted her index finger. ¡°Corrosive is a type of poison which if in contact with skin, or ingested, will start to erode whatever biological structure it touches.¡± She lifted her middle finger. ¡°Irritant is a type of poison that can cause irritation, pain, or even vomiting. These type of poisons are used to distract enemies.¡± As her ring finger was raised, she added, ¡°Neurotic is a type of poison that targets and affects different parts of a target¡¯s central nervous system. They can be slow to affect an enemy but if left alone, the target will lose their ability to move or whatever the affect is meant to target.¡± ¡°The last one is Asphyxiate,¡± Alicia stated as her pinky lifted. ¡°Asphyxiate is a type of poison that interferes with oxygen intake. It is usually a colorless and odorless gas-like poison.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Liam stated as he caught up with what she said. ¡°So, which of the four toxins am I going to focus on first?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the easiest one out of the four, Corrosive,¡± Alicia replied. ¡°Now I want to get this cleared up before you go making any mistakes. Corrosive toxins are not, and I repeat, are not the same as corrosion chemicals.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Liam asked with a confused expression. ¡°What I mean is, don¡¯t go throwing a corrosive toxin against armor or architectural structs,¡± Alicia said with a straight face. ¡°The corrosive toxins are meant for skin and internal organs. In the Chemical Category you will learn how to make a corrosive acid.¡± Liam gave her a nod, but then noticed a slightly embarrassed look on Alicia¡¯s face. With a playful smile on his face he asked, ¡°Did you throw a corrosive toxin on someone¡¯s armor?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alicia quickly squeaked. She then coughed to correct the volume of her voice as she repeated, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you¡­,¡± Liam started to say. ¡°Moving on now,¡± Alicia interrupted, sounding a bit flustered. ¡°To make any type of poison you¡¯ll need knowledge.¡± She lifted up the book that was lying next to the cauldron. ¡°This book is comprised of recipes, plants, and animals. It talks about what each ingredient has to offer and their uses and how they correspond when mixed with other ingredients.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Liam said as he stared at the book. He went to reach for it, but Alicia pulled it away from his grasp. He gave her an irritated and confused look as he asked, ¡°What gives?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you read it for your first attempt,¡± Alicia started to explain. ¡°I want you to try this through my instructions only and watch the process happen.¡± Liam frowned, but accepted what she was saying. He liked the hands on trial and error approach better. ¡°Ok, so what do I need to do first?¡± ¡°Grab five empty small extract vials and five stems of Blister Hogweed,¡± Alicia explained. ¡°Get the extraction process going for those.¡± Liam nodded and did what he was told. He found the stems placed in a small container that was sitting on a shelf. The stem of a Blister Hogweed was almost the length of the vial. It was a light green in color and had several small white hairs covering the stem. After getting the stems in the vials and adding water to them, he corked the tops and let them sit. He then asked, ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Next grab seven stems of Stinger Nettle and do the extraction process with them as well.¡± Alicia stated. She then added as she watched Liam reach out for the item, ¡°Be careful when you grab it. The thorns are long and sharp enough to pierce through the gloves. And trust me you do not want to have that poke you.¡± Liam retracted his hand after hearing what she said. After looking at the material he noticed the curved thorn that resembled a bee or a wasp¡¯s stinger. ¡°Thanks for the warning,¡± Liam called out as he carefully pulled out seven of the Stinger Nettle stems one at a time. He studied the items as they went through the extraction process. Unlike how the extractions went when making health potions these ones came out different. The Weak Shallow Bell and Weak Minty Shallow Bell extract came out a solid color. The Blister Hogweed extract was a sickly green with light purple swirling around in the middle as the stems dissolved. The Stinger Nettle turned the liquid into a darker green with spots of dark purple floating throughout the vial. ¡°While those are extracting, go ahead and fill about a third of this cauldron with water,¡± Alicia instructed. ¡°After you do that grab ten vials of Weak Snake Venom.¡± ¡°Ten vials?¡± Liam repeated. Alicia nodded as she said, ¡°Yes, ten vials. It¡¯ll make sense when we start mixing everything.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said sounding a little skeptical. After he finished pouring in the water a chime echoed in his mind as notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have made Weak Blister Hogweed Extract!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have made Weak Stinger Nettle Extract!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Alchemy skill Extract has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Production Craft Alchemy has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 5%!¡±
Liam smiled as he looked at the Vial holder where the Extracts were standing. ¡°Looks like they are ready,¡± Liam said as he grabbed the holder and brought them over to the cauldron. ¡°Okay so this is where things get a bit tricky,¡± Alicia started as she looked at Liam. ¡°This isn¡¯t like making Weak Health Potions.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Well, if I were to differentiate the process of making Weak Health Potions and Poisons,¡± Alicia started to explain. ¡°Weak Health Potions is a hands off method and poisons are a more hands on method.¡± Liam raised an eyebrow at her as he still wasn¡¯t sure what she meant. ¡°What?¡± Alicia asked as she placed a hand on her hip. ¡°Still confused?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam said. ¡°Ok, how about this,¡± Alicia attempted once more. ¡°When you make a Weak Health Potion you basically make the extracts and then watch it distill afterwards, right?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°When you make any type of poisons there are more steps involved,¡± Alicia continued. ¡°You have to add each ingredient one at a time, stir them inside the cauldron while you do that and use mana channeling to slowly blend them together.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Liam said as he started to understand what she meant about the hands off and hands on method. ¡°You have to make sure the ingredients are blended together, or it will become immiscible like oil and water,¡± Alicia warned. ¡°And if that happens then the ingredients become useless, and you¡¯ll have to try again.¡± ¡°So, this is one of those things you can¡¯t learn until you have mana channeling?¡± Liam stated. ¡°No wonder you were adamant about me learning that ability.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Alicia smiled. ¡°Now, are you ready to try this out?¡± Liam grinned as excitement grew within in. This is a challenge I¡¯m ready to take on. Alicia handed him a wooden spoon and instructed, ¡°Now pour in two vials of Stinger Nettle Extract, two vials of Weak Snake Venom, and one vial of Blister Hogweed. After you pour the last of the vials channel your mana through the spoon and slowly stir.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said as he did as he was told. After he poured in the vials, he activated his Mana Sight and started channeling mana through the wooden spoon. He stared at the cauldron and noticed three different colors vibrate in the water. One was a sickly green. Liam recognized it as the Blister Hogweed extract. The second color was a darker green that looked like it was trying to overpower the sickly green color. This had to be the Stinger Nettle Extract. The last was a dark purple color. Compared to the other two colors, this one looked like it was a predator waiting for two of its prey to wear themselves down before striking. As his mana began to pour into the water, he felt something he hadn¡¯t when he used this method with the bone smelting. He felt the ingredients fight back against his mana like they were a living thing. ¡°What the¡­,¡± Liam said with surprise. ¡°You noticed, didn¡¯t you?¡± Alicia stated. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Potions are willing to work with you, while poisons are willing to fight back,¡± Alicia said. ¡°If you ease up at any moment or lower your guard they will overcome your mana and refuse to blend together.¡± Liam looked at her wide eyed. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is¡­its like a battle for control? My mana versus their will to not blend together?¡± Alicia nodded. ¡°Now¡­are you one to let these ingredients overpower you?¡± Liam felt excitement pulse through his veins. Fighting against ingredients? How absurd is that? I knew this was going to be a challenge, but God damn. This is going to be one hell of a fight. He gave Alicia a wild grin as he replied, ¡°No ingredients is going to get the best of me.¡± Tutorial 44 - Mana Vs. Poison Liam stared into the cauldron as he tried pushing his mana out from the wooden spoon. His eyes widened as he felt resistance. It felt like the liquid inside the pot refused to let him channel his mana into it. This both made him excited and worried. It made him excited because this was a challenge he didn¡¯t know he could get through alchemy. However, he was worried because he wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d be able to blend the liquids together if his mana kept getting rejected. He tried thinking things over on how he could overcome this problem. Should I force my mana in? He thought, but then shook his head at the idea. No. That would probably cause the contents to bubble up and spew out of the pot. If not that, then how can I do this? Liam continued to stare into the cauldron while stirring. As he stared into it, he noticed something. Each of the colors were separated into thirds. However, what really caught Liam¡¯s eye was that it looked like there was a pecking order for the poisons. The color of the Stinger Nettle looked like it was running away from the color of the Blister Hogweed, while not trying to get closer to the color of the Weak Snake Venom. Clear water could be seen between the Stinger Nettle and the Snake Venom. The Blister Hogweed was doing the same as it floated away from the Snake Venom. Are they¡­trying to devour each other? Liam thought as he continued to watch. Sure enough, when a small bit of the Snake Venom touched either the Blister Hogweed or Stinger Nettle, a small amount was sucked in to its liquid form. Interesting. Liam thought as he started to form an idea. If I can¡¯t channel my mana into all three at once, then maybe I should start with one and work from there? Alicia watched Liam struggle and grew a grin. She had to go through the same troubles when she first started. There was a trick she learned after a few failure attempts. She contemplated telling Liam what it was, but decided it was best for him to learn by failure. After coming to that conclusion, Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as she watched Liam do something she wasn¡¯t expecting. Liam waited for the moment the wooden spoon went over the Stronger Nettle extract section of the pot and matched the speed of the liquid moving. Once when he did this, he pushed his mana through. Distracted by the Blister Hogweed extract behind it and the Weak Snake Venom in front of it, the Stinger Nettle Extract was caught off guard as mana entered its domain in the cauldron. It wasn¡¯t able to put up a fight and was soon taken over. Liam smiled as he channeled more mana into the Stinger Nettle Extract. Once when he saw his mana blend with the extract he stopped stirring clockwise and reversed his movement right into the Blister Hogweed Extract. Shocked by this sudden surprise attack, the Blister Hogweed Extract tried to turn back, but stopped moving entirely as it felt the Weak Snake Venom touch the other end. Fighting a losing battle from both ends, the extract accepted its fate and blended into the mana channeled Stinger Nettle. The weak Snake Venom started to devour a small bit of the Blister Hogweed Extract but then felt the shift in the pot. The Extract it was trying to devour to empower itself had a foreign and dangerous feel spread about it. Once when a small portion of the blended Mana channeled Blister Hogweed and Stinger Nettle come into contact with the bit that was taken over, it cut that section off and started to swirl away from it. Alicia was amazed. Liam had figured the trick out. But how? Alicia thought as she watched the two extracts blend together into a sickly dark green color. The only way he¡¯d be able to do this is if¡­ Her eyes widened. Does he have Mana Sight and Mana Control? No. He¡¯d need to have practiced both of his Mana Channeling and Mana Sight enough to get them to level ten. Not even I have them that high. She brought herself out of her thoughts as she realized she needed to give him more directions. ¡°Add in two more vials of Weak Snake Venom.¡± Alicia instructed. ¡°It¡¯s going to get even trickier here on out. Once when the vials have emptied, add in one vial of Stinger Nettle Extract and Blister Hogweed.¡± Liam nodded as he did what he was told. ¡°You don¡¯t want to blend the Snake Venom into the blended Mana Channeled Extracts just yet. You want to keep empowering each group till the last minute so the properties of the two aren¡¯t wasted or overpowered by the other.¡± Alicia stated. After Liam poured the two vials of extracts, he noticed they didn¡¯t blend into the mana channeled extract right away. Instead, they tried to separate away from the group. While escaping, a small bit of the two were suddenly devoured by the Weak Snake Venom, making it grow a bit more. ¡°Try pouring the extracts over the blended extracts so that won¡¯t happen next time,¡± Alicia said. ¡°Got it,¡± Liam stated as he made the unblended extract blend into it the mana channeled extracts. He did this three more times until he couldn¡¯t see any of the clear water left in the cauldron. It was now a watered down mix of either Weak Snake Venom or blended Mana Channeled Extracts. Even though the water was mixed in, it felt like Liam was stirring a sludgy mix. He was about to ask why, but Alicia beat him to it. ¡°After mixing and blending your mana into the cauldron it¡¯ll thicken the content into it. The water you had in it was only there to make it easier to stir and channel your mana into it before getting to this point,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°Now you need to stop focusing on the mana channeled extracts and trying channeling your mana into the Snake Venom.¡± Liam looked at her confused. ¡°But won¡¯t that weaken the mana I channeled into the extract and allow them to separate?¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I said it gets trickier from here,¡± Alicia smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll need to do it quickly or it will fall apart fast.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Liam muttered as he waited for an opportune moments. After a few seconds passed he picked the spoon out from the cauldron and then plunged it into the Snake Venom section. Once when the spoon dove in, Liam channeled as much mana as he could into it. The resistance the Weak Snake Venom put up caught Liam off guard. He watched as the color of Weak Snake Venom latched onto the mana on the spoon. Liam felt nauseous as the poison did this. Panic started to slowly creep up inside him as the purple color slowly started to snake up the spoon. He wasn¡¯t sure why this was happening. Liam¡¯s thoughts started to swirl as he felt light headed. What the hell? Liam thought. How is this happening? What the hell is going on? Liam tried moving the spoon out, but was stopped as Alicia yelled, ¡°Do not take that spoon out! If you do, then the whole process will fall apart. Liam pushed the spoon back down and started stirring again. What the hell am I supposed to do then?! Is this how far I¡¯ll be able to go with this? If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Amongst the panic swirling inside Liam a new feeling rumbled deep within him. ¡°No!¡± Liam growled as he pushed his mana down hard into the spoon. This not only stopped the poison from snaking its way up the spoon but pushed it back down and enveloped the section of the cauldron. ¡°Good!¡± Alicia shouted. ¡°Now blend the two mana channeled sections together!¡± Liam stirred through the sludgy liquid as hard as he could. The three colors began to blend with each other evenly. After stirring for three minutes a chime echoed within Liam¡¯s mind while a notification appeared in front of his eyes.
¡°Congratulations! You have made Weak Corrosive Toxin!¡± ¡°Weak Corrosive Toxin Description: if this toxin comes into contact with any open wounds, a corrosive debuff will be applied on the area of contact. This will make the area of contact blister and slowly spread out, breaking down the cells of the skin. If ingested, internal organs touched by this toxin will start to break down, making it hard to breath and cause suffocation and disorientation. 5 HP per second will be lost for 1 minute. If Ingested suffocation and disorientation for 2 minutes.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Poison Crafting has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Sight has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Sight has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Sight has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-stat Crafter Endurance has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 25%! Stamina bar will drain 5% less when crafting!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-stat Ailment has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-stat Ailment has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 60%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance Venom has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance Venom has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 60%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Wisdom Sub-stat Crafting Practicality has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Wisdom Sub-stat Crafting Practicality has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Wisdom Sub-stat Crafting Practicality has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! + 5% increase to speed when crafting items equal to or less than current crafting level. +5% to making crafted item a higher quality.¡±
Liam closed the notification windows as the nauseating feeling he felt earlier hit his stomach again. He felt like he was going to throw up. He looked at the vials in the mask at the corner of his eye and noticed they were empty. Liam looked at Alicia and stated, ¡°I¡¯m going to step out. I think I¡¯ve got a Poison Debuff.¡± Alicia gave him a confused look until she saw the empty vials attached to the mask he wore. ¡°Ah, ok. This will be fine if we step out for a few.¡± Liam nodded as he walked out of the room. Galin turned to look at his two students walking out. With a curious look he asked, ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Well, actually,¡± Alicia replied as she took her mask off. ¡°I¡¯m actually kind of jealous he got it on the first try.¡± Galin¡¯s eyes rose. ¡°He did?¡± Liam gave him and Alicia a confused look. ¡°You guys are acting like I was going to fail.¡± ¡°Usually, people do fail on their first try,¡± Galin stated. ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for some people to not fail on their first try, but it¡¯s rare.¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± Alicia started. ¡°Do you have Mana Sight?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I got it when I received Mana Channeling.¡± Galin shook his head. ¡°Of course, you did.¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m definitely jealous,¡± Alicia frowned. ¡°It took me some time to get that ability.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Liam said a bit shocked. ¡°You¡¯ll probably get Mana Control soon too at this rate,¡± Alicia huffed. Piqued by hearing this Liam asked, ¡°What¡¯s Mana Control?¡± ¡°Mana Control allows a person to be able to have better control over their mana usage,¡± Alicia explained. ¡°When you channel Mana into an object or spell, you can use mana control to put in more or less the amount of mana into it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also a staple ability mage users need to be able to create new spells when they reach a higher level,¡± Galin added. ¡°Creating new spells or learning new spells which ever one chooses they will need Mana Control at a high level in order to pursue their desired path.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at hearing this. You can make new spells? Liam thought. That ability is a must have! I need to tell the others about this, they will definitely want to hear this! ¡°However!¡± Galin continued. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to use it to make new spells till you have a much higher understanding of Magic and you have progressed past the Branch stage of the Arcane.¡± ¡°Branch stage of the Arcane?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something you¡¯ll learn when you¡¯re ready, but it¡¯s after you have surpassed the Field of Study,¡± Galin stated. ¡°Now, enough about that. What did you have him create?¡± ¡°A Weak Corrosive Toxin,¡± Alicia answered. ¡°Nothing too tough. Just the basic.¡± ¡°Nothing too tough?¡± Liam countered. ¡°It felt like that Weak Snake Venom was trying to poison me through my mana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It did manage to do that,¡± Alicia said, remembering why they had left the room. She pulled out a small vial of diluted green liquid. ¡°Drink this. It¡¯ll take care of that,¡± Alicia stated as she handed the vial to Liam. Liam assessed the vial.
¡°Weak Poison Antidote. Item Quality: Weak. Item Rarity: Common. Description: Cleanses Weak Poison.¡±
Liam drank the contents and grimaced at the taste. He then looked at Alicia and asked, ¡°What did you mean by that?¡± ¡°That Toxin Cleanse ran out a lot quicker than I thought it would. Once when it did it allowed the Weak Snake Venom to apply the Poison Debuff through your mana. That¡¯s why you have to be careful when creating poisons.¡± ¡°Well damn,¡± Liam said with a shocked expression. ¡°Poison Crafting is no joke.¡± Alicia¡¯s expression grew stern as she stated, ¡°It¡¯s not. You have to make sure you have proper knowledge, preparations, and counter measures when making them.¡± Liam nodded, agreeing with her. He remembered someone who he used to know back on earth who was trained in poisons, and they said the same thing. ¡°That being said,¡± Alicia continued as she handed him a book. ¡°If you are going to continue making poisons then make sure you read this book.¡± Liam looked at it. The cover read Toxicology for Beginners. ¡°Also remember this,¡± Alicia added. ¡°When you coat your weapons with poisons, make sure the poison is not a higher Quality than the weapon.¡± ¡°What happens if you coat a weapon with a higher quality?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It will melt the weapon or corrode it depending on the poison,¡± Alicia stated. Liam grimaced at the thought of his weapons becoming useless from doing that. ¡°Dually noted,¡± Liam said writing it down in his notebook. ¡°Ok,¡± Alicia said. ¡°Let¡¯s get back in there and continue the lesson.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Liam jokingly said with a playful smile. Alicia frowned and countered, ¡°Call me ma¡¯am again and I¡¯ll make sure you stay poisoned next time.¡± Liam laughed in response. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam closed the book he was reading and set it down on his bed. A chime echoed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory - Toxicology has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 15%!¡±
Poisons are no joke. Liam thought as he looked at the closed book. There are so many different ones, whether they are crafted, picked, harvested, gas, liquid, or in a natural form. The effects they can causes can really do some damage in the right hands¡­or the wrong ones. Liam shook his head to get himself out of that line of thought. He had spent a few hours training his Poison Craft. He was able to get it to level five from all the Weak Corrosive Toxins and a new one called Weak Paralytic Toxin. The Weak Paralytic Toxin was a poison that causes a paralyzing affect around the area that was struck. It would last for thirty seconds, but it still did five damage per second. Not only did he learn how to make that and get his Poison Craft up, he was also able to get his Mana Sight and Mana Channeling to level ten. Liam felt he was on the cusp of learning something new but didn¡¯t know what it was nor how to get it. ¡°Only way to figure it out is by pushing forward,¡± Liam muttered. He looked at his internal clock and added, ¡°Speaking of pushing forward¡­That duel is today.¡± Liam let out a sigh as he thought how stupid he was to agree after he tried to avoid it. Jude really got under his skin, and he wasn¡¯t absolutely sure why. His goading Liam could have ignored, but he thought maybe it was how the man used his words. Liam shook his head. No that wasn¡¯t the case. Liam thought. Could it have been because Jude was from Earth like him? It was a possibility that Liam felt was somewhat right. If that¡¯s the case then why didn¡¯t Alicia, Octavius, or Olivia make him feel that way? Liam thought as he questioned it even more. He let out another sigh before grumbling, ¡°No point in fretting over it now. Just got to deal with it without attracting any more attention from that Steve guy.¡± That¡¯s another issue. Liam thought. What is the relationship between Steve and Jude? If they are working together then I¡¯m going to need to be even more cautious during this fight. Liam stood up and started to pull out everything he was going to use in the fight. ¡°I¡¯ve still got a few hours until the fight. I¡¯ll just make sure everything is in order and make strategies for any possible encounters.¡± Tutorial 45 - Absorb anything you see that boy do. Liam made his way through a crowd that had formed in the market street. The shouts of people trying to grab others¡¯ attention echoed all around him. Even though their voices were loud, Liam was lost in his thoughts. Everything is as good as it¡¯s going to get. Liam thought as he navigated through the crowd. I¡¯ve thought of as many strategies and countermeasures as I could. However, just like how life can be¡­Anything can happen. During the middle of Liam¡¯s thoughts, two people stood in his way causing him to walk right into them. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Liam began to say until he recognized who they were. He froze as he looked at Avery¡¯s and Blair¡¯s stern gazes. ¡°Dude, what the hell,¡± Avery chastised. ¡°I was calling out to you, but you ignored me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts right now and tuned everyone out,¡± Liam replied. He felt the heat from her sharp gaze baring down on him making him take an involuntary step back. Blair placed a hand on Avery¡¯s shoulder. Avery turned to look at her. ¡°You know how he can be when he gets lost in his head,¡± Blair stated. She then looked at Liam and eyed him for a moment. ¡°What were you thinking about? Is it another crafting experiment?¡± ¡°No, its¡­,¡± Liam stopped himself remembering he wasn¡¯t going to get them involved with his duel. ¡°It¡¯s something else.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Blair questioned with a brow raised. Liam felt uncomfortable as the two girls stared at him. When it looked like he wasn¡¯t going to say anything, Avery stated, ¡°I was calling out to you because we were going to meet the others for lunch and wanted to see if you wanted to join us.¡± Liam glanced at the internal clock and saw it was eleven a.m. He thought about it. He could grab something light to help settle his nerves. He mentally shook his head as he thought, No. that could be a bad idea. I don¡¯t want to throw up anything during the match. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I have a thing,¡± Liam replied. ¡°A thing?¡± Avery and Blair said. ¡°Yeah, a thing,¡± Liam repeated with a slight smile. ¡°Okay,¡± Blair started. Liam felt his shoulders relax for a brief moment before Blair added, ¡°Avery, go let the others know Liam and I will be late.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to join you to do this thing you have going on and then we¡¯ll go meet up with the others,¡± Blair answered. Liam¡¯s body tensed up as he tried to argue, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long this will take. So you really don¡¯t need to¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Blair said with a light smile. ¡°Eating some food is always better with someone else. Especially with a friend, right?¡± Liam¡¯s thoughts began to work on overdrive. What she said does make sense. He didn¡¯t want to say anything to them because he wasn¡¯t sure how it would go down. Especially if that Steve guy was there. He didn¡¯t want any attention to fall upon the team he had chosen to take the dungeon on with. Blair waited for an answer. After painfully deliberating it and feeling a bit guilty for not telling them what was going on, Liam decided to come clean. Liam¡¯s body posture changed a bit as he looked Blair right in the eyes. ¡°Alright, you can come.¡± Blair noticed the change in his body language. It wasn¡¯t a threatening posture, but rather a more apologetic mixed with a bit of determination. ¡°I knew something was off when you were acting weird, but now something is telling me you didn¡¯t want us to know what you were up to.¡± Liam gave her a soft smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t want you guys involved in case anything happened, but my mind changed when you mentioned us being friends.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Avery asked. Liam turned his eyes towards Avery, whose brow rose as she recognized his stern expression. ¡°Instead of telling the others that we¡¯ll meet them later, just have them meet up with us.¡± ¡°Meet up where?¡± Avery asked, curious to know what was going on. ¡°At the Arena,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I have a duel with Jude at noon.¡± Blair¡¯s face scrunched up as confusion set in. ¡°Why would you think something¡­,¡± Avery started to say until she remember a key detail about the guy. Before Avery could say anything, Blair voiced the thought that formed in both their minds. ¡°Steve¡­right?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he asked about me and I don¡¯t know the relation between him and Jude. All I know is that Jude is from Earth, my old world.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Avery asked. Liam gave her a weary smile. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you guys about it some time.¡± ¡°Will you?¡± Blair inquired as she stared at him. ¡°Maybe,¡± Liam let out a small quick chuckle. ¡°For now, let¡¯s get this thing done with and then we can go have lunch,¡± Liam said as he started to make his way to the arena. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A small gathering of people sat in the chairs surrounding the arena. Chatter from people echoed around the ring as more people slowly walked over to watch the duel that was going to happen. Liam stood stretching while facing the outside of the arena where his teammates sat. ¡°You got this Liam,¡± Artem stated. ¡°Of course he does,¡± Roman chimed in as he gave Mercer a smug look. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You¡¯re going to wear the Throwing Dagger Vest?¡± Ariyana questioned as she looked around. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°It¡¯s an Uncommon Rarity item, so it should be fine. It¡¯s only the rare items we can¡¯t go around showing off.¡± Ariyana nodded at the logic. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Liam looked at Mercer who was giving him a slightly disappointed look. Avery and Blair stood beside him with the same expression. Liam was about to say something, but Mercer held a hand up and stated, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it right now. I can understand why you did it, but just focus on the fight for now. You can¡¯t afford to be distracted.¡± Mercer pointed at something behind Liam. Liam turned to see Jude walking into the arena. He wore a chain vest underneath a dark leather chest piece that only covered his chest and shoulders. A pair of dark red pants covered his lower half with iron shin guards and dark red leather boots on his feet. The whole armor set really showed how toned and in shape he was. His short blond hair made his jaded green eyes look even more menacing as he gave Liam a wicked smile. ¡°I will say this,¡± Jude started. ¡°I was a bit worried you¡¯d try and skip out on this duel.¡± ¡°Why did you think that?¡± Liam asked with an even look, trying to keep his emotions in check. ¡°You were adamantly against it at first. Usually many would say yes then not show up,¡± Jude replied. ¡°Oh? Have you fought any others from Earth here?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I have and won each fight.¡± Jude grinned. ¡°Each one I fought weren¡¯t worth it though. There was maybe¡­,¡± Jude stopped to think. ¡°I think two out of the several that were, but they still lost to me in the end.¡± Internally Liam was shocked to hear that there were more people from Earth here. He hadn¡¯t come across them besides Alicia and her two companions. Just how many are there here from Earth? He thought. ¡°Enough of this chatter though,¡± Jude announced, taking Liam out of his thoughts. He pulled out two short swords and pointed them at Liam, pronouncing, ¡°It¡¯s time I add another win under my belt. You better not hold back on me.¡± Many of the people in the crowd let out a roar of cheers after hearing the words. Liam pulled out his two curved daggers and took a defensive stance he had learned from Nabal the day before. This is going to be a pain. Liam thought as he got ready. ¡°Are you ready?!¡± a voice called out. Jude and Liam both nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. Fight!¡± Jude rushed in towards Liam. As he got within striking distance, Jude lunged forward with his left sword. Liam parried it inside and away from his face. Jude followed the momentum and spun, swinging with his right sword horizontally towards Liam¡¯s neck. Liam bent his knees down enough to dodge the swing and sheathed his two daggers away. As the sword swung above his head, he pushed himself into a back handspring to gain a bit of distance from Jude. As pushed off his hands to land back on his feet, Liam threw his two daggers at Jude. Jude swung his left sword to deflect one of the daggers, then blocked the last dagger with his right sword. ¡°Interesting,¡± Jude commented. ¡°Is your strategy to run away?¡± Liam pulled two daggers from the sheathes on his hips. ¡°If that¡¯s what you think I¡¯m doing then that¡¯s fine,¡± Liam stated as he watched Jude¡¯s body carefully. Jude let out a small laugh. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Jude started. ¡°You can¡¯t outrun me. I¡¯ll always be right there.¡± Before Liam could retort, Jude sprung forward once more. The speed he had made it easy for him to close the distance. Jude swung his left sword horizontally at Liam. Liam switched the grip on the dagger in his right hand to a reverse grip with the curved edge pointing up. He brought it up in time to hook under the blade and guide it over his head before it could collide. He then jumped and rolled to his right to dodge the second sword that was coming down vertically on him. Once when Liam rolled to his feet, he jumped in to strike Jude¡¯s rib cage. Jude swung his right foot back, allowing him to narrowly dodge the attack. Liam gritted his teeth, feeling annoyed before pushing into a roll to dodge the horizontal strike that Jude used to counter. Liam sheathed his daggers once more before grabbing two daggers from his vest and tossing them at Jude. He pulled out his sheathed daggers again and charged in. Jude moved his head to dodge one of the thrown daggers and parried the other with a single strike. He then crossed his swords into an X to block the dagger strike Liam combined. Come on strike me. I¡¯ll try to use Back Stab to get the first strike in. Liam thought as he glared at Jude. Jude brought his right leg up and kicked Liam in the stomach to push him back. Liam slid back a bit watched as Jude rushed in with both swords up in the air for a diagonal strike. Liam smirked for a brief moment. Good. That¡¯s what I wanted. Liam thought as he reached his right arm out to his side. Jude¡¯s gaze followed the arm. That¡¯s it. Follow the birdie. Liam thought as he released his dagger from his grip and then stepped to the left and pushed off as fast as he could to Jude¡¯s left side. This is actually going to work. Liam thought as he felt excited about this move succeeding. As Liam was getting excited during the middle of this Weapon Art, Jude ruined it by ramming his elbow down onto Liam¡¯s back. The attack made Liam fall on his face to the ground, confused by what happened. A buzzing sensation trickled across Liam¡¯s back, warning him of a powerful strike incoming. Not having time to think, he rolled away from Jude, out of the way of two swords piercing into the ground. Liam got back to his feet and stared at Jude. He wasn¡¯t sure what happened. He felt he had the movements down right. His reflexes were on point as well. He was confused about why Jude was able to counter it midway. ¡°What just happened?¡± Ariyana asked with furrowed brows. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Artem stated as confusion grew in his facial expression. Mercer, Avery, and Blair stared at Liam. They, too, weren¡¯t sure what they just witnessed. To them, they saw Liam reached his right hand out and dropped his dagger. The next thing they knew Liam had disappeared, but the reappeared on the ground after Jude brought an elbow down into nothing but air. ¡°He tried using Back Stab,¡± a feminine voice stated. The small group turned to see Alicia, Octavius, and Olivia walk up to stand next to them. ¡°Back Stab?¡± Roman asked. ¡°It¡¯s a Dagger Weapon Art,¡± Alicia answered. ¡°He told me he learned it yesterday.¡± She turned to look at someone who was standing to the left of the group and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Nabal?¡± Everyone turned to see a tall, tanned man with a well-groomed beard and short black side-swept hairstyle. He had his gaze set on Liam, but then turned his baby blue eyes onto Alicia. ¡°Yes and no,¡± Nabal replied. ¡°Also how do you know Liam, Little Alicia?¡± ¡°You know I hate being called that Mr. Nabal,¡± Alicia stated, narrowing her eyes at him. ¡°He and I study Alchemy together.¡± Nabal raised an eyebrow as he commented, ¡°Alchemy huh? I would have thought he¡¯d study Blacksmithing. He¡¯s got great perception.¡± ¡°He¡¯s actually doing both,¡± Mercer stated as he kept his eyes on Liam jumping back in to attack. ¡°What?¡± Nabal, Octavius, and Olivia questioned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Who are you and how do you know Liam?¡± Avery inquired. She then added, ¡°Also, what do you mean yes and no?¡± ¡°Are you apart of Liam¡¯s team?¡± Nabal asked as he stared at Avery before looking at the others. ¡°Yes,¡± the group stated without hesitation. Nabal was taken aback by how quickly they replied. Interesting. Nabal thought as he looked into each of their gazes. He then answered, ¡°I am his Dagger Instructor. He came to learn Weapon Arts here at the Training Hall. I had him take a test he shouldn¡¯t have been able to pass, but he did and in an unexpected way.¡± ¡°An unexpected way?¡± Ariyana repeated. Nabal looked at Avery. ¡°To answer your second question. He did learn it, but not in the same way any of us would have.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Roman asked. Irritation started to creep into his voice. ¡°Alicia,¡± Nabal started as he turned to her. ¡°How do you learn a Weapon Art?¡± Confused by the question, Alicia answered, ¡°Once when you¡¯re able to properly land a hit you get the Art.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Nabal said. ¡°See he was able to properly land a Weapon Art on me that I didn¡¯t show him, but that notification never came.¡± ¡°What?¡± Artem asked. ¡°If he didn¡¯t receive the notification then did he really land the Weapon Art properly?¡± Olivia questioned. ¡°What Weapon Art was it?¡± Alicia inquired. Nabal¡¯s gaze stared right into Alicia as he answered, ¡°Counter Stab.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Everyone turned to look at her. ¡°What? What is it, Alicia?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°Counter Stab is one of the hardest Weapon Arts for a beginner to learn,¡± Alicia started. ¡°The timing, reflexes, and agility needed to get it done right is why many trainers tell a beginner to wait till later to learn it.¡± Nabal nodded. ¡°It¡¯s one of the reasons why I took an interest in him. That and the fact that he¡¯s doing the Weapon Arts not by skill activation, but by pure reflex and timing.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes grew wider. ¡°But that can¡¯t be possible. There¡¯s no¡­¡± ¡°It is possible.¡± Nabal interrupted. ¡°After I got done training with him, I tried it out myself. I was able to pull it off once. So, I can confirm that it can be done.¡± He turned his attention back on Liam. As he watched his trainee fight, he decided to add, ¡°As a trainer I will part three things of advice to all of you.¡± Everyone stared at him as they waited to hear what he wanted to impart. ¡°First, if something feels impossible do not give up and keep trying it even at different angles,¡± Nabal started. ¡°Second, anything you learn that can be done through activation, practice it without activating it. You¡¯ll truly master it if you can.¡± Nabal paused for them to take in what he said so far. ¡°What¡¯s the last advice?¡± Alicia asked. Nabal kept his eyes on Liam as he finished, ¡°Learn and absorb anything you see that boy do. I have a feeling he will turn everyone¡¯s way of doing things upside down.¡± Tutorial 46 - Fight like your life depends on it. Everyone stared at Nabal and was confused by what he said. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Octavius questioned. Nabal gave him an even look as he started to explain, ¡°I have only worked with him for a short time yesterday, but I noticed the way he approaches things are different. Not only that, but when he¡¯s faced with something that is impossible, he doesn¡¯t see it as such. Rather he sees it as a challenge that can be faced head on. He kind of reminds me of an old teammate of mine.¡± Alicia nodded as she understood what he meant. ¡°I can attest to that. He did that when he was told changing the flavors of potions wasn¡¯t cost efficient.¡± Nabal¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He was the one who made those potions?¡± Alicia nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not just that though. When he wants to learn something, he jumps straight into it. Sometimes I think he¡¯s trying to piece things together that no one else sees.¡± Ariyana, Avery, Blair, and Mercer looked at each other and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve been seeing a bit of that as well,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°He takes that same approach to sub-stats as well.¡± ¡°And abilities too,¡± Roman added. Nabal nodded. ¡°Since you guys are a team right now, watch how he approaches things. Try to understand his mind set and see how you can incorporate what he does into what you all can do.¡± ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Artem interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he is doing this on purpose, but I think something is up with Liam.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Blair asked as they turned their attention back on Liam. As they watched him, they noticed something was up with his movements. ¡°Is it me or does it feel like he¡¯s¡­anxious?¡± Olivia asked slowly saying that last word. They watched as Liam threw six daggers, one at a time, at Jude in a hurried fashion. Jude successfully dodged and deflected each one. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Nabal muttered. ¡°That¡¯s not like him. I wonder what¡¯s going on¡­¡± Liam felt his heart start to race as panic slowly filled him. His mind ran a mile a minute as doubt started to cloud his judgement. What the hell is going on? Liam thought. All of my strategies aren¡¯t working. Why? Why, why, why, why? One of them should have worked! Liam stared at Jude who was now frowning at him. I came into this knowing I could lose, but this is ridiculous. The gap between is huge! Liam panicked internally. Do I really suck this bad?! Is there no hope? Jude¡¯s eyes narrowed as he stared deeply at Liam. ¡°What the hell!?¡± Jude roared as a scowl formed while his head turned to the crowd, searching for someone. Liam was taken aback by Jude¡¯s outrage. He then noticed Jude¡¯s gaze landed at a certain spot. He looked to see who he was looking at and saw a tall slim fellow with hazel eyes and combed oily black hair wearing a Mage Tower uniform. The man was staring at Liam muttering something. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he instinctually knew who he was. It was Steve. What the fuck!? Liam swore mentally. Jude¡¯s body straightened as he sheathed his two swords. ¡°I¡¯m stopping this fight here.¡± Liam, confused on what was going on, asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jude¡¯s scowl was still on his face as he said, ¡°Someone placed debuffs on you. I can¡¯t fight you this way. This is not how I do things.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam questioned. He looked at his hands and noticed they were shaking a bit. I¡¯m afflicted with debuffs? Liam thought. But I never got a notification saying I was hit with anything. Liam activated his Mana Sight and looked at his hands. His eyes widened as he saw grey colors speckled around his hands, arms, and legs. What the hell is that? Is that the color of certain debuffs? Liam thought as he stared at them hard. Ideas and theories started to swirl in his mind as he stared at the colors. He took a deep breath in and slowly released it as he repeated the familiar phrase in his mind, Calm the Storm. A layer of mana pulsed within in and slowly pushed out to cover his body. He slowly opened his eyes and watched as the grey colors floated off of his skin like he was expunging some sort of filth off of him. Chime sounds echoed within his mind as his thoughts started to calm down. His racing heart, now as calm as a tranquil pond. He looked at Jude who was now staring at him curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but you wanted to have this duel and I intend to finish it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°What say you? Shall we call this a reset point?¡± Jude¡¯s scowl disappeared as the maniacal expression he had earlier resurfaced. ¡°I knew I liked you. Fine, however¡­¡± Jude placed his two short swords into his inventory and pulled out two Tomahawk looking axes. They had a Wolf¡¯s head design with a single blade with sharp looking spikes where the ears pointed out in the back. The handles were as long as Jude¡¯s forearms. Liam assessed the weapons. His eyes widened at what he saw. ¡°Smoke Hound Rage Twin Axe set. Item Rarity: Rare. Item Quality: Average. +10% to Power Sub-stat, +5% to Agility Sub-stat. Trait ¨C While in Berserk mode, + 2% added to power sub-stat with each successful strike. If user misses once the stacked Power Sub-stat resets.¡± A fucking rare weapon?! Liam thought. If he¡¯s got a rare weapon, then that means¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to use the weapons I¡¯m a lot more comfortable with. No more experimenting or hiding,¡± Jude finished. ¡°I suggest you get serious and use what you¡¯re a lot more comfortable with too. Give me all that you¡¯ve got!¡± Liam nodded as he pulled his goggles out. This is going to be tough. I need something that will help me stem the tide or at least even things out. Liam thought as he placed the goggles over his eyes. As he looked forward something caught his attention behind Jude. He then thought as he started formulating a plan, That might work. Jude gave him a curious expression as he watched Liam open and close his hands. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? I said use what you¡¯re comfortable with. If you think you can beat me barehanded, then you¡¯re a lot gustier than I gave you credit for.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what I¡¯m doing,¡± Liam stated as he took an offensive stance with his hands in front of him. His expression looked stranded as he flexed his hands open and closed. ¡°What does he think he¡¯s doing?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°I wonder if he knows how stupid he looks?¡± Roman stated out loud. Ariyana slapped the back of his head. ¡°Ow! What was that for?¡± Roman protested. ¡°Shut up!¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°Serious though,¡± Blair started. ¡°What is he doing?¡± Alicia stared at him. ¡°He can¡¯t be trying to¡­¡± She mumbled. She then saw something move. ¡°That mother fucker!¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°What!¡± Mercer asked, surprised by Alicia¡¯s outburst. ¡°Just watch,¡± Alicia said with a mix of excitement and frustration. ¡°If he pulls this off, I swear I¡¯m going to scream and then pour poison down his throat the next time we practice crafting poisons.¡± Confused, the others turned their attention back on the fight. Jude took a couple of steps to his right as Liam matched it with a couple of steps to his left. Confused about what Liam was trying to do, Jude decided to strike first. Jude rushed in and brought both axes to his right side. When he got into striking distance he swung as hard as he could. Liam crouched and jumped forward as low as he could, so he wouldn¡¯t get hit by the attack. He rolled to his feet and swiftly spun around and flexed his hands open and close again. Jude spun around and took a step forward. As he did this, he noticed a smile suddenly form on Liam¡¯s face. Before he could rush in to strike at Liam, a stinging sensation was suddenly felt on both sides of his ribs. What the hell? Jude Thought. Confused, he looked down to see a thin lines on his sides with a small amount of blood starting to trickle. He then looked at Liam and noticed two daggers were now in his hands. Where did those come from? He thought as he tried to process what was going on. He shook it off and decided to just attack. As he rushed forward once more, Liam threw both daggers at him. Jude deflected them and tried to jump forward, bringing both axes over his head and brought them down as hard as he could. Liam jumped to the side to dodge and flexed his hands again. Jude felt another stinging sensation on his legs this time. He looked down to see two rips on his pants with a line of blood coming out of them. He looked back at Liam and noticed his daggers were back in his hands. What the hell is going on here? Jude thought as frustration started to stir. He didn¡¯t pull them out from their sheath. I would have seen that. Then where are they coming from? Jude saw something in the corner of his eye and took a quick glance at it. The daggers Liam had been throwing around were scattered throughout the arena. Did he throw them at me in that haphazard fashion to confuse me so he could do this? Jude thought as he looked back at Liam. Jude shook his head. No. His expression says he just learned this. Jude gave a smile. He learned something new during our fight. This guy sure has some guts. Alright, I see that you¡¯re giving it your all. I should respond in kind. Jude jumped backwards away from Liam and pointed one of his axes at him while chanting. ¡°Liquid condensed, Freeze and take form.¡± Liam had never heard this chant, but knew it had to be an elemental field of study ability. ¡°Combine from water and be reborn. Sharp as a sword, but hard as steel. Fly forth and pierce my enemy.¡± Jude continued. Liam threw two daggers at Jude. The two weapons sliced the side of his arms as they went passed him. Water started to swirl in front of Jude¡¯s axe and the water started to press into each other and started to freeze. The form it took grew in length until bother sides pointed out. ¡°Icicle Lance!¡± Jude finished. The icicle suddenly shot forward at Liam. Liam threw two daggers at it as it dashed towards him but deflected the projectiles and continued forward. When he came to terms with the fact he couldn¡¯t shatter it, Liam jumped out of the way to his left and dodged the magic attack. The icicle pierced into the ground and froze the area around it. That¡¯s not good. I should not let that touch me at all. Liam thought as he looked back at Jude, who wasn¡¯t worried he missed. Instead of getting upset, Jude just chanted the same spell again. Liam dodged once more and was confused as Jude chanted once more. What¡¯s his aim? Liam thought. He can¡¯t be doing this without a plan. As Liam tried to figure it out, he noticed something he didn¡¯t before after evading another Icicle Lance. The areas he had shot the magic attack at had frozen not only the ground, but even his throwing daggers were being frozen in place. ¡°So that¡¯s what is going on,¡± Liam muttered as he went over ideas in his mind. Ok, time to throw him off. Liam threw one dagger and another item at Jude before he started chanting again. Jude stopped chanting and swung one axe to deflect the dagger. He then struck the other item but was confused as his axe shattered glass. A tannish liquid splattered against his arms and chest and started to slowly roll down his legs. Jude gave him a mixed look of confusion and irritation. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Jude demanded. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± Liam stated before pointing a dagger towards him. He then chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Become heavier and stronger. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing and hindering its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Jude¡¯s body suddenly felt heavy as pressure around him pushed down. ¡°If you think this will slow me down you have anoth¡­,¡± Jude started to say, but stopped as he heard Liam start to chant again. ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and Burn!¡± Liam chanted. Once when he finished chanting, a flame appeared in the palm of his hand. Jude was confused by the spell Liam had chanted. To his knowledge, Light and Burn was a Crafting spell, not an offensive one. So why had he chanted it? As Liam rushed towards Jude, Jude¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered the liquid that had splashed over him. That clever son of a bitch. Jude smiled. He went to move his legs to dodge the flame Liam was delivering, but realized he couldn¡¯t move them. ¡°What the hell,¡± Jude muttered before feeling his legs start to spasm, locking him in place. It¡¯s not the Gravity magic so what is it? He looked back at Liam and noticed he was closing in fast. He went to bring his arms up to block it, but then realized he couldn¡¯t bring his arms up either. They too started to spasm, causing his hands to release the axes he held on to. Realization hit Jude. That mother fucker coated his daggers with a paralyzing poison. He gave Liam a respectable smirk as Liam was in striking distance. Liam flung the flame in his palm and watched as it connected with the oil that was still on Jude¡¯s pants and chest. As the flame came in contact, Jude¡¯s body lit up with flames. The crowd roared at the spectacle going on in front of them. ¡°Holy crap did he really just use a Crafting spell in combat?!¡± A person shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that!¡± Another yelled. So that¡¯s what he meant. Alicia thought, nodding in approval of the use of the spell. Liam breathed heavily as he stared at Jude¡¯s burning body. The Paralytical Toxin Alicia and I made should hold him in place long enough for the fire to burn his health away. Liam thought. If he somehow gets the poison to lose effect the Gravitational Force Increase should slow him down so I can get out of the way and whittle his health down. This should be the end. A smile grew on Liam¡¯s face as hope started to fill him. I might actually win this! Liam¡¯s smile disappeared as a sinking feeling started to form in the pit of his stomach. He noticed Jude grew a wicked smile. He then noticed through his Mana Sight; a reddish hue started to swirl within Jude. ¡°I will admit,¡± Jude started as he winced from the fire burning his skin. ¡°You have exceeded what I was hoping for. You are worth defeating.¡± Liam narrowed his eyes as he tried to think what Jude could do. There was nothing Liam could think of that Jude could use to turn things around. He then froze as he heard Jude start to chant, ¡°Blood boil and pulse throughout my body. Push through the pain while losing control. All senses, All emotions become one burning together through victory and passion. Berserking Will!¡± Liam watched as Jude¡¯s eyes grew bloodshot as his muscles bulged and swelled. He let out a powerful roar before reaching for the axes that fell to the ground. You have got to be kidding me! Liam thought as Jude jumped forward, swinging both axes down upon him. Liam jumped to his right and rolled back to his feet while pulling out his daggers from the sheath from his hips. Jude was already upon him, making Liam pivot on his left foot and turn his body enough to watch one of the axes slice air in a vertical line. Liam went to strike with one of his daggers, but then felt a foot kick him in his ribs. He flew back from the impact and rolled over back to his feet. He spit out a small glob of blood and glared at Jude. Jude bolted again at Liam, not giving him any time to think. As the axes sliced horizontally, Liam bent his back to go into a hamstring back stand and kicked Jude¡¯s jaw. Jude, not caring what was going on, swung his right axe down in a vertical line, while his left axe was swung horizontally. However, Jude hit nothing but air as Liam disappeared. Jude let out a grunt as two daggers struck his back. Jude turned around, swinging both axes was as much force as he could, but once again missed as Liam jumped backwards. I¡¯ve got to hold on! Liam thought as he felt his lungs burn. The flames should take him out if I keep dodging. Liam felt his legs start to cramp as his stamina bar was getting low. His arms felt heavy, and his body was aching. Come on Liam! You got this! Liam thought as he got ready for the next strike. As Jude ran back up to Liam, Liam went to take a step to his right, but then felt his leg slide. This single mishap caused Liam to drop to a knee. ¡°What the fuck!¡± Liam shouted as he looked down. He saw his foot on one of the small frozen areas Jude made earlier from his Icicle Lance. Shit! Liam internally swore before plunging his daggers into the icicle and pulled himself out of the way from a powerful axe strike that caused the ground to cave in a bit. He put his feet against the frozen water creation and pushed himself away before it exploded to dust. Once when he was off of the frozen ground, he swiftly got to his feet and turned towards Jude. Jude was already on him with another powerful attack coming down on him. Liam crouched down low enough and pushed himself to Jude¡¯s left. Jude swung his right axe back and slammed the handle against Liam¡¯s back. Blood flew out of Liam¡¯s mouth from the powerful attack. It felt like a small car slammed into him. The force of the attack made Liam crash into the dirt and roll away. Every fiber in Liam¡¯s body screamed as he struggled to stand back up. He stared at Jude with one eye open. His one eye widened as he moved his body out of the way in time to dodge an axe hurdling by him. He then brought his left dagger up to parry the axe Jude was swinging down on him and stabbed the crazed man in the stomach. Liam smiled. ¡°This should be checkma¡­,¡± Liam started to say until he felt a powerful and sharp blade slam into his back. The axe Jude had thrown had come back in the same fashion Liam pulled his thrown daggers. He has Mana Control too?! Liam thought as he felt his body start to slump and fall to the ground as a glowing red color flashed over his body. The flames that licked his skin slowly dispersed as Jude raised a fist in the air. A scowl grew on his face as someone announced, ¡°The winner of this amazing duel is Jude!¡± Tutorial 47 - Battle Aftermath Liam laid on the ground, panting heavily. The red color flashing over his body ceasing and filled his Health Pool back to full. Thoughts swirled in his mind, canceling out all the cheers and chatter from the crowd. Out of all the things running through his mind, one particular thought dominated loudly. I lost. Liam thought. I knew it could happen, but now that I did¡­would my team even want me on anymore? Doubt, anxiety, and self-recrimination began to poison his mind. Chime sounds began echoing in his mind, but he ignored them as Jude stepped by his side and stared down at him. ¡°I don¡¯t count this as a victory,¡± Jude scowled. Liam stared at him, returning his scowl with one of his own. ¡°Why not?¡± Liam questioned; frustration laced in the words. ¡°Because I don¡¯t like foul play,¡± Jude stated. ¡°Someone decided to interfere with our duel and because of that I was given the upper hand most of the fight.¡± Liam scoffed as he retorted, ¡°You¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t tell your boy to debuff me?¡± ¡°My boy?¡± Jude asked, confused by what Liam said. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? I didn¡¯t tell anyone to place debuffs on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try and act all coy about it. I saw the guy. Steve,¡± Liam spat. ¡°You had him do it didn¡¯t you? Just admit it.¡± Jude¡¯s scowl grew ferocious as he leaned down, grabbed Liam by the collar and lifted him close to his face. With a menacing whisper, Jude stated, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this right now. That crazy ass guy is not someone I want as an acquaintance. I would never use such a lowly trash fodder of a man to do something like rig a fight. I have my own principles when it comes to fighting. You hear me?!¡± Liam stared into Jude¡¯s eyes to try and find the lies in anything he just said. After a moment of searching, he found nothing. There was no hint of any lies, no hidden meaning. He truly meant every word. ¡°If that¡¯s true,¡± Liam started as he placed a foot down to balance himself and stand up right. He pushed Jude¡¯s hand off his collar and finished, ¡°Then why did he do that?¡± ¡°Fuck if I know,¡± Jude growled. ¡°The guy is like a stalker. Always following me around asking personal questions. Probably has a loose screw or something.¡± Thoughts started to swirl in his head. Jude is like me and my team. Those axes confirmed it. Liam tried processing. If what Jude says is true, then Jude isn¡¯t working with him, but maybe he¡¯s trying to get Jude to¡­maybe his interference was his way of saying he can help him? Liam shook his head. At this point anything he thought of would only be considered a conspiracy. He didn¡¯t have all the information and no matter how much he thought about it, nothing was clicking. The only thing that did connect the three of them was the Forbidden Path. Liam knew who he needed to speak to about this. Jude stared at Liam who was lost in his own world. He then looked at Liam¡¯s armor and stated, ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d get an armor upgrade.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liam asked as he came out of his own head. ¡°You¡¯re armor is still at a noob level. Try hitting the first floor a few times,¡± Jude said. Liam stared at his armor and then back at him, ¡°Why do I need to go to the first floor?¡± Jude gave him a look that screamed he was calling Liam a moron. ¡°You can get better armor pieces that suit your build. Not only that its faster because there¡¯s only one boss.¡± ¡°Oh¡­um, thanks,¡± Liam said, unsure how to act. Is he trying to be friendly? Liam thought to himself. Jude¡¯s scowl was quickly replaced with a wicked grin as he stated, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. I¡¯m only telling you this because next time we fight I want you to not lose due to having weak armor, but by the fact that I am stronger.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. Even though he felt it was kind of clich¨¦ he still went ahead and said, ¡°Next time I¡¯ll come out on top.¡± Jude turned and waved a hand as he responded with a slight smirk, ¡°Whatever you have to tell yourself.¡± Liam turned and walked towards the exit closest to him. He knew this wasn¡¯t the time to feel down. He needed to get stronger. He needed more strategies and new abilities to up his arsenal. Even though he had lost, he started to feel confident that what he was doing was a good step in the right direction, however¡­he needs to hone in what he learned, work on, and hammer out the issues that had happened during the fight. As he walked, he remembered that he had some notifications he needed to check out. He was shocked at what he saw.
¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Constitution Sub-stat Resilience has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Constitution Sub-stat Resilience has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Agility has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 42%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 7%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Endurance Sub-stat Body Endurance has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 12%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Endurance Sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 92%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Strength Sub-stat Body Strength has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Heavier armor and heavier weapons are now available to be learned. See Weapon and Armor skills for more information. -5% decrease when wearing heavier armor or using heavier weapons.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Attribute Strength Sub-stat Power has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 34%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Physical Practicality has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 9%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Attribute Wisdom Sub-stat Common Sense has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Luck Sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Recovery Sub-stat HP Recovery has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 40%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Recovery Sub-stat Stamina Recovery has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Attribute Will Sub-stat Zen has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 15%!¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resistance ¨C Confusion has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resistance ¨C Doubt has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 50%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resistance ¨C Intimidation has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%! +5% extra against any form of Intimidation.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received the ability Mana Control! Mana Control has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received the ability Mana Manipulation! Mana Manipulation has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 25%!¡± ¡°Mana Control ¨C Through practice of Mana Channeling and Mana Sight, a person can begin to learn to control their mana properly. The higher the level, the higher the skill to control mana will be. ¡°Mana Manipulation ¨C Objects touched by or filled with mana can be manipulated into moving, or bend to the user¡¯s control. Only small objects can be affected during the lower levels of the ability.¡±
¡°As great as it is to see my sub-stats grow, I still feel bitter about the whole thing. Not even my Lucky Break rising makes me feel lucky,¡± Liam muttered. So, it wasn¡¯t Mana Control that helped me pull my daggers back? It was Mana Manipulation? Liam thought. A sudden realization hit him as he read the last sentence of the description. Those axes weren¡¯t that small, but they weren¡¯t too heavy. Does that mean he¡¯s already got it past level ten? Liam shuddered as he closed the notification messages while walking out of the arena and into a hallway. As Liam turned into it, he came to a sudden stop. In front of him were not only his own team members, but Alicia, Octavius and Olivia were there as well. ¡°What was that about?¡± Ariyana, Roman, and Olivia questioned without restraint. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam asked, taking a step back. ¡°What the hell happened there?¡± Avery asked as she eyed Liam. ¡°Are you talking about how I lost?¡± Liam inquired, fearing his team was about to give him some bad news. ¡°No!¡± Everyone except Alicia, Blair, Mercer, and Octavius said in unison. ¡°Hold on everyone,¡± Alicia called out. ¡°You¡¯re confusing the poor bastard.¡± Liam raised a brow as he looked at her. ¡°We all have questions,¡± Mercer started with a calm tone. ¡°Many stem from what happened during the fight when Jude freaked out to what he said to you at the end.¡± ¡°I have other concerns,¡± Alicia narrowed her eyes. Liam took a moment to take it all in. Once when his thought got back in order he looked around to see if anyone besides them were around. Picking up on his cautious behavior, Mercer suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s move to a more private location.¡± Liam looked at him and nodded. ¡°Yes¡­let¡¯s do that.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the last of the group entered the familiar cold and suffocating walls of the Mage Tower training room, they secured the door shut. The group then turned their gazes upon Liam who started to feel uncomfortable. ¡°Where should we start first?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Alicia started. She then raised her hand to stop any arguments as she added, ¡°What I want to know is not as important to everyone else, but it¡¯s still important to me. Not only that, but it¡¯ll take the least amount of time.¡± After hearing her logic, they each nodded as they let her proceed. Without hesitation or holding back, Alicia bluntly stated in a form of a question, ¡°That was Mana Control, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Liam kept eye contact with her. He remembered how she said she was jealous of how quickly he was progressing in certain areas. Would she get mad after I tell her I got two new abilities instead of one? Only one way to find out. Liam thought as he released a sigh. ¡°Yes and no,¡± Liam started. ¡°I did pick up Mana Control during the fight, but me being able to pull the daggers back like that was an ability called Mana Manipulation.¡± ¡°What?!¡± everyone shouted. ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Octavius asked with wide eyes. ¡°You just happened to pick up not one, but two new Mana abilities?¡± Alicia inquired with narrowed eyes. ¡°What the hell is Mana Control and Mana Manipulation?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°Mana Control is an ability all mages will have to learn eventually. It is an ability that helps the caster control mana easier and more efficient,¡± Olivia answered. ¡°And Mana Manipulation?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°It¡¯s an ability that allows someone to manipulate an object touched by or filled with mana,¡± Liam replied. ¡°At the lower levels it starts with small objects. My daggers were just small enough I was able to move them.¡± ¡°But they shouldn¡¯t have any mana in them though,¡± Artem stated. ¡°The poison,¡± Alicia muttered as she realized how he was able to move the daggers. ¡°Huh?¡± the others looked at her. ¡°We made some weak toxins last night and coated his daggers with them,¡± Alicia answered. ¡°When you make poisons through the Poison Craft you have to blend them together with the help of your mana. Since the weak toxins had his mana in them the daggers essentially had it too.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°The ability works better if the mana you¡¯re trying to manipulate is your own. At least for beginners.¡± ¡°But how did you know how to do it?¡± Octavius asked. ¡°I want to know that too,¡± Alicia stated as she eyed him. ¡°Well, it was¡­,¡± Liam started then grew a bit timid as he finished, ¡°A gamble.¡± Everyone stared at him confused. ¡°What do you mean¡­a gamble?¡± Alicia asked as her eyes began to narrow once more. ¡°Well¡­I wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure if I was going to be able to pull it off,¡± Liam started slowly while his voice pitched a bit. ¡°After I placed my goggles on and focused with my Mana Sight on, I saw my mana covering the daggers and thought I¡¯d try it out¡­¡± Everyone stared at him with disbelief. After a few moments of awkward silence, Ariyana, Artem, Avery, Blaire, Mercer, and Roman started laughing out loud. Alicia, Olivia, and Octavius stared at them as if they had gone mad. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Olivia asked, confused by their outburst. ¡°That sounds so like him,¡± Ariyana said as she wiped a tear away. ¡°Always experimenting even through battle,¡± Artem continued. Mercer placed a hand on Octavius¡¯ shoulder and said as Octavius turned to him, ¡°Through the short battles we¡¯ve had so far, Liam has always tried something new without any proof it could, should, or would work.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit reckless?¡± Olivia asked with a look of concern. ¡°It is,¡± Avery replied. ¡°But he¡¯s found ways to pull it off so far.¡± Octavius shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could handle a person like that in my team.¡± ¡°Nor should you,¡± Olivia added as she looked at Liam. Liam looked at Alicia and said, ¡°To be honest it was thanks to you.¡± Confused by Liam¡¯s words, Alicia asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°When you were teaching me Poison Crafting and talked about Mana Control,¡± Liam started. ¡°I thought about it long and hard how I could incorporate it into my arsenal.¡± Alicia raised a brow, still not sure what he was talking about. ¡°Well,¡± Liam continued. ¡°Since I wasn¡¯t sure how I would be able to use it, I thought about ways that seemed like it could be used. For example, trying to blend the two extracts together.¡± Alicia thought about what he was saying. Following along with what he was saying, she said, ¡°Are you talking about the part where you channel your mana into one of the extracts and then pull¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes widened. Liam smiled as he knew she was starting to understand what he was talking about. ¡°Was it really that easy to grasp?¡± Alicia questioned as she looked at him, mouth agape. Liam shook his head as he bluntly stated, ¡°Oh hell no it wasn¡¯t. It requires so much focus and a steel will to not give up. If I had gotten distracted by anything while trying to focus on it, I would have failed.¡± ¡°Liam,¡± Blair started nonchalantly. ¡°Yes Blair?¡± Liam replied with the same level of tone. ¡°Did you learn how to use Mana Manipulation before the fight?¡± Blair asked. ¡°No. Why do you ask?¡± Liam answered. ¡°If you didn¡¯t learn it before the fight and it requires you not to be distracted,¡± Blair started. ¡°Then how were you able to dodge and move around while using Mana Manipulation to recall the daggers?¡± Liam stared at her. He blinked once. Then a second time. After the third time he opened his mouth, but then closed it. He looked at the ground as his brows furrowed. After thinking it over he stated, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± Blair breathed in slowly as she closed her eyes. She let out a slow annoyed sigh and then opened her eyes and stated in a calm matter, ¡°Sometimes I just can¡¯t understand you.¡± ¡°Probably for the best,¡± Liam smiled widely. ¡°Is that all you had to ask him Alicia?¡± Mercer questioned as he looked at her. Alicia looked at him being brought out of her own thoughts and said, ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah that is all.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Mercer started as he looked back at Liam. ¡°What happened that caused Jude to get upset during the fight and what did he say to you after the duel was over?¡± Liam¡¯s smile disappeared and was replaced with a serious one. He then said with an even tone, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything that happened, but please don¡¯t ask questions till after I¡¯m done.¡± Everyone nodded, agreeing with what he asked for. Liam spent the next half an hour telling them about how he had been hit with a few debuffs and Jude¡¯s reaction to it. He then told them about Jude¡¯s colorful expressions of Steve and how he felt about him. Alicia stared at Liam, keeping a straight faced expression. After Liam Finished, Octavius asked, ¡°How much do you think is true? What he said that is?¡± ¡°I believe him,¡± Liam stated. ¡°His eyes didn¡¯t lie about how he felt about Steve.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask him about if he was a Faction member or not?¡± Olivia questioned. ¡°What¡¯s a Faction member?¡± Roman asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really in the right head space to ask it,¡± Liam replied, ignoring Roman. ¡°Besides, haven¡¯t you guys asked him?¡± ¡°What the hel¡­,¡± Roman started up again, feeling irritated about being ignored, but stopped as Mercer placed a hand on his shoulder. Roman turned to see Mercer shaking his head. Mercer then whispered, ¡°Not now.¡± ¡°But,¡± Roman quietly argued, but was stopped once more. ¡°He¡¯ll tell us when he is ready to. This has to be an Earth thing,¡± Mercer whispered back. Roman frowned before muttering, ¡°Fine.¡± Olivia averted her gaze as she answered Liam¡¯s question, ¡°We never had the chance to ask him.¡± ¡°So, if he isn¡¯t tied to Steve then that makes Jude a dead end on any connection to him?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°Not really,¡± Liam said. ¡°I forgot to mention this because I was still trying to remember everything.¡± Everyone turned to look at him. ¡°His axes were a Rare Rarity,¡± Liam stated. Liam¡¯s group¡¯s eyes widened. Liam had noticed Alicia¡¯s eyes had widened as well, but her two companions were confused. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Octavius questioned. Liam looked at Alicia. Alicia knew what his gaze was asking. ¡°I haven¡¯t told them, but I think they should know,¡± Alicia replied to the silent question. ¡°I¡¯ll let you explain it to them later. I found a new lead and wasn¡¯t going to pursue it, but I think I¡¯m going to need to approach him,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Alicia, could you join me? I think it would be easier for him to talk more about it if we both approach him.¡± Confused, Alicia asked, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Galin,¡± Liam answered. Tutorial 48 - To the Fourth Floor we go Alicia stared at Liam. ¡°Professor Galin? Why do you need to see him? Also, why do you think he¡¯ll be easier to approach if we¡¯re both there?¡± ¡°Sorry. If you¡¯re there,¡± Liam corrected. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it seems like he¡¯s more comfortable around you when talking about the past.¡± Alicia gave Liam a skeptical look as she argued, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. He talks to you about as much as me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about how much he talks,¡± Liam corrected her. ¡°I¡¯m talking about what he talks about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ab¡­,¡± Alicia started to argue once more, but then remembered Galin talking to her after Liam had left. Liam raised a brow as he took her silence as him being right. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I do not trust him,¡± Liam reassured her. ¡°He¡¯s not only been helpful, but he has given me warnings when he didn¡¯t need to. I just feel like he¡¯ll open up more with you around.¡± Alicia thought about it. She realized she couldn¡¯t argue it anymore. After giving it, some thought she suggested, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with you, but you need to take on the fourth floor first.¡± Liam gave her a confused look before asking, ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we went after this?¡± Alicia shook her head. ¡°As much as I would like to, I don¡¯t know if it would be a good idea to,¡± Alicia started. She then added before Liam could say anything, ¡°If there¡¯s a chance there¡¯s any information you¡¯re not allowed to know before taking on that floor, then we want to prevent it.¡± ¡°Um, excuse me,¡± Mercer started as he stepped forward. ¡°Could you elaborate more on that please? I¡¯m not sure I understand nor do the others.¡± Octavius looked at him and started to explain. ¡°You¡¯ve been informed that something happens after you finish the fourth floor, right?¡± Mercer and the others nodded. ¡°Well, what hasn¡¯t been fully explained is that a second layer of magic releases off of you that allows you to receive more information than what you were able to receive before,¡± Octavius continued. ¡°If you don¡¯t then any information you¡¯re not allowed to know only looks like a jumbled mess.¡± ¡°Also, if someone talks about the information that is prevented by that magic then all you¡¯ll hear is silence,¡± Olivia added. ¡°That sounds like bullshit,¡± Roman stated. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It happened to me when Alicia and Galin were talking about something I still have no clue about.¡± He then looked at Roman and smiled as he agreed, ¡°But you¡¯re right. It is bullshit.¡± ¡°Here I¡¯ll show you I¡¯m not lying,¡± Alicia said as she started talking. Liam¡¯s group stared at her as her lips mouthed but no sound came out. Octavius and Olivia started talking too, but only a handful of words were heard while the others weren¡¯t. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Ariyana said, shocked. ¡°So, is that the big secret for the fourth floor?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°One of them,¡± Octavius replied. ¡°For the others, you¡¯ll have to find out yourself.¡± Liam looked at his group, with determination. ¡°With that being said¡­Are we ready to take it on tomorrow?¡± The others turned their attention to him. At first, they looked unsure. However, after a second of uncertainty had passed, their mouths formed a grin full of confidence. As one they said, ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Alright then, since we¡¯re here, shall we work on some of our magic?¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Mercer said. ¡°I picked up a couple new ones I need to practice.¡± Alicia, Octavius, and Olivia looked at each other before Octavius asked, ¡°Do you mind if we join you? I¡¯m curious on what I can learn from you guys.¡± ¡°I have no objections,¡± Ariyana quickly stated before looking at Olivia. ¡°I have some questions about the Field of Illusions I wanted to ask you.¡± Olivia smiled, ¡°I too have some questions I have for you.¡± ¡°You have some explaining to do about using Crafting magic in fights,¡± Alicia stated as she looked at Liam. Liam gave a wide grin as he said, ¡°I knew you¡¯d find it interesting.¡± ¡°Damn straight,¡± Alicia laughed. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s get started,¡± Mercer said as they separated into groups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam stretched his arms out before stretching his legs as he gazed upon the groups of people walking to and from the different colored portals. Since he arrived before the others, he decided to loosen up a bit so he would be ready to go on in and face whatever was waiting for them. I wonder what we will face this time. Liam thought as he bounced lightly on the tip of his feet. So far, all the monsters we have faced have been beast and undead. If that is the case, then will it continue on this floor? ¡°Good morning Mr. Liam,¡± a sweet elderly voice greeted. Liam slowly turned to his left to see Adva stand there staring at him. She wasn¡¯t super close, but looked like she was keeping her distance. Liam felt bad about how he had been treating her. If you took out all the craziness going on, she reminded him of his late grandmother. A short, caring, sweet lady, but if you were acting like an idiot, she had no issues making you look like one. However, it was because of the fact that all this craziness was going on he wouldn¡¯t be too trusting with her. Not yet, at least. With a sigh, Liam said, ¡°Hello, Adva. Staying busy I assume?¡± Adva nodded. ¡°Many have been entering the fourth floor and as instructed we, as advisors, must give important information before they enter.¡± She gave him a thoughtful look before asking, ¡°Are you and your team going to take on the fourth floor?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes, we are.¡± ¡°I am glad to hear that.,¡± Adva stated. She opened her mouth but closed it. It looked like she wanted to say something but was unsure how. Giving her a lifeline, Liam stated, ¡°I have always found people who are forthcoming, honest, and sometimes blunt to be better than those who try to sugarcoat things.¡± Confused at first, Adva gave him a puzzling expression. After a moment, she relaxed and stated, ¡°I know our last few encounters have been challenging. Our wordings could have been better when we said what we said, but I want you to know that we are not your enemies.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you really speak for Nalia and Phorge?¡± ¡°Phorge is someone who appreciates challenges and those who strive to push themselves,¡± Adva started. ¡°The god he follows, Cratus, is one who gives his blessings to those who seek out that kind of path. He might seem harsh and hard on people, but he does it to help motivate them. No malice or hidden agendas.¡± Liam listened to what she was saying and waited for more. ¡°Nalia is¡­,¡± Adva¡¯s face grimaced. ¡°She¡¯s a challenge to accept even amongst her peers. The goddess she follows, Isis, seeks out wisdom, magic, and knowledge. Just like her Goddess, she too tries to seek out and learn what she doesn¡¯t know.¡± Adva shook her head. ¡°You¡¯d think one who seeks out wisdom would have better common sense. Sometimes I believe the common sense sub-stat was made for people like her specifically.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the old lady¡¯s well placed joke. ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more with you.¡± Adva smiled genuinely as she saw Liam start to relax a bit. ¡°I keep forgetting that there are gods in this world,¡± Liam stated. ¡°How many are there? And how do you get a blessing from a god or goddess? Is there a specific area you go to, to get it?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°There are so many gods out there no one can remember the accurate amount. And as for how you get a blessing from a god¡­,¡± Adva started to explain. ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± Confused, Liam asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t go seeking a blessing from a deity,¡± Adva started to explain. ¡°They seek you out and give it to you.¡± ¡°Ok, you lost me. So, the gods and goddesses just pick a person and give their blessing to them?¡± ¡°No. Gods and Goddesses give their blessings to those who are most compatible with their beliefs and way of doing things,¡± Adva corrected. ¡°If what you do aligns with a god¡¯s or goddess¡¯ belief and creates a strong connection then your presence will be known to them. If you have potential to help further their goals, they will deem you worthy of their blessing.¡± ¡°Ah, ok. So, in a sense, it¡¯s a process of altruistic egoism,¡± Liam said. Adva tilted her head as she thought about it. ¡°In a sense, yes. You are correct.¡± Liam let out a sigh. ¡°I hate egotistical people.¡± ¡°This world is full of them,¡± Adva agreed. ¡°However, not all are like that.¡± Liam eyed her. He then asked, ¡°Who do you follow?¡± ¡°My Goddess is Aura,¡± Adva said. ¡°Aura is like a gentle breeze that brings calmness to others but is also like the ebb and flow of the water. Flexible, can still pull those who dare challenge her under a current they didn¡¯t see themselves in till it¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°Sounds like an interesting Goddess,¡± Liam smiled. ¡°She is,¡± Adva smiled. Liam eyed her. She really didn¡¯t look like she had any ill intention towards him. He knew he was being paranoid, and it could be all for naught in the end. However, his experiences from his last years on Earth really dug deep inside him. For now, he would be cautious, but he would start giving her the trust she has deserved so far. ¡°I must apologize to you,¡± Liam started. Adva raised a brow in confusion as she asked, ¡°What for?¡± ¡°For my attitude towards you and Phorge,¡± Liam replied. ¡°The world I came from was a mess. The way you two have been, would make anyone from my world think you have a hidden agenda to either kill us or use us for some game.¡± Adva¡¯s confused face grew sorrowful as she was going to ask a question, but stopped as a voice called out. ¡°Damn the world must be ending if you beat us here,¡± Roman called out, teasingly. Liam and Adva turned to see the rest of Liam¡¯s group slowly approach them. As the group say Adva, they slightly tensed. ¡°Is everything alright, Liam?¡± Mercer questioned as he left his gaze on Adva. Liam mentally shook his head. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam replied. He then explained, ¡°Miss Adva here was just informing me that she has some instructions for us before we enter the fourth floor.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say instructions, but more important information,¡± Adva corrected. The others slightly relaxed their bodies as they went to stand by Liam. ¡°Oh?¡± Avery said. ¡°What¡¯s this important information about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about how the fourth floor is conducted,¡± Adva started. Everyone¡¯s attention was on Adva. ¡°The fourth floor is different from the others,¡± Adva continued. ¡°It is more of a test. It¡¯s meant to test your knowledge, skills, and abilities.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue then,¡± Roman smirked. ¡°As a group we should do well.¡± ¡°You wont be taking on the challenges awaiting you as a group,¡± Adva corrected him. ¡°What?!¡± everyone stated. ¡°You will enter the floor as a group and exit as one, but you will separate and take on, what we call, a challenge floor,¡± Adva said. ¡°Challenge floors are meant to test an individual¡¯s potential by push their limits.¡± ¡°So, we will have to fight many monsters by ourselves?¡± Artem asked as he started to feel anxious. ¡°That will depend on the individual,¡± Adva informed. ¡°Everyone has different challenges, much like how everyone has different potential. You may come across groups of monsters, you may have puzzle like features you will have to overcome. No one knows what you will have to face until you enter it.¡± Mercer brought a hand up to his chin as he began to think. After a moment he asked, ¡°You telling us this means you want us to be fully prepared. This is your way of saying we need to make sure we each have all the supplies we¡¯ll need before separating?¡± ¡°That is correct,¡± Adva said. ¡°If you think you are fully ready to take on the challenges that are waiting for you on that floor, then please proceed.¡± Adva looked at each person individually before adding, ¡°However, if you do not feel that you are ready then do not.¡± Everyone looked at each other. After a moment everyone stared at Artem. Artem, shrinking under their gazes, knew why they stared at him. With a shaky breath he stated, ¡°I¡­I think I¡¯m ready.¡± Shocking everyone, including Artem, Roman asked, ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t mind waiting a bit longer and will help you shore up anything you feel that you¡¯re lacking.¡± Artem stared at him for a moment. He let out a breath he had sucked in and replied with a bit more confidence. ¡°Yes. I feel like if I don¡¯t do this now, I won¡¯t ever be ready.¡± Blair clapped her right hand on Artem¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re showing confidence. But I agree with Roman. You don¡¯t need to force yourself if you feel like you¡¯re not ready. We are here to help.¡± Artem¡¯s face steeled much like his resolve as he repeated, ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do this.¡± Blair nodded with approval. She then looked at Liam and said, ¡°You heard him. Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Liam said as he walked towards the portal. Before he placed a hand on the portal, Adva stated, ¡°Also, when you finish your part of the trial and wait for the others to finish, do not freak out.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°That is all I am allowed to say,¡± Adva said. ¡°Good luck.¡± Liam nodded as he focused on the message in front of him and clicked on the fourth floor. Adva watched as each member disappeared into the portal. ¡°Looks like I missed them,¡± a gruff voice said. Adva turned her attention to Phorge who was approaching her. ¡°You did,¡± Adva said with a smile. ¡°But worry not. I had a nice chat with that Liam boy.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Phorge said with curiosity growing. ¡°Were you able to get any information on what they have faced so far?¡± Adva shook her head. ¡°No, our chat was nothing like that. I feel like if I broach that topic, he¡¯ll raise up any walls he hasn¡¯t yet and we¡¯ll never hear from him ever again.¡± ¡°That bad, huh?¡± Phorge questioned. Adva¡¯s face grew sorrowful. ¡°Apparently the world he came from was not good at all.¡± ¡°Did he tell you about his world?¡± Phorge asked with a brow raised. ¡°Not much, he stated a very brief amount, but that amount was enough for me to understand why he¡¯s kept us at arm¡¯s length,¡± Adva said. She let out a sigh before adding, ¡°Nalia really screwed up. If she keeps up with that attitude of hers, she will end up with a blade in her back.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯d do that?¡± Phorge asked with concern in his voice. ¡°If not him, then possible by someone from the other groups she has pissed off,¡± Adva stated. ¡°My money would be on that Jude guy,¡± Phorge half-jokingly commented. ¡°He is definitely one she has to be wary of,¡± Adva agreed. ¡°I feel like the more she keeps at her antics the more aggressive he will become.¡± ¡°What about Liam?¡± Phorge asked. ¡°A move was made, but it ended in failure,¡± Adva smiled. ¡°They are too cautious for her to keep at her usual games.¡± ¡°Have you figured out her aim though?¡± Phorge asked. ¡°No,¡± Adva said. ¡°However, we might have other things to focus on first. How is it going on your end? Was your acquaintance able to figure it out?¡± Phorge shook his head. ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s harder than we thought. Something is blocking their ability to peer. They are still trying though.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not too late,¡± Adva stated as she looked back at the portal. ¡°One unknown is manageable; several is just pure chaos.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam heard the chime echo in his mind as he took in shaky breaths to prevent the sickness forming in his stomach. He turned to look at the others as they had their eyes closed doing the same. Before he could say anything, Avery opened her eyes and narrowed them while looking at him, sharply saying, ¡°Not a single word.¡± Liam gave her a faux look of hurt as he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you weren¡¯t going to say Upchuck Roulette didn¡¯t strike this time,¡± Avery challenged. Liam gave a slight chuckle as he muttered, ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± ¡°Oh wow. Look at this,¡± Ariyana said with awe in her voice. Liam took a look around and was amazed by what he saw too. The room they were in was the size of a school auditorium and gave an ancient Egyptian feel to it. The floor had giant tiles laid out while sections of the stone walls held pictures on them. Seven areas throughout the room had stoned archways with a slab of concrete blocking entry. What is this place? Liam thought as he looked to his left and saw symbols he had never seen before. ¡°Anyone know what these symbols are?¡± Liam asked as he walked up to the wall. ¡°Nope,¡± Roman, and Artem replied. Avery stared at them. After a moment passed she shook her head. Mercer looked at what Liam was inspecting and took his notebook out. ¡°I haven¡¯t the foggiest. I¡¯ll put them down in my notebook and see if I can find out when we get out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more curious to know who they are to be honest,¡± Ariyana stated as she pointed at something in the middle of the room. Liam looked at what she was talking about. In the middle of the room stood two statues of what looked to be young women standing back to back. One of the women held what looked to be a dark blue scale that was evened out. The other woman held a short staff with different shades of red and grey arrows of different lengths shooting out from a black orb. Liam walked up to the statues. He walked in front of the woman holding the scale and inspected her. She looked young, but he wasn¡¯t sure due to the craftsmanship of the statue not being the best. Her face was set in a stern even look. He then made his way to the other statue and studied it as well. The statue looked almost similar to the other except the hair length on this statue was to her mid back instead of to her legs. The only other difference was this woman¡¯s face had what could be interpreted as a maniacal grin. Whoever sculpted this statues looked to be in a rush or didn¡¯t know how to make them. Liam thought as he examined the statue from head to toe. Over here. A soft feminine voice whispered in Liam¡¯s ear. Liam turned around and saw a stone archway with two large cats sitting on both sides. He slowly approached it. As he got within arm¡¯s length, the slab slowly rose. The others turned to see what was going on. ¡°What did you do?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Then how did the door open?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°It just did when I approached it,¡± Liam answered as he turned to see Ariyana approach. ¡°Do we all go this way then?¡± Ariyana asked as she walked up next to Liam. As she arrived at his side the slab swiftly dropped down, closing any entry. ¡°What the fuck!¡± Ariyana swore as she jumped back. The door slowly opened again after Ariyana moved away. ¡°I think the door only opens to those who are meant to go into them,¡± Liam said as he hesitantly took a step forward. The door remained open. ¡°Interesting,¡± Mercer commented as he walked around until a door slowly opened for him. He looked back and said, ¡°It looks like that is true.¡± ¡°Before we split off, come get your guys¡¯ portion of potions,¡± Liam called out as he started pulling HP, Mana, and Stamina potions. ¡°Did you make flavored Mana potions?¡± Ariyana asked with bright eyes. ¡°And Stamina too?¡± Roman questioned. Avery and Blair heard this and ran as fast as they could for them. Liam raised a brow at them. ¡°There¡¯s enough for everyone here so don¡¯t stress that you¡¯ll miss out on them. This isn¡¯t a market place.¡± ¡°You have no clue how bad we were waiting for these. The health ones are great, but the MP and Stamina Potions we have been using have been bland,¡± Ariyana said as she quickly put her portion away like a woman who found a steal on a sale and didn¡¯t want anyone to grab them. Liam laughed before saying, ¡°Alright everyone, find your door. We¡¯ll all go in at the same time.¡± Everyone else wandered around the room, looking for their entrance. Once when they each found their respective doors they looked at each other and said in unison, ¡°See you on the other side!¡± Tutorial 49 - The 1st Challenge: Fill in the Lines. Liam watched as the slab slowly closed behind him. He thought that after the door had closed there would be some sort of light that would appear. It didn¡¯t happen. Instead, he was left inside a dark and quiet corridor. Liam reached his hands out to his side and felt the walls. He took a step forward and felt his hands glide against each wall as he cautiously moved forward. After a few moments he noticed a light off in the distance. As he approached it, he noticed it led into a new room. As Liam walked into the room, he noticed how small it was. It wasn¡¯t just small, but there was only one light in the entire room. It hung directly in the middle of the room with a podium under it. Liam looked to his right. A blank wall with nothing there. He looked to his left. Another blank wall with nothing there. Behind the podium on the other side of the wall was a closed door. Liam looked back at the podium with a puzzled look upon his face. He walked up to the podium and noticed a medium glass bottle standing up. The glass bottle had an interesting design Liam had never seen before. What made him even more curious was the liquid inside. It was a dark red with orange and yellow swirling about. It reminded him of liquid fire. ¡°Just what the hell are you?¡± Liam muttered in a quiet voice as he assessed the item. A red message flashed in front of him making him curse.
¡°Due to the contents of the challenge, item is not assessable.¡±
¡°Well, isn¡¯t that a load of crap,¡± Liam frowned. Liam looked around the room once more before walking up to one of the walls. He searched the wall for any signs of hidden spots, switches, or traps. He found nothing of the sort and then moved on to the next wall. After searching the other walls, Liam approached the podium once more and stared at the vial. Hm. What are you? Liam thought as he kept staring at it. Maybe I can get a clue if I try using Mana Sight. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the vial light up brightly with red, orange, and yellow mana colors. ¡°Ok, so this is a concoction full of mana,¡± Liam stated. ¡°But what am I supposed to do with it?¡± Liam looked at the door. Something about it nagged at the back of his mind making him walk over to it. He looked at the slab that was sitting in place, blocking his path. There was nothing weird about it. It was a normal slab of concrete. He then turned his attention onto the archway. It was intricately designed with excellent craftsmanship. As he started to turn away, something caught his eye. It was between the slab and the archway. In between the two was an object tightly wedged, keeping the slab from moving. ¡°Huh,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°What do we have here?¡± As he kept staring at it, thoughts started forming on what was going on. Voicing his ideas out loud, Liam said, ¡°We have a slab blocking the door that needs to move in order for me to go to the next area. However, the slab cannot move because there is something wedged in between it and the archway.¡± Liam brought a hand to his chin as he continued, ¡°So, I need to figure out how to get that wedged object out so the door can open up. But what can I do to get it unwedged?¡± Liam¡¯s mouth opened as he thought of something. He turned around and looked at the vial sitting on the podium. ¡°Maybe I need to use that?¡± He walked over to it and grabbed the bottle by the neck and went to pull it and turn around, but was forcefully stopped as his hand gripping the vial didn¡¯t move. ¡°What the hell?¡± Liam stated as he turned back around. He tried pulling the vial again, but once more it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Seriously?¡± Liam asked as he released it and stared at the vial. ¡°How am I supposed to use the contents if I can¡¯t take it with me?¡± He stared at it and continued to think. What the hell is this challenge trying to make me do? Liam thought to himself. Growing up playing games, Liam fell in love with the ones that had puzzle dungeons. He loved trying to figure things out and solving what creators made. However, there were always hints as to what to do. This puzzle dungeon really wanted to make him think things through with no hints whatsoever. He started feeling frustrated as he continued to think it over. After a few minutes of failing trying to come up with a solution he yelled out, ¡°God damn it! Just what the hell are you trying to get me to do!¡± He then kicked the podium out of irritation. However, the podium felt like it was as solid as a rock causing a slight pain to run up Liam¡¯s foot. ¡°Ow!¡± Liam shouted as he limped away from it. He stared at the podium with a look of anger. He let out a gust of irritation and quietly muttered, ¡°I won¡¯t get anywhere getting irritated or frustrated. I need to calm down and think it over once more.¡± Liam closed his eyes and breathed in. As he slowly released it he muttered, ¡°Calm the Storm.¡± As his mind started to calm, he thought to himself, Object wedged within the crack of the door. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He took another breath in. As he slowly released it he repeated, ¡°Calm the Storm.¡± A vial of mana filled liquid that can¡¯t be moved. He continued to think. He repeated his breathing in and out, calming his mind even more. Mana filled liquid, wedged object, unmovable bottle. He repeated his actions again, feeling like he was on to something. Need to move the liquid¡­Bottle won¡¯t move¡­Mana touched liquid¡­ Liam¡¯s eyes snapped open as the answer presented itself while in his Zen-like trance. ¡°Mana Manipulation?¡± Liam stated with a confused expression. He then looked at the bottle and asked a question that suddenly formed, ¡°Can I use Mana Manipulation on liquid though?¡± Liam pulled up the ability and read the description. ¡°Mana Manipulation - Objects touched by or filled with mana can be manipulated into moving, or bend to the user¡¯s control. Only small objects can be affected during the lower levels of the ability.¡± As he closed the notification he said, ¡°If I read that right then it should be possible.¡± Liam popped his knuckles and rolled his neck while psyching himself up, ¡°Only one way to find out and that¡¯s to do it.¡± Liam reached for the stopper and pulled it off. As he opened the bottle, a pulse of heat rolled out from within. ¡°Jesus, I can feel that from here. Now I really want to know what it is,¡± Liam muttered as he repositioned himself on the other side of the podium, facing the door. He placed his hands on both sides of the bottle, careful not to touch it, but was still close enough to feel the mana and heat within it. Liam stared at the liquid and pushed his will at it. Nothing happened. He tried pushing his will a bit harder this time. Still nothing. ¡°What the hell!¡± Liam frowned. He thought back to when he first tried using Mana Manipulation. It was hard then too, but he was still able to move the object. The object however was his daggers. A sudden thought popped into Liam¡¯s mind as he muttered, ¡°I was able to do it last time because the daggers had my mana in them.¡± He looked at the liquid and said, ¡°Maybe I need to channel my mana into it to be able to do it?¡± Liam repositioned his hands on the sides and began to channel his mana. He watched as the mana appeared on his hands and started to condense. He then guided the mana from his hands into the bottle. As his mana approached the foreign mana in the liquid, Liam felt his hands start to warm up. Liam¡¯s brows furrowed. The closer his mana got to it, the hotter his palms started to feel. Before he knew it, his hands felt like they were about to touch the burner of a stove and he swiftly retracted before he could get burned. ¡°What the hell was that about?¡± Liam questioned as he shook his hands. As he stared at the bottle, he noticed something at the corner of his eye. His stamina bar had dropped about a quarter of its total amount. ¡°What the hell?¡± Liam muttered. Why did my stamina drop? Liam began to think. I don¡¯t know what was going on there either when my mana was getting close to the liquid¡¯s mana. Liam was stumped by what was going on. He had no clue why this was happening. He tried to think back on what he knew from Knowledge theories, or from his discussions with Alicia and Fia about Mana Channeling, Control and Manipulation. The more he played their conversations over in his head the more he couldn¡¯t figure out any scenarios like this. If he had to compare it though, he would have to compare it to when he learned how to make toxins through Poison Crafting. He needed proper equipment during his training in order to handle the mixing of the poisons through his mana. ¡°Wait a minute. If this was like crafting, then that¡¯s why my stamina bar was draining the way it was. And if that¡¯s the case then¡­,¡± Liam muttered as a thought struck him. He then let out an irritated gust of air as he exclaimed, ¡°Bah! I need to wear the right gloves to do this.¡± Liam opened his inventory and pulled out a pair of blacksmithing gloves he got from Fia. ¡°Good thing I saw her today,¡± Liam muttered as he put his other gloves away. ¡°There we go, this should help hold back the fire.¡± He remember Alicia complaining to him that he needed to wear the proper equipment when dealing with different mana types. At least until he got stronger and had better control over his mana. For now, wearing these blacksmithing gloves when dealing with fire like mana. Liam pulled his goggles over his eyes and grinned as he stared at the bottle once more. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again,¡± Liam muttered as he started to concentrate. His mana quickly covered his gloves and slowly started to crawl into the vial. This time his mana didn¡¯t feel the heat as bad like he previously did as his mana connected with the foreign mana. Hell yeah! Liam thought. Now onto the next part. Liam filled the vial with his mana, connecting it all together. Once he finished doing that, he focused on trying to pull the liquid out. It resisted. Liam frowned as he forcefully pulled the liquid out as hard as he could. The fire-like liquid suddenly shot out. This caused Liam to lose his concentration on it, making his mana slip off of the liquid. ¡°Crap!¡± Liam shouted as he shielded himself ready for the liquid to splash against him. After a few seconds had passed and there was no burning sensation from the liquid, Liam brought his hands down and saw the liquid slowly going back into the vial. Shocked at seeing this, Liam just stared. He was trying to comprehend what was going on. It took him longer than he wanted to, to really understand what happened. ¡°The bottle must have some magic or function to pull it back in,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then that explains why it was hard to pull it out.¡± He eyed the bottle once more. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again,¡± Liam said as he placed his hands in position. He pulled his mana out to his gloves and was about to start up again, but then stopped. His mana receded back into him and a massive headache pounded against his head. ¡°Gah!¡± Liam shouted as he brought a hand to his head. ¡°What the hell is going on!?¡± A blue bar blinked at the edge of Liam¡¯s vision. He stared at it and noticed his mana was emptied. ¡°Jesus, I went through all that mana already?¡± Liam said as he pulled a mana potion out and drank it. After he finished downing the contents he stated, ¡°I am so glad I learned how to make mana potions. Now I don¡¯t have to worry about nasty tasting potions anymore.¡± Liam looked back at the bottle and then at the door as he waited for his mana to be replenished. This is tougher than I thought it would be. Liam thought. It¡¯s testing a lot more than I thought it would, and I¡¯m still at the first room. Liam lifted a finger for each thing he listed off in his mind. Mana Channeling, Mana Control, Mana Manipulations, Crafting Stamina, my M.P. and possibly my ability to judge how long I¡¯ll be able to do this. A wide grin started to form on his face as he said with an excited expression, ¡°This is going to be so much fun.¡± He saw his M.P. hit full and got back into position. He didn¡¯t wait and just dove right back into it. Once when his mana fully engulfed the liquid, an idea came to mind. Instead of channeling my mana into all of it¡­I wonder if I could¡­ Liam thought as he pulled some of his mana back and concentrated it on a small portion of the liquid. His mana slowly pushed a bit of the liquid out of the vial. When just a small amount had exited, Liam moved his mana to grip the edge of the Liquid¡¯s mana and slowly pulled it out. Even though Liam¡¯s mana was only touching the edge of the liquid, the rest slowly followed behind. ¡°Yes!¡± Liam grunted as he moved the liquid through the air towards the edge of the slab. He watched as he brought the liquid as close as he could to the open space. He then dropped it down a bit, close to the ground and slowly guiding into the open area. When it connected into it, Liam saw the spot light up and smoke started to sizzle out. He then slowly moved his mana up, tracing over the line and slowly pushing it in. When he got to the top, he stopped and then started to move it to the right. As he reached the end of that line, he felt sweat start to roll down his forehead. This caused his sight to see his mana and stamina getting dangerously close to empty. Shit! I need to finish this! As he thought this, he felt his mana ripple and almost lost control of the liquid. Oh fuck! Liam swiftly regained his control and proceeded to go down the space. It was now a race to finish this without messing up and running out of mana and stamina. He watched the two bars hit the single digits as he reached the last quarter of the frame. Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Liam repeated frantically as he pushed on. Starting to panic, Liam gave one final fast push as his M.P. and Stamina Pool hit zero. A raging migraine pounded against his head as lack of oxygen made him start to pant for air frantically. As he fell to his knees, he kept his eyes on the door, hoping he didn¡¯t mess up at the end. He grew a big grin while gulping for any breath of air he could grasp as he watched the liquid sizzle and smoke within the open space between the slab and archway. After thirty seconds had passed, the glowing light within the open space faded and the slab fell backwards. Liam raised a hand into the air in triumph before falling to his stomach, all out of strength. As he laid on the ground waiting for his strength to return to his body, chime sounds began to echo in his mind. Tutorial 50 - 2nd Challenge: Dodge, Dip, Dive, Duck, and Dodge
¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-Stat Crafter Endurance has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-Stat Crafter Endurance has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Recovery Sub-Stat MP Recovery has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 5%! +5% to recovering mana quicker while in combat.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Recovery Sub-Stat Stamina Recovery has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will Sub-Stat Will Power has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will Sub-Stat Zen has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory ¨C Mana Control has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory ¨C Mana Control has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Knowledge Theory ¨C Mana Control has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 0%!¡±
Liam read through all the level ups he had gained from doing the challenge he had just taken on. His breathing had started to even out as his stamina filled halfway. The pounding he had racking his head had dulled out as well while his mana slowly refilled. ¡°Cut it kind of close there,¡± Liam muttered to himself before a new screen appeared in front of him. The lettering was a greenish color.
¡°Congratulations! You have completed the first challenge!¡±
Liam nodded as he thought to himself, Kind of figured, but it¡¯s always good to get confirmation I guess. After he closed the message out another popped up.
¡°Congratulations on completing the first challenge taking a much harder and unorthodox approach to it. You have gained a reward for completing the challenge with an approach not recognized or designed for the challenge given. Not only that, but you completed the challenge with some of the contents still left over.¡±
Liam¡¯s jaw hung open as he stared at the message. Wha¡­ Liam began to think as his mind tried processing what was in front of him. What does it mean I completed the challenge with an approach not recognized or designed for the challenge? If I wasn¡¯t supposed to do it that way, then how the hell was I supposed to do it! Irritation started to fill Liam the more he stared at the notification. Before he blew a gasket, he let a burst of air and muttered to himself, ¡°Calm down Liam. You were still able to get the job done even though you did it in a way it wasn¡¯t meant to be done.¡± Even though he was giving himself a pep talk to calm down, Liam started to realize he was just frustrating himself even more. One thing did calm him down a bit though. It was the fact that his hard work earned him a reward. As he stood up, Liam whispered, ¡°I wonder what it is.¡± He looked around to see if anything appeared. Nothing new made itself noticed. He then looked at the bottle sitting on the podium. He raised a brow as he walked over and grabbed the stopper. He placed the stopper over the opening, grabbed the bottle by the neck, and lifted it. To his surprise the bottle moved this time with no restraint. ¡°Is this my reward?¡± Liam muttered as he tried analyzing it once more.
¡°Enchanted Runic Bottle of Liquid Fire. Item Type ¨C Alchemic Creation. Item Rarity ¨C Epic. Item Quality ¨C Enhanced. Description ¨C This bottle has been marked with runes to hold the Alchemical Creation, Liquid Fire within it and not let the heat affect the outside of the bottle. An enchantment has been placed to refill the bottle if it runs low of the alchemical creation. Warning, if all contents has been used up the runes and enchantments with cause the bottle to explode, never to be used again.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the description. Even though the assessment read it was an epic rarity and enhanced quality, the first thing Liam thought was, How much was left when I finished the challenge? Liam used his Mana Sight to look inside the bottle. There was a miniscule amount left inside. Barely more than a drop. As Liam peered inside, he noticed the droplet was slowly growing. ¡°How cool is that?¡± Liam stated. ¡°A self-refilling enchantment and runes to contain not just the liquid, but the heat as well?!¡± I really need to learn Enchanting and Rune Crafting. Both of those are going to be game changers it looks like. Liam thought to himself as a grin grew on his face. As he placed the bottle inside his inventory he started to go over what he just did. ¡°So, Mana Manipulation doesn¡¯t just move solid objects,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°This challenge just proved that liquid touched or filled with mana can be manipulated too. Is there a way to do gas forms as well?¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Liam thought it over. ¡°Too many unknowns. Best to focus on what I can do now and experiment later on what I don¡¯t understand then.¡± He then looked at the open door and decided to move on to the next room. His stamina and MP were still a little over half way to full so as he walked, he drank an MP potion and a Stamina Potion to top off his bars. As he entered the next area he was impressed. The width of the room grew more than half of the last room. The length also extended almost a full football field¡¯s worth. Even the ceiling had gone up quite a bit. Yooperlite stones ran along the lines of the wall revealing they were bare. As he scanned the room he noticed there wasn¡¯t much in here either, just like the last room. He looked at the other side of the room and saw the doorway wide open. No slab or door barring it. Liam looked at the ground and saw a white line run from the left wall to the right. It didn¡¯t look special or ominous. It was just a normal line. So once more I get no clues on what to do here. Liam thought as he took a step over the line. As his foot and a small portion of his body passed the line, the room beyond the line turned green. A buzz tingled on the side of Liam¡¯s head, causing him to step back swiftly. As he moved back, a stone sphere the size of a dodgeball flew pass his nose, barely missing it. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Liam shouted as he felt his heart thump hard against his chest. ¡°That came out of nowhere and so fast!¡± Liam placed a hand on his chest and took a couple of slow breathes in and out to help calm it down. Once when he was calmer, he pulled his goggles down over his eyes and looked at the room for more detail. After not seeing much, Liam activated his Mana Sight. Once more, there was nothing. Coming up with an idea, Liam pulled out one of his crude daggers from his inventory. He positioned his legs into a stance, aimed for the other side of the room and then threw as hard as he could. A few things happened as soon as the dagger passed the line on the floor. Through his Mana Sight, the area beyond the line lit up with brown, red, and icy blue colors. As the dagger flew through the air, a few objects appeared. The first was a stone sphere zoomed from the right side of the room to the left right in front of Liam. The second had three sharp icicles close by each other, but not overlapped. They each were at different heights. One at head level, one at knee cap level, and the third was at torso level. The last happened as the dagger fell on the ground. Purplish yellow static electricity spiderwebbed across the tile the dagger landed on. Before Liam could say anything, a column of stone shot up, making the dagger fly into the air. ¡°Okay,¡± Liam started as he continued to stare at the dagger which was bouncing up in an endless loop from the earth spike. ¡°This is a room full of traps. Seeing that I have no clue on how to disable traps I only have one option. Dodge, dip, dive, duck, and dodge.¡± Before Liam moved to stretch his legs, he noticed something behind the dagger that was still stuck in the loop. It was two lines that were spread out with enough room for a person to sit down width wise. ¡°A checkpoint?¡± Liam questioned. He then shrugged as he muttered, ¡°Won¡¯t know till I get there.¡± After he got done stretching he prepared himself by placing his right foot down behind him and his hands in front of him. It was a standing running stance one would get into before getting ready to run. He breathed in a few times to try and calm his nerves. Once when his body felt relaxed he released the last bit of air he took in and then pushed off his back leg going forward. As soon as his body passed the line, a buzzing sensation tingled on his whole right side. He ducked his whole upper body as low as he could without losing any speed and dodged the stone orb. As he took another step his left side tingled with the same sensation. He stomped down and took a step back to dodge another stone sphere from colliding into him. Before another orb could hit him he jumped forward to dodge it. As his feet landed from the jump, Liam sucked his belly in and tried moving his back as far as he could while an icicle flew past him. However, he wasn¡¯t able to fully dodge it as it cut a small line across his stomach. ¡°Damn it!¡± Liam winced as he felt a cold pain across his stomach. He went to place his hand on his stomach, but then stopped as he remembered where he was and couldn¡¯t be lollygagging. However, in that brief moment, a stone orb flew behind him and slid across his back. Even though the object slid across his back, the force of the momentum still felt like it had slammed him on his back and pushed him forward. Liam fell to the ground, face first. Pain splashed all over his back and face, but he pushed his body as hard as he could into the air to dodge an icicle that was zooming towards him from down below. As he came back down and landed on his knees and hands, Liam pushed forward to dodge another two sets of flying icicles. This is so god damn hectic! Liam thought as he dodged a set of stone orbs and icicles by juking backwards and forwards. Each step forward felt like a battle. Every time he took two forward, he took one back to dodge. His body screamed to rest as his bones and muscles ached. Liam dipped and ducked as objects flew above his head. He dove when they zoomed at his stomach and dodged at the ones heading for his knee caps. As his stamina bar reached the last quarter, he noticed the line he saw earlier. Almost there! Liam thought as he panted heavily. His eyes were set on reaching that line at all costs. Each step for that first goal felt like an eternity. Each duck, dive, dip, and dodge made him feel like his body was ready to drop. As he was inches away from the line he remembered something really important. At first, he couldn¡¯t remember, but as his foot stepped down in front of it a faint purplish yellow light came to life. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed as he pushed off his foot and tried to jump the last tile length of the floor in front of him. As his foot came down, he smiled. He had made it over the line. However, a shocking pain zapped up the back of his left foot and zig zagged throughout his body, paralyzing him. He turned his head slightly to see not all of his foot had passed the line. A small section of the back of it was still on the electric trap. He braced for impact from the stone spike that was to come next but sighed in relief. His foot was far enough that the emerging spike shot up missing his foot. The body of the spike pushed his foot forward fully over the line. The paralyzing effect of the trap wore off, fully relaxing Liam¡¯s body. This allowed him to drop to his knees. Liam panted heavily. His body aching all over from the obstacle course he just ran. ¡°That was¡­a lot harder¡­than I¡­thought it¡­would be,¡± Liam said between pants. He looked at his stamina bar and saw how dangerously close it was to empty. He then noticed his health was at the halfway point as well. Those stone orbs and icicles were no joke. Liam thought as he pulled out a health and stamina potion. One wrong move and I would have died. As Liam was thinking, a few chimes echoed in his head. I¡¯ll check them out later. He thought as he looked behind him then back at the path he needed to finish. Once when his breath got under control, he said, ¡°Looks like I ran about half a football field. I¡¯m surprised there isn¡¯t any creatures trying to stop me as I try to run through.¡± He looked back at the dagger that was still being sprung into the air and pulled it towards him with Mana Manipulation. He inspected the weapon and noticed how broken down and chipped it had become. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re on your last leg,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Thank you for your help. I¡¯ll need you to do this one last thing for me before you are completely destroyed.¡± Liam brought his arm back behind him, aimed for the door, and then threw as hard as he could into the air. As the dagger passed the next line, the area lit up with the same colors as the last area. However, instead of stone orbs flying from one side to the next, Stone figures suddenly appeared every five yards with icicles, waves of electricity bouncing around, and jets of fire moving in a circular motion like a jump rope appeared in the space between the figures. Liam was shocked by what he was seeing, but was even more surprised as the last open section suddenly made the dagger plunge into the ground. Gravity?! Liam thought. There¡¯s a gravity trap at the end before the final figure? ¡°This challenge is no joke,¡± Liam muttered as he continued to stare wide eyed. The elemental traps stopped, but the figures continued to stand there, waiting. ¡°How, in god¡¯s name, am I supposed to do this?¡± Liam asked himself as he went over ideas in his mind. This trial seems to challenge most of my Dexterity sub-stats. Liam began to think. I would believe that to be fully true, but I think there¡¯s more this trial wants me to challenge and learn. Liam replayed the last half of the room he had ran through. It really pushed his dexterity sub-stats, but that¡¯s not the only thing it also challenged. He needed to be focused, adaptable, and react quicker. Reflexes? Liam thought. No. Not just fully on my reflexes, but my agility as well. What do I have that utilizes both of those to get past those guys? As he thought of his list of skills, abilities, and knowledge he remembered something he did have that didn¡¯t rely on any of those. His Weapon Arts relied on nothing but his dexterity stats. Mainly his Agility and Reflexes since he couldn¡¯t form them into an actual skill. ¡°It might work,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°It will all depend on how those statues move. If they move at all.¡± He stared at the first statue and then shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no point trying to think about ifs. There¡¯s only one thing to do and that¡¯s to go forward.¡± Liam steadied his breathing as he stretched his arms and legs. The soreness from earlier had disappeared, but he knew he¡¯d be feeling it tomorrow after a night¡¯s rest. He got into a runner¡¯s stance, took one more breath in. As he unleashed it, Liam bolted forward. As he passed the line three icicles shot towards him. The two that were on the outside were hip level while the middle one was flying towards his head. As the icicles were flying, the stone statue that was at the five yard mark scurried to stand in Liam¡¯s line of sight without moving from the five yard mark. Liam stopped as quickly as he could and ducked. All three icicles flew behind, in front, and over him. Once when it was clear, Liam side stepped as quickly as he could. The statue followed his movements to block his path. After the icicles crashed into the wall, a new set of three icicles shot towards Liam from his left. Liam took a step forward in a thirty degree angle to his left bringing the statue with him. However as soon as his foot touched down, Liam pushed off of it and juked to his right. As Liam appeared on the right side of the statue, Liam noticed it bring a leg up and kick him back. Liam flew back behind the line he had passed and almost rolled out from the other side. Liam let out a cough as he sprawled on the ground. God damn that hurt! Liam thought as he brought himself back up. He stared at the statue and said, ¡°Note to self, those things not only hurt, but are fast. How the hell am I going to get past this.¡± Liam continued to stare at the statue trying to think of something. After mulling it over he let out a frustrated sigh and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m just going to have to try and be faster.¡± He cracked his neck and bounced a bit. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said. ¡°Round two.¡± Tutorial 51 - Challenging your body’s limitations Liam ran forward again and repeated the steps he performed before getting kicked by the statue. As he juked the statue to the right once more, he watched for the kick it performed to knock him back. As the statue threw his kick at Liam, he dropped to his knees and slid across the ground while arching his back. As he performed this, he watched the statue¡¯s leg go over his head. Liam smiled as he felt triumphant over this, but that feeling quickly disappeared as a purplish-yellow color filled up the area he had entered. He looked to his right then left to see where the lightning bolt was going to start bouncing from but failed to catch it in time as it appeared from the middle. A small bit of static from the bolt hit Liam¡¯s left leg and ran up his body. He felt his muscles tense up from the attack, but he was lucky enough to not get paralyzed from it. He took this chance to run forward, but then stopped as the next statue appeared in front of him. Liam took a step forward towards the statue and placed his right foot down in front of it. As soon as his foot touched down, Liam¡¯s left hand reached over to the left side of the statue. As the statue reacted to his hand, Liam spun in the opposite direction and made it passed it. Before he could celebrate internally, Liam quickly jumped up to dodge a jet of constant fire that rotated clockwise, like he was jump roping. Liam took this moment to think about how he was going to get past this part. Before he could dwell on it, the flame started to grow bigger. Crap, can¡¯t dawdle here for too long. Liam thought as he jumped once more then ran at a forty five degree angle to the left. As he ran and jumped to dodge the flame, he watched the statue bolting to intercept him. Liam jumped once more to dodge the flame rope. As his feet touched the ground he slid and placed a hand on the ground. He gripped his hand and feet as much as he could and changed directions to get behind the statue. He barely dodged it as the statue changed directions and tried to block his entry. Liam¡¯s breathed heavily as he continued to keep this up for another twenty five yards. Each Statue he passed got harder and harder to trick. However, with each trap and statue he had passed he felt he was starting to get a better feel of the danger sensation. He was starting to get an understanding how it worked and how dangerous or less dangerous something was when it was about to collide with him. Not only that, but the spots where the attacks were aiming for were starting to become a lot clearer instead of a vagueness of where it was going to land. That sensation wasn¡¯t the only thing he was getting a better understanding of. He was starting to use his agility and reflexes better with each yard he passed. Ever since he came to this world, he felt like his body¡¯s movements were sluggish and a little harder to adjust to. Back on Earth, juking, dodging, pivoting was really easy. Here on Paracosm, it felt like he really needed to relearn how to move. This challenge was helping him understand his limits, where he needed to improve, and what he was currently capable of. It really felt like this challenge was meant to help him fine tune and readjust his old understanding of his body to properly move his current body. Liam was enjoying this challenge full heartily and thought he would be able to pass the last ten yards with ease until he passed into the forty yard line. As soon as he entered the area, the danger sense he had suddenly buzzed on the top of his head. Before he could do anything, a heavy pressure slammed down upon him making him drop to a knee. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed. I forgot about the gravity area. Liam thought as he looked to his left and right to see if anything was coming. Luckily for him nothing was flying at him from the sides. Liam pushed back up to his feet as he faced forward. This statue is going to be a bit harder than the last few. Liam thought as he took a step forward. It feels like someone cast Gravitational Force Increase on me, but the force pressing down feels like its stronger than that. The force pressing down on him slowed his movements considerably as he took another step. It felt like he was trudging knee deep in sludge. The amount of time it took Liam to get as close as he could to the second to last statue made him feel like an eternity had passed. The statue stood in front of him with its hands on its sides. Not wanting to wait, Liam decided to try and get by it, by juking to his right. This, however, was a failure as the statue was able to not only keep up with him, but also punched Liam across his face. The force behind the punch made Liam fall backwards onto his back. ¡°Ow,¡± Liam groaned as he lay on the ground. ¡°God damn that punch hurt.¡± He went over what had happened. His movements felt so slow that even though the danger sensation he grew to understand told him where the punch was going, he was still unable to move properly to dodge it. How in the hell am I supposed to get passed this? Liam thought as he started to get annoyed. He felt his frustration start to cloud his thoughts as he stared at the gravity debuff and back at the statue. The more he stared the more he just wanted to rush forward and force his way through. He got up and stomped his way over to the statue, but before he could do something stupid, a voice in the back of his mind whispered, Calm down. He froze before he took another step. ¡°Calm down?¡± Liam muttered as he looked forward with a confused look. Liam shook his head trying to get his frustration under control. He knew he needed to calm down to think this through properly. However, his annoyance and frustration at hitting this wall wouldn¡¯t shake away. Calm down Liam. Liam thought to himself as he took a deep breath in. The deep breath didn¡¯t work either. As he released the gust of air quickly and forcefully he decided to do what he learned to do when his annoyance and frustration flared up. He tried to calm the storm. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Calm the storm. Liam said in his mind as he closed his eyes. His frustration slowly dissipated. Calm the Storm. Liam repeated. His annoyance started to slowly disappear as well. Calm the storm. Liam¡¯s mind calmed down even more. Once his mind became tranquil, he felt something within him start to stir. It started at the center of his body and then pulsed out throughout his veins. His bones and muscles, as sore as they were, hummed as this sensation touched them as well. Liam tried to think what this was. It didn¡¯t feel like a power building up nor some sort of emotion. Instead, it felt like his body wanted to move on its own. Like some sort of autopilot. Not wanting to fight this and eager to see where this would lead to, Liam allowed his body to move on its own as he opened his eyes. Liam pulled the two daggers from his hip sheath while he calmly and slowly took a step forward. Liam noticed he held both his daggers in a normal grip. When he was in attacking range of the statue, his right hand pulled back enough to turn his body a bit and then swung for the neck, with the curved end at a downwards forty five degree angle. The statue brought his hand back and then palm thrusted it against Liam¡¯s wrist to push it back. Liam felt the power in that thrust and almost yelled at the pain, however, Liam¡¯s body used the momentum to spin around and rammed the pommel against the statue¡¯s head. This made the statue stagger a bit to the left. However, it was still able to throw a palm thrust at Liam¡¯s face with its right hand. Liam tilted his head to the left to dodge it. As he did this, his right hand switched his grip on his dagger into a reverse grip, then hook the curved edge into the section where the statue¡¯s arm and shoulder connected. Liam then felt his right leg snake around the statue¡¯s left and hooked it as well. He then pulled himself swiftly behind the statue. As he somehow expertly made it behind the statue, Liam¡¯s eyes saw a purplish-yellow color spark to life as a small stream of electricity emerged from the ground and made its way towards him. Liam placed his hands on the statue¡¯s back before repositioning his feet behind the it¡¯s knee caps. Even with the gravity debuff still going on, Liam pushed off of the statue with his back arching. As he did this, three icicles shot at him. The icicles flew under him as he soared over them. Liam landed, crouching, in front of the last statue with his back towards it. However, Liam quickly jumped rolled forward over a jet stream of fire that shot out, connecting to the other side, and started to circulate in a circle towards him. Liam rolled to his feet and quickly jumped to his right to dodge a stone spike that suddenly emerged from the ground. He then jumped back, spun around, and jumped into the air again to dodge both a stone orb that had flown at him and the jump rope of flames. Three set of icicles shot out again. They came to him in the same formation as the previous areas they were in. Two at knee cap level and the middle one at head height. Instead of ducking in the middle to dodge them all, Liam twisted his body and angled it enough to fit within the gap between the back icicle and the middle. He timed it so he could follow the middle icicle as it flew by. Before it could get away, Liam gripped it while still spinning. He kept the momentum of the icicle going by redirecting its path at the statue¡¯s head. The impact of the icicle hitting it caused the statute to falter, back. Liam¡¯s autopilot took the opportunity to rush at the statue, with the flaming rope coming at him hot. The statue went to reposition itself to intercept Liam, but as it went to palm thrust, the statue froze. A dagger appeared from behind it, across its stony throat. Everything in front of the statue ceased all movements. The fiery rope puffed out, the icicles melted away, and the stone spikes and statues crumbled to the ground. Liam breathed heavily. As the autopilot ceased functioning, Liam felt his body give way and he dropped to the ground. Throat dry and on fire, Liam opened an eye to see his stamina bar at zero. I don¡¯t know what the hell that was. Liam began to think. But that consumes way too much stamina way too fast. Liam¡¯s eyes looked at the stretch of room he had gone through while gasping for air. He let out a cough as a bit of sand drifted into his mouth. He moved his hand to pull out a water bottle, but he found that trying to move his arm was difficult. His bones and muscles screamed and complained. He didn¡¯t want to move, but he knew he needed water quickly. Through sheer will power, Liam pulled a water bottle out, sat up, and drank it greedily. He knew it was bad to drink a lot of water as quickly as he could after doing all that, but he didn¡¯t care. He needed it. While he drank as much water as he could, chimes echoed in his mind. Since I¡¯m no longer in the middle of the trial, I should probably check out what sub-stats just leveled up. Liam thought as he brought up the notifications.
¡°Congratulations! You have completed the 2nd challenge!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body stat Constitutions Sub-stat Resilience has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Agility has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Agility has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 11%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Reflex has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Speed has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 7%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 42%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck Sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will Sub-stat Will Power has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will Sub-stat Will Power has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will Sub-stat Zen has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received a new Ailment Resistance - Paralyze!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Paralyze has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Paralyze has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 0%!¡± ¡°Description of Ailment Resistance ¨C Paralyze ¨C Through amounts of lightning being shocked into your system your body has begun to form a resistance to it. The higher you level this, the harder it will be to paralyze you through shock of lightning or electricity.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Due to having a better understanding of your Reflex Sub-stat you have received the ability Danger Sense! Danger Sense has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 5%!¡± ¡°Danger Sense ¨CAbility to sense incoming danger around certain areas of the body. Raise this ability to be able to accurately sense where the danger is aimed and how powerful it is. Skill Type ¨C Passive.¡±
Liam stared at the description of his new Ailment Resistance. He was trying to figure out how he got it, but then remembered what happened at the last bit of the first half of the trial as well as the instance during the second half. ¡°Huh,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Well now I know why I didn¡¯t get paralyzed that time.¡± He looked at his hand and added, ¡°Still, that lightning trap sucked. Like the poison I¡¯ve had running through me, that lightning hurt like hell!¡± Liam stared at his new passive ability, Danger Sense. He remembered Nabal talking to him about the buzzing sensation he felt when he was training with him and how it relates to his reflexes. During this challenge it really felt like he was understanding the ability as he went through the hardships of dodging the traps and statues. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would get it as an ability, much less it being a passive one,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Oh well, its still a big score.¡± Liam closed his notifications and laid down again on his back. He stared at the bare stone ceiling above him and muttered, ¡°If my challenges are this hard, I wonder how the others are doing.¡± He started to feel a bit worried, but then shook his head. ¡°I know they¡¯ll get by just fine,¡± Liam said with a small grin. ¡°They¡¯re tougher than they look. Including Artem, that teddy bear of a guy might seem like he can¡¯t handle things, but he¡¯s tough when it comes down to it.¡± Liam eyed his stamina bar and noticed it reached a quarter full. ¡°I¡¯ll just rest a bit here before moving on to the next area,¡± Liam said as he made the decision. ¡°A little rest will help my body out.¡± Tutorial 52 - 3rd Challenge: Simon says? Liam sighed as he stood in front of the open door. He was doing some stretches to help ease the soreness and achiness running through his body. The pain he had felt earlier had already subsided, but he wasn¡¯t sure what to expect in the next room. Steeling himself, Liam walked down the corridor and entered the next room. This room was a bit simpler than the last one. It was the same width as the last one but wasn¡¯t as long. The ceiling, however, was a bit higher and had four colored Yooperlite stones hanging from the ceiling. The one on the far right was red. The next one was white. The third was a purplish yellow. The far left one was blue. Compared to the lit up ones on the walls, these four had no light in them. He looked forward and saw a doorway with a slab blocking the way out. On the Archway around the door were four unlit Yooperlite stones. ¡°Okay,¡± Liam said, drawing out the word as he looked at the room puzzling. A platform with a stone table suddenly rose up in front of Liam after he took a couple of steps inside. On the stone table were four buttons matching the colors of the hanging Yooperlite stones. As Liam started to inspect the buttons, something caught his eye and ears. The hanging Yooperlite stones were flashing separately and at different times. Each light made a different noise when it lit back up. Confused, Liam watched until they stopped. Even more confused, he looked at the buttons then back at the hanging stones. They didn¡¯t light back up. ¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered before he pressed the blue button. A loud buzzer noise echoed in the room as a sudden bucket worth of water dropped on Liam¡¯s head. ¡°What the hell!?¡± Liam exclaimed shaking his arms and legs. He glared at the buttons and the hanging stones while thinking, What the fuck am I supposed to do? As he looked back up he saw the stones light up once more. Each making, what Liam was now able to hear, as musical notes. He watched the lights lit up in a certain sequence. Red, blue, purplish-yellow, red, red, white, white, purplish-yellow. Once when the last one light up they stopped. Liam looked at the buttons again and thought, Am I supposed to recreate the sequence? Liam shrugged. Worth a shot, I guess. Liam repeated what he saw as he pushed the buttons in the order he remembered. Red, blue, purplish-yellow, red, red, white, white, purplish-yellow. After he pushed the last button he looked up and saw one of the Yooperlite Stones on the archway lit up. ¡°Huh,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a game of Simon says with Yooperlite stones.¡± A grin formed on his face as he added, ¡°A simple game like this shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± As he said this, the next sequence began. Long red, short blue, two white, a long white, very short purplish-yellow, three whites, red, red. ¡°A bit more complicated, but manageable I think,¡± Liam said as he began. Long red, short blue, two white, a long white. He went to push the purplish-yellow button, but then a loud buzzer sound echoed in the room. ¡°What?!¡± Liam shouted in complaint. Before he could say anymore, a bolt of lightning suddenly crashed into him, shocking his whole body. After the pain and slight numbing went away Liam complained, ¡°What the hell happened there?! I know a pushed the right color so why did I still get zapped?¡± Liam went over in his head what he did. After thinking about it he muttered, ¡°Maybe I held it down a bit longer than I was supposed to?¡± As Liam came back from his thoughts, he noticed something was off along the archway of the closed door. After a minute of staring at it he realized what was different. ¡°Mother fucker,¡± Liam cursed. The Yooperlite stone that had lit up after finishing the first round was dim again. ¡°So, if I mess up then I have to restart again?¡± Liam said as he glared at the door. He crossed his arms and pouted as he said with a childish tone, ¡°This is stupid.¡± A couple of sounds went off as the Yooperlite stones light up in a sequence. ¡°Ah crap!¡± Liam shouted as he unfolded his arms and looked up. ¡°I can¡¯t lose focus I¡¯m still in the middle of this challenge.¡± The Yooperlite stones stopped shortly after Liam paid attention again. Shit! Liam swore mentally as he looked at the buttons. What was the order again? Blue, red white, white? Liam shook his head. No. That¡¯s not right. As Liam started to panic internally as he tried to desperately remember the order, the hanging Yooperlite stones lit back up. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam said with a puzzled look. It was repeating the order again. ¡°Is there,¡± Liam started as he watched the sequence stop. ¡°Is there no time limit on how fast I need to get it done?¡± Liam waited to see if the hanging stones would light back. After a couple of minutes had passed, they started back up again. Liam smiled. ¡°That¡¯s helpful.¡± He waited once more for the order to reappear. Once when it did, Liam pushed the buttons in the order he remembered. Red, blue, purplish-yellow, red, red, white, white, purplish-yellow. Liam saw one of the Yooperlite on the archway light back up. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Sweet,¡± Liam whispered as he smiled and looked back up at the hanging stones. Long red, short blue, two white, a long white, very short purplish-yellow, three whites, red, red. When it stopped, Liam tried to repeat what he could remember to himself, ¡°Long red, short blue, two red.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No that¡¯s not right.¡± Before he said the order again the stone lit back up. Long red, short blue, two white, a long white, very short purplish-yellow, three whites, red, red. ¡°Ah its two white not red,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what I can remember. Long red, short blue, two white, a long white, very short...blue?¡± Liam shook his head again. He didn¡¯t feel like it was right. He waited again for the order to make its appearance again. Liam watched the stones light up its sequence three more times. By the third time he was whispering the order along with the stones, making sure he had it. After this run through, Liam felt confident. He pushed the buttons in the order he could remember. Long red, short blue, two white, a long white, very short purplish-yellow, three whites, red, red. Liam braced himself in case he got it wrong. When nothing happened, he looked at the archway and saw a second stone had lit up. Liam did a short celebration by gripping his right hand and pulling it towards his side. The third sequence started bringing Liam¡¯s attention to it. As he watched, the smile he had slowly grew into a baffled one as his jaw slowly opened. ¡°How in the hell is that fair?¡± Liam questioned as he tried to remember it. When he couldn¡¯t remember it all he looked back at the hanging stones and waited for it to start back up. He watched again, but got mixed up counting how many times he had to push one color in a short time. The third time he counted the first part and focused on that. By the fourth time, he had the six short reds memorized and got to the tenth color before getting mixed up. As he waited for the fifth go around nothing happened. He gave a puzzling looked before he heard a timer start to tick. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Liam shouted as he tried to push the buttons to what he remembered. Six short red, white, two blue, red. A loud buzzer sound echoed in the room. ¡°Oh crap!¡± Liam shouted a s he jumped back to dodge a jet of fire shot down where he stood. Liam grew a smile as he was proud that he got out in time, but then frowned as water suddenly drenched him from above. Liam glared at the hanging lights. He wasn¡¯t happy that a second trap was waiting for him after dodging the first. He let out a sigh as he shook the water off of himself. ¡°Back to the second round,¡± Liam grumbled. After the lights made its way through the sequence, Liam pushed the order he remembered. Long red, short blue, two white, a long white, very short purplish-yellow, three whites, red, red. ¡°At least I remembered that one,¡± Liam muttered under his breath. Unhappy with how this was going, Liam added, ¡°So it will only let me watch the order five times. Got it.¡± Liam watched as the Hanging stones went through the third round of sequences. He tried to do what he did with the second round sequence and felt a bit confident by the time the fifth watch through came. ¡°Ok so its,¡± Liam started as he said the colors as he pushed the buttons. ¡°Six short red, white, two blue, two white.¡± As he finished the second white, his mind went blank. A look of panic appeared as he said, ¡°Crap, what was next?!¡± A loud buzzer sound echoed in the room. Liam jumped back again to dodge an icicle that shot down where he stood. He jumped back once more in case water dropped on him and was elated when that missed him too. ¡°Ha!¡± Liam shouted. Liam¡¯s danger sense blared on top of his head, but it was too late for him to react as a small lightning bolt zapped him. After the paralyzing effect disappeared Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. He walked up to the table and started pushing the sequence to the second round, but then tensed as he realized he pushed the blue button instead of the white button. Frustration filled him as he stood there, allowing the water to pour over him. He let out a sigh as he muttered, ¡°Simon says is easy I said. I¡¯ll fly through it I thought.¡± He let out a burst of anger as he shouted, ¡°How the hell is this easy!¡± Liam panted after releasing that burst of anger. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He then reprimanded himself by saying, ¡°Trying to rush through it is only going to hurt you and you¡¯re progress, Liam.¡± He cracked his neck and shook his arms. ¡°You just need to focus. You got this.¡± Liam then placed his goggles back over his eyes and stared at the hanging stones. After the first sequence finished he pressed the buttons in the correct order. Once when he was done with that the second sequence began. Liam got through the second sequence easily this time. ¡°Now come on you bastard,¡± Liam muttered as he watched the third sequence light up. After watching it go through twice, Liam attempted to try it out. Six short red, white, two blue, two white, pause. Six short red, white, two blue, two white, purplish-yellow, long purplish-yellow. When nothing happened, Liam raised a hand in the air and yelled, ¡°Hell yeah!¡± He then flinched as the lights repeated what he pressed and gave the order a familiar tune. Liam stared at the stones for a moment and said, ¡°Did it just have me do the beginning part of Inspector Gadget?¡± Liam shook his head as he thought to himself, Nah, there¡¯s no way it did. He then prepared himself for, what he hoped was, the last round of this. As Liam watched the lights go through its sequence, he had a thought. I didn¡¯t notice before till the last round, but maybe I should also try focusing on the sound. It might help me get through this quicker. Forgoing the first round of listening due to his random thought process, Liam waited for the second listen attempt to begin. Nothing happened. ¡°Oh no,¡± Liam groaned as a ticking sound started to echo. He waited for the timer to end and took another bolt of lightning to his head. After he shook of the pain from the bolt, he inwardly chastised himself for not paying attention. He got ready to watch the third round sequence, but he not only watched, but listened as well. Liam stared blankly at the hanging stones before pressing the order he not only saw but heard as well. After it confirmed he pressed the buttons in the right order, it played back the tune he just did. ¡°It is the beginning part of Inspector Gadget!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going crazy!¡± Liam shook his head as he mentally prepared himself for the final round. Okay, what tune are you going to have play this time for Simon Says. He thought as he listened and watched the colors to the final round. After the sequence finished Liam once more stared at the hanging stones in disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± Liam said in shock. ¡°Its not true¡­is it? There¡¯s just no way the challenge just¡­¡± Liam stopped himself as he heard the timer start to tick down. Shaking his head, Liam pressed the buttons in the same order he saw them. However, he decided to sing along to test out what he believed the challenge made him play. Five very short white, two red, blue, pause. Five very short white, two red, purplish-yellow, pause. Five very short white, two red, blue, purplish-yellow, long purplish-yellow, long purplish-yellow. ¡°Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you,¡± Liam sang in a whisper. The hanging Yooperlite stones all lit up and flashed like a disco ball as sounds started to play the entire song. It was, in fact, the song from Liam¡¯s home world, Earth. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a fucking Dungeon Floor just Rick Rolled me,¡± Liam stated with disbelief. He then noticed the Yooperlite stone along the archway all lit up. The slab blocking the way to the next area slid down. A notification appearing in front of him.
¡°Congratulations! You have completed the 3rd Challenge!¡±
Liam shook his head as he closed the notification while making his way to the door. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen it all now,¡± Liam muttered, not wanting to stay another second in the room. As he walked towards the door, multiple chimes echoed in his mind. He pulled up the notification boxes and read what they said.
¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Intelligence Sub-stat Mental Absorption has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Intelligence Sub-stat Mental Absorption has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Intelligence Sub-stat Mental Absorption has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Intelligence Sub-stat Perception has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 60%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Wisdom Sub-stat Common Sense has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Paralyze has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 43%!¡±
Liam stopped moving right in front of the archway as he stared at his notifications. After all, the memorizing would level his Mental Absorption which helped with memory. Also having to make sure to keep his sight on the constant changes no matter if they were obvious or subtle helped level his Perception. The one he was really confused about was why his Common Sense leveled. ¡°What was Common Sense about again?¡± Liam asked himself as he pulled up the description from his stat page.
¡°Common Sense ¨C This Sub-stat helps people understand cultures, what and when it is best to say something and what and when not to. It also helps a person know where certain things come from.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he stared at the description. He was thoroughly confused now. Why would it level here? Liam asked himself. There was nothing cultur¡­ ¡°Oh god damn it!¡± Liam shouted as realization struck. He turned around to face the room. ¡°You god damn trolling challenge room! You can go to hell!¡± He then turned away and stomped out of the room in a huff. Tutorial 53 - 4th Challenge: Am I the plant against these Zombies? Liam felt the heat coming off him as he walked down the corridor. That last room really made him mad. ¡°God damn stupid ass room,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°I swear if I ever find the one who made that room, I will punch them so hard they¡¯ll regret doing that.¡± Liam stopped and took a deep breath in. He knew it was pointless getting upset. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d find the one responsible if it was even made by a person. Once when he calmed down, he proceeded to the next room. As he entered the room, he noticed the length of it looked to be about fifty yards, but Liam couldn¡¯t tell. There were three line running down the floor of the room, separating it into four evened sections. Sitting at the end of the room closest to Liam were four brown bags. Each bag had a number from one to four, in front of them on the floor and from left to right. At the other end was a closed door. Yooperlite stones gave the room enough lighting but not a lot. ¡°Hm,¡± Liam said as he approached the first bag close to him. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± He opened it to see small daggers resting inside. He went to the next bag and saw the same thing. The third and fourth bags also had small daggers in them. ¡°What am I supposed to do with these?¡± Liam asked with a puzzling expression. As he pondered on what to do, something caught the corner of his eyes. As he turned to see what it was, Liam¡¯s brows furrowed. Four black portals appeared within each of the four sections on the other side of the room. As Liam squinted to get a better look, something emerged from the portal within the second section. It was a greenish-grey hand. As the arm started to come out, Liam noticed some of the flesh was missing. As the rest of the body came out, Liam knew what it was. It was a fucking zombie. Liam assessed the creature as it slowly walked down the second lane towards him.
¡°Rotted Zombie. 25/25 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
Liam¡¯s right brow rose as he stared at it. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam walked to the bag resting in the second row. He grabbed a dagger from the bag and looked at the zombie who was now twenty yards away. He aimed for the zombie and tossed the dagger. He watched as the dagger flew towards it and sunk into its chest. A notification appeared after hitting the creature.
¡°Dagger hit Rotted Zombie for 10 damage.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen this,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Ten damage huh?¡± He grabbed another dagger and threw it at the zombie. As the second dagger hit the zombie in the chest again, the creature let out a pained groan before falling to the ground.
¡°You have hit Rotted Zombie for 15 damage.¡±
The Rotted Zombie suddenly disappeared as the two daggers he threw laid on the ground. Still confused with what was going on, Liam watched the other side of the room and waited. He didn¡¯t have to wait for long as two more Rotted Zombies appeared. One in the first lane and the other in the fourth. Liam walked over to the bag in the first row and grabbed a dagger. He aimed for it and tossed the dagger. The dagger flew and sunk into the arm of the Zombie.
¡°Dagger hit Rotted Zombie for 5 damage.¡±
¡°What!¡± Liam protested. ¡°Only five damage?¡± As Liam grabbed another dagger from the bag and aimed at the creature he thought to himself, If I had to guess, each body part that is struck receives different amounts of damage. If that¡¯s the case, then how much does the head receive? Liam locked in on the Zombie¡¯s head, lowered his stance, pulled his arm back, and then released as hard as he could. The dagger soared swiftly at the Zombie and plunged right into its head.
¡°Dagger hit Rotted Zombie for 25 damage.¡±
¡°Bingo,¡± Liam smiled before looking at the other zombie. The Zombie in the fourth lane had just reached the twenty yard area, making Liam jog over there. He grabbed a dagger from the bag, aimed, and threw as hard as he could. The dagger swiftly sunk into the Zombie¡¯s head, making it fall to the ground. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Liam shouted.
¡°Dagger hit Zombie for 27 damage.¡±
¡°Twenty seven damage huh?¡± Liam said as he looked at the portals. Three more Zombies emerged. One in the second, third and fourth lanes. Since Liam was already in front of the fourth lane, he decided to go for that zombie. Feeling good about how it was going, Liam grabbed the dagger from the bag and threw it without aiming properly. The dagger flew, but missed the zombie as it went too far to the right and slammed against the wall. Liam stared at it. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Liam muttered as he grabbed another dagger, ¡°No one saw that.¡± Liam took his time aiming properly as he threw each dagger at the Zombies. After the last zombie fell, Liam got a feel for what this trial was challenging. It felt like it was challenging his power and fine motor sub-stats. He was having fun taking down Zombies from one end of the room by throwing daggers at them. However, a thought occurred as he waited for the next set of Zombies. Doing this reminds me of a certain mobile game I used to play. Liam thought. The thought nagged at him for a brief moment before he shouted, ¡°Am I seriously the plant against these zombies in this trail!¡± As he shouted this a new notification appeared.
¡°First wave completed. Second wave starts in ten seconds. Caution: More Zombies will appear faster.¡±
¡°I am, aren¡¯t I!¡± Liam complained as he watched the daggers suddenly disappear and reappear in the bags. ¡°Well at least they replenish each wave,¡± Liam grumbled. ¡°Do I at least get some cool things to use besides daggers?¡± Before Liam could say anything else, four zombies entered the room from each portal. ¡°Oh, come on! How is that fair?!¡± Liam shouted. As Liam pulled out a dagger from the number two bag, something shone up on the ceiling. Liam took a look at it and saw a red stone hanging from a thin rope. It was positioned above the third lane and a bit farther up from the zombies. Coming up with a theory and wanting to test it out, Liam aimed while waiting for the Zombies to get into range under the stone. Once when they lined up and were right under it, Liam tossed the dagger, but missed the rope. ¡°Damn it,¡± Liam whispered as he got another dagger, aimed and threw it once more. This time the dagger cut through the rope and dropped the stone right behind the Zombie. The stone shattered, revealing it was a fragile crystal instead of a stone and shot a jet of fire across all four lanes, catching the zombies on fire. After two seconds had passed, all four zombies dropped to the ground, leaving a small bit of fire where they died. ¡°Ok, I won¡¯t complain anymore,¡± Liam grinned. ¡°That was cool.¡± Before he could say anything else, two Zombies appeared from the second lane and fourth lane portals. Liam moved over to the fourth lane and threw a dagger right between the eyes of the zombie. As he made it to the second lane, three more zombies appeared from the first, second, and fourth portal. ¡°Jesus, it wasn¡¯t kidding when it said they would come faster,¡± Liam stated as he threw a dagger hitting the shoulder of the zombie in the second lane. Liam clicked his tongue as he finished the zombie off with a dagger to the head. After that zombie had dropped he focused on the one that appeared behind it. He then made his way to the first lane and went to finish off that zombie. As Liam killed the zombie from the first lane, three more zombies arrived in the first, third, and fourth lanes. ¡°Damn it,¡± Liam cursed as he tried to figure a plan out. The fire that had dropped earlier already disappeared, revealing that the flames were on a timer. An icy blue crystal suddenly appeared hanging above the line between the third and fourth lane. Liam threw a dagger at it and watched as it exploded sending a wave of ice, freezing the zombies in the third and fourth lane. ¡°Nice!¡± Liam shouted as he focused on the zombie in the first lane. After he killed that zombie, Liam three a dagger at the first zombie in the third lane and watched it shatter not only that one, but the one behind it. ¡°Double kill!¡± Liam shouted with a chuckle. He made it to the fourth lane and went to throw a dagger at the creature, but the ice freezing it thawed as the dagger hit the shoulder of the zombie. ¡°Damn it, wasn¡¯t quick enough,¡± Liam chastised. Without waiting, Liam threw another and finished it off. Liam breathed a bit heavily as he waited for the next zombie to appear, but instead a notification popped up.
¡°Second wave completed. Third wave starts in ten seconds. Caution: More Zombies will appear faster as well as a new type of zombie.¡±
Liam stared at the notification and questioned, ¡°What does it mean a new type of Zombie?¡± Liam drank a stamina potion to replenish his Stamina bar and waited for the next wave. After the timer ticked down, a weird looking zombie stepped out of the portal in the second lane. This zombie crouched down and looked around the room. The color of its skin was greyer than green and had no eyes nor a bottom jaw. Its arms were lankier while its legs were shorter. Its fingers were longer than normal as well with the nail-like claws. Liam assessed the creature.
¡°Shredding Zombie. 35/35 Hp. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°Shredding Zombie?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you got.¡± Liam aimed for the Zombie. When he got a lock on the creature¡¯s head, he threw the dagger. Before the dagger could collide against the creature¡¯s head, it backhanded the dagger away. ¡°What the hell?¡± Liam said as the zombie let out a screech. After it screamed it started to make its way down the lane on all fours. Liam didn¡¯t wait as he threw another dagger. Once more the Zombie swiped at it, parrying the dagger away. ¡°What the hell!¡± Liam yelled feeling frustrated. ¡°How am I supposed to kill this thing?¡± As he complained a second one appeared in the fourth lane. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Liam shouted. Feeling his annoyance build up, Liam grabbed a dagger and threw it at the zombie who appeared in the fourth lane. He watched as the dagger soared from the second lane to the back end of the fourth. To Liam¡¯s surprise, the Shredding Zombie didn¡¯t react to it as the dagger sank into its skull, killing it. Dumbfounded, Liam looked at the one making its way to him. ¡°Hm, I wonder,¡± Liam muttered as he made his way to the fourth lane. He grabbed a dagger from the bag, aimed for the shredding zombie in the second lane, and then threw it. Like the one he killed before, the dagger collided into the creature¡¯s skull, killing it. ¡°So, I have to throw from a different lane in order to kill you,¡± Liam said with a smile. ¡°I guess checks and balances are back on the table.¡± As Liam said this, four zombies appeared from each portal. A Rotted Zombie in the second and fourth lane and a Shredding Zombie in the first and third. ¡°Game on,¡± Liam muttered to himself. Liam prioritized the Shredding Zombies first. As he threw a dagger at the one from the first lane from the fourth, Liam frowned. He watched as the dagger collided into the Rotted Zombie who had walked right into it. ¡°Damn it,¡± Liam started as he grabbed another dagger. ¡°I didn¡¯t take into consideration that the other zombies would get in the way.¡± Liam threw it and saw the dagger hit the creature in the chest. After the dagger landed, the creature let out a screech, making the other do the same. ¡°Shit! They¡¯re on the move!¡± Liam shouted as he aimed and threw the dagger hitting the Shredding Zombie from the first lane in the head, killing it. Liam swiftly aimed for the Shredding zombie in the third lane and threw the dagger. He thought the dagger was going to miss until the zombie stepped right into the dagger¡¯s path. ¡°Head shot,¡± Liam muttered feeling victorious. He then focused on the last Rotted Zombie. Four more zombies appeared as he went to kill the zombie from the third lane. This time they were all Rotted Zombies. As all four zombies started walking, four more appeared behind them. Again, they were all Rotted Zombies. As this next set of zombies emerged, two blue crystals appeared as well. One in between the first and second lane in the back, the second between the third and fourth lane in the back. Without hesitation Liam threw a dagger at each of the crystals and watched as they filled the back four lanes with water. Confused, Liam stared at the water. ¡°What was the purpose of that?¡± Liam frowned as he restarted throwing daggers at the zombies in front of him. Try as he might, he aimed for the heads of each Zombie. He had some that plunged into an arm, a leg, the stomach, or completely out of the way. However, he started to notice that aiming and throwing started to become easier for him. Liam felt that he didn¡¯t need to take his time aiming before throwing like he did when this trial started. He knew it was thanks to all the practice he was getting, but he felt like he could move a little more without having to stand completely still before throwing. He took down four zombies, but as he did four more appeared at the back. Once more it was Rotted Zombies. ¡°This is starting to get a bit hectic,¡± Liam said as he tried to pick up the pace. As he tried to throw the daggers a bit faster, he noticed his accuracy started to fall. I can¡¯t rush this. Liam thought as he calmed down a bit. Two more blue crystals appeared near the front in between the first and second lanes and the third and fourth. Feeling like something could happen this time, Liam threw daggers and watched as they flood the front area of the lanes. Now all four lanes had water within them that the zombies were walking through. Before Liam could try and think about why this was a thing, four new zombies stepped out of the portals. This time they were all Shredding Zombies. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed. The entire back row of each lane was full of Shredding Zombies, while a couple of the lanes still had Rotted Zombies. Liam stared at the room. All four lanes had Zombies either in the front, middle, or back. What the hell am I going to do? Liam thought as panic started to creep up within him. As he thought this a purplish-yellow crystal appeared, hanging up in the middle of the room. As Liam saw it, the realization popped into his mind. ¡°You clever girl,¡± Liam muttered with a grin. Liam tossed a dagger at one of the Shredding Zombies to get their attention and have them start to move on to the water filled floor. Once when they moved, Liam threw a dagger at the crystal hanging. After the dagger shattered it, a lightning bolt formed and then shot straight to the ground. All the zombies froze as electricity tensed their bodies freezing them in place. A slew of notifications appeared in front of Liam showing that each of the zombies had taken critical damage, ending their lives. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Liam shouted, panting a bit.
¡°Third wave completed. The final wave starts in ten seconds. Caution: More Zombies will appear faster as well as a new type of zombie.¡±
¡°Final wave huh?¡± Liam muttered as he stared at the lanes. ¡°If this last push was any indication of how hard it grows, then maybe this next one will be even tougher.¡± Liam grew another smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can throw my daggers faster and land them more during this next round.¡± Tutorial 54 - Final Wave Liam drank a stamina potion to refill his Stamina bar. Afterwards, he rolled his shoulders and loosened his arms by shaking them a couple of times. As the timer ticked down, Liam wondered what was going to happen. The last wave was a bit intense towards the end, but it was manageable thanks to the water and lightning crystals. Liam thought. Will they appear again if that happens once more? Before he could think anything else, the timer hit bottom and the portals started to buzz with activity. Zombies emerged in all four lanes. A Shredding Zombie appeared in both the first and fourth lane while a Rotten Zombie arrived in the second and third. ¡°Let¡¯s take out the Rotted first,¡± Liam muttered as he threw a dagger at the Zombie down the second lane. As the dagger landed in the head of the zombie, the two Shredding Zombies let out a screech and started moving. ¡°What the hell? I didn¡¯t touch them yet!¡± Liam shouted with a confused tone. Before he could say anything else, four more zombies appeared from the portals. Making room for your friends to join the party? Liam thought. That makes sense then. Well, that means, those zombies are priority number one now. Liam shifted his attention to the zombie in the first lane. After he fell that zombie, he took out the first zombie in the fourth lane. He side-stepped to the third lane and focused on the two zombies. As he took the first one out, a Shredding Zombie appeared behind the Rotted Zombie in the third lane. Two more Shredding Zombies arrived in the first and second lane while nothing arrived in the fourth. Before Liam took out the Rotted Zombie in front of the Shredding Zombie, a red crystal appeared on the ceiling. ¡°Just in time,¡± Liam whispered as he aimed for it. He watched as the dagger flew towards it, but before the dagger crashed into it, the rope holding the crystal moved backwards. ¡°What the hell!¡± Liam shouted as he watched it make its way to the back of the room in the third lane. Once when it reached the portals, the rope changed directions to head to the front of the room. They¡¯re no longer stationary now? Liam thought as aimed for the crystal. He took in the speed of the crystal and thought where he wanted it to land. A smile grew on Liam¡¯s face as he threw the dagger. I don¡¯t mind making this a bit more challenging. How else am I going to get better at throwing weapons. Liam thought as he watched the crystal fall at the middle section of the room, spreading out in front of the Shredding Zombies that made their way passed the Rotted Zombies. Their screeches grew loud as they still pushed forward, however after taking four steps they dropped to the ground. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he realized that when his focus was on the crystal, the back half of the room filled with zombies. Luckily, some of them walked into the flames, bringing their miserable lives to a fiery end. ¡°Ok, cant waste too much time focusing on dropping those crystals,¡± Liam muttered as more Zombies arrived. ¡°Time to practice speed throwing.¡± Liam made his way to the first lane and rapid fire throwing daggers at the Rotted Zombie. The first five flew way off target as they either hit the wall or landed on the shoulder or leg of a zombie in a different lane. Liam grimaced, but still pushed himself. He noticed the more he threw a dagger as fast as he could, the closer it got to land. The weapons didn¡¯t land where he was aiming, but his successful hits were getting much better with each Zombie he took down. By the seventh zombie, his accuracy was much better than when he first attempted. Four blue crystals appeared in the same areas they had before. Liam didn¡¯t aim for them the moment they appeared because two red crystals started moving up above. I don¡¯t want to cancel the fire out because of the water. Liam thought as he noticed the room was half filled with zombies. He decided to drop the crystals in two strategic spots that could lessen his load. The first was a yard ahead of the zombies that were about twenty yards away from him. The second was right above the ones that were about thirty yards. Liam watched as zombies walked into the lines of fire. He then looked around to see if there were any Shredding Zombies that wouldn¡¯t touch the fire in time before it went out. He focused on them and took out as many as he could before the Rotted Zombies blocked his line of fire. After a minute had passed, he decided to hit the water crystals in case the lightning crystal appeared. The floor in front of him was now filled with zombies slushing through the flooded ground. Liam pressed on as he tried to keep taking down Zombie after Zombie. To Liam, it felt like with each zombie he took down one or four more would appear. It felt like hours had passed. Is this what it would feel like if a Zombie Apocalypse happened? Liam thought as he panted while taking down a few more zombies in swift succession. Sweat started to pour down his face and arms as he took a brief moment to look around. Panic and doubt slowly crept in him as he looked at the water still on the ground. The room was steadily filling up with zombies. A row of them were now ten yards away. Did I break those crystals prematurely? If that damn crystal doesn¡¯t appear soon, I¡¯m going to be overran with them. As the last thought sprung up in his mind, a crystal appeared above. However, it wasn¡¯t the crystal he was waiting for. It was a icy-blue one. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t need an ice crystal I need a god damn lightning one!¡± Liam took a moment to recollect himself. As he did, he looked back down at the water still spread out across the lanes. The idea of the ice crystal appearing now was not as bad as he had thought. ¡°Maybe¡­,¡± Liam muttered. He didn¡¯t waste any time, aimed at it and threw a dagger. The crystal fell on the ground and created a sudden ice storm, freezing all the zombies and the water. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ok, not as good as the lightning crystal, but still helpful. He started to throw dagger after dagger at the frozen targets. As he did this, he felt his arm subconsciously and instinctually throw a dagger into the air. After realization hit him, he panicked and looked up. He then let out a laugh as he watched the dagger crash into a purplish-yellow crystal. Several lightning bolts formed over the frozen creatures. After a brief moment passed, the destructive force rammed down hard, shattering all the zombies below. Liam breathed heavily as he stared at the empty lanes. No more zombies emerged from the active portals. ¡°Was that the last of them?¡± Liam asked himself as he noticed his Stamina Bar was at fifteen percent. Before he could relax, all four portals started to spark. ¡°I knew it couldn¡¯t have been that fucking easy,¡± Liam cursed as he waited for the next wave to appear. What happened though caught Liam off guard. The four portals shifted. They slowly moved towards each other and merged into one giant portal. A giant hand poked out from the portal followed by a massive body and head. As it fully emerged from the portal, Liam swore loudly as he recognized the damn creature, ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me!¡±
¡°Atlas the Grave Keeper. 500/500 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°Its health pool is bigger than the last time I fought it!¡± Liam shouted again. He let out an annoyed sigh before adding, ¡°At least its mana pool is not functional.¡± Liam grabbed a dagger ad threw it at the creature. Liam groaned inwardly as he watched the dagger bounce right off the massive creature and a notification appeared.
¡°Dagger has failed to hit Atlas the Grave Keeper.¡±
¡°How in gods fucking name am I supposed to kill this off in time?¡± Liam asked as he saw the creature take a big step. Come on Liam, there has to be a way to take him down. You¡¯ve killed it before and can do it again. As Liam tried to think of possibilities, several crystals appeared and started to move about in un predictable patterns. These crystals were different from the ones he had come across so far. They were a deep purple. ¡°What element is that supposed to represent?¡± Liam mutter under his breath. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± He then opened the bag from the first lane and then swore again. ¡°God damn it!¡± There were only five daggers left in the bag. Liam looked back up and counted the crystals. There were fifteen crystals. He ran to the other bags to peer inside and took stock. ¡°Five daggers in the first lane, three in the second lane, four in the third, and five in the fourth.¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m really pushing it now. I can¡¯t afford to miss any. What should I do?¡± Liam thought it over, but felt a light shake from Atlas taking a step. ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of time to think this over, but I can¡¯t rush it nor feel overwhelmed from the pressure created from this scenario,¡± Liam said. A thought occurred to him as he remembered what happened at the end of the second challenge. ¡°Maybe I can try and recreate that feeling?¡± Liam thought as he made his way to the first lane. As he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, he thought to himself as a light shake rumbled across the ground. Calm the storm. He felt his body start to relax. As he released the breath he held, he thought about what he needed to do. He took in another breath as he repeated in his mind. Calm the storm. He repeated this twice more before he felt the same sensation as last time. He let his body move into autopilot as he watched. His body grabbed a dagger and with the right amount of power, threw it to collide into two crystals at once. A powerful force of pressure crashed down onto Atlas. The force of gravity slowed Atlas down a bit but wasn¡¯t enough to stop him from moving. Liam felt his body not stop as he threw two more daggers, successfully hitting two more crystals moving around the left side of the room. The pressure on Atlas grew even more. His movements looked like they slowed a little more, but still wasn¡¯t enough to stop him. He was now thirty yards away from Liam. Liam grabbed the last dagger in the bag and tossed it at the next crystal. He didn¡¯t wait to see if it hit as he moved on to the next bag. Liam watched as his body threw the daggers with near perfect accuracy. A few time Liam thought his body had thrown too early but was relieved as the crystals moved right into the trajectory of the daggers as they moved back. Each crystal that shattered brought down even more force of gravity than the previous one had. The pressure was growing so intense, Liam was able to feel some of it as Atlas kept getting closer. After Liam destroyed a crystal with the last dagger from the third lane, he saw Atlas struggling to move forward. Even though there was enough pressure to crush a house down flat, Atlas still held his ground. Why are you so damn persistent? Liam thought as he moved to the last bag in the fourth lane. Right before he approached the bag, Liam staggered. He felt his body start to ach and began to breath heavily, panting for air. ¡°What¡­the¡­fuck?¡± Liam said while gulping in air between each word. He looked at the corner of his eye and saw his stamina bar was at five points left. Damn it! I¡¯m so close! Liam thought as he gritted his teeth. He stared at Atlas who was able to take another step forward. He was now twenty yards away from him. As Liam watched the massive creature take a step, he noticed something he hadn¡¯t seen earlier. The ground beneath Atlas was starting to crack. Is the pressure from the Gravity Crystals causing the ground to collapse? Liam thought as he took in a few more breaths of air. Liam snarled as he looked back at Atlas. I will see this through. I will defeat you here, again! Liam opened his inventory and saw he was out of the stamina potions he had made. The only one left he had was a shitty tasting one. ¡°Just my fucking luck,¡± Liam grimaced as he swiftly pulled it out and down it. He gagged as he pushed himself back up and opened the bag. He grabbed a dagger, aimed at a crystal, and then threw it. The dagger soared but missed as the crystal stopped and moved in the opposite direction. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam shouted. Calm down Liam. You can¡¯t rush it! He thought as he grabbed another dagger. He took a deep breath and watched the remaining crystals move. One circled around Atlas¡¯ head, another moved back and forth from the front of the third lane to the back. The last one moved left to right around the front area of the lanes. Liam aimed for the one moving left to right. Once when he took in the speed he tossed it. The crystal shattered, bringing another powerful force down. Liam heard cracks as the ground showed more signs of being destroyed. Liam grabbed another and aimed for the one moving back and forth. He threw the dagger as the crystal came back towards him. He winced as he watched it fly a bit more forward than he wanted. His fears were for nothing as the crystal collided into it while moving forward. Liam let out a sigh of relief internally. This last one was a bit harder. The speed of the crystal had increased as it swirled around Atlas¡¯ head. Of course you would increase the difficulty, wouldn¡¯t you. Liam said in his mind. He took out the second to last dagger and aimed. He watched as the dagger flew towards where he thought the crystal would be, but grew frustrated as the crystal zoomed right by it and collided into Atlas¡¯ skull.
¡°Dagger has failed to successfully hit Atlas.¡±
¡°No shit sherlock!¡± Liam shouted with frustration. Liam let out a burst of air trying to calm himself down. Atlas was almost ten yards away from him now. Liam grabbed the last dagger and moved towards the second lane. As he moved, he watched the crystal spinning clockwise. I can¡¯t throw it from the left side. That would be too difficult due to the speed of the crystal. Liam thought. My only option is to try and get it from the right side and hope it collides with it as it spins around. As he kept his eye on the crystal, Liam noticed something as his danger sense picked something up on his left side. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he noticed Atlas bring his right arm back. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam swore as he realized his monstrous arm length was in fact long enough to hit him. Liam decided to leave it to luck. Without thinking he ran to the right side as the arm chased after him. As he approached the wall, he jumped at it hoping his legs wouldn¡¯t give out. After his feet touched the stoned wall, he pushed out with as much force as he could, swing his arm back as far as he could and threw. As Liam dodged the arm from above, he watch the dagger fly towards the right side of Atlas¡¯ head and miss the crystal. ¡°No!¡± Liam shouted as he started to fall down. How?! Liam began to think as he sank down to the ground. I know im not the best at this, but I could have sworn the timing was perfect! As Liam started to doubt everything he did, he watched the dagger suddenly curve behind Atlas¡¯ head. After a brief second passed, Liam heard a sound that filled him with pure joy. It was the sound of the crystal shattering. Atlas let out a deafening roar as Liam hit the floor. The ground all around Atlas echoed with the noise of it being destroyed as the cracks that had formed gave way. Underneath Atlas was a deep void of blackness. Liam watched as the massive Creature tried to throw one more swing at Liam while it fell into the hole. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the arm get closer. Liam tried to get out of the way, but couldn¡¯t move. That last move he pulled to dodge the last swipe and throw of the dagger took the rest of his stamina to zero. Liam, however, didn¡¯t need to fear, the pressure that had built up from all the Gravity Crystals being shattered pulled Atlas¡¯ arm into the hole with his falling body. After Atlas was completely swallowed into the hole, the ground fixed itself. Liam watched as the giant portal simmered out and a notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations. You have successfully completed the final wave.¡±
Tutorial 55 - Final Challenge Liam laid on the ground, panting with the biggest smile he had ever given. After a brief moment he lifted his aching and sore arm up into the air and shouted, ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± He let out a laugh that made even him think he had lost it. A coughing fit came about as he laughed, causing him to feel his body hurt from soreness as the coughing ricochet the achiness all over his body. After his coughing fit subsided and his breathing calmed down some, Liam stated with a small chuckle, ¡°Next time I have a live action plants versus zombies game, I¡¯m going to make sure Ariyana is there so she can use her plant magic.¡± As Liam laughed at the idea, several chime sounds echoed in his mind. ¡°Oooo, goodies,¡± Liam said with a wide grin as he pulled up his notifications.
¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Agility has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-stat Fine Motor has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Strength Sub-stat Power has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Strength Sub-stat Power has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Strength Sub-stat Power has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Intelligence Sub-stat Perception has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck Sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will Sub-stat Will Power has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will Sub-stat Zen has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Daggers has reached level 10! Your -15% to successful hits has dropped to -5% to successful hits when throwing weapons. Can now throw two small weapons on one hand at a time instead of one. Progression to level 11: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Daggers has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Daggers has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Daggers has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Daggers has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Daggers has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your personal level has reached level 5!¡± ¡°You have 16 unused points available in Body, Mind, and Spirit!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have unlocked the Wardrobe feature!¡±
¡°Jesus,¡± Liam whispered in astonishment. ¡°Not only did I almost reach level twenty in a couple of my sub-stats, my throwing weapons grew exponentially. That explains why it felt easier to throw and land the hits.¡± Even though the difficulty during these pass challenges were hard, Liam was happy to see his sub-stats grow. He felt with each level he got in them, the easier it was to use them. It felt like his body was adjusting with each level up. He wasn¡¯t going to complain at all. Another thing that intrigued Liam was this new Wardrobe Feature the notification said. He pulled up his menu but didn¡¯t see anything. Liam frowned. Why say something has unlocked but not show where it was at? Liam thought. He gave it some thought and came up with a theory. Since clothing items were items, maybe it was in his inventory? He opened his inventory and saw a new tab appear on the side with a symbol of a shirt. He clicked it and saw a silhouette of a mannequin standing in the middle. It was bare, with nothing on it. To the right was a tab and a plus sign under it. He clicked the tab and a notification appeared.
¡°Name of equipment set?¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°I wonder what I should call this.¡± He thought of many possibilities. After a moment he decided to call it Pjs.
¡°Name set of equipment: Pjs? Confirm? Yes No?¡±
Liam clicked yes. Shortly after that a new box appeared showing all the clothing items he had in his inventory. He clicked on the shorts and T-shirt he bought for night time wear. After he finished he clicked finished. The empty mannequin reappeared with the t-shirt and shorts. After he did this he clicked on the plus sign. Another notification box appeared.
¡°Name of new set of equipment?¡±
¡°So, I can do this with my other clothes? Interesting,¡± Liam muttered. Liam played a bit with this new feature. He made a set for training, casual, and his current armor. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. As he made these sets, he noticed a button say: Wear equipment? After he was done he went to his Training set and clicked yes. His armor suddenly puffed into smoke and was replaced with his training shorts, shirt, and running shoes. ¡°Whoa!¡± Liam exclaimed with shock. This could have gone many ways. He expected the set of clothing to appear at once in front of him so he could change into them. However, the reality was much easier and sweeter to him. It was an automatic change! ¡°That¡¯s pretty badass and convenient,¡± Liam said with satisfaction as he changed back to his current armor set. After he changed back, he noticed something else. He had more room in his inventory suddenly. ¡°Is the Wardrobe a separate inventory area for clothing sets?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Mercer more about this feature later.¡± Liam stretched his arms as he tried shaking away the rest of the soreness he had felt from earlier. As he stretched, he noticed he had missed something. It was a notification. ¡°Did I miss this due to my excitement over the Wardrobe feature?¡± Liam asked himself as he pulled it up.
¡°Congratulations on completing the 4th challenge trial. Due to pushing yourself to new heights as well as taking it on a much harder difficulty, you have been rewarded.¡± ¡°Reward: Atlas Chest Bones. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Common. Description ¨C Sturdy bones. Can be used for Bone Crafting or other possible usages.¡± ¡°Reward: Orb of the Grave Keeper ¨C filled. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C An orb filled with the soul of Atlas the Grave Keeper. Usage: Currently Unknown.¡±
Liam stared at the description of the last item. Something about it was nagging at him. ¡°Why does this sound familiar?¡± Liam whispered as he tried to think about it. After a minute of scouring his brain he remembered. Liam clicked his fingers as he said, ¡°That¡¯s right! It was that damn Withered Treant. An orb dropped of it when I harvested it.¡± A frown on Liam¡¯s face formed as he remembered a crucial detail. ¡°That orb was unfilled though.¡± Liam looked back at the description. ¡°This one is filled, but the Usage is unknown. How come?¡± Liam couldn¡¯t think of any reasons as to why it would say that. As he closed his notifications he said while the items went to his inventory, ¡°I¡¯ll have to check it out later. For now¡­¡± Liam looked at the now open door at the other end of the room. ¡°I have another challenge to take on.¡± Liam slowly made his way to the door. Unsure if he was ready for another round of running around like a chicken with its head cut off. ¡°Let¡¯s hope I don¡¯t need to run anymore,¡± Liam commented. ¡°I¡¯m all out of Stamina Potions.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam slowly approached the opened doorway to the next room. He wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. These challenges seemed like they challenged certain sub-stats of a person, but the methods were¡­chaotic to him. The first challenged the different aspects of his Mana Control. From Channeling to Manipulation, he was able to learn more on how he could use them. It was shocking when he found out he could move mana touched liquids. Since discovering that he wanted to try out new ways to use it. Especially with his new bottle of Liquid Fire he received from the first challenge. The second one really pushed and challenged his dexterity. Having to dodge, dip, dive, duck and dodge the traps and the stone statues really helped him understand what his body was currently able to handle. Not to mention fully receiving that Danger Sense ability was a boon in disguise. As Liam thought about the second challenge his mind drifted to the other thing that happened. His body decided to move on its own. At first Liam was skeptical about letting it happen, but his curiosity won out. He was happy to see how it ended but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was. It felt like he was in a Zen-like trance when he moved about, but he wasn¡¯t sure since he had no knowledge on it. The third was his least favorite. It challenged his Perception, Mental Absorption, and his damn Common Sense. It was akin to a musical Simon Says that ended up Rick Rolling him at the end. ¡°I need to punch whoever created that challenge. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a person or a god. I¡¯m still salty about it,¡± Liam grumbled. The last challenge was hard towards the end, but fun to him. It pushed his Fine Motor, Throwing Weapons, and got a couple of his sub-stats to level nineteen. He couldn¡¯t complain about it, especially since it was made from an old popular game he used to play as a kid. Liam stopped before he entered the doorframe. ¡°Now that I think of it,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°Those last two challenges had aspects from Earth. Why would a dungeon have that?¡± The thoughts nagged at him as he tried to wrap his head around it. However, no matter how hard he tried nothing to mind answering it. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to compare my challenges with the others and see if they were made with the intentions of having familiarities to the person taking them on,¡± Liam decided while staring at the next room. The room was dark. No matter how hard he tried to peer into it nothing could be seen. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Liam muttered as he entered the next room. As he stepped into the room, nothing happened. Darkness was all around him. Liam pulled his goggles off his eyes and onto his forehead hoping that he would be able to see something. Nothing changed. He looked to his left then to his right. The room was so dark he wasn¡¯t able to tell how big the room was or if the ground opened up at all. This made him feel uneasy as he took another step inside, hoping something would happen. He took a third then a fourth. After his fifth step a stone slab slid down swiftly, blocking the doorway he had walked in and completely blanketed him in darkness. The sudden darkness made Liam reactive pull his daggers out and made him get into a defensive stance. Panic slowly entered Liam¡¯s mind as he swirled his head around. No matter which way he looked, he couldn¡¯t see anything. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Liam cursed over and over in his mind as he felt his heart beat start to quicken. What the hell is going on? What am I supposed to do? As more thoughts began to jumble around in his brain, he suddenly heard a water drop. This water drop wasn¡¯t heard around, but rather inside. This made him stop looking around and close his eyes. A second water drop echoed in his mind. This one rippled through his body, calming him down. Once when he felt like he had calmed down enough, he opened his eyes. When he did so he saw two icy-blue orbs glowing a bit in the distance. Liam squinted to see if he could tell what they were. As he stared at them another set of icy blue two orbs appeared near the first set. Furrowing his brows, Liam took a step forward to get a better look at them. However, when he did so the orbs¡­blinked. Liam froze as his Danger sense ricocheted all over his body. Those aren¡¯t orbs¡­they¡¯re eyes. Liam thought as he kept his sight on them. A dim light slowly hummed to life around the second pair of eyes as three spots around the first pair of eyes did the same. The light grew brighter revealing that it wasn¡¯t from a Yooperlite stone or fire, but from their bodies, specifically... their fur. Both creatures sat in a cat-like position staring at him with their tails swishing back and forth slowly. Each of them were size of a small car. The creature on the right had pure white mid length fur that gave off a light that reminded him of the moon. It gave the feline creature a smooth majestic and beautiful look to its furry body. On its body were small patches that were void of any light. The dark patches matches the color of the feline sitting to the left. This creature had smooth pitch black fur that reminded Liam of the darkest night. However, on its body had three areas where the same luminescence glow from the other creature. Liam assessed each creature. He started with the Pitch black coated feline.
¡°Shadow Moon Cat. ?????/????? HP. ?????/????? MP.¡± ¡°Moon Shadow Cat. ?????/????? HP. ?????/????? MP.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened. I can¡¯t see their health or mana pools? How powerful are these things? Liam thought as he realized why his Danger Sense had exploded all around his body. They are too powerful for me to handle. Liam realized. I¡¯m fucked. The two creatures stood on all fours and began to slowly walk towards him. Liam, rooted to the ground, remained where he was as the panic he had dispelled earlier, returned. What am I going to do? Liam began to think. I could try to fight them, but I¡¯ll lose in the end. The giant cats slowly made their way to him. I still don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll truly die in here and I don¡¯t want to test the theory. They got a bit closer. What the hell am I supposed to do? Liam screamed in his mind as he stared at them. As they slowly walked, Liam stared at their fur. He stared at their bodies trying to see if he could find some sort of weakness. He could not find any trace of weakness anywhere. Instead he noticed how silky and smooth their fur were. The color, along with the light or lack of, added to the majestic look they had. Yeah, majestic creatures that could rip me to shreds with a single attack probably. Liam chided himself. Liam thought himself a dog person, but he did like cats. Liam let out a breath of air. This relaxed his body a bit as he resigned himself to his fate while the cats were almost within arm¡¯s length. He slowly put his daggers away as he muttered to himself, ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll let me touch their fur at least once before I die.¡± He then slowly reached both hands out in a non-threating way. The two cats paused, unsure what he was doing. Liam stared at them with conviction. I will touch their fur and I will die with some sort of accomplishment, even if its an insignificant one. Liam saw the cats look at each other before looking back at him. Their heads got closer to his hand. When their noses were inches away, they sniffed his hands. They brought their heads back a bit. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I just want to get a pet in before you kill me.¡± The cats tilted their heads as they stared at him. ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Liam started. ¡°I know. Dumb human thinks he can pet something so majestic so easily? I know it¡¯s stupid, but even I know I¡¯m no match for you guys.¡± The cats didn¡¯t hesitate as they took another couple steps towards him, bypassing his hands. Ouch, ignoring my dying request? That¡¯s a bit harsh. Liam thought as he tensed up once more readying himself for the attack coming. The two cats leaned back, looking like they were ready to strike. They both then pounced on him. Liam gritted his teeth, but then relaxed as he felt a tongue lick his cheek. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam questioned as he looked at the other cat confused. The Moon Shadow Cat was rubbing his head against his rib cage and occasionally licked his right hand while the Shadow Moon Cat licked his cheek and rubbed his head against the cheek. Liam heard a noise he wasn¡¯t expecting either. They were. Purring. Before Liam could say anything, a young playful feminine voice called out, ¡°Well that was an interesting development.¡± Tutorial 56 - Im a what and a what? ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Liam called out as he pushed the two giant cats away. The Shadow Moon Cat and Moon Shadow Cat helped him up as Yooperlite stones lit up across the walls of the room. The room was kind of bare. To his right there was just an empty stone wall. To his left the same. The only things that were in the room besides him and the two cat monsters was a Statue and two sections on the walls besides the statue with carved pictures. Liam slowly approached the statue and stared at it. It was the same statue of the young woman he had seen in the room before he started these trials. The difference was this statue had more details. Not only that, it gave a different outlook on the person. The hair that ran to mid back had more details making the strands of hair look almost realistic. The maniacal grin the previous statue had was replaced by a solemn one. Her eyes looked caring with the way they were shaped. The clothing carved made her look slim and small, like she was fragile. Liam recognized the look that was carved on the statue. She looks lonely. Liam thought as he felt the two cats rub up against both sides of his hips. ¡°You are a curious one,¡± the feminine voice said. Her voice echoed around the room like a whisper. Liam took a step back and looked around the room. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Liam repeated his question from earlier. ¡°I am me, who are you?¡± the voice replied back. Liam turned back to the statue to see a person now standing there staring at him with a look of curiosity. She wore a black and white sleeveless dress that opened in the front to reveal she wore black short shorts underneath with red fishnets running down her legs. On her feet were black leathered boots that ran up mid shin. Her black and deep red hair was braided down her back. She looked to have smooth fair skin, void of blemishes. She stood a little shorter than him and looked to be around the same age. All this made Liam think she looked gorgeous, but what really caught Liam¡¯s attention were her eyes. Her irises were a mix of deep red and burnt gold with black circling around the outside of them. As he continued to stare at her, Liam noticed another crucial feature. Her entire body was translucent. Almost like she was a hologram. Before Liam could say anything, the young woman floated around him. Liam spun to follow her movements, but was a little slower than her as she did a look around him. ¡°Hm, that explains why they have taken a liking to you,¡± she said with the tone of someone who no longer found something interesting. ¡°You are quite the oddity. How did you find your way here?¡± To Liam it felt like she wasn¡¯t looking entirely at him but at something around him. ¡°Huh? What?¡± Liam said, confused by what she meant as he stopped to look at her. ¡°I asked,¡± she started again. ¡°How did you find yourself down this path?¡± Liam gave her a puzzling look as he said with uncertainty, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who called out to me on the first floor?¡± The woman tilted her head as she returned his puzzling with one of her own. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t call out to anyone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Liam said as he thought back. Her voice sounds the same as the one who whispered to me that time. Liam looked back at her. ¡°Are you sure? Your voice sounds almost exactly like the one who whispered in my mind.¡± The lady stared at him. She then let out a long sigh and said, ¡°That stupid sister of mine.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Never mind, I think I know who it was that led you down this path,¡± she replied with a frown. ¡°What is that woman up to now?¡± After she said that, Liam noticed a change in her posture. The woman floated back and forth as she muttered. ¡°Could it be? Was that her plan all along?¡± Liam watched as she continued to do this for a couple of minutes. ¡°So, was that all a ruse back then? If that¡¯s true, then she much craftier than anyone thought.¡± ¡°Um, excuse me, but what are you talking about?¡± Liam asked. Ignoring him, the woman muttered, ¡°There¡¯s only one way to confirm if this is what I think it is.¡± She then looked at Liam. Her gaze felt like she was staring right into his soul as he felt a weird sensation ripple over his body. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?!¡± Liam shouted with irritation. The woman¡¯s eyes widened as her mouth opened into an o shape. ¡°Holy shit,¡± she said as she turned her head away from him. She looked like she was thinking something over as she muttered to herself again, ¡°Its actually going to happen. So, then he¡¯s here because¡­¡± Her expression was growing a smile for a moment before a frown swiftly replaced it. ¡°But that can¡¯t be. There¡¯s only supposed to be six of them. She and I were never supposed to have one. Unless¡­¡± A wicked grin slowly appeared on her face as she whispered, ¡°Oh you sneaky, sneaky girl. You found two more possible candidates.¡± ¡°What the hell are you going on about you crazy lady,¡± Liam muttered softly. The woman quickly turned her head to look at Liam. That crazy smile gone and replaced with a curious look. ¡°Did you just call me crazy?¡± Not backing down from what he said, Liam replied, ¡°Yeah. You have been going on and on to yourself about something your sister did. You don¡¯t realize how crazy you look muttering to yourself like that. Plus that crazy smile you had a moment ago doesn¡¯t help at all.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The young woman stared at Liam with her eyes wide in shock. ¡°You¡¯re an honest and up front one aren¡¯t you?¡± she stated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Liam apologized. ¡°Its been a long day and I¡¯m just tired.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± she said as a smile grew. To Liam that smile looked like she was happy with a decision she had made. ¡°I like you,¡± she blurted out. Before Liam could say anything, she added, ¡°Become my Champion.¡± Without hesitation, Liam swiftly said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± the young woman questioned with disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the hell you are,¡± Liam started to explain. ¡°You appear out of nowhere, dodged giving me your name, start talking to yourself, did some weird magic thing I have no clue what it was, and then out of the blue demand me to be your champion?¡± The young woman listened to Liam¡¯s list of concerns. To a sane normal person this would make a lot of sense. However, this woman didn¡¯t seem very sane as she said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter I want you as my champion.¡± ¡°Again, no,¡± Liam firmly stated. ¡°You are a daring one aren¡¯t you. Telling a goddess no twice,¡± she said with a wry smile. ¡°I want you even more now because you seem like fun.¡± Goddess? This crazy ass woman? Liam thought as he was taken aback. He then asked with some skepticism in his voice, ¡°You¡¯re a goddess?¡± ¡°Damn straight,¡± she said, looking proud. When Liam thought about Goddesses, he would think they were like how she first acted towards him at the beginning. Kind of aloof, not finding mortals interesting or looking down on them a bit. However, the more he spent with this woman the less she acted like one and the more she shattered the image he had of them. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re a goddess,¡± Liam said as he eyed her. She moved her head left and right a bit looking like she was trying to think about what she¡¯d say next. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t a goddess I wouldn¡¯t know certain things about you,¡± she finally said. Liam narrowed his eyes at her as he asked slowly and evenly, ¡°What kind of things do you know about me?¡± ¡°I know your personal level is now five. Your zodiac is Gemini. Your #%#@ are $#@! and #@!%*&^&^, which is why these two adorable creatures like you. And you have a dual class of Crafter and %&#^$.¡± Liam shook his head, trying to clear it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the woman asked as she noticed something was wrong. Realizing what was going on she said, ¡°Oh that¡¯s right the magic that¡¯s in place. Here I¡¯ll get rid of that.¡± She waved her hand around her face creating ripples that waved through the air around him. As he felt the ripples wash over him, a thin line of black, red, ghastly green, and white ran down him like he was being scanned from head to toe. ¡°What the fuck did you just do?¡± Liam asked as he stood still in case something happened. The goddess let out a laugh. This laugh was friendly and full of joy that made Liam¡¯s body relax a bit. ¡°You are fun,¡± she said while laughing. As she calmed down her amusement, she replied to his question, ¡°I just canceled Info Block that was placed on you. Now you can hear what you couldn¡¯t before.¡± ¡°You can cancel out Info Block?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Of course, I can. I am a Goddess, duh,¡± she said as she gave him a ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell you this already¡¯ look. Still cautious, Liam questioned, ¡°So what did you say earlier?¡± ¡°You are an incredulous one, aren¡¯t you?¡± she commented. ¡°I prefer cautious until I can believe,¡± Liam corrected. The goddess gave a slight chuckle, ¡°I¡¯ll take that. It¡¯s best to be cautious until you have proof you can trust. It¡¯ll keep you alive in this world.¡± Liam raised an eyebrow indicating that he was still waiting for her to answer his previous question. ¡°Pushy too,¡± she commented quiet enough for him to still hear it. ¡°So how much did you get to before Info Block cancelled out?¡± ¡°You said I was at level five and a Gemini,¡± Liam responded. ¡°After that it was fuzzy.¡± ¡°Ah okay,¡± she said understanding where to start. ¡°I was saying the reason why these cute cats like you so much is because of your race mixture.¡± ¡°Race mixture?¡± Liam questioned as he felt the two cats¡¯ paw at his hands trying to pull them closer to their heads. Liam acquiesced to their request and started gently running his hands over their heads with the occasional ear scratch. ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded. ¡°Your race is a mix of Cait Sith and another rare one I won¡¯t tell you. I¡¯m surprised it was allowed in the first place.¡± Liam gave her a confused look as he listened to her. She raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused because I have never heard of that race. I mean I have heard a bit about Cait Sithes, but only as a legend from Celtic mythology and one of my favorite video games. I haven¡¯t heard of a human race being one.¡± ¡°Human race?¡± the young lady questioned before chuckling. ¡°Cait Siths are not a human race. They are a humanoid race, yes, but they are beast kin race belonging to the Arcadian Empire. They are Primarily Cat people.¡± ¡°Cat people! Beast kins!?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the pronouncement. ¡°Where I came from there were no such things as Cat people or Beast kins. They were more fantasy things people created for stories.¡± ¡°Really?¡± she questioned with some interest in her tone of voice. ¡°Yeah, and why won¡¯t you tell me what the other race is?¡± Liam replied. ¡°Your other race has to do with your seal. I will tell you that they have a great affinity with shadow magic,¡± she answered. ¡°Shadow magic?¡± Liam questioned with a raised brow. The goddess in front of him nodded. ¡°That seal placed upon you is a sign that you have the DNA of that race inside you.¡± ¡°What would the seal have to do with the other race?¡± Liam questioned as he tried to think about where he had heard it. As he thought about it, his eyes widened as he remembered what had happened during the first floor. ¡°So, is it because of that seal that my starting class changed and is it the source of the anomaly I need to cleanse?¡± Liam asked, feeling like he was finally getting some answers. ¡°Yes and no,¡± the young woman stated. ¡°It did change your starting class because the level of the seal is grand, and it basically acted in a way to make sure you got a weak class to help make you grow stronger. However, I believe you got the Crafter class due to your Cait Sith race.¡± Liam had a mix of emotions run through his facial expressions. ¡°As for the anomalies part, that is due to something else,¡± she answered. Liam stared at her as he tried to process what she had told him. This god damn seal is the reason why my class changed? God damn it! Wait, why would my Cait Sith race give me the Crafting class? Liam thought as he tried to figure it all out. He went to ask her, but before he could say anything she already knew what he was going to ask. ¡°The Cait Sith is a race that love crafting,¡± she started. ¡°They love it so much they do not focus on anything else but crafting, researching new crafting methods, and more. Fighting or anything that doesn¡¯t have to do with crafting is just pushed aside. Their love of crafting is so much some come to believe they are crafting junkies.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Deep down he knew it to be true. There were a lot of times he had wanted to be left alone and focus solely on crafting. ¡°So, saying that, it¡¯s no surprise that your starting class was changed to Crafter,¡± she said. Liam stared at her. A lot of things ran through his mind, one particular thing was how easy it was for her to erase magic. ¡°So, let¡¯s say I believe you are a goddess, after everything you have said so far, I truly am starting to believe it; could you erase this seal off of me?¡± Liam asked as hope started to slowly fill inside him. ¡°Hm, I could erase the seal,¡± she started. Liam¡¯s eyes started to shine with relief, until she continued. ¡°But I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°How come?¡± Liam asked without hesitation as the hope building up disappeared. ¡°I actually agree with the seal¡¯s function,¡± she answered. ¡°For two reasons for a person like you.¡± ¡°Explain,¡± Liam said grumpily as he glared at her. ¡°Geez, someone¡¯s salty,¡± she commented before continuing. ¡°The first reason is many people in this world are too focused on personal level. Sure, high personal levels are a sign of strong individuals, but they aren¡¯t as strong as they believe themselves to be.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Personal levels give points one can put into their sub-stats to help level them correct?¡± she asked. Liam nodded. ¡°From what I have heard, yes.¡± ¡°Well by placing the points you get from personal level growth it can help raise your sub-stats quickly giving you a power boost. But that¡¯s just what it is, a quick power boost. To me it is the worst way to get stronger.¡± She gave a disgusted look as she finished saying it. ¡°Why is that?¡± Liam asked, believing he already knew the answer. ¡°Raising your stats from personal level points gives you what you need, but your body doesn¡¯t acclimate with it. You become a child who doesn¡¯t know how strong they are and can either hurt themselves or those around because they didn¡¯t properly train them or have their bodies get used to the increase. They focus on getting more points to place in them and ignore the training they should do to help their bodies understand their limits and try to control their new power.¡± Liam placed a hand on his chin as he began to think. That does make sense. During these challenges, not only was I able to understand what my limits were, but I also felt I was getting a better handle on what I could do. It also matches with what my mentors have said to me before. Liam looked back at her as another questioned appeared from what she had said earlier. ¡°You said you had two reasons. What¡¯s the second?¡± ¡°The second reason has to do with your second class,¡± she started to explain. ¡°My second class?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a class you currently can¡¯t handle because it¡¯s much more powerful at its current state than your first class,¡± she said with a serious tone. ¡°If I were to release the seal that is upon you, you could be swallowed up by it and die.¡± ¡°Excuse you?!¡± Liam asked. Tutorial 57 - Rewards you earned because you’re not a murderhobo Liam stared at her, too stunned to speak after hearing what she said. After a moment. Liam was finally able to ask, unintelligently, ¡°How? Why?¡± ¡°Now I say you can die, but that¡¯s only if you get swallowed up by the effects of your second class,¡± She explained, understanding why he was confused and stunned. ¡°I believe this is due to your other race and your Zodiac.¡± ¡°How does one of my races and Zodiac come into play?¡± Liam questioned still confused. ¡°Your race plays a part in your class and class evolution. Same with your Zodiac,¡± she informed. ¡°There are a lot of factors that play into class evolution. There are your sub-stats, your bloodline, your race or races, types of magical or non magical affinities, and your Zodiac.¡± Liam stared at her, taking in what she was saying. ¡°To help build the best path for your growth these factors are taken into account, so you don¡¯t steer down a class evolution you have no way of using,¡± she continued. ¡°For example, say you are a Dryad with water and plant affinities and a have the Taurus Zodiac sign. You wouldn¡¯t want a fire type class to appear when you can barely use fire elements. It would be harmful to your growth.¡± Liam nodded, understanding what she was saying. He then asked as something she said made him confused, ¡°What are Bloodlines? Also, what do Zodiacs have to do with anything? I can understand that Taurus are Earth signs, but what does the type of Zodiac have to do with anything? Do they give you a better affinity?¡± ¡°I swear, they leave out the most important details when they matter most,¡± the woman grumbled. ¡°First, Bloodlines are rare. I won¡¯t go into many details because it¡¯s just better for you to look it up later.¡± Liam didn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t want to tell him much about it and felt she just wanted to be lazy. ¡°They can change your entire way of skills, abilities, and classes depending on what bloodline you have. Also, you won¡¯t know what kind of bloodline you have until it manifests within you. It can manifest at any given time without knowing when it will. And that¡¯s even if you have one. Not everyone has it.¡± Liam was shocked by what she said. Even though she said she wasn¡¯t going to tell him much, she told him enough for him to know that there¡¯s a possibility he could or couldn¡¯t have one. ¡°Next, Zodiac play a part in your class direction and evolution not because they can give you a better affinity based on it, but rather the ability your Zodiac gives you,¡± she told him. ¡°You are a Gemini, so it gives you two things.¡± Liam realized what she was going to say and softly muttered, ¡°A second class.¡± The young woman nodded as she added, ¡°And an ability called Class Fusion which allows you to fuse your two classes for a set amount of time.¡± ¡°Class fusion?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°But I never got that ability.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because no one gets their Zodiac ability till after this floor is completed.¡± She waved a hand in front of her as she added, ¡°Something about not wanting to overload people who aren¡¯t used to their current powers, or something of the sort.¡± Liam thought about the information she had given him. Something nagged at the back of his brain as he thought it all over. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Liam started as he remembered what had happened when he asked Nalia about classes. ¡°When I mentioned classes when I first got here, I was told no one had more than one class.¡± She looked at him with a serious look before asking, ¡°You haven¡¯t revealed you have two classes, have you?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No, I played it off as if I misspoken.¡± ¡°Good,¡± she said giving a relieved look. ¡°Why? If Geminis have dual classes, then there should be more that have two classes out there? Why did she say no one has more than one?¡± She stared at Liam. To Liam it looked like she was contemplating something. After a moment had passed, she said with a sad look, ¡°I will touch on that later.¡± Before Liam could say anything, she restarted, ¡°Now, going back to my question from earlier. If you become my Champion, I can give you the chance to take the seal down for a short time to be able to use your Zodiac ability.¡± ¡°But I thought that the class would kill me?¡± Liam narrowed his eyes. ¡°Not if you use it for a short amount of time,¡± she said. ¡°I can set the ability for a short duration that so you¡¯re able to use it, but it will leave you in a weakened state for a bit.¡± ¡°Damn checks and balances,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°What?¡± She asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam swiftly stated. She eyed Liam before adding, ¡°You will also get a very special blessing and a few other things along with it. What do you say?¡± Liam stared at her. After thinking it over he asked, ¡°Do I need to give you an answer now? I still don¡¯t know anything about you, like your name.¡± He said that last part with emphasis. She nodded as she listened to the request. ¡°You have until the last floor of this dungeon to come to a decision. After you leave the Tutorial Area, I won¡¯t be able to give you my Blessing. Before I give you my name though.¡± She looked at her clothes and frowned. ¡°I want to change out of this stuffy dress.¡± Smoke swirled around here. The dress was replaced with a black and red tank top giving her a more tomboyish look. Her shorts, boots, and fishnets were still there. ¡°Much better,¡± she said. ¡°I swear, living up to people¡¯s expectations when meeting a damn deity is tiring.¡± Liam shook his head as he couldn¡¯t believe that this young woman claiming to be a Goddess was acting like a rebelling teenager. And to be honest, he liked it. A young woman stuck in her rebellious years can be easier to relate to than a prim and proper young lady who is hard to read. The young woman sat down in a cross legged position as she looked at him. At this moment she reminded him of Alicia. Not just her body figure, but attitude as well. ¡°Since you are taking some time to think it over, I¡¯m just going to act like I normally do and not use any formalities. You can call me Eri by the way.¡± ¡°Not like you were using them much either,¡± Liam muttered. Eri raised a brow as she said, ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam swiftly replied then asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t like wearing that dress then why wear it? And why put on an act and not be yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I like the dress, and don¡¯t wear it often, but I just hate having to wearing something I like for reasons like meeting expectations. You wouldn¡¯t believe the expectations mortals have when meeting a Goddess,¡± Eri complained. ¡°Mind your manners, stand straight, talk politely, don¡¯t burp, be more lady-like.¡± Eri gave a scowl at that last one. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Liam stared at her. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. She was right about meeting expectations. She was no where near what he thought a Goddess would be, but he liked that. Liam let out a loud laugh as the Moon Shadow cat moved over to Eri and sat next to her. Eri gave him a frown as she asked, ¡°What? You find me funny?¡± ¡°You are definitely not a proper goddess,¡± Liam began. Eri opened her mouth and was about to say something, but stopped as Liam finished, ¡°But that¡¯s perfectly fine by me. If I were to choose between a stuffy uptight Goddess or a rebellious tomboy who whines. I would definitely choose the latter over the former.¡± ¡°Hey! I am not whining!¡± Eri shouted, trying to hide the blush slowly forming on her cheeks. ¡°Honestly, the you now is much better in my opinion.¡± Liam added. ¡°Moving on,¡± Eri started with a little embarrassment. ¡°Before we finish up here because you don¡¯t have much time left, I wanted to ask, how did you like the challenges?¡± Confused by the questioned, Liam responded, ¡°They were fun and challenging. Especially the second and fourth one. I had a lot of fun taking those on. Why do you ask? Did you make them?¡± ¡°The fourth one was one of my favorite, but so was the third,¡± Eri smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t make them, but I did have a hand at influencing them. I peeked into this planet a few years ago and saw some funny, fun, and interesting things. I took what I saw and influenced them into the last three challenges because I thought it would be fun and funny, especially that Rick Astley song. It just gives the right kind of humor after struggling with the first three rounds of Simon Says.¡± Eri let out a long laugh. Liam narrowed his eyes at her as she laughed away, not knowing what was going on in his mind. So, I was right that someone did it on purpose. Liam thought as he frowned. I know I said I would punch the person who did that, but would punching a Goddess be wise? Liam shook his head and let out a sigh before smiling. No, that would not be wise at all. Not only that, but now that I think about it, it was pretty funny. As Eri started to come down from her laughing fit she said, ¡°That song was a big hit on this planet, you wouldn¡¯t know it, but I think it was called¡­¡± ¡°Earth,¡± Liam finished for her. Eri¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You know the planet?¡± ¡°I should, I¡¯m from that planet,¡± Liam replied. Eri¡¯s eyes lit up at hearing this. ¡°Then you can appreciate the humor and fun behind the challenges then!¡± ¡°Yes, I can. I was surprised at the last two songs you picked for Simon says, but I was even more shocked at the Plants versus Zombies reference you did with the fourth challenge. That one was my favorite.¡± ¡°Ooo, I liked that one so much too,¡± Eri said with a lot of enthusiasm. ¡°Having to take down the zombies before they reached your side looked like so much fun I wanted to see if it could be done in real life.¡± ¡°If you ever get the chance to recreate it then I to have a friend do it with me,¡± Liam said, joining in on her fun. ¡°Oh? Why¡¯s that?¡± She asked, curiously. ¡°I have a friend who has Plant magic,¡± Liam started. ¡°If we have her partake with her magic then¡­¡± Eri¡¯s eyes widened at what he was hinting at and interrupted him by finishing, ¡°Then we could have an actual Plants versus Zombies! This needs to be a thing!¡± Liam gave her a smile. She looked like she was having so much fun just talking about this. As he watched her a thought came to mind. Is she this way because she¡¯s bored? Or is it that lonely being a Goddess? Eri was interrupted from her musings as the two felines approached her side and let out a few noises that sounded like deep meows and clicks. ¡°Huh?¡± Eris asked. ¡°Are you sure? He didn¡¯t defeat you, you know?¡± The two cats nodded as they shifted their weight a bit. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Liam asked. Eri let out a sigh as she stood back up. ¡°These two were just reminding me that time is almost up,¡± Eri informed. ¡°They also told me what reward they believed you should receive for completely this floor.¡± ¡°Reward?¡± Liam asked. ¡°What reward do they want to give me?¡± ¡°They want to give you themselves,¡± Eri said with a sad expression. Liam was shocked to hear this. Out of all the things he could possibly get he wasn¡¯t expecting to receive summons or familiars, however they considered it. ¡°So, they want to be like a summon or a familiar?¡± Liam asked. Eri shook her head. Liam was confused. ¡°Let me correct what you think. These two gorgeous creatures are not alive. They only took this form because they wanted to test you. However, they ended up liking you right from the start thanks to your races,¡± Eri explained. Both the Shadow Moon and Moon Shadow Cats turned to look at Liam on both sides of Eri. ¡°Their true forms are these...,¡± Eri started until both cats started glowing brightly with the respected colors of their furs. After the bright glow started to dim, Liam saw two serrated daggers floating where the cats were. One dagger was a smooth pitch-black with spots of pure white speckled around it. The other was a pure white one with speckles of pitch black. The blades curved a bit at the top and were smooth all the way till the bottom section close to the hilt. On the back end of the blades, it curved in, giving a sharp spiked look to it. The hilt on both daggers had the head of the cats with their mouths open where the blade came out. The black bladed dagger had a smooth white leather look to it while the white blade had a pitch-black leather look to it. Liam assessed both daggers.
¡°Shadow Blade of the Lunarian Shadow Cat. Item Rarity ¨C Epic. Item Quality ¨C Above Average. Item Type ¨C Growth. Material used ¨C Shadow Steel. Description ¨C This is a set item. When equipped with its twin, this dagger gives a + 7.5% bonus to Shadow magic damage. Double damage is caused to creatures with a weakness to the Shadow element. This dagger has the soul of a Shadow Moon Cat placed within it.¡± ¡°Moon Blade of the Lunarian Shadow Cat. Item Rarity ¨C Epic. Item Quality ¨C Above Average. Item Type ¨C Growth. Material used ¨C Lunar Steel. Description ¨C This is a set item. When equipped with its twin, this dagger gives a + 7.5% bonus to Lunar magic damage. Double damage is caused to creatures with a weakness to the Lunar element. This dagger has the soul of a Moon Shadow Cat placed within it.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened at what he had read. Not only were these Epic rarity and Above Average quality, but they were growth items! ¡°The Shadow Moon and Moon Shadow cats belong to a species known as Lunarian Shadows. They are a species that are born in twos, twins if you would call it. If you find one, you will find the other close by. Never separate. They specialize in both Shadow magic and Lunar magic, which are very hard areas to get. The only way you can get them is if you have some sort of affinity and even that is rare.¡± ¡°These are¡­amazing,¡± Liam said, almost in a whisper as if saying it any louder would scare the daggers away. ¡°Those two creatures felt something in you. Since you did not attack them and instead decided to show no hostility to them, they decided to reward you with their very souls. Please help them grow,¡± Eri stated. ¡°How do I help them grow? I know it said growth type, but there is no knowledge provided to help me increase their growth,¡± Liam said, confused on the topic. ¡°Many growth items have different ways to grow them. I do not know how to grow a lot of growth weapons, but these two just need you to take care of them and kill many enemies. Especially those with polar opposite elements or affinities,¡± Eri explained. Liam walked up and gently grabbed the daggers. As he did so, sheathes specifically tailored to them appeared over the blades. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get you guys situated later,¡± Liam whispered as he opened his inventory and placed them inside, adding, ¡°I promise to help you both grow.¡± Eri gave him a smile as she watched him do this. ¡°I too would like to give you a couple of things. First is this book.¡± A thick book appeared in front of Liam. Half of it was black as night while the other half reminded him of the color of the moon. The cover read, Beginner of the Moon and Shadow. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Liam asked as he looked back at her. ¡°This book contains Knowledge Theories on both Shadow and Lunar magic,¡± Eri started to explain. Liam frowned at her and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t have Shadow or Lunar magic though.¡± ¡°I was just about to explain. Geez, a bit impatient aren¡¯t we,¡± Eri said with a smirk. Liam gave her an apologetic smile. ¡°There are many ways to unlock Fields of Study and their magic. One such way is at the Mage Towers,¡± Eri explained. ¡°Another is through one¡¯s race. The last is through Knowledge Theories.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at what she had just said. ¡°You mean?¡± ¡°Some magic and their fields of study are restricted to one¡¯s race which means not everyone can get it. Others are just so rare you need both an affinity for it and the knowledge to receive it,¡± Eri continued. ¡°You will unlock the Field of the Shadows once when you step out thanks to your race. However, Field of the Lunar you¡¯ll need to study it and get an understanding to the point it is giving to you.¡± Liam looked back at the book, both excited and surprised at the revelation he was just been told. There¡¯s more than one way to unlock Fields of Studies. Mercer is going to want to know this for sure! Liam thought. ¡°I have to warn you now though,¡± Eri stated with a strict tone of voice. ¡°Do not reveal that book to anyone you do not trust as well as using the Lunar magic out in the open where anyone can see it.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Liam asked confused. ¡°Lunar magic is super rare, especially for one around your level,¡± Eri stated. ¡°If someone you don¡¯t know or trust sees you using that, they will become suspicious of you and try to get this book. I especially do not want someone who I did not give permission to, to have it. It is a one of a kind book, that I made to help you as a reward.¡± Liam stared at her. He understood what she was saying. He felt appreciative that she was giving him this. Now, could she have given him this to try and suede him into becoming her Champion or whatever, sure. However, he felt that she wasn¡¯t doing that. He saw how she looked at the two cat creatures. It was almost like she loved them, like they were her friends. Maybe she did this because of them. Either way, he was grateful for the help. ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said with a grateful smile while putting the book away. ¡°Study up as much as you can so you can both gain new abilities, and use them as effectively as you can,¡± Eri explained. She then let out a sigh that gave Liam a bad feeling as she continued, ¡°My last reward is information. Two kinds in fact. One has to do with your Second class and the other¡­has to do with why you should not divulge that you are a Gemini.¡± Tutorial 58- The Pain of DNA Liam stared at her, waiting to tell him what she wanted him to know. ¡°First, I will inform you that the issue with not being able to see what your second class is along with the abilities it comes with, will resolve itself in time,¡± Eri started. ¡°How much time?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It could be days or weeks or even months,¡± Eri said. ¡°It all depends on what is going on with it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked, a bit alarmed. ¡°What is going on with it?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell you,¡± Eri said firmly. ¡°If you were my Champion I would reveal everything, but I will wait patiently for you to accept.¡± ¡°You mean if I accept,¡± Liam corrected. ¡°No, when you accept is right,¡± Eris corrected him with a wry smug look. That smug look returned into a serious one as she continued, ¡°I will say, one of your abilities is hard at work fixing the problem.¡± Liam raised a brow as he looked at her. Fine, keep your secrets. He thought. ¡°The other thing I will go over with you has to do with your question from earlier,¡± Eri said. ¡°Why you were told no one has more than one class if Geminis have dual classes. That is because¡­ large groups are hunting down Geminis every day.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Liam shouted as he felt his blood run cold. ¡°Why? Is it because of their dual classes?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Eri replied. ¡°There are some who are jealous of that, but the real reason is something completely different. It¡¯s an ability only a small handful of Geminis will get.¡± ¡°What ability is that?¡± Liam asked. ¡°That¡­,¡± Eri started, but hesitated. She looked at him for a moment before saying, ¡°I won¡¯t say.¡± ¡°How come?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Because it won¡¯t matter if you do or do not know it,¡± Eri bluntly stated. ¡°Regardless of if you were one that had the ability, the ones hunting Geminis down won¡¯t care. I will say that the ability is one that even Gods fear.¡± ¡°An ability even Gods fear?¡± Liam whispered to himself. Is there even an ability that can do that? If there is, then no wonder Geminis are being hunted down. Liam thought while he was coming to terms with the situation he was in. ¡°Do not reveal your Zodiac to anyone you do not trust or believe can not keep a secret,¡± Eri repeated. ¡°I would advise you not tell anyone. And for those that know what your Zodiac is already from your previous world, avoid them at all costs.¡± Liam was about to say something, but was interrupted as Eri cut him off, ¡°I mean it, just because you were friends with someone back in your old world doesn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to turn you in to save their lives.¡± Liam was about to argue again but stopped as he thought about it. He had friends he trusted, but it had been a couple of years since he last saw them. They could have changed. He wouldn¡¯t know though until he saw them. ¡°Alright, but what about family?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Do you trust your family?¡± Eris questioned. ¡°My dad, brothers, my older step sister, aunt and her two daughters yes. Anyone beyond that, nope,¡± Liam answered honestly. ¡°Then you know the answer to your question,¡± Eri stated. Liam nodded. Liam stared at her, wanting to know more, but then decided to take another approach to the topic. ¡°Are there any libraries out there that would have knowledge on the topic?¡± Liam asked. Eri stared at him for a moment. She then look up as she started to think. After a moment she looked back at him and said, ¡°Yes, there is. But not accurate information.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°There is information, but it¡¯s tailored to make the genesis of the Geminis look to be more noble than what it is,¡± Eri explained. God damn corruption. Liam thought. He then had another thought as something popped into his mind. ¡°If the books do not hold the correct knowledge then does that mean the Gods are allowing it?¡± ¡°Some are yes,¡± Eri responded. ¡°However, not all of them are. Just like not all people are out hunting Geminis. You can tell just by how they react or treat you if someone is actively hunting or protecting. It¡¯s a nature they won¡¯t hide easily.¡± ¡°So, are you saying that I should mention the word Gemini in front of someone and see their reaction?¡± Liam asked, not liking the idea. ¡°Sure, if you want to get yourself killed,¡± Eri replied. ¡°No, I¡¯m saying watch a person¡¯s demeanor. Body language and attitude can tell a person a lot about them.¡± Liam nodded, agreeing with her on that. Eri looked to the right of her and watched as a piece of the wall slid down into the ground. ¡°It looks like our time is up,¡± Eri said with a sad smile. Liam noticed a hint of loneliness appear in her eyes. Regretful that he couldn¡¯t stay for much longer, Liam stated, ¡°How do I get in contact with you if I decide to accept?¡± This question brightened her a little bit before saying, ¡°Since we have made contact with each other, I will be able to sense your presence on any of the floors and can communicate with you mentally.¡± ¡°Mentally huh? So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll be in my head each time I enter the dungeon?¡± Liam asked before sarcastically adding, ¡°What is with crazy women trying to get up in my head?¡± Eri let out a laugh as she responded, ¡°Don¡¯t catch the attention of crazy women if you don¡¯t want them running around in your mind.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Liam said as he made his way to the opened section of the wall. Before he made it to the opened section he remembered something she had asked earlier that made him want to ask a certain question. ¡°Before I go,¡± he started as he turned back to her. ¡°Hm?¡± Eri asked. ¡°You were curious how I found myself on this path,¡± Liam began. ¡°What exactly is this path and why are the monsters different and so much stronger than the normal path? Is it truly a Forbidden Path?¡± Eri stared at him. A moment passed before she replied, ¡°I guess you can say this is a forbidden path, but at the same time it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked, confused by her answer. ¡°Technically it is considered a Forbidden Path since the monsters are stronger, but they are that way because this is a Deity¡¯s Trial Path. A path to see if you are worthy of becoming a Champion of the Deity or to gain a blessing depending on who finds you interesting,¡± Eri explained. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°The monsters are stronger than normal to test your will power to see if you have the will to face challenges that are beyond your abilities. If you are deemed worthy then a Deity will reward you with a Blessing or the chance to be their Champion.¡± ¡°So, something like this is common?¡± Liam asked. Eri shook her head. ¡°The monster would normally be slightly stronger. How strong or hard it is to kill the monster shows what kind of Deity finds you interesting.¡± Liam stared at her. ¡°The monsters we¡¯ve fought have been nothing but a pain and have been hard to beat,¡± Liam stated. A thought popped in his head. ¡°If the monsters are strong then the Deity is¡­¡± Eri gave him a sly grin. ¡°I¡¯ll let you decide if your thought is right as you face the last two dungeons. However, this is considered a Forbidden Path because of two reasons. One is because no one was ever supposed to face my Trial Path.¡± Liam stared at her with his mouth slightly opened. Curious to know the other, he asked, ¡°And the other reason?¡± ¡°Someone has tampered with this path and connected it to a path that should never appear in a Tutorial. The Path of the Forgotten Realm.¡± Liam felt the serious tone in her voice and shivered slightly. He was about to ask what Path that was, but couldn¡¯t as Eri continued. ¡°Be careful when you face the final boss on the sixth floor. If it goes well do not, and I repeat do not enter the floor after that. You are nowhere near ready for it.¡± ¡°The floor beyond the sixth? I thought there was only six?¡± Liam questioned as more questions started to form. ¡°I can not speak on this anymore,¡± Eri said. ¡°One more question then,¡± Liam said as he felt this one was really important. ¡°What is it?¡± Eri asked. ¡°Due to the nature of the Tutorial Area, we are not supposed to be able to die,¡± Liam started but then gulped before finishing, ¡°Is there a possibility we can die on this path?¡± Eri stared at him. She gave him a sad smile before answering, ¡°There is no possibility of Death. Only guarantee.¡± Liam felt a cold sweat run down his spine. ¡°Be careful out there. Get stronger and survive,¡± Eri encouraged. ¡°I want you as my Champion and need you to live.¡± Liam turned his body and slowly walked away, taking in all that he was told. After he left the area, the wall started to slowly slide back up. ¡°He is one fun guy,¡± Eri said as she watched the wall. ¡°I really do hope he¡¯ll accept, even if it costs him his mind.¡± She shook her head at the thought. ¡°No one has been able to withstand the pressure.¡± ¡°Still, what nerve he had,¡± Eri then pouted. ¡°Telling me, a Primordial Goddess, no. Not once, but twice.¡± A thought suddenly formed in her mind. Making a faux look of shock, she stated, ¡°I forgot to warn him about the physical changes he and his friends went through after having the Info Block dispelled and letting their races change their appearances.¡± After a swift moment of silence, Eri formed a wicked grin and said, ¡°Oops¡­let¡¯s see how that plays out.¡± Eri¡¯s translucent body then started to phase out as she walked away. As her body began to disappear, her voice whispered, ¡°I hope he¡¯ll accept and then become my friend.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As the wall closed behind him, a faint whisper echoed in the air making him turn around. The whisper was so quiet he wasn¡¯t able to catch it. However, what he did catch was how dark the hall was now. ¡°Plunging into darkness once again, I guess,¡± he commented as he placed a hand on each wall, helping him guide which way to go. As he walked, he felt a strange tingle across his body. It was faint at first, but as he continued to walk the sensation got stronger. He felt the hairs on his arms, legs, neck, and head start to rise as the sensation grew to, what he felt like, its maximum point. He stopped as he waited for the worst static shock to happen, but nothing came. He continued to stand there waiting for it, but after two minutes of nothing, he decided to take another step. It was at this moment he realized he fucked up. The sensation that was tingling throughout his body suddenly shot straight to his eyes as flashes of light flashed over and over in the hall. Pain exploded in and around his eyes. It was so sudden it caused him to quickly throw both of his hands to his face, smacking him hard. He dropped to his knees and let out a loud agonizing howl. Liam endured as the pain in his optical area pulsed. He had no clue what was happening. All he could do was grit his teeth and release a cry of pain when it pulsed stronger. During this time, Liam couldn¡¯t see it, but his shadow that appeared between the flashes of light started quivering as if it was alive. A pair of red eyes opened, blinked, smiled, then closed their eyes not opening them again. Liam continued to fight the pain, until it suddenly subsided. He gasped for air as spit spewed out his mouth between gasps. ¡°What¡­the fuck¡­was that?¡± Liam said between breaths. After his heart had calmed down and his breathing evened out, Liam realized the pain that pulsed in his eyes had disappeared as if it was never there. He slowly opened them and was shocked. The completely dark hall was no longer dark. It was as if a very dim light was on in the hall. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was still better than how it was moments ago. Liam looked around to find the source of light but couldn¡¯t find any. ¡°Is this some sort of magic?¡± Liam questioned as chime sounds echoed in his mind. Confused, Liam opened his notifications.
¡°Congratulations! Your races Cait Sith and ???????? have fully integrated with your body and have transformed you to give you the appearance you were supposed to have according to your DNA as well has changed some of your body¡¯s structure and gained more affinities.¡± ¡°The following changes have been made to your body. Thanks to your Cait Sith race your eye sight, hearing, smell and touch have boosted your perception by 10%.¡± ¡°Thanks to your Cait Sith race your reaction to danger has given you a 5% boost to your agility, reflexes, and fine motor skills.¡± ¡°Thanks to your Cait Sith race your love of crafting has given you a 10% boost to any crafting sub-stats and crafted items.¡± ¡°Thanks to your ???????? race, Field of the Shadows has been unlocked. Please look at your Mystic Landscape to choose which Focus Points you want to invest in.¡± ¡°Thanks to your ???????? race you have received a 10% boost to all Shadow magic.¡± ¡°Thanks to your ???????? race you have received ability Dark Sight.¡± ¡°Dark Sight ¨CAbility to see in the dark. Ability is only active when in a dark area. Skill Type ¨C Passive. Level 1. Progression to level 2: 10%.¡±
¡°A passive ability that activates when in a dark area? Yes please,¡± Liam said with a grin. ¡°That also explains why I can see better in the dark. But was this the reason why my eyes were hurting?¡± Liam thought about it and concluded that it couldn¡¯t be it. ¡°I¡¯ll have to see if something weird happened to my eyes when I see the others,¡± Liam stated before he started looking himself over. As he gave himself a once over, he noticed¡­nothing. Nothing about him had changed. At least not the areas he could see. ¡°I¡¯ll also have to have them give me a once over to see if they could spot any changes I couldn¡¯t.¡± He went to take a step but then stopped as an idea formed in his head. ¡°I wonder if the Dark Sight works with my goggles on,¡± Liam stated as he pulled them down over his eyes. It was slightly darker than when his goggles were off, but he was still able to see around him a bit. Before he went to take them off and say something, a chime echoed in his mind with a notification following behind it.
¡°Congratulations! Dark Sight has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 10%!¡±
¡°That leveled quicker than I thought it would,¡± he said, a bit shocked. ¡°Hm, I wonder how much of this I can exploit?¡± A grin formed on his face as another chime echoed in his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much I can exploit this level raising cheat.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After forty five minutes had passed, Liam saw a light that led out of the hall and into the next room. As he approached the door, he felt accomplished. He had exploited the dark area and using his goggles to help raise his Dark Sight ability to level ten. After it hit level ten, the speed of it leveling slowed by a lot. He wouldn¡¯t complain though. His sight made the dark room a bit lighter and gave him the chance to peer into dark areas from a well-lit room. It was a win-win for him. As he came out of the hall, he suddenly jumped back as figures caught his attention. Each individual had beast or monster-like appearances. Liam swiftly pulled his daggers out from their sheathes and took a defensive stance as he looked all around him. Six figures turned to look at him and were shocked to see him pull his weapons out. ¡°Who the fuck are you guys!¡± Liam shouted. Each of the individuals gave him a laugh. Liam looked confused as they laughed. What the hell is so funny? He thought as he readied himself in case they attacked. Are they laughing at me because they think I won¡¯t put up a good enough fight? I won¡¯t go down that easily. I¡¯ll just hold them off until the others get here. Then we can take them out. A sudden chuckle echoed in Liam¡¯s mind as Eri¡¯s voice mentally said, ¡°Put your weapons away. They aren¡¯t what you think they are.¡± Eri? Liam thought as he remembered her saying she could speak to him while he was still in the dungeon. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me,¡± she responded. It feels weird talking to you mentally. Liam thought to her. Almost feels invasive. Eri let out another laugh as she told him, ¡°Get used to it. Once when you become my Champion there will be times where I can talk to you like this. Anyways, put your weapons away. If they are here, then that means this is the team you came in here with.¡± What? Liam thought as he took another look at them. Each person within the room did have the same equipment his team wore. As he stared at them, he frowned and said to her, Why didn¡¯t you tell me this would happen? I could have avoided looking so stupid. Eri gave him another loud laugh before saying, ¡°And what, miss your hilarious reaction? Nah, this was great. You should have seen your face when you entered the room. It was priceless.¡± Ha, ha, ha. Laugh it up. Liam thought as he eased his body and sheathed his weapons. You¡¯re a real jerk, you know that? ¡°I can be yes.¡± Eri agreed. Tutorial 59 - Your eyes are…Soooo Cute! Liam stared at his six teammates who were still laughing at him. Some had changed way more than others with new skin tones, bodily features, and even eye patterns. Roman was still the same height and had those calculative brown eyes and short blond hair. What changed with him was he now had Fox-like ears and a fluffy blond tail with a white tip. He kinda looks like a Kitsune. Liam thought as he moved on to Blair. Her black pixie cut hairstyle and icy blue eyes were the same as ever, but her tanned skin now sports scales running up the outside of her arms. It also covered her cheeks, and ran up her nose to her forehead. Not only that but she had a short scaled tail moving left to right behind her. Did she become some sort of a Lizard person? Liam thought as he turned to look at Artem, who had a complete make over. Artem¡¯s slightly husky appearance had slimmed and toned out. His skin was now a greyish green. Protruding from his lower lip were two sharp looking tusks or teeth that came out from his mouth. His nails were short, but sharp. Liam was confused on what he was. He kind of reminds me of an orc from that D&D game I used to play. But he has more human features. So maybe a Half Orc? Liam thought as he turned to look at Avery. Avery¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t change much. He had always thought she was kind of beautiful with her gunmetal grey eyes and long wavy midnight black hair. But now her new look screamed she was as deadly as she was beautiful thanks to her sharper facial features. The one thing that really caught his attention though, were her ears. Are those Elf ears!? Is she an elf? Liam thought with astonishment. He turned to the next individual who he thought was Mercer due to the clothes and the bow strapped to his back. He had to make a double take on him because, just like Artem, he too had completely changed. His skin color had changed to a dark purple. Both of his eyes were emerald-green with hard to see yellow orbs where the irises would be. Protruding from his forehead where his hair line started were two slim dark purple horns that ran and curved over his head; with the tip of the horns pointing up. Behind him was a long thin dark purple tail as well. Did he become a fucking demon?! Liam¡¯s mind was shocked and wasn¡¯t sure if he was one or something else. Liam then turned to look at Ariyana. She was still taller than him and had that gorgeous, smooth milk chocolate skin with long curly light red glossy hair and light blue eyes. Her presence had a more alluring feel to it that made you want to keep your eyes on her. Her laugh was a lot more mesmerizing than before and made you want to keep hearing it as well. However, that was not all that had changed about her. On her back were what looked like Six light green leaves that swayed lightly almost like they were more than leaves. After inspecting then better, they were in fact more than just leaves, they were leaf-like wings. Is she a fairy? A nature fairy of sorts maybe? Liam thought as the group started to calm down from their laughing fit. ¡°All done now?¡± Liam asked. ¡°For now, yes,¡± Ariyana giggled a bit. ¡°You had the same reaction we all had when we came across each other,¡± Mercer stated as he smiled at Liam. Liam stared at him, still trying to figure out what he was. Mercer caught on to what he was doing and asked with a smile, ¡°Curious to know?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°My race is a Tiefling,¡± Mercer pronounced as his tail swished proudly behind him. ¡°A Tiefling?!¡± Liam exclaimed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± ¡°Oh? You know what a Tiefling is?¡± Mercer asked with a bit of amazement. ¡°I know a little about them, but my knowledge is based off of a tabletop game. We only had humans in my world,¡± Liam explained. ¡°Same here,¡± the others said before looking at each other. A smile spread on their faces as Ariyana added, ¡°That¡¯s why I was shocked when I heard I was a Fae. A Nature Fae at that.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at what she said. He then asked the others, ¡°What about the rest of you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Kitsune,¡± Roman said standing proudly. ¡°I feel good about this, except¡­I¡¯m unsure about my tail.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± Blair agreed as Mercer nodded his head. ¡°The tail is something I need to get used to, same with the horns and wings. ¡°Horns and wings?¡± Liam questioned with confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t see any horns or wings on you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I was the first person to finish and I sat here learning how to hide them,¡± Blair answered as she closed her eyes. After a moment had passed small tough looking horns appeared from the side of her head above the ears and pointed forward. At the same time two small scaly wings appeared behind her back. ¡°Whoa!¡± Liam exclaimed with amazement. ¡°That¡¯s so badass!¡± ¡°You¡­You think so?¡± Blair questioned taken aback. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they are so small, but I feel like there¡¯s a reason for it and that they will grow bigger one....¡± ¡°Wait a minute?¡± Liam interrupted as he looked her over once more. ¡°Are you a dragon?¡± ¡°A dragon-kin to be precise,¡± Blair corrected. ¡°Really?¡± Liam asked with wide eyes. ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Blair blushed. ¡°How about you big guy?¡± Liam asked as he turned to Artem. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Artem averted his gaze as he softly said, ¡°Half Orc.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Liam shouted, making Artem flinch a little. ¡°I knew you were a Half Orc. That explains why you look so strong and have that color skin.¡± Confused by Liam¡¯s attitude, Artem asked, ¡°Don¡¯t I disgust you?¡± ¡°Disgust me? Why would you?¡± Liam asked, this time confused. ¡°Because of the color of my skin?¡± Artem asked looking ashamed. ¡°And the way I look.¡± Liam tilted his head. ¡°Artem, are you ashamed of what your race is and how it transformed you into a powerful looking person?" ¡°Powerful?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Yes, you look like someone who you wouldn¡¯t want to meet in a dark alley or piss off,¡± Liam smiled. Artem grew a boyish smile as he looked at Liam. He then shook his head as he stated, ¡°I should have figured you wouldn¡¯t be perturbed by my appearance.¡± ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t be ashamed by yours. Be proud. Back on my planet there were many people who wanted to play an Orc in video games or even a Half Orc in the tabletop game I mentioned earlier,¡± Liam encouraged. ¡°Really?¡± Artem asked, looking a bit brighter after hearing Liam¡¯s words. Liam nodded before turning to Avery. As he looked at her he felt something he hadn¡¯t noticed earlier. He couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but it felt familiar. As he stared at her, a frown slowly formed on his face. That frown made Avery glare at him. After a moment passed she asked while feeling irritated, ¡°What? Got a problem with my new appearance?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liam asked. ¡°No, why would you think that?¡± ¡°You were frowning while looking at her,¡± Mercer commented with a slight chuckle. Liam turned to look at him and questioned, ¡°I was?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Roman laughed. Liam looked back at her and said with an apologetic smile, ¡°My bad.¡± He hesitated for a moment, but decided to say, ¡°When I checked you out, I felt something familiar, but couldn¡¯t tell what it was.¡± Ariyana, Roman, and Blair let out a laugh. Mercer placed a hand on his forehead as he shook his head. ¡°Damn Liam,¡± Roman said. ¡°Taking your shot in front of us?¡± Ariyana asked with an impish grin. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam asked, confused. He looked at Avery who was blushing a bit. Realizing how his words sounded, he stated as he brought his hands up swiftly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just¡­man I can¡¯t describe it.¡± ¡°Just keep digging. Just keep digging,¡± Roman sang teasingly. ¡°Ah, what race are you Avery?¡± Liam asked, trying to change the subject as he heard Eri laugh in his mind. You hush up too. Liam thought as he mentally frowned. Avery gave him a slight pout slight frown look as her cheeks returned to their normal color and replied, ¡°I am a Crimson Elf.¡± ¡°Crimson Elf? Crimson like fire?¡± Liam asked, genuinely interested. ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what it is. I don¡¯t know what it entails,¡± Avery shook her head. She then gave him a playful smile and said, ¡°What about you? You don¡¯t look like much has changed.¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Liam stated as he remembered about having them take a look around. ¡°I felt like something changed but I¡¯m not sure what.¡± Liam slowly spun around as the others looked him up and down. ¡°I don¡¯t see any changes,¡± Ariyana stated with a slight frown. ¡°I don¡¯t either,¡± Roman agreed. ¡°Same,¡± Blair and Artem chimed in. Even Avery shook her head. ¡°Did your race even change?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Yeah. I have two races. One is Cait Sith and the other is still unknown to me,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Cait Sith?¡± Blair and Avery asked. ¡°That sounds cute what is that?¡± Ariyana asked as her eyes lit up with interest. ¡°What do you mean your other race is unknown?¡± Mercer questioned. Liam looked at them all as he realized that mentioning that his other race was unknown would bring up his seal. He still wasn¡¯t fully sure what his seal entailed and didn¡¯t want to assume anything. After thinking it over he was about to open his mouth, but stopped as Eri chimed in, in his head. ¡°Are you sure you want to say anything to them?¡± she asked. What do you mean? Liam asked her. ¡°I mean think about it. There has to be a reason as to why the seal is blocking information to you. It could be there to save you from people who would want to harm you,¡± Eri tried to explain. She did have a point. He wasn¡¯t going to talk about his seal to just anyone because he wasn¡¯t sure himself why it was placed on him beyond the possibility of helping him grow stronger and focus on training his body and sub-stats. Beyond that, he was clueless. After a moment of silence, Eri asked, ¡°Do you trust them?¡± Liam thought about it. He hasn¡¯t known them for long, but they have earned his trust since they all held a similar secret. This Forbidden Path they were on. Well, the messed up Deity¡¯s Trial Path and the Path of the Forgotten Realm. Whatever that was. That reminded him he needed to inform them about what he had learned, but wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d approach the subject. He shook his head to focus on what was in front of him. Yes I do trust them. Liam thought to Eri. I won¡¯t tell them everything right now since there is too much to say, but I will tell them. Eri let out a sigh in Liam¡¯s mind as she said, ¡°Then go ahead.¡± ¡°Everything alright?¡± Mercer asked as he gave Liam a look of concern. Liam looked at him and replied, ¡°Yeah, just got a lot to process. The reason why I can¡¯t tell what my other race is, is because it has to do with that thing I told you guys happened on the first floor.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes raised at that. ¡°Oh, so you have no clue thanks to that bullshit?¡± Roman asked. Liam nodded. He then said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you guys more on what I learned about it another time since there¡¯s too much to go over, but all I know is thanks to it I get the Field of Shadows and Shadow magic.¡± ¡°Shadow Magic!?¡± Everyone shouted, causing Liam to slightly bounce back, like a cat who was suddenly yelled at. Everyone saw the movement and was surprised. ¡°What was that about?¡± Blair asked, curious and concerned. ¡°Thanks to my Cait Sith race, my hearing has increased so you guys shouting shocked me and caused me to subconsciously move back,¡± Liam stated as he rubbed his arms. Everyone looked at him with a shocked expression. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Your hearing has increased thanks to your Cait Sith race?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°We can talk more about that later,¡± Liam said as he waved a hand to dismiss the topic. As he waved his hand around he noticed his goggles were still over his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right?¡± Ariyana started. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about the Cait Sith Race. What is it?¡± ¡°Hold on. I forgot that my goggles were still on,¡± Liam replied as he pulled them up to his forehead. He winced a bit as he squinted his eyes, trying to readjust them to the light in the room. As his eyes tried to refocus on everyone in the room, everyone let out a gasp. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked with concern. He started getting a little worried as no one responded. He asked again, ¡°What is it? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Your eyes,¡± Avery said softly and slowly. ¡°What about them?¡± Liam asked as he looked at them. He saw her make a weird face. Concerned even more he turned to Mercer and asked, ¡°Why is she making a weird face? Do I look weird or something?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mercer started. ¡°Your eyes look¡­¡± ¡°So cute!¡± Ariyana squealed. ¡°They are like cat eyes with the way they slit and go round! Are the Cait Siths cats? Please tell me they are cats!¡± Liam looked and felt really concerned about Ariyana¡¯s questions and reaction. ¡°Yes, they are a special kind of Cat People race from the Arcadian Kingdom that love crafting,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Of course, you have a race that loves crafting,¡± Avery laughed. ¡°That sounds so like you.¡± ¡°And explains why you love to craft,¡± Mercer said. ¡°You have no idea,¡± Liam said to him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more about it later.¡± ¡°You said Arcadian Kingdom right?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Yeah, why do you ask?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°My race is from that kingdom too,¡± he replied. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Liam said. ¡°That¡¯s cool. Maybe our races are related somehow?¡± Liam let out a laugh at the thought. ¡°A fox and a cat related? That would be one hell of a weird family tree,¡± Roman jokingly said with a grin. ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Liam smiled back. A loud rumble echoed in the air, making everyone tun to Artem. Sheepishly, Artem said, ¡°Sorry, I did a lot of running around and more in my trial and it made me hungry.¡± Liam felt his stomach rumble as well as he placed a hand on it and agreed, ¡°I can jump on board with the idea of getting food.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go see how the world looks now that we finished this floor,¡± Mercer stated as they walked towards the portal waiting for them off to the side. As Eri watched Liam and his group walk through the portal, she muttered to herself, ¡°Not only are you interesting, my soon to be Champion, but your companions are as well. They don¡¯t know the depths of secrets hidden within them.¡± She smiled as she remember what she saw in each of them, especially in that elf girl. ¡°Who would have thought that those two races would end up in the same group. Maybe I should give them all a blessing when I get him to become my Champion.¡± Her smile grew a bit more wicked as she added, ¡°Oh the chaos I could have them create. Hurry back quickly my soon to be Champion. Your Matron Goddess will be bored until you step back in here.¡± Tutorial 60 - Adjusting plans to the changes made Liam stepped out of the portal and took a few steps away from it before hunching over and feeling the side effects of traveling via portal. His stomach lurched twice, but luckily nothing happened. He couldn¡¯t say the same thing for Roman, Ariyana, and Avery though as they bent over and threw up. Liam looked at Mercer who shook his head warning him not to do it. Liam was feeling good, so he didn¡¯t listen. ¡°Upchuck Roulette strikes again,¡± Liam said as he jumped to the side to dodge a sword strike from Avery who was glaring at him. Ariyana scowled at him and stated, ¡°Just for that you¡¯re buying me the most expensive drink tonight.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Liam laughed. ¡°Congratulations,¡± A gruff voice greeted. Everyone turned to see Phorge approaching them with Adva who was giving them a warm smile. The group was shocked as they saw the two looked different than how they did before they went into the dungeon. Phorge was a full foot taller than before with grey skin. His muscles looked much bigger than before and a lot more chiseled. Adva was the same height, but had blue skin with four webbed spike looking things that reminded Liam of fins on her forearms. ¡°I see you all made it through the challenge floor and have successfully integrated with your races,¡± Adva said as she looked at Ariyana, Roman, and Mercer. ¡°A Nature Fae, Kitsune, and Tiefling.¡± ¡°Your Orc and Dragonkin appearances look nice and tough,¡± Phorge stated as he gave a nod of approval to Artem and Blair. Adva and Phorge saw Avery and Liam and gave a confused look. ¡°A Crimson Elf?¡± Adva said with a look of confusion. ¡°Yeah¡­why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with who I am?¡± Avery asked as she started to feel uncomfortable. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that your race is a rare one. There are many Elves, but a Crimson Elf is really rare to appear,¡± Adva explained. ¡°The odds for one to appear is¡­,¡± Phorge started to say until a snarky and annoyed voice finished for him. ¡°A thousand to one.¡± Everyone turned to see who said it. Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he glared at Nalia who walked up next to Phorge. She, too, looked different. Her ears were almost like Roman¡¯s except rounded out more. She also had a short, short haired tail behind her. ¡°I see you lot are progressing. Slowly, but still progressing,¡± Nalia said with disdain in her voice. She then looked at Liam and noticed his eyes. She bypassed Adva and Phorge, who were about to say something, but were interrupted again as she said, ¡°Hm, your eyes look weird. They look like one of a beast kin, but you have no other features besides the eyes. Tell me, what are you?¡± ¡°And why do I have to tell you?¡± Liam scowled. ¡°Because I said so,¡± Nalia bluntly said. ¡°You can either tell me or I¡¯ll get it out of you.¡± Nalia¡¯s eyes started to glow as Adva protested, ¡°Nalia! That is quite enough.¡± Nalia turned her head to look at her. ¡°You can try to stop me if you¡¯d like.¡± A sudden pain started to form in Liam¡¯s mind as he tried to fight whatever she was trying to do. Nalia went to look back at him and was about to say something but was shocked as a golden light suddenly popped like a balloon and fizzed out. ¡°What the,¡± Nalia said with a very confused expression on her face. ¡°Your games are going too far Little Nalia,¡± a stern voice called out. Liam turned to see Nabal approach the group. ¡°What are you doing here you clown,¡± Nalia questioned. ¡°I saw something interesting going on and decided to check it out,¡± Nabal answered as he stared at her. ¡°You know its forbidden to use such abilities on the new people since it creates so much pressure on their brains.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not forbidden, there is no rule stating I can not use this ability,¡± Nalia argued. ¡°You know there¡¯s a chance you can kill them using it,¡± Nabal said as he narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Or did you forget what happened to Cecil who happened to ¡®forget¡¯ that rule?¡± Nalia stood straight as she returned his glare with one of her own. ¡°Why step in? You haven¡¯t shown any interest in anyone since you came here.¡± ¡°I only came to the Tutorial Area since I lost a bet,¡± Nabal started before looking at Liam. ¡°However, I¡¯m glad I did because I found someone who caught my interest.¡± Shock appeared not only on Nalia¡¯s face, but Adva¡¯s and Phorge¡¯s as well. Nalia turned her attention to Liam and asked with a bit of disgust in her voice, ¡°You¡¯re telling me you found someone as worthless of this guy interesting? I think your eyes are going bad if you are saying that.¡± ¡°Maybe it is you, who is blinded by her thirst for knowledge that she¡¯ll resort to doing whatever she pleases to get it. Even if that obsession makes her turn to tormenting newcomers,¡± Nabal countered. ¡°Whatever,¡± Nalia stated as she turned around in a huff and walked away. Liam turned to look at Nabal, appreciative of what he did, but confused at the same time. He hasn¡¯t spent much time with the man so he was unsure why he would step in to stop Nalia. As Liam stared at him, a few chime sounds echoed in his mind. Something leveled up? I¡¯ll have to check it out later. He thought as Adva¡¯s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. ¡°Were you telling the truth Nabal?¡± Adva asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. ¡°Hm, oh good evening Mrs. Adva,¡± Nabal greeted before answering, ¡°About what? Taking an interest in this guy?¡± Nabal hiked a thumb at Liam. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m his Dagger Instructor.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Adva¡¯s and Phorge¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Nabal questioned. ¡°Are you feeling alright?" Phorge asked. ¡°You¡¯re not sick are you?¡± Nabal frowned as he stated, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because¡­I mean you¡­,¡± Adva tried to say, but wasn¡¯t sure how to say it. ¡°You have this thing where you¡¯re not interested in training anyone but that nephew of yours,¡± Phorge clarified. ¡°Gimmel?¡± Nabal asked. ¡°Sure, I¡¯d rather train him, but that doesn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t find interest in training anyone. Especially, one who will take challenges head on.¡± Nabal turned to look at Liam and said, ¡°Great job on standing up to her by the way. The woman can be a real bitch sometimes.¡± ¡°Nabal,¡± Adva chided with a smirk. ¡°My bad Mrs. Adva,¡± Nabal said giving her an apologetic look. He then corrected, ¡°That damn Weasel can be a real bitch sometimes.¡± ¡°Weasel?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a Weasel-folk Beast kin from the Arcadian Kingdom,¡± Nabal informed. ¡°Great, that means there¡¯s a chance we¡¯ll run into her there,¡± Roman groaned. ¡°I guess so,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°Why would you run into her there?¡± Nabal asked Liam, but then saw his eyes. Curious by the way they looked, he stared into them. ¡°So that¡¯s why she was acting that way,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°You have the eyes of a Beast kin. From how they look, they must belong to one of the feline races.¡± ¡°Cait Sith, to be exact,¡± Liam informed, not realizing what he was doing. ¡°What?!¡± Adva, Phorge and Nabal shouted. Liam jumped back in response to their reaction and placed his hands over his ears. ¡°Ow,¡± Liam complained. ¡°I really need to get used to this new heightened hearing.¡± ¡°Did you really say Cait Sith?¡± Adva asked. The tone of her voice caught Liam¡¯s attention. It sounded like she was not only shocked, but amazed. ¡°Yeah, why? Is that bad?¡± Liam questioned, feeling a bit uncertain about himself now. ¡°Is it bad he says,¡± Phorge said with a booming laugh. ¡°Cait Siths are even rarer than the Crimson Elves.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam asked with a brow raised. ¡°Not one, but two rare races,¡± Adva muttered. ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Nabal looked at her and then at Liam¡¯s group. He noticed how different they all were and then saw Avery. He then looked back at Liam and said, ¡°You keep an interesting group of people.¡± ¡°You should see them in battle,¡± Liam commented with a grin. He looked at Nabal and at Adva and Phorge. ¡°I¡¯m curious. What are your races?¡± Phorge let out another laugh as Adva shook her head at the man. ¡°I am a Merfolk,¡± Adva replied. ¡°This amazing physique of mine belongs to the Goliath race,¡± Phorge shamelessly said as he flexed his arms. Nabal shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just a plain human.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt, but¡­,¡± Artem shyly interjected himself as everyone turned to him. ¡°I¡¯m pretty hungry and need to eat something.¡± Phorge let out a laugh at Artem¡¯s proclamation. ¡°The change can make you hungry since it works your body pretty hard. Go eat. You guys deserve it.¡± Adva nodded in agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t let us keep you from celebrating your successful completion of the fourth floor.¡± Nabal turned to Liam. ¡°Come see me tomorrow. I have so tips for you to help adjust to the changes your body underwent.¡± Liam nodded before turning and walking away from the three. After the group came out of sight, Adva turned to Nabal and asked with a very curious tone, ¡°What is it about the boy that caught your interest. It couldn¡¯t be because of some small matter.¡± Nabal slowly turned to her. He waited, contemplating what to say. After gathering his thoughts, he stated, ¡°He reminds me of someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Phorge inquired, invested in wanting to know as well. ¡°A teammate of mine,¡± Nabal answered as he looked back at the direction Liam walked away in. ¡°The way he looks at challenges, even if they are impossible to complete. He looks at the smaller details in order to create a bigger picture.¡± Adva and Phorge scrunched their faces as they tried to think of who he was talking about. ¡°It was something he said when I gave him a challenge he was not supposed to win,¡± Nabal continued. ¡°I told him, he had no hope of winning the bet. Do you know what he did?¡± Adva gave him a confused look as Phorge shrugged. ¡°He smiled,¡± Nabal grinned as he remembered. ¡°He smiled like an idiot and said he was frustrated by the difference in our power, but he couldn¡¯t help but grin when facing a challenge. He said it was a habit.¡± Adva¡¯s eyes lit as a certain person appeared in her mind. ¡°I remember a man appearing in a Tutorial group a couple years ago. I was trying to give him some advice on something he shouldn¡¯t do,¡± Adva stated. ¡°He grinned like an idiot and said just because it was hard or seemed impossible, it didn¡¯t mean he shouldn¡¯t challenge himself to complete it.¡± Phorge realized who she was talking about. ¡°I had two boys do the same thing,¡± he informed. ¡°Except they argued and made it into a bet on who could do it first.¡± He looked at Nabal and asked, ¡°Do you think he¡¯s related to them?¡± ¡°If it was before he completed the four floor and got his race reveal, I¡¯d say there¡¯s a possibility,¡± Nabal replied. ¡°However¡­¡± ¡°None of them were Cait Siths or craft loving idiots,¡± Phorge finished. Nabal nodded. ¡°However, if he were to say that he has a shadow affinity then the possibility can still be there.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°That hit the spot,¡± Artem said happily as he leaned back in his chair, patting his belly. The group sat at their favorite table at their favorite entertainment venue, The Dancing Baboon. ¡°I agree,¡± Ariyana stated with a wide grin as she nodded her head to the tune in the background. Roman let out a loud belch and chuckled a bit. ¡°And that is a sign that the tank is full,¡± Liam said feeling nostalgic saying the line. ¡°Huh?¡± Blair asked. Liam waved a hand to dismiss it as he said, ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s a saying from my world.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Mercer started as he looked at everyone. ¡°I know we just got back from completing the fourth floor, but we need to decide on our next move.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Can we just skip the meeting tonight and do it tomorrow?¡± Mercer shook his head as he answered, ¡°No. It¡¯s better to get it done now while its fresh in our minds.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Blair said. ¡°Not you too,¡± Roman complained. Artem placed a hand on Roman¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°No use trying to change their minds. Once when Mercer gets like this nothing will stop it.¡± ¡°True,¡± Roman said the word with a hint of sadness. ¡°I think we should give ourselves a few days to adjust to our new¡­bodies,¡± Mercer started. ¡°It would be wise,¡± Liam said as he winced a bit. His new hearing made the music sound louder than what it was. Even though the music was loud, he was able to pick up on people¡¯s voices and conversations like they were right next to him. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Avery asked, looking a bit concerned. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just my heightened hearing makes everything sound louder than it is,¡± Liam said. "The music is especially true for that.¡± Mercer winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s make this short and then wrap the night up.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I agree with you on trying to adjust to the changes made,¡± Ariyana said. ¡°I have new magic I want to try out and get familiarized with so I can use it on the next floor.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Avery agreed. At Ariyana¡¯s words, Liam remembered the book Eri had given him. He also remembered the Field of the Shadows that unlocked. ¡°I have some magics I want to check out as well,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°Oh?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. Maybe we can meet up after I talk with Nabal tomorrow?¡± Liam suggested. Mercer nodded. ¡°Then how about those who have new magic they want to try meet up at the Mage Tower?¡± Mercer said. He then looked back at Liam and asked, ¡°What time are you going to see him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, maybe in the morning?¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°Find me and we¡¯ll gather everyone who wants to join.¡± Everyone nodded at the plan. As Liam sat there he remembered his talk with Eri about the path they were on. I know I should tell them about what I learned, but maybe it¡¯s too much right now. Although, if I don¡¯t they might not be too happy I didn¡¯t tell them. Liam thought as he felt torn about. It might bring their morale down if I tell them they can die in the Tutorial Dungeon. I don¡¯t know what I should do. Blair stared at Liam, who was caught up in his own thoughts. She saw Avery and Mercer noticed something was bugging him. She looked at Mercer who turned his attention to her. He shook his head and mouthed, ¡°Give him time.¡± Blair understood Liam was someone who often overthought a lot of things. She also understood he would say something when he was ready to. However, she also knew he tended to hold on to something for a while and let it eat at him while holding it in. She would wait though. If he waited too long she would get it out of him. She nodded, giving him her response that she¡¯d wait. After thinking it over, Liam decided he was going to wait and see how things went. Hopefully, nothing got serious enough that they¡¯d die. He¡¯d do everything he could to make sure that wouldn¡¯t happen. One way of doing that was working on his magic, sub-stats, weapons, and alchemy. Speaking of Alchemy. Liam thought as he looked at his internal clock. It was still early in the evening that Alicia and Galin would be at the Bubbling Potion. He nodded as he decided on what he was going to do next. He looked at the others and announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to head out.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to head over to the Bubbling Potion and see if Galin and Alicia are there,¡± Liam answered. Mercer was confused at first, but then remembered their conversation from yesterday. He nodded and said, ¡°Do you want any of us to come with?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know any of you. I don¡¯t want him to feel like it¡¯s a sudden intervention or he¡¯s being personally attacked.¡± ¡°Smart,¡± Blair said as she could agree with Liam¡¯s logic. ¡°Be safe,¡± Mercer said. ¡°If you need us don¡¯t hesitate to seek us.¡± Liam nodded appreciatively as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you guys what I learned tomorrow. You guys have fun and I¡¯ll see you later.¡± His group waved him off as he left the table. Liam sighed inwardly as he muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s hope it goes well.¡± Tutorial 61 - Uncomfortable Conversation Liam walked down the street that led to the Bubbly Potion. The area was a bit quieter than usual, but he didn¡¯t mind. Since he had his senses heightened he had a harder time getting used to them. With his new hearing, he was able to hear conversations, that were farther than normal, as clear as if it was right next to him. His sight was able to zoom in if he tried to focus on something, like he had a telescope in his eyes. Not only that, but things were brighter and felt like there was more color. When he ate, his tastebuds were able to tell what ingredients were used down to the last spice. The one sense he wasn¡¯t happy about though was his smell. He was able to pick up new odors he hadn¡¯t before and he was really concerned about some of the people that walked near him. There was a couple of times he almost gagged when people walked by him. Seriously, have those people not taken a proper shower since they got here. Liam thought to himself. He shivered as he contemplated, I could have sworn that guy had a mushroom starting to grow on him. Yeesh! He let out a short chuckle as a new thought popped up. If cats or any kind of felines have had to go through this then I have a new found respect for them. His chuckle slipped away as he approached the door to the building. He stopped and stared at it. What am I going to say? How should I approach this? Liam let out a sigh as he decided he was going to go with the flow and see where it goes. He opened the door and walked in. As he stepped in, he heard voices coming from the lab in back. At first he thought it was a friendly chat Galin was having, but he then picked up that Galin was all, but happy. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I have to say it. No, I won¡¯t tell you anything about the boy,¡± Galin said with irritation. Confusion grew on Liam¡¯s face. Who is he talking to? And who are they talking about? Before Liam could think of anything else, he heard the voice of who he was talking to. The voice of the other person was shrewd and sly. From the sound of it, it was a male. ¡°Come on Galin, just help me by introducing me to him.¡± ¡°No,¡± Galin firmly stated. ¡°Why do you need to meet him anyways. He¡¯s new to our world and has no connections.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about him having any connections. He might be the one I¡¯ve been looking for. He might be the key!¡± the shrewd man pleaded. ¡°The key?¡± Galin questioned. ¡°Yes, he might be the one I need to help unlock¡­,¡± the man started to explain until Galin angerly interrupted. ¡°Do you hear yourself?!¡± Galin stated. ¡°When did you look at people like tools?¡± ¡°Everyone is a tool to someone just like how we wer¡­,¡± the man began to argue. ¡°We are not tools!¡± Galin shouted with anger. Silence filled the room. After a moment had passed, Galin asked with a voice soft and full of concern, ¡°What happened to you Steve? You changed so much.¡± Steve?! Liam thought as his eyes widened. Steve is here?! ¡°I¡¯m not the only who has changed,¡± Steve replied. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to help me with meeting Liam then I guess I have wasted my time here.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Galin confirmed with a voice full of wariness. ¡°You have wasted your time here. You should leave¡­now.¡± Liam panicked a bit internally as he heard footsteps. He stepped back out of the building as he closed the door, turned to his right, and walked right into someone. ¡°Damn dude,¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°You need to stop walking into me like this.¡± Liam looked to see it was Alicia. Panicking still, Liam grabbed Alicia by her wrist and pulled her over to the side of the building, pushed her up against the wall and titled his head enough to mask both of the faces making it look like they were kissing. ¡°What are you¡­,¡± Alicia started to protest. ¡°Hush,¡± Liam whispered sharply. ¡°Don¡¯t move around too much and pretend we¡¯re lovers.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Alicia asked, concerned and irritated. ¡°Steve is about to walk out of the building and he¡¯s looking for me,¡± Liam replied as quietly as he could. He heard the door to the building open up. Alicia tensed at his explanation and at his subtle body language. ¡°Fine,¡± Alicia whispered, ¡°But this alone wont be believable.¡± ¡°What do you me¡­,¡± Liam started to say until Alicia wrapped her right arm around his back and rubbed it slowly. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as she placed her left hand on his chin and brought his face closer to her lips. Steve walked and stopped to stare into the shadowy area that was between the two buildings. He scowled as he saw two people being intimate. From his angle they looked like lovers trying to get some privacy. ¡°Disgusting,¡± Steve said as he walked away. Liam glared at Alicia who had her mouth over Liam¡¯s nose. After he couldn¡¯t hear Steve close by anymore he asked with some irritation, ¡°Are you serious?¡± His voice sounded like he was plugging it. Alicia gave him a smile and started laughing as she brought her head back. ¡°That¡¯s what you get,¡± she said as she walked around him and looked around the corner to see if it was clear. ¡°He¡¯s gone now,¡± Liam said as he turned around, wiping his nose vigorously. Alicia looked at him and asked with both confusion and curiosity in her voice. ¡°How do you know?¡± Before Liam answered he noticed something about her for the first time that made his eyes widened. Alicia had a long red tail and two smooth light red horns that curved back then pointed up from the sides of her forehead where her hairline started. ¡°What?¡± Alicia asked as she noticed his expression. ¡°You have a tail and horns,¡± Liam stated as he tried to figure out what her race was. Alicia grinned widely. ¡°You just now noticed did ya?¡± Alicia asked with a playful look in her eye. ¡°Yeah, what race are you?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Hey now, you haven¡¯t bought me dinner yet and you¡¯re already asking what race I am?¡± Alicia said with mock concern on her face. ¡°If its dinner is all it takes to get you to tell me then name the time and place,¡± Liam played along. ¡°It¡¯ll take more than just dinner to get some personal information about me,¡± Alicia said with a wry smile. ¡°Oh? And what would that consist of?¡± Liam questioned as he shook his head. Alicia bit her lower lip as she looked Liam up and down. She walked up to Liam and placed a hand on his shoulder as she walked around him. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. With a wicked grin and soft teasing tone, she brought her lips up to his ear and said, ¡°I know you and I are on friendly terms¡­¡± She then walked towards the edge of the alley, sashaying before tilting her head enough to see him and finished, ¡°But you can¡¯t handle what it would take to get that information.¡± For a moment, Liam felt like she wasn¡¯t joking, but was seriously trying to flirt with him. He was starting to believe that maybe she might have a thing for him, until she started laughing, hard. ¡°Oh god, you should see the look on your face,¡± she said as she leaned against the wall of the building for support. Liam frowned as he placed his hands on his hips and muttered, ¡°Always the joker never the serious one.¡± ¡°Oh, I can be serious,¡± Alicia said as she started to regain her composure. She wiped away a tear that had escaped from how hard she was laughing. ¡°But I seriously don¡¯t think you are ready for me to be serious.¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± Liam retorted. ¡°Anyways,¡± Alicia said moving the conversation along and heading towards the door. ¡°I¡¯m a Tiefling.¡± ¡°A Tiefling?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°But you have the same look as you did before except with the horns and tail. You have normal eyes and skin.¡± ¡°Oh that?¡± Alicia said as her skin color changed from her normal smooth creamy skin tone to a bright red. Her chartreuse green irises expanded making both of her eyes one color. She then did a twirl and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Liam sucked in a breath before saying, ¡°Damn.¡± Alicia stopped and gave him a quizzical look. ¡°Don¡¯t go falling for me now. I know I¡¯m beautiful, but I¡¯m still a huge wreck.¡± Liam shook his head. This teasing and joking of hers was really sending him mixed signals that made him feel off balanced. That¡¯s just how she is. He thought before a question formed in his mind. ¡°If you can change your eyes and skin color, can other Tieflings do that? Or is that some Field of Study ability?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a Field of Study ability. Any race who doesn¡¯t look fully human can do this. It takes a lot of practice. It took me a while to get this much down,¡± Alicia replied as they entered the lab. As she entered the room she announced, ¡°Professor Galin, we¡¯re here!¡± Galin suddenly jumped where he stood as he spun around to see who entered the room. Liam stopped and stared at him. Galin¡¯s body had changed. His small stature looked a bit smaller than before and he had small pointy ears too. ¡°Alicia?¡± Galin responded then saw Liam and added, ¡°Liam my boy, you¡¯re back from your dungeon floor run. Welcome, welcome.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as she realized that Liam was able to see her true form. ¡°That¡¯s right!? You did complete it didn¡¯t you?! Tell me! What race are you?¡± She then raised her hands up and swiftly said as she looked at him, ¡°Wait, no. Let me guess¡­¡± Alicia frowned as she stared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t see any apparent changes. Did you not have a different race?¡± ¡°No, I did get a race change,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Although it¡¯s not as obvious as some red popsicle I know.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Alicia shouted. ¡°I am not a red popsicle.¡± She then said with a low grumble before sticking her tongue out at him, ¡°I¡¯m more like a chili pepper thank you very much.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth,¡± Liam said with a laugh. Galin shook his head before saying, ¡°Ok you two. Knock it off. I can tell what¡¯s different about you. Although I don¡¯t know which species your race comes from.¡± ¡°What¡¯s different about him?¡± Alicia asked as she looked at Galin. Galin pointed to his eyes. Alicia turned to Liam and squinted her eyes as she stared at Liam¡¯s. They looked normal for a moment before his pupils narrowed vertically. ¡°Whoa!¡± Alicia shouted as she watched them switch back and forth from normal to narrow slits. ¡°What kind of race can do that?¡± ¡°Beast kin, correct?¡± Galin asked. ¡°Specifically, the Cat folk?¡± Liam nodded his head. ¡°If you want to be technical, I¡¯m half Cait Sith.¡± Galin froze while Alicia looked at Liam with a puzzling expression, ¡°Cait Sith? Like the one from the Celtic myths and that fantasy game?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yup the same one. Except this one¡­¡± ¡°Has an unhealthy amount of love for crafting,¡± Galin finished. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam said as he saw the look on Galin¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Galin placed a hand on his head as he said, ¡°How much do you know about the Cait Sith race from this world?¡± ¡°Not much besides they love crafting and supposedly they are rare to see around,¡± Liam answered. ¡°For good reason too,¡± Galin stated. ¡°Their craftmanship is so sought after, due to how excellent they come out, they have to hide themselves. People would do anything to have a Cait Sith craft something for them. So much so they would resort to harassing, kidnapping, and even threats to have them do it.¡± Liam¡¯s blood ran cold. ¡°Can people really get away with that?¡± Alicia questioned as she gave Liam a concerned look. ¡°If someone is strong enough or knows people in high places then yes,¡± Galin answered. ¡°That¡¯s why they lock themselves behind the safety of their clan. If anyone tried to get an item crafted by them they have to go through the hardest process to even have their request heard.¡± Hearing Galin talk about harassment, kidnapping, and threats made him remember why he was here in the first place. Liam¡¯s expression grew with resolve as he started, ¡°Speaking of people who would go as far as harassing, kidnapping, and threats.¡± He looked at Galin as Alicia remembered their previous conversation from the night before. ¡°I need to talk to you about that guy, Steve.¡± Galin¡¯s body stiffened at the mention of his name. He then gave a sad expression as he looked down and said, ¡°Did you run into him before coming here?¡± Liam decided to be honest with him hoping he would be too. He shook his head and said, ¡°No. One thing that my race has changed about me is, my senses. All senses have heightened.¡± Galin quickly looked at him. ¡°How much did you hear?¡± ¡°I will say this first, it was never my intention to eavesdrop, but when I heard his name I couldn¡¯t help it,¡± Liam said. ¡°I came in at the part when you said you didn¡¯t know how many times you had to say no. That you wouldn¡¯t give him any information about a boy.¡± Galin let out a sigh. ¡°Not that much to know everything, but enough to make you curious.¡± He looked at Liam and saw something in his eyes. He recognized something and asked, ¡°You were going to ask me about him before you came here didn¡¯t you?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Was it because of Fia?¡± Galin guessed. Liam hesitated, but answered with another nod. ¡°It doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± Galin said. ¡°So, you know I was once on a team with him and with her sister right?¡± ¡°She did tell me that. She also said¡­,¡± Liam started then paused before looking at Alicia. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Galin reassured him. ¡°You both are my students and you being Fia¡¯s apprentice, you would have heard about it sooner than later. Yes, her sister and I were lovers.¡± Galin looked like he was staring off into the distances as if reliving in a far off memory. He had a sad looking smile as he continued, ¡°The three of us were on the same team along with two others. We had so much fun. Taking on dungeons, researching new alchemy ways, and new ways to pursue our Fields of study.¡± Alicia gave him all her attention as she too was invested in hearing about Galin¡¯s past. ¡°We were one hell of a team, until we came across that curse of a dungeon,¡± Galin spat the words. ¡°You mean the dungeon where you found the Forbidden Path right?¡± Alicia asked. Galin nodded. ¡°At first the monsters were slightly stronger. We figured we¡¯d be able to handle it. You know how the saying goes, the stronger a dungeon is, the better the rewards.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said differently where we¡¯re from, but we can understand how it works here,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Well, we decided not to say anything to anyone about it. That was our first mistake,¡± Galin continued. ¡°The farther we went in the harder it continued to get. Me and Lici, Fia¡¯s sister, had suggested we stop because the monsters were getting too hard for us to handle. However, our team leader decided to continue and the other two agreed.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just not go with them if it was getting to hard for you?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°You always have that option.¡± Liam nodded in agreement as he thought the same thing. ¡°Because it was our team. Yes, we didn¡¯t want to continue, but we also didn¡¯t want to leave our team to go at it with less people. So, at the time, we felt like we had an obligation to go with them.¡± Galin scowled. ¡°However, now I know how folly of gnome I was.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he thought, So he¡¯s a gnome. No wonder he¡¯s so short. ¡°We made it to the last boss on the final floor and defeated it,¡± Galin pushed as he looked pained to remember the memory. ¡°But what we didn¡¯t know was, there is a whole new dungeon after you defeat the final boss of the dungeon of a Forbidden Path. One that will unleash the true Gate Guardian to enter it.¡± ¡°A true Gate Guardian?¡± Alicia repeated with confusion. ¡°A massive shadowy being emerged from the portal that led to the next dungeon,¡± Galin started up again. ¡°We had no knowledge of this being nor what its strengths or weaknesses were. And if you assessed it, it only came back as question marks.¡± A memory flashed in Liam¡¯s eyes as he remembered a shadowy being appearing before him before arriving here at the Tutorial Area of Paracosm. Alicia gasped as her eyes widened. ¡°Are their beings like that out there?¡± ¡°This world and the dungeons it contains are vast, there will always be a new monster,¡± Galin replied. ¡°However, that¡¯s not the most terrifying part.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Alicia asked with growing concern. ¡°A weird portal suddenly emerged in the middle of the room and these twisted monstrosities emerged from it. The shadowy being was after them not us.¡± ¡°What happened after that?¡± Alicia asked as she grew even more curious as Galin¡¯s story continued on. ¡°My foolish team leader wanted to fight these creatures,¡± Galin said. ¡°Lici and I protested that we should get out of there. Even Steve was starting to agree with us, but during our plight, our team leader and other teammate discarded us and charged in.¡± ¡°You stayed because you didn¡¯t want to leave them to die?¡± Liam asked. Galin nodded. ¡°We fought as hard as we could and managed to survive the fight against the twisted monsters, but our horror didn¡¯t stop there. The giant shadowy being turned and killed our team leader and other teammate with a single shot. We tried to run away, but as we did, a shadowy tentacle shot out and stabbed Lici through the heart right in front of me.¡± ¡°At this moment I lost all my senses and wanted to unleash all of my magic.¡± Galin sighed. ¡°It was a foolish thing I thought I could do. Nothing was able to harm it. The shadowy creature didn¡¯t strike at me. Instead, it looked like it was content as if it had done was job.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes squinted as he grew a look of confusion. ¡°Steve dragged me out of the dungeon after that,¡± Galin informed. ¡°We spent a few days talking to the authorities about what happened and to our gods. After we finished Steve and I disbanded and went on our separate ways. Never to talk to each other again.¡± ¡°A few days later I realized I had received two rewards from that dungeon,¡± Galin said as he released a shaky breath. ¡°One for me, and the other was for Lici.¡± A tear rolled down Galin¡¯s cheek. He wiped it away before continuing, ¡°Mine was an Alchemic ingredient while hers was a forbidden book about what that shadow being was and how to be able to kill it.¡± Liam processed what he was hearing. Something nagged at the back of his mind as he tried to figure out what was so familiar with what he said. He suddenly realized what it was. ¡°Wait so that ingredient you asked me for and the experiments you¡¯ve been doing¡­the research you said you were continuing¡­¡± Galin slowly nodded. Liam¡¯s face grew confused. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make any sense. You said she was researching it before she fell, but she received, well you received it after she fell.¡± ¡°I said that so no one would bother me about it,¡± Galin said. ¡°But it contains a lot of information no one should know about, and I don¡¯t want anyone, especially you two, to get mixed up in.¡± Alicia looked at Liam and bluntly asked, ¡°What the hell are you getting yourself into?¡± Tutorial 62 - Let them roots grow. Liam continued to process what Galin was telling him. There were parts he said that he could now understand why Eri had warned him to get out after defeating the final boss on the sixth floor. He would have to ask her what those creatures were that Galin had seen, especially that shadowy being. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you about the book,¡± Liam started cautiously. ¡°I will trust your words of advice, but what I need to know is why Steve has his eyes on me. Why did he say I am a key of sorts?¡± Galin stared at Liam. After a brief moment of silence, he said, ¡°Steve used to be a cheery and handsome man. He was highly sought after by the women of the Mage Tower. Full of smiles, but also full of curiosity and ambition. After we split I think he received something as a reward that changed him.¡± Liam¡¯s eyebrows scrunched as he thought about the man he had seen. What part of him is handsome? Galin gave a half forced laugh as he said, ¡°I can tell by that look you¡¯re wondering how he was considered handsome. That¡¯s the thing. He has changed. So much so that not only has his mind become obsessed, but even his appearance has become¡­gross.¡± ¡°What can do that?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°It can be a lot of things, but I believe it¡¯s his class that has done the most to his appearance,¡± Galin responded. ¡°His class?¡± Liam and Alicia questioned. ¡°When I last saw him, his class was Life Magi,¡± Galin replied. ¡°However, now its¡­Necromancer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very big change,¡± Alicia stated as she raised a brow. Liam and Galin nodded. ¡°When we were a group he had a big affinity for Life and Healing magic and zero in dark and death magic,¡± Galin started back up. Liam thought about what he was saying. A thought appeared as he asked, ¡°If he had no affinity for dark and death then how did he end up with a Necromancer Class?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Galin answered. ¡°My guess is he found a way to get it and forced it. That or he had gotten some item that helped, but I think his forcefulness into a class he has no affinity for is affecting his appearance.¡± Liam¡¯s and Alicia¡¯s eyes widened at Galin¡¯s words and the thought of the possibility. ¡°So, is that why the people here are so adamant about following what you have a strong affinity for?¡± Alicia asked. Galin nodded. ¡°They want you to go down the best possible path for you. One that your growth is possible and not one where your growth is nonexistent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a scary thought that a path that is not for you can have that kind of effect on you,¡± Alicia said with a shiver. ¡°That we can guess. It¡¯s not a fully blown tested theory since hardly anyone walks down a path that¡¯s not meant for them,¡± Galin corrected. Liam thought about it. He remembered Elara was concerned with him saying he was going to choose Gravity as one of his Focus Points along with her talks about not picking too much and focusing on small amounts. At the time, he thought she was just concerned about him getting too carried away and not being able to progress, but now it made a lot of sense. I¡¯m going to have to do something nice for her. Liam thought. He was brought out from his thoughts as Galin continued, ¡°As for your question, it¡¯s not just you who he¡¯s trying to get in contact with. He told me there were three others he believed held some sort of key that could help make his research successful. As for what that key is and what his research is, I have no clue.¡± Liam stared at him. After looking for signs of lying, Liam concluded that he was telling the truth. ¡°If I were to guess though,¡± Galin started. ¡°And I hope I¡¯m completely wrong. I think it has to with Forbidden Paths, specifically, the type of path we had stumbled upon.¡± Liam¡¯s body froze as Eri¡¯s words came back to him. ¡°The Path of the Forgotten Realm,¡± Liam quietly muttered. ¡°What?¡± Galin and Alicia asked as they looked at him. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam said, trying to play off as if he didn¡¯t say anything. The two stared at him. They knew he knew something but weren¡¯t going to push it. Liam fell back into his thoughts. If what Eri had said is really happening and if what Galin had just said are connected then this was a serious problem. One he was not sure if they could handle. However, no matter how ridiculous it was there should be no way Steve could have access to their dungeon, much less have any power to affect it. Liam shook his head. No. What¡¯s going on in the dungeon should be more on the power of a Deity than a normal person. Liam decided. If that¡¯s the case then why did he want to use him and three others as keys? Did he want to gain access to our dungeons? Who were the other three? Jude had to be one, but then who are the other two? It was too much for Liam to process. He had no points to connect and no way to figure it all out. Maybe I should have Mercer look into it. He¡¯s better at gathering information. Liam thought. He nodded as he decided that¡¯s the route he would go. I¡¯ll talk to him tomorrow about it. ¡°Oh, by the way Professor Galin, did you finish making those items I asked about?¡± Alicia asked, deciding it was time to change the topic and raise everyone¡¯s mood. Galin looked at her with a confused look before remembering what it was she asked for. ¡°Ah yes, I made twelve bottles like you asked for.¡± He then walked up to a counter with his stepping box, hopped on it, and pulled out twelve bottles of murky tannish liquid. ¡°I have to ask, why did you want so many bottles?¡± Galin questioned as he looked at her with a puzzling look. ¡°I¡¯m giving Liam half. I don¡¯t think I told you, but Liam here figured out how to use crafting materials and magic usable in combat,¡± Alicia stated as she gave Liam a grin. Galin looked at Liam with an expression of skepticism. ¡°Do tell, what did you do and how did you come up with it?¡± Liam told him about his fight with the Spider-Tailed Horned Viper. How he took a gamble after coming up with the idea. He also talked about the pros and cons he had found out when using it a second time. Galin and Alicia listened with rapt attention. Eyes widening as he explained how he had chosen to let the Viper¡¯s poison run through his veins while running up the body and being thrown into the air. Alicia¡¯s hands gripped the edge of the counter as Galin let out a flurry of swear words. ¡°You¡¯re lucky it worked, my boy,¡± Galin said after all was said. ¡°Don¡¯t I know it,¡± Liam smiled. He then looked off into the distance as he remembered the exhilaration he had felt doing it. ¡°Though I¡¯m glad I tried it.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°Because it shows everything we do, whether its physical skills, magical abilities or even crafting. There¡¯s many ways we can use it besides their intended purposes. I want to explore the possibilities of what else I can do with crafting,¡± Liam stated. Galin stared at him. He was impressed with Liam¡¯s drive and imagination. ¡°That¡¯s the Cait Sith running in you for sure, but at the same time it¡¯s not.¡± Liam looked at him quizzically. Before he could say anything, Galin proposed, ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can theorize any other uses you can exploit and try to fix the problems you mentioned.¡± Alicia¡¯s and Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That sounds like a great idea!¡± They both shouted. ¡°As you grow, you¡¯ll find more chances to evolve your battle tactics and by doing so growing your potential for better classes. I want to help you both with that,¡± Galin said with a heartwarming smile. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam closed the book he was reading. The book, Beginner of Lunar and Shadow Magic, was very intriguing to him. It went over the history of both Shadow magic and Lunar magic, best uses of the beginning spells, and possibilities of mixing the two together. That last part caught Liam¡¯s attention, but his hopes were dashed because when he got to that section it clearly stated he needed to advance much higher to be able to do it and needed the third volume to the series to even know where to start. ¡°It makes sense to not have that knowledge in a beginner¡¯s book. If someone who tried it early on, they¡¯d get swallowed by the magic itself,¡± Liam muttered. One thing the book did give him at the beginning was a big warning. Shadow and Lunar magic was dangerous. If you didn¡¯t know what you were doing, you could get swallowed by the shadow magic. You could also afflict a lunar affliction that could burn your skin or potentially blind yourself for life by the lunar magic. Neither were ideal for him to have happen. Another interesting thing that Liam found in the book was that each element of magic fell under a category. The categories were Day, Night, Life, Death, Nature, Time, Order, and Chaos. Some examples of elements that fell into the Day category were Fire and Light. Life had Healing and Holy. Nature with fire, earth, plant, air, water, ice, and lightning. Time was an interesting one because many of the non-elemental types of magic like body and crafting fell under it as well as gravity. He was interested to see what Order and Chaos had, but nothing was listed under them. It was confusing trying to understand it, but he felt like this was something that he would learn as he advanced his Seed of the Arcana. As he continued to read he found out that both Shadow and Lunar were elements that fell under the Night category. Not only that, but they were both opposites and compatible together. The reason why they were compatible wasn¡¯t explained clearly. The book just said since they were from the same category they had some form of compatibility. It sounded kind of sketchy to Liam, but he was sure he¡¯d find out more once when he got out of the Tutorial Area. The reason why they were a bit of a weakness to each other was simple. Lunar had some light aspects and Shadow had some dark aspects in it. However, since they were not fully dark and Light, the weakness to each other wasn¡¯t as strong as Dark and Light magic was to them. It was probably due to checks and balances. Thinking of Shadow and Lunar magic, he had read enough to get both of his Lurking in the Shadows and Basking in the Lunar Knowledge Theories to level ten. Since he already had Field of the Shadows, thanks to his race, he wanted to get the chance to get Field of the Lunar. Now that they had both appeared he opened his Mystical Landscape menu and saw the dark violet seed with different colored roots sprouting down below the seed. Some of these roots had thickened a bit since he last saw them. One root had two different colors, a purple and a purplish-yellow which represented his Gravity and the Lightning Focus points he had gotten recently. The other root was grey and represented his three Crafting Focus points. ¡°I wonder if they are growing thicker because I am leveling them?¡± Liam muttered as he looked at them. He noticed not all of the grey roots were growing thicker. He looked at the one that was still small and thinner than the others and focused on it.
¡°Field of the Craft ¨C Focus Point ¨C Construction Craft level 1.¡±
¡°Makes sense since I haven¡¯t had the chance to use it yet,¡± Liam said softly to himself. He then saw the seed glowing a pitch black color and a moon-like white color. He mentally clicked on the seed and saw two notifications pop up.
¡°Field of the Shadows is available to unlock. Would you like to root Field of the Shadows? Yes No?¡±
Liam mentally clicked yes on it. The message disappeared to replace it with another.
¡°Field of the Lunar is available to Unlock. Would you like to root Field of the Lunar? Yes No?¡±
Liam accepted that one as well and grew anxious to see what new abilities he was going to get.
¡°Which Focus Points would you like to Root? Field of the Lunar: Utility, Lunar Control, Lunar Afflictions?
Liam clicked on all and went to accept, but was stopped as a red message appeared over the previous message.
¡°Warning! Cannot root Lunar Afflictions. Knowledge on Lunar magic is still too low to understand how Focus Point Lunar Afflictions can be used.¡±
¡°What the hell?¡± Liam questioned as he stared at the message. ¡°That¡¯s some bullshit right there. I didn¡¯t know you could be refused to choose a Focus point due to lack of knowledge.¡± Liam scowled as he closed the message. ¡°Fine then I¡¯ll just choose the two,¡± Liam muttered grumpily as he chose the other two and clicked accept.
¡°Which Focus Points would you like to root? Field of the Shadows: Utility, Shadow Control, Shadow Afflictions?¡±
Liam stared at the list of three. ¡°Utility appeared here as well. I wonder if they are the same or if they are different. Also, would I be denied Shadow Afflictions as well or would I be able to get it thanks to my race?¡± Liam muttered to himself as he thought it over. ¡°Let¡¯s try it and see what happens.¡± Liam choose all three and waited to see what would happen. No red messages appeared. Instead, the violet seed started vibrating violently. The violet color dimmed as two new roots emerged from the seed¡¯s shell and spread out a bit. One was a pitch black color while the other was a Moon-like white. The pitch-black colored root separated into three thin roots while the moon-like white one split into two. After they finished spreading out and rooting themselves into what Liam was now starting to notice was dirt, Liam noticed something new. It was a small stem that was starting to sprout from the seed. The color was beautiful as it mixed the grey, purple, purplish-yellow, pitch-black and moon-like white colors together. ¡°Now that¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Liam said with astonishment. "I can¡¯t wait to see how this looks when its fully grown.¡± His eyes went back to the two new roots. ¡°Now to see what abilities I get.¡± He clicked on the Moon-like white root and read the message that popped up.
¡°Utility. Ability available to learn: Lunar Exposure.¡±
¡°Only one huh?¡± Liam questioned.
¡°Lunar Control. Ability available: Lunar Orb.¡±
¡°My Knowledge on the field is level ten. I would think I¡¯d get more abilities than one for each Focus Point,¡± Liam frowned.
¡°Utility. Ability available to learn: Veil of Shadows.¡± ¡°Shadow Control. Abilities available to learn: Shadow Orb, Grasp of Shadows.¡± ¡°Shadow Afflictions. Ability available to learn: Blanket of Darkness.¡±
Liam accepted all the abilities.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Utility (Lunar) Focus Point ability ¨C Lunar Exposure! Lunar Exposure ¨C sends a bright orb, resembling a full moon up and explodes, revealing anything hidden within 10 feet of the area the ball explodes. Costs 10 MP. Area target spell ¨C 10 feet. Spell type: Chant.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Lunar Control (Lunar) Focus Point ability ¨C Lunar Orb! Lunar Orb ¨C creates a small orb of lunar magic that can be shot at a single target. Costs 10 MP. Single target spell. Spell type: Chant.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Utility (Shadow) Focus Point ability ¨C Veil of Shadows! Veil of Shadows ¨C Cloaks the user in shadows, allowing them to stealth around. If user breaks off into a sprint, gets attacked, or attacks shadow veil will disengage. Costs 10 MP. Single target spell. Spell type: Instant non-chant.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Shadow Control (Shadow) Focus Point ability ¨C Shadow Orb! Creates an orb of Shadows that can be shot at a target. Costs 10 MP. Single target spell. Spell type: Chant.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Shadow Control (Shadow) Focus Point ability ¨C Grasp of Shadows! Grasp of the Shadows ¨C shadowy tendrils emerge from target¡¯s shadow, latching on to them and keeping them in place for 15 seconds or till targets breaks free. Costs 15 MP. Single target spell. Spell type: Chant.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Shadow Afflictions (Shadow) Focus Point ability ¨C Blanket of Darkness! Blanket of Darkness ¨C Shadows wrap around the target, blinding them and causes a stinging sensation. Does 10 damage every 5 seconds for up to 15 seconds or until cleansed off of target. Costs 10 MP. Single target spell. Spell type: Chant.¡±
Liam stared at each ability and slowly grinned after reading each one. He didn¡¯t realize how big his grin was as his mind started swirling with new possibilities and strategies he could come up with. His utility arsenal was growing with each new field he opened. Not only that, but that stealth ability could come in handy for scouting while his group was resting. And that Lunar Exposure could help when they couldn¡¯t see any opponents. ¡°I¡¯ve got so many new toys to play with now,¡± Liam said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to try these out along with the ideas Alicia, Galin, and I came up with tonight. I¡¯ve got so many to play with I don¡¯t know where to start.¡± Liam let out a yawn as he looked at his internal clock. ¡°Geez it¡¯s already one in the morning?¡± Liam frowned. ¡°I might as well get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. A long, fun day.¡± Tutorial 63 - Stranger Danger Liam walked under the lightly lit Yooperlite stone that hung on the ceiling of the cavern replicating early to mid-morning. He was walking away from the Smithy with a smile on his face. Fia was both surprised and amazed when she found out Liam was part Cait Sith. Of course, she had given him a warning about being careful with who he told and suggested he get sunglasses to cover his eyes when he wasn¡¯t using his goggles. Which he did after he left. She had also given him another warning. One he wasn¡¯t prepared for. It was about other Arcadians, the many clans and species of the Beast kins. They had no issues with other beast kins, but half beast kins was a different thing. While many did not care about such things, there were still some who didn¡¯t like the fact that some of their kind were mating with non-beast kins. It wasn¡¯t only like this for the beast kins, many other races had a small select amount of people who felt the same way. When it came down to it, Liam guessed, they were probably rejected by someone from a different race, and it probably hurt their fragile pride. Liam couldn¡¯t care less but would still be careful. To Liam¡¯s surprise though, Fia was a Dwarf. A Dwarf from a clan she called Rune Hammer. Apparently the Rune Hammer Clan Dwarves were known for their magical weapon and armor crafting. She wasn¡¯t as short as the ones he had grown up to see in movies and such, but still stood a little shorter than Liam but taller than Galin. He was impressed that, even though her appearance had that look of one who worked hard in a smithy, she still had a fair maiden appearance. Liam had told her this and she almost threw her runic hammer at him. With a smile of course. He spent his time with her asking about how to repair weapons and armor and some other techniques he was interested in. She took her time going over the basics of repairs and helped him raise that part of his Blacksmithing. Liam was shocked to find out that his new eyes helped him spot things easier when he was repairing. It was a welcome change compared to how his hearing was. Most of the time he swung his hammer and hit metal, he wanted to cover them. Fia teased him about this, calling him a wee little baby for being concerned over a little noise. Before he left and others arrived, she gave him the bone daggers made from the legs of the Black Widow Matriarch she worked on for the past couple of days. She was able to make eight of them since they were small in design. Liam was excited when he assessed them. ¡°Throwing Bone Dagger of The Black Widow Matriarch. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. +5% to Sub-stat Fine Motor when throwing this dagger. +10% to any and all poisons or toxins effects when coated. Can hold Poisons and toxins when coated longer than normal bone weapons thanks to Black Widow Matriarch materials.¡± Besides the bonuses the daggers gave, Liam was happy she made them with the same curve he did with the daggers he made. She had told him she agreed with the design since throwing daggers needed an easier way to slice when thrown compared to the normal straight daggers she was accustomed to. ¡°Things keep getting more exciting with each minute,¡± Liam muttered to himself with a wide grin. His grin slipped into a serious one as he thought to himself, Now to see what Nabal wanted to talk to me about. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam entered the building of the Training Hall and made his way to the desk. At the desk was a man he recognized from his first day arriving at the Tutorial Area and meeting Menara. The man stood there with an unfriendly expression on his face as he casually glanced at Menara¡¯s direction. She had a few people waiting to talk to her while he had none. Liam wasn¡¯t too sure why the people waiting didn¡¯t go to him until he watched a girl approach him and started to ask him a question. The man¡¯s eyes shot straight at her with a scowl as he asked, ¡°How can I help you?¡± The girl, uneasy now, apologized and excused herself away. Now I know. Liam thought as he shook his head. You¡¯ve got no one to blame but yourself. He walked over to the line and waited. When it was finally his turn, Menara looked at him and asked, ¡°Liam?¡± Liam nodded, noticing the man raise a brow as he looked at him. ¡°I may sound a bit rude so please excuse me when I ask this, but why are you wearing sunglasses inside the building?¡± Menara asked with a curious expression. Liam gave her a smile as he said, ¡°The changes of my race reveal made my eyes a bit more sensitive to light so I¡¯m trying to adjust to it.¡± Liam saw the man in the corner of his eyes do something weird as he titled his body away. ¡°Ah,¡± Menara said with a look of understanding. ¡°That makes sense. Congratulations on passing the fourth floor and reconfiguring into your true race.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°How can I help you today?¡± Menara asked with her genuine looking smile. ¡°I was wondering if Nabal was around? He asked me to meet up with him,¡± Liam responded. ¡°Hm,¡± Menara muttered. She then replied, ¡°I believe he is in. Excuse me while I go and see if he¡¯s in one of the rooms in the back.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said as she walked away from the desk. As Liam stood there, he had a weird feeling that was coming from his left side. He shifted his eyes to see if he could grasp where the feeling was coming from and noticed the man staring at him. Not wanting to sound rude or come off standish, Liam asked as he slowly looked at the man, ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± the man asked, body tensing. ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at me pretty hard, so I thought maybe there was something wrong,¡± Liam said keeping his facial expression neutral. ¡°No, nope¡­nothing wrong,¡± the man said, sounding a little panicked. ¡°Ah ok. Then I am sorry for misunderstanding your constant gaze on me then,¡± Liam said as he looked back at the desk in front of him. Come on, Menara. Hurry back with Nabal. This guy is creeping me out. Liam thought as he felt his right leg start to bounce a bit. ¡°Excuse me,¡± a silky yet oily voice called out. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to be Liam would you?¡± Liam froze as he recognized the voice. No. Was all Liam could think as he kept his eyes forward. At the corner of his eyes on the left side of him a figure stood, placing a hand on the desk. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m talking to you,¡± Steve tried again, but this time sounding a bit annoyed. Liam slowly turned his head and stared at him. He stood a foot taller than Liam. He had slicked back oily black hair and stared at him with half dead looking hazel eyes. His Mage Tower uniform looked neat and pristine, but his body looked tight and leathery as if he wasn¡¯t getting enough nutrition from food. Liam tried as hard as he could to not gag or throw up as a nauseating smell that smelled like a mix of rotten eggs and decay wafted into his nostrils. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Liam said, trying his best to fight the swirling liquids clashing in his stomach. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I asked if you were Liam?¡± Steve asked once more. ¡°Nope, I am not,¡± Liam answered, knowing the guy knew who he was. Steve frowned as he looked at him then at the man standing behind the desk. The man behind the desk gave Liam a confused look as well. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Steve asked, trying once more. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure,¡± Liam replied as he turned his face away, trying to get away from the smell that was still assaulting his nose. ¡°Then may I ask what your name is?¡± Steve asked. ¡°Nope,¡± Liam answered without turning to look at him. ¡°Why not?¡± Steve asked getting more annoyed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it rude to not face someone when you talk to them?¡± ¡°It is, and to answer your question.¡± Liam started as he turned to face him and continued, ¡°Back where I come from we have a saying called Stranger Danger. And I¡¯m sorry but you reek of it. So, I will have to politely ask you to leave me alone.¡± Steve stared at him with his mouth wide open. The guy standing behind the counter was shocked as well. Irritation and anger started to fill Steve. He grabbed Liam by the collar and pulled him closer to him. With a scowl he stated, ¡°Listen here you little shit. I know you are messing with me and you really are Liam.¡± Liam gagged as the smell was stronger the closer he got. ¡°I approached you as friendly as I could so I can ask you some questions, but you had go and be rude to me. You will come with me right this moment, you hear?¡± Steve finished as he stared at Liam. Liam looked at him while fighting back the bile threatening to rise up as he replied, ¡°Dude you are really taking this Stranger Danger bit too far. I don¡¯t think you can force me to go with you.¡± ¡°I have high standing in the Mage Tower and I am a higher level than you,¡± Steve started. ¡°You have no choice but to obey me.¡± Liam scowled. ¡°I do not have to obey you. I don¡¯t care who you are or what level you are. You have no authority over me nor will you ever.¡± Steve was about to say something until a hand gripped Steve¡¯s wrist and tightened hard enough for Steve to release Liam. Steve turned to face who was gripping his wrist to see Nabal. ¡°What do you think you are doing to this young man?¡± Nabal asked with narrowed eyes and a threatening tone. ¡°This young man was rude to me, so I was going to bring him with me back to the Mage Tower and educate him on how to properly obey his betters,¡± Steve replied. Nabal¡¯s eyes narrowed even more as his grip tightened on Steve¡¯s wrist. Steve complained about the pain he was feeling, but then Nabal twisted his hand behind Steve¡¯s back and started to forcefully walk him to the door. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you thought you are able to get away with where you¡¯re stationed at, but we are not at the Mage Tower. You will leave this young man alone and if you come anywhere close to him again I will make sure your wrist here is broken,¡± Nabal threatened as he released Steve¡¯s wrist and kicked his back to push him out the door. Steve swirled around with rage in his eyes. ¡°Do you think you can get away with this Nabal?¡± ¡°Would you like to find out?¡± Nabal asked as he pulled two wicked looking daggers out from the sheathes by his side. ¡°You should know my reputation by now. And in case you don¡¯t, I don¡¯t waste time with stupid people. I kill them first before asking for permission.¡± Steve gulped, turned around and stomped away while throwing out a slur of swear words. Nabal turned to face Liam and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I am so sorry about that,¡± Menara said. ¡°Officials from other buildings are not allowed to push their authority around like that. I will talk to someone from the Mage Tower and see to it they know what one of their own is doing.¡± Liam nodded appreciatively before looking at the man behind the desk who was now looking awkward and uncomfortable. ¡°You were the one who called him, weren¡¯t you?¡± Liam asked. Nabal and Menara turned their attention on the man. ¡°I¡­I have no clue what you mean,¡± the man said. ¡°I saw you do something when Menara asked if I was who I am, so please don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Liam stated with some annoyance in his tone of voice while keeping a straight face. Menara narrowed her eyes at him and questioned, ¡°Did you really call that man over here to harass Liam?¡± ¡°No,¡± the man replied as he waved his hands. ¡°He had approached me a couple days ago and asked me to contact him if a Liam had showed up here. I didn¡¯t know what his intentions were, I swear!¡± Nabal walked up to the man. The man was no longer hiding the shaking his body was doing nor the scared look on his face. ¡°You better be telling the truth, or you know exactly what I¡¯ll do to you.¡± Nabal said with an even and cold voice. ¡°I am. I promise,¡± the man stuttered. Menara shook her head before looking back at Liam. ¡°I am so sorry this happened.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine you did nothing wrong,¡± Liam said as he gave her a friendly smile. Nabal looked at Liam and said, ¡°Follow me to the back. I have some things I¡¯d like to go over for your training.¡± Liam gave Nabal his attention, nodded and followed him to the back. As soon as they entered a room, Nabal shut the door and instructed Liam to sit. Liam did as he was told and waited. Nabal sat down and gave Liam an even look. Liam continued to wait for Nabal to speak, unsure if he had questions or was waiting for Liam to start first. After a long moment of awkward silence, Nabal asked, ¡°What was that about?¡± It was Liam¡¯s turn to gather his thoughts on what he was going to say. He hadn¡¯t known Nabal for long, but something he did find out about the guy was he stood up for Liam, not once but twice now. He was cautious of the man, but he felt like he could trust him. So, he explained about how Mercer came across him and the details of their encounter to the fight then what he heard the man say at the Bubbling Potion and finished with his actual encounter with the man. He left out the part of the dungeon path he and his team were on. As well as the past Galin told him about. He trusted Nabal, but still wouldn¡¯t know what he would do or say if he found out about it. Nabal stared at Liam with a contemplative look. He gathered his thoughts before saying anything. ¡°It¡¯s clear he wants to use you for something unsavory and will even break protocol to get what he wants,¡± Nabal started. ¡°And you¡¯re not sure what he is after?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Liam said. He wasn¡¯t lying, he was still not hundred percent sure on what the man was really after. ¡°Hm,¡± Nabal muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the man, but from what you have said it is clear he has some agenda. It looks like I am going to need to up your training.¡± Liam raised an eyebrow at Nabal¡¯s words as he repeated, ¡°Up my training?¡± Nabal nodded. ¡°Things like this can happen a lot out there if you do something that is eye catching. This situation is a bit worrisome since the only thing I know of that was eye catching about you for others to see was that fight you had.¡± Or coming out of the dungeon with a team wearing Rare Rarity equipment. Liam thought to himself. ¡°This training will be beneficial anyways because it¡¯ll help incorporate your new heightened sense you have gotten,¡± Nabal continued. Liam perked up at that. ¡°Will it help lessen the effects so I can focus better?¡± Nabal shook his head. ¡°No, instead it will work them so hard you will be able to get used to them and be able to not get distracted by them.¡± Liam gave him a worried look. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like this idea.¡± Nabal let out a laugh. ¡°What happened to the young man that took every challenge head on?¡± ¡°That guy wasn¡¯t getting a headache from the newly heightened smells and hearing,¡± Liam grumbled. ¡°So, your senses truly have heightened to that point?¡± Nabal asked. ¡°Tell me, what can you smell?¡± ¡°For starters, I can smell what you had for breakfast,¡± Liam said as he sniffed the air. ¡°Eggs with some sweet flavored sauce akin to ketchup but more flavorful.¡± Liam took another sniff then pointed to the spot next to Nabal on the couch and stated, ¡°Also, you might not want to sit or get any closer to that spot. Seems like someone had a little too much fun and one of the two had something¡­extra on them while having their fun.¡± Nabal looked at the spot and gave a disgusted look. He then shook his head and said, ¡°Now I can see what you mean by distractions. Now tell me, what do you hear?¡± Liam closed his eyes and listened. ¡°I can hear the people talking at the desk. Some people shouting outside about how the other either was cheating during their spar or how much better they are doing,¡± Liam replied. ¡°That¡¯s impressive that you can hear all the way out there,¡± Nabal smiled. ¡°I will tell you that you will adjust within the next day or so, so you don¡¯t have to worry. It just takes a bit to adjust to one¡¯s new body after the change.¡± ¡°Yeah? How do you know?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I have a couple of teammates who went through it,¡± Nabal answered with a warm smile. ¡°I am a native to this world and also a full blooded Human so going through a race change is something I have never had to do, but when my teammates talked about it; they explained everything from the pain of the change to how long it took to adjust to the changes.¡± Liam smiled as he listened to Nabal. He remembered the chat between him Adva and Phorge and recalled a name that was brought up. ¡°I know that questions about a person can be considered rude, and if you find it rude of me to ask you can tell me, but who is Gimmel?¡± Liam asked curiously. Nabal¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at him. ¡°Gimmel is my nephew. He just got to the age where he can get his class and start his training, right before this area got the incoming transportees. He got Illusionist Mage, the same class I started off with and was going to train him.¡± ¡°What stopped you from staying and doing so?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I lost a bet,¡± Nabal said as he scratched the back of his head. ¡°Not my proudest moments. I was in the middle of a cards game while drunk. One thing lead to another and then the next thing I knew I was told the next morning I lost a bet at the game big time where the loser had to come here and help train the newcomers.¡± Liam grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It must suck not being there with family.¡± Liam looked down at the floor thinking about his father and brothers. I wonder how their Tutorial went. What classes did they get? And how they are doing. Liam thought. He was brought out of his thoughts as Nabal let out a loud laugh. ¡°I can say it¡¯s both a blessing and a curse,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing since I don¡¯t have to deal with his rebellious attitude regardless of if he claims that he wishes to walk the same path as me. He can be a handful at times. It¡¯s a curse because with that rebellious attitude of his I can¡¯t whip those bad habits, I know he¡¯ll get, out of him before it becomes a problem.¡± Liam let out a laugh of his own upon hearing this. ¡°Besides, because I came here I was able to find someone who helped me in a way with my own growth,¡± Nabal stated. Liam smiled at his words of encouragement. ¡°So, your training,¡± Nabal started until Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he heard a familiar voice. ¡°I can master this I swear!¡± Avery shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t Miss Avery. I¡¯m just saying if you don¡¯t receive the Weapon Art after landing it then maybe you should focus on a different one,¡± a woman explained. ¡°What is it?¡± Nabal asked. ¡°It¡¯s one of my teammates,¡± Liam said as he looked at him. ¡°Apparently she is getting some instructions on her Rapier for a Weapon Art, but she didn¡¯t get it after landing the attack.¡± Liam frowned at what he heard. Some possibilities ran through his mind. He played with the thought that maybe she was like him, but that couldn¡¯t be it since she was a Crimson Elf. ¡°Do you think she might be in the same situation you are in?¡± Nabal asked. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility but I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam said. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go find them,¡± Nabal announced as he stood up. Liam looked at him with a puzzling expression. ¡°It¡¯s good to go up against others at your level. It¡¯ll help you grow,¡± Nabal explained. ¡°Also, it¡¯s good to have someone you know and trust help you with your training.¡± Liam nodded at his words. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Liam said as he stood up and followed. Tutorial 64 - You’re just egotistically claiming you’re going to beat me up? Liam and Nabal walked outside and looked around. ¡°Can you still hear her?¡± Nabal asked as he looked at Liam. Liam nodded as he gauged where the voice was coming from. When he had a good sense of her direction he pointed and replied, ¡°Over there. In the sparring area.¡± Nabal nodded and followed him as Liam led the way. Liam looked around as he scanned the sparring area, trying to pick Avery out amongst them. When he had eyes on her he announced, ¡°Right there.¡± As Liam and Nabal made their way to her, he noticed a woman standing a little taller than her. She had a short blond ponytail and ruby red eyes. She had on, what looked like to Liam, a steampunk outfit. Liam was impressed by it. He didn¡¯t really think there would be such an outfit in this world full of magic. There was so much he still needed to learn. As they approached the two females, Nabal greeted, ¡°Good morning Miss Lily.¡± The two women turned to see Nabal and Liam. ¡°Good morning Mr. Nabal,¡± Lily greeted back with a little shock. ¡°What brings you over to our spot?¡± ¡°I was about to do some training with my trainee here and saw you were in the middle of training someone yourself,¡± Nabal explained. Lily¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Liam. ¡°You have a trainee? That is some news. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually find one to your liking.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°Ah where are my manners,¡± Lily started as she turned to introduce Avery. ¡°This is one of my trainees, Av¡­¡± ¡°I am well aware of Miss Avery,¡± Nabal said as politely as he could. ¡°Are you?¡± Lily questioned with some confusion. ¡°How do you know her?¡± ¡°She is a teammate of my trainee,¡± Nabal informed. ¡°This is Liam.¡± ¡°Good morning,¡± Liam greeted with a slight nod. ¡°Is that so?¡± Lily asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I was thinking of having Liam do some joint training with Miss Avery,¡± Nabal suggested. ¡°Since they are teammates I figured they would not only know each others¡¯ style, but also their bad habits and could help correct them.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Lily muttered with a contemplative look. ¡°I normally wouldn¡¯t mind it, but I¡¯m in the middle of helping her gain a Weapon Art skill for the Rapier. She hasn¡¯t been able to learn any of the ones I have taught her so far, even though she has flawlessly landed the skills and should have gotten at least one. So, I¡¯m a little worried that she won¡¯t be able to get one.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying,¡± Nabal started. ¡°Miss Avery here might be just like her teammate, Mr. Liam.¡± Lily narrowed her eyes as she inquired, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What I am referring to is the chance that she can not receive the Weapon Art as a skill,¡± Nabal stated. Confused even more, Lily said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± ¡°I have trained with Mr. Liam for a bit and he hasn¡¯t received any Weapon Arts skills,¡± Nabal explained. ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± Lily interjected as she raised a brow. ¡°I saw his fight the other day and witnessed him use Back Stab.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Nabal said, giving her some time to think it over. Lily¡¯s mind ran as she tried processing what Nabal was saying. She muttered to herself as she tried working out the puzzle of an explanation Nabal had given her. Both her brows rose as she came to a conclusion. Her eyes swiftly turned to Nabal as she pronounced, ¡°But that can¡¯t be possible.¡± Nabal gave her a smile. ¡°Is it not? You said so yourself. You saw him use it and I have confirmed he doesn¡¯t have it as a skill. Not only that, but I have tried it out myself. It is much harder, and you have to rely on muscle memory and your sub-stats, but it is quite possible.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s impossible,¡± Lily repeated. Nabal let out a sigh. ¡°The only things impossible are the things we do not want to accept.¡± Lily stared at him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± Nabal started. ¡°Let¡¯s have these two spar and try to use the Weapon Art skills they have been learning. You can judge for yourself if she can use it not as a skill but from pure skill. Not only that, but you¡¯ll be able to see the perks of it not being an actual skill.¡± Lily raised an eyebrow. Nabal looked at Avery. ¡°What do you think? Are you up to it?¡± Avery looked at Liam then back at Nabal with a grin. ¡°You¡¯re asking me if I want to see how bad I can beat him up and prove I am better than him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± Nabal said with a laugh. Liam raised a brow as he asked, ¡°No hesitation huh? You¡¯re just egotistically claiming you¡¯re going to beat me up?¡± Avery gave him a look of innocence as she said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say egotistically. I mean we both know I¡¯m better than you.¡± ¡°Uh huh, sure,¡± Liam said jokingly. Avery took a position at one end of the sparring area while Liam stood at the other. They both took out their respected training weapons. Avery with a flimsy, yet sturdy wooden rapier. Liam with two wooden daggers. ¡°You both will go at each other with everything you¡¯ve got. The one to land a strike wins. Also, if one of you steps out of the square you lose as well,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°Does that work for both of you?¡± Liam and Avery nodded as they looked at each other. Liam then switched his sunglasses out for his goggles. As he did this, Nabal instructed, ¡°Liam, I want you to focus on your senses as you spar. Use them to help you judge when to strike, block, parry, or dodge.¡± Liam nodded as he stretched his arms and legs. Nabal turned to Lily and asked, ¡°Are you going to offer her any advice?¡± Lily looked at him then at Liam. She studied him for a long moment before turning to Avery and saying, ¡°If he is truly Nabal¡¯s trainee then ignore the distractions he will throw your way. You have finesse with the weapon. Trust in your instincts and strike with precision.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Avery nodded, not keeping her eyes off Liam. She then brought the weapon vertically to her chest. She took a deep breath and slowly let it roll off her lips before snapping her eyes open and pointed the sword at Liam with a hand behind her back. Liam watched her movements and body language. He hadn¡¯t paid full attention to her fighting style when they fought together in the dungeon. He had snapshots here and there when he was beside her and when he had to time attacks with her. But her entire style was still a mystery to him. With each motion from her breathing to the graceful movement of her sword, Liam could see the amount of effort she had put into practice. She looked confident, but at the same time he could see some uncertainty. Liam brought his right foot back a bit and lowered his core into a slight horse stance. His left hand was in front of him with the blade held horizontally. His right hand was close to his side. Both daggers were held in a normal grip. He too, took a deep breath in and slowly released it. This allowed him to ready himself. ¡°Ready?¡± Nabal questioned as he looked at the two. Avery and Liam both nodded. ¡°Go!¡± Nabal called out. Avery and Liam pushed off their back legs and shot towards each other. When Avery reached striking distance, she pulled her rapier back and then did a thrust motion towards Liam¡¯s chest. Liam planted his right foot behind him and pivoted his body enough to dodge the weapon. He then arched his back low enough to dodge the blade as Avery gracefully swung horizontally to her right. As the blade finished passing over him, Liam pulled his upper body back up and stabbed with his left hand. Avery pushed off her right foot to avoid the stab and parried the right dagger as Liam tried stabbing her head. The wooden blade of the rapier bounced off the dagger and with enough force it gave her the momentum to swirl around and slash at Liam horizontally. Liam went to duck and was about to strike at her exposed stomach area, but then felt his Danger Sense warn him of the potential danger of doing it. Instead, he backed off and dodged the blade changing directions and watched as it sliced the air where he once was. He tried to think about what he was going to do next, but a mix of strange smells and sounds of people talking, yelling, or whispering around distracted him. He wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed and hesitated. That moment of hesitation allowed Avery to jump forward and stab three times, aiming for both Liam¡¯s shoulders and stomach. The way she moves with her weapon¡­it¡¯s so graceful. Almost like she has no room for errors. Liam thought as he rolled to his right to dodge the attacks. Her aim is almost so accurate, it¡¯s like she¡¯s locked on to exactly where she wants to strike at. Liam studied her movements some more but had a hard time doing so as his sight kept zooming in and out of the areas he was trying to focus on. Liam frowned as he moved his head to the left and rolled away to dodge the stab attempts at his head, shoulder, and right arm. Her attacks are fast. I¡¯m trying everything I can to not get hit. Liam thought as he rolled away once more from her. I need something to focus on so I don¡¯t get distracted. If I can¡¯t do that then I¡¯m going to lose. Liam jumped and rolled forward to dodge the strike Avery lunged and to get behind her. As he did this, something caught his attention. It was a sweet scent. A sweet fruity scent he hadn¡¯t smelled in quite a while. Is that strawberries? Liam asked himself as he tried to figure out where it was coming from. Out of all the odors hanging around the area, this strawberry smell was the strongest. Liam blocked Avery¡¯s thrust with both of his daggers and leaned in close to Avery and sniffed the air. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Avery shouted with a weird look on her face. She then jumped back and asked, ¡°Did you just sniff me?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Liam said with his hands in the air. ¡°There is this strong strawberry smell that I keep smelling and couldn¡¯t figure out where it was coming from.¡± ¡°Are you saying you can smell the strawberries I ate as a snack?¡± Avery questioned as she recoiled a bit. Liam winced at her action. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not creepy at all,¡± Avery stated as she frowned at him. Liam looked at her. He noticed her breathing was a bit more labored than it should have been for a spar like this. As he watched her body moved with each breath he noticed he was able to focus. If I focus on the smell of the strawberries that is coming from her, I can focus better than earlier. Liam thought as he smiled. That¡¯s the key, isn¡¯t it. Find something to focus on and shift it all on that. That is how I¡¯ll be able to use my new senses better. He knew it wouldn¡¯t be what he needed to fully master his new senses, but it was a start. One that can help him understand how much more focused he could get in a fight. He felt his eyes focus in more on her body¡¯s movement. Her subtle flexing of her hand on the wooden weapon, her breathing, the placement of her feet. The scent coming from her helped him fall more and more into focus. Alright, let¡¯s try to end this. Liam thought as he took a deep breath in, relaxed his body and released it. As he released his breath, Liam shot forward. Avery¡¯s eyes widened as she wasn¡¯t prepared for his sudden movement. Before she could react, Liam appeared before her. On instinct, Avery swung her weapon horizontally to her right. Liam felt his Danger Sense flare up on the side of his face. With a fluid motion, he ducked and rolled his upper body under the weapon and on her left side. His right hand swung down in a circle going behind him. He then brought it around in a circle up above his head and then down aiming for her neck. Avery stopped her weapon from moving easily and swung it back to her left. As it was about to hit Liam¡¯s neck, he suddenly disappeared. His dagger freefalling down in the air, no longer in his hand. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was doing. She had seen him pull this move off before. As fast as she could with a beautiful and fluid motion, she switched her weapon over to her left hand and stabbed down to her right side. Liam had appeared there under her. She was forming a grin until she watched him stomped down and spin around to the other side of her. He caught the dagger before it could drop to the ground and went for her neck. ¡°Stop!¡± Nabal yelled as he looked at them with a big grin. Lily stared at the two, shocked at what she watched. She wasn¡¯t the only one. A few instructors, who were around, were surprised at the sparring match. Liam smiled as he looked at the dagger pressing against her neck. He wasn¡¯t smiling at that though. He was smiling because Avery had the tip of the wooden rapier pressing against his chest. ¡°If this was not a sparring match, I would say Liam would be the winner since where his dagger is at is a lethal spot and would kill you,¡± Nabal stated as he approached them. ¡°However, since I said the first to land a strike would be a winner I am going to have to say it¡¯s a tie.¡± Lily looked at him. ¡°A tie?¡± she asked, confused. Nabal nodded. ¡°Yes. She reacted in time to use¡­whats the move called again?¡± Lily looked at Avery¡¯s positioning and was shocked at what she saw. ¡°Is that the finishing position for the Rapier Weapon Art Scorpion Tail? But your weapon is in the wrong hand? Also, when did you switch hands?¡± Nabal snapped his fingers as he said, ¡°Ah that¡¯s what it was called. Her movements were graceful and fluid enough for her to strike back when Liam appeared on the other side of her. Both of their weapons struck each other at the same time.¡± Liam dropped his daggers and dropped to his behind as Avery dropped to her knees. Both were panting heavily. ¡°Great job,¡± Liam said with a smile while panting hard. ¡°Your reaction time and attack speed are amazing.¡± ¡°Are you trying to say they weren¡¯t before?¡± Avery asked while gulping in air. ¡°Not¡­at all,¡± Liam replied as he felt his heartbeat and breathing ease a bit. ¡°What I meant was, I already thought your swordsmanship was great, but I didn¡¯t know the extent of it until now.¡± Avery blushed a bit as she said,¡± Thanks. Your movements when you dodge and switch from one side of a person to the next are no joke either. I thought I¡¯d be able to handle it if you tried, but I barely hung on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still nowhere I need to be,¡± Liam said, still smiling like a fool. Avery shook her head as she let a smile of her own creep in. ¡°If you think you¡¯re nowhere where you need to be then where do I stand?¡± Liam stood up and reached a hand out to her. His smile still plastered on his face as he answered, ¡°Right there beside me.¡± Avery stared at him. ¡°I swear. What am I going to do with you?¡± ¡°Not kicking my butt is a good start,¡± Liam teasingly said as Avery grasped his hand. She was about to say something while he pulled her to her feet, but Liam continued, ¡°But you can also not lose to me as well. You are a great sparring partner, and I am going to need someone to keep me on my toes while I progress.¡± Avery let out a sigh as she agreed, ¡°I can agree to that.¡± ¡°You both did great,¡± Nabal said as he patted their backs. He then looked at Lily and asked, ¡°What do you think? Do you see that it is possible?¡± Flabbergasted by what she had witnessed, Lily had no arguments that could support what she believed in. These two young people had completely changed what she thought was the best way to progress. In fact, they lit a fire in her that made her want to practice it as well. ¡°Not only did I see it was, but do you know what this means?¡± Lily asked him. ¡°The possibilities this opens up for Weapon Arts and weapon wielders. This can help people grow to new heights!¡± Nabal smiled and was happy she understood what he was getting at. ¡°Um, Instructor Lily,¡± Avery called out. ¡°Yes Miss Avery,¡± Lily replied as she looked at her. ¡°My teammate and I have to get going,¡± Avery said. ¡°We have to meet up with our other members in a few minutes.¡± ¡°Ah that¡¯s fine,¡± Lily said nonchalantly. ¡°Go and meet up with your teammates. It is important to foster a powerful bond with them before anything happens.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Avery said as she bowed to her instructor. She turned to Nabal and bowed to him as well. Liam looked at Nabal. ¡°Go on. What Miss Lily said is true. I think you understood what I was saying before the spar. Practice it.¡± Nabal stated. ¡°It will help you greatly.¡± Liam nodded as he said, ¡°Thank you. I will.¡± He and Avery then took off as fast as their low stamina filled bodies could take them before having to walk awkwardly. Nabal and Lily let out a chuckle at the sight. Tutorial 65 - With food it only takes once ¡°God damn I feel sore,¡± Avery stated as she and the others stood in the magical practice room they had reserved. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely feel it in the morning,¡± Liam said with a chuckle as he looked inside his inventory and grabbed two yellowish orange vials. He gave one to Avery and said, ¡°Drink this. It¡¯ll help bring your stamina back up to bring some of that soreness away. It won¡¯t take it all away, but it¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Avery said as she drank the vial. ¡°That tastes so good. Thank the gods you came up with a way to change the flavors.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything special,¡± Liam said while shaking his head. He placed the empty vials back into his inventory. ¡°The way to do it was already there. It just needed someone to do it.¡± ¡°Not anything special he says,¡± Alicia commented with a shake of her head. She looked at the others while hiking her thumb at Liam. ¡°Can you believe this guy?¡± She looked back at Liam. ¡°It took someone who does care what others thought to make this.¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s all it took then someone was bound to do it eventually.¡± ¡°True, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were the one who did it,¡± Mercer stated with a smile. ¡°Eh,¡± Liam said noncommittally. ¡°So, I have to ask,¡± Ariyana chimed in with a playful look. ¡°Why did the two of you come together? Sorely, might I add. What were you two doing?¡± Avery shook her head. ¡°Not what you¡¯re thinking. I can tell you that. Liam¡¯s Dagger Instructor, Nabal had us do a joint training session.¡± She turned to Liam and asked, ¡°By the way how did you guys know I was there?¡± Ariyana frowned. Liam let out a chuckle. ¡°Nabal was testing my new heightened senses. While I was testing my hearing I heard your voice amongst the crowd. Avery¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You were able to pick my voice out within that big crowd of people? How? It was so loud that I was barely able to hear Lily sometimes.¡± ¡°With my race my hearing has grown a lot. At times a whisper sounds like someone is talking right next to me,¡± Liam explained. ¡°The smell is the worst though.¡± Liam shuddered as he remembered some of the smells his nose picked up throughout the morning and the night before. Alicia let out a laugh. ¡°You should have seen him last night at the Alchemy lab. He looked like he wanted to throw up so many times due to that heightened smell of his. It was hilarious.¡± Liam frowned as he stated, ¡°True, but thanks to that I can pick up what smell belongs to what alchemy material. I¡¯ll have an easier time finding stuff out in the dungeon and field.¡± Alicia¡¯s laughter died as she realized what he meant. She then frowned and exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡± Liam let out a chuckle of his own. ¡°You better share if you find a lot,¡± Alicia pouted. ¡°Only if you share too,¡± Liam replied back. ¡°I have been. The things we made last night was not cheap to make for the both of us you know,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°What did you guys make?¡± Mercer asked as Octavius looked at them curiously too. After the race change, Liam was able to see how people¡¯s appearances had changed. Olivia¡¯s new race had changed her body completely. Her curly red hair gave an autumn grass look with the way it bounced when she moved her head. Her eyes had transformed into completely white orbs. Even though her irises were not there anymore, you could feel if she was looking at you or not. Her skin tone was now a dark green. When the others saw her they had gasped and were curious what she was. She played the guessing game with them, but after a while when no one could guess she had told them she was half Dryad, half Human. Octavius had changed as well. He grew in height as well as in bulk. He now stood six foot five and his muscles were more defined than before as well. He didn¡¯t waste anyone¡¯s time with a guessing game and had told them he was a half Goliath and half human. Alicia brought a finger to her lips and winked as she answered, ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out during the dungeon run,¡± Liam said. ¡°Galin, Alicia, and I came up with some ideas on how to use crafting in our battle strategies.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mercer said with a curious look. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I look forward to seeing what you guys came up with.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Octavius agreed. He then looked at Liam and added, ¡°Except, Alicia, I hope its not done in a¡­gamble like fashion, that our friend here does.¡± Liam gave him a look of mock hurt. ¡°Most things are. Can¡¯t always use proven methods, especially when a life is on the line,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°Fair enough,¡± Octavius replied. He looked at Liam and said with a teasing expression, ¡°I hope you¡¯re not a bad influence on my teammate.¡± ¡°Me? Pfft, she¡¯s the bad influence,¡± Liam stated with a playful grin. ¡°Has she told you about how she tried setting me up to fail on my first poison crafted item?¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone stated as they looked at her. ¡°No, I did not try to set you up for failure, I was just not going to fully explain to see if you could handle it on your own,¡± Alicia said with a blush. She then frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about failures from you anyways. You¡¯ve been more successful with first time crafting than I have.¡± Liam waved a hand. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s shift topics,¡± Olivia stated. ¡°We don¡¯t have all day here to help you guys practice and get settled with your new racial powers.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± Mercer started to say. ¡°Before that,¡± Alicia interrupted before looking at Liam. Liam caught on what she was wanted to do. ¡°We need to tell you what happened last night,¡± Liam continued. ¡°Last night?¡± Octavius asked. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°What happened last night?¡± Blair asked as she stared at Liam. ¡°Last night we kind of ran into Steve,¡± Liam informed as he looked at everyone. ¡°What?!¡± the others shouted. ¡°You too?¡± Olivia asked as she looked at Alicia. Alicia nodded then corrected, ¡°We didn¡¯t entirely run into him. He walked out of the Bubbling Potion right before we got there.¡± ¡°Tell us what happened,¡± Avery requested as she looked between the two. Liam and Alicia went into what had happened. From when Liam had gotten there and when Alicia arrived. He then told them what Galin had explained to them about what he knew of the man. Mercer raised a hand to his chin and started thinking. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying he¡¯s not sure how he¡¯s changed, but it might be due to something he received as a reward?¡± Liam and Alicia nodded. ¡°He¡¯s after something, but we have no clue what it is,¡± Liam answered. ¡°That¡¯s a scary thing though,¡± Ariyana said as she rubber her arms, feeling a chill. ¡°To have your appearance change because you decided to go down a path not suited for you. I can¡¯t imagine how it would change us or what damage it would do to our growth.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Octavius said with a stern nod. ¡°It explains why the people here keep emphasizing about focusing on what we have an affinity in and not to focus on other stuff.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to have to keep an eye out even more now for you if he¡¯s after you,¡± Blair stated. ¡°You think he¡¯s after Jude as well?¡± Roman asked. Liam nodded. ¡°I believe so. I don¡¯t know who else he¡¯s after, but it¡¯s safe to say it¡¯s probably those who have come across the paths we have.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Mercer muttered. ¡°I think I might have an idea who else, but not sure.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°Remember when we finished the second floor, and I went to ask those taking our dungeon about the monsters they had to fight?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Yeah you said some told you while three other grou¡­,¡± Liam started to say until something clicked. ¡°Was Jude¡¯s group one of them?¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°The other two I haven¡¯t seen around for some time though. I don¡¯t know who they are, but my guess is they are the other two Steve is after.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯ll have to warn them if we see them?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Can you tell us what you remember of their descriptions? Maybe we can help warn them if we come across them," Octavius offered. Mercer nodded. ¡°Yeah I¡¯ll tell you what I remember later,¡± Mercer said. ¡°For now, we should focus on raising our magic while we¡¯re here so we can prepare for the next floor.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, about the next floor,¡± Olivia started as the others looked at her. ¡°Not sure if anyone has told you yet, but you¡¯ll need to get some camping gear.¡± ¡°Camping gear?¡± Roman questioned. Olivia nodded. ¡°Yes, due to the increased size of the next floor, along with more E.F.M.¡¯s it¡¯ll take a bit longer than the other floors. They said this is something that happens when you face dungeons that have big floors or that wont let you out because you have to survive for x amount of days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty interesting and good to know,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the dungeons are all different and can range with the time needed to spend in it?¡± ¡°That and more. The sheer amount of dungeons would amaze you,¡± Olivia said. ¡°They even said that not all dungeons have been explored so they aren¡¯t sure if they have found every type there is.¡± ¡°That is fascinating,¡± Mercer replied as he wrote something down. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look around and see what I can find on tents.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Artem said as he looked at him. ¡°I¡¯ll need some camping cooking stuff.¡± Olivia looked at Artem. ¡°You know how to cook?¡± ¡°Kind of. I¡¯m still learning how to make certain things, but I¡¯m progressing along in it,¡± Artem replied as he looked at her. ¡°He¡¯s modest,¡± Avery stated. ¡°Very modest,¡± Blair added. ¡°He made these amazing muffins for us to have before we took on the third floor and let me tell you,¡± Ariyana chimed in. Her facial expression turned into one of pure ecstasy as she closed her eyes, smiled, brought her hands up in a fist, shivered and mutter, ¡°Mmm.¡± The others in Liam¡¯s group besides Artem had a grin on their faces as well, agreeing with Ariyana¡¯s review of the muffins. ¡°That good huh?¡± Olivia asked as she eyed Artem up and down. ¡°Not only that, but they gave a buff as well,¡± Liam added. ¡°A buff?!¡± Alicia, Octavius, and Olivia shouted. Alicia looked at Liam. ¡°What is it with you guys. First you with your flavor potions and now this guy with food buffs? I swear, if there is ever an opening in your group I call dibs.¡± ¡°No fair!¡± Olivia complained. Liam¡¯s group laughed. ¡°Look at you, big guy,¡± Blair commented as she gave him a pat on the back. ¡°You¡¯ve got two girls arguing to join our group all over your ability to cook.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of me,¡± Artem started with a look of skepticism and sadness. ¡°I think its more because of Liam¡¯s potions.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± Liam butted in as he walked up to Artem¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m sure flavored potions are great, but I¡¯m just an after thought compared to your cooking.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t cooked anything else for you guys. So I don¡­,¡± Artem tried to say until Liam interrupted. ¡°Look, all it took was that one muffin and it instantly got the girls hooked. When it comes to food, all it takes is once. Potions aren¡¯t always needed, but food. Now that¡¯s where you can get someone to fall for you.¡± Liam gave Artem a friendly and reassuring smile. No longer going to try and argue, Artem relented and smiled back. ¡°Oh, speaking of potions and before we start this joint training session and I forget,¡± Alicia said as she looked away from a half angry, half teasing Olivia towards Liam. ¡°Do you have a Potion Belt yet?¡± Liam raised a brow at her. ¡°A Potion Belt?¡± ¡°Yeah that look says it all,¡± Alicia responded. She then turned to reveal a leathery belt like holster harnessed to her right upper thigh with two straps running up to a belt around her waist. The equipment had a square of leather where four strapped holding areas for very small vials and two small bag-looking things on it to place stuff in it. ¡°This design is not one you¡¯d find in the market unless people who make them sell them for money. This is a Leather Leg Harness Potion Holster made by Kenny, one of our teammates,¡± Alicia informed as she started to explain the functions of it. She pointed to the four vials strapped in and said, ¡°Here you can have your toxins that you would usually throw.¡± She then unstrapped the bag to the right of the small vials to reveal it opened up completely to see three regular sized colored vials strapped in. ¡°Here you can have your Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions.¡± After she closed it up, Alicia popped open the top of the bag under neath the four small vials to reveal two rows of more vials. ¡°Here you can put any type of poisons, potions, balms, whatever you want.¡± Liam stared at it with fascination. ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Alicia gave him a knowing smile as she asked, ¡°You like it?¡± ¡°Yeah, how did he make it?¡± Liam questioned with a lot of curiosity. ¡°He made it with a mixed effort of Leatherworking and Tailoring,¡± Olivia answered. ¡°He made different types for us all customed to our classes. Except for Octavius.¡± Everyone looked at Octavius. Octavius gave them a smile and answered their unasked question, ¡°Its hard to have a Potion Belt when you¡¯re covering in armor.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Liam commented with a nod of understanding. ¡°Hm, Leatherworking and Tailoring huh?¡± ¡°No,¡± Avery and Blair sternly stated in unison. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam asked as he looked at them. ¡°No,¡± they repeated. ¡°No what? I haven¡­,¡± Liam started to say until Mercer clarified. ¡°You are not allowed to take on anymore crafting task than the ones you already have.¡± ¡°But I have Tailoring already,¡± Liam started to protest. ¡°If I get Leatherworking then I coul¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Avery and Blair said with a lot more force. ¡°You are already taking on enough crafting projects right now. More than anyone I know. You can work on the blacksmithing, Alchemy and Tailoring for now, but no more for now,¡± Avery scolded. ¡°I agree with them,¡± Roman said. ¡°Focus on what you have now and get them to a point where you can take a break and work on other ones.¡± Artem and Ariyana nodded their heads in agreement. ¡°Fine,¡± Liam pouted as he looked defeated. Alicia looked at him and his team. She noticed they had a look of concern as they looked at him. Changing the subject she asked, ¡°Do you want one?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes whirled on her. With a tone completely different from the one before, he said, ¡°Hell yeah I do! How much does he want for making me one?¡± ¡°Good. He wanted me to ask you,¡± Alicia started. ¡°He said no payment is necessary. He wanted to thank you for not only finding a way to change the taste of the potions, but also supplying our group with some.¡± ¡°Is he sure?¡± Liam asked, unsure how he felt about it. ¡°It was nothing to make them and you also had a hand on making those potions.¡± ¡°I told him you¡¯d say something like that,¡± Alicia laughed. ¡°He¡¯s sure. It¡¯ll take about two days to make it. Do you have a preference on the color?¡± ¡°Black,¡± Liam answered with no hesitation. Octavius laughed, making everyone look at him. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Alicia told him that if Liam said yes he¡¯d want one in black,¡± Octavius stated. ¡°Am I that predictable?¡± Liam asked as he looked at his group. ¡°Not always,¡± Blair started. ¡°If it takes two days to make then that¡¯s perfect,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we take at least four days to shore up our new abilities and magic, while also getting our supplies in order before we take on the next floor,¡± Mercer suggested. He looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Liam thought about it. Taking four days would allow him to work on raising his magical abilities, work on his crafting, and taking on the first floor to get upgrades on his armor, and getting used to his newly heightened senses sounded like it would be a good plan. He looked back at Mercer and said, ¡°That sounds good to me.¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s get to work on what we¡¯re supposed to be doing here,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Yes mother,¡± Roman teasingly said. Tutorial 66 - Round 2 The giant Yooperlite stone hanging from the ceiling was starting to dim as Liam stepped out from the Mage Tower. He was happy with the new magic he had gotten. Not only that, but he was adjusting to his new senses just like Nabal had told him. He also couldn¡¯t wait for that Potion Belt Alicia¡¯s teammate Kenny was going to make for him. It would be very useful compared to having to look for the items through his inventory each time. His new daggers were a huge upgrade as well. He couldn¡¯t wait till he was able to have them out in the open without worry. The same for his Black Widow Throwing daggers and the toxins for them. All of these were needed more than he understood before. Thinking about upgrades on his weapons reminded him what else he needed to upgrade. He looked at the direction he was going towards and saw small crowds of people hanging around or walking away from the portals. I need to get better armor. Liam thought. If I were to believe Jude then I should be able to get some new armor from the first floor boss. Liam thought about his last encounter with the boss of the first floor. At the time Liam didn¡¯t have any magic nor was his stats helpful. Now that a few weeks had passed, he felt like he could at least be a better challenge for the boss monster. Not only that, he had some abilities he needed to test in the field to see how they work. As Liam approached the portal he thought to himself, I may be stronger than I was last time, but that creature probably is too. Remember, don¡¯t get too cocky, focus, and keep your head on straight. Liam took a deep breath in and slowly released it as he brought the Dungeon Portal Display up. He clicked on the first floor and read a red warning that appeared. ¡°Warning! Monsters on this floor are stronger due to progression of the dungeon. Would you still like to proceed to the 1st floor of Graveyard of the Forgotten Realm? Yes No?¡± Liam mentally clicked on yes, making the message disappear and allowing him to step through into the portal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Liam stepped out of the portal he heard a chime sound echo in his mind. He smiled thinking that he had some good luck that he didn¡¯t¡­ Before he could finish the thought process, his stomach lurched and shot some liquid up and out his mouth. After he recomposed himself, he groaned while taking a water bottle out, ¡°Upchuck Roulette strikes again.¡± He took a swig and swished the contents around and then spit it out. After Liam released his mouth of the awful taste he looked down the familiar hallway he had entered his first day coming to this world. The stoney floor, white walls and red carpet were the same as he remembered them to be. Even the statues hadn¡¯t changed. He let out a breath and thought to himself, I wonder how much the boss monster has changed. I know it won¡¯t be easy, but I hope I can do much better than I did last time. After thinking this he was about to take a step, but then came up with an idea. Let¡¯s see how well Veil of Shadows works against the boss. If I cast it now I¡¯ll regenerate the missing mana before I enter the room. Liam closed his eyes and began to call upon the shadows in the room to surround him. After a moment had passed the shadows that danced around the hall swirled around him from feet to head, covering him up and making him slightly invisible. Since the ability wasn¡¯t too high in level it didn¡¯t completely make him invisible. Instead, it made him look like a shadow on the wall or the ground, depending on where he stood. When he was satisfied, he crouched down and started to slowly make his way to the door on the other end of the room. Once when he got to the door, he opened it as slowly as he could and peeked inside. The room hadn¡¯t changed in here either. The pews sat in the same spot and same with the instruments. The paintings were still void of any pictures and hung on the deep black walls along with the Yooperlite stones. The only thing that was different from his last visit was the damage his fight had caused was fixed. I guess you can think of it as a refresh? Liam thought as he tried to figure out why the damage was fixed. That¡¯s the only thing I can think of since I can fight the boss again. Liam snuck inside the room and slowly closed the door behind him. As he turned around he stared at the podium that sat at the top of the stairs. He knew the boss would appear there and was waiting to see if he would appear even though he was cloaked in shadows. He took a step forward towards the first set of pews. As he did this, the same eerie angelic sound that the harps played started up, but this time the violins and acoustic guitar-looking instruments joined in. That¡¯s not ominous at all. Liam thought as he watched the familiar boss who gave him such a hard time on his first day start to rise from behind the podium. His ripped and ragged black and red church robe was no longer in tatters. It was now in pristine condition. The creature wore the same biretta hat sitting on top of its head. Other than that, the creature was still all bones. Liam assessed it to see the increase in changes.
¡°Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$. 200/200 HP. 300/300 MP.¡±
Looks like the name changed along with its health and mana. Liam thought then clicked his tongue. An increase from seventy-five health to two hundred and from two hundred mana to three hundred is no joke though. The Undead Priest turned its head and scanned the room. It looked confused as it started to move around to investigate. So, you can¡¯t see me? That¡¯s some good news there. Liam thought but then frowned as he slowly started to move away from the creature. It looks like you¡¯re no longer rooted to the ground though. I¡¯m going to have to be careful now when I attack. Should I attack from afar? Liam looked at his set of Throwing Bone Daggers of The Black Widow Matriarch he had strapped in his throwing dagger holster. He didn¡¯t coat them in any of the toxins he had because he had a feeling they wouldn¡¯t do anything. He was hoping that once when he got to necrotic types of toxins they would be helpful against this type of monster, but he wasn¡¯t close to it yet. Liam slowly moved to his left and stopped at the edge of the pew in the back. The Undead Priest was in the front row and at the far end of the pew with its back facing him. He pulled out two of his throwing daggers, slowly took a deep breath in, aimed, released it, and threw the daggers. As the daggers left his hands, the shadows that covered him dispersed. He quickly ducked without waiting to see if the daggers hit. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He called the shadows back on him and duck walked to the right side of the room where the other pew was. A notification appeared as he started to duck walk away from his position.
¡°Throwing Bone Dagger of The Black Widow Matriarch has successfully hit Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ for 15 damage.¡± ¡°Throwing Bone Dagger of The Black Widow Matriarch has successfully hit Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ for 20 damage.¡±
Starting off strong. Liam smiled as he made it to the pew on the right side of the room. As he made it over to the pew, a small explosion suddenly hit the side he was once at. Liam¡¯s head swiveled to see the spot where he threw his daggers and saw the pew was nothing more than chunks of wood. Jesus! The magic power has increased as well! Liam thought. He dared a peek over the top when he arrived at the other end of the pew and saw the Undead Priest floating over to the spot he had attacked. Once more the back of its head was facing him. Okay, again. Liam thought as he threw his daggers again, crouched, used Veil of Shadows, and started to duck walk towards the front room.
¡°Throwing Bone Dagger of The Black Widow Matriarch has successfully hit Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ for 15 damage.¡± ¡°Throwing Bone Dagger of The Black Widow Matriarch has successfully hit Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ for 15 damage.¡±
Liam grinned as he read the notifications while making his way to the front. That grin of his disappeared though as the explosion that hit the last spot he was at sent a shockwave with enough force to send him flying towards the two steps in front of him. As he crashed into the steps, the shadows that was covering him disappeared, revealing his location to the Undead Priest. Liam groaned as he got back to his feet. Before he could complain, his danger sense buzzed throughout the front of his body. He dove forward without thinking and came to his feet. He didn¡¯t stop as he made his way to the other side of the room. He glance over to see the hand of The Undead Priest moving quicker than his last visit. Liam pulled out two of his throwing daggers and threw them at the Boss monster. Without any effort, the creature floated to the left to dodge the daggers. ¡°You crafty son of a bitch,¡± Liam muttered as he slid to a stop. The Undead Priest released the orb it had formed at Liam. Liam changed his direction and started to sprint away from that spot. As the orb hit the floor, an explosion took its place. The floor and its surrounding area became a mix of broken pieces of wood and stone. Liam threw two more daggers at the creature. The Undead Priest dodged one, but as it moved to dodge the first the second collided against its head. ¡°Throwing Bone Dagger of The Black Widow Matriarch has successfully hit Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ for 25 damage.¡± ¡°Ok, let¡¯s try this spell out while I have a second,¡± Liam muttered as he pulled his Shadow Blade of the Lunarian and Moon Blade of the Lunarian out. As Liam did this, the Undead Priest faced him, lifted a finger towards him, and started to cast a spell. He pointed his Shadow blade at the Undead Priest and started chanting, ¡°Shadows coalescing all around. Head my call and come forth.¡± The shadows around Liam quivered and raced up his leg towards the blade. ¡°Manifest physically into a circular form of destruction.¡± A raven black orb started to form on the tip of the blade. ¡°Release from the forms you¡¯re attached to and shoot forward, Shadow Orb!¡± The Shadow Orb flew from the dagger and towards the Undead Priest. A moment after it launched, the Undead Priest released his orb. He was too slow as Liam¡¯s Shadow Orb collided into the orb the Undead Priest had launched right in front of him. Both orbs exploded from contact and created a dark explosion.
¡°Shadow orb has successfully hit Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ for 36 damage.¡± ¡°Note: Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ has taken an extra 40 damage due to Shadow orb colliding with Orb of Destruction and making spell detonate in front of user.¡±
¡°Fuck yeah!¡± Liam shouted with a cheer. That cheer quickly disappeared as his danger sense buzzed louder than earlier across his entire front side of his body. Before Liam could respond, a blackish-purple wave exploded out from the Undead Priest within the dust cloud making it disappear. The shockwave of the attack sent Liam flying backwards into the wall without any chance to resist it. ¡°Ow,¡± Liam groaned. ¡°I completely forgot about that ability of his.¡± Liam stared at the creature that was humming with power. Its once repaired and pristine robe had become ripped and ragged again revealing parts of its bones. This revealed the white bones were suddenly starting to darken to a pitch black color. A black and purple smoke started to float off of its bones. The smoke floated in four directions around its head and formed black orbs with purple wisps of smoke coming off of them. That¡¯s weird. I remember orbs being made, but not like this. Liam thought as he turned to the right following the wall. I wonder what element that is? He activated his Mana Sight and was confused. As he stared at the orbs forming he couldn¡¯t see any color within the mana. It was transparent almost void of any color. What the hell is that about? Liam thought as he watched the Undead Priest look straight at Liam. Two of the orbs hummed as they started charging up. ¡°What?! But I¡¯m not standing up this time!¡± Liam protested as he scrambled to his feet and ran to his right. Two beams shot out from the orbs and crashed into the spot Liam was. Liam watched to see what kind of damage it would make, but was confused as the dust and debris that was there was suddenly sucked into a small orb that had formed in that spot. ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°That debris was way too big to fit into that orb. How in the¡­¡± Liam¡¯s protests were cut short as he felt his Danger Sense buzz again. He slid to halt and turned back around to dodge another couple of beams. Once again the area it has hit created a small orb that sucked in anything that was in a two foot radius. I can¡¯t be hit with that or its game over. Liam thought as he felt his body start to tense up. He looked at his stamina bar and noticed he had twenty-five percent of his stamina left. I need to do something. Create a diversion or something so I can stop running around. Liam thought to himself. As he went over ideas and plans he had created, he finally came to one. A grin formed as he muttered, ¡°It¡¯ll be a gamble. I¡¯m not sure if it would work, but now¡¯s the best chance to test it out.¡± Liam changed the direction he was going, to one that lead him directly to the boss monster. He jumped forward into a roll to dodge the two beams that shot out from two of the four orbs. The beams barely missed him as he dodged them. While rolling back to his feet, he pulled out a small vial full of tannish murky liquid. As soon as he was within arms reach, Liam tossed the vial at the creature¡¯s face. The Undead Priest swung one of its blacked hands at Liam but missed as Liam suddenly disappeared from its line of sight. Instead of hitting air though, the skeleton¡¯s hand shattered the thin glass vial allowing the contents to splash against its face, robe, and bones. Confused on what happened, the Undead Priest looked to its left then to its right. Liam was nowhere to be seen. Then it heard Liam start to chant. ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you.¡± The Undead Priest turned around to see Liam right in front of it. It was too slow to react as Liam finished chanting, ¡°Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and burn!¡± A flame the size of a baseball appeared on Liam¡¯s palm. He then threw it at the creature and watched as it lit the Undead Priest on fire. The Boss monster stepped back and started flailing its arms around. The black orbs hovering around its head moved along with it and started shooting out without aim. Step one complete. Liam thought. Now step two. Liam jumped back and stood at the top of the stairs before pointing his dagger at the creature and started to chant, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot and hinder my enemies¡¯ movements. Pull to you with the force you have been known to have and keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± A dark purplish orb suddenly appeared at the tip of Liam¡¯s dagger. Once when it reached the size of a basketball, Liam brought his hand back and with a clean flick of the wrist, shot the orb to the Undead Priest¡¯s right. As soon as it got within a certain amount of distance of the creature, the orb stopped in place and started to pull everything around it closer to the orb. Gravity Well was a new Gravity spell Liam had received once when he got to level ten in the Focus Point. It creates an orb the size of a basketball that pulls everything within a ten foot radius. It has a cooldown of one minute with a mana cost of fifteen. The Undead Priest tried to move to the left, but failed as its body was pulled closer to the orb. The beams that shot out of the orbs stopped shooting as the creature¡¯s head faced up. It let out a shriek of frustration and pain, that Liam was unsure where it came from. Liam watched as notifications pop up as the creature continued to be burn from his crafting spell.
¡°Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ burns for 5 damage from Light and Burn.¡± ¡°Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ burns for 5 damage from Light and Burn.¡± ¡°Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ burns for 5 damage from Light and Burn.¡± ¡°Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ burns for 5 damage from Light and Burn.¡±
Liam assessed the creature.
¡°Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$. 30/200 HP 80/300 MP.¡± ¡°Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ burns for 5 damage from Light and Burn.¡±
¡°If I let it be it¡¯ll die out on its own, but I want try one more spell on it,¡± Liam muttered as he breathed in heavily. He pointed his Moon Blade dagger at the Undead Priest and chanted, ¡°O Moon, majestic and beautiful. I call upon thee to show how painful you can be.¡± A small black orb appeared in front of Liam. As it slowly grew a pale light suddenly shone down over Liam. The light started to soak into the orb changing the color from black to a pale white. ¡°Bestow this orb with your radiance and allow it to fly true. Lunar Orb!¡± Once when all of the pale light was sucked into the orb, the object flew towards the Undead Priest and crashed against its chest. As soon as the orb hit, the Undead Priest was suddenly engulfed in a pale white light. Liam watched as the light engulfed the Undead Priest allowing him to only see the shadow of the creature within. After five seconds had passed the light dissipated leaving nothing in its wake. The gravity well¡¯s effect stopped as the spell disappeared as well. A fanfare rang throughout Liam¡¯s mind as a notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$.¡±
¡°Holy shit,¡± Liam whispered as he stared at the spot where the creature once stood. Tutorial 67 - Preparing for the next floor Liam stared at the spot the Undead Priest was once at. He was completely shocked by what had happened. He had practiced using Lunar Orb on targets in the Mage Tower, but they had never done what had just happened. Liam really wanted to know what happened to make the creature get disintegrated like that. He looked back at his list of battle notifications until he came to one he hadn¡¯t seen. It was the last notification.
¡°Lunar orb has successfully hit Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$ for 25 damage.¡± ¡°Attention! Conditions for special Lunar effect, Lunar Energy Burst, has been met: 1. Lingering Shadow magic has been detected on Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$. 2. Undead Priest of %$#@ %$#@$¡¯s health is under 10% allowing special Lunar effect to be triggered.¡± ¡°Lunar Energy Burst ¨C Special Lunar effect. Activates only when a target has been hit with or has some sort of Shadow magic on them as well as health at 10% or lower. When activated, a powerful burst of Lunar energy explodes from the orb and disintegrates the target.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he read this. ¡°Magic abilities can have special effects?¡± Liam questioned with his mouth agape. ¡°Mercer and the others are definitely going to want to know this.¡± Chime sounds suddenly echoed in Liam¡¯s mind as more notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Seed of the Arcana has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Craft has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Production Craft has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Production Craft Magic - Light and Burn has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravity Magic - Gravity Well has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Lunar has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point: Lunar Control has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Lunar Magic Lunar Orb has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Shadows has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point - Utility (Shadow) has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Magic - Veil of Shadows has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 25%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point - Shadow Control has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 31%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Magic - Shadow Orb has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 31%!¡±
¡°Sweet!¡± Liam shouted with some excitement. ¡°My Lunar and Shadow magic is progression nicely. If this continues then I¡¯ll be able to gain more¡­¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No Liam, focus on what you have now before thinking about possibilities you don¡¯t know about yet.¡± Liam stared at his hand. He was excited about the prospects his new magical abilities brought to the table and really wanted to see what would happen if his Shadow magic triggered a special effect. However, he knew he¡¯d find out soon enough when opportunities presented themselves. He had four days to test theories and practice his magic on this foe. A grin spread on Liam¡¯s face as he thought of all the possibilities. His grin then disappeared as he remembered something important. Loot! He turned to the area where the boss had been and looked around. Nothing was there. No bones, no rags, no loot. Liam frowned and was about to get annoyed, but then noticed he had one final notification that needed to be read.
¡°You have received Cowl of the Haunted. Cowl of the Haunted has been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°You have received 10 silver coins. 10 silver coins has been sent to your inventory.¡±
Liam pulled up his inventory and saw a Cowl sitting there in one of the boxes. ¡°Huh,¡± Liam muttered as he pulled it out. He checked it out and was impressed with how it looked. It was a leather hooded cowl with a skull faintly etched on each side of the hood. It had enough material for him to fit his left arm through while a strap hooked under his right arm.
¡°Cowl of the Haunted. Item Rarity -Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Armor +10. Added effects: +5% to Sub-stat Resilience when fighting against Undead type monsters. +5% to Mental Resilience sub-stat.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Liam whistled as he assessed the item. ¡°That plus five percent to my resilience will be helpful. I wonder what else I can get from this guy? I¡¯ll have to run this boss a few times over the next couple of days.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Okay, my game plan for the next four days will be practicing my magic, run this dungeon, practice my crafting, practice my dagger skills, and get the proper supplies. Honestly there¡¯s so much I want to get done, but there never seems to be enough time.¡± Liam looked around the room once more. He gave a nod of satisfaction as he was grateful for how far he had come from his first day. It wasn¡¯t anything to sneeze at when compared to people like Nabal, but to him it was a sign that he was growing. ¡°Alright let¡¯s do this once more and then call it a night,¡± Liam said as he walked towards the portal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam walked through the small city of the Tutorial Area. The Yooperlite stone was starting to hum as the light it housed started to glow. The streets were quiet due to people still asleep or just starting to wake up. He felt that these past four days were spent wisely. He was able to get some of his magic up a few levels. A few were just a spell cast or two away from level ten while the others progressed as well as they could. He was able to get some of his crafting up as well while working at the smithy and at the lab located in the Bubbling Potion. His other craft, tailoring, had reached a respectable level five. He found tailoring was a bit harder and require much more attention and focus. Sewing was the starting part which let him practice his stitching. If he wasn¡¯t paying close attention, he would mess up and have to undo what he had done to restart. After a few attempts he was able to get into a groove and felt it was rather relaxing. He wasn¡¯t able to make much yet, but he felt once when he got to a higher level with it he¡¯d be able to make more. On top of his crafting, he was able to get some new equipment as well. He was able to replace his old armor with this new armor that had a buff to his Resilience sub-stat against Undead and more. ¡°Haunted Leather Pants. Item Rarity -Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Light Armor +10. Added effects: +5% to Sub-stat Resilience when fighting against Undead type monsters.¡± ¡°Haunted Leather Boots. Item Rarity -Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Light Armor +10. Added effects: +5% to Sub-stat Resilience when fighting against Undead type monsters. +5% to Reflex Sub-stats when fighting against Undead type monsters.¡± ¡°Haunted Bone Chest Armor. Item Rarity -Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. Light Armor +10. Added effects: +5% to Sub-stat Resilience when fighting against Undead type monsters. +5% to trigger Mana Soak when being attacked by magic casted by Undead type monsters.¡± That last item was interesting, not just by the way it looked, but by that Mana Soak effect. ¡°Mana Soak ¨C Magic casted upon you will be soaked into the polished bones used on armored item, diverting some of the damage the target would normally take into the bones of an Undead caster.¡± Apparently the bones from that Undead Priest was transferred into the item and thanks to that the Mana Soak effect was added into the chest piece. ¡°I wonder if the others were able to get new armor as well,¡± Liam muttered as he turned down the street that led to the portals. Liam and his group decided to meet up at the portal first thing in the morning so they could go over the supplies they had gotten and make sure they weren¡¯t missing or forgetting anything. ¡°I¡¯m getting pretty excited about this,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he felt his body get anxious. As he got closer he noticed the others standing and talking to each other. There weren¡¯t many groups by the portal, making the area quieter than normal. As he approached the others, Ariyana saw him and waved at him. ¡°Morning,¡± Liam greeted as he walked up to them. ¡°About time you got here,¡± Roman teased as he gave him a grin. ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk. You got here just five minutes ago yourself,¡± Ariyana stated as she gave him a slight frown. ¡°You¡¯re touchy,¡± Roman commented as he glared at her. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not a morning person,¡± Ariyana yawned. She then grumbled, ¡°I hate being up so early.¡± ¡°So do I,¡± Artem agreed as he stretched his arms out. Avery, Blair, and Mercer shook their heads with disapproval. ¡°Let¡¯s go over our supplies before we head in,¡± Mercer announced before anyone else could say anything. ¡°Let¡¯s go over consumables first.¡± ¡°Before we do that,¡± Artem chimed in as he looked inside his inventory. He then pulled out seven hot steamy muffins. The smell that wafted off of them made the group turn their attention to him and grin happily. As Artem passed out the muffins to everyone, Blair asked, ¡°Are these buffed muffins?¡± ¡°No.¡± Artem shook his head. ¡°I made snacks that are lighter on the body with buffs so we don¡¯t get too full. These one I made because we are up so early.¡± ¡°If getting up early means I get a muffin made by you, then I¡¯ll happily get up early without complaint,¡± Ariyana stated as she took a bite. She let out a satisfied moan as she chewed the breakfast item. ¡°Oh yeah, this is exactly what I need.¡± Roman rolled his eyes at Ariyana¡¯s words. Mercer took an appreciative bite and nodded before looking at Artem and asking after swallowing, ¡°Artem, you have all the ingredients you need for food?¡± Artem nodded. ¡°All that I could think of.¡± Mercer nodded. He then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°How about you? How¡¯s your potion stock? Do you have all you need to repair our armor and weapons?¡± Liam pulled up his inventory and looked over his supplies. ¡°I have several stacks of potions already made. I have some extracts and materials ready in case I need to make more. I¡¯m not sure how many we¡¯ll go through so if I need to make some during a break then I¡¯ll be able to.¡± Mercer nodded, agreeing with his logic. ¡°And materials for repairs?¡± Liam scratched the back of his head. ¡°That one is a bit complicated. For certain level armor and weapons I¡¯ll be able to fully repair, but the others I¡¯ll only be able to make spot repairs. My level isn¡¯t that high yet for full repair on those items.¡± The group understood what he was saying. The higher quality weapons needed his repair section of his blacksmithing at a certain level. He was able to get it high enough that if the repairs needed weren¡¯t too bad then he¡¯d be able to handle it. ¡°Also, for the cloth armor I¡¯m still not high enough so I¡¯ll apologize now,¡± Liam stated as he looked at Ariyana. Ariyana shrugged, knowing that he did all that he could to get to where he was. ¡°No worries.¡± ¡°Were you guys able to have Fia take a look at your weapons and armor?¡± Liam asked. Everyone nodded. ¡°I like her,¡± Avery stated. ¡°She¡¯s a great example of what a strong independent woman should be like,¡± Blair nodded with approval. ¡°The way she ran the smithy made me respect her a lot.¡± ¡°I liked her a lot too,¡± Ariyana agreed. Everyone looked at her. ¡°What?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°Why did you go and see her?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°You don¡¯t have a weapon that requires a blacksmith.¡± ¡°I commissioned a weapon from her,¡± Ariyana said as she gave Roman a slight frown. ¡°I told you guys I was in the market for a new weapon, but couldn¡¯t figure out what I wanted. I talked her about an idea I had and she was excited about it and made it.¡± ¡°What weapon did you have her make?¡± Liam asked, curious about the possibility of learning a new weapon design. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait and see,¡± Ariyana said with a wink. Mercer gave a slight chuckle. ¡°I was able to secure several individual tents, travel pillows, and sleeping bags. We should be fine with all that.¡± ¡°Is that everything?¡± Liam asked as he looked at everyone. ¡°I believe so,¡± Mercer said with some uncertainty. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to expect so I can¡¯t fully say that we have everything or not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Liam said. ¡°The only way to know is by taking this thing on.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s head out then,¡± Liam said as he walked towards the portal. He placed a hand on it and saw the list of floors. ¡°Graveyard of the Forgotten Realm. Which floor would you like to go to? Floors available: 1st, 2nd,3rd, 4th, 5th.¡± Mentally preparing himself he took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as he clicked the 5th floor option. ¡°Are you entering with the team: Artem, Ariyana, Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman? Yes No?¡± Liam clicked Yes and then stepped through the portal. Adva and Phorge watched as Liam and his team walked through the portal. ¡°Each time I watch them go in I start to worry,¡± Adva stated softly. With a stern look Phorge stated, ¡°Each time they go in they come back. You have to believe they will make it through another floor alive.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Adva said with a shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s just my age catching up.¡± She then gave him a sideways look and asked, ¡°Any luck on your end?¡± ¡°None yet,¡± Phorge said with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯ll be the first I tell when I have information.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Adva said. She then mentally said, Good luck and come back in one piece. Tutorial 68 - Which door do we go through? Liam walked out of the portal and was amazed by what he saw. The room the portal sat in was huge. It had the same design as the room they had entered when they arrived on the fourth floor. The walls, floors, and pillars that ran up to the ceiling were all made out of tanned stone. Hieroglyphic pictures were etched around the smooth walls while small Yooperlite stones were scattered across the walls and ceiling. The portal rested on a walkway that circled around the room. In front of him were stairs that led down to the two floors below them. At least he thought there was two floors. The area after the floor below was filled with water and the stairs dove right into it. On the other side of the large room, Liam saw another set of stairs that led up. He noticed another set that went to the top floor as he looked around. As he scanned the room he noticed each floor had a closed door. Above each door was a clear crystal sticking out from the wall. He assumed that each door would lead them to an Elite Floor Monster and the final boss but was stumped on how they would open them. After taking the room in he turned around and saw his team standing upright. No one looked like Upchuck Roulette had won against them and that made him frown. However, they did look a bit squeamish. ¡°What is this place?¡± Ariyana asked with awed curiosity. ¡°It looks like a temple of some sort,¡± Mercer replied as he took in the sight of the room. ¡°It does look like one doesn¡¯t it?¡± Liam agreed. It¡¯s a fallen temple from a forgotten realm. Eri suddenly stated in Liam¡¯s mind. Her sudden proclamation made Liam slightly jump. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Blair asked as she looked at Liam. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam stated before mentally saying to Eri, Jesus Eri, you scared the crap out of me. Eri laughed in his mind. That¡¯s what you get for taking so long to come back into the dungeon. Liam frowned as he heard her say this. What are you talking about? I went to the first floor a few times and tried to speak with you there, but you never answered me back? Eri was silent making Liam think she was thinking about what he had said. Did you really go to the first floor? She asked after a moment had passed. Yeah, I thought maybe you were ignoring me or something. Liam mentally frowned. Aw did you miss me that much? Eri asked with a teasing tone. Not even in the slightest. Liam said with an even tone. Rude! Eri said with mock hurt. I¡¯m not sure why I wasn¡¯t able to hear you or feel you enter the dungeon if you went to the first floor. I should have been able to sense you¡­I wonder why I didn¡¯t. ¡°What do you think Liam?¡± Mercer asked as they looked at him. ¡°Hm?¡± Liam muttered as he looked back at him with a confused look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was lost in thought. What¡¯s going on?¡± Mercer eyed him. ¡°I was saying I don¡¯t know which door we¡¯re supposed to go through or how to open them. We were planning on looking around the room to see if we could find a switch or button of sorts.¡± ¡°That sounds like a good plan,¡± Liam agreed as he looked around the room once more. ¡°I¡¯ll take the top floor. Maybe I can spot something up there.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Mercer agreed as they started moving. Before they left he activated his Perception of the Control Tower, making sure to get everyone in his sight. As he started walking he asked Eri, Since you know what this place is, can you tell me anything I¡¯ll need to know? What monsters reside here? How to get the doors open? I could, but why should I when you¡¯re not my champion? Eri asked with a bemused tone. Liam grew a deadpan expression as he said mentally, Really? Yes really. Eri stated seriously. However, I will say even I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll face here because of how screwed up this dungeon has become. The monsters will be different than the ones that should be here. So, I can confidently tell you that even if I told you what would be here, it will be different. ¡°Some help you are,¡± Liam whispered. I heard that. Eri commented. Liam shook his head as he approached the top floor. As he walked the walkway along the wall, he looked down at the floors below him. Peering down from the ledge of the top floor, Liam was able to see a clear picture of the room. He started noticing some differences on each floor as well. One example was the placement of the doors. They were located in different areas of the floors. Another was the pictures of the walls on each level. Each floor looked to have a theme of some sorts with certain pictures standing out more than others. The one that caught his attention the most was the bottom floor where the water flooded. He could see the bottom floor through the clear water better from this angle. The bottom floor was a bit farther than the floor above it making the water deeper than he originally thought it was. As he stared into the water he noticed something strange. ¡°Is that a¡­,¡± Liam muttered as he trailed off. He saw Mercer two floors down from him and called out, ¡°Hey Mercer, come up here really quick.¡± Mercer looked up at him before making his way up. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Mercer asked as he approached Liam. ¡°How is your eyesight?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Better than before, but probably not as good as yours,¡± Mercer answered with a puzzled look. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Liam pointed down into the water at something and asked, ¡°Tell me¡­Can you see that object in the water against the wall?¡± Mercer looked in the direction of where Liam was pointing. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He squinted his eyes trying to get a better look. After a few moments had passed he said, ¡°I see something, but can¡¯t make it out that well. What does it look like to you?¡± ¡°It looks like a lever,¡± Liam stated. Mercer looked at Liam with a puzzled expression. ¡°It does?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Hm,¡± Mercer muttered before shouting, ¡°Artem!¡± Artem looked up from the second to last floor. ¡°Yeah?¡± He called back. ¡°Look into the water and tell me if you see a lever on the wall to the left?¡± Mercer yelled. Artem gave him a confused look before peering into the water. After a few seconds he replied back, ¡°Yeah there is one!¡± ¡°Can you jump in there and see if you can flip it?¡± Mercer requested. ¡°Sure!¡± Artem answered before changing his armor set into a plain shirt and shorts. After changing he dove right in. ¡°Keep an eye out in case something happens everyone!¡± Liam called out. Ariyana, Avery, Blair, and Roman grew alert and eyed the floor they were on as they waited. After half a minute had passed, Artem reemerged from the water and made his way up the stairs. He looked up as he pulled out a towel, dried himself off, and shouted, ¡°I pulled it! Did anything happen?¡± Mercer was about to reply back, but stopped as a rumbling shook the room a bit. The sound of stone scraping against stone echoed making everyone look around to see where it was coming from. Ariyana let out a shriek making everyone turn their attention to her. Liam saw Ariyana running away from the door that had opened by her on the 3rd floor. The one where the portal was once on. He was confused why she was running away until he saw four familiar grey skinned zombies chasing after her. They were running on all fours. Their arms were lankier than normal zombies. They had nail-like claws that protruded from their lanky fingers. Their eye sockets were empty and had no bottom jaws. ¡°What the hell are those!¡± Roman shouted as he sprinted to the stairs to help Ariyana out. One of the zombies had closed the distance to Ariyana and leaped at her. As its clawed hand swung down, Avery parried it with a swing of her rapier. Mercer pulled out his bow and notched an arrow. He then released it and watched it sail towards the zombie¡¯s head. The arrow flew pass Avery¡¯s ear and was swatted away by the zombie. ¡°What the hell!?¡± Mercer shouted in complete shock. ¡°Those are Shredding Zombies!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Any attacks coming at them from the front will be deflected or blocked. You have to attack them from the sides or from behind to land a blow!¡± Mercer looked at him. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°I had to go against a bunch of them on the last floor,¡± Liam explained as he ran to the left while keeping the zombies in sight. When he got into a position he felt was good, Liam pulled out two throwing daggers and threw them. Mercer watched as the daggers soared at the Zombie¡¯s side and struck it in the head. The creature let out a loud shriek before crumpling to the ground. Two more Shredding Zombies lunged forward at Avery. Before they could land their attacks, Artem deflected both with his shield, his armor back on. Four daggers flew and sank into their skulls causing them to drop dead just like the last one. The last Shredding Zombie appeared on Artem¡¯s right and was about to strike, until a flurry of strikes from Avery¡¯s sword struck it. The creature turned its head to change its target but then dropped down as Artem struck his mace down as hard as he could on the top of its skull. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Blair questioned as she approached the three. ¡°Where did they come from?¡± ¡°They came running out from the door when it opened,¡± Ariyana said, slightly panting. ¡°We¡¯ve got more coming out!¡± Mercer shouted from the top floor. Liam pulled his daggers back to him using Mana Manipulation and watched as several Skeletons with rusty swords, Rotted Zombies, and Shredding Zombies emerged from the door. ¡°What the hell are those creatures?¡± Liam questioned as he assessed the skeletons dragging a rusty sword.
¡°Skeleton Warriors. 75/75 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°Well this is one way to start off a floor,¡± Liam muttered before he yelled out. ¡°Mercer! You and I will focus on the Shredding Zombies. They are our first priority!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Mercer replied as he moved to position himself better against the ones he saw. ¡°Artem and Blair, one of you stay where you are while the other tries to pincer attack from the other side. Don¡¯t go too far in case you need to retreat,¡± Liam ordered. ¡°Try to make sure they do not overwhelm you and make sure they do not make it to the stairs.¡± Artem grunted his acknowledgement of the plan as he stood his ground where he was not taking his eyes off the swarm of Undead creatures. Blair hefted her Great Axe over her shoulder, turned and started for the group coming around from the other side. ¡°Ariyana, Avery, and Roman,¡± Liam started up again as he threw two daggers at a Shredding Zombie. ¡°Two of you stay with Artem and help him out. One of you go with Blair and back her up.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Ariyana stated as she pulled out two ring like blades. Both of them were circular in shape with a small handle big enough for her hands to grip them. The rest was nothing but blade. ¡°So her new weapons are Chakrams,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he appreciated the craftsmanship of his mentor. Avery turned to face the swarm since she was already right by Artem and readied her sword. ¡°On it!¡± Roman shouted as he bolted down the stairs and caught up to Blair who readied herself for the oncoming wave. ¡°If it gets too much to handle then make your way to the stairs,¡± Liam ordered. ¡°If that happens then Artem will take point as defender Blair right behind him. The rest will support them with long ranged attacks. That¡¯s only if you start to get overwhelmed though. Got it?¡± Everyone shouted their approval of the plan as they prepared for the battle heading their way. Luckily the Skeletons and Rotted Zombies were slow enough for Liam to shout out the plan. As he was doing that, both he and Mercer attacked the Shredding Zombies that appeared within the group of Undead. When a Shredding Zombie wasn¡¯t in sight, they picked off as many of the Rotted Zombies as they could. Before they knew it the Skeleton Warriors and the Rotted Zombies not picked off by Mercer and Liam arrived to the two groups. Artem swung his shield against two rusty swords that struck down at him. This made the two Skeletons off balanced. Before they could right themselves, he swung his mace horizontally against their heads causing them to collide against the wall. Avery gracefully spun around the two Skeletons Artem attacked and struck the Rotted Zombie that was right behind them. Her rapier struck both shoulders, chest and head with swift and precise motions. Ariyana followed her and attacked the Rotted Zombie who was right next to the one Avery attacked. Unlike Avery¡¯s precision, Ariyana¡¯s weapons attacks landed randomly across the creature¡¯s chest and arms. After Avery finished the Rotted Zombie she was on, she turned and helped Ariyana finish off hers. After they took it down Artem stepped in from of them to block a strike from a Skeleton Warrior¡¯s rusty sword. On Blair¡¯s end, she swung her Great Axe against the side of a Skeleton Warrior making it collide into two more, crashing all three into the wall. Roman ran up and leaped into the air, over the group of skeletons Blair attacked. As his feet landed, his momentum made him slid right up into a group of three Rotted Zombies. Roman readied his gauntleted fists and did a three strike punch against the first one. After striking the first Rotted Zombie, Roman spun around and attacked the Rotted Zombie behind him. He then switched over to the third and attacked it as well. He switched between the three monsters, punching and kicking them. When one of the Rotted Zombies got too close to him from behind, Roman swept his tail out, making it fall over. He kept this up until all three dropped dead. After the last Rotted Zombie fell, Blair spun around Roman, bringing her Great Axe with her as her body turned, slamming it into three more Skeleton Warriors. Liam watched as his team fought against the wave of Undead. Even though he was far away, he was able to tell how much they had practiced with their weapons. Blair¡¯s strategy to swing her great axe in towards the wall was smart on her part to make sure none of the monsters fell off the walkway and get behind them. Artem did the same but not to the same extent as Blair¡¯s Great Axe. His mace swings were timed perfectly with his shield¡¯s parry. Both of them generated enough aggro that the monsters completely ignored the others as they focused on the Rotted Zombies. Mercer was caught off guard at first when the Shredding Zombies appeared, but now he was able to perfectly sink an arrow into their heads quickly before they could get to the others. That wasn¡¯t the only thing he noticed. He caught on that they weren¡¯t using any magical abilities. This was a wise choice on their part. The amount of space they had on the walkway wasn¡¯t wide enough for their magic to be unleashed without colliding into each other. As the group kept up their attack, the number of Undead monsters started to decrease. It wasn¡¯t too long before they had completely defeated the wave of Undead monsters. ¡°Great job guys!¡± Mercer stated as he and Liam walked up to them. ¡°You guys have definitely changed and started adapting to your new racial gains,¡± Liam said as he looked at them all. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to observe you all during our next few fights so I can make better strategies.¡± Avery, Blair, and Roman shook their heads as a grin appeared on their faces. ¡°We¡¯re not the only ones whose racial gains were made apparent,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°Your sight is amazing. I don¡¯t think any of us would have seen that lever so quickly. Especially in the water.¡± Liam shrugged as he looked at the open door. ¡°Are you guys ready to see what¡¯s waiting for us in there?¡± The others looked at the door and stared at it with cautious expressions on their faces. ¡°It would be good if we had a way to see what was in there before going through that door,¡± Ariyana said. ¡°I just hope it¡¯s not another bat.¡± ¡°Or a spider,¡± Artem chimed in with a shiver running down his spine. The others laughed at them as Liam thought of something. ¡°I think I might have a way for us to scout ahead before we jump straight in,¡± Liam said with a serious look. ¡°Oh?¡± the others said. ¡°What way do you have in store for us?¡± Mercer asked with a curious look. Liam grinned as he looked at them. ¡°It¡¯s actually one of my new magical abilities I had gotten. It¡¯s called Veil of Shadows.¡± Tutorial 69 - Strategy: Crowd Control ¡°Veil of Shadows?¡± Artem repeated as he thought about it. ¡°Is that, that spell that makes you look like a shadow on the ground or the wall?¡± Roman asked as he stared at Liam. ¡°Yeah that¡¯s the one,¡± Liam replied with a grin. ¡°I was thinking about using it as a scouting ability to help us look ahead. What do you guys think?¡± The others thought about it and agreed with the logic. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go see what¡¯s lying in wait for us,¡± Liam said as the shadows around them start to swirl from Liam¡¯s feet and engulfed him. Everyone watched as this happened and was amazed by it. ¡°Dude, Shadow magic looks so cool,¡± Roman stated as he watched Liam¡¯s shadowy form on the floor slink off through the open door. ¡°I heard it can be dangerous too if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Mercer commented as he stared off into the door with a look of concern. Liam slowly walked close to the wall as he entered the hallway. The hall had Yooperlite stones spread out enough to give just enough light in some spots while leaving areas of the floor and walls with no light. He shifted from one wall to the other making sure to stay closer to the shadows to try and not get any attention from anything he couldn¡¯t see. It was quiet as he cautiously made his way to the first corner. As he reached the corner he peered around the edge and saw two skeletons walking back and forth lifelessly, dragging their rusty swords. Liam slipped pass them without alerting them to his presence. He continued this pattern coming across only a small handful of skeletons and Rotted Zombies here and there until he reached a doorway. He approached the open door frame but did not go in. As he looked inside he noticed a set of small stairs that lead into a wide open room. In the back was another set of stairs that led to a platform with a weird looking Skeleton with what Liam could think of as purple sticky and slimy viscera inside its open ribcage. Liam felt his stomach do a flip as he watched a long organ move about on its arms and through its open mouth. Upon further examination he noticed that there were piles of bones, weapons, and rotted corpses around its feet. Liam assessed the creature.
¡°Wrathful Mohrg. 2000/2000 HP. 3500/3500 MP.¡±
Liam felt a shiver run down his spine and his blood ran cold as the creature¡¯s head suddenly snapped to look at the door. Did it just notice me assess it? Liam thought as he hugged the wall. Creatures with a good amount of intelligence can tell when someone or something is assessing it. Eri suddenly said. Liam felt his body suddenly twitch as he heard Eri¡¯s voice. Do you love trying to give me a heart attack? Liam mentally said to her with an exasperated tone. Did you forget that I am here? Eri asked back. Yeah. I¡¯m still trying to get used to a crazy woman in my mind. Liam retorted. Eri let out a laugh. Get used to it. When you become my champion, I¡¯ll always be able to talk to you each time you enter a dungeon. Liam shook his head and started his way back. So, you were saying really smart creatures can tell when they are being assessed? Liam asked. Yes. That Mohrg is a very intelligent creature too. A spell caster of sorts. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen one. They are rare to come across. Eri explained. Why¡¯s that? Liam questioned. Mohrgs are corpses that arose from murderers that never atoned for their crimes. Their spirits stayed in their bodies corrupting them even in death until they reanimated. Eri stated. Sounds like a pain in the ass type of monster. What abilities do they have? Liam asked trying to get as much information as he could. You¡¯ll have to figure that out when you fight it. Eri stated with a slight smile, knowing what he was doing. Liam clicked his tongue as he emerged from the hall and took down his Veil of Shadows. He explained what he saw to the others. Ariyana gave a disgusted look as Artem and Mercer grimaced and Avery, Blair, and Roman frowned as they listened to Liam describe the E.F.M. ¡°Have any of you heard of a creature like this?¡± Liam asked as he looked at them. They all shook their heads. ¡°I kind of figured, but still thought I¡¯d ask,¡± Liam said with a sigh. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Artem questioned. Mercer and Liam looked at each other. ¡°Got an idea?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any Shredding Zombies when I peered inside, but that creature does have intelligence so I¡¯m not sure how to approach it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to have come up with something during the fight, but for now we¡¯ll focus on the mob while keeping an eye on that E.F.M.¡± ¡°Sounds like as good of a plan as we¡¯ll be able to have,¡± Avery stated. Liam nodded. ¡°However, Artem and Blair, I¡¯m going to need you both to be ready at any moment just in case.¡± Artem and Blair nodded. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s clear the hall then prepare for that fight,¡± Mercer stated as they turned for the door. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Any loot drop off that Skeleton?¡± Roman asked as they searched the fallen Skeleton Warriors. ¡°Just coins,¡± Ariyana stated as she handed Mercer the fallen coins. ¡°We can split the coins evenly later. Let¡¯s get ready for the fight. Artem?¡± Mercer said as he looked at Artem. ¡°Already on it,¡± Artem announced as he pulled out several small rectangular bars with some sort of colored icing on them. ¡°I call these Iced Buff Bars. Each have different buffs and I used different colored icings to tell them apart. Blue is for magic buffs. Red is for physical. Lastly, tan is for defensive buffs.¡± ¡°These look almost like energy bars back from my world,¡± Liam commented as he grabbed a red bar. He took a bite and felt the effect of the buff fill him up. However, he was more impressed with the taste and texture. Each bite he took he tasted strawberries and it melted on his tongue. It wasn¡¯t hard to rip apart and easily broke when he bit down. ¡°Mmmm,¡± Ariyana moaned as she ate her blue bar. ¡°Artem, you just keep raising the bar on food and snacks I love to eat.¡± Artem blushed as he looked away from her. After Mercer finished his bar he asked, ¡°Is everyone topped up and ready to go?¡± Everyone looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Ok, the formation we will go with is, Artem and Blair in the front,¡± Liam started. ¡°Artem, use your taunt ability to gather as many as you can. Blair strike down any you can within your weapon¡¯s range. Artem and Blair nodded. ¡°Avery and Roman will be right behind them and fan off to the sides,¡± Liam continued. ¡°If any monsters they couldn¡¯t aggro slip by then focus them. If there aren¡¯t any close by then focus on the ones they have.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Avery and Roman stated. ¡°Ariyana and Mercer, stay in the back and cast buffs on everyone. After you do that then join in on attacking,¡± Liam added. ¡°Ariyana, if you think your long ranged magic isn¡¯t needed then go ahead and join Avery and Roman.¡± Ariyana nodded. ¡°I will use all my utility spells to try and slow down cluster of monsters as long as I can so we do not get over run by them,¡± Liam informed. ¡°We will call this strategy crowd control. So that way I don¡¯t need to explain this every time. Does that sound good?¡± Everyone nodded in agreement with the name. ¡°I¡¯ll call out whenever buffs are starting to come off so you can rebuff us. Monster priorities goes as followed. Artem and Blair, your priority will be any Skeletal monsters. Ariyana, Avery, and Roman, your priority will be the zombies,¡± Liam instructed. The five of them nodded. ¡°Mercer, our priority will be Shredding Zombies if they appear. If they don¡¯t then we¡¯ll help with the zombies. Also, if anyone sees any changes that I don¡¯t, call it out and we will readjust our plans,¡± Liam finished while pulling his goggles down over his eyes. ¡°Sounds like a good plan,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Liam and the others slowly approached the door and peered inside. Just like Liam had told them, there were several Skeleton Warriors and Rotted Zombies. They were spread out throughout the room. Closest to them were two Skeleton Warriors and four Rotted Zombies. Four more Skeleton Warriors were off to the right with two Rotted Zombies. To the left were two Skeleton Warriors and four Rotted Zombies. The Wrathful Mohrg was still standing in the middle of the pile of bones on the raised floor in the back of the room. It had its back facing them. It looked like it was staring at the bones spread out. Artem and Blair turned to look at the others behind them. The others nodded, letting the two know they were ready. Artem and Blair then looked at each other and nodded as well before Artem ran into the room towards the closest group. When he got into range, Artem slammed a foot down and let out a loud roar. This roar made the group of two Skeleton Warriors and four Rotted Zombies turn their attention on him. They returned his shout with a gargled shout of their own, alerting the other creatures in the room of the intruders. Liam rushed in with the others and scanned the room to see where he should start first. As he looked around, he could hear Ariyana cast her Echoes of Sound spell as Mercer pulled out his newly practiced instrument, the violin, and play his Resilient Defense song on the two Defenders in front. Avery and Roman rushed towards their opponents without any hesitation. Liam determined that the group with more Skeleton Warriors was closer than the other. He pulled out his Shadow and Moon Blade daggers, pointed his Shadow Blade at the group of enemies and started to chant, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Over the pass four days Liam had practiced Gravitational Force Increase over and over till he was able to get it pass level ten. When he got it to level ten the single target part had changed to a multiple target spell with a ten foot radius. It also increased the debuff to dexterity from negative two point five to five percent. The power buff increased from two point five to five percent. The spell also changed from lasting thirty seconds to forty five seconds. The final change, however, was the biggest surprise. The chant had shorten. Liam watched as the group of monsters¡¯ movement slowed to a crawl as a massive pressure pushed down on them. He swiftly shifted his attention to the other group and chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot and hinder my enemies¡¯ movements. Pull to you with the force you have been known to have and keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± He flung the basketball sized orb towards the middle of that group and watched the monsters¡¯ bodies start to get pulled into a cluster right around the gravity ball. The monsters tried to move, but struggled to pull themselves off each other. ¡°Alright, they are locked in place now,¡± Liam started as he scanned the area once more for any monsters he missed earlier. He didn¡¯t see any, but noticed the others were almost finished defeating the first group of monsters. He looked between the other two groups before instructing, ¡°Once this group is finished, move to the group to our right.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± the others shouted as the last monster in the first group dropped. Liam sheathed his daggers and pulled out his throwing ones. He aimed for the Rotted Zombie that was the farthest in the back of this group. Right as he brought his hands back and started to throw the weapons, Artem and Blair jumped right into his line of fire. ¡°Crap, look ou¡­,¡± Mercer started to call out, but stopped as he watched the daggers flew in a curve around the two Defenders and back in to land right into the Rotted Zombie¡¯s face. Mercer turned to Liam with a look of shock and awe and stammered until he found the right word he wanted to ask, ¡°Bu¡­di¡­how?¡± Liam grinned at him and replied, ¡°Practice.¡± Not liking the simplified answer, Mercer just shook his head, notched an arrow, aimed and shot at the other Rotted Zombie. Liam watched as Artem, Ariyana, Avery, Blair and Roman took on the Skeleton Warriors. He judged if it was a good idea for him and Mercer to focus on the remaining Skeleton Warriors in that group. After a short deliberation he looked at the other group of monsters that were still struggling to extricate themselves from their predicament and informed, ¡°Mercer, you and I will snipe the Rotted Zombies from the other group. The rest focus on taking down those Skeleton Warriors then join us on finishing the last group!¡± ¡°On it!¡± everyone acknowledged. Liam and Mercer turned to face the group of Undead monsters being sucked into one spot and started to aim their projectiles. They released their weapons and watched as they sunk into their targets at a much faster speed thanks to the Gravity Well spell. Feeling good about this, Mercer moved to get into a better position to fire another arrow. He released it and watched it sail through the air. The speed of the arrow started to pick up as it got closer to the target. However, as it was about to hit, the Gravity Well ability winked out. This allowed the creatures to move their bodies away from each other and out of the line of trajectory of the arrow. Mercer cursed as he watched it, but then paled as he watched the arrow fly pass the group of creatures and towards the E.F.M. ¡°Shit!¡± Mercer shouted as the arrow hit the creature on the shoulder. Liam looked to see what was going on and saw the Wrathful Mohrg let out a disgusting gargled roar. After letting out its terrifying battle cry, the Wrathful Mohrg raised both of its hands up and started to gargle something in some unrecognizable language. Liam threw a dagger to try and stop it from doing what it was doing, but before the dagger could hit the monster, a long boney hand formed from the pile of bones and swiped the dagger down. ¡°What the¡­,¡± Liam started to muttered as he watched a skeleton start to stand up. Liam assessed this creature that emerged from the bone pile.
¡°Skeleton Butcher. 500/500 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
This one was taller than the Skeleton Warriors they were fighting before and stared at Liam. It grabbed two big rusty swords by its feet and then let out a long anger clattering noise from its teeth clanking together. Liam watched as more creatures emerged around the Wrathful Mohrg. Six Skeleton Warriors, five Rotted Zombies, and four Shredding Zombies. Liam assessed these ones to make sure there were no other special monsters amongst them, but what he saw made his blood run cold.
¡°Skeleton Warrior. 300/300 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Rotted Zombie. 400/400 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Shredding Zombie. 350/350 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°Oh shit,¡± Liam swore. Tutorial 70 - I can’t let him be the only one who grows. ¡°What is it?¡± Mercer questioned as he looked at Liam. ¡°These ones are stronger than the mobs that were here when we came in,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Not only that, but that Skeleton Butcher look like it¡¯s the strongest besides the Mohrg. Also, there¡¯s Shredding Zombies mixed in.¡± ¡°How much stronger?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much, but their health is in the three and four hundreds,¡± Liam responded. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Mercer asked as Liam started to think. What is the best approach? Liam thought to himself as he racked his brain. There¡¯s that small group of Undead that¡¯s weaker. It¡¯ll be good to wipe them out, so we don¡¯t have to worry about them. But then we have to figure out how to keep this new set of monsters occupied. Liam looked at his Gravity Well and Gravitational Force Increase spells and saw they were still on cooldown. Gravitational Force Increase still had fifteen seconds while Gravity Well still had a little under half a minute left on cooldown. Those two spells are out for right now. Liam thought. I don¡¯t have any other area of effect slow spells or similar. Liam thought over his list of utility spells once more. He had a couple single target spells that could blind and paralyze, however, they wouldn¡¯t do much against the Skeleton creatures. He did have a single binding type spell that could work, but if he used that then he¡¯d need to figure out how to distract the others. Liam looked at the others who were still fighting off the rest of the group of monsters from the other side of the room. He then looked back at the encroaching group and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Guess there¡¯s no choice. It¡¯s going to be another round of that statue room,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he remembered his time in the third challenge on the fourth floor. He then looked at Mercer and instructed, ¡°Take down the Shredding Zombies and try picking off any Rotted Zombies you see.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°I¡¯m going to use a spell on the big guy then pull as much aggro as I can,¡± Liam stated as he pointed his Shadow Blade dagger at the Skeleton Butcher. He readied himself and then chanted, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you. Bind my target, stopping their movement. Snake out and grasp with the tendrils you possess. Remind those in the light why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Mercer watched as the shadow underneath the Skeleton Butcher start to wave in a weird manner until several shadowy tendrils shot out from it and wrapped around the legs, arms, and chest of the Skeleton Butcher. The Skeleton Butcher clacked its teeth vigorously as it struggled to free itself. Mercer watched the scene unfold before him with a shocked expression. ¡°What the hell are those things?¡± Mercer whispered. Indescribable noises brought Mercer¡¯s attention back to what was going on. Trusting in his teammate, Mercer faced the group he was entrusted to take care of. When Liam determined it wasn¡¯t going to be able to get free, he rushed into the swarm of Undead that came down to the floor from the bone pile. As Liam approach the first Skeleton Warrior, a Shredding Zombie leaped over and towards Liam and swiped a long bony claw at him. Before the Shredding Zombie¡¯s attack could land, two arrows plunged into its head, pushing it off to the side. With a smile, Liam spun around the Skeleton Warrior, nicking it with both blades, before rushing up to the next monster. Liam ducked down as a Skeleton Warrior swung its rusty sword horizontally at him. After the sword rushed pass his head, Liam uppercut with his Moon Blade. Scrapping the blade up the monster¡¯s chest to the head. As he landed, his feet slid into a half circle, allowing his upper body to roll, facing away from the creature, under the monster¡¯s blade once more. He then bolted to the next creature. Mercer was amazed by Liam¡¯s agility to dodge, dip, duck, and dive between the monsters. He ran his blades across their bodies not wasting time to land powerful hits, but enough to get their attention and keep it. His stamina must be amazing to be able to keep that up. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to handle that kind of intense melee strategy. Mercer thought before letting go an arrow into a Rotted Zombie. He saw a Shredding Zombie leap from the side of a Rotted Zombie that Liam didn¡¯t see. He had a perfect angle to shoot it. Without thinking his eyes zoomed in on the Shredding Zombie, looking for a spot he wanted to aim for. He was able to do this thanks to an Archery Weapon Art skill called Eagle Eye. He swiftly loaded an arrow, aimed and released. Before he Released he muttered, ¡°Double Tap.¡± Double Tap was an Archery Weapon Art skill. It creates a second arrow behind the original after it is released. The single arrow transformed into two as an arrow appeared behind it and soar towards the moving target. Both arrows sunk into the skull of the Shredding Zombie. Thanks to his bow, Weapon skill in Archery, and Weapon Art, he was able to double crit the creature, killing it. I can¡¯t let him be the only one who grows. Mercer thought with a smile. I need to keep up with him if I want to be able to reach my goal. He watched as Liam kept up what he was now calling a dance of spinning, twirling, ducking, dodging, and striking. It was awe inspiring and made him not only respect Liam, but also captivate him. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. He shook his head to snap himself back on the field and saw movement come from the other side of the room. Realizing what was about to happen, Mercer shouted, ¡°Liam, get out of there now!¡± Liam used his reflexes to slip behind each creature until he reached the edge of them. He then dove out and rolled to his knees up to Mercer, breathing heavily. As Liam dove out, Artem had bulldozed right into a couple of Skeleton Warriors, colliding them into each other and a Rotted Zombie. Blair came crashing down into a couple more Skeleton Warriors as she slammed her Great Axe down. Avery and Roman ran in as fast as they could behind them and started attacking the loose Undead Artem and Blair couldn¡¯t aggro. Liam slowly got back to his feet as he pulled out a Stamina Potion from his Leg Harness Potion Holster. After draining the contents into his mouth, he placed the empty vial into his inventory. Mercer watched him as he turned to face the battle going on. ¡°I¡¯m glad they were able to get there when they did,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I was almost out of stamina.¡± Mercer looked at him confused. The way he moved about through the monsters. His dodging, ducking, and strategical use of attacks. To Mercer there was no sign of Liam running out of stamina. Liam saw the look on Mercer¡¯s face and asked with a puzzled one of his own, ¡°What?¡± ¡°What possessed you to try something like that?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°One of my challenges on the last floor required me to constantly move about, dodging elemental attacks and try to get pass these stone statues that would hit you if you messed up,¡± Liam started his explanation with a nonchalant expression. ¡°It was a huge pain on my stamina bar and I almost collapsed twice throughout the trial.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Mercer asked, shocked to hear what Liam said. ¡°Yeah, those trials were supposed to push our limits and help us grow,¡± Liam grimaced. ¡°Apparently mine was meant to push my stamina time and time again.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m digressing. The way they were spread out and the speed of their movements reminded me of it, so I thought I¡¯d do what I learned there.¡± ¡°And it definitely worked out,¡± Mercer commented as he looked at the others finishing off the monsters in front of them. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who seems to be using what they learned,¡± Liam replied as he stretched his arms and cracked his neck. The soreness from coming close to bottoming out his stamina bar fading away. ¡°We need to focus. We¡¯ve got an E.F.M. to defeat.¡± As he finished saying this, Liam heard the sound of snapping echoing in the air. He looked around to see what it was. His eyes finally landed on the Skeleton Butcher he had tied down with his Grasp of the Shadows spell. The tentacles that were wrapped around it were starting to snap as the creature pulled with all its might. After the last tentacle snapped and disappeared like a puff of black smoke, the giant Skeleton did something that surprised everyone. It started to charge. The direction wasn¡¯t towards Artem or Blair. Nor was it at the other three finishing off the last two monsters. It was directly at Liam. ¡°Shit! I still have aggro on it,¡± Liam cursed as he readied himself for the incoming monster. The monster took four long steps towards Liam and lifted the swords up into the air. Liam stood and waited as Mercer got out of the way. I¡¯ll have to get behind it at the last second and try to kite it back to the oth¡­ Liam was thinking until he watched Blair swing her Great Axe as hard as she could right into the Skeleton Butcher¡¯s side. The momentum of her weapon caused the creature to lose balance and fall to its side, sliding on the floor. Liam smiled as he shouted, ¡°Nice hit!¡± Blair grinned under her skull helmet as she continued with swinging her great axe around and replied, ¡°Nice distraction.¡± After swinging her weapon around twice, she redirected it up into the air while jumping towards the creature and slamming it down on its head. Blair jumped back as the creature swung one of its swords to counter Blair. As it stood back up, Artem charged right into it, making it fall back down. He then swung his mace down on its head twice before parrying one of the swords and jumping back to dodge the second one. Liam watched as both Blair and Artem took care of the creature without letting it get back up. That¡¯s just not fair. Liam thought as he shook his head. He then turned his attention towards the Wrathful Mohrg who was standing in the pile of bones staring at them. With a confused look, Liam mentally questioned, What¡¯s your story? Why aren¡¯t you attack us or leaving that area? As soon as the Skeleton Butcher was killed, the EFM¡¯s eye sockets glowed. Liam readied himself as he waited to see what it was going to do. He activated Mana Sight. The creature lifted its bony hands up as a murky grey color covered its body. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what this color represented, but he didn¡¯t like the way it looked. Within the murky grey color, Liam was able to see shapes that represented skulls wailing as they swam inside it. Liam grimaced as he watched the mana slide into the ground around its feet. A new group of Skeleton Warriors, Rotted Zombies, and Shredding Zombies rose up around it. A tall Skeleton Butcher stood in the front of the group. What the¡­ Liam thought as he assessed them.
¡°Skeleton Warrior. 350/350 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Rotted Zombie. 450/450 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Shredding Zombie. 400/400 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Liam groaned with a bit of annoyance. ¡°What is it?!¡± Ariyana asked as she turned to look at Liam. ¡°The health on these newly summoned mobs are higher than the last,¡± Liam informed. ¡°What?!¡± the others yelled out, shocked, and confused. ¡°How?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°Why!?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but that EFM started summoning this new group once when we finished that last group,¡± Liam started. ¡°I think every time we killed a group, it will summon new ones that are stronger.¡± ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Blair asked as she walked up next to Artem. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Liam stated. ¡°We¡¯ll need to keep those monsters distracted and see if we can take out the EFM¡­,¡± Liam said but hesitated. ¡°But?¡± Roman asked, dragging the word out. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what that creature will do once we¡¯re up there,¡± Liam responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what abilities it has besides raising these creatures.¡± ¡°Does it raise them or summon them?¡± Avery asked as she turned to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Liam answered. ¡°I think its raising them but I don¡¯t know the difference between summoned and raised here.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Avery said as she watched the group of creatures make it to the floor they were on. Mercer shot a couple of arrows at the Shredding Zombies. Since they were tougher than the last ones, it took an extra arrow to take them down. ¡°Mercer replace the defense buffs on our front line. Defenders first,¡± Liam instructed as he came up with a plan. ¡°Blair, keep these monsters down here, but do not kill them all,¡± Liam continued. ¡°Same with you Roman, Ariyana, and Mercer.¡± ¡°Avery get up on that platform and see if you can do some damage. I think those organs¡­,¡± Liam said and tried not to shiver at the sight of the purple slimy body parts pulsing within the chest cavity of the Wrathful Mohrg. ¡°I think they are its weak points.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Avery said as she started to cast a spell on her weapon. ¡°Artem go up there with her and protect her,¡± Liam ordered. Artem looked at the creature then back at Liam. ¡°Are you sure? I mean I think Blai¡­¡± ¡°You got this big guy,¡± Liam interjected. ¡°Fine,¡± Artem groaned as he ran up to the stairs leading to the bone piled floor with Avery behind him. Liam watched as they stepped on the floor level the creature was on. As they took a step, the Wrathful Mohrg let out a chilling blood curdling scream. Avery and Artem covered their ears as the sound pierced them. After the sound died down, Liam looked at the area they were and felt his blood run cold. All around the Wrathful Mohrg, Skeleton Warriors, Rotted Zombies, and Shredding Zombies rose. In the middle of the group were four Skeleton Butchers. Shit! You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me! Liam thought as he counted three times the amount from before. You can¡¯t kill all the Undead or it will summon more. You can¡¯t get up there or it will summon three times the amount. How the hell are we supposed to do this!? Tutorial 71 - Earthen Bovine Rush Artem and Avery took a step back. One foot on the platform where the Wrathful Mohrg and its newly risen Undead entourage, and the other on the stairs. ¡°Um Liam,¡± Artem called out with his shield raised as the monsters stepped forward. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Liam stared at the monsters. He wasn¡¯t sure what they should do. We need to figure out how we can attack it without getting it to raise more Undead creatures. Liam thought. Maybe long ranged attacks? ¡°Liam!¡± Avery shouted, pulling Liam from his thoughts. ¡°Retreat for now!¡± Liam yelled back. ¡°Try to gather them together and lets whittle them down as much as we can.¡± Artem and Avery jumped down the four steps and moved back enough to allow the monsters to come down to the floor they were on. ¡°Blair, get as many as you can clumped together in that area!¡± Liam started. ¡°Artem, try and taunt the newly raised Undead and kite them to the group.¡± Blair and Artem briefly looked at him, waiting for what he was going to say next. ¡°I¡¯ll use Gravity Well to keep them together when they get close enough to each other. Once when I do, Blair use Gravitational Force Increase. It should help slow them down and keep them pinned to a certain location,¡± Liam finished as he threw a couple of daggers at a Shredding Zombie. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Blair called back as she jump stepped to her left and swung her Great Axe into a couple of the Skeleton Warriors. The power of her weapon caused the spaced out enemies to collide into each other and into the other monsters she and Roman were working on. ¡°Mercer, fire an arrow at it once when we get the mobs situated,¡± Liam said as he looked at him. ¡°We might need to take it out from afar. Mercer nodded, understanding the plan. Artem sucked in as much air as he could and then release a loud shout, making the Undead creatures that entered the battle floor focus on him. All of the Undead creatures chased after Artem who was running over to Blair. It was going smoothly until the Skeleton Butcher stopped moving and turned its attention to Liam. Liam gave it a confused look. ¡°What the¡­,¡± Liam muttered as he watched it start to run towards him. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Blair shouted as she appeared behind the tall creature, swinging her giant weapon right into its side. The force of her weapon made it fall down and slide into the group of Undead Creatures they had collected. ¡°Great job!¡± Liam shouted as he pointed his dagger at the group and chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot and hinder my enemies¡¯ movements. Pull to you with the force you have been known to have and keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± Liam threw the basketball sized sphere right in the middle of the group of Undead. The spell fixed into the spot it was sent to and started to pull everything in. All the monsters around it started sliding across the floor. Try as they could, the force of the gravity well didn¡¯t let go of them and started to pack them into each other like a can of sardines. Four Skeleton Warriors and two Rotted Zombies, who were outside of the spell, moved away from the area. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Roman declared as he kicked both the Rotted Zombies into it. Artem slammed his shield into one of the Skeleton Warriors while hitting his mace as hard as he could into another. Blair swung her Great Axe, forcing the last two into the pull of the spell. Once they finished that, Blair chanted her spell. Once when she finished the chant a massive force fell down upon the creatures making sure they couldn¡¯t move out of it. Liam saw the Skeleton Butcher Blair had knocked down into the group still laying on the ground. The force of her spell locked it down, making it unable to get back up. After Liam¡¯s and Blair¡¯s spells were in place, Mercer readied an arrow and released it at the Wrathful Mohrg. He activated his Double Tap Weapon Art skill and watched the arrows fly as fast as they could towards their target. Both arrows slammed against the creature¡¯s head, making it whip back. As the Wrathful Mohrg brought its head back it clanked its bony teeth violently. Liam saw the same color light up around the EFM as it made an indescribable noise. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Liam groaned as irritation and frustration flared up inside him. Another group of Skeleton Warriors, Rotted Zombies, Shredding Zombies rose around the creature. A Skeleton Butcher appeared as well leading the pack. ¡°That¡¯s just cheating!¡± Artem and Roman shouted. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Nothing we can do but take these guys out and hit it again,¡± Liam said as he threw a couple of throwing daggers at a Shredding Zombie. ¡°But then it will summon more monsters,¡± Avery complained. ¡°Anyone else have a plan?¡± Liam asked. Ariyana looked like she was contemplating something before running over to Liam. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Liam saw her approach him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up Ariyana?¡± ¡°Is it chanting when it summons those creatures?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked with a confused look. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if its chanting or using some sort of method of using magic,¡± Ariyana stated and repeated her question, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s actually chanting?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Liam answered, still confused why it would matter. ¡°Okay, then I might have a way to stop it from summoning more monsters,¡± Ariyana stated with a look of stern confidence. Liam looked at her. Ariyana was hardly ever serious, but when she was he knew he could trust her judgment. ¡°Okay,¡± Liam said as he looked back at the others. ¡°Artem, Avery, Blair, and Roman. Take out that new group of Undead. Mercer, shoot another arrow once when they get off that platform.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mercer asked, confused. Liam nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± Mercer said as he finished off a Shredding Zombie. Once when the Wrathful Mohrg had nothing around it, Mercer released an arrow. Again, he activated Double Tap and watched as the arrows collided hard against the creature¡¯s head and shoulder. The Wrathful Mohrg lit back up and started making noise, building up its mana. Once when it started, Ariyana started chanting a spell, ¡°Sound is the friend of the caster. Sound is what gives life to a spell. Silence is the bane of the caster. Silence gives death to a spell. Cancel the sound that this caster needs to give life to their spell. Silence Thy Spell!¡± Silence Thy Spell was a Senses - Focus Point spell from Ariyana¡¯s Field of the Charmed. It silences the target giving it the Silent Debuff for ten seconds. Cooldown was ten seconds, cost ten MP, and was a single target spell. It also had a five percent chance to create a Spell Backlash. A Spell Backlash is an effect that damages the target that has been silenced, forcibly stopped while chanting, or loses all MP during a spell chant. It explodes the amount of mana it was building up around its neck and face. Liam watched as the air around the Wrathful Mohrg rippled around the purple organ where its neck was. He then saw the Murky grey mana that was building up suddenly get sucked into that pocket of air, canceling its spell. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he watched this happen. He had completely forgotten she had gotten this spell once when she got her Focus Point Senses to level ten. He turned to look at her and smiled widely. ¡°I would have used this earlier, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work or not,¡± Ariyana stated as she looked at him. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a welcomed thing now,¡± Liam said. He then instructed, ¡°Keep using it when you can. Make sure it doesn¡¯t raise anymore Undead creatures. Mercer, you and I will attack it as fast as we can.¡± Liam pulled the thrown daggers back he had thrown earlier using his Mana Manipulation. He then readied himself and started throwing as fast as he could as Mercer shot arrow after arrow, using his Double Tap every second arrow he fired. Once when Ariyana¡¯s spell was off cooldown and the debuff dropped, she chanted the spell again. She kept doing this each time it dropped and was ready to use. While Ariyana, Liam, and Mercer focused their efforts on the Wrathful Mohrg, Artem, Avery, Blair, and Roman focused on the mobs. The group of Undead creatures that weren¡¯t wrapped up in Blair¡¯s and Liam¡¯s spells were slowly taken down. The last one in that group was the Skeleton Butcher. This creature was the toughest they had to face so far. While everyone was focused on their targets they didn¡¯t notice the Gravity Well and Gravitational Force Increase disappear. The group of enraged Undead focused their ire on the closest person to them, Mercer. It was when they were about to strike at Mercer, he saw them. He released one more arrow and then dodged. He was about to send another at the closest Undead creature, but stopped as the Wrathful Mohrg sent out a wave of reddish purple mana out from its body. The force of the wave caused Liam and the others to fall down. As they got back up they saw the Undead creatures start to fall apart and fly in circle around the EFM. Ariyana swiftly got back to her feet and chanted her spell again to stop what was going on, but as she finished it a red screen appeared before her. ¡°Shit!¡± Ariyana swore. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It says the creature is immune to my spell,¡± Ariyana stated with a frustrated expression. Liam turned to look at the creature before them. The Skeleton type monsters were nothing but bones now while the Zombie creatures were mashed down turned into pieces of flesh. These body parts floated and circled in a fast motion over the Wrathful Mohrg. Liam assessed it.
¡°Wrathful Mohrg. 400/2000 HP. 90/3500 MP.¡±
¡°We got it down to twenty percent HP. It¡¯s got four hundred heath left,¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Be prepared to face whatever last ditch power it has.¡± The swirling contents above it started to come down and spread out as the circling bones and flesh slowly started to fly straight into the Undead monster. The Wrathful Mohrg stretched its arms out, allowing the body parts to fill it. Everyone watched as the bones connected to the skeletal structure it had, making the arms bigger and longer. The ripped and mangled flesh shot straight to the slimy sticky organs within its open chest cavity. This filled the organs it had and made them grow bigger to fill the now growing body. ¡°That¡¯s just not right,¡± Artem stated as he and Ariyana gagged. Once when the last bone and piece of flesh combined with the Wrathful Mohrg, it stared down at the group. The once five foot six inch creature was now eleven feet tall. Its body had grown so big it had to kneel and hunch over. Its hands were over the platform and placed on the floor they were standing on. It let out a blood curdling scream. A reddish purple aura wafted off its bones. ¡°How the hell are we supposed to fight that now?¡± Ariyana questioned as she took a step back. ¡°I can feel the bloodlust its emitting from here,¡± Mercer stated as he repulsed. The Wrathful Mohrg lifted its left arm as far back as it could. ¡°Everyone get back!¡± Liam shouted as he felt his Danger Sense start to buzz up and down his whole front end of his body. Everyone turned and started to run to the back of the room as the creature swiped its giant bony hand. It barely missed Artem as he was the last one to get to where the others were. The tip of its fingers almost brushing his back. ¡°How the hell are we supposed to fight it and not get hit?¡± Avery asked as she turned to Liam. ¡°Everyone who has long range attacks or spells use them now,¡± Liam shouted. ¡°It might not be able to hit us from here.¡± Everyone turned to face the creature and started chanting. Mercer readied an arrow and shot it as orbs of fire, rock, arcane, and shadow flew straight at the massive monster. The attacks struck it across the bones and the fleshy organs. Liam could smell the slimy sticky organ singed from Avery¡¯s Fireball spell and felt nauseous. He fought back from throwing up and was about to start chanting again until he felt his Danger sense light up again. The Wrathful Mohrg brought its right hand back, scooped up some bones and then threw it right where they were. ¡°Incoming!¡± Mercer yelled as they scrambled forward, out of the way. After they dodged, they turned to see Skeleton Warriors start to form from the random pile of bones that was thrown at them. ¡°Shit! What now?!¡± Blair questioned. Liam turned around and watched as the Wrathful Mohrg start to bring its right hand back, readying itself for a strike since they were back in its range. ¡°Ah fuck this!¡± Roman shouted as he started to run across the room to the wall. He then shouted in a deep earthen like voice, ¡°Earthen Bovine Rush!¡± As he shouted this, Liam watched Roman start to grow with each step he took. Pieces of stone from the floor started to strip away and run up his body, covering him from head to toe. As he made it to the wall, he turned to his leftt without slowing down. Roman rushed to the other side of the room, continuing to grow and take in more rocks and stones. Liam noticed two things from this. One, Roman was circling the room. The other was the stones and rocks started to make a Minotaur form, growing with each step. He had made it back to the side Liam and the others were on and slammed right into the Undead Creatures that had formed from the pile of bones that was thrown at them. He didn¡¯t slow down as the bones shattered and crumbled to the ground. Liam continued to watch as Roman circled around. He then noticed the change of direction as Roman aimed straight for the Massive Undead EFM. The Wrathful Mohrg must have sensed that Roman was the more dangerous one since it changed the angle of the swipe towards him. The change of direction for the massive bony hand was too late, as Roman rammed his harden Rock form right into the creature, the bits of rocks and stones shattered, ramming right through the organs. The fleshy unprotected organs suddenly exploded, making the Wrathful Mohrg shriek one last time before falling apart and collapsing on the ground. Tutorial 72 - Forgotten History Liam watched as the massive form of the Wrathful Mohrg fell apart. Bones shattering into pieces, parts of the viscera falling onto the ground making a squish sound. He then looked at Roman. He was laying on his back, panting heavily and staring at the ceiling. A notification suddenly appeared, bringing Liam back to his senses.
¡°Wrathful Mohrg has been successfully defeated.¡±
A few chime sounds echoed in his mind bringing up more notifications.
¡°Congratulations! Field of the Shadows has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 2%! +2.5% to all Shadow Magic used.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point - Utility (Shadow) has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Magic - Veil of Shadows has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 2%! Caster¡¯s form is now harder to see. Can cast Veil of Shadows on one other person.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Magic - Grasp of Shadows has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Elements has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point - Gravity has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravity Magic ¨C Gravitational Force Increase has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravity Magic - Gravity Well has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 17%! Spell now costs 10 MP. Area of Effect has increased to 15ft.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills - Daggers has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 9%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Weapons has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point - Utility (Shadow) has unlocked Shadow Step after reaching level 10.¡± ¡°Shadow Step - Allows user to blink to a target¡¯s shadow within 6 feet, leaving a puff of black smoke in the user¡¯s place. Can only blink to a spot the user can visibly see, unless its into a shadowy spot. Costs 50 MP. Cool down ¨C 5 seconds. Self-target spell. Spell type ¨C Instant, non-chant.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the magical ability he received. That¡¯s an interesting ability. I am definitely going to be using that a lot. Liam thought as he dismissed his notifications and looked back at his group. Everyone was making their way over to Roman who was still laying on the ground. ¡°What the hell was that Roman?!¡± Ariyana shouted with a bit of excitement. ¡°That was badass,¡± Artem complimented as he pulled Roman to his feet. Roman¡¯s legs shook as he tried keeping himself up. He took out a Stamina Potion and drank it before answering, ¡°It¡¯s my Zodiac ability. Earthen Bovine Rush.¡± Everyone stared at him waiting for more information. Roman stared at each of them before continuing, ¡°Ah what the hell. Basically, when I activate it I start running around pulling in rocks and stones to my body. With each step I take and each rock or stone I pull towards myself I grow and take the form of a Minotaur. When I ram into my target all the stones and rocks I accumulate explode. Also, I hit pretty hard depending how many steps I take.¡± Everyone¡¯s mouths dropped at his explanation. ¡°It requires a lot of stamina though and leaves me in a tired state after using it. It can come in handy as you saw, but the drawback is while my stamina is so low I¡¯m basically out of the fight after I use it,¡± Roman continued his explanation. ¡°So, is that why you¡¯ve been working on your Stamina Recovery and Stamina Endurance with me in the mornings?¡± Liam asked as he approached him. ¡°Yeah,¡± Roman said. ¡°Once when I get it higher I¡¯ll be able to hit harder than I can right now.¡± Liam shook his head as he stated, ¡°That¡¯s a nice ace in the hole for right now. Now that I know you have that, I¡¯ll coordinated with you when to use it if I think it will be optimal.¡± ¡°You better,¡± Roman grinned widely. ¡°It¡¯s an ability you don¡¯t want to keep on the back burner. It¡¯s probably the most powerful ability here right now.¡± Everyone frowned and rolled their eyes at his proclamation. Roman, not caring, let out a laugh. Mercer and Liam shook their heads. Liam looked at Mercer and asked, ¡°Did you loot the monster yet?¡± ¡°Yes I did,¡± Mercer replied. ¡°Go ahead and harvest it and I¡¯ll show everyone what was dropped.¡± Liam nodded as he walked over the pile of broken bones and ripped up organs. ¡°Harvest,¡± Liam said as he reached out his hand.
¡°You have received 8 Sturdy Bones. Item Type ¨C Weapon and Armor Crafting Material. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average.¡± ¡°8 Sturdy Bones have been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°You have received Mohrg Pancreas. Item Type ¨C Alchemic Ingredient. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average.¡± ¡°Mohrg Pancreas holds a necro toxin that accumulates over time as the juices sit and fester the longer it remains in the body of a Mohrg.¡± ¡°Mohrg Pancreas has been sent to your inventory.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the description of the last item before a grin slowly formed. ¡°My first Necrotic toxin ingredient,¡± Liam muttered as he felt a light surge of excitement start to grow. ¡°I cant wait to use it.¡± He closed his notifications before turning to the others. Mercer saw him approach and announced, ¡°Alright the item that dropped from this monster is this.¡± Mercer pulled out a ring with a skull head where a jewel would be. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Liam assessed it.
¡°Wrathful Mohrg Skull Ring. Item type ¨C Accessory. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. +10 Armor. Effects ¨C When wearer¡¯s health drops to 20% or lower triggers Rage of the Mohrg for 5 minutes. Conditional Effect ¨C if wearer is a Necromancer or similar class, will summon any enemies wearer has kill within the last 5 minutes as Undead creatures.¡± ¡°Rage of the Mohrg - +5% to Power and Agility Sub-stats. +5% to all Magic attacks.¡±
Liam let out a whistle after reading it. He then looked at the others and asked, ¡°So¡­who wants this item?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Avery stated after a moment of silence had passed. Everyone looked at her. ¡°What?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I think it suits you better than some of us. I was thinking either you or Blair.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± Blair inquired with a brow raised. ¡°I think the effect it gives will help boost you with that great axe of yours and I think it would match your helmet,¡± Liam snickered. Blair frowned at him. ¡°Alright, here you go Avery,¡± Mercer said as he handed over the item. ¡°Ok, now is there anything else in this room we need to look for?¡± Liam scanned the room. He started at one side and then slowly turned his head. As his eyes took in every detail he could, he noticed something. ¡°I think there¡¯s a lever on the wall back there,¡± Liam announced as he pointed to the wall behind the raised platform with all the bones. ¡°Huh, there is one,¡± Ariyana commented with a shocked tone. ¡°Was it always there?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Blair said. ¡°I think one for us would have spotted it during the fight.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Liam said as he made his way to it. Once when he was within touching distance he pulled it down. The room shook a little as dust and sand fell from the ceiling and a loud sound of stone grinding on stone echoed from the hallway. ¡°I guess this is how we¡¯ll get the other doors to open,¡± Mercer stated as he turned to face the open door. ¡°Let¡¯s go see what the next room has in store for us.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam¡¯s shadowy form disappeared as he took on his solid state and looked at the others. ¡°Well?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°Did a wave of Undead creatures come out of the next door?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No, nothing is out there from what I could see.¡± ¡°Did you see which door was open?¡± Mercer asked as they entered the main room. Liam nodded as he pointed up and to the left. ¡°The floor above us.¡± As they made it onto the next floor, Liam looked at the hieroglyphic pictures that ran along the wall. It showed humans wearing armor being led by what Liam could guess was a commander of sorts. As he walked down the walkway the pictures showed the commander and his army fighting monsters. The monsters wiped out the commander and the army in another section. As they approached the door, Liam looked at the final section of pictures carved into the wall. It was an army of skeletons brandishing weapons and armor with a weird looking humanoid creature leading them. It wore armor and held a sword longer than the other creatures. Liam felt a shiver run down his spine as he stared at the creature. He then looked at the door and stared at it. ¡°Do you want to use your Veil of Shadows to take a peek inside the hall before we enter?¡± Mercer asked him as he walked up to his side. Liam looked at him and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Liam stated as he summoned the shadows around him, allowing them to blanket him. As he walked cautiously down the hall, he noticed something was off. There weren¡¯t any monsters occupying the hall like the last one. He made it to the end after taking a couple of turns and peeked inside. Liam looked in it and scanned the area. The room was as big as the last one. Against the wall on his left and right were what looked like six foot armored statues holding swords with the tips of the blades dug into the ground. The rest of the vast room was empty besides one creature with its back facing him. This creature stood seven feet tall and was wearing full plate bone armor. Skulls adorned the edge of its shoulders as well as the knees from what he was able to see. It didn¡¯t wear a helmet and had shoulder length pale white hair. As Liam stared at it, something nagged at the back of his mind. Where have I seen you before? Liam thought as he assessed the creature.
¡°Askith Wight Commander. 3500/3500 HP. 300/300 MP.¡±
Askith Wight Commander? Liam thought. His Danger Sense suddenly lit up, making him push his body up against the wall as the Askith Wight Commander suddenly turned its head to look in his direction. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered where he saw this creature at. Askith huh? Eri repeated. Does that mean anything? Liam asked. The Askith were a nation of human warriors. A massive monster wave appeared from a dungeon, right next to its capital, that no one took care of around four hundred years ago. That monster wave killed over seventy percent of its population. Eri explained. If memory serves me right, their empire was lost to time when it was plunged into the earth in the Askith Desert. Askith Desert huh? Liam thought. There was also a rumor that the Pharoh of that time had made a deal with a wandering healer to revive the army and citizens that had fallen. Eri continued. What the Pharoh didn¡¯t know was that the wandering healer was actually a powerful Necromancer. A Necromancer!? Liam replied back to Eri as he waited for a moment for the EFM to turn its gaze back to the wall it was looking at before. After it did so, Liam slinked back into the hall and back towards the others. Yes, a Necromancer. Eri repeated. The Pharoh didn¡¯t realize it until it was too late. After raising the army, its commander, and the citizens, the necromancer forced them to attack the remaining people in the nation. The Necromancer had some plan to use the mass killing to summon something it couldn¡¯t. When we Gods caught wind of it, we wiped the entire capital that was full of Undead. The Necromancer caught wind of us approaching and fled without us noticing. So, this Forgotten Realm has to do with the Askith¡­ What does that mean? Liam asked. There are many Forgotten Realms. So, if you ever come across one there is something like a theme based on the Realm the dungeon is based upon. Eri informed. That doesn¡¯t make any sense though. Liam started. This theme started after the third floor. The first floor was a church, the second was a graveyard, the third was an underground tunnel, the last was the start of this temple, and this one continues inside the temple. How does any of this fit a theme? Remember when I said this dungeon was tampered with? Eri asked. Yeah. Liam stated. Well, you should have just stuck with the graveyard theme. Eri started to explain. However, whoever is tampering with this dungeon was leading you to this Forgotten Realm. The underground floor still fits since this temple had sunk underground. I don¡¯t know why they chose this Realm or even how they were able to do it, but it is not an easy feat to do. Hearing Eri say all this made Liam feel really uneasy. His mind went back to his conversation with Galin and what Steve had said about a key. Liam shook his head. He knew Steve was not powerful enough to be able to pull this off, but he still had a sinking feeling that maybe he had some tie to this. Thank you for telling me all this when you didn¡¯t have to. Liam said sincerely. You have nothing to thank me for. Eri stated. What I just told you was just a history lesson that has probably been forgotten by the people of this time. It¡¯s actually quite fun to find these places and remember what had happened to them. Having someone listen to them is also quite refreshing as well. I haven¡¯t spoken to anyone in a long time so maybe it¡¯s me who is thankful. Liam smiled at her enthusiasm. After learning that this place was a forgotten piece of history, it made Liam feel kind of excited and appreciative of the fact he was able to come here and learn about the place. Liam¡¯s smile faded as he saw the door come into view. He grew a serious face, remembering about the monster they were going to face. Liam reappeared in front of the others, surprising them. ¡°Well? How does it look?¡± Blair asked. Liam ignored her and walked over to the hieroglyphic picture where the Undead Army was. As he was staring at it, Blair looked at Avery and Mercer with a frown. Mercer nodded at her as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam pointed at the armored creature leading the skeletons and stated, ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re about to fight.¡± ¡°What?¡± everyone questioned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Avery asked calmly. ¡°I saw the creature we¡¯re about to face. It¡¯s called an Askith Wight Commander,¡± Liam informed. ¡°Askith Wight Commander?¡± Blair and Mercer repeated. ¡°Yes, apparently this temple belonged to a long forgotten human nation of warriors called the Askith,¡± Liam explained. He then explained the history of the Askith that Eri had told him. As the others listened, their expressions went from excited to learn about a piece of history of their new world to confused. It then turned to horror as Liam finished. ¡°Wow,¡± Ariyana stated, taking it all in. ¡°That¡¯s not a good way to go,¡± Artem said with a grimace. ¡°Where did you learn about this?¡± Mercer asked with a confused look. ¡°There was no mention of an Askith Nation in the history books I read on the second floor of the library. I did hear of the Askith Desert, but there was no mention of a nation there, just small cities that other races occupy.¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± Liam stuttered, trying to think of how to explain. Panicking internally, Liam just blurted out, ¡°Its these hieroglyphic pictures. Each floor has a story that shows history. After getting a name from the EFM we¡¯re about to fight I was able to place it on these pictures. Back on Earth, old forgotten places was found this way. We had people called Archeologists that went around digging for lost history.¡± Mercer, Avery, and Blair eyed Liam. I know they aren¡¯t dumb enough to buy that, but my explanation should be backed enough for now thanks to the hieroglyphs. Liam thought. ¡°Ok,¡± Mercer said before examining the picture in front of him. ¡°So, this is the creature we will be fighting against?¡± Sighing with relief internally, Liam turned to it and nodded. ¡°Were there any other monsters in there?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± Liam said. ¡°Besides the Askith Wight Commander, the only other things in there were several armor statues against the two walls.¡± ¡°Think they will come alive during the fight?¡± Roman asked. ¡°It¡¯s a possibility,¡± Liam said. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan then?¡± Mercer asked. Tutorial 73 - Can monsters be blessed by Gods? Liam turned to look at the others. They waited patiently as he began to think up a possible strategy. After thinking of many possibilities and adding in unknown factors that could happen, he decided on one. ¡°Since we don¡¯t know what to expect when we get in there and what its abilities are,¡± Liam started. ¡°Well start off with Artem tanking it. Blair will cast Gravitational Force Increase to make its movements slow. After you do that then you and Artem will take turns tanking it. Make sure to time and coordinate when you do it.¡± Blair and Artem nodded. ¡°Ariyana and Mercer will cast their buffs,¡± Liam continued. ¡°Avery, Roman and I will attack from afar. Ariyana and Mercer will join in with long ranged attacks until we can get a feel of how this monster¡¯s abilities and attack patterns are. Once when we understand what we¡¯re up against I will adjust accordingly.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Roman said as he cracked his neck. Everyone else nodded their agreement with the plan. ¡°Ok,¡± Mercer said as he turned to Artem. ¡°Our food buffs are almost done, do we have enough to keep up a food buff per EFM and boss?¡± ¡°I made enough for that and maybe three more,¡± Artem nodded as he looked at his inventory. ¡°Good,¡± Mercer stated before looking at Liam. ¡°Pass out another round and then let¡¯s do this.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam and the others slowly approached the door. They stopped a few feet away from it as Liam signaled them to stop. He turned to look at them and asked, ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± They all nodded and readied their weapons. ¡°Alright, on the count of three,¡± Liam started. ¡°One¡­two¡­thre¡­¡± Before Liam could finish, a creepy raspy voice commanded, ¡°I know someone is there. Come out now.¡± Everyone¡¯s blood ran cold as their eyes widened. They hadn¡¯t come across a monster that was able to talk before. Adding the sound of his voice and the ominous aura escaping out the door, this made them reluctant to move forward. The group turned to Liam who looked back at them. Ariyana mouthed the words, What do we do? ¡°I will not ask again,¡± the voice ordered. ¡°Come out now!¡± Liam gulped and nodded them to proceed. He must be able to talk because he is an intelligent type monster. Liam thought as they slowly entered the room. He is a lot more dangerous than I thought he would be. Eri started with worry in her tone. Be on guard. This fight is going to be one of your toughest yet. Liam felt goosebump start to rise as he listened to Eri¡¯s warning. For the amount of time he had spent talking with her, she had never shown this kind of worry. Artem and Blair walked in slowly and cautiously first. Avery and Roman walked along the outside behind the two defenders with Liam in the middle. Ariyana and Mercer took the rear and stopped closer to the door, in case they needed to retreat. Each clenched their weapons tightly, ready to start fighting. The Askith Wight Commander stared at them with a curious look. His face had pale white skin and piercing light blue eyes. He held a long sword with the tip of the blade resting against the floor. After a minute of silence, the EFM started, ¡°Who are you? What nation do you belong to?¡± Liam looked at Mercer and nodded. He knew Mercer would be the better choice when it came to talking due to his Gift of Gab Focus Point from the Field of the Bard. ¡°We do not belong to any nation. We are just travelers who had stumbled upon this place by accident,¡± Mercer started. ¡°Can you tell us who you are and what this place is?¡± The Askith Wight Commander stared at him. After a moment he replied back, ¡°This temple is the Askith Temple of Cratus. God of Challenges, Power, and Strength. Tell me travelers, who do you worship?¡± Mercer paused to think over his words. After deciding on how to respond, Mercer answered, ¡°We do not worship any god at the moment. We are new to these lands and are still learning the ways.¡± The Askith Wight Commander frowned at Mercer¡¯s reply. He looked around the group then looked up to the ceiling. ¡°You are lying,¡± the Askith Wight Commander stated with a scowl. Liam felt a shiver run down his spine as he mentally said, Eri¡­ ¡°I assure you I am not lying,¡± Mercer said with a confused look. ¡°You are,¡± the Askith Wight Commander snarled back. Eri¡­Liam repeated when she didn¡¯t reply. Is he sensing you even though I am not your champion? He¡¯s sensing our connection. I¡¯m not sure how he¡¯s doing that. It should be impossible, unless¡­ Eri finally replied. Unless what? Liam asked her. Unless he has a blessing from a God. Eri stated. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he took in her words. He looked at the monster and asked Eri, Can monsters be blessed by the gods? You view him as a monster which is half right. Eri started. You forget, he was once human and has intelligence. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Since he still has a human side to him due to being Undead he can still receive a blessing? Liam asked. Yes. Eri answered. ¡°This keeps getting more complicated the more we dive in,¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself. Liam then said with as even of a tone as he could, ¡°None of us worship nor have a blessing from any gods. That is the truth.¡± Liam paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°However, I must ask. Do you still worship Cratus even after the fall of your nation?¡± The Askith Wight Commander focused his attention on Liam. His snarl slowly turned into a predatory grin. ¡°You are quite perceptive. No, we denounced our blessing from that failure of a god and received a much better one from a more powerful deity.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Which god do you serve?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will never know,¡± The Askith Wight Commander stated before hefting his blade up, pointing it into the air and commanded with a booming voice, ¡°Elite Soldiers, come forth! Intruders have arrived in our sacred temple!¡± Two statues from the left and right side suddenly vibrated and came to life. They pulled their swords up from the ground and took a step forward. Liam assessed the new creatures.
¡°Elite Skeleton Soldiers. 1000/1000 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the plan Liam,¡± Artem called out. ¡°Artem, if that EFM steps forward he is your priority,¡± Liam started. ¡°Everyone else focus on the two to the left.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± everyone shouted. Liam turned to the two on the right and started to chant, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± A purplish orb grew to the size of a basketball on the tip of his Shadow Blade dagger. He then flicked it in front of the two monsters and watched them get sucked to it. Liam had learned that once his spells reached level ten, the chant was shortened to make the spell activate faster. Liam didn¡¯t wait and started chanting again, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Without waiting to see the spell land, Liam turned to see the Askith Wight Commander swing his long sword at Artem. Artem parried it with his shield, making the Askith Wight Commander lose balance as his sword bounced back. Artem took this opportunity and swung his mace at the EFM, hitting the shoulder of the creature¡¯s armor. Artem¡¯s eyes widened as he brought his mace back and his shield in front of him. As he blocked two swings of the EFM¡¯s strikes, he shouted out, ¡°My attacks do almost no damage against him. Blunt attacks are going to be useless.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Liam replied back as he watched the others take on the two Elite Skeleton Soldiers. They looked to be struggling as Avery and Roman dodged their attacks and ran back to strike a couple of times before moving out of the way again. Liam thought over what they could do. That armor the Askith Wight Commander was wearing was probably made out of bone materials so certain attacks would hardly do anything, making it much tougher to bring its health down quickly. He watched Avery as she ran in and attacked the Elite Skeleton Soldier. Her rapier attacked certain points with precision and was doing more damage than Roman¡¯s punches. After thinking it over Liam shouted, ¡°Avery! Once when you finish off that monster go and help Artem out. See if you can find any weak points.¡± Avery spun around the monster she was facing, jumped up and drove her rapier right into the collar bone of the monster, giving it the final blow. She turned to face Liam and nodded before running towards the Askith Wight Commander. Liam ran over to Mercer who had finished playing one of his buff songs and said as quietly as he could, ¡°If you see an opening, fire an arrow at the Askith Wight Commander. Don¡¯t make it obvious what you¡¯re doing. I¡¯m sure if you do he¡¯ll see it coming and dodge it.¡± Mercer nodded as he swapped his violin for his bow. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s finish this last one and then take down the other two so we can help Artem and Avery. ¡°Yeah!¡± the others roared as they focused the last Elite Skeleton Warrior on this side. Liam watched and analyzed the creature as they attacked it. He noticed their attacks were slowly bring the creatures health down. Not as fast as it would with the other creatures they had previously fought. Why does it take more effort to kill these things than the others? Liam questioned himself as he stared at the creature. Is it because of their armor? Their armor has resistance to bludgeoning and piercing attacks. Eri chimed in. I¡¯m not sure what else it has resistance to, but from watching you guys attack it, it has become apparent. ¡°Ok, if that¡¯s the case then let¡¯s try some magic,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he lifted his Shadow Blade dagger and chanted, ¡°Shadows coalescing all around. Head my call and come forth.¡± The shadows around Liam quivered and raced up his leg towards the blade. ¡°Manifest physically into a circular form of destruction.¡± A raven black orb started to form on the tip of the blade. ¡°Release from the forms you¡¯re attached to and shoot forward. Shadow Orb!¡± ¡°Front line, move out of the way!¡± Liam called out as the raven black orb shot out towards the creature. Blair and Roman jumped back just as the Shadow Orb slammed against the monster. Liam watched as its health plummeted to half. ¡°Magic attacks work better than physical attacks,¡± Liam informed. ¡°Blair, for now you¡¯ll physically attack so you can keep its attention on you.¡± Roman jumped back a couple of times and readied a spell. As soon as he, Ariyana and Mercer finished chanting, they released their spells. After the spells collided, the Elite Skelton Soldier crumpled. Its armor clanking on the ground. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s see how you guys are doi¡­,¡± Liam started to say as he turned to reassess the Askith Wight Commander, but was shocked to see that its health was almost back to full. Not only did the EFM¡¯s health barely dropped, Artem¡¯s health had dropped to less than half. ¡°Blair, switch with Artem!¡± Liam ordered. ¡°On it!¡± Blair yelled. Artem, hearing Liam¡¯s words, jumped back as the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s long sword swung down diagonally. Blair swung her Great Axe from the opposite direction as she approach to make the weapon violently get hit back, bringing the weapon back over the EFM¡¯s head. ¡°Artem, heal back up and tank those Elite Skeleton Soldiers,¡± Liam ordered. He then looked at Avery¡¯s direction and called out, ¡°Avery, back to me.¡± Avery jumped in and swiftly struck between the armor under the creature¡¯s armpit, then jumped back to dodge a swing of the creature¡¯s sword. She then made it back to Liam and asked while panting, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liam watched as she pulled out a Stamina Potion and drank it. ¡°Any weaknesses you could see?¡± Liam asked. After finishing the potion, she placed it back in her inventory and answered, ¡°His defenses are solid. Not many holes that we can exploit besides his head. I can get between gaps in his armor, but I can only get in one or two hits before having to get out.¡± Liam nodded as he listened to her, keeping his eyes on the EFM. ¡°There is something strange though,¡± Avery started back up. ¡°Oh?¡± Liam asked with curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It feels like no matter how much damage we do to it, he somehow regains his health back,¡± Avery replied. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed that too?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°It feels like our attacks aren¡¯t doing much either,¡± Avery added. ¡°His armor has a resistance to blunt and piercing attacks,¡± Liam stated. Avery looked at him with a frown. She then looked at the ground and said, ¡°That makes sense since Artem¡¯s and my attacks weren¡¯t doing much when we hit his armor.¡± She looked back at Liam and asked, ¡°So then how do we fight back?¡± ¡°If blunt and piercing don¡¯t work, then magic is where we¡¯ll go,¡± Liam stated. ¡°If we need to maybe I can douse him with some oil and you can cook him alive with a fire spell?¡± Avery gave a slight chuckle at the idea. ¡°Let me know if it comes down to that.¡± Liam smiled as he replied, ¡°Will do. For now, help the others take down the other two Elite Skeleton Soldiers. They are weak to magic so use any spells you want.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Avery said before running over to join the others. Liam looked at the Askith Wight Commander. He lifted his Shadow blade and started chanting, ¡°Shadows coalescing all around. Head my call and come forth. Manifest physically into a circular form of destruction. Release from the forms you¡¯re attached to and shoot forward, Shadow Orb!¡± After the raven black orb fully manifested, it shot out and rushed towards the EFM. Blair, listening to Liam¡¯s chanting, readied herself. As soon as he finished the chant, she kicked the Askith Wight Commander back while over swinging her Great Axe over her head. She used the momentum to pull herself into a backflip, going along with her weapon so she could get out of the way of Liam¡¯s spell. As the Askith Wight Commander balanced himself back, he took a step forward only to get hit in the chest with The Shadow Orb.
¡°Shadow Orb has successfully hit Askith Wight Commander for 45 damage.¡±
¡°Okay good. Your armor isn¡¯t resistant to Shadow magic,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°You¡¯re not impossible to kill, just tough. Now let¡¯s have the real fight start now.¡± Tutorial 74 - Shifting the Scales After taking the hit from the Shadow Orb, The Askith Wight Commander glared at Liam. He grunted as he charged at him. He took four steps and was suddenly slammed backwards as Blair¡¯s great axe swung into his chest. The Askith Wight Commander slid back from the sheer force of Blair¡¯s powerful swing. He glared at Liam once again and shouted, ¡°You are a failure of a commander! Hiding behind your soldiers issuing orders and attacking only when it¡¯s convenient for you!¡± Confused by his words, Liam said, ¡°I¡¯m no commander dude. I¡¯m the Strategist, the Control Tower, if you need a proper name, of this group. I do not command and rule over my companions.¡± ¡°Such words mean nothing,¡± the Askith Wight Commander stated. ¡°If you shout orders and commands, you are a commander! Fight me one on one!¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam bluntly stated. Taken aback by Liam¡¯s blunt refusal, the Askith Wight Commander questioned, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why should I fight you one on one? This isn¡¯t a duel. Why should I risk it all just to entertain you?¡± Liam replied. The Askith Wight Commander frowned as he shook his head, ¡°Excuses.¡± ¡°Excuse you?¡± Liam questioned. Why does he want to fight me one on one? Does he think I¡¯m weak? Liam thought. He couldn¡¯t understand how the situation got here. The more this EFM talked to him the more he frustrated him. ¡°You are making excuses. You¡¯re hiding something,¡± The Askith Wight Commander started. ¡°I can feel it. There¡¯s a monster residing inside you. Why are you holding it back? Do you have no honor? Are you a coward?¡± Liam stared at him as the others looked from the EFM to Liam, confused about what was going on. You¡¯re a monster. A voice coldly whispered. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as a memory flashed before his eyes. A young woman stared viciously at him as tears ran down her face. She was kneeling next to a figure that was laying in a puddle. Rain poured down over them, drenching their bodies to the bone. Behind the woman was a group of people staring at him with distrust and hatred. The rain was coming down so hard that he wasn¡¯t able to hear what everyone was saying. However, the woman¡¯s words were clear to him. You were supposed to lead us, but instead you took it upon yourself to leave behind those who couldn¡¯t respond the way you commanded them to. The woman coldly growled. Take a good look at what happened to the ones you left behind. Liam looked through the mask he wore at where the lady was pointing. Bodies laid scattered across the street, unmoving. Small puddles dyed with a scarlet hue swam out from the open wounds. Some of us are dead because of your clouded rage. A monster like you is unfit to command anyone. You are just as bad as¡­ The woman shook her head and corrected, No, you are worse than the ones we are fighting against. Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he felt something start to stir within him. Faint whispers tickled his ears as his body tensed. With a calm even tone, Liam stated quietly, ¡°Honor has nothing to do with this.¡± The Askith Wight Commander listened to Liam¡¯s words. Even though his words sounded calm, the EFM could feel they were laced with something else. He couldn¡¯t place what it was he was picking up on, but it made his body shuddered. Since he became an Undead, he never had to worry about things like feeling hot, cold, or certain emotions. Because of this, he was confused as to why his body shuddered. He stared at the man who was now glaring at him. Liam¡¯s group stared at him with a cautious expression. ¡°I may guide my team through fights, but that is all I am doing,¡± Liam started up again. ¡°Holding back? I am trying to survive in this new world I was taken to without losing myself to this new power I have obtained.¡± Liam let out a short chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing though.¡± In a low whisper, Liam added, ¡°I am not a commander, nor will I ever be one again.¡± Mercer watched the exchange between Liam and the Askith Wight Commander. He knew Liam was hiding something, but listening in on this conversation made him believe there was a lot more that Liam was keeping to himself. Looking at his friend and seeing the war of emotions that were fighting behind the mask he currently wore, Mercer decided that he would one day ask him what his past was like, but only when he was ready to tell him. Liam took a step forward. ¡°I am many things, but a coward is not one of them,¡± he said as he pulled out his daggers. ¡°Liam, don¡¯t let him provoke you. We can do this as a te¡­,¡± Ariyana started to say until he looked at her. His facial expression didn¡¯t show anything frightening. To her, he looked calm. However, the pressure he exuded gave her a chill that ran down her spine. Liam, turning his gaze back on the EFM, walked up to Mercer, and whispered as quietly as he could without revealing what kind of emotions he had, ¡°Watch him closely and see if you can spot any unique abilities we have missed. Have the others do it too.¡± Mercer, stared at him for a brief moment, then turned his attention back to the Askith Wight Commander. He didn¡¯t say anything, he only nodded. Liam looked the creature up and down. After a few seconds had passed he stated, ¡°Fine, you want a one on one. I¡¯ll entertain you.¡± Without warning, Liam sprinted straight at the Askith Wight Commander. Coming out of his stupor, the Askith Wight Commander brought up his long sword to block Liam¡¯s daggers, that were aimed at his head. As Liam¡¯s feet landed on the ground, he swung his body around, driving his daggers into the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s right side. The Askith Wight Commander pulled his blade to deflect the daggers, making Liam¡¯s weapons bounce off his weapon. Liam used the momentum to swing his body around to the creature¡¯s left side. He snaked his left arm under the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s left armpit and hooked his dagger over his shoulder into the eye socket of the skull on the shoulder armor piece. Liam placed his left foot on the EFM¡¯s shin and swung his body around, driving his dagger in his right hand right into the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s nape of the neck. The Askith Wight Commander swung his sword around with his left hand to hit Liam, but only felt his own weapon hit his armor as Liam pushed off the monster and landed a bit aways from him. Frustrated the Askith Wight Commander turned around to face Liam. He then heard Liam start to chant something. Not wanting him to complete it, he charged at him. ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you. Bind my target, stopping their movement. Snake out and grasp with the tendrils you possess. Remind those in the light why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Liam¡¯s group watched as the shadows behind the Askith Wight Commander start to shiver as the monster ran towards Liam. He brought his sword up and was about to strike until tendrils shot out from his shadow, wrapping around his forehead, legs, arms, and stomach. The tendrils wrapping around him stopped him right in front of Liam, unable to move. Liam took this opportunity to strike at the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s neck. Feeling the frustration of being held back and being attacked, the Askith Wight Commander let out a raged filled roar. He moved back and pushed forward as hard as he could, ripping one of the tendrils off of his right arm. He violently shrugged his left shoulder hard enough to rip the tendril holding it back as well. Having both of his arms free, the EFM swung at Liam, who jumped back far enough to dodge it. Watching the Askith Wight Commander start to free his legs, Liam pointed his Shadow Blade dagger once more and chanted, ¡°Shadows so dark come forth, pierce through this pour creature¡¯s sight, temporary blinding it with a pain it never knew existed, Blanket of Darkness!¡± Before the Askith Wight Commander could rip the last tendril that was tightly gripping his forehead, the tendril snapped itself free from his shadow and wrapped around his eyes, making him see nothing but darkness. As it wrapped around his head, covering his eyes, parts of the shadows forced open its eyes and ran its smooth texture over them, causing his eyes to sting. The Askith Wight Commander dropped his long sword and tried clawing at the shadow wrapped around its eyes. His hands failed as they swiped through the shadowy substance. More frustration built up as his attempts to free himself from the shadows blinding him, failed. Liam didn¡¯t wait long before bringing up his Moon Blade dagger and started chanting again, ¡°O Moon, majestic and beautiful. I call upon thee to show how painful you can be. Bestow this orb with your radiance and allow it to fly true. Lunar Orb!¡± Mercer and the others watched as a pitch black orb started to form on the edge of Liam¡¯s dagger. Their eyes widened as they shined a pale light shine down on Liam. Ariyana gasped as the pale light started being sucked into the orb. To her it looked like a majestic light swallowing up the darkness. The more she watched the more she was in awe. Once when the last of the pale white light entered the orb, replacing the darkness it once housed, the orb shot out to the Askith Wight Commander. As soon as the orb slammed against the EFM, the orb exploded. The majestic pale light ran up the monster¡¯s chest, ripping the shadowy substance covering its face off. The darkness that blinded him was suddenly replaced with a majestic pale light. The Askith Wight Commander let out a painful wail as he felt a powerful amount of damage wrack his body. A notification suddenly appeared in front of Liam, catching his attention.
¡°Lunar Orb has successfully hit Askith Wight Commander for 50 damage.¡± ¡°Alert! Due to Askith Wight Commander having lingering Shadow magic on it an additional 50 damage has been dealt.¡± ¡°Alert! Due to Askith Wight Commander¡¯s weakness to Lunar Magic, Lunar Orb has Crit for an additional 150 damage.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the new discovery. ¡°Liam! Look out!¡± Avery shouted, bringing Liam¡¯s attention back to the fight. Liam saw the EFM charging at him without his weapon. He tried to jump to the left to dodge, however, due to Liam¡¯s mistake, the Askith Wight Commander had already grasped his neck. The Askith Wight Commander, gripped as tight as he could, bringing Liam¡¯s body up into the air not letting Liam have any foot holding. As Liam struggled to break free, he felt something strange start to happen. He felt his stamina and health start to drain from him. ¡°You are very resourceful, I have to give you that,¡± the Askith Wight Commander stated, panting hard. ¡°However, you made a mistake allowing me to get close to you. I don¡¯t know if its arrogance or the like, but your foolish mistake will now end your life.¡± As Liam fought as hard as he could to break free from his grip, a notification popped up, making his blood run cold.
¡°Askith Wight Commander has used Life Drain on you. 15 Health and Stamina will be drained every 5 seconds.¡±
Liam¡¯s mind raced as he tried to figure out what he could do to not only stop the Life Drain from continuing, but to also break free. As the seconds ticked by, the whispers that were tickling his ears started to grow while he felt his body start to grow heavier. I need to do something. Liam thought as panic started to cloud his mind. If I don¡¯t do anything I will die! As his body started to slowly stop fighting back and the whispers working their way to cloud his mind created more panic. A sudden thought popped into his mind. It was something the Askith Wight Commander said. You are very resourceful, I have to give you that. Resourceful, resourceful. That¡¯s it! Liam thought as a plan brewed inside his mind. He moved his hand to the Leg Harness Potion Holster strapped to his leg. He opened the pocket that had random vials inside it, pulled one filled with a murky tanned liquid, and tossed it at the monster¡¯s face with the little strength he had left. Not bothering to dodge it, the vial broke over the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s face, allowing the contents to run down it and into his armor. With a nonplus expression, the Askith Wight Commander asked, ¡°What foolish last ditch effort did you think would work? Give in and accept your dea¡­¡± The EFM rant stopped as he heard Liam hoarsely chant the last bit of a spell, ¡°Will help in my endeavor. Light and burn!¡± The Askith Wight Commander¡¯s eyes widened as Liam shakily raised his hand, palm up. A flame suddenly appeared on it and shot towards his face, catching him on fire. The flame rushed around his face and ran down into his armor, burning every place the liquid had touched. As this happened, the Askith Wight Commander released his grip on Liam and took a few steps back, swatting at his face and chest trying to put the flame out. Liam fell onto his stomach on the ground. He looked around for something and smiled. Even though his body felt fatigued from having his stamina drained, he grabbed his Moon Blade dagger that he dropped when the monster had grabbed him and started chanting, ¡°O Moon, majestic and beautiful. I call upon thee to show how painful you can be. Bestow this orb with your radiance and allow it to fly true. Lunar Orb!¡± After the orb was full of the pale light, it shot out and exploded against the Askith Wight Commander. Liam waited a couple of seconds and chanted the same spell again. He did this two more times, slamming the lunar orbs at the creature as it screamed from the flames cooking him from inside. Even though the lingering shadow magic had already dissipated, the creature¡¯s weakness to Lunar magic still helped rack on the damage along with the flames burning. Before Liam could chant out another Lunar Orb spell, the Askith Wight Commander suddenly stopped trying to put out the now slowly receding flames and let out a loud mighty war cry, extinguishing the flames and causing the last four Elite Skeleton Soldiers, that stood off against the walls, to come alive. ¡°You lowly, despicable worm!¡± the Askith Wight Commander shouted. ¡°How dare you try and cook me alive!¡± Liam stared at him with wide eyes as he took in the creature¡¯s new look. Blood shot eyes full of rage and hatred stared at Liam. Half of his hair and face was full of bubbling puss from the burn marks he received. His armor, blackened in some parts, started to form cracks. He grabbed his long sword and started to charge at Liam. Liam tried to roll out of the way, but felt his body tense and failed. All he could do was watch as the enraged Askith Wight Commander charge head on at him. The EFM was quick to reach the area Liam was at. Liam watched as the monster brought his sword up over his head and prepared to bring it down hard. However, before he could swing down, Blair appeared in front of Liam, swinging her great axe hard into the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s stomach. The force of her weapon colliding into his abdomen caused the monster to fly backwards. As the Askith Wight Commander slid backwards, he stared at the person who had dared get in his way. As he looked at Blair, he noticed Avery and Roman picking Liam up and carrying him to the back. He gave his full attention back to the scaled woman wearing a Skull for a helmet in front of him. ¡°How dare you get in the way of my one on one you undisciplined dragonkin!¡± The Askith Wight Commander roared. Blair¡¯s eyes narrowed, frustration built up inside her. She let out a lough breath of air she was holding and said with an icy undertone in her voice, ¡°That¡¯s funny coming from the monster who decided to pull in his flunkies when he was losing that one on one.¡± The Askith Wight Commander glared at her. Before he could counter what she said, the parts of her body that were regular human flesh was suddenly covered in scales. ¡°You looked down on the man who took your duel seriously then brought in others when you were losing,¡± Blair continued. ¡°Even when he was losing he did not once call us in to help him. Instead, he struggled to the point where he couldn¡¯t get up and still faced you head on.¡± The Askith Wight Commander felt irritation and frustration build inside him with every word. ¡°You called him a lowly despicable worm and yet he still fought you without any help,¡± Blair stated. ¡°I have nothing but respect for the man that did that even knowing he was a bad match up for you.¡± The EFM looked around and saw the last four of his Elite Skeleton Soldiers finally take a step away from the wall. ¡°Those are just some of the things that have ticked me off, however,¡± Blair said as her anger started to roll off her tongue. ¡°There is one thing I will not forgive you. I don¡¯t know what it was, but you made him remember something unpleasant. Something so unpleasant that his free spirited nature shifted enough that we were able to feel it.¡± Confused by what she was going on about, he questioned, ¡°What does his nature have to do with anything?¡± A fire lit up in Blaire¡¯s eyes as she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know him well enough yet, but even I could tell the hurt that nature brings him. It was a nature he doesn¡¯t want to bring back out. As someone who respects him¡­¡± Blair swung her Great axe around as she finished, ¡°I will make sure he never has to do that again. I will show you what the cost of you doing that is.¡± The Askith Wight Commander stared at her and felt a cold chill run down his spine as he watched the fire blaze hotter. This was the second time his body did something it had never done before. As she finished saying that she slammed her Great Axe down, brought her arms in and crossed them over her chest and said with a calm, yet powerful command, ¡°Shifting the Scales.¡± Tutorial 75 - Finish him As Liam was watching Blair knock back the Askith Wight Commander, he felt two pairs of hands suddenly grip his arms around the shoulders and pick him up. He shifted his head to the left and right to see Avery and Roman helping him move to the back where Mercer and Ariyana were. Artem rushed over, placed his shield in front of him, and back step making sure the monsters from both sides didn¡¯t rush them. As the they approached Mercer and Ariyana, Mercer eyed Liam. After a moment had passed, Mercer asked, ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Like shit, that Life Drain is no joke,¡± Liam laughed but then coughed during the middle of it. ¡°Life Drain?!¡± the others repeated. ¡°Yeah.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t only drain your health, but your stamina as well,¡± Liam informed. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Ariyana gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. ¡°How¡¯s your health looking?¡± Artem asked. Liam looked at the corner of his eye to see his health bar had dropped to less than twenty percent. ¡°I could use a refreshing breeze if anyone¡¯s got one,¡± Liam commented. Mercer looked Liam over once more, looking for any sign of that strange behavior he exhibited earlier. His horrible jokes were a good sign that he was back to the same version of himself he had shown them, but he was still able to see something he couldn¡¯t pinpoint. ¡°Artem, can you use your healing aura on him?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Yeah I can,¡± Artem was saying until Liam chimed in. ¡°Don¡¯t use it on me,¡± Liam protested as he pulled out a Stamina Potion and drank it. After finishing off the potion he added, ¡°I can heal back up with a couple of potions. Save your heals in case an emergency happens.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Artem asked, unsure what to do. Liam straightened his posture as he felt the Stamina Potion start to ease the soreness and take the fatigue away. Liam then nodded and said, ¡°Like I said his Life Drain is no joke. In case any of us get caught in that, they will need that heal to keep they alive while we try and break them free.¡± Everyone turned to look at him and gave him a confused look. ¡°You mean keep us from going unconscious right?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°We can¡¯t die in this dungeon since it¡¯s a Tutorial one remember,¡± Ariyana corrected. Mercer and Avery eyed Liam who looked at them with an even expression. Without giving anything away with his face, he said, ¡°It feels like death when you get that close. You don¡¯t want to experience that.¡± Before anyone could say anything they heard Blair state in a cold and icy voice, ¡°Shifting the Scales.¡± They turned to see her standing next to her Great Axe, covered in scales and crossing her arms. A giant translucent silver balance scale suddenly formed above her head. As the scale fully formed, the pans moved a bit causing a ripple in the air to wave out. This ripple made all the Elite Skeleton Soldiers and the Askith Wight Commander turn their attention upon her. Liam and the others watched as the monsters¡¯ bodies shook as they turned to face her and charge at her. ¡°Is that a taunt ability?¡± Artem asked with wide eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that before.¡± ¡°It is and it isn¡¯t,¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m glad I told you to hold off on that heal.¡± Everyone turned to look at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Avery asked, curious to know what was going on. ¡°It¡¯s her Zodiac ability,¡± Liam replied. ¡°She had informed me about what it is and what it does yesterday. She¡¯s about to take on a lot of damage though.¡± As Liam said this, the Elite Skeleton Soldiers and the Askith Wight Commander arrived in striking distance and started swinging their weapons down on her. Gasping, Ariyana shouted, ¡°We need to do something.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll start healing her now then¡­,¡± Mercer stated as he brought out his violin. Artem lifted his mace and was about to release his healing aura, but was stopped as Liam instructed, ¡°Hold off on that.¡± Everyone turned to look at him with a look of bewilderment on their faces. ¡°What do you mean, hold off on that?¡± Avery questioned, frustration building up inside her. Liam pointed to the scale above Blair¡¯s head. Everyone turned their gazes on it and saw one of the pans start to fill with small and medium sized lead weights. ¡°Every time she gets hit the scale will start to fill,¡± Liam explained. ¡°That pan being filled represents the damage she is taking. Once when the time limit is over all the damage she has taken will be sent back to all the enemies that have attacked her, with interest.¡± Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped at what he had told them. ¡°However, if you heal her, the other scale will start to fill, counteracting the damage she is accumulating,¡± Liam added. ¡°So, wait until it has finished and then heal her. Do not, I repeat do not take away the chance she is giving us.¡± Artem gulped as he turned his eyes back on Blair, who was starting to bleed through certain spots of her scales. He was in awe at her determination. He always respected Blair. She was determined, head strong, and willing to take any kind of hit for anyone in the team. He, however, only made split decisions when it mattered. He wasn¡¯t one who would run head long at any given time. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be able to. If I had an ability like that, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d use it. Artem thought. As he thought this, he felt his hands tighten on his mace and his teeth clench. I need to change. Artem thought as he started to feel frustrated. These guys are willing to protect not only themselves, but each other without thinking about it. How can I worry about getting hurt when they are not hesitating to get hurt if it means protecting others. He continued to watch as Blair stood firm and unwavering. Every hit that struck her scaled body was hard enough that it would knock anyone down, but she still held her ground. Liam watched her health bar plummet with each hit she took. He remembered how much time she said the ability lasts for. Since he didn¡¯t notice her activate it until some time after, he wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been. However, the number of seconds it did last, made it feel like an eternity to him. Hold out, Blair. I know you can outlast the damage being done to you. Liam thought as he continued to watch. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Shortly after thinking that, he noticed the scale start to tremble. ¡°Artem, Mercer! Get ready to heal her!¡± Liam shouted. Artem and Mercer snapped out of their thoughts and readied themselves. ¡°Avery and Roman, if she needs to be moved away then make sure he gets away safely. Artem will join you in protecting her as he releases his Healing Aura.¡± Artem, Avery, and Roman nodded. ¡°Ariyana, if any of them try and charge at them, use your binding spell to hold them in place,¡± Liam stated as he looked at her. ¡°Got it!¡± Ariyana replied. Liam turned back and continued to keep an eye on the scale. After three seconds had passed, the shaking pan filled with lead weights dropped down onto Blair. As they collided onto her, Blair tensed her body, threw out her arms and roared loudly. All the damage that had built up into those weights was sudden shot right into the Elite Skeleton Soldiers, and the Askith Wight Commander. As if the damage that was sent back to them was too much, all the Elite Skeleton Soldiers suddenly exploded, along with the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s cracked armor. The force of the armor exploding sent the EFM flying backwards, blood gushing out through the many cuts he was sporting. Blair dropped to a knee, her head barely looking up at the last monster who was getting back to his feet. Blood ran down her face, arms, and torso as some of the scales she was covered with disappeared. ¡°Heals out!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Artem, Avery, Roman! Take her out now! Ariyana, get that bind out now!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ariyana said with a bit of confusion. However, after a moment had passed she noticed the Askith Wight Commander glaring menacingly with his teeth baring at Blair. Without wasting another moment, she started to chant her Entangling Roots spell. Mercer started playing his Health Pulse Song. A sound wave echoed out, sending a healing melody to Blaire as Avery and Roman reached her. Artem stood in front of them and started chanting as he readied his shield for the charge the EFM in front of him was starting to make. ¡°O¡¯ Heart beating inside me, I beseech you to pulse loud. Release the healing sensation. Wash over and refresh their spirits again. Refreshing Aura!¡± Artem chanted. Artem¡¯s Refreshing Aura ability had a change at level ten that made it a lot more helpful. Instead of making him stay in place, he could now move around while the ability was being used. The only downside was he couldn¡¯t move fast while having it activated. That downside, however, didn¡¯t matter since he was slowly moving with the three he was protecting. He watched as the Askith Wight Commander roared with rage as he started to pick up speed. Artem braced for impact, but then relaxed as Ariyana finished her chant and roots suddenly shot up, wrapping around his arms, legs, and torso. Frustrated from having his movements restricted, the Askith Wight Commander yelled out, ¡°How dare you filthy worms get in my way! First that despicable dragonkin, now a cunning Nature Fae Temptress?! Each and every one of you are nothing but scum! Lowly beings not worth living! I will kill each and every one of you in the name of the Askith Nation?!¡± After he said the words, pitch black tendrils shot out from his shadow, over lapping the roots that were already wrapped around him. One extra tendril wrapped around his mouth, replacing his words with the sounds of muffled noises. ¡°I think that¡¯s quite enough out of you,¡± Liam stated with a calm tone as he took a step forward. The tone of his voice was so calm it made everyone tense. Everyone watched as Liam walked out and placed himself between them and the Askith Wight Commander. ¡°I think we¡¯ve had enough of that filthy mouth of yours,¡± Liam continued as he raised his Moon Blade dagger and pointed it in his direction. ¡°Mercer, I forgot to tell you about a discovery I made the other day.¡± Mercer, staring at him as he continued to play his Health Pulse song, listened as Liam continued, ¡°I found out that some magics can trigger something called Special Effects.¡± Hearing this caused Mercer to suddenly stop playing. Eager to learn more, he waited as Liam added, ¡°To have Special effects trigger, you have to meet certain conditions. First condition for this particular Special effect is the target¡¯s health needs to be at or under ten percent. The second condition is the target needs to be hit with Shadow magic or have any lingering shadow magic still on them.¡± The Askith Wight Commander¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he realized what Liam was saying. Liam looked at Blair, who was standing up and staring at him. ¡°Great job on getting his health to nine percent. You don¡¯t mind if I finish this do you?¡± Blair shook her head. With a cold and precise tone of voice she stated, ¡°Finish this asshole.¡± Liam turned back at the creature and started chanting, ¡°O Moon, majestic and beautiful. I call upon thee to show how painful you can be. Bestow this orb with your radiance and allow it to fly true. Lunar Orb!¡± Everyone watched as the pale white orb shot out from Liam¡¯s dagger and slammed into the Askith Wight Commander¡¯s bare chest. As the orb exploded, a pale white light suddenly engulfed the entirety of the Askith Wight Commander. Liam and the others watched as the shadow of the EFM brought back its head and let out one last long painful scream before disintegrating before them. As the pale white light disappeared, chime sounds echoed in Liam¡¯s mind, bringing with them a slew of notifications.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Askith Wight Commander!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-stat Body Endurance has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Strength Sub-stat Body Strength has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck Sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 12%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Recovery Sub-stat HP Recovery has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Recovery Sub-stat Stamina Recovery has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Will Sub-stat Will Power has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravity Well has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Lunar has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point: Lunar Control has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Lunar Orb has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! +2.5% damage increase. Can now summon two Lunar Orbs at a time. MP cost lowers to 5 MP.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Focus Point: Lunar Control magic ability ¨C Lunar Swarm.¡± ¡°Lunar Swarm ¨C Creates 5 Lunar Orbs that releases a swarm of Lunar energy that shoots to a single or multiple Targets. Costs 20 MP. Single or multiple target spell. Spell type: Chant.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Shadow Control has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Orb has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%! +2.5% damage increase. Can now summon two Shadow Orbs at a time. MP cost lowers to 5 MP.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Focus Point: Shadow Control magic ability - Shadow Swarm!¡± ¡°Shadow Swarm ¨C Creates 5 Shadow Orbs that releases a swarm of Lunar energy that shoots to a single or multiple targets. Costs 20 MP. Single or multiple target spell. Spell type: Chant.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Grasp of Shadows has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Single target spell turns into a 15ft radius Area of Effect spell. Mana cost lowers to 10 MP.¡± ¡°You have received Bone Gauntlets of the Askith Wight Commander.¡± ¡°Bone Gauntlets of the Askith Wight Commander has been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°You have received Bone Breastplate of the Askith Wight Commander.¡± ¡°Bone Breastplate of the Askith Wight Commander has been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°You have received 2 gold coins and 75 silver coins.¡±
Liam was about to pull out the loot, until he noticed everyone rush over to him with an excited look upon their faces. ¡°What did you just do?!¡± they all shouted. Liam jumped back with a startled expression upon his face. The energy they gave when they approached him snapped him out of the funk he was feeling earlier. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Liam asked, confused. ¡°That thing you just did!¡± Roman started. ¡°Was that a new ability?!¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°What did you mean Special Effect?!¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°Ok, ok, one at a time,¡± Liam started to say, trying to calm them down. He looked at Ariyana and addressed, ¡°First, no it was not a new ability.¡± He then looked at Mercer and answered, ¡°Special effects are things that can be triggered when you meet certain conditions. For example, if a target¡¯s health is at or under a certain percentage and you use a magic that¡¯s opposite to one that is used then it will trigger a Special effect.¡± Mercer took out his notebook and started writing. ¡°Since I used a Shadow spell and the monster¡¯s health was under ten percent, I was able to trigger the Lunar Orb¡¯s special effect, Lunar Burst,¡± Liam informed. ¡°The results are just as you saw.¡± ¡°When did you discover this?¡± Mercer asked, excited to learn this. ¡°I found this out by accident when I went back to the first floor to test myself,¡± Liam answered. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Mercer shouted. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± Blair stated with a grin. ¡°Leave it to Liam to figure something out by accident,¡± Avery said with a roll of her eyes, trying to hide the smile that was forming. ¡°Hey guys?¡± Artem started, getting them all to look at him. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to rain on the excitement, but what happens to the loot when a monster gets disintegrated like that?¡± Everyone looked at him dumbfounded. They were so focused on what had just happened that they forgot the most important thing. The monster was disintegrated leaving nothing behind. Everyone slowly turned to Liam to see if he knew the answer. ¡°Ah, yeah, about that,¡± Liam said as he rubbed the back of his neck. As he pulled his goggles up to his forehead, he replied, ¡°All loot goes to my inventory since I killed it.¡± Tutorial 76 - What the hell was that about! Liam pulled out the loot that he received for the others to see. One was a pair of gauntlets that resembled the ones the Askith Wight Commander wore. They were silver in color that looked to run up half the forearm. On the back of the hand of each gauntlet was a skull that looked to be melted in. Sharp bone spikes protruded on each knuckle while the fingers looked like sharp claws. Liam assessed the item.
¡°Bone Gauntlets of the Askith Wight Commander. Item type ¨C Weapon (Unarmed). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. +10 Armor. Effect ¨C Life Drain. Each strike made with the Bone Gauntlets of the Askith Wight Commander drains 10 health and Stamina from the target, giving 5 back to the user. Effect ¨C Elemental Enhancement. Due to the special nature of bone crafted weapons, Elemental spells are enhanced to strike harder and flow easier.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he read the stats and effects of this weapon. This is one nasty punching weapon. Liam thought before turning to the next item. This armor piece closely resembled the breastplate the Askith Wight Commander wore, except there was a few things that were different. For one, it wasn¡¯t as big as the EFM¡¯s armor, and for the other it only covered the chest area instead of the entire upper torso. The metal portion of the armor was silver while three pale white rib bones on each side stretched out over the chest. Liam assessed it as well.
¡°Bone Breastplate of the Askith Wight Commander. Item type ¨C Armor. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. + 20 Armor. Effect ¨C Life Drain. When enemies attack this armor piece 10 Health and Stamina is drained, giving the wearer 5 health and stamina back. Effect ¨C Elemental Resistance. Due to the special nature of bone crafted armor, this armor piece raises resistance to elemental magic by 10%.
¡°Damn, both of these items are good,¡± Liam stated as he looked at the others. ¡°Yeah they are,¡± Ariyana agreed. ¡°So, who is getting what?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Um, I¡¯d like the gauntlets,¡± Roman stated. ¡°I think they will help with the direction I want to go.¡± Liam and Mercer nodded in agreement. ¡°Then they are yours,¡± Mercer said as he passed Roman the weapons. Liam looked at Blair as she raised her head. She noticed Liam was looking at her, and frowned. ¡°I swear if you say its because¡­,¡± Blair started to say until Liam interjected. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say what you think,¡± Liam said. ¡°I think the Life Drain effect would be best on you because of the fact you take so many hits. Getting some HP and Stamina back will help because you also swing that great axe which takes so much stamina to swing. Plus, that Elemental resistance will help you against any element type magics.¡± Listening to his reasoning, Blair couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°Fine,¡± Blair finally caved. ¡°I¡¯ll take it, but I swear if anyone makes fun of me because I keep getting armor that has bones in its design then I will kick their ass.¡± ¡°We understand,¡± Mercer stated with a light laugh. He then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Was there anything else?¡± ¡°Just some coins,¡± Liam said as he pulled out the amount he remembered and handed it to him. After handing him the money, Liam scanned the room for the lever he was hoping would be in there. He located it on the back wall where the Askith Wight Commander was staring at. ¡°Hey Roman, could you go pull that lever over there?¡± Liam asked as he pointed to it. Roman looked over and nodded as he jogged over and pulled it. As he pulled the lever, the same sound of stone grinding on stone echoed from the hallway as dust and sand fell from the ceiling. ¡°You guys ready to see what we¡¯ll face next?¡± Mercer asked the others. ¡°Can we take a five minute break first?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I need to get my stamina back. It doesn¡¯t replenish as fast as you guys.¡± ¡°Yeah we can do that,¡± Liam said. ¡°Let¡¯s all get the soreness that¡¯s seeped into us out. The fights are getting harder as we go so we don¡¯t want to get a cramp or anything of the likes.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. ¡°You should probably work on your Stamina Recovery and Stamina Endurance more, Artem,¡± Roman stated as he approached them. He then looked at Liam and said, ¡°Could you imagine if Artem had both of those as high as ours? He would be one annoying Defender that could not only take any hits, but keep standing in any attackers way.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Liam stated. ¡°You should run with us in the mornings.¡± Artem gave them a tired sigh as he looked at them. ¡°I¡¯m already tired thinking about it.¡± Roman let out a laugh. ¡°It would be great if you were able to do it, then you¡¯d be able to protect me easier when I¡¯m with the front line attackers,¡± Ariyana smiled warmly with a sweet and innocent voice. Artem blushed slightly before looking away from her smiling face. With a bit of embarrassment in his voice he said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Liam stared at the two. He trusted his group but was still wary of how they acted. Back in his old world during the end of days, people would use any method to try and coerce people to do things they wanted. Deep down he knew these people wouldn¡¯t do that to each other, but he couldn¡¯t help but be cautious. Especially when it came to Ariyana. Ariyana¡¯s class was literally one who could sway others with her voice and looks. Adding in her race that amplified things, she could easily entrance others to do what she wanted. Her interactions with him and the others showed she wasn¡¯t using her abilities to do that, especially when it came to Roman. When she spoke to him it felt like she was talking to a sibling. The only way he could compare it was how he and his siblings spoke to each other. However, when it came to Artem it was different. She was sweeter to him than the others. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. At first Liam believed she was using her abilities to get him to do things he would never want to do, but his opinion of that changed over time. The more she talked with Artem the more Liam didn¡¯t see the signs she was doing that. Maybe Artem charmed her instead with his food. Liam thought as a smile formed. That would be one interesting development if she actually fell for him. ¡°I¡¯m curious to know,¡± Blair started up, bringing Liam out of his thoughts. ¡°How high are your Stamina Endurance and Recovery, Roman, Liam? I just got mine to level ten, but when I see you guys go at it, it feels like I¡¯m still behind.¡± ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know about Liam¡¯s, but my Stamina Endurance is at level fourteen and my Stamina Recovery just hit fifteen,¡± Roman said before glancing at Liam. ¡°Is it really only at fourteen and fifteen?¡± Liam asked as he cocked his head to the side a bit. Roman nodded. ¡°What¡¯s yours at?¡± ¡°My Stamina Endurance is at eighteen while my Stamina Recovery is at seventeen.¡± Everyone¡¯s attention focused on Liam after he talked. After a few seconds of silence, he was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°How is it so high?¡± Roman asked, shocked at what he was hearing. ¡°Our stats raise depending on how hard we push ourselves. During the fourth floor I was put into a lot of situations that pushed my stats over and over,¡± Liam stated. ¡°However, thanks to those situations I was able to grow my stats and learn the limit of my body and what I needed to do in order to grow.¡± Everyone continued to stare at Liam. Not wanting things to get any more awkward, Liam coughed and suggested, ¡°Is everyone rested? I think we should move on to the next Elite Floor Monster room.¡± Without waiting for a reply Liam got up and started walking away. Artem, Ariyana, and Roman followed him while Avery, Blair and Mercer stayed back waiting for them to leave the room. Blair walked up to Mercer and asked as quietly as she could while keeping her eyes on the open door, ¡°Our stats cap at level twenty during the tutorial right?¡± Mercer nodded with a look of concern while facing the open door. ¡°I thought it was impossible for us to get our stats that close to the cap while we¡¯re here in the Tutorial Area?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°I was told that too,¡± Mercer said agreeing with her question. ¡°What does that mean then?¡± Avery asked, keeping the level of her voice as quiet as the others. ¡°It means, he¡¯s been pushing himself harder than we thought,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°For what reason I don¡¯t know, but its probably not good.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Blair inquired. ¡°Keep an eye on him for now,¡± Mercer answered as he stood up. ¡°If he¡¯s pushing himself then he¡¯s bound to get tired and make a mistake somewhere. With what happened during the fight I feel like he¡¯s walking on an edge we can¡¯t see.¡± Blair nodded. ¡°I agree. He wasn¡¯t acting like he normally does. That pressure he was exuding was one I didn¡¯t think he could ever make.¡± Avery nodded agreeing with her. ¡°He might be getting exhausted and doesn¡¯t want to show it.¡± Avery then turned to the other two and asked, ¡°Should we call it a day for now?¡± Mercer shook his head. ¡°No. Let¡¯s see how the next fight goes and see how he is. If it looks like he¡¯s about to fall over or start to falter in any way then we¡¯ll call it a day after that fight.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Avery and Blair stated as they started walking out the room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sitting in a room in a different realm, Eri watched Avery, Blair, and Mercer with an assessing eye through a small pool of water inside a bowl she held on her lap. The room she occupied was hard as stone. There was a bed with a pillow and a blanket. The rest of the room was covered in raven black stones. The only light that filled the room came from outside behind solid bars made from the same material as the floor and walls. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong to be wary and concerned,¡± Eri muttered to herself. ¡°Him being so far ahead in stats compared to others shows how much potential he has, but potential can be a double edged sword and can consume a mortal. Especially one without a proper support.¡± I wonder what triggered his other class to seep out from behind the seal. Eri thought as her eyes narrowed. That seal is powerful enough to hold it back and not let anything leak, so how did some of it seep out and try to take hold of him. Painful screams echoed outside the cell-like room Eri sat in. I will have to give it to him for reigning it in and not let it take control. Eri thought as a light smile grew over her lips. Maybe he will be strong enough to handle my blessing. Eri looked back at the people who made up Liam¡¯s group. Her smile grew even more. ¡°They do seem like they can be trustworthy companions if they are able to catch on to the changes of your nature and worry about you, Liam,¡± Eri quietly muttered to herself. ¡°I might have to reward them when you accept being my champion.¡± Without thinking more about it, Eri focused her gaze back on Liam and continued to watch as they exited out the hall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Liam walked out from the hall, he quickly scanned over the room. He started with the floor they were on and then the top floor. He finished with the bottom floors and saw the door on the second to bottom floor was open. As he pointed to the door, he said, ¡°It looks like the second to bottom floor door opened there.¡± Everyone saw where he pointed and made their way down. As Liam turned around from the stairs and headed to the door, he looked at the hieroglyphs. The first set of pictures showed a group of people around a tall interestingly designed stone building. Streaks of red, blue, and purplish-yellow ran out from the building to the sky. The second picture showed a horde of undead creatures swarming the building with the colorful streak running from the top of the tower down to them. The next picture showed a swarm of undead running towards a few people wearing clothed robes with streaks of color running towards them. Must be mages of some sort. Liam thought. The last picture showed piles of bodies with an Undead floating above them. It wore a ripped up robe, a staff in one hand and an icy blue color covering the other hand. ¡°Looks like it will be an Undead Mage type EFM,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°How can you tell?¡± Avery asked as she walked up next to him. Liam pointed to the colors he saw. ¡°These colors represent magic. If the colors match with what I have seen with Mana Sight, then this icy blue color should be ice,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Hm,¡± Mercer muttered. ¡°That is an interesting way to look at it.¡± ¡°Want me to scout it out or should we go in as a group?¡± Liam questioned as he looked at Mercer. Mercer looked at him. After a brief moment of silence, he answered, ¡°Let¡¯s go in as a group.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said. ¡°I don¡¯t hear any movement in the hallway so we should be clear of monsters till we get to the EFM¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Avery and Mercer said as they walked into the hall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam and the group walked cautiously as they made their way to the open door at the end of the hall. Like Liam had suspected, there weren¡¯t any monsters roaming the hallway. As they approached the opened door frame Liam peered inside. The room was a little bigger than the last two rooms. The other difference was three pipes running out from the wall and into a dug out area that ran along the back wall. At the corners of the back wall, they entered a drain and disappeared. Standing in the middle, close to the back wall, a skeletal form wearing a ripped up mage robe hovered a couple of inches off the ground. Like the last two EFM¡¯s, this creature had its back turned from the open doorway. Liam assessed the creature.
¡°Askith Deathlock. 2500/2500 HP. 4000/4000 MP.¡±
As Liam assessed the creature, it slowly swirled around with a wicked ghastly laugh. ¡°So bold of you to approach my lair,¡± the Askith Deathlock stated. ¡°Please, enter so I can kill you and rai¡­¡± The Askith Deathlock stopped what it was saying as the room started to suddenly rumble for a moment. The rumble caused dust and loose rocks to fall from the ceiling. Liam and the group, confused on what was happening, braced themselves for any attack they thought the Askith Deathlock was about to send their way. As they kept their eyes on the EFM, confusion grew more on their faces as they noticed the creature looking around the room confused as well. Liam felt another rumble across the floor. Then another. And another. To Liam it felt like something was running. He then noticed the water pipes start to push out more water, harder than before. Almost like something was forcing a huge amount out. After a few seconds of the rumbling picking up in pace, Liam watched the Askith Deathlock slowly turn back to the wall it was facing before. As he turned to face it, the wall exploded, bringing a massive scaley jaw wide open through it. Liam and his group took a step back to dodge the flying pieces of stone. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he saw that Giant scaley jaw turn sideways over the Askith Deathlock and slam shut, swallowing it whole. Liam assessed it.
¡°Binky The Giant Albino Crocolisk. 5000/5000 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
As quickly as it had appeared, the giant head of the Albino Crocolisk was pulled back into the massive hole it had created and disappeared. Tutorial 77 - Binky, The Giant Albino Crocolisk ¡°What the hell was that!?¡± Artem questioned as he turned around to look at the others. ¡°It swallowed the EFM!¡± Ariyana shouted. ¡°Is that even allowed!?¡± Roman asked. Everyone was confused and slightly panicked after what they had just witnessed. Eri. Liam started as he tried calling out to her mentally. Is this the product of someone messing with the Dungeon? Is this common or what? Eri let out a laugh that rang in Liam¡¯s mind. While laughing she replied, You certain have a lot of interesting things that happen to you. No this isn¡¯t because of someone tampering with the dungeon. However, this is rare. Sometimes Elite Floor Monsters change in the middle of the dungeon. It¡¯s not a common thing to happen, but it has happened. Liam let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Does this mean that the EFM has been defeated?¡± Blair inquired as she looked to Liam and Mercer for their thoughts. ¡°Hm¡­I haven¡¯t heard of something like this happening before,¡± Mercer started as he tried to think. ¡°I think that Giant Albino Crocolisk has become the new Elite Floor Monster,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Did¡­did you just say¡­Croc¡­Crocolisk?¡± Artem repeated as he paled a bit. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam nodded as he looked confused. ¡°I was able to assess it before it retreated back into that hole.¡± Liam noticed Artem¡¯s wide eyes and demeanor. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Artem? Do you know about the creature?¡± ¡°There were crocolisks back on my old world,¡± Artem started with a nod. ¡°Nasty creatures. They have six legs to help them run easier. They can shift their skin to either hard scales for better protection or smooth scales for faster movement. They are agile and can move their bodies in ways you wouldn¡¯t think they could.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes rose as he listened to Artem¡¯s description of the creature. ¡°I have never seen one that size before though. The biggest I¡¯ve seen came up to my chest,¡± Artem finished. ¡°So, if that thing is a Crocolisk then we are in big trouble.¡± ¡°Do they hunt in packs or are they solo creatures?¡± Mercer asked, writing down everything Artem was saying. ¡°When they hunt they are solo creatures,¡± Artem replied. He then remembered something and added, ¡°Unless you come across a mother with its babies. That¡¯s the only time you will really see a group of them.¡± ¡°They sound like nasty creatures to deal with,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°You have no idea,¡± Artem said. ¡°I haven¡¯t even mentioned the strength of its bite.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to like what I¡¯m going to say next them,¡± Liam commented, interrupting Artem before he could add more. ¡°I saw its health. It has no mana, but it has five thousand HP.¡± Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped at Liam¡¯s announcement. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to be careful when fighting it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°We need to find weaknesses and exploit them.¡± Liam looked at Artem and then back at the others before saying, ¡°This monster sounds nasty so we will have to try and avoid its jaw to prevent it from swallowing us.¡± Liam let out a long sigh as he looked towards the ground. ¡°To be honest this is going to be really tough and I¡¯m not sure how this will go down.¡± Mercer and Blair eyed Liam. They noticed him narrow his eyes with frustration. Along with his narrowed eyes they noticed he was starting to breath a little heavier. Something was running through his mind and it was making him panic internally. Before anyone could say anything, Avery placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing his attention out from his thoughts and to her. ¡°Take a deep breath and relax,¡± Avery said softly. ¡°We can get through this. You¡¯ve pulled through for us so far and I trust you.¡± Liam stared into her eyes. Shifting from one eye to the other, Liam was able to noticed he was starting to freak out. His breathing had become slightly labored and his body was tense. Taking her advice, Liam took in a deep breath. After reaching the amount of air he was able to take in, he slowly released it. His tense body slowly relaxed as he did this two more times. As he did this he felt himself go into a small trance, allowing his brain to think of different scenarios that could happen. Everyone watched Liam as his breathing calmed and evened out. As he slowly opened his eyes they saw something that made them hold their breath. Liam¡¯s eyes had a faint glow flash around his irises. It was pronounced enough to stick out and if they weren¡¯t looking they would have missed each flash; but they were able to see it and it was amazing. Artem was about to say something, until Blair raised a hand up to stop him. After running through all the possibilities, Liam¡¯s eyes returned to normal. He then looked at them and said, ¡°I may have a plan that could work, but it will change throughout the fight depending on the different variables I don¡¯t have.¡± The others didn¡¯t say anything so he added, ¡°Again, this plan will most likely change. Unless someone has any ideas they want to put out now?¡± Everyone shook their heads as they waited for the plan. Liam let out a sigh before continuing, ¡°Artem you will tank it, try to keep its aggro on you and kite it around, if you think you can hit it with your shield or mace then do so. If you cant then use your taunt ability. Blair, I want you to cast Gravitational Force Increase the moment we start to fight it. After that, whenever it looks like its about to snap its jaw around Artem or anyone else, try and use your great axe to knock its trajectory away or if possible close it before it can attack.¡± Artem and Blair nodded. Liam looked at the others. ¡°The rest of us will attack from afar. Use any and all magic we have to try and find a weakness. Once when we find that we will use that weakness to our advantage. Ariyana and Mercer I need you to also keep our Defenders buffed at all times. I will call out when they need a heal. After they are buffed join us in attacking it.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ariyana and Mercer stated. ¡°If the room is big enough I want us out of range while we attack,¡± Liam started up again. ¡°Once when we have a good look of the terrain we can adjust accordingly. Any questions?¡± Everyone shook their heads. Liam could see they were on high alert and slightly tense. He knew going into a fight like that could cause some issues so he thought of a way that could help ease the tension. After a moment had passed, he remembered a very puzzling yet interesting thing about the creature. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You know, I think this creature was someone¡¯s pet,¡± Liam suddenly stated. Everyone looked at him with a confused expression. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Roman asked. ¡°It had a name,¡± Liam continued. ¡°I kind of feel bad for it since the name was a bit¡­childish?¡± ¡°What was its name?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Binky. Binky the Giant Albino Crocolisk,¡± Liam answered with as much flair as he could. The group stared at him, dumbfounded and silent. This silence lasted for about a moment until Ariyana started laughing. Her laugh caused the others to start laughing right after her. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Ariyana said between laughs. ¡°That poor creature,¡± Blair added during breathes. ¡°No wonder it came in with a vengeance. I wonder if that was its owner,¡± Roman chuckled. ¡°Alright¡­Alright,¡± Mercer said, trying to get his laughter under control. ¡°Let¡¯s eat a buff bar and head in there.¡± Mercer then looked at Liam and nodded, giving him thanks. Liam nodded back. After they were ready they started for the open hole in the back. The floor of the room was riddled with holes in some areas from the chunks of wall that had flown and crashed down. Water seeped through the closest holes, escaping into the darkened areas within. The group walked cautiously, making sure the areas they walked on were stable enough to hold them. After reaching the other side of the room, Liam peered inside to find a massive hole leading farther back. His Dark Sight kicked in as he looked inside. There weren¡¯t any monsters or hidden spots that he was able to see. ¡°It¡¯s safe to go in,¡± Liam announced. ¡°How can you tell?¡± Ariyana asked as she squinted her eyes, trying to look inside. ¡°All I see is nothing but dark.¡± ¡°One of my racial abilities is Dark Sight, which lets me see better in the dark,¡± Liam said. ¡°That¡¯s helpful,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°You know I keep forgetting about that,¡± Roman said. ¡°I¡¯ve been able to see in the dark since the change and just think there¡¯s a light somewhere.¡± ¡°It must be a Beastkin trait because I have it too,¡± Bair stated. ¡°I also forgot about it being an ability.¡± ¡°Alright, since there¡¯s three of us who can see, we¡¯re going to have to guide the others through,¡± Liam instructed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± It took them a few minutes to walk through the cavernous hole, but once they got to an opening, they were amazed at what they saw. The room was a giant dome shaped cavern with a slow moving river running along the back side. The floor and walls were made from uneven rock formations. Upon further inspections, Liam was able to see divots of long claw marks along the walls. It was as if something was digging at them to make room. Along the ground had random holes here and there. Random small Yooperlite stones were scattered around the walls, allowing the area to have some lighting, but not a lot. On the other side of the river was a smooth rocky area with some pale white oval shaped stones. The one thing that made them wary of the place though was the fact that Binky was nowhere in sight. ¡°Be cautious as we enter this place,¡± Liam started. ¡°Watch your footing, with the ground being uneven in places and the holes scattered, it¡¯ll make moving around and gripping the ground harder.¡± Everyone nodded as they slowly entered the room. As soon as the last person entered the room, the river started to ripple and swirl about. A dark shadow rose up and exploded out from it, revealing the massive body of Binky, The Giant Albino Crocolisk. Binky¡¯s body had a slick white sheen to it as water rolled off its forty foot long body. Standing three heads taller than Artem, this creature was huge. As Binky eyed them with its red eyes, Liam also took in every detail he could. He noticed spots where all the water rolled off were starting to harden and become jagged. As the creature shifted its weight, Liam also noticed the spots its claws were at dug into the ground with ease. This is going to be one hell of a fight. Liam thought. A long menacing hiss rolled out from the creature¡¯s jaw as it readied itself. Noticing the subtle changes in its body language, Liam shouted, ¡°Ariyana and Mercer, get those buffs out now! Artem run to the right and taunt it! There¡¯s some room to kite to the right. Don¡¯t get too close to the wall and corner yourself! Blair get that Gravitational Force Increase going and do as we discussed.¡± ¡°Right!¡± The four shouted as they started to do as they were told. ¡°Everyone else, spread out and wait till Artem has it aggroed then start casting!¡± Liam continued. ¡°Yell out if you find a weakness!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Avery and Roman yelled as they both ran in opposite directions making room for Ariyana and Mercer to spread out after they were done. Binky opened its jaws and let out a massive growl as it started to move forward. As soon as Artem got close enough, he answered the creature¡¯s growl with one of his own roars, making its eyes land on him. As soon as he got its attention he started to run to his right as fast as he could, still keeping his eyes on the massive beast. As soon as Binky turned its head to chase after Artem, a massive force shot down on it, slowing it down. However, due to its massive reach in legs, Binky was close enough to try and bite at Artem. As Binky opened its massive jaws, turned its head, and lunged, Blair was within reach and slammed her great axe vertically up. The force of her swing was hard enough to push the top jaw, that was in clear view of Blair, shut and knocking its head back a bit. Feeling the recoil of slamming her great axe against the scales, Blair winced and shouted out, ¡°I wont be able to continuously hit it like that. I might have been able to knock it back, but it feels like I¡¯m hitting a mountain!¡± After firing a Shadow Orb at Binky, Liam replied back, ¡°Alright. Use your judgment when to do that then. Don¡¯t force it if it¡¯s only going to cause harm. If you can, try striking the bottom part of the jaw and see if its softer there!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Blair responded. Liam raised his Moon Blade dagger and readied his Lunar Orb spell. After chanting it and shooting it, he waited for the notification to see how much damage the combination of shadow and lunar attacks caused.
¡°Lunar Orb has successfully hit Binky the Giant Albino Crocolisk for 35 damage.¡± ¡°Additional 25 damage has been added due to lingering Shadow Magic on Binky the Giant Albino Crocolisk.¡±
Ok, it¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s something. Liam thought before turning over to look at the others. ¡°How is it going?!¡± Liam shouted out. ¡°Fire doesn¡¯t do much, it has a resistance to it!¡± Avery shouted. ¡°Earth has some effect but it¡¯s not a lot,¡± Roman called back. ¡°My Entangled Roots spell isn¡¯t far enough along to bind its whole body and I haven¡¯t tried any of my other plant focused spells yet,¡± Ariyana yelled out. Liam turned to look at Mercer who had shot out one of his new spells, Ice Orb. As soon as it collided into it, Mercer turned and yelled, ¡°Ice is its weakness!¡± ¡°How many know ice spells?¡± Liam shouted out. ¡°I do!¡± Avery replied. ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said as he started wracking his brain. A thought came to mind as he started thinking. ¡°Mercer, use another ice spell! Avery, after it hits use a fire spell!¡± Liam yelled. Avery stopped what she was doing to look at Liam. She was confused at first, but then an idea appeared. Wanting to confirm she asked, ¡°Do you think¡­¡± ¡°I want to confirm it,¡± Liam said before turning to Ariyana. ¡°You got it!¡± Avery and Mercer shouted. Mercer started chanting again and formed an orb made of ice. Once he was finished, the spell flew as fast as it could and slammed into the side of Binky. The area that was hit slightly froze over. Before a moment had passed, a fireball the size of a basketball collided into the frozen area. Avery shouted with delight before informing, ¡°Using fire on an ice spell will double the damage!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Liam replied back. He looked over at Binky who was hissing and growling at Artem as he jumped in to swing his mace at the creature before running back to dodge the massive jaw from gobbling him up. Blair swung her Great axe right under its jaw, making it go up and miss Artem. A small amount of blood flew from the area the blade had struck. Wanting to try something else out, Liam yelled out, ¡°Ariyana use your Leaf Projection spell. Avery use another Fire afterwards. I want to see if Ice is not the only thing weak to fire.¡± Ariyana nodded as she readied herself. She moved up a bit to get into range for her spell and started chanting, ¡°Rustling from the trees while dancing in the breeze. Swirling as they drop, beautiful yet sharp. They may look light, but the force pushed upon them will make you question their might. Leaf Projection!¡± Leaf Projection was a new spell Ariyana received when she got her Plant Focus Point to level ten. It was a spell that creates several razor sharp hard as metal leaves that are shot at a target. As Ariyana chanted this spell, Liam watched, with his Mana Sight, green mana form around her body. The green mana then ran towards her chakram she held out and condensed into small balls that moved away from her weapon. Each green ball then transformed into sleek shiny leaves with sharp spiky edges. To Liam they looked a lot like English Holly leaves. After ten of them fully formed, they flew swiftly right into the same spot Mercer¡¯s Ice orb collided into. As each leaf slammed, they sunk right between the lines of the scales. Shortly after the leaves sunk in, Avery¡¯s fireball slammed into them, catching the leaves on fire, allowing the flames to enter the open slits the leaves made. Avery let out a very uncharacteristic squeal as she jumped up with a hand up. ¡°Plant magic has a great damage addition when fire is used on it!¡± Liam wanted to let out a laugh at Avery¡¯s behavior but was taken aback when he heard a loud growl. He turned to see Binky had changed its focus from the two defenders and was facing Avery. With a shocking and unexpected turn of its body, Binky started for her. Artem and Blair slammed their feet down, sucked in a breath and went to release their taunt ability, but failed as Binky¡¯s tail whipped around and slammed right into them, sending them flying to the side of the room. Crashing hard against the jagged rocks. Avery went to start running, but then tripped and fell to the ground as her right foot fell into a small hole. As she lifted her head up she paled as she watched Binky open its mouth and lunged for her. Tutorial 78 - Fatal Misstep Avery stared in horror as the jaws came closer to her body. She closed her eyes and readied herself for the pain that was about to come. After a few moments had passed, Avery was confused. The pain that she was expecting never came. As she opened her eyes, they widened at the scene before her. Roots were wrapped around Binky¡¯s top and bottom jaw. Not only that, but black tendrils were wrapped around intertwined with the roots. ¡°Avery! You alright?!¡± Ariyana yelled. ¡°You need to get out of there. Now!¡± Liam shouted, sounding a bit strained. Shaking head to clear it, she stood back up and ran out from where she was and turned towards the others. As she made her way over to them, she noticed the roots only wrapped around the jaws while the shadowy tendrils wrapped around the legs, body and tail. Binky¡¯s massive form writhed and squirmed, trying to free itself from the hold. ¡°Thank you,¡± Avery said as she felt her heart pounding against her chest. ¡°No problem,¡± Ariyana smiled tiredly. Liam turned to see Artem and Blair getting back up and rushed over to them. ¡°Sorry about that. I didn¡¯t realize my taunt had already worn off,¡± Artem stated with a look of shame. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Liam said waving it off. ¡°I got distracted and didn¡¯t realize it myself. I¡¯ll do better.¡± Mercer and Blair looked at Liam. Mercer was about to comment until loud snapping sounds echoed within the cavern. Everyone turned to see Binky arching its back as far up as it could go. It then pushed its head and tail to the ceiling while slamming its abdomen down. It did this as hard and violently as it could, causing the tendrils to stretch too far out. The roots were the first to start ripping apart. After a few more tantrums one of the shadowy tendrils started to snap. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± Liam called out. ¡°Are your taunts ready to go when that thing breaks free?¡± ¡°No,¡± Artem replied as he finished drinking a potion. ¡°I still have fifteen seconds till I can use it.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Blair announced. Liam clicked his tongue as he thought about what they could do. We need something that can keep that creature occupied till Artem and Blair¡¯s taunt is ready. Liam thought. More snapping sounds echoed in the air making Liam turn to look at Binky. As he looked at the creature he noticed one of the tendrils that was wrapped around its head. The more he looked the more something nagged at the back of his mind. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he thought of something that could help gain them the time they need for the defenders¡¯ taunt to be ready. He pointed his Shadow Blade at the massive head and started chanting, ¡°Shadows so dark come forth, pierce through this pour creature¡¯s sight, temporary blinding it with a pain it never knew existed, Blanket of Darkness!¡± Before Binky could break free from the last tendril, it released itself from the massive shadow underneath it and snaked its way around the scales to finally wrap around its eyes. As soon as it started to grip tightly the shadowy material shot spikes into Binky¡¯s eyes. A terrifying growl escaped Binky¡¯s jaws as it started to thrash around. Its feet stomped around as its tail flailed about, trying to hit a target. ¡°Everyone back up and fire your attacks at it!¡± Liam yelled out, feeling better being able to blind the monster. ¡°Mercer and Ariyana, land your Ice and Plant spells across Binky¡¯s side. Avery try and land your fire spells where theirs hit as best as you can.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Avery, Ariyana, and Mercer shouted. ¡°Artem and Blair, keep an eye out for any wild attacks. Especially that tail!¡± Liam instructed. ¡°If Binky gets too close then try and block or parry the best you can. Don¡¯t push yourselves too hard though. If you can¡¯t take it then don¡¯t! We can¡¯t afford you to go flying again!¡± Artem and Blair grunted as they got into a stance and eyed Binky¡¯s movements. Binky¡¯s thrashing movements sent tremors throughout the ground making it hard for them to keep their balance. However, the group held on through the uncomfortable experience and pressed their attacks. Avery successfully shot off two fireballs at the spots Ariyana¡¯s Leaf Projection and Mercer¡¯s Ice Orb landed. As the spells landed, two explosions erupted against Binky¡¯s side, causing the massive beast to pushed off to the side. Lifting its head up, still blinded by Liam¡¯s spell, it turned left then right. To Liam it looked like the creature was sniffing. After finding what it was looking for, Binky curled its body enough to be able to turn around without issues. Without waiting, it charged for the river and dove right in. ¡°What¡¯s it going to do now?¡± Roman questioned as he stared at the water. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Artem asked as he turned to look at Liam and Mercer. ¡°Everyone take a breath,¡± Mercer replied. ¡°We don¡¯t know what that creature is going to do so it¡¯s best to be ready for anything!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Everyone yelled back. Liam scanned the water, looking for any signs of resurfacing. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Everyone grew tense as they waited. The longer Binky didn¡¯t come up the more they started to get antsy. After a minute of nothing happening, Liam decided to try something. He reached down and grabbed a lose rock on the ground. Looking for a spot, aimed, and threw it. The rock flew in an arch and landed right by the edge of the river bend, bouncing twice before entering the water. Ripples expanded from where the rock dove. After a brief moment of nothing happening, those small ripples slowly started to calm. When the last ripple was about to disappear, bubbles started to rise up. Along with the bubbles, giant ripples started to wave around. Binky suddenly jumped out from the water, landing on the ground with an earth rattling growl. The Blanket of Darkness that had wrapped around the Crocolisk¡¯s eyes disappeared. As the shadowy material vanished like a puff of smoke, Binky¡¯s eyes narrowed with bloody rage. We need to finish this. Liam thought as he stared into Binky¡¯s eyes. I¡¯ve got a bad feeling that if we don¡¯t finish this as fast as we can something bad will happen. Liam eyed Binky¡¯s massive form. Water started to roll off its body and began to harden. As Liam watched the scales on top start to harden, he looked at the wet smooth scales and had an idea. ¡°Ho, looks like Binky is pissed!¡± Roman stated as he popped his knuckles. As he continued he went to turn his head to look at Liam. ¡°How are we going to star¡­¡± Before Roman could finish, a flash of purplish-yellow started sparking on Liam¡¯s right hand. Before anyone could react, Liam raced over as fast as he could. Binky noticed Liam heading its way, crouched down and swung its body around, whipping its tail towards Liam. At the last second, Liam pushed off his feet, slammed a hand on the edge of the tail as it swayed pass him using the momentum to do a one handed cartwheel over it and landed in a crouched position. Without hesitation, Liam rushed over to the last bit of wet surface Binky had and punched his lightning covered fist as hard as he could. The lightning covering his fist swiftly spread out across the slick surface, causing Binky to let out a massive growl. Liam quickly jumped back to dodge one of the creature¡¯s feet from stomping down on him. Binky¡¯s stomach curled in a bit as the effects of the lightning strike caused the muscles in it to clench. As Liam made it back to the others, he looked at them and informed, ¡°When it has the other scales, Lightning is its weakness.¡± ¡°That was awesome!¡± Roman roared with some excitement in his voice. Avery, Blair, and Mercer eyed Liam. They noticed his heavy breathing and his antsy movements. The three looked at each other and nodded. Liam turned to face Binky and assessed it.
¡°Binky the Giant Albino Crocolisk. 632/5000 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
We¡¯re almost there. Liam thought. Even though they were close to defeating this EFM, Liam couldn¡¯t shake off this uneasy feeling that was growing inside him. A faint whisper tickled his ear, making his body tense. He looked around but didn¡¯t see anything. His eyes were on high alert as he felt his heart pound against his chest. He took in a deep breath and slowly released it as he thought, Calm down Liam. Everything is going to be fine. You just need to concentrate on this last push, and it¡¯ll be over. He looked at the others and noticed Avery, Blair and Mercer giving me looks of concern. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked. Eyeing him carefully, Mercer finally said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Binky let out a loud growl as its body unclenched and readied itself to strike, causing everyone to focus their attention back on the giant creature. Hissing loudly, Binky lowered its head scanned the area, locked on a target and then charged. Artem rushed forward with Blair right behind him. Artem turned to his left and got into a spot he felt comfortable with, slammed a foot down, sucked in some air, and let out a taunting roar. At first it looked like the taunt had failed, but after a brief moment, Binky stopped its forward momentum, turned its head and body, and charged right for Artem. Seeing his taunt work, Artem started kiting Binky as far as he could away from the others. When he felt the distance was just right he stopped and readied himself. Binky¡¯s massive jaw flung open as it leaped forward. Artem watched as the sharp teeth gleamed from the Yooperlite Stones scattered around. He felt his knees shake a bit while taking a gulp as he felt his nerves fray from staring at them. Come on Artem. Get it together. Artem chided himself. At the last second Artem jumped to his right as Blair slammed her Great Axe against Binky¡¯s bottom jaw, causing it to miss Artem. Blood lightly oozed out from where the blade of the great axe had struck. Artem rushed in and slammed his mace against the creature¡¯s throat before jumping backwards to dodge a clawed foot from swiping at him. Binky whipped its head around and tried to chomp back down on Artem¡¯s upper torso but missed as Artem crouched down and rolled back. Blair jumped as high as she could, swinging her weapon directly over her head and down as hard as she could on the tip of Binky¡¯s snout. As this was going on, Mercer and Ariyana fired their spells across the monster¡¯s body, allowing Avery¡¯s Fireball spells to cause extra damage. Liam watched as his team proceeded with their attacks and defense. He kept his eyes locked on the river and the monster, making sure nothing else appeared during their fight. Feeling angry and frustrated, Binky let out a loud growl and lifted its body up onto its back two legs. With as much force as it could, Binky slammed its body down hard enough to send a ripple through the stone. This ripple caused everyone to stagger and lose their balance. Shit! Liam thought as he fell onto his stomach, smacking his forehead hard against a rock. The pain shot through his skull, causing his vision to blur. As he tried to reorient himself, a sinking feeling started to swell up. Whispers began to tickle his ears again, making Liam unsure what was going on. Liam placed a foot forward to stop himself from falling back down. As he did this, he could hear his team yelling out what he thought they were doing. However, as things started getting clearer, the scene in front of him made his heart sink into the bottom of his stomach. Mercer was behind him with blood running down his forehead and over his left eye. Avery was pinned down by some rocks that had fallen from the ceiling. Roman laid unconscious next to the river on the right side of the cavern. Blair was swimming as fast as she could from the other side of the river. Artem was slowly getting to his feet after moving a rock away from on top of him. What happened? Liam thought. How did everything get so scattered? Everyone who was conscious were all yelling and shouting out one name. Liam was searching frantically to find where Ariyana was until he finally saw her. She was getting out of the water and back onto the wet stone surface. While she was doing this she didn¡¯t see Binky had been charging at her with its mouth wide open. Her eyes widened as the massive form of Binky loomed right before her, freezing her body in place. It was then that Liam realized his team was trying to warn Ariyana, screaming for her to get away, but it was too late for her. Feeling drained from swimming back to the shore and her body tensing up from fear, Ariyana felt her legs shake uncontrollably all while giving a pleading look for someone to save her. Starting to give up, Ariyana let out a scream as Binky¡¯s jaws began to cover both sides of her. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Binky¡¯s mouth was suddenly pushed up before they closed. Liam started to feel his mind clear as he saw Artem standing in front of Ariyana with his shield moving up and away from his body. After Artem¡¯s shield swung back to his side, he slammed his foot down and let out a deep deafening roar, causing Binky¡¯s gaze to lock back on him. Once when he saw his taunt working, he ran away bringing Binky with him away from Ariyana. Blair was finally able to swim to Ariyana and pull herself up to shore. She checked her out to make sure everything was alright and then scanned the area for her weapon she had dropped. Great job! Liam thought as he started to feel his body fill up with motivation. That¡¯s what we needed! You not only saved Ariyana, but you are fulfilling your role as a¡­ As Liam was thinking this, Artem¡¯s foot suddenly slipped over a loose rock, causing him to be off balanced. He corrected himself as quickly as he could, but that brief moment was all that it took for Binky to catch up and close its jaws over him. ¡°No!¡± Ariyana, Avery, Blair, and Mercer screamed as Binky lifted its head up triumphantly, keeping its massive mouth closed. Tutorial 79 - True Shot Liam¡¯s blood ran cold as he stared at Binky, who held their head up high, jaws closed. The whispers that were tickling his ears, unintelligible from the beginning, started to clear as they grew a little louder. Weak. Failure. Your fault. He died because of you. Worthless. Each whisper that entered his ears grew harsher as his body started to become heavy. Liam¡¯s mind began to whirl as images of people swore at him. Bodies laid on the ground, covered in blood, as faceless people pointed at him. Yelling, screaming about how it was his fault for the deaths of many. Mercer shocked by what had happened turned to look at Liam. What he saw made him grow even more worried and concerned. Mercer¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the look of distress and anguish grew on Liam¡¯s face. It¡¯s your fault! A voice screamed in Liam¡¯s mind, making his sight grow dark. No, I¡­ Liam tried to start. You were supposed to keep him safe! Another chastised. I tried to¡­ Liam tried again. You¡¯re going to lead them all to their deaths! A third added. Liam started to feel the heaviness of the voices as they continued to berate him over and over. His breathing became erratic as his sight grew darker and darker with every word being thrown at him. He didn¡¯t realize it, but his voice quietly repeated each scornful thing thrown at him. ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Liam muttered softly. ¡°I killed him. I couldn¡¯t protect him. I allowed him to die¡­¡± As Liam¡¯s mind started to spiral out of control, a voice suddenly stood out among the tortuous voices. Are you going to just stand there? The voice was quiet amongst the screams plaguing him. It was so quiet, he had almost missed it. However, when it spoke, his mind focused on it, stopping his words to flow out of his mouth. There¡¯s still a chance. The voice whispered again. Liam¡¯s disorientated sight started to focus. He didn¡¯t realize it until his sight started to clear, but he was looking down at the ground, watery from a flow of tears. As his focus started to clear he noticed Artem¡¯s Health bar hadn¡¯t reached zero yet. It was, however, slowly going down. Liam slowly looked up at Binky, who had turned its body away from him. The feeling of anxiety, distress, and anguish was slipping away being replaced with a new familiar feeling. One, he had always hated. One he tried to stay away from all these years. He felt angry. Angry that this beast had the gall to eat one of his team members. Angry he had let this beast close its jaws on the kindest and most scared member of his team. Angry that he couldn¡¯t respond in time. But most of all, angry that he was allowing himself to get swallowed up from his past mistakes. He felt his body tense as he gripped his daggers hard. Mercer felt the change happen in Liam as he watched him. He didn¡¯t know what was going on in Liam¡¯s mind, but he knew it wasn¡¯t good. He knew if he didn¡¯t do something, Liam would do something stupid while he was lost in emotions. Mercer looked around to see if he could get someone to help him get Liam under control, but knew it was hopeless. Roman had woken up and from the look on his face he had seen what had happened to Artem as he laid on his stomach, mouth wide open. Blair and Ariyana stood, frozen from the shock as well, evident on their faces. Avery, who had gotten herself free, stood, slack jawed, unsure what to do as well. Mercer gritted his teeth as he looked back at Liam, who was emitting a strong and powerful aura from his body. I need to get his attention before he does something stupid and gets hurt. He thought. He then yelled out, ¡°Liam!¡± The effect Mercer was going for failed. Instead of it grabbing Liam¡¯s attention to face him, it was like a starting pistol. Mercer watched as Liam let out an angry roar while racing towards Binky with wild abandon. As Liam approached Binky from behind, he jumped straight up to dodge the tail swishing. However, instead of trying to jump over it, he landed on it and ran up the spine of the creature. He raced across Binky¡¯s back, not caring what would happen if he slipped and fell. Avery¡¯s, Ariyana¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s shocked expression suddenly fell on Liam as he approached Binky¡¯s head. Liam let out a vicious battle cry as he lodged his Shadow Bladed dagger right in between two scales above Binky¡¯s right eye. Pain erupted into Binky¡¯s eye and skull, making it thrash its head back. Binky, who didn¡¯t noticed Liam till the last second, widened its eyes right before Liam slammed his Moon Blade dagger into its right eye. ¡°Release him!¡± Liam screamed out as he pulled the dagger out and slammed it back in as hard as he could. Puss and blood exploded from the eyeball as Liam pulled it out again. The others watched as Liam held on for dear life to the Shadow Blade dagger dug into the scale while continuously plunging his Moon Blade dagger over and over while screaming with anger, ¡°Give him back!¡± Ariyana watched Binky¡¯s head whip to the left and the right, trying to shake Liam off as he shouted, ¡°He¡¯s not yours to take!¡± Hearing Liam shout this and watching him attack viciously, brought the others out of the state they were in. They could feel Liam¡¯s vehemence of trying to get Artem out from Binky¡¯s mouth spread out and touch their souls, giving them the fighting spirit they needed to get back into the fight. Ariyana chanted her Leaf Projection spell as Roman shot out his Stone Pillar spell under Binky¡¯s body. Avery fired a Fireball across the creature¡¯s body, one landing randomly while the other hit the leaves Ariyana slammed into it. Blair slammed her Great Axe into Binky¡¯s hard scaled body, chipping not only the scales, but the blade of her weapon as well. After hitting as hard as she could three more time, the top half of Blair¡¯s Great Axe shattered, leaving her weaponless. Binky, feeling furious with the attacks it was receiving retreated for the water and dove right in. ¡°Liam, no!¡± the others shouted. After a moment had passed. Binky broke the surface of the water with its body arched. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The others saw Liam holding on tightly to his dagger. As Binky dove back in, it raced around the surface of the water. Liam, above the water, held on as hard as he could. Roman noticed Liam start to chant something. His eyes widened as he realized the spell he was going to use. ¡°Liam don¡¯t!¡± Roman started to shout. ¡°If you use that spell, you¡¯ll get hit with it too!¡± Not hearing Roman¡¯s words, Liam finished chanting as his anger clouded his sight and Binky dragged him under, ¡°As my grasp collides with their form. Static Grasp!¡± As they watched Liam be dragged under, they saw his hand spark before disappearing into the water. After a moment had passed, a flash of purplish-yellow lit up in the water. Arcs of lightning spiderwebbed across the surface of the water as thousands of bubbles filled the water. Under the water, Liam felt his body tense as the lightning he released struck him as well. The shock of the spell brought his mind back from the anger that was clouding it making him realize what was going on and what he had done. Shit! Liam began to think. What the hell was I doing? Liam! Eri yelled in his mind. Can you hear me?! Yes! Liam shouted back. Can you please stop yelling. Its rattling in my head loudly. Eri let out a sigh of relief before chiding, I wouldn¡¯t be yelling if someone didn¡¯t lose himself to his emotions! I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back to your sense, but you need to get out of the water before you drown. Liam tried to release his grip, but couldn¡¯t move his hand. He noticed a debuff flash at the corner of his eye and frowned. I can¡¯t move, I¡¯ve been paralyzed. And whose bright idea was it to use a lightning spell while in the water? Eri chastised. I swear, you come up with the most ridiculous things sometimes. Can you hold on till it¡¯s gone? Liam felt his chest tightened as he felt his lungs start to burn for air. His eye sight was slowly fading as he fought to stay awake. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m trying to, but I¡¯m not sure if I¡­ Before Liam could finish, he felt Binky move towards the surface, bringing him with it as his hand gripped tightly to the dagger. As Binky jumped onto the riverbed, Liam gasped in as much air as he could to fill his burning lungs. As he was gulping in the air he felt the dagger loosen enough to slide out of the hold it had. Liam then felt his body slide off the massive creature¡¯s head and towards a group of jagged and sharp rocks clustered together. Before Liam¡¯s paralyzed body could collide with the rocks, he felt his head jerk to the side as Blair jumped and caught him, before running away. Liam¡¯s head was looking at the back of the room, where a peculiar sight was happening. Mercer, staring at Binky¡¯s head, readied his bow and started to pull the string back. What was confusing was, Mercer didn¡¯t have an arrow gripped, he didn¡¯t have anything loaded. Judging from the angle Mercer held his bow, Liam could tell Mercer aimed for the eye that had been continuously stabbed. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he watched as a massive arrow started to form on the bow. The arrow suddenly lit up with a brilliant flame that engulfed the arrow that appeared out of nowhere. With a calm, collected breath, Mercer released the arrow as he said, ¡°True Shot.¡± Without warning, a line of fire shot fast towards Binky. The arrow was so fast no one was able to keep up with it. It shocked the others as Binky¡¯s head, where its damaged eye was, suddenly exploded with a large flame. The amount of pain and damage that was done, made Binky open its jaws and let out a loud painful hiss. As Binky lowered its mouth during its head thrashing about, Artem¡¯s body fell down and rolled away from the massive creature. Ariyana quickly raced over to Artem as Binky reared its head up, making everyone ready for one last push, but relaxed as it let out one last long hiss before falling to the ground, sending everyone a notification.
¡°Binky, The Giant Albino Crocolisk has been defeated!¡±
Liam, ignoring the rest of the notifications coming in, stared at Artem who was laying on the ground through one open eye while breathing heavily. He could feel his heart thumping hard against his chest as he scanned Artem¡¯s body for movement. He got out of Blair¡¯s arms and tried to crawl, but stopped as he felt his muscles tense up again. He didn¡¯t tense because of the Paralyze debuff, that had already disappeared. His body was tensing up due to fatigue and his stamina bar being at ten percent. After a long fearful moment of looking for signs of life, Liam saw Artem¡¯s chest moving up and down. Liam felt his body relax as a smile slowly grew. ¡°Hey guys!¡± Artem called out grabbing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I think I may have found out why that crocolisk was named Binky.¡± With a trembling hand and shaking arm, Artem raised an object in the air for everyone to see. It was a small pink binky. ¡°I found this lodged between its teeth,¡± Artem stated with a small chuckle. Everyone stared at the object with a dumbfounded look. After a moment of silence from the others, Liam broke it as he started to let out a painful laugh that led into a cough. The others burst into laughter too after realizing the absurdity behind the name calling. ¡°The guy almost gets eaten and the first thing he says is he found out why it was named Binky,¡± Roman chuckled, gripping his sides. Ariyana slapped Artem¡¯s arm as he got into a sitting position. As they all started to stop laughing, Avery, and Roman made their way to Ariyana and Artem. Blair and Mercer watched Liam as he slowly got to his feet. They could see how tired his body was as his arms swayed left to right in front of him while he had his back hunched over. Liam had conflicting emotions running through his mind as he got up and the comical emotion of the name calling had passed. He was happy Artem was safe, however, he was frustrated with himself that he wasn¡¯t able to do anything to stop it from happening. Thank god he¡¯s safe. Liam started thinking. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if he wasn¡¯t. That thought led to another as he started to grow a bit anxious. What would have happened if he didn¡¯t come back from that alive? Would they curse me? Would they hate me? Hate me like¡­ Images flashed before Liam¡¯s eyes. They were too quick for him to see what they were, but the bit of scenery he was able to see made him know when and where they were from. Liam felt a lump form in his throat as his thoughts started to swirl again. Maybe I should have warned them beforehand about what I had learned from Eri¡­ No. What good would it have done if I had told them before entering¡­We could have planned better for situations like that. Liam could feel himself start to swirl back into the negative emotions he had felt earlier. But what if the team¡¯s morale worsened because I had told them before we entered. What if they decided they wanted to join someone else¡¯s team for their safety and they left me alone¡­ Calm yourself Liam. Eri said in a soothing voice. If you continue to go down this thought pattern you could break your mind. One of my teammates almost died. Liam hissed, feeling the anxiety and frustration start to overwhelm him. Not only because they weren¡¯t prepared for possible death, but because I lost sight of the fight and allowed it to¡­ Calm yourself Liam! Eri shouted, bringing Liam¡¯s attention to her words. Liam could feel the worry that was laced in Eri¡¯s tone. Death is inevitable for everyone. Eri started. Do not beat yourself up for variables that you have no control over. Liam stayed silent as he listened to Eri chastise him. Artem slipping on that rock was something no one could have predicted to happen. Eri continued. Things like this happens in fights, life threatening fights. You are no longer in a place where things can be safe. I don¡¯t know what you went through before coming here, but this is your life now. Unexpected and close calls will happen. People will die and there is nothing you will be able to do sometimes. Do not make yourself believe you are some omnipotent person who can save everyone and make sure others avoid situations like this. This is reality! Get a grip and accept that you can not do this all on your own! Eri¡¯s words stung deep as she said them. However, deep down, Liam knew them to be true. He made thousands of plans for as many situations he could think of. He spent long nights going over all the possibilities he believed could happen and counter measures for them. However, he forgot the most fundamental thing when making plans. Not all plans go the way you want them to. Liam mentally whispered to Eri. Correct. Eri said softly. Adjusting plans on the fly is the only thing you can do, but you can¡¯t do that when you succumb to doubt and guilt. That¡¯s why you need to have others there to catch you when you slip. Liam nodded at her words. I know you were against telling them about the fact they can die in this dungeon, but I think you should tell them. Eri suggested. But what if¡­ Liam started. If they leave you then they were never meant to be by your side. That¡¯s all it comes down to. Eri bluntly stated. Liam felt his body slump at what she said. However¡­ Eri started up again. I think you should give these guys more credit. I don¡¯t think they would leave you. Be mad at you yes, but leave you¡­I don¡¯t think so. So go tell them. I¡¯m sure they are worried about you. Liam looked up at the others and saw they were eyeing him. Concern and worry were etched on their faces as they waited for him to speak. Unsure how to proceed, Liam opened his mouth, but then closed it as he thought over what to say. As his mind started to whirl again, he felt two hands touch him. One on both shoulder. He looked to see Mercer on one side while Blair stood on the other, each giving him a nod that they were ready to listen. Liam let out a sigh as he straightened his body. With a look of worry mixed with resolve, he stated, ¡°I need to tell you guys something that I found out on the last floor. Something that I know you¡¯re not going to like at all.¡± ¡°What is it, Liam?¡± Roman asked as he stared at him. Liam let out another long breath he sucked in. After releasing all the air, he stated, ¡°There is nothing protecting our lives here.¡± Confused by what he was saying, Ariyana questioned, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What I mean is¡­,¡± Liam hesitated. Summoning as much courage as he could he finally said, ¡°We can die in this dungeon.¡± Tutorial 80 - Whispers from Beyond Avery, Ariyana, Artem, Blair, Mercer, and Roman stared at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Artem tried again. ¡°Adva and Phorge said there¡¯s magic that¡­¡± Liam gave him a sad expression and interrupted, ¡°If this was a normal dungeon, yes, that magic would prevent us from dying.¡± ¡°But this is not a normal dungeon,¡± Mercer stated as he kept his eyes on Liam. Liam nodded as his gaze looked toward the ground. ¡°Where did you get this information from?¡± Mercer questioned, narrowing his eyes. Liam hesitated, still not sure if he should mention Eri or not. It¡¯s okay. Eri stated, giving Liam some encouragement. You can tell them I told you. Liam gulped. After a moment he finally said, ¡°A Goddess told me.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You spoke with a Goddess?!¡± Artem exclaimed, shock written over his face. ¡°What was her name?¡± Avery questioned, intrigued by this new information. ¡°What did she look like?¡± Roman asked. Ariyana scoffed at Roman¡¯s question as she commented, ¡°Of course you would want to know what she looked like.¡± She then gave Liam a wide grin and asked, ¡°What is she the Goddess of?¡± Roman glared at her. Liam brought his face up to look at them, confused that they were more interested in Eri than him saying they could die in this dungeon. ¡°Did you guys not hear me?¡± Liam started as frustration started to build up within him. ¡°We can die in this dungeon. I almost got Artem killed because I didn¡¯t tell anyone about this!¡± Everyone looked at him and noticed the struggle of emotions swirling in his facial expression. Mercer and Blair gave him a warm and sad look. Eri let out a long and loud laugh. Your group is pretty damn amusing. Eri said between her laughing. ¡°We heard you,¡± Roman bluntly stated not caring how his tone sounded. ¡°Then why are you guys acting like it doesn¡¯t matter?¡± Liam asked, his tone almost sounded like he was pleading for someone to explain their behavior. ¡°We knew there was a chance that was the case with this dungeon,¡± Avery replied as she placed a hand on Liam¡¯s shoulder, trying to ease his emotions. Liam looked at her, still wrought with confusion. ¡°What do you mean you knew there was a chance?¡± ¡°Well, these past few days we all talked about there being a possibility,¡± Blair chimed in. ¡°We prepared ourselves for the chance that it could be a thing and did what we could to make sure we wouldn¡¯t die.¡± Liam looked at her, his mouth slowly dropped open. ¡°We were hoping you would be there for those talks, but you secluded yourself in your crafts and training,¡± Ariyana added. ¡°It was hard to pin you down, so we decided not to tell you because you were already pushing yourself hard enough to make sure we had enough health, mana, and stamina potions,¡± Artem commented. ¡°Plus working on your Blacksmithing so you could repair our armor,¡± Avery added. ¡°Also, your magic training, which by the way your Shadow and Lunar magic is wicked,¡± Blair stated. ¡°Also, your physical training,¡± Roman said. ¡°You haven¡¯t let up even once since we started this group.¡± ¡°Not to mention the amount of time you put into studying your Knowledge Theories and devising strategies for our fights,¡± Blair proclaimed. ¡°We know how much effort you put into the group,¡± Mercer said with a calm and warm smile. ¡°We wanted to lessen your worries so we didn¡¯t want to say anything about the possibility of us dying so you wouldn¡¯t stress yourself to the point it hindered your sanity.¡± ¡°However, we failed to noticed exactly how much effort you have been putting in. These last two fights became a real eye opener for us,¡± Blair commented as she frowned. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± Roman said as a scowl formed on his face. ¡°You keep surprising us with each new thing you pull out and how far you go for our safety or sake.¡± Roman¡¯s hands tightened into a fist and started to shake as he added, ¡°Even though we thought we were prepared for any situation, we still froze when Artem was eaten by Binky.¡± Roman¡¯s angry expression turned to Liam as he continued, ¡°You were the only one who reacted and dove straight in without a care to himself. I thought I had resolved myself to fight as hard as I could even if it killed me, but when you used Static Grasp while still in the river, I realized my resolve is nowhere where it should have been. I am ashamed of myself for that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all ashamed of ourselves for freezing up like that,¡± Ariyana stated softly. She then looked at Liam with a sad, but thankful look and added, ¡°It was thanks to what you did and what you were shouting that we were able to snap out of it and be able to get Artem out in time.¡± Artem gave Liam a thankful smile as his eyes softened. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± Liam stared at each of them, not sure what to say. ¡°We know we don¡¯t fully know you and what you have gone through in the past. However, we do know the amount of work you put in for not just your safety, but ours as well,¡± Mercer said with a warm smile. Mercer¡¯s warm smile faded and was replaced with a look of concern and worried, ¡°We also know you like to hide and hold back on telling us things.¡± ¡°We want you to know that you can tell us, but only when you¡¯re ready to tell us. Do not hold everything in, to the point where you lose yourself,¡± Blair stated. ¡°We are a team now and a team takes everything on together.¡± Liam looked at Blair. As he listened to them his worries started to slowly fade away. He swallowed the feelings that were threatening to come out. Releasing a breath of air he didn¡¯t realize he had been holding in, he stated, ¡°I have many things I haven¡¯t told you. Many things I would like to just forget. It will take some time before I can allow myself to talk about them, but I am willing to talk about some things that I have recently found out that worried me about telling you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a start,¡± Mercer said. ¡°How about we break for today. We can gather the loot and set up a camp here after going over it since there¡¯s water close by.¡± He pointed to the river as he finished. He then turned to the others and asked, ¡°Try and see if there is any smooth areas where we can set up camp.¡± ¡°You got it,¡± the others said. Mercer looked back at Liam and started back up, ¡°We can all talk about what you want to after we set up camp. I also want to hear more about this Goddess you met.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Liam said with a nod, feeling mixed emotions from this. On the one hand, it went a little better than he had thought it would go, but on the other he realized that they knew he was hiding stuff from them. That group of yours is a lot more capable than I thought they would be. Eri said in his mind. Liam watched as they looked around the area. They truly are something. Liam replied before turning to his notifications.
¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-stat Vitality has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 21%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Fortitude Sub-stat Cognition Perseverance has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 91%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Dagger has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 31%!¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Congratulations! Blanket of Darkness has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Mental Resistance ¨C Whispers from Beyond!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resistance ¨C Whispers from Beyond has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resistance ¨C Whispers from Beyond has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resistance ¨C Whispers from Beyond has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resistance ¨C Whispers from Beyond has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 90%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Non-Combat ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! New additions to Perception of the Control Tower ability: Can show a monster or target¡¯s health and mana bars after assessing once. Raise your Knowledge Theory on the topic to unlock other additions for this level.¡±
Confused by this new Mental Resistance, Liam looked up what it was.
¡°Whispers from Beyond ¨C A passive debuff that accumulates the more one uses Shadow magic. Hidden beings inside the shadows whisper in the ears and mind of the one using Shadow magic. These whispers aim to confuse, distract, or even madden the user the more they use Shadow magic within a certain time span. The whispers grow louder as time goes on and the more the magic is used. Effects are stronger depending on the user¡¯s state of mind.¡±
Liam stared at the description. His eyes widening the more he read. No wonder I was seeing those images and hearing those voices. I could have lost myself if the fight kept going. Liam thought. I¡¯m going to have to limit myself on using Shadow magic. A thought came to mind as he remembered a passage in the book he had received from Eri on Shadow and Lunar magic. He remembered the warning it gave about using the two types of magic. If Shadow magic has this type of negative effect I wonder if Lunar magic has something similar. Liam thought to himself. It does, but the side effects of Lunar magic is more with sight and possible internal damage. Eri stated. Liam frowned as Eri answered his mental question. He forgot that she could read or hear his thoughts, which made him feel uncomfortable. Eri laughed. That frown of yours says you think I can read thoughts. No, I cannot do such things. I was just lucky in guessing what you were thinking because I can see what you¡¯re looking at and your facial expressions. Curious, Liam asked, So you can¡¯t read my thoughts? How does this connection work then? It¡¯s more of a mental connection. Eri started to explain. If you mentally project your thoughts to me I can hear them. If you do not focus your thoughts to me then I cannot hear it. Feeling a bit relived he questioned, So it¡¯s kind of like telepathy? In a sense yes. Eri answered. Telepathy is a whole different type of magic though. You can think of it more like a divine communication. We deities need ways to converse with our followers and this is how we do it. Duly noted. Liam mentally said to her. Thank you for telling me this. No problem. Eri cheerily said. I may be a Goddess but even I know the importance of personal space. After all I don¡¯t want my Champion to feel so uncomfortable he thinks I am more of a hinderance than a blessing. Liam shook his head. I¡¯m not your Champion. Not yet, you¡¯re not. Eri swiftly stated. Liam didn¡¯t respond to her and just looked at the new addition to his Perception of the Control Tower. If I¡¯m reading this right¡­I basically unlocked a feature that gives monsters a health and mana bar without having to constantly assess them. Liam thought. That is helpful in so many ways. I don¡¯t have to waste time trying to assess it over and over in a fight. That¡¯s an interesting ability. Eri commented. Curious to Eri¡¯s comment, Liam asked her, Wouldn¡¯t this be a common thing people would have? I think it would be common sense to have it since it¡¯s so helpful. No. Eri flatly said. Everyone has their own way of doing things and what would be common sense to you wouldn¡¯t be to others. This ability is one not many would so eagerly go out of their way to learn, since they want to focus on other things like power or more magical abilities. Liam thought about what she had said. He nodded agreeing with her. It¡¯s a very useful ability to have when you want to keep an eye out on your group. Its value has grown even more since I can keep an eye on the enemies health and mana now as well. Very useful indeed. Eri agreed. You keep surprising me each time I watch you. Keep it up. Liam rolled his eyes at that last comment while making his way towards Mercer and asked, ¡°Did you loot the body?¡± Mercer turned to look at him and said, ¡°Yes, there was a weapon and this book.¡± ¡°What weapon and book dropped?¡± Roman asked as he and the others approached them. ¡°First, this,¡± Mercer started as he pulled out a long handled single bladed Battle axe. The handle was long and smooth giving the look like it was made out of a study bone. In the middle and the bottom edge of the handle were metal hand holds. The blade itself was big enough that it covered almost over a fourth of the handle. The blade portion had a crimson hue around the edge where sharp serrated edges protruded every few inches from the top to the bottom. Liam assessed it.
¡°Binky¡¯s Bone Battle Axe. Item Type ¨C Two Handed Battle Axe. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. Effect ¨C Crocolisk Scale Shift. Crocolisk Scale Shift ¨C by pouring mana into the weapon the user can harden the blade with jagged stone scales or smooth the blade with soft but sharp scales.¡±
¡°What do you think? Do you want it since your weapon broke?¡± Liam asked Blair as she eyed the weapon. Mercer handed it to her and watched as she took a few steps back, gripped the handle and started swinging it around. The group watched as the blade part of the weapon hardened with thick rock like scales and then smoothed out sharply before switching back to its normal shape. After moving around and swinging the battle axe, Blair set the bottom of the handle down and said with a satisfied grin, ¡°This will do nicely. It feels easier to swing too since I got my weapon skill up.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Mercer stated with a nod. ¡°The next item that dropped was this book.¡± Mercer pulled out a medium sized tannish colored book. Liam assessed the item.
¡°Beginner¡¯s guide to Taming. Contains the Knowledge Theory ¨C Taming monsters. Item type ¨C Knowledge Theory. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C This book contains the Knowledge Theory behind how to tame monsters. After reaching a certain level of Knowledge Theory, the reader can obtain the Field of Taming. Requirements ¨C must have Field of the Charmed. Must have Focus Point Charisma and Focus Point Entice and Distract.¡±
Liam gave a chuckle after reading the description. He then turned to look at Ariyana and said, ¡°I think this book is tailored to you specifically Ariyana.¡± As Ariyana looked at the book her eyes started to light up. With a look of excitement and hope she asked, ¡°Are you guys sure?¡± The others nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t meet the requirements to learn this. Only you do,¡± Mercer said with a smile as he handed her the book. Ariyana took it and hugged it tightly. She lowered her head a bit and said with a smile that spread so wide everyone thought she¡¯d hurt herself if she tried smiling any wider, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a pet.¡± ¡°Well now you can have one,¡± Liam said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Ariyana nodded enthusiastically as a few tears started to form. Confused, everyone looked at her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Artem asked. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt anywhere are you?¡± Ariyana shook her head as she wiped away the tears. ¡°No, sorry. I¡¯m just happy. My parents refused to let me have a pet. So, getting this and hearing you guys say its ok¡­I just¡­I¡¯m just happy.¡± ¡°I can understand how you feel,¡± Avery said, understanding exactly how she felt. Back on her home world, her parents refused to let her have a pet of her own. The reason they gave her was she had too many responsibilities already. ¡°However,¡± Avery started back up. ¡°We¡¯re not your parents. If you want a pet then get one. As long as it is properly trained and doesn¡¯t try to eat any of us then it should be fine right?¡± Liam and Mercer gave them concerned looks as Liam asked, ¡°Are they seriously calling a soon to be tamed monster a pet?¡± Mercer shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t fight their logic. It¡¯ll only cause issues.¡± Liam shook his head at Mercer¡¯s words. ¡°Alright, have any of you found a good spot to set up camp?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°The only good spot that can work is across the river,¡± Blair stated as she pointed. ¡°Hm, I guess it¡¯ll have to do,¡± Mercer muttered as he looked over there. The ground looked to be free of jagged stones and rocks and was covered in sand a little farther from the river bend. Mercer turned to Liam and asked, ¡°Have you harvested Binky yet?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go ahead and do that. I¡¯ll meet you guys over there in a moment,¡± Liam replied as he turned to the monster. Once when he reached Binky¡¯s body, he reached out a hand and said, ¡°Harvest.¡± Binky¡¯s giant body shone and suddenly disappeared after a few seconds had passed.
¡°You have received Crocolisk meat x 10.¡± ¡°You have received Crocolisk Scale x 25.¡± ¡°You have received Giant sturdy Crocolisk bone x 10.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Gathering Craft has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 60%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Class Ability Harvest has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 60%!¡±
¡°Damn that was a good haul,¡± Liam muttered as he turned to head for the river bend. As he turned, however, he stopped and stared at Artem and Blair who were standing there. ¡°What are you guys doing? Weren¡¯t we going over there?¡± Liam asked as he eyed them. ¡°Yeah, we are,¡± Artem said. ¡°We were just waiting for you,¡± Blair added as she put her great axe away. ¡°How come?¡± Liam asked. Artem gave him a soft smile. ¡°We wanted to make sure you weren¡¯t too tired to swim across. That last fight tired most of us out so we wanted to make sure you could make it without any issues.¡± Taken aback from what he said, Liam looked at Blair who nodded to agree with what Artem said. ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam said, trying to figure out what to say. He was still feeling a bit guilty about not saying anything to them about the possibility of dying being an actuality. Even though they said they had a feeling and were prepared for it, he still felt bad for withholding the information. ¡°You don¡¯t need to push yourself man,¡± Blair stated. ¡°We¡¯re a team. And as long as we are we will support each other till the end.¡± Artem nodded agreeing with her. Liam let out a sigh. ¡°Ok I understand. I should be fine getting across, but if I need help I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Artem and Blair replied as they headed for the water. Tutorial 81 - Campfire Discussion After Liam and the group had arrived on the other side of the river, they took their time setting up camp. It took them almost a half an hour to get the tents in order and a firepit going. Liam had discovered his Small Creation Knowledge from his Construction Craft Focus Point came in handy when setting the tents and making a firepit. This allowed him to level it up to level two. The knowledge allowed him to know where it was ideal for the tents to be placed without any issues and how far the firepit needed to be away from the tents along with how big it needed to be for Artem to be able to cook with it. After setting everything up they made some seats out of rocks, big enough for them to sit, they had found. Liam had already given Artem the Crocolisk meat he had received when harvesting Binky¡¯s body. He had decided he would use some of it in the dinner he was going to make. Once when they had settled and sat close to the firepit while Artem started to make dinner, Mercer started up the conversation. ¡°So¡­are you ready to tell us what you¡¯d like to?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Personally, I¡¯d like to ask what happened during our fights with the Askith Wight Commander and Binky that had caused you to¡­lose yourself, but if that is something you¡¯d wish to not talk about then we will listen to all you wish to say.¡± Liam looked at Mercer. He was silent as he tried to go over everything he was willing to say. After overthinking everything, he finally let out a sigh and responded, ¡°I will touch on that a bit after I go over what I found out during the fourth floor. But I don¡¯t think I am ready to go into full details on it.¡± Avery, Blair, and Mercer nodded as the others watched Liam in silence, waiting to hear what he was going to say. Liam let out another sigh as he started, ¡°At the end of the fourth floor, before meeting up with you guys I met a Goddess. She wasn¡¯t there in person, but more like a spiritual representation of herself appeared before me.¡± Liam looked at everyone and asked, ¡°Do you remember the two statues we saw at the beginning of the fourth floor?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Well, it turns out they both represent two different deities,¡± Liam continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the other, but the one with the maniacal grin and holding a short staff with different shades of red and grey arrows of different lengths shooting out from a black orb. That was the one I met.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes rose. ¡°Do you know what Goddess she was?¡± Roman asked. Now that Roman brought that up he realized he never asked Eri what kind of Goddess she was. What are you the Goddess of Eri? Liam asked her. That¡¯s something you can know when you become my Champion. Eri stated noncommittally. Until then, I won¡¯t tell you. Liam frowned at her words. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask her, so I don¡¯t know what she is the Goddess of,¡± Liam responded. ¡°Then how do you know she was a Goddess at all?¡± Blair questioned. Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the question. He never thought about that. He only assumed she was one because she had told him. Oh, we have a thinker here. Eri commented. I wouldn¡¯t have pegged her to be cautious and use her head. ¡°I think it is safe to say she was,¡± Mercer stated. Everyone looked at him. ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± Blair asked. ¡°What if she was a Floor Boss pretending to be one.¡± ¡°For three reasons,¡± Mercer started. ¡°One, if she was a Floor Boss pretending to be a Goddess, Liam wouldn¡¯t have been able to clear the floor until he defeated her. Since he was able to walk out without issues is the first point.¡± Mercer looked at Liam and added, ¡°Secondly, you said she wasn¡¯t there in person. It was only a spiritual representation of her, right?¡± Liam nodded. Mercer looked at the others and finished, ¡°Thirdly, no one should be able to appear in our Tutorial Dungeon floors. The only exception to there being anyone on the same floor as us is the last floor. People call it the Raid Floor.¡± Roman was about to say something but was stopped as Mercer lifted a hand up and continued, ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you all about that later. If no one is able to appear on the floors with us where we are then that only means beings who don¡¯t follow the rules would be able to. Those beings would be Deities.¡± The others thought about what he had said. Following his logic, they could agree with him. They knew that Mercer was smart and well informed. If he had researched into something and believed in it then they would as well. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that,¡± Blair said. I like this guy. Eri stated in Liam¡¯s mind. He goes over all the facts before coming to a conclusion. I¡¯m sure Lil Isis would love to have him. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Blair apologized to Liam. ¡°Please continue.¡± ¡°My talk with her had several eye opening things about this dungeon,¡± Liam started back up. ¡°I asked if this was a Forbidden Path and she told me it is and isn¡¯t.¡± The other¡¯s furrowed their brows. Before anyone could ask what he meant, Liam continued, ¡°I¡¯m still unsure about all the details but the path our dungeon turned into was the results of someone tampering with it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mercer asked as he pulled out his notebook and started writing in it. ¡°So, when we entered the first floor it was a normal dungeon, however, after we entered the second floor it changed. That change was made due to someone or something tampering with it.¡± ¡°Tampering with a Dungeon path?¡± Artem asked as his brows furrowed again. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam said. ¡°She never told me how or even who did it. I¡¯m not sure she knows. However, she did tell me it became a Forbidden Path because of two reasons. First, because it became a Deity¡¯s Trial Path.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°A Deity¡¯s Trail path?¡± Mercer questioned with a confused look. ¡°It¡¯s a path that is created when a Deity finds interest in someone and has them face stronger than normal monsters. At the end they offer a Blessing to them and if they really like you they make you their champion.¡± Mercer¡¯s pen dropped at what Liam had said. He stared at him with his mouth agape. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Ariyana and Roman shouted. ¡°Are you saying that the reason why we are fighting these strong as hell monsters is because this goddess is testing us?¡± Roman questioned with an excited look growing. ¡°That¡¯s partly right,¡± Liam corrected. ¡°However, it¡¯s not all of us, but me.¡± The others looked at him. ¡°That would make sense since she appeared before you and not any of us,¡± Avery said as she thought about it. Liam noticed a weird look quickly pass over her before she looked back at him. Roman¡¯s look of excitement dimmed as he muttered, ¡°Damn it. I was hoping I was some sort of chosen.¡± There¡¯s always a chance they could receive a Blessing if they do well during their fights. Eri informed. Many Deities take into consideration the team, the one who they are interested in, has grouped with. It also depends on if any one on the team that person is in has a Blessing from other Deities or not as well as compatibility. ¡°Don¡¯t pout Roman,¡± Liam said with a slight chuckle. ¡°She did say that the Deity who performs the Trial Path takes the team into consideration as well.¡± Roman¡¯s expression lit back up as he stared at Liam. ¡°I guess they take into consideration how well the team does with the one they wish to bestow the blessing on or want as a Champion. Not only that but it also depends on if anyone on that team has a Blessing from another Deity,¡± Liam explained. ¡°You keep saying Champion,¡± Mercer noted. ¡°What does a Champion mean?¡± Liam realized he didn¡¯t know either. He had never asked before since he had declined the offer. Eri¡­what is a Deity¡¯s Champion? Liam asked. Why? Are you finally going to accept? Eri asked with some amusement in her tone. Liam frowned at her response. He then said to her, It¡¯s just I never asked you about it before? Well, I won¡¯t tell you unless you agree to become mine. Eri said teasingly. Not wanting to play her games, Liam responded, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Party pooper. Eri chided. ¡°Hm,¡± Mercer responded as he scratched the side of his head with the back side of his pen. ¡°Anyways, the problem here though isn¡¯t the fact that this is a Deity¡¯s Trial path. If it was then it wouldn¡¯t be a Forbidden Path,¡± Liam continued. ¡°Apparently what makes this part of a Forbidden Path is because no one was ever supposed to take her trial.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Ariyana asked, confused by how Liam said it. ¡°Why is no one ever suppose to take her Trial?¡± Blair questioned as her eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam said, realizing he never asked the basic questions. At the time when he met Eri, he wasn¡¯t interested in getting caught up in stuff he didn¡¯t know about and just wanted to be done with the floor. ¡°Hold on,¡± Mercer interjected. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. If no one is ever supposed to take her trial, then why did she have you take it?¡± Liam looked at Mercer. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. When we met, even she was confused as to why I was there. Eri, that¡¯s the goddess¡¯ name, believes that her sister has something to do with me appearing before her.¡± ¡°Eri?¡± everyone muttered. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting name for a goddess,¡± Ariyana stated with a brow raised. ¡°I think its short for something or it could just be an alias, but that¡¯s what she said I could call her,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Anyways, I guess there¡¯s more behind me meeting her, but I¡¯m not sure. As we talked she told me outright she wanted me as her Champion.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes rose at what he said. ¡°What did you say?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°I said no,¡± Liam responded as he averted his gaze from theirs. Artem¡¯s, Ariyana¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s jaws dropped while they stared at him with disbelief. Avery shook her head with a slight smile. Mercer and Blair gave a slight chuckle. ¡°Why?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Why did you pass this chance up?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°Because I don¡¯t fully know who she is,¡± Liam responded as he looked back at them. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to commit to something that I have no knowledge or understanding of. Not only that, but if someone you just met told you to become theirs, would you accept right there?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ariyana shook her head, understanding where he was coming from. ¡°What did she say or do when you refused her,¡± Blair asked. ¡°Apparently it made her want me more as her Champion. She is giving me time to think about it and has given me until we finish the last floor of this dungeon to give her an answer,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Have you been thinking about it?¡± Mercer asked. Liam lifted his head up and stared at the ceiling as he said, ¡°I have. It was one of the many things that¡¯s been on my mind.¡± ¡°As long as you properly think about it and give a response after that then I¡¯m sure she will be happy,¡± Blair said. ¡°You mentioned that taking her trial was part of the reason why this is a Forbidden Path, what is the other reason?¡± Mercer questioned, wanting to bring this conversation along. ¡°Do you remember what this dungeon is called for us?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Graveyard of the Forgotten Realm,¡± Mercer answered with his brows furrowed. ¡°What¡¯s the name got to do with anything?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing. Someone tampered with our dungeon making it a Forgotten Realm dungeon,¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m not one hundred percent sure, but Eri said that someone connected our path to one that shouldn¡¯t have appeared and the keyword to prove it is Forgotten Realm.¡± ¡°What does the words Forgotten Realm have to do with it being a Forbidden Path?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°Apparently there are many Forgotten Realms out there,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Each Forgotten Realm has a theme. Since we discovered that this Forgotten Realm has to do with the Askith and seeing as how there was no mention of the nation in the history you read. I want to guess that they hold history of things that were forgotten. Or maybe something important enough that it was purposely forgotten.¡± Mercer stared at Liam, a little excitement starting to blossom inside his chest as he tried to keep his composure. However, his tail swished in the back betraying his calm and collected expression. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying the Forgotten Realms have information that no one knows anymore?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only a guess,¡± Liam said. ¡°We still don¡¯t know much about these Forgotten Realms or Forbidden Paths so I¡¯m going out on a limb here,¡± Liam said. ¡°But why us? And why this Forgotten Realm?¡± Artem asked, trying to think everything over as he poured in the vegetables and cooked meat into a pot over the fire. ¡°Do you think it was the doing of¡­Eri¡¯s¡­,¡± Artem tried saying her name as if he almost forgot it, ¡°Sister?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Me meeting her was her doing, according to Eri, but in regards to tampering with this dungeon, she didn¡¯t know who was responsible for that.¡± After thinking something over, Ariyana gave Liam a concerned look and asked, ¡°Do you think it was Steve? I mean, he¡¯s the only one I can think of whose been actively after you.¡± ¡°At first I was thinking it was him too,¡± Liam started as he turned his attention to her. ¡°However, I don¡¯t think it was him. He doesn¡¯t have the power to be able to affect a dungeon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, to be able to affect a dungeon and the path people take in it, one has to have an absurd amount of¡­¡± Mercer¡¯s words trailed off as he was talking when something popped into his mind. His head snapped towards to Liam as he asked, ¡°You think a deity has something to do with this don¡¯t you?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°But why would a Deity go out of their way to do something like this?¡± Ariyana asked as she started to get nervous. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about that,¡± Liam said as he took a deep breath. This next bit of information he was debating on whether he should say something or not. It could very well show if this group of people were truly trustworthy or not. His life was about to be given to them for saying. ¡°I believe it might have to do with something that Eri had told me,¡± Liam started with a shaky breath. The others noticed the hesitation Liam was showing. They knew if he was hesitating then it was something that was weighing heavily on him. ¡°What do you guys know about Zodiacs?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Zodiacs?¡± everyone muttered with a confused look. ¡°Zodiacs have to do with the month and day you were born,¡± Roman answered, still confused. ¡°That part is insignificant,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Each Zodiac gives a person a special ability.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°What else do you know about them? Have you looked into it at all?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Mercer stated with a confused look. ¡°I have looked into all of them.¡± ¡°Are you sure you looked into all of them?¡± Liam questioned. Mercer¡¯s brows furrowed as he thought it over. He pulled out his notebook he had written into about Zodiacs and their abilities. As he flipped through the pages he stopped and then looked back at Liam. ¡°There¡¯s one that didn¡¯t have any information about them,¡± Mercer started as he looked at Liam. ¡°There is a reason why there¡¯s no information on that Zodiac,¡± Liam started. ¡°They are being hunted down or killed on the spot. Someone deemed it necessary to not include them in that book because of that.¡± ¡°What?¡± the others questioned filled with even more confusion. ¡°Why would a person with a certain Zodiac be hunted or killed on the spot?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°Because of their abilities and a certain ability only a handful of that Zodiac would get,¡± Liam stated. Confused, the others wanted to ask something, but were interrupted as Blair questioned, ¡°What Zodiac is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my Zodiac,¡± Liam said. ¡°What¡¯s your Zodiac?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Gemini,¡± Liam stated. Tutorial 82 - A little bit of what’s been on my mind Everyone stared at Liam as he waited for them to speak. ¡°What is it about Geminis that warranty people to hunt them down and kill them?¡± Artem asked, still confused on the topic. ¡°The reason that is giving to the few, is because they are jealousy of something we Geminis have,¡± Liam said. ¡°Which is?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Dual Classes,¡± Liam replied. The others stared at him in silence. After a moment they looked at him with wide eyes and asked, ¡°You have dual classes? Is that your Zodiac ability?¡± ¡°It is part of the Gemini ability,¡± Liam replied. ¡°The real ability is called Class Fusion where we can fuse the two classes into one for a certain amount of time.¡± Artem and Roman looked impressed. ¡°What¡¯s your second class?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you used your Class Fusion ability?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°I can¡¯t use it,¡± Liam started with a painful look. ¡°My second class is sealed right now.¡± Confused, Ariyana asked, ¡°Why is it sealed? Does it have to do with that thing you said when we first grouped up?¡± Liam nodded. He didn¡¯t want to give them the full details since he was still unsure of everything. His second class was tied in to his other race and since he wasn¡¯t fully sure what it was it would only bring more confusion and unanswered questions. ¡°Damn that sucks,¡± Roman said, feeling sorry for Liam. ¡°It¡¯s all good. I have gotten this far due to all the hard work I¡¯ve put in so it doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡± Liam said giving him an appreciative look. ¡°Hold on,¡± Blair started, thinking something over. ¡°You said the reason that¡¯s given was because of the Dual Class thing, but it doesn¡¯t sound like something to force people to hunt and kill them.¡± Liam was hoping no one would catch that, but at the same time he knew they weren¡¯t stupid to gloss over that detail. ¡°The real reason why Geminis are hunted down is because there¡¯s some Geminis, a very small handful, that are rumored to have an ability that the Gods fear. I don¡¯t know what that ability is and I¡¯m not sure if I have it¡­¡± ¡°An ability that even the Gods fear huh,¡± Mercer muttered. ¡°Then what¡¯s going on here would make sense, but the one thing I don¡¯t understand is¡­how did they know you were a Gemini?¡± ¡°Have you told anyone you are a Gemini?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Besides you guys, no,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Eri knew because of some divine ability she has, but I haven¡¯t told anyone.¡± ¡°Do you think the Gods used their divine ability on you to see that you were?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t met nor felt any presence of a god besides Eri so I don¡¯t¡­,¡± Liam froze before finishing what he was thinking. He wasn¡¯t completely sure, but he remembered something that had happened when he came out of the first floor. Something he had completely forgotten since time had passed over these past few weeks. He quickly pulled it up to reread the description to confirm his suspicions. ¡°Liam?¡± Avery asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mercer and Blair questioned. ¡°Divine Eye ¨C A magic ability that Divine beings use to peer into others minds seeing their stats or other information.¡± Liam¡¯s blood froze as he read the description of the Mental Resilience he had gotten when Nalia tried to forcefully look into his class. That fucking Bitch. Liam growled internally as anger started to stir inside of him. As his anger stirred a new thought popped inside his head. He reread it and a question formed inside him. Eri, I have a question for you? Liam started. Does it have to do with the Divine Eye ability? Eri asked as she too was curious about what was going on. I also have a question too. So, before you ask me, tell me. How did you get the Mental Resilience for this ability? Liam told her about his interaction that had happened on the first day of his arrival. Eri listened to what he told her. She stayed silent afterwards as she started thinking. The others watched as Liam sat there. Even though he didn¡¯t answer their question, from their perspective, he looked to be thinking deeply about something. So, while he was like this, they decided to wait for him to come out of his thoughts. After deliberating things, a small smile grew on her face as she said, The more I learn about you the more I come to understand why you appeared in my Trial Path. I swear your luck is amazing. Confused by what she said, Liam asked, What do you mean? First, I am going to assume you¡¯re going to ask if this Nalia is a Goddess in disguise right? Eri asked. Taken aback, Liam answered, Yes. My reasoning is because this is an ability used by Divine beings. That¡¯s why I am confused. Eri nodded at his logic. I will help clear your confusion. First, Nalia is not a Deity. Deities can not appear in the Tutorial Areas. They can help in ways, but they themselves can not appear. The pressure they exude would be too much for you and freshly transported beings to handle. Are the Deities that strong? Liam asked. Eri let out a laugh. The strength of a Deity is something beyond what you can imagine. To even be able to take that first step onto the path of Divinity requires a lot of power. To be honest, ninety-nine point five percent of the population wont be able to even reach the requirements to start that path. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Liam was shocked to hear Eri¡¯s proclamation. So then if Nalia isn¡¯t a Deity in disguise then what is she? She¡¯s a Deity¡¯s Champion. Eri stated. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. Probably Lil Isis¡¯ Champion. Eri stated. Isis¡¯ thirst for knowledge is borderline Sin worthy. But if Nalia isn¡¯t a Deity, but a Champion, then how is she able to use Divine Eye? Liam asked, still confused. Eri let out a sigh. I wasn¡¯t going to tell you anything about Deity¡¯s Champions, but I guess a little teaser will show you how great being one is. Liam remained silent as he waited for Eri to continue. Being a Champion to a Deity comes with responsibilities and benefits. Eri started. When you become a Champion you receive a Performance Gauge. By performing tasks we assign to you, you fill this gauge. When the gauge is filled you receive a benefit. Liam nodded as he understood what she was talking about. The benefits can range from spells, special attacks, armor, weapons, and more. The benefits depend on two things. The level of the gauge, and the amount of followers the Deity has. Eri continued. Confused by that last part, Liam asked, What do followers have to do with anything? Followers are everything to a Deity. Eri said. The more a Deity has, the more tasks can be done in their name spreading the Deity¡¯s Nature and Influence upon the world. Liam was about to ask a question about that, but was cut off as Eri started back up. I wont go into a Deity¡¯s Nature and Influence until you become my Champion. However, I will say that the Champion of a Deity is like the central figure amongst the followers. The Champion can assign tasks that the Deity has given them to get things done quicker. The followers in turn receive benefits as well once when the Champion¡¯s Performance Guage is full. Thinking about how she explained it, Liam stated, So its kind of like a shared quest like in video games? Everyone has the same quest and when either an individual or the collective finishes it they all receive the rewards? In a sense, yes. Eri said with a smile. She was happy that Liam was able to pick up on it quickly. However, I will also add, with benefits comes consequences. Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. Explain. When the Performance Gauge is full and the Champions chooses to accept the benefit, they gain a debuff that they suffer for a certain amount of time. What that debuff is depends on how strong the Deity¡¯s Nature or Influence is and how high the level of the Performance Gauge is. It starts off small, unnoticeable at the beginning, but as the level raises, the more persistent or heavier it is. Liam clicked his tongue as he muttered softly, ¡°Damn checks and balances.¡± This caught the attention of the others who were waiting patiently. Liam noticed this and waved it off. Eri gave a short laugh as she agreed with Liam¡¯s statement. That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t gain things without paying the price adequately of the benefit. However, the consequences the Champion suffers can be shared amongst the followers if they are willing and the Champion chooses to. Well at least there¡¯s that. Liam stated. Going back to the main topic though. Eri said. The reason why Nalia has the Divine Eye ability is because as a Champion, she received the ability. What if she is just a follower and received it as a benefit? Liam asked. Eri shook her head. A Divine ability can not be received as a Follower of a Deity. The only way to receive Divine abilities is through receiving a high level benefit as a Champion while having a Seed of Divinity or having a Seed of Divinity unlocked and having it grow to a certain point. If she is here in the Tutorial Area then the former is what is going than the latter. Hearing this made Liam even more confused. There were more than just the Seed of the Arcana? Liam thought to himself. How many different seeds are there? Almost sensing what Liam was thinking, Eri interjected before he could ask, Before you ask, I will not go into the topics of Seeds. That is something you do not need to learn about for a long time. And again, no she is not a Deity. She has only just begun to step on the path, but has no power in it. So, you¡¯re saying she is a person I can not hope to go against? Liam asked, feeling frustrated. Not right now. Eri said. But if you become my Champion then I can help you to be able to in the future. This was a lot for Liam to take in. There was so much information along with so many unanswered questions he couldn¡¯t process it all properly. I know this is a lot to take in, but as time goes on I will do my best to help you understand it. Eri stated, feeling his frustration. Liam let out a sigh. So, do you think Nalia has something to do with all this then? Eri thought about it. There is a possibility that she is with the backing of Isis, but there is a chance it could be someone else. For now, this Nalia is the closest thing you have as a suspect. Irritation and frustration grew inside of Liam. He really didn¡¯t like not having all of the information. He also didn¡¯t want to put blame on someone without all the facts. Even though he hated Nalia for being the bitch she was, he also didn¡¯t want to accuse her without the proper proof. Thank you Eri. This has given me even more to think about. Liam stated. It¡¯s no problem at all. Eri smiled. After all, you are the one I have chosen to become my Champion so it¡¯s only natural that I help you. Liam chuckled a bit internally as he stated, You say that, but you still refuse to give me all the details. What can I say. Eri said with a small laughed. I find it entertaining to watch you figure it all out on your own without giving you all the information. So, you¡¯re saying you love to cause havoc with my mental state? Liam asked, teasingly. Maybe it¡¯s my nature to do that? Eri said with a laugh. Liam said with an internal shake of his head. That¡¯s what it seems like. Liam let out a long sigh as he looked at the others. ¡°What is it?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Mercer questioned. Liam shook his head. ¡°I might have an idea of someone who might have something to do with all this, but I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Avery asked curiously, wanting to know. ¡°Forget about it for now,¡± Liam said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to accuse someone or have us suspect them without the proper proof.¡± Everyone stared at him. Almost feeling like he could understand what their stares were saying, Liam stated, ¡°It¡¯s not because I don¡¯t trust you guys. I do. If I didn¡¯t I wouldn¡¯t have told you about the whole Gemini thing. It¡¯s just the way I am. I am wary of a lot of things, but I wont put blame on someone for something this size without proper facts. If I have the proper facts then I will tell you.¡± Everyone nodded, understanding what he was saying. ¡°Ok, so let¡¯s move on to the next topic,¡± Liam said. ¡°The reason why I didn¡¯t tell any of you of what I learned on the last floor and why I acted the way I did with the last two EFMs.¡± Everyone stared at Liam, waiting for him to continue. Liam¡¯s nerves had relaxed a bit while he was talking to Eri, but now they were slowly coming back. He took a deep breath in and slowly released it as he said, ¡°I have been fighting internally over these past few days on whether I should have said something or not. On one hand, I felt that by not telling you would keep our morale up since we have been doing so well as a team. I didn¡¯t want to mess up the rhythm we had going on.¡± He looked at them each in the eyes. ¡°On the other, if I did tell you, I felt that the morale would go down, fear would overtake you in critical moments when you need to be able to focus,¡± Liam said honestly. He took another deep breath in and added, ¡°I also thought if I did tell you then you all would decide to leave the group and join someone else¡¯s.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at what he had said. ¡°This ties in with what happened during the last two fights,¡± Liam started back up before anyone could say anything. ¡°Some of the words the Askith Wight Commander had said hit home. I won¡¯t go into a lot of details, but due to a mistake I had made in the past, I was abandoned. When Binky swallowed Artem up, I was hit with a debuff from using Shadow magic too much. That debuff whispered the words that those who had abandoned me swore and cursed at me with. I thought I failed Artem when Binky was able to wrap its jaws around him. I thought because of my actions on not telling you guys the dangers we are facing that I got him killed.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened as they understood what he was saying. Tutorial 83 - Family talks The group was silent as they thought about what Liam had told them. After a couple of minutes had passed Mercer broke the silence as he summarized what Liam had said, ¡°So you¡¯re saying, you thought we would abandon you once when you told us that we could die in this dungeon? Your actions towards Binky was the product of you thinking you got Artem killed because you didn¡¯t tell us? And your actions towards the Askith Wight Commander was because he touched a sore spot? Am I getting that right?¡± Liam grimaced at Mercer¡¯s tone as he nodded. ¡°Withholding vital information to a group, especially information that pertains to the safety of their members is grounds for the members to leave the group since they were not trusted enough to be told anything,¡± Mercer stated with narrowed eyes as he stared at Liam. Liam¡¯s face grew sullen as Mercer continued with a stern look on his face. Blair¡¯s gaze burned as Liam looked at her. Avery¡¯s held a frown while the other had a disappointed look. ¡°The fact is that you chose not to trust us enough to tell us anything until it was too late and had to say something. We have every right to not only hold you responsible for those actions and for any accidents that happen¡­¡± Liam tightened his fists as he looked to the ground and closed his eyes. He had thought they were okay with his actions after the way they acted when he first announced they could die and they only showed interested in Eri. But now Mercer¡¯s cold tone made him believe he was just waiting for him to come clean about some stuff. Maybe the effect of telling them about meeting Eri, but not having a lot of information about her wore off their curious nature and now they were mad. Liam thought. I don¡¯t blame them for this. I did make the mistake. If they choose to leave after this floor run then I¡¯ll just finish this alone. ¡°However,¡± Mercer started back up, this time with a bit more warmth to his words. ¡°That would only be the case if you didn¡¯t put in the effort to make sure we were safe.¡± Liam¡¯s head whipped up as he looked at them. Everyone¡¯s facial expressions were filled with a soft smile. ¡°Like we said earlier, we know how much effort you have been putting into our safety. The type of work that could easily make people tired and exhausted, but you kept pushing and pushing yourself,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t tell us that information because it would have brought the team¡¯s morale down. That kind of thinking isn¡¯t selfish nor is it one to make sure no one would leave you. Team morale and the rhythm the team has is vital when going into fights. You also showed us that you were thinking about the mindset of our team to make sure we wouldn¡¯t lose focus during critical moments of our fights.¡± Liam stared at Mercer. ¡°You say your actions against the Askith Wight Commander was because he touched a sore spot from your past, but you still took him head on alone,¡± Blair jumped in. ¡°I remember what you told Mercer before you fought him. To look for any abilities we might have missed. This told me you were still looking out for us. Not only that but you stood up for me when he talked down on me.¡± ¡°Not only that, but when I was eaten I could hear you yelling at Binky to release me,¡± Artem chimed in. ¡°The others told me how you risked your own life to rescue mine. I am a coward and hate being hurt, but there has been a few times I have witnessed you put yourself into harm¡¯s way for us. Those are not actions of someone who is worth abandoning.¡± Liam watched as they all nodded. ¡°We all have things that make us wary of others and would make us want to only look out for ourselves. We would also not put ourselves out there to help someone we hardly know,¡± Avery stated. ¡°However, you, Liam,¡± Mercer jumped back in. ¡°You are a walking contradiction. I don¡¯t know how or why you are like this, but you act like you are wary of those around you. You have shown that you don¡¯t trust easily, yet you still jump in to save us like you trust us wholeheartedly. Maybe it¡¯s your nature, maybe you¡¯re trying to atone for something we know nothing about, but the truth is you still do everything you can for the safety of a group of strangers you met just a couple of weeks ago.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know what to say to that. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say nice things like the others,¡± Roman said as he started, ¡°But we have a saying back on my home planet. Actions speak louder than words. Your actions have spoken loudly to us. I would never abandon someone who has exhausted themselves for others.¡± A smile slowly grew on Liam¡¯s face as his cheeks started to redden a bit. With a slight cough he said, ¡°Okay I get what you¡¯re all saying.¡± ¡°If you do then good. You owe me a few drinks when we get back,¡± Ariyana said with a teasing pout. ¡°The good kind not the cheap stuff too.¡± Liam¡¯s mouth dropped. ¡°What?¡± Before Ariyana or Liam could say anything else, the others busted out in laughter. ¡°I think you owe us all drinks then,¡± Roman agreed. Liam was still trying to catch up to all of this. Their sudden change from being mad to the soft smile to them now demanding drinks was making his head whirl. Giving up and growing a smile of his own, Liam shook his head. ¡°I just can¡¯t keep up with you guys,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Fine. But only two rounds.¡± ¡°What?! Why only two rounds?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°You guys said so yourselves,¡± Liam started, deciding to join in on the fun. ¡°I have worked my ass off to the point of exhaustion. I stood up for you and even saved a life. I think you all owe me a drink?¡± Mercer let out a long loud laugh. ¡°That¡¯s more like it! Fine! We each buy a round when we get back.¡± The others laughed at this. ¡°Ok, dinner is ready now,¡± Artem announced as he grabbed a bowl and filled it up. He passed out the bowls with utensils and waited for them to dig in. Liam looked into the bowl he was given and was impressed with what he saw. The meal Artem had made was a soup with a creamy liquid, vegetables, spices, and pieces of Crocolisk meat he had cooked and chopped up. Before Artem could sit down everyone let out moans of pleasure as they took a bite into it. He was taken aback at first because he didn¡¯t even see them take the bite. ¡°This is so good,¡± Ariyana stated as she placed a hand on her cheek. A look of pleasure was written on her face. ¡°Damn Artem,¡± Roman said before taking another bite. As he started chewing he said around a mouth full of food, ¡°This is amazing.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Blair glared at Roman as she scolded, ¡°Either eat or talk, don¡¯t do both.¡± She then looked at Artem and agreed, ¡°This really is great.¡± ¡°You guys are just being nice,¡± Artem stated as he took a bite. Liam watched as Artem stared at his bowl. He could see Artem had a boyish grin on his face while he reddened slightly. After Artem swallowed he started muttering to himself, ¡°Hm, could have cooked the vegetables a little more. The spices were alright, but maybe I should have used more salt or pepper on the meat. Maybe a¡­¡± Liam was amused as he watched Artem pick apart the food he made. ¡°Was this not at the level you were hoping for?¡± Liam asked before taking another spoonful. Artem lifted his head up and grew an embarrassed expression before rubbing the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯s decent, but I feel like I could do better,¡± Artem stated shyly. The others looked at Artem with a shocked expression. ¡°What?¡± Artem asked, confused by their looks. ¡°This is amazing already and you¡¯re saying it could improve?¡± Roman stated bluntly. Still rubbing the back of his head Artem explained, ¡°My cooking skills still aren¡¯t that high and I didn¡¯t use an actual recipe so I had to wing it. I¡¯m familiar with cooking vegetables and Crocolisk meat, but I¡¯m still experimenting with spices and flavors.¡± Mercer looked at Artem and saw an opportunity to ask him a question. ¡°I remember you saying that cooking great food was a blessing anyone would love to be able to do back on your world. Why is that?¡± Artem¡¯s embarrassment faded as it was replaced with a resentful one. ¡°Back where I lived it was impossible for us to grow our own food. I don¡¯t really know if it was because of the land or what, but things like certain vegetables and fruit were just not possible,¡± Artem started. ¡°We had to trade for certain things to be able to cook properly. However proper cooking was nowhere near what I¡¯ve been learning here.¡± The others sat in silence as they listened to Artem talk. ¡°The village I lived in had livestock and we were able to hunt so we used that to trade with the passing merchants. However, it was never enough to get spices, certain vegetables and other ingredients,¡± Artem continued. ¡°Our village was poor and only had enough for the small things to trade, plus I was the eldest son of six.¡± Roman let out a cough as he said with disbelief, ¡°You have five other siblings?¡± The others looked at Artem with amazement. Being a brother of six was not an easy thing. Let alone being the oldest. Artem smiled warmly, thinking about his siblings. He nodded as he said, ¡°Yes. When I found out that there was a cooking profession, I wanted to get it so I could learn how to make a meal for them.¡± ¡°Damn, I respect you even more. An older brother thinking of his younger siblings,¡± Roman stated with a sorrowful look. ¡°Too bad not all older siblings are like that.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Blair started. ¡°Why do you say that? Do you have siblings?¡± Roman nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m the youngest of three. I have an older sister and brother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too bad then,¡± Ariyana said. Roman let out a harsh laugh before saying, ¡°Not too bad? Those two don¡¯t care about anything but their achievements. When I was born I was nothing but a pest to them.¡± Everyone stared at Roman. They could see that he was frustrated thinking about it. Before Liam could say anything, Ariyana stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her to see her giving him a sorrowful, but warm smile. ¡°It might not be the same experience, but I have a little sister,¡± Ariyana started. ¡°Ever since she was born it was like she was perfect. Her looks, her attitude, mannerisms, etcetera. My parents thought very highly of her while they looked at me like I was some disgrace.¡± Everyone watched as she went to sit back down. ¡°Whatever the little princess wanted she got,¡± Ariyana continued with a short laugh. ¡°To be honest I don¡¯t know what I did wrong for them to treat me like that. It just happened.¡± Ariyana brought her head up and placed her chin on a hand that rested on her knee. She then looked like she was staring at something off in the distance. ¡°When I was a teenager I used to leave the house to get away from my parents¡¯ disappointed looks. I came across this bar one time and decided to check it out. There I made a few friends and found some joy.¡± Ariyana let out a sigh as she continued, ¡°That was until one of my father¡¯s friends found out and told him. I was confined to my room after that with some people guarding my door and window.¡± Everyone stared at her as she talked about her past. Why would they need to go so far as to do something like that? Liam thought. Not only that, but to have guards watch her? Did she belong to some rich family? Ariyana looked like she was done talking about some of her past as she turned her attention to Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Liam. ¡°How about you guys? Do you have any siblings?¡± Avery and Mercer shook their heads. ¡°I was an only child, so I don¡¯t know what its like having siblings,¡± Avery stated. ¡°Same here,¡± Mercer said. ¡°After my parents had me they were too busy with their business to have anymore.¡± ¡°I had a little brother and an older sister,¡± Blair said. ¡°Had?¡± Ariyana questioned. Blair nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­A major war broke out where I lived when I turned sixteen. I was in another city when I had heard something terrible happened. A nation, our country was at war with, decided to invade and since our city was close to the border it was the first to be attacked.¡± The others watched as Blair¡¯s face turned into a sneer. ¡°When I got back to my city it was burned to the ground and bodies were spread out across the streets and in their homes. I found my father, mother, and brother in a pile of dead bodies at the edge of the city, but my sister¡¯s body was nowhere to be found.¡± ¡°Damn¡­,¡± Roman started to say, but found he couldn¡¯t find the right words. Instead he finally said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Blair shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be. After that happened I joined the army and fought the bastards that killed my family.¡± ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t find your sister¡¯s body,¡± Mercer started up, sounding cautious. ¡°Was she dead or did they kidnap her?¡± Blair shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even after we destroyed the enemy nation, I couldn¡¯t find any trace of her. She never popped back up after that war was done.¡± ¡°That war?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°How many wars happened when you joined the army?¡± Blair looked at him. ¡°Too many that could have been avoided. The Dictator in charge loved to start wars. So, we were constantly fighting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you were so skeptic about our surroundings on our first day,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°You can never be too cautious,¡± Blair slightly grinned. She then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What about you? Do you have any siblings?¡± Liam finished the last of the soup he had left before setting the bowl down. A small smile appeared as he thought about his family. ¡°I am technically the oldest of three, but there are four of us,¡± Liam started. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Roman asked with a frown. ¡°I have an older sister whose not blood related, but I still think of her as my sister,¡± Liam said. ¡°My little brothers and I looked up to her. We learned a lot from her. She treat us as her siblings as well. She protected us when we needed to be which in turn taught me to protect my little brothers when she finally left the house.¡± ¡°Protect?¡± Mercer repeated. ¡°From what?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned into a scowl. He shook his head and stated, ¡°Never mind who. She¡¯s not important. I just hope I never see her again.¡± The others couldn¡¯t help but wonder who he was talking about. Mercer was going to try again, but Liam started back up, ¡°My little brothers are a handful. Since they are twins they are always in a constant rivalry.¡± Liam let out a small chuckle. ¡°My little brothers were such troublemakers. We used to buttheads a lot. We¡¯re very competitive when it comes to almost anything. Those two always tried claiming they were the best so there were times I had to put them in their place by proving who the better one was.¡± ¡°Do you know if they are here?¡± Roman asked. ¡°I want to say yes,¡± Liam stated. ¡°My father was the first to disappear. Then later my little brothers disappeared at the same time. I¡¯m not sure about my older sister though. This all happened a few years ago though. I¡¯m not sure if they are here let alone alive.¡± ¡°Are you going to look for them when we get out of here?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I want to try and find my family when we do.¡± ¡°I would love to try and find them to make sure they are safe,¡± Liam said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them in a few years so it would be nice.¡± ¡°Finding my family sounds good, but I think we should figure out something more important than that,¡± Mercer started. ¡°Oh, and what¡¯s that?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°What we really want to do when we get out of here,¡± Mercer answered. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ariyana questioned as she collected all the bowls. ¡°Artem and Liam said they want to try and find their families.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something they would like to do yes, but I mean what do we want to do?¡± Mercer tried again. ¡°There is a whole new world out there. Are you telling me that after finding your family you¡¯re done that¡¯s it?¡± The others stared at Mercer as they processed what he was saying. ¡°We need goals! I¡¯m sure there is something each of us wants to do. Maybe some of you have a dream you want to fulfil?¡± Mercer said with passion. The others stared at Mercer with shock at how much passion he was putting into his words. ¡°You know, I have never really put any thought into it,¡± Ariyana stated honestly. ¡°I haven¡¯t had much time to think about it,¡± Avery agreed. ¡°With everything that¡¯s been going on I¡¯ve just been focused on the goal in front of me.¡± ¡°Same,¡± Roman nodded. ¡°Since we have some time,¡± Mercer began. ¡°Why don¡¯t we relax and think of what we want to do after we finally get out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have something you want to do?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°With all that energy you were giving, it really seemed like you were eager to share.¡± ¡°I do have a goal, a couple of them, but I¡¯ll wait till you guys are ready to share yours,¡± Mercer stated with a smile. Tutorial 84 - Control and Manipulation An hour had passed after they had finished eating. Artem was writing notes on the meal he had made into a notebook. He placed down what he felt was good, what he could improve on, and what he could take out or add into it next time. Ariyana was reading the book she had received from the last Elite Floor Monster fight and looked to be very intrigued by it. Avery stood off to the side and was practicing her sword techniques while Roman did some light shadow boxing close by. Blair was swinging her new weapon around, trying to get a better feel for it as well as trying new ways to strike and defend. Mercer was tuning his violin while humming a soft tune. Liam sat in his meditation position with his eyes closed. He had his hands out in front of him with his open palms facing each other. His Mana Sight was activated as he focused on the two daggers floating in front of him. He wanted to train his Mana Control, Mana Sight, Mana Manipulation, and Mana Channeling all together and figured this would be the best way to do it. He was able to manipulate two daggers, but his control was still a bit shaky. He wanted to be able to manipulate his daggers during a fight. However, at most the only thing he was able to do was pull his daggers back during a fight after throwing them. The training he was working on right now was to see if he could try to manipulate three daggers and try to move them around. He was struggling to get the last dagger to connect to his mana. He watched as the connection he had on the two floating daggers wavered while he pushed to connect a third line to the last dagger. Sweat ran down the side of head as he pushed as hard as he could. The thin line of mana he was using to connect to the third dagger crawled through the air slowly. It got to about half way until it stopped. Liam could feel his control over the line start to slip, but he didn¡¯t stop. He continued to channel his mana through it to push it even more. He could feel his body start to tense as his mind started to lose focus on his task. Come on. Liam thought as he pushed not only his mana, but his focus as well. The third line of mana continued as he focused as hard as he could. After what had felt like eternity the line was able to connect. Internally, Liam was excited, but physically he felt exhausted. He then tried to pick up the third dagger and was able to get it an inch off the ground before he felt all his mana disappear. The thin lines that connected to the two floating daggers suddenly shook before disappearing. As the two daggers fell he felt a headache start to pound inside of his head. He opened his eyes and looked at his mana bar. It was at five percent. That explains the headache. Liam thought as a few chime sounds increased the pain a bit. He pulled up his notifications as he grabbed a Mana Potion from his inventory.
¡°Congratulations! Mana Channeling has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%! Your control over mana has increased.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Your manipulation over objects filled with mana has increased.¡± ¡°Congratulations! After reaching level ten in Mana Control and Mana Manipulation you can now learn to control other types of mana instead of just Arcane mana. Look at the dropdown window to see the progress over the types of mana you can manipulate.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he drank the mana potion. He pulled up the window it stated and looked at it.
Types of Mana that can be Manipulated
Mana Type Arcane Level 10 Progression 10%
Mana Type Gravity Level 0 Progression 0%
Mana Type Lightning Level 0 Progression 0%
Mana Type Lunar Level 0 Progression 0%
Mana Type Shadow Level 0 Progression 0%
This is an interesting development. Liam thought to himself. But how do I go about learning how to control other types of mana to increase my control over them? Liam tried to think about what he would need to do in order to progress in this. After thinking of many different possibilities, he decided to ask someone who has better knowledge about it. Hey Eri? Liam started. What would be the best route to take in learning how to control and manipulate the types of mana I have that isn¡¯t Arcane? There was silence after Liam asked the question. Thinking he didn¡¯t project his thoughts properly to her, he went to ask again, but stopped as she asked, Did you receive the message about being able to control other types of mana? Yes. Liam answered. Eri let out a sigh as she stated, Your growth is frightening. The ability to learn how to control and manipulate different types of mana is something you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about till you¡¯re out of the Tutorial Area. It¡¯s a necessary thing to learn to be able to make new spells and more, but most don¡¯t get this far in their training till after they are out. Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he asked, I don¡¯t see why it should be something that people would learn after the Tutorial Area. This is a place to learn so why is it strange to get this far? Because everyone else is focusing on other things, like their weapon skills, magical ability progression, and more. Eri stated. Also no one has the patience to sit and practice things over and over every waking moment till they pass out. Your dedication and focus on your training may one day lead to your death if you¡¯re not careful. Liam shook his head. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. Liam argued. I need to put in more effort. If I want to survive in this new world then I need to focus and train as hard as I can, so I won¡¯t die. You are right. Eri stated almost as if she was contemplating his words. However, you still need to rest when you can. You can¡¯t work yourself sick or to the point where you are a hinderance to your team. Yes mom. Liam frowned. I¡¯m serious. Eri chastised. What good will you be if you¡¯re always tired and can¡¯t focus on a fight. Not only will you die, but so will your team. Liam¡¯s frown deepened. He thought back on the last two fights. His mindset wasn¡¯t in the right space, and he had to agree that his constant training and practicing was chipping away at his psyche. He let out a sigh as he said, Fine. I¡¯ll start taking more breaks. But I still need to learn how to do this. Once I do I promise I¡¯ll do something that helps me relax more and get some sleep. Hesitating, Eri remained silent. I promise upon your name I will. Liam said, trying his hardest to get the knowledge he wanted. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Don¡¯t go saying that carelessly. Eri warned. Doing something like that will hold you to a Deity and if you break that promise you will receive a harsh punishment. Are you serious? Liam asked with wide eyes. Very. Eri stated. I won¡¯t accept it since you didn¡¯t know what you were doing, but keep in mind to think carefully before promising on a Deity¡¯s name. Other Deities will use it against you and can have power over you. Ok, thank you for telling me. Liam said. You¡¯re welcome. Eri said. I¡¯ll teach you the method of learning how, but you¡¯re only allowed to try it on one Mana type you are familiar with. You can not use it on any more than that tonight. It is very draining on your mind. After that you need to relax. Okay. Liam said as excitement filled him. The way to learn how to control and manipulate the types of mana you know starts with the chant. Eri started. You know when someone chants a spell the color of the mana changes to the element or type of spell right? Yes. Liam replied. Well, the best way to learn how to get better control and manipulate it is to chant the spell, but stop the chant midway and try to hold onto the mana that was building up. Once when you can grasp it then you have to grow the mana and play with it. Eri explained. Play with it? Liam asked with a puzzled expression on his face. Yes. It¡¯s not an approved method, but I find if you play with mana you can get a better understanding of it. Not only that but playing with mana can be relaxing once when you get the hang of it. Through that method you can learn how you can better use it, the limitations that kind of mana has as well as your limitations on using it. Through play you can grow and by using your imagination you can do things no one would be able to. Liam sat there dumbfounded by what Eri was saying. He had never thought about playing with mana. It sounded childish, but the method sounded just like what he had been doing when he was learning new ways to craft. He was very excited to try this out, but now he had a new issue. Which mana type should he try it out on first? Another reason why I want you to relax when trying this out is also because of the mana type I think you should do it on first. Eri started back up. It¡¯s one that you have an affinity with. Shadow. Liam instantly understood now why she wanted him to relax after doing this. It wasn¡¯t just so he could calm himself down and get some rest, but because of the side effect using too much Shadow magic in a day did. Liam nodded as he closed his eyes. His mana bar had already filled back up while he was talking to Eri and he was ready to go. He held his hands out in front of his chest, palms open and facing each other. He drew in a small bit of air and slowly released it as he activated his Mana Sight. He could feel and see the color of Arcane mana start to coat over his body as he channeled it slowly. When he was satisfied with the amount that had accumulated he started to quietly chant, ¡°Shadows coalescing, head my call and come forth.¡± As he chanted this amount, he could see some of the Arcane mana start to whisp out in between his hands. As the mana escaped from his body, the color started to darken. Liam watched as the small amount of mana that had connected started to form into a Shadow Orb the size of a small bead. ¡°Manifest physically¡­¡± Liam continued, but stopped as Eri instructed. Stop there. Liam did as he was told and watched as the mana he was pouring into the small bead cut off. The sudden cut off of mana into the small bead caused it to start to ripple. The first ripple was quick and almost unnoticeable, but not too soon afterwards, it started to send waves of ripples that looked like someone had thrown several stones into a puddle. The ripples started to make waves as the small bead looked like it was going to explode. Now, quickly channel your mana into it and try to calm the ripples. Eri stated. Liam was confused when she said this and started to channel his mana back into the shadowy bead, however, he was only able to get one side to attach before the small amount of Shadow magic puffed out of existence. Liam clicked his tongue out of annoyance. Damn it. Liam swore mentally. You need to make sure that mana from both sides touch it or it will set off a counter balance and cancel it out. Eri stated. Now try again. Liam did as she said. He chanted the spell mid-way, making a small shadowy orb a little bigger than a bead this time. Once when he cut off the spell, with his eyes still closed, Liam took in a deep breath, slowly released it and moved the mana from both hands towards the shadowy orb of mana. He kept his eyes on the progress, making sure it was moving at the same speed. He could feel sweat roll down his brows and cheeks as he pushed himself to control his mana well enough that it wouldn¡¯t rush. As he was doing this, whispers started to tickle his ears. They were quiet at first, but as he continued to slowly move his mana to the shadow mana orb he had made, the whispers started to grow. You can¡¯t do it. Just let us do it for you. You¡¯re a failure that always needs help. Just give up. Just give up. Just give up! Liam realized the closer he got the more frantic the whispers were. It made it even more apparent when they started getting sharper and louder. Now that he knew about the whispers, he ignored them and continued to reach his goal. The whispers started to repeat themselves in chorus louder and louder, faster and faster. The white noise they were creating was very distracting. Even though Liam was trying to ignore them, it was getting harder and harder with every word and volume growing. He was about to give in until, they suddenly stopped. Confused, Liam looked through his closed eyes with his Mana Sight and saw that his mana had connected with the shadowy orb of mana. He had done it! The color of Arcane mana that was covering him was slowly being dyed with the shadowy black color of Shadow Mana. His hands were the first to start taking in the mana. As it did this, he felt an odd sensation in his hands. It was almost as if he had dipped his hands and coated them into something that made him feel like they weren¡¯t there anymore. It was hard to describe, but it was like his hands were nonexistent. Excitement and concern overwhelmed him as the shadow mana stopped at his wrists. Liam was so happy, that he didn¡¯t hear the sinister laughter that was dying out from a whisper to silence. You did it. Eri said with disbelief. You sound as if you didn¡¯t think I could? Liam stated with a frown. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t think you could. Eri quickly said. I just thought that it would take you several more tries. Not only that but you got it up to your wrists. It usually takes a person a few days to get the hang of a different mana type to fill up their fingers. I knew you had an affinity for Shadow Magic, but this just shows how much of an affinity you have. Still keeping his eyes closed, Liam grew a smile. He looked back at his hands and noticed something else, the shadowy mana orb he had made, was gone, but his hands were still coated in the shadow mana. Hey Eri, what happened to the orb of shadow mana I had made? Liam asked. It¡¯s coating your hands right now. Eri answered. The amount of mana you accumulate while training will determine how much you can manipulate and control. Once you get to a certain point in mastering different types of mana you won¡¯t need to use the chant cutoff method to get it. You will just be able to pull it out. However, right now you can currently only control literally two handfuls of Shadow mana. No pun intended? Liam asked with a small chuckle. Eri let out a small giggle as she agreed. No pun intended. But now you can play around with that amount of mana. I suggest you try flexing your hands and then try that training you were doing with the daggers. Ok. Liam said as he flexed his hands. At first he couldn¡¯t feel his hands, but the more he opened and closed them, the more the feeling of them came back. Once when he felt like he had control and feeling over his hands again he set his mana sight onto one of the daggers placed in front of him. Start with one dagger first. Eri instructed. Liam focused on sending the shadow mana he had towards the dagger. To his surprise, the mana snaked out easily towards the dagger and wrapped around it. This might be easier than I thought it would be¡­ Liam started to think as he went to pick the dagger up, but stopped as the dagger flew up into the air to the left side. Shit! I need to grab it before it hurts someone! Liam thought as he reached a hand up and focused the shadow mana on his left hand on the dagger. All of the Shadow mana that coated his hand shot out towards the dagger. Like a shadow of his hand it gripped the handle and held it in place in the middle of the air. Liam heard a gasp, which caused him to open his eyes to see his throwing dagger hovering in midair. However, what shocked him even more was the shadowy form of a hand gripping the dagger. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at it. The rest of Liam¡¯s group stared at it as well with wide eyes. ¡°What the hell!?¡± Ariyana gasped. ¡°What is that?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°How?!¡± Mercer asked, with much excitement on his face. He looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Is this your doing?¡± Liam looked down at his right hand and noticed it still had shadow mana coating it. A few chimes echoed in his mind as he continued to stare at his hand. He pulled up the notifications to read.
¡°Congratulations! Control over Shadow Mana has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Control over Shadow Mana has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Control over Shadow Mana has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Control over Shadow Mana has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Control over Shadow Mana has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Through learning how to control and manipulate Shadow mana, you have gained a new Field of the Shadows Focus Point Utility (Shadow) magical ability, Shadow Hand!¡± ¡°Shadow Hand ¨C Creates a Shadowy hand that can grasp items. It is limited to small light items. Current items Shadow hand can hold are: Potions, small tools, small alchemy materials, and daggers. Level your control and manipulation over Shadow Mana to increase hands and weight hands can hold. Cost ¨C Shadow Mana. Cooldown ¨C N/A. Target ¨C N/A. Spell Type ¨C Non-chant, Shadow Mana application."
Curious, he decided to test something out as he closed out his notifications. Liam reached his right hand out in the direction of the shadow hand holding the dagger. He pulled his hand back while slowly clenching it. The shadow had slowly came down towards him, almost as if he was summoning it to come back. Not wanting to lose focus, Liam slowly stood up as the shadow hand floated around his head. Ignoring the questions Roman and Ariyana were asking he walked over to a spot where no one was at. He got into a fighting stance, let out a breath of air, then punched his right hand forward. In response to his right hand, the Shadow Hand flew out in front of him, it stopped six feet away from him. Liam then swung his right hand around above his head and watched as the Shadow hand flew around in a circle over his head, still within a six feet radius. Liam then started to do some shadow boxing. He threw a one two punch combination, then spun around and threw a haymaker down while spinning back around with a right uppercut. The Shadow Hand responded in kind with the actions of his right hand. The others watched as Liam shadow boxed around the area he was in and the shadowy hand swung around him, following the actions of his right hand with a three second delay. They were both shocked and awed at this new development. As Mercer stared at Liam, the excited feeling welling up within him filled and he was almost ready to burst out wanting to know what he was doing. You never disappoint me, my friend. Mercer thought. What exciting new development did you stumble upon? I really do think you¡¯re the answer I need to reach my goals. Tutorial 85 - Mobile Crafter After a few rounds of practice, Liam felt satisfied with this new ability. The range was decent and the delay could be used as a surprise attack, or an additional attack depending on how he used it. He knew though, after more practice and gaining more control and manipulation, it would be easier to use. For now, it was something he needed more practice and understanding of. Chime sounds echoed in his mind as notifications appeared in front of him.
¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Whispers from Beyond has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 17%! Your resistance to the Whispers of the beings hidden within the shadows has increased.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Hand has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Hand has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 90%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Control has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mana Manipulation has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Control over Shadow Mana has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!¡±
As he closed his notification windows, Liam deactivated the ability and the shadow mana that was still coating his right hand and picked up the dagger that had dropped. As he turned around, he took a step back in surprise as the others were staring at him. Some of their eyes were bewildered while the rest were eager with questions. Before he could say anything, Mercer beat the rest to the punch and asked, ¡°What was that? I saw the shadows start to form over your hands, so I thought you were practicing your Veil of Shadows ability. However, I saw it stop at your wrists and then your dagger shot up! When that hand made out of shadow appeared. I just knew¡­I just knew it had to be some ability. What was it!?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­about that¡­,¡± Liam started as he scratched his cheek. ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat.¡± Eri laughed into Liam¡¯s mind as his group gathered around. He went over what he had discovered when his Mana Control and Mana Manipulation reached level ten. He left out Eri telling him about the method that he used. He claimed it to be something he came across but couldn¡¯t remember where. They didn¡¯t call him out on it, but instead asked other questions. ¡°How did you get your Mana Control and Mana Manipulation up so high?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°I heard it¡¯s a hard process to work on,¡± Mercer added as he looked up from his notebook. ¡°Mana Control and Mana Manipulation is part of some of the crafting processes for things like making toxins, and making mana potions in Alchemy, as well as Bone Crafting in my blacksmithing,¡± Liam started to explain. ¡°Using it for crafting is one thing, but that still shouldn¡¯t bring it up to level ten so quickly. I could understand level five or six, but not ten,¡± Mercer stated with curious look. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liam started back up. ¡°Since I was trying to incorporate it in bringing my daggers back to me in a sort of fighting style, I practice retrieving them. Also, when I have time back at the inn, I would practice lifting them and trying to pick up more than one or two. Once when I was able to get the third one that¡¯s when it hit level ten.¡± Everyone stared at Liam. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Liam asked, ¡°What? What did I do this time?¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be relaxing, not practicing,¡± Ariyana stated with a disapproving look. ¡°You¡¯re still pushing yourself.¡± ¡°I agree with Ariyana,¡± Avery said. The rest nodded their heads in agreement. ¡°But this is relaxing to me,¡± Liam said. ¡°Working on my Mana Control and Mana Manipulation has always helped me sit down and relax.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re still working your mental capacities to the limit,¡± Blair stated. ¡°That¡¯s not relaxing.¡± The others nodded in agreement. ¡°Fine, I was going to stop for the night anyways,¡± Liam said with mild annoyance as he opened his inventory. He noticed he was down to two mana potions and decided what he was going to do next. ¡°I¡¯ll just do something else that helps relax me,¡± Liam stated. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Alchemy,¡± Liam answered with a smile on his face. ¡°I need to make some more Mana Potions.¡± ¡°Liam!¡± the others suddenly shouted, making Liam leap a bit in his seat. ¡°What!?¡± Liam questioned, confused why they shouted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t making Mana Potions require you to use Mana Control and Mana Manipulations?¡± Avery asked with a brow raised. ¡°Yes, but¡­,¡± Liam started. ¡°No buts,¡± Mercer scolded. ¡°You need to relax. Not work more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to be using anything related to my Mana though,¡± Liam said with a frustrated look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Blair asked with a confused expression. ¡°I have vials filled with mana filled liquid that I took care of before we came here,¡± Liam informed. ¡°All it requires is me to finish it and I don¡¯t need to use mana or anything.¡± The others eyed Liam carefully. They didn¡¯t see any hints of lying within his eyes. After a few seconds of silence, Mercer finally caved and said, ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re not allowed to do anything that will drain you physically or mentally.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Liam stated with a grumble. The others shook their heads as Liam stood up and walked over to a spot close to the firepit but didn¡¯t have anything around. He thought about how he was going to set up an area to place his Alchemy equipment. After giving it some thought, he remembered an ability he had yet to use. It was one he didn¡¯t have a need for because he always had places he could do his crafting at. This was one of his Class abilities he had received when he got his Crafter class. It was called Mobile Crafter.
¡°Mobile Crafter ¨C This ability allows the Crafter to set up a specific area for the craft they wish to do. Each Craft requires certain equipment to be able to set up an area for it. When a Crafter has the right equipment and knowledge for the craft, it will show in Available Crafting Stations. If the Crafter does not have all or the right equipment then the craft will show up in the Unavailable Crafting Stations. If the Crafter has not started a craft it will not show up on either list regardless of if they have the right equipment or not. Level up the ability to be able to use bigger crafting stations.¡± ¡°Which would you like to use? Available Crafting Stations ¨C Alchemy (Small). Unavailable Crafting Stations ¨C Blacksmithing (Small), Tailoring (Small).¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Liam clicked on Alchemy (Small), surprised at how convenient it was. As he clicked on it, an ethereal outline appeared before him. He moved his eyes around to see it move along with his vision. This is probably showing me where I can place it. Liam thought as he moved his head around, having the outline follow his vision. He decided to test something and looked at the firepit. The outline turned red. So red means I can¡¯t place it there while the ethereal outline means I can place it there. That is good to know. Liam thought as he walked over to his seat and sat down. His back was turned to the firepit as he faced the open area behind the rock he used as a seat. Once he was satisfied, he accepted the spot. The ground before him shook a bit as the ground pushed up and started to mold itself into a small desk. The stone desk came up to his mid stomach while sitting down. On top of the rock-like desk, his Alchemy equipment appeared. ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± Avery questioned with an exasperated tone. ¡°Didn¡¯t we tell you not to¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she got a good look at what was right before him. She titled her head with a now curious look and asked, ¡°What is that?¡± Mercer and the others looked over as well. ¡°This?¡± Liam inquired as he pointed to his small Alchemy lab. ¡°This is thanks to one of my Class abilities. It¡¯s called Mobile Crafter. It creates a Crafting Station depending on the craft I¡¯m about to do. It can only work if I have all the equipment though. Since Galin, my Alchemy mentor, was so graciously kind enough to supply me with the equipment, I was able to make this station.¡± The others looked at him with a mix of awe and curiosity. ¡°So, this is one of you Crafter Class abilities?¡± Mercer asked. Liam nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve used it since I haven¡¯t had a need to use it. This is just a small station. Once when I level it up some I can make a bigger station.¡± As the others continued to stare, Artem asked with a curious look, ¡°Do you think it could work with cooking?¡± Everyone looked at him. Liam blinked a couple of times before thinking about it. ¡°Hm, I think it could, but I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t have the cooking craft, nor do I have the equipment for it.¡± ¡°Do you need to know the craft to make the station?¡± Artem questioned. Liam nodded. ¡°It said that I need both the knowledge of the craft and the equipment.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Artem muttered. ¡°When we get back I¡¯ll introduce you to my mentor so you can at least get the basic knowledge, and can we try it?¡± ¡°Artem!¡± Avery scolded. ¡°What?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°If I could get a cooking station when we¡¯re out on floors like this, then cooking could be a lot easier.¡± Liam let out a short laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t mind trying. I need to get more knowledge on my class abilities anyways to see what the basics are. So yeah when we get back we can try.¡± Artem gave him a smile, appreciating his kindness. Liam turned back around and started pulling vials of glowing liquid and placed them in a vial holder rack. He then pulled out vials of light blue liquid and bottles of clear water. After pulling everything out he noticed Mercer had moved closer and was staring at him. Liam turned to him and noticed he was staring at the ingredients. ¡°Are you curious?¡± Liam asked. Mercer nodded. Liam gave him a small smile as he pointed to the vial of glowing liquid. ¡°These are Mana filled liquid. The process to make them is to channel enough mana into a vial of water and try to extract it. It¡¯s a tedious process because you have to keep channeling mana every now and then until it finally extracts.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°What are these blue liquid ones?¡± ¡°These are the blueberry flavors I extracted so I can add flavor to the potions,¡± Liam stated. ¡°How do you mix them? I would think you just throw them together and it makes them right?¡± Mercer questioned. Liam was about to explain, but then noticed the others had gathered around. ¡°You would think that, but no,¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°You do mix them together, but you have to know the ratio so one doesn¡¯t overpower the other.¡± Liam took two Mana Extracted liquids and poured them into the Cucurbit. He then took three vials of the Blueberry Extracts and poured them in. After he was done he opened a bottle of water and poured in about a quarter of the bottle. ¡°After you do that you then light the Bunsen Burner,¡± Liam continued. He then placed his hand out, palm up and chanted, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn. Become the tool that will help. Light and Burn!¡± Liam channeled his mana as he chanted the spell. Controlling how much he channeled he was able to make the flame small, instead of the normal size he used while in battle. This spell was one he was very familiar with and had practiced his Mana Control and Mana Channeling with the most. Thanks to the practice his control over the size of the flame was great. He then guided the flame with Mana Manipulation to the burner. Once when the flame got over it, Liam turned the nob on it to make the flame condense and focus right under the Cucurbit. ¡°And voila. I am now finishing up the process of making Mana Potions.¡± Liam stated. ¡°When the liquid heats up enough it¡¯ll mix the liquids together and form it into a gas which will hit the top and turn into condensation. The liquid then rolls down into the container here and what makes it there is the potion.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Roman stated. ¡°It may have been because of how you explained it, but it seems a bit easy.¡± Liam laughed. ¡°Once when you get it down and do it over and over it is, but when you¡¯re first beginning to learn how to do this it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I believe it,¡± Roman agreed. ¡°That¡¯s why I said it may have been how you explained it.¡± The others laughed as they moved over to the rocks they had for seats. After a half an hour had passed, Liam started another batch of Mana Potions. As he placed the finished products in a separate area from the extracts he noticed the others were kind of quiet. He looked at them and saw the majority of them were reading a Knowledge Theory book. The silence was both eerie and welcoming. His mixed emotions about the silence was because it let his mind wander. He hadn¡¯t forgotten what Mercer had said earlier. It was true that he needed a goal. This was a new world, and he couldn¡¯t waste any opportunities that were given. However, he really didn¡¯t know what he wanted to do. Crafting was fun, but he didn¡¯t want it to take up all of his years. He liked the challenges that learning new skills gave him, but he also didn¡¯t want to waste his life training. So then what? What was so fascinating about this world that it would catch his attention and make him want to search for more of it? Liam looked up at the cavernous area they were using. This Forgotten Realm was full of mystery. It had been tough for them to get to where they were, but finding out that there was forgotten history here and learning about it made him excited. This was something that people may have forgotten and to learn something that isn¡¯t in any books but instead from almost a real source sounded like fun. Growing up Liam loved to learn about things that weren¡¯t taught in books. Especially history. His father would often tell him about the origins of his family from his side. His side of the family came from another country. The things he told him about his country you couldn¡¯t find in the History books taught in school. Liam remembered the times he got in trouble for calling his teacher out to correct her on the false information she was teaching when it came to that country. He remembered how angry she got with him. His father laughed when he told him about the trouble he would get into. He also remembered what his father had told him whenever he told him that maybe he should stop. ¡°Never back down. No matter who it is, how much more powerful they might try to make themselves seem, or how much authority they claim to have. Never back down. As long as you stand your ground you will always remain the victor.¡± He took the words to heart. Even though his teacher always won the battles that gave him detention and trouble, he tried to live by those words. As Liam let his mind wander, he was taken out of his thoughts as he heard someone start to hum a tune. Liam looked around to see Mercer had closed the book he was reading and pulled out an instrument that looked a lot like an acoustic guitar. However, there were many differences from what he knew so he assumed it was probably something equivalent like a Lute. He plucked at the strings as he pressed his ear close to it. As he was doing that he continued to hum, what sounded like to Liam, a soft tune. Mercer noticed Liam was looking at him. He stopped humming and asked with a small smile, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°That tune you were humming. What is it?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Ah,¡± Mercer started. His emerald-green filled eyes looked sad as he answered, ¡°It¡¯s a song that I heard back when I was a child. It¡¯s a sad song, but its also meant to help you realize life isn¡¯t as hard as it seems.¡± ¡°It sounds like an interesting song,¡± Liam said. ¡°It is,¡± Mercer said as he looked down at his instrument. ¡°It was the first song I ever heard and it¡¯s the one that made me fall in love with music. It¡¯s called Don¡¯t Forget about Me.¡± Liam gave him a half-smile. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear it some time.¡± ¡°I can try playing it if you¡¯d like,¡± Mercer said. Liam nodded. ¡°Please excuse my singing voice,¡± Mercer stated as he placed the lute into position. ¡°I¡¯m still working on the singing part.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be fine,¡± Liam stated. Mercer cleared his throat as he brought his hands to the strings. ¡°Don¡¯t. You. Forget about me, as the days go by. Close. Your. Eyes. Whenever you miss me, I¡¯m right by your side,¡± Mercer started singing. As Mercer sang, his hands plucked at the strings. At first, he plucked a string with each word, but then strummed a few chords as he continued. The melody carried a heavy yet light sounds as he ran his fingers over the strings. The tone of his voice starting the song sounded like it was full of loss, but gave you a sense of promise. ¡°Keep. Your. Chin up high, you¡¯re stronger than you know. Spread. That. Smile out wide, whenever you¡¯re feeling low.¡± After he finished this part of the song, he ran his fingers over the strings making the sounds produced a little more complex, but still brought life to the song. The tone and volume of his voice rose a bit as he sounded like he was motivating you to rise from a bad moment. ¡°It¡¯s okay to let the tears flow out, it¡¯s okay to cry. You¡¯re stronger than you know, so don¡¯t fall for that lie. It¡¯s okay to feel like you¡¯re lost, all paths are meant to be walked. Don¡¯t fret if it takes too long, don¡¯t mind others when they mock. They don¡¯t know where you¡¯ve been, Or where you will go. Enjoy the path set before you, don¡¯t rush and take it slow.¡± The complex finger movements Mercer used to play the instrument started to slow a bit as Mercer¡¯s voice started to soften. ¡°Don¡¯t. You. Forget about me, as the days go by. Close. Your. Eyes. Whenever you miss me, I¡¯m right by your side. Keep. Your. Chin up high, you¡¯re stronger than you know. Spread. That. Smile out wide, whenever you¡¯re feeling low.¡± The rhythm of the song started to slow down even more as Mercer began the end of the song. His voice now sounding like he was on the verge of crying but still holding a beautiful melody. ¡°Memories will be formed; emotions will run high. Remember me throughout it all, this is not my goodbye.¡± As he finished the last word, he allowed the final strung to echo as he closed his eyes with a faint smile. Tutorial 86 - Dreams and Goals As the final chord echoed throughout the air, the others remained silent. Mercer, who was totally focused on his playing and singing, didn¡¯t watch the others¡¯ reactions as he played. He knew it wasn¡¯t as good as when he first heard the song. The orchestra that played this song had other instruments and a couple more singers. He couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the professionals who made this song. He was shocked though when he finally looked at his group of comrades. Their emotions were spread out. Ariyana and Artem, who looked like they were on the verge of crying. Avery, Blair and Roman, who tried to school their emotions, but weren¡¯t good enough to, gave Mercer the impression they were sad and had some longing for something or someone. It was Liam, who Mercer couldn¡¯t read. His facial expression remained evened. He couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. As he waited for someone to say something, he was even more surprised when Liam clapped. It was a slow clap at first, but when the others joined in, the rhythm of the clapping speed up and weren¡¯t in unison anymore. Mercer blushed a darker purple than his skin. ¡°That was amazing!¡± Ariyana stated as she fought back the tears. ¡°You¡¯re a jerk for tugging at a woman¡¯s heart strings, but it was still amazing.¡± ¡°Surely you jest,¡± Mercer stated, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°No,¡± Roman and Artem said. ¡°It was really good,¡± Blair agreed as she gave him a warm smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard a song that good in a long time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near where the professionals who originally played this song is,¡± Mercer said. "One day I hope to be able to hold a candle to them.¡± ¡°You will one day,¡± Liam stated with confidence. ¡°With talent like yours. I believe you will one day.¡± ¡°Talent huh?¡± Mercer questioned. His smile faded as he added in a somewhat sad tone, ¡°What if that talent is only because of the Bard Magic?¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s even more proof of your talent,¡± Liam began. ¡°I remember Elara said the Bard class is very much suited for you. It is a class that deals with music. If you¡¯re able to create music like that and add your Bard talent to it, then just imagine what you can do. You can help those who are sad deal with their emotions. You might be able to help bring out others¡¯ emotions that they were forcing to hide.¡± ¡°But,¡± Mercer tried to argue. He thought that his Bard talent mixing with his music wasn¡¯t fair. ¡°Back on my old world, the best musicians were able to use their music to help others,¡± Liam interrupted. ¡°Whether it was an outlet to release the pent up emotions or to motivate them. It was a powerful tool. Some musicians were regarded almost like gods with their talent. Could you imagine motivating others before a fight with your music? To be able to stop others from doing something they would one day regret just with the sound of your instrument? I¡¯d say that would be wonderful to see. I want to see what you¡¯re capable of and what you can do in the future.¡± Mercer looked down at the lute he was holding. A warm and emotional smile slowly crept on his face as he thought, That isn¡¯t fair to say that you idiot. I¡¯m the one who wants to see what you¡¯re capable of doing in the future. So, for you to say that to me¡­that¡¯s just playing dirty. Mercer let out a breath of air as he looked at the others. As he placed a hand on his instrument he started, ¡°This is one of my goals that I want to do when we get out of here.¡± He looked them all in the eyes and continued, ¡°I want to make a song that not just my friends hear, but one that the whole world hears and loves. I want people to enjoy the music I make and sing it proudly. A song that no one could replicate or catch up to no matter how hard they try.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good goal,¡± Avery stated with a smile. ¡°Hell yeah it is!¡± Roman grinned. ¡°What are your other goals?¡± Blair asked. ¡°You said this was one of your goals. What are your other goals?¡± ¡°My other goals?¡± Mercer started back up as he looked up to the ceiling. To Liam it looked like Mercer was thinking about something. The sad smile that formed on his face told him he was right. ¡°I want to travel and gain information that is hard to get. I want to find new discoveries and I want to start an information business. I want to learn what others don¡¯t know and spread it to others who need it. Information is vital to live. If it can save a life, then I want to gain it and share it,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Damn,¡± Roman started. ¡°You put a lot of thought into it.¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°What about you guys?¡± ¡°I have a couple of goals in mind,¡± Ariyana started up. ¡°I want to live freely. I want to dance wherever I want to. I want to sing to the best of my ability, but more than anything I want to tame as many interesting creatures as I can.¡± She hugged the book she was holding onto as she said, ¡°After reading this Taming book and gaining the Field of the Tamer, I realized that there are many different types of monsters I can tame. Since I wasn¡¯t allowed to do anything I wanted to nor have any pets I want to make up for that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an interesting goal,¡± Liam said. He thought about Ariyana being surrounded by different types of monsters and then shuddered at the thought that many of them could be dangerous. ¡°Just remind me not to piss you off.¡± Ariyana let out a small chuckle. ¡°Just buy me drinks and I¡¯ll be happy.¡± ¡°If you want to sing then maybe you and I can work together,¡± Mercer said. ¡°My music plus you singing could create a great show.¡± Ariyana¡¯s eyes shone brightly. ¡°That would be great!¡± ¡°I want to get stronger,¡± Roman jumped in. ¡°I want to find a fighting style that suits me and prove that I¡¯m not as weak as my siblings claimed that I am. I want to be able to be strong enough that they can¡¯t hold a candle to me in a fight.¡± ¡°Sounds just like you,¡± Blair commented. ¡°What about you, Blair?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Do you have any goals in mind?¡± Blair thought about it. Everyone waited for her to speak again, eager to hear what she wanted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t really say it¡¯s a big goal nor is it as good as your guys¡¯, but after all the fighting I did back in my old world I want to just relax more,¡± Blair stated. ¡°After coming to this world and learning more about magic, I found myself thinking how amazing it is. So, I guess I want to learn more about magic and as much as I can. Also, after watching Liam use magic in ways not many of us thought of, I want to find new ways to use it as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad goal,¡± Liam smiled. ¡°I think magic is amazing to,¡± Avery chimed in. Everyone turned to look at her. ¡°I have also had a lot of responsibility and have grown tired of it. Just like how Ariyana wants to be free, I want to go on as many adventures as I can. Learn new ways I can fight, like Roman, and learn as much as I can about magic just like Blair,¡± Avery finished. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°That¡¯s an exciting goal,¡± Ariyana grinned widely. ¡°Um¡­,¡± Artem started as the others turned to him. Having their gazes turn on him, he suddenly felt a bit shy and embarrassed. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Ariyana asked, trying to encourage him to continue. ¡°As you know, I want to learn how to cook so I can make great meals for my family,¡± Artem started back up. ¡°However, I don¡¯t want it to end there. I want to learn many different ways to cook. I want to use as many ingredients as possible and one day make a meal that everyone would enjoy.¡± ¡°Make sure to invite us when you do,¡± Mercer said. ¡°I volunteer to taste test,¡± Roman swiftly stated. ¡°No fair! I was going to say that,¡± Ariyana pouted. ¡°Ha, beat you to it,¡± Roman teasingly said as he stuck his tongue out at her. Liam laughed at their childish antics. As he laughed he told Artem, ¡°I can help you out on that. In exchange for introducing me to your mentor I¡¯ll introduce you to mine so we can get you to learn how to extract flavors.¡± Artem beamed as he heard this. ¡°Would you really?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Also, if I come across any interesting things that can be used for cooking, I¡¯ll be sure to send them your way. However, I think maybe Alchemy might have some synergy with cooking so I think learning Alchemy would benefit you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Artem said warmly. ¡°Oh, and the other thing I want to do is learn more about healing magic. I think it would also benefit my cooking, but I find the Field of the Healer very interesting.¡± ¡°Sounds very noble,¡± Blair approved. She then turned to Liam and asked, ¡°What about you? Do you have any goals in mind?¡± Liam looked at each of them. They all had some idea or clear goals they wanted to reach one day. What did he have? Like what he was thinking about earlier he had things he¡¯d like to do, but they weren¡¯t goals. They were more hobby-like than anything. Something to immerse himself in when no one was around or if he needed to make to help everyone out. So, what was it he really wanted to do? Liam closed his eyes and thought hard about it. He tilted his head back and opened his eyes. His sight on the ceiling. Maybe if he put his thoughts into words they would form some idea. As he looked back at them he started, ¡°I have my crafting, but it isn¡¯t something that I want to lose myself into. My Cat Sith race would thrive in it, but that¡¯s more to help myself grow. The same with training. Learning new abilities and magic sounds great, but once more I don¡¯t want it to be my end all be all.¡± ¡°So, what do you want to do then?¡± Ariyana asked curiously. Liam looked at her. What she said earlier did have an appeal to it and he agreed that living freely was something he¡¯d like to do. He looked at Artem. Even though he said he didn¡¯t want to lose himself to crafting and he did feel like it was more hobby-like, he did find it fun to make things and find different uses for it. He then looked at Blair and Roman. Even though he didn¡¯t want learning new skills and abilities to be his end all, he did have fun finding new ways to use skills and abilities. He looked at Avery. What she said did resonate with him. He had a lot of responsibilities back on earth but didn¡¯t live up to them. Adventuring did sound like a lot of fun, but he felt that adventuring without a goal was just wandering without purpose. Finally, he looked at Mercer. What he had said about acquiring new information about things no one knew to help others had made him remember what had happened during the test his Dagger Instructor, Nabal, made him do. The look of learning something he didn¡¯t know was possible to help him grow had made him felt great. Then there was this place they were currently in. The forgotten history this place contained and learning about it made him feel excited. After thinking about it all, he concluded they each had something that he wanted to do. With a smile he finally added as he looked at Ariyana, ¡°I want to have fun, just like Ariyana and be free.¡± He turned to Artem and added, ¡°I want to make new things that no one thought was possible, just like Artem wants with his cooking.¡± His gaze turned to Blair and Roman as he continued, ¡°I want to discover new ways to use skills and magical ability uses like Roman and Blair.¡± He smiled at Avery. ¡°I want to go on adventures and forget about responsibilities like Avery.¡± He then gave Mercer a warm smile. ¡°I want to help others grow. If by discovering new ways to train or fight or even to craft will help save a life then I want to do it.¡± Liam stood up and looked around the area. ¡°However, one thing I really want to do is¡­¡± He threw his arms out and finished, ¡°I want to explore more Forgotten Realms and learn their history. If something is forgotten then it is worth rediscovering them so the world can remember.¡± The others stared at him with surprise. Mercer was the first to make a noise. He laughed out loud as hard as he could as smiles grew on the others¡¯ faces. ¡°That sounds so greedy,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°You want to do everything we want to do and more?¡± Roman stated as he started to chuckle as well. ¡°Seriously?¡± Blair and Avery shook their heads at the audacity Liam had. However, they did it with a smile. Ariyana was too busy giggling to say anything. ¡°You seriously want to enter more dungeons like this?¡± Artem questioned giving Liam a look like he was crazy. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± ¡°I like it!¡± Mercer shouted as he slapped his knee. Liam sat back down and looked at them. ¡°That is one hell of a goal,¡± Mercer stated as he tried to control his laughter. ¡°If you seriously want to dive into more dungeons like this one, you¡¯re going to need a team you can trust. I don¡¯t mind joining you though.¡± ¡°Willingly going into dungeons like these that people fear just to retrieve the lost history sounds like one hell of an adventure. I wouldn¡¯t mind joining in on it too,¡± Avery said. ¡°These kind of places are tough, but they really test out your skills and paths. They would be the best place to grow in,¡± Roman said with a grin as his fluffy tail swished with excitement. ¡°Magic is hard to train up in normal dungeons,¡± Blair started as her tail moved up and down. ¡°So, trying out new magical abilities and learning new ways to use them in these Forgotten Realms would be the best way to test against strong opponents.¡± ¡°You can probably find interesting monsters you can¡¯t find in normal dungeons,¡± Ariyana said. ¡°I could only imagine what kind of monsters I can try and tame in them.¡± ¡°I swear you all are crazy,¡± Artem began. ¡°These dungeons aren¡¯t a training ground or a walk in the park.¡± The others looked at him. ¡°However,¡± Artem started back up with a smile that betrayed how he really felt. ¡°They are the best to get ingredients and to test how well my healing magic will work as I grow. So, I¡¯ll join in on this death march of an adventure.¡± Liam smiled at them all. ¡°There was a saying I heard back in my old world that I loved,¡± Liam said. ¡°Always Dream big and Forever Reach beyond those Dreams.¡± ¡°I like it,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°That is something we should all live by.¡± Liam smiled as he looked at how cheery they were. They weren¡¯t even sure if this group was going to be together after they left, but acted like they weren¡¯t separating. How great would it be if we were able to stay together. Liam thought to himself. This happy thought lasted for a minute until another came into his mind. Only time will tell if they do stick around. However, if they ever found out what I did in my past¡­ I think they would change their mind. This thought made Liam sad a bit. He schooled his emotions so it wouldn¡¯t show, but the smile he did have did change to an evened look. ¡°You alright man?¡± Mercer asked as he looked at Liam. Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m just getting tired after everything that has happened. I think I¡¯m going to go get some sleep.¡± ¡°That might be a good idea for us all,¡± Mercer agreed. ¡°We still have one more E.F.M. to defeat and a Floor Boss.¡± Liam packed all the ingredients and completed potions he had made into his inventory and cancelled his Mobile Crafter ability. Upon canceling the ability, he heard two chimes echo in his mind. He didn¡¯t need to look at the information, knowing his Class ability had leveled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll catch you all in the morning,¡± Liam said as he waved his hand and walked over to his tent. ¡°Goodnight!¡± The others shouted before chatting again. That¡¯s right. Liam started thinking as he entered his tent. We still need to survive this floor before we even think about getting out of here. He changed into his pajamas and crawled into his sleeping bag before muttering to himself, ¡°Let¡¯s leave all that for tomorrow.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eri stared into the bowl of water watching Liam and his group. Those really are some interesting goals you have there. Eri thought to herself. Wanting to share new ways to approach skills and magic. Some of those are secrets some of the Gods and Goddesses don¡¯t want to be leaked. Not only that but willingly wanting to enter Forgotten Realms is something no sane mortal would do. A big excited grin slowly spread on Eri¡¯s face as a shiver ran through her body while she thought of the things her chosen soon to be Champion could do just by doing what he wanted. Oh, the Chaos this will create. She thought. This is more than what I would hope for in a Champion. I have a feeling you would stop at nothing to get what you want or do what you want. Eri stared happily into the image of Liam closing his eyes and starting to fall asleep. In a happy, but very soft tone of voice, Eri cooed as she rubbed the side of the bowl, ¡°Hurry up and accept me as your Matron Deity. I promise I will make sure you will do all that you want regardless of what the other Deities want or will allow.¡± After saying that she cut the connection off and decided to lay down herself. As she stared at the pitch-black stoned ceiling her thoughts started to swirl at the things she would see or have him do. However, there was one thought that appeared in her mind. This thought was one she had given up on and didn¡¯t want to ever think of again. It was one that brought hope to her and now after hearing what Liam said, it was burning hot in her mind. Once when you have the right amount of power. I can finally be released from this prison. This prison strong enough to hold the strongest Deities. And when I¡¯m free, I will have my revenge. Tutorial 87 - Taming Beasts Liam suddenly woke up as he heard shouts from outside his tent. At first he thought he was hearing things since he had just woken up, but hearing both Artem¡¯s and Ariyana¡¯s shouts again cleared all the haziness still within his eyes. He threw open his sleeping bag and rushed out of the tent to see Artem standing there with his shield out and his mace ready to attack. Ariyana was behind him with a scowl on her face as she stared at Artem. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Liam yelled as he saw the others rush out of their tents. ¡°I don¡¯t know where this thing came from, but when I got out of my tent I saw this thing was biting Ariyana,¡± Artem yelled as he waved his shield menacingly as he stood between a creature and Ariyana. Liam hurried over to them to see what he was talking about. It was an albino Crocolisk the size of a medium sized dog. It had its head lowered and was hissing at Artem. It looked like it was ready to strike him. ¡°I keep telling you,¡± Ariyana started up as she tried to get between Artem and the monster. ¡°He wasn¡¯t trying to bite me.¡± ¡°Then why was its jaws covering your hand and wrist?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°I was feeding it and it took a bigger bite then he was supposed to,¡± Ariyana answered. She then put her right arm out for him to see. ¡°Look, do you see any bite marks anywhere?¡± Liam assessed her arm and didn¡¯t see any scratches or teeth marks. After thinking it over, a thought came over Liam and he asked, ¡°Did you tame this creature?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ariyana shouted, appreciative that someone finally understood what was going on. Mercer let out a chuckle as he placed a hand on Artem¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s some form of PTSD, but it¡¯s all good. You can relax now.¡± Artem looked at him with mixed emotions. He then looked at Ariyana and then at the creature and asked, ¡°If you tamed it then why did it attack me?¡± ¡°He probably thought you were going to hurt me and tried to protect me,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°Barty is very protective over his mama. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Ariyana turned and finished her sentence with a tone like she was talking to a baby. She walked over to it and stroked her hand over his head as the creature let out a chirping sound as he closed his eyes. Liam wasn¡¯t well versed on Crocolisk, but from where he stood, the creature looked happy and had a smile as Ariyana pet his head. ¡°Barty?¡± the others said with a look of confusion. ¡°Yes, Bartholomule or Barty for short,¡± Ariyana stated as she looked back at everyone. The others stared at her in silence as she stared right back at them. Before long, they erupted into laughter. ¡°What?¡± Ariyana frowned as a pout began to form. ¡°Nothing,¡± Mercer stated as he started to bring his laughter back under control. ¡°Barty was the last thing I thought you¡¯d name a killer monster,¡± Roman stated. ¡°He¡¯s not a killer monster,¡± Ariyana protested. ¡°He¡¯s just a cute baby.¡± ¡°That thing is a baby?¡± Artem asked with wide eyes. ¡®He¡¯s huge for a baby.¡± ¡°He is not a thing,¡± Ariyana frowned as she pointed at Artem, scolding him. ¡°He is a highly dignified and cute baby.¡± ¡°Can I pet him?¡± Avery asked as she looked at Barty with interest. Ariyana looked at her and gave her a hesitant expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll let you just yet. I just started the bonding part of taming and don¡¯t want to confuse him. Maybe after I¡¯ve leveled the bonding and affection up, but for now I¡¯m going to say no.¡± Avery looked sad as Ariyana explained all this. ¡°However, once he¡¯s at that point I don¡¯t think he would mind you petting him,¡± Ariyana stated. This perked Avery up a bit as she nodded, understanding what Ariyana said. She then said, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to force myself to wait then.¡± Ariyana smiled appreciatively. ¡°Hold on,¡± Liam started as he thought of something. ¡°If that thing is a baby. Then where was it hiding all this time?¡± ¡°Over there,¡± Ariyana answered as she pointed behind the tents. Everyone looked towards the direction she was pointing at and saw at the back of the wall were several broken eggshells. Upon further inspection Liam noticed the outside shell part was covered in rocks, perfectly disguising the eggs. Another thought popped into Liam¡¯s minds as he counted the broken eggshells. ¡°If those were all eggs, then what happened to the other baby Crocolisks?¡± Liam asked as he looked at Ariyana. The others were so wrapped up in things they didn¡¯t seem to think the same thing as they started looking around. ¡°They¡¯re all gone,¡± Ariyana replied. "After they hatched they ran to the corner over there, dipped into the water and went into the hole.¡± She then looked at Bartholomule and added, ¡°Except for this little cutie. He came waddling over to me and gave me the most adorable puppy eyes. I fell in love with him instantly and tried taming him.¡± Liam raised a brow as he looked down at Bartholomule and thought, Puppy dog eyes? What is he, some stray dog now? Liam let out a sigh. ¡°Well, whatever. As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Liam then grew a smile as he looked back at Ariyana and added, ¡°Congratulations on getting your first pet.¡± Ariyana blushed a bit as she looked back down at Barty who was nuzzling up against her leg. With a happy yet shy tone in her voice she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Ok, now that that¡¯s taken care of,¡± Mercer started up. ¡°Let¡¯s break camp, eat breakfast and head out.¡± The others nodded as they started to head back to camp and made their way over to their tents, except for Artem, Ariyana, and Barty. Liam turned his head to watch what was going on. Artem stared at Barty, who was staring back at him. Ariyana¡¯s gaze moved from one to the other. A curious expression grew on her face. After a few seconds of them staring, Artem let out a gust of air and said in an apologetic tone of voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just worried about my friend being in danger. If you¡¯re going to be a part of our group then I will need to rely on you to help me out on protecting her.¡± Barty tilted his head at Artem¡¯s words. ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t be able to under¡­,¡± Artem started back up, but was caught off guard as Barty chirped happily, moved over to Artem¡¯s leg and started rubbing up against him. Artem instantly froze, unsure what to do. Ariyana let out a laugh at the look Artem was making. Before either of the two could say anything, Avery shouted out, ¡°No fair! I thought we weren¡¯t allowed to gain any affection from Barty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not his fault,¡± Ariyana stated while giggling. ¡°Barty did that on his own.¡± Avery pouted as she crossed her arms across her chest. ¡°It¡¯s still not fair.¡± Liam let out a laugh of his own before turning away from the scene. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the group finished putting away their belongings and cleaned up their breakfast mess. They started to gather around. ¡°Is everyone ready to go?¡± Mercer asked as he looked at them. They gave him a nod to show they were ready. Mercer then turned to Ariyana and asked, ¡°How are you going to handle bringing Barty around?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ariyana muttered as she pet Barty across his head. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s simple. As a tamer I get this neat like trick that makes it easy to carry all that I have tamed or are currently taming.¡± She then stood up and placed a hand down and said, ¡°Alright Barty, time to go.¡± Barty looked up and gave her a warm chirping sound, before his body started to break down into a glowing white puff of smoke. Everyone watched with amazement as the smoke swirled up and around her right arm. It then started to enter her skin right on her bicep and took the form of a picture. Barty had become a Crocolisk tattoo. ¡°Whoa!¡± Roman and Avery exclaimed as they stared at her tattoo. ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± Artem said with a look of amazement. ¡°I was reading about it in the book that I got,¡± Ariyana started as she placed a hand on the tattoo. ¡°Whenever a tamer needs to travel and their tamed beasts are either too big or not allowed, they transform them into tattoos.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a neat like trick and pretty convenient,¡± Mercer stated, approving the method. ¡°I can only tame one beast right now, but as I get my levels higher in taming, I can tame more creatures and be able to have more than one out at a time,¡± Ariyana said with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what other types of creatures are out there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure with your luck, you¡¯ll find some pretty unusual and cool looking ones,¡± Liam stated before looking at the river. ¡°But for now, let¡¯s get our heads in the game and try to finish this floor.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Ariyana agreed as they started to cross the river. As the group made their way into the original EFM room, Liam noticed something in the corner of his right eye. He turned his head and saw a lever was right next to the open hole Binky had created. ¡°Well, that¡¯s convenient,¡± Liam muttered as he pulled down the handle. The familiar sound of stone grinding on stone echoed from the hallway but was accompanied by a new sound. It sounded a lot like water draining. Confused, Liam turned to the others who were looking at him with the same expression. ¡°What do you think that is about?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Mercer started. ¡°But if I had to fathom a guess, I¡¯d say that the floor that was filled with water might not be filled anymore.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go see then,¡± Roman stated as he started to walk. As the group entered the main room of the floor, Liam walked over to the edge of the walkway and peered down. All the water that was there was now gone. The door on the bottom floor was now open as well. ¡°Looks like that¡¯s the next area,¡± Roman stated as they made their way to the stairs. As they made their way down the stairs, Liam noticed that the stairs weren¡¯t as wet as they should have been. There were spots here and there with small puddles, but the stairs weren¡¯t as waterlogged as they should have been with how much water there was. Hm. That¡¯s interesting. Liam thought as they reached the bottom floor. I wonder if that¡¯s because of some sort of magic? After reaching the bottom, Liam looked towards the walls to see what hieroglyphics were there. The pictures showed various beasts walking forward with a person riding on the one in front. Liam couldn¡¯t make out what kind of beasts they were because none of them were native to his world. The next area showed the beast horde charging towards a group of undead creatures. The final picture showed the person who was riding one of the beasts being held by the neck by weird blueish-white tentacle looking things that came out from the Undead creature¡¯s arm. After seeing this last picture, Liam was confused about who it was they were going to fight next. He didn¡¯t have much time to think about as the group stopped in front of the door. Liam tried looking in and listened for any movement or noise, but there was only silence. Liam looked at Roman and Blair as they looked back at him. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t pick up anything either?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°No,¡± Blair responded as Roman shook his head. The three turned to look at the others as Blair said, ¡°We should be able to proceed to the EFM room without any issues.¡± The others nodded as they started walking down the hall. This hall was the same as the others, with a turn and no monsters. The only difference was the smell. A damp musty smell lingered in the air, proof of the water that had submerged it not too long ago. However, the closer they got to the opened EFM room, a new smell was added to the mix. The smell made Liam feel grossed out. He looked at Blair and Roman to see they had smelled it as well. ¡°God damn,¡± Roman started to complain, drawing looks from Ariyana, Artem, Avery, and Mercer. ¡°What is that stench?!¡± Confused the others sniffed the air and grew a look of disgust on their faces. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to catch it till you said something,¡± Ariyana said as she covered her nose with her hands. ¡°The smell from the undead monsters from yesterday was bearable, but this¡­,¡± Artem said as he made a gagging noise. ¡°This is worse.¡± ¡°I think whatever was down here was kept underwater for too long,¡± Liam stated, trying hard not to breathe through his nose. However, with his heightened sense of taste, it didn¡¯t help. ¡°Let¡¯s hope that whatever is down here died already since it was submerged in water,¡± Avery grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer than we have to.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Mercer said as he looked at the open door. They slowly approached the door and peered inside. The room was big with four pillars spread out close to the corners of the room. The floor and the walls were the same stone materials the other rooms had while the pillars were made with stoned bricks with a circular pattern. Upon further inspection of the room there were four iron caged doors. Two on the left wall and two on the right. Each door was different in size. There weren¡¯t any movements or sounds inside the caged areas, which confused the group. As they further inspected the room they noticed a body laying lifeless on the ground. The body was in the back of the room where the floor was slightly raised, just like the last three EFM rooms. Close to the body was four levers that were placed on the ground. Everyone looked at each other, unsure what to do. ¡°Do you think one or all of those levers are what we need to unlock the next door?¡± Artem asked, breaking the silence. Liam shrugged before saying softly, ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with caution. There is a chance that the EFM has already died to all that water, but you never know what to expect.¡± Remembering what happened in the last EFM room, they nodded with understanding. As they slowly walked in, Liam looked around for any signs of movement. An eerie feeling filled the air as they walked closer to the raised floor. After a few seconds of silence, Roman broke it by saying, ¡°Huh, maybe we don¡¯t have to kill anything here. Maybe the water offed the EFM for us.¡± As he finished talking the lifeless body suddenly started to convulse violently. The group jumped back, unsure what to expect. The body that was once laying on the ground was suddenly floating in the air as it shook and moved almost like it was having a seizure. When it finally stopped, the body moved to face the group in front of it. The first thing Liam noticed was that the male¡¯s eyes were glowing with a red ethereal smoke. The next was that this man didn¡¯t have much armor. His clothing looked like it was made from cloth, but due to the water that had filled this place it stuck to his body. Liam assessed the person in front of them and was thoroughly confused.
Possessed Askith Beast Tamer. 1,000/1,000 HP. 500/500 MP.
Tutorial 88 - Stuck between a Hyena and a Roc Ariyana slapped the back of Roman¡¯s head, causing him to swiftly turn with his hands up. When he saw Ariyana¡¯s glaring look, he realized why she had slapped him. ¡°I know, I know. My bad guys,¡± Roman stated as he turned back to face the man who was slowly dropping down to his feet. The man flexed his hands and arms, making it seem like he was testing his body. ¡°Foolish people,¡± The man started. The Possessed Askith Beast Tamer¡¯s voice was a bit deep, but it also sounded strange. ¡°To think you would foolishly enter this domain I have claimed for myself. Was it you who drained it of all the water?¡± the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer questioned as he looked down. Liam listened to the way this man spoke. It sounded like it was forced and had a gurgle with each word that escaped his lips. It was almost like the man had some sludge stuck within his throat. Could it be because of the water that filled this place? Liam thought. ¡°And if we did?¡± Mercer questioned as he stared at the man. ¡°That was a foolish thing for you to do,¡± the man stated. ¡°You have freed me from the one thing that was keeping me trapped here.¡± He let out a cackle that sounded more like he was gargling water in his throat. Liam grimaced at the sound. ¡°I might not have all my power back, but as thanks for freeing me; I am going to kill you so I can add you to my collection. The more bodies I have the better chances I have at surviving,¡± the man stated with a wicked smile. With a quick spin that caught everyone off guard, the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer turned to where the four levers were and pulled the last one on the opposite side. After doing this, he did something that made everyone very confused. His body suddenly dropped to the floor. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Blair questioned as she witnessed what had happened. ¡°What is he doing?¡± Avery asked as she looked around the room. Liam was even more confused, since his Perception of the Control Tower leveled up it gained the ability to have the enemy¡¯s health and mana bars stay out when he assesses them once. However, after this body dropped so did the health and mana bar, almost like the being died. Before he could think any more about this, a loud screeching and grinding noise filled the air, making Liam look around the room. Behind them, an iron door was rising, opening the cage up. This caged door was the smallest out of the four, but still stood about two inches taller than Artem. The group stared at the opened cage and into the darkened area. At first they didn¡¯t see anything, but before they could move, a pair of beady ethereal red smoky eyes opened up. A threating growl crawled out from the shadows as the eyes moved. A paw, slightly bigger than the size of a man¡¯s hand, entered the light. The skin that ran up the hind leg looked leathery. However, when the creature fully revealed that the leathery skin only covered its four legs and stomach while fur ran from the head, down it¡¯s back, and tail. Most of the fur was short, except for the top of its head and mid back. The hair there was longer. This creature stood almost as tall as Artem on all fours. Drool slipped out of its mouth as it barred its fangs at Liam and his group. Liam assessed the creature.
¡°Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena. 1,500/2,500 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
Liam stared at it with confusion. This things health was already down some? And what¡¯s with that Possessed part? Is something possessing it? As Liam was thinking this, the feral looking creature lowered its body some before pushing out into a charge. When it was a few feet away, it jumped for the middle of the group. It reached out with its two front paws, claws extended, and its mouth wide open, revealing two rows of razor sharp teeth. However, during its jump, Blair swung her new battle axe covering it with hard stoned scales, right into the creature¡¯s stomach. The force and momentum of her battle axe crashing into the hyena¡¯s stomach, caused it to follow the weapon¡¯s trajectory. The place it was falling towards was right where Artem was. Artem swung his shield around, timing the swing with when the creature would land and guided it right into a pillar. The Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena let out a whimper sound as it crashed into the stone pillar. As it slid down the pillar and fell to the ground, the hyena got back onto its feet and started making a laughing sound. It started running away. It ran around the pillar it crashed into and then charged back at the group. This time, however, instead of jumping it lunged forward towards Artem. Artem readied his shield as he watched the creature speed towards him. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he stomped forward and readied himself for the collision. As the Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena crashed into Artem¡¯s shield, Artem dug down as hard as he could, but still felt his body slide backwards. The hyena lifted its right paw and went to swipe its claws across the shield, but faltered as Avery appeared on one side of it and Roman on the other. In unison, Avery and Roman struck. Avery slashed the creature¡¯s side with her rapier while Roman punched with his new gauntlets on the other. After a few strikes, they both jumped back, barely dodging the attempted bite attacks the monster used as it moved its head from left to right. ¡°We¡¯ve got a feisty one here,¡± Roman stated as he grew a smile. ¡°Be on your guard!¡± Liam shouted out. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right about this creature.¡± Mercer released an arrow before turning to Liam. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°It has the word Possessed just like that Askith Beast Tamer did,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but that one word has me worried.¡± Mercer nodded before looking back at the creature that was jumping around, dodging the Leaf Projection spell Ariyana shot at it. The Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena ran around a pillar on the other side of the room before turning back towards the group. It jumped to the side to dodge an arrow shot at it, but continued forward without losing speed. It leaped forward and aimed his claws at Ariyana, but was stopped as Artem sprinted with his shield in front of him right into the creature¡¯s rib cage. As he collided into the creature, thick wooden spikes protruded from Artem¡¯s shield and pierced into the hyena¡¯s ribcage. Artem didn¡¯t stop after skewering the creature and kept running, pinning it against another pillar. The Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena let out a howl of pain as it felt the spikes dig deeper. Avery and Roman didn¡¯t let this opportunity slip as they charged in and started attacking as fast as they could. Liam watched the creature¡¯s health drop with each strike from Avery¡¯s Rapier, and Roman¡¯s punches. However, once when the creature¡¯s health dropped to one thousand, the name, health and mana bar suddenly disappeared. When this happened, the body suddenly went limp. Stolen story; please report. ¡°What the fu¡­,¡± Liam muttered with confusion as he heard that nasty gurgled cackle from the back of the room. He spun around to see the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer standing back up, his health and mana bar reappeared.
¡°Possessed Askith Beast Tamer. 923/1,000 HP. 450/500 MP.¡±
His health and mana dropped? Liam thought, still trying to figure out what was going on. What the hell? Is it because we damaged the hyena? Artem dropped his shield down so the hyena could slide off of it as he turned to look at what the others were staring at. ¡°I can see your defenses are solid,¡± the man said as he moved to the next lever. ¡°However, can the same be said when facing something faster?¡± After pulling the lever, the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer once more, dropped to the ground, making his health and mana bar disappear. Liam clicked his tongue as he spun to look for the next iron door to open. As the familiar sound of loud screeching and grinding noise echoed, the group was able to find which door was opening. It was the door exactly opposite from the one the hyena came out from. This door was slightly bigger and a little wider. Once when the door fully opened, a creature hopped out from the darkness hidden within it. It was a bird with sandy brown feathers that ran down its body and wings. The feathers covering its face and neck were a cerulean color. Its beak and talons were a golden color. Liam assessed it.
¡°Possessed Askith Roc. 1,000/1,850 HP. 75/100 MP.¡±
It moved its head to look at the group through one of its eyes, let out a loud ear splitting screech and expanded its wingspan. Without waiting for the creature to make a move, Mercer swiftly grabbed an arrow out from his quiver, pulled back on the bow string, aimed, and released. He watched as the arrow sailed through the air towards its intended target. However, right before it struck into the creature, the Possessed Askith Roc disappeared. ¡°What the¡­,¡± Mercer started to mutter, confused as to where the bird disappeared to. The sound of flapping caught everyone¡¯s attention causing them to look up. Close to the ceiling above where the bird once was, was the same creature flapping its wings staring down at them. Liam and the others took a defensive stance as they got ready for anything. Liam¡¯s danger sense suddenly flared up all around his body as he stared at the creature. ¡°Shit! Scatter!¡± Liam shouted as he sprinted away from the spot where he stood. As the others ran in different directions, the Possessed Askith Roc dived down at them. As soon as the others were a couple feet away from where they stood, the ground erupted. Everyone turned around to see the giant bird ascend back into the air as the dust disappeared. The spot it had dive bombed into had and indent. The stoned tiles cracked, revealing dust and broken pieces of stones scattered. ¡°Everyone, take cover behind the pillars!¡± Liam instructed. ¡°If it gets into eye view then run as fast as you can to the next one! Do not stand still!¡± As soon as Liam finished, the Possessed Askith Roc started flying in Avery¡¯s and Blair¡¯s direction. Avery and Blair sprinted left for the pillar closest to the hyena¡¯s open cage. As soon as they moved, an explosion of dust burst up. ¡°Shit its fast!¡± Roman shouted as he hid behind the left pillar closest to the back of the room. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°We need to restrict its movements somehow,¡± Liam yelled back as he hid behind the pillar opposite of Roman. ¡°My Grasp of the Shadows ability won¡¯t work since it¡¯s in the air and doesn¡¯t have a shadow under it to grab it.¡± Liam turned to Roman and questioned, ¡°Do you think your Lightning magic can paralyze it long enough for me to trap it?¡± Roman¡¯s face frowned as he stared at the creature. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Try and see if it can,¡± Liam suggested. ¡°Everyone else try and see if we can keep its attention on us while Roman tries to paralyze it!¡± The others let out a grunt or a word letting Liam know they understood the plan. Liam hid his body behind a pillar and started to channel as much arcane mana as he could. When he reached the amount he was satisfied with he began chanting his Shadow Orb spell. He got about half way through it and stopped the chant. He then started to focus on manipulating the Shadow mana in front of him into his hands, but was stopped as someone shouted, ¡°Liam! Look out!¡± As the words escaped their lips, Liam¡¯s danger sense lit up all over his body while his eyes looked up to see the giant bird turn around the corner and locked its ethereal red smoky eyes on him. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam shouted as he started running around the pillar. The moment he got around it, he felt a tremor shake the ground around him as dust flew around the pillar. He then looked back at his hands and noticed the Shadow Mana he was accumulating had disappeared. Having to do this like this is more of an inconvenience than helpful. Liam thought with a scowl. Before Liam could do anything else, he heard Roman finish off a chant and throw two Lightning Orbs at the Possessed Askith Roc that was on the ground behind the pillar he was standing at. He then saw purplish-yellow light explode as arcs of lightning shot out from the other side of the pillar. Liam was excited, thinking it had hit the target, but scowled as he heard Roman curse, ¡°Stupid fucking bird. Stay still and let me hit you!¡± The Possessed Askith Roc was back in the air. It glanced at Roman who was cussing at it but paid him no mind and began to fly around again looking for a target. ¡°Did you just¡­,¡± Roman started as his eye twitched. ¡°Did you just ignore me!?¡± Ignoring Roman, its eyes locked on to two targets that had moved behind a pillar that sat in the front of the room. It quickly soared over there with its speed and saw Ariyana and Blair trying to go to the pillar on the left side of the room. Without hesitation, the creature dove down as fast as it could. ¡°Blair!¡± Liam started. ¡°Ariyana!¡± Artem began. ¡°Look out!¡± they both shouted. Blair grabbed Ariyana around her waist and started to swing her Battle Axe over her head, bringing both of them into a front flip with the momentum, to try and get out of the way. This move allowed them to dodge the attack just in time, but the aftershock created by the Possessed Askith Roc, was too powerful and made Blair lose her grip on her weapon. After losing her grip, both Blair and Ariyana went flying into the open cage that the Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena was in. Liam watched as both of their health bars dropped. Blair lost more than a quarter of her health while Ariyana lost almost half. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Liam let slip, but then turned his gaze around the room. He was looking to see where Mercer and Artem were. Which should I send? Liam started thinking. Both have the capability of healing, but who should I have go? Artem is a defender, so his movement is slower than the rest of us but can at least take a hit. However, Mercer is able to run faster and can get behind a pillar faster, but if he gets hit then he¡¯ll take major damage. While Liam was thinking about all this, something caught his eye that helped him make a decision. It was Mercer. After the Possessed Askith Roc dive bombed the area, he readied his bow and shot an arrow. The arrow sunk into the bird¡¯s leg before it could jump back into the air. After seeing this, Liam shouted, ¡°Artem! Get in there and heal both of them!¡± Artem didn¡¯t waste any time and sprinted as fast as he could towards the opened cage doors Ariyana and Blair were flung into. The Possessed Askith Roc noticed Artem running as fast as he could for the corner of the room. It chose Artem as its prey and started to turn, but had to halt its progression as two arrows flew pass it. It swiveled its head to find the ant that dared to attack it and saw an arrow release from Mercer¡¯s bow. The bird then flapped its wings to dodge the arrow and decided to go after him instead. Mercer lowered his bow and sprinted for the pillar on the opposite side of the room in the back. The Possessed Askith Roc flew as fast as it could and saw him almost reach the pillar. Without wasting any time, the creature dive bombed towards an area close to Mercer since it was out of its range. It wanted to toy with this creature that dared to strike it. As soon as it hit the ground and sent a shockwave in Mercer¡¯s direction, the creature watched with glee as Mercer flew head off heels and slammed into the wall. Blood spewed out of Mercer¡¯s mouth as he slid down. The Possessed Askith Roc let out a screech of triumph as it started to make its way for Mercer. It opted to hop instead of fly because it believed itself a superior creature compared to these pathetic struggling beings. As it hopped and emerged from behind the pillar closest to Mercer, it suddenly hopped back as two Lightning Orbs flew pass its head. After dodging the attempt, it peered its head around the pillar to see Roman, who had fired his magic. This puny creature that resembled a small fox looked pathetic in its eyes and wasn¡¯t worth the effort to give it any attention. It watched as the short male fox gritted his teeth with what looked like frustration and clenched both of his fists and pulled them back to his sides. No matter how hard it struggled he was unworthy to ever land a strike on the proud creature. However, as it turned to look back at Mercer, it failed to notice the two Lightning Orbs it had dodged, rushing back towards it. The two orbs collided into it, sending arcs of lightning throughout its entire body. The Possessed Askith Roc let out a shriek as it tried to open its wing span. As it tried though, the muscles throughout its body clenched and prevented it from moving. Shortly after the paralyzing debuff took hold of the creature, shadowy tendrils shot out from underneath the bird and wrapped around it. A second after that, vines suddenly shot out from the ground around it and doubled over the Shadowy tendrils. ¡°Great job Roman!¡± Ariyana shouted as she, Artem, and Blair rushed out from the caged area they were in. ¡°Everyone strike it as fast as you can!¡± Liam shouted as he rushed over. A shadow hand trailed behind him griping hold on one of his Black Widow Matriarch Throwing Daggers. During the time the Possessed Askith Roc didn¡¯t have its eyes on him he tried to summon his Shadow Hand. It took him three tries to get it to work, but as soon as he was able to he was able to watch Roman use Mana Manipulation to pull his Lightning Orbs back to hit the massive bird. He had noticed Ariyana emerging from the cage and gave her a look. Understanding him, she nodded and started chanting along with him thus being able to release their spells almost simultaneously. Mercer had gotten back up and was using his violin to play his Health Pulse song on himself. Liam watched as the Possessed Askith Roc¡¯s health started dropping. However, once when it reached four hundred and ninety one, its status bar disappeared. Liam clicked his tongue before looking over at the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer as it stood back up. He stared at the man¡¯s status bar.
¡°Possessed Askith Beast Tamer. 871/1,000 HP. 399/500 MP.¡±
¡°I must admit,¡± the Possessed Askith Beats Tamer started. His voice still gurgled, but had a hint of annoyance. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to handle the Roc¡¯s speed the way you did. However, this next creature should be harder for you to handle.¡± After pulling the third lever, the man dropped again. The group turned their heads to see the iron caged doors on the back right side of the room start to rise up. This door was the second biggest and widest out of the four. Loud clicking sounds echoed the room. As soon as the doors fully opened a massive creature walked out from the darkened caged room. This creature was big. It wasn¡¯t as big as Binky was, but was close in height. It was as big in height and length as a tank. It had a long black shell covering its abdomen with six skinny legs. It had two pincers it opened and closed menacingly as the stinger on the end of its curled tail flexed up and down. Liam assessed this Creature.
¡°Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread. 2,500/4,750 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°Holy shit,¡± Liam muttered as he drew the words out. Tutorial 89 - Of Blood and Illusions ¡°What the fuck is a Scorpdread?!¡± Liam shouted, not realizing he spoke out loud. Mercer turned his head to Liam as he shouted this and asked, ¡°A Scorpdread? That¡¯s what this thing is?¡± Mercer looked back at the creature that was staring at them through its beady red ethereal smoked eyes. ¡°A Scorpdread is a giant scorpion usually found in desert areas. Its shell has high resistance to slashing and piercing attacks, but no resistance to blunt attacks,¡± Mercer shouted. ¡°If you can get under it the resistance it has is null since the shell doesn¡¯t cover underneath it.¡± ¡°If it hits you with its stinger it will pump a very potent toxin within you. Its pincers are strong enough to crush small boulders, but from looking at this one it will be a lot stronger. I¡¯m not sure if it has any magic resistances, but they can be pretty dangerous either way. We need to be careful.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± the others shouted. ¡°What¡¯s the plan Liam?¡± Avery questioned as she eyed the creature before them. ¡°We need to distract it and attack from afar,¡± Liam stated. ¡°We need to avoid the pincers and the stinger at all costs. Artem and Blair, for now do not approach it until we can figure out how to counter that stinger.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Artem and Blair responded as they slowly took a step back. ¡°Mercer, we¡¯re going to need you to play all your buff songs when you can,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Since we need it to be fast limit yourself to your flute in case you need to move your arms for anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Mercer stated as he put his bow away and pulled out his flute. ¡°Ariyana, if you see an opening then try using your Entangling Roots to bind down its pincers or stinger,¡± Liam instructed. ¡°Should I use Gravitational Force Increase to slow it down?¡± Blair questioned before Liam continued. Liam thought it over. The spell had the benefit of slowing down its target and would be great on that, but there was a negative to using it as well. Liam shook his head as he declined, ¡°No, the added power the Scorpdread would get when striking with its tail could possibly outweigh the advantage of slowing it down.¡± Blair nodded as she agreed with the decision. ¡°Artem try to taunt it and see if you can kite it to the middle of the room,¡± Liam shouted as a plan started forming. He then turned to Ariyana and added, ¡°Once when it gets there then trap it with your spell. Ariyana and Artem nodded. ¡°Avery and Roman, once when it is trapped use your spells to attack it,¡± Liam continued. He then added as he looked at Avery, ¡°No fire spells. We don¡¯t want the Entangled Roots to burn off while we¡¯re attacking it.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Avery replied with a frown. ¡°Alright let¡¯s do it!¡± Liam shouted as Artem slammed his right foot down into the ground and let out a taunting roar. The Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread turned its beady ethereal smoky red eyes at Artem and let out a loud screech from its mouth. Liam could see two sharp fangs and behind it a row of sharp teeth. Mercer jumped back and started playing his songs to buff Artem up first. ¡°Over here you ugly piece of crap!¡± Artem shouted as he ran around a pillar and towards the middle of the room, inside all four pillars. The Scorpdread skittered its way towards Artem, clamping its two meaty pincers loudly. As the giant insect turned its massive body around the pillar, it saw Artem was already standing in the middle of the room. He took a defensive stance as he watched the creature race towards him. Artem raised his shield up as the creature was within its stinger¡¯s striking distance. With quick speed and accurate precision, the Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread¡¯s stinger struck directly in the middle of Artem¡¯s Wither Tree Kite Shield. The force of the creature¡¯s strike and the strength put into it splintered the shield into pieces, making Artem exposed to the attack. The Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread, retracted its stinger, scooped Artem up, and attacked once more with its tail. The barbed end of the stinger struck directly on Artem¡¯s forehead. Artem¡¯s face let out a look of horror as the stinger dug into his skin. Feeling gleeful that it had killed the creature that had dared taunt its existence, the Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread went to let out a victorious screech, but stopped. It grew confused as the dead creature¡¯s body in its pincer suddenly disappeared into a puff of smoke. Before it could react, roots shot out from the tiled floor and wrapped around the front end of its body. Its pincers were forcefully brought down to the ground as the roots that entangled them pulled down hard after wrapping themselves several times. It went to strike with its stinger, but suddenly felt something cold and otherworldly wrap around it and stop it from moving. ¡°Great job!¡± Liam shouted as he watched Ariyana¡¯s Entangled Roots spell bind the front half of the creature while his Grasp of the Shadows trapped the back half. He looked back at Ariyana and added, ¡°Nice thinking on using your Mirage spell.¡± Ariyana gave him a happy smile as she shouted back, ¡°Thanks, I figured it was worth a try.¡± The Mirage spell Ariyana used was from her Field of Illusions Focus Point Illusion Manipulation. At a low level it creates a copy of a target the caster uses the spell on. That copy can not cause harm to anyone or anything and is not solid. If it gets struck then it would disappear. Since she was able to get it to level ten the spell effects changed. It was now solid and was able to take hits. However, it would only be able to take a certain amount of damage before it disappeared. Not only that, but since it could be felt, if the copy tried attacking an enemy, the target would think it was getting attack, but in reality it wasn¡¯t taking any damage. ¡°Also, great job adapting to the improvised plan Artem,¡± Liam said as he looked at him. He was standing on the side of the pillar he ran around. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Thanks,¡± Artem said. ¡°I was confused at first when I saw a copy of myself run towards the middle, so I took a gamble on the creature chasing it instead of me.¡± A grimace formed over his face as he added, ¡°I am really glad it did. That attack looked painful.¡± ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Liam started as he turned back towards the creature who was struggling to break free. ¡°Everyone attack!¡± At Liam¡¯s words, Avery, Ariyana, and Roman unleashed a wave of magical attacks. Artem and Blair raced forward and struck as hard as they could with their weapons. Since Artem used a Mace he didn¡¯t have to worry about his attacks being resisted. Blair, channeled her mana into the blade of her Battle Axe covering it with the hardened scales so she could do blunt damage instead of slicing. After Mercer had finished playing all of his buff songs with his flute he too started throwing ice spells at the creature. Liam threw out a couple of his Shadow orb spells at the creature and watched as its health slowly dropped down. They were able to bring its health down to one thousand eight hundred and sixty two after all the damage they had done. However, it still felt too slow to Liam. Our attacks are hardly doing anything. Liam thought as he watched the others continued to pelt it with their attacks. As Liam finished his thought, he heard a snapping sound coming from the giant scorpion¡¯s direction and grew wide eyed. The roots that wrapped around its pincers were starting to tear. The shadows that grasped its tail were starting to snap as well as it tried to extend its tail as far as it could. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed. ¡°Everyone get back!¡± Artem and Blair swiftly spun around and started running away. As soon as they started running away, the Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread broke free its front half. It spun around and used its pincers to break the tendrils that held its back end down. As soon as it was completely free of its entrapment, the creature turned to the group and was about to chase after them, until a small figure with a fluffy tail raced towards it. ¡°What are you doing Roman!?¡± Liam shouted as the others watched Roman run. Before anyone could chase after him, the massive insect struck as fast as it could with its tail, stinger extended out. However, as the stinger went to penetrate his body, Liam saw a figure move to the left and run back towards their direction. This confused Liam because Roman stood right where the Scorpdread had struck, but there was also another Roman meeting up with them. Hold on, was that After Image? Liam thought as he stared at Roman. After Image was a Magical ability from the Focus Point Illusory Combat from the Field of Illusions. He knew Ariyana had the Field and the Focus Point so she would have the ability to use it, but what didn¡¯t make sense was it was a self-target spell. So how was Roman able to use it? He never mentioned having picked that Field so what was going on here? Liam thought. He was taken out of his thoughts as he noticed something else. After the giant scorpion creature struck with its stinger, it went through the after image and dove right into the stone tile. The amount of force used to strike caused the stinger to plunge far enough into the tile that it got stuck. ¡°All yours Blair!¡± Roman shouted as he stopped by Ariyana who was staring at him with as much confusion as Liam had. Blair, who was watching everything and didn¡¯t miss a beat, changed the hard rocky scales on her weapon to smooth sharp ones as she ran towards the creature¡¯s tail. As soon as she got within striking distance, Blair swung her Battle axe as hard as she could right above where the Stinger was. The blade of her weapon sliced right through the soft skin like butter and severed the stinger off the tail. The Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread let out a painful screech as its tail flung back, spraying blood out from the wound. The creature¡¯s tail twitched as the blood that pooled out from it started to cover its back and rolled to the ground. Liam watched as its health started falling as it continued to bleed. He then turned to Avery as he heard her say something that caught him off guard. ¡°That should be enough blood and since it has poison mixed in because of the stinger it should work,¡± Avery muttered as she sheathed her rapier and put her hands out in front of her. After she did this she started chanting, ¡°Blood, pure and essential to our lives, mix with the poison that is vital to our deaths. Skip the alchemic process and transform with the power of my words. Melt that which you touch, corrode the armor which protects, and boil away any defense which tries to stop you. Acidic Blood.¡± Liam watched as the blood that pooled over the Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread turn a dark greenish red. As the blood touched the shell of the scorpion, smoke started to waft off of it as the sound of something sizzling began to be heard. Liam watched as the shell around the abdomen began to dissolve. Small areas were starting to be exposed as the blood ran towards the middle of the creatures back to its face. As soon as the blood touched one of its eyes, the painful screech it let out earlier grew louder. The Possessed Askith Battle Scorpdread started thrashing around. It tried wiping away the blood that had seeped onto its face, but realized it was futile as the blood smeared across and began dissolving the flesh around the eyes. The pincer started to sizzle and bubble as the blood it tried wiping latched onto it. The giant creature slammed its pincer violently, trying to get the blood off of it, but it was too late. Liam watched as the massive scorpion¡¯s health pool dropped rapidly as its body sizzled, dissolved, and smoked. The stench that came off of the creature filled the room, making those closest to it gag and move away. As soon as the creature¡¯s health dropped into the nine hundreds, it disappeared and caused the creature to stop moving. However, this did not stop the blood from continuing to dissolve the entire creature. ¡°How¡­,¡± the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer started. His tone almost sounded like he was panting. Liam stared at his health bar as he turned to face the possessed man.
¡°Possessed Askith Beast Tamer. 736/1,000 HP. 311/500 MP.¡±
¡°How dare you do that to my precious collected item! I will kill you with this next beast! There is no way you will be able to survive this creature!¡± The Possessed Askith Beast Tamer shouted. He let out a maniacal cackle as he pulled the final lever before collapsing again. Liam turned their heads to the final iron caged doors that started to ascend. Liam could feel his heart beat loud as it thumped against his chest as he waited for the massive creature that was trapped within this cage. After the doors were raised all the way up, the group felt their bodies tense. However, as they stared into the darkness that filled the cage, nothing came out. After a few seconds passed, Liam felt his heart sink towards his stomach as Eri started laughing loudly into Liam¡¯s mind. Jesus fucking Christ Eri! Liam mentally projected to her as his heart beat harder than it was before. What the hell are you laughing at? You¡¯re about to find out. Eri said between her laughing fit. You¡¯re going to love this. ¡°Where did it go!?¡± a loud gurgling shout echoed within the room. Liam and the others turned their heads to face the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer. ¡°How and when did that massive creature escape without me noticing?!¡± the man shouted again. Liam could tell it was agitated and confused. At this point Liam and the others were confused about what this EFM was talking about. Is he saying that his final monster escaped? Liam thought to himself. What creature is so massive that it could escape from inside the cage while it was underwater? Liam turned his head and focused as hard as he could into the darkness of the cage from where he stood. As the darkness from within started to lighten up he noticed how thrashed the room was. Claw marks could be seen across the left and right side of the wall. The back wall was fully destroyed as a massive hole was dug out. What kind of creature could be powerful enough to dig through the stoned wall? Liam thought as his brows scrunched. Not only that, but how could it do that while under wat¡­ Before Liam could finish his thought he saw something familiar mixed in with the destroyed rocks that scattered around the open hole. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as realization dawned on him what the final creature was supposed to be. Just like Eri, Liam started laughing out loud. This action drew confused looks from the others. ¡°What is so funny pathetic human?¡± The Possessed Askith Beast Tamer scowled as he looked at Liam. Liam tried to control his laughter but failed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­,¡± Liam tried, but couldn¡¯t help continuing to laugh. Eri was still laughing in Liam¡¯s mind. Her laughter is what kept Liam laughing as he too found the situation hilarious. ¡°It¡¯s just what?¡± The man demanded, feeling heated. ¡°Hold on,¡± Liam said as he put a finger up. Mercer watched an eye twitch on the EFM¡¯s face. Liam took a breath in as he calmed himself. He let out a couple more chuckles before finally said, ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re oh so powerful pet you were going to sic on us¡­We already killed it.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The Possessed Askith Beast Tamer roared. ¡°There¡¯s no way you could have. She was my most powerful asset. A creature of that size and strength would have ripped you to shreds! There¡¯s no way you could have killed Binky!¡± Tutorial 90 - The true EFM ¡°Binky?!¡± the others shouted with disbelief. ¡°Binky was his final monster?¡± Ariyana questioned as she looked from the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer to Liam. ¡°Yup,¡± Liam smiled at her. ¡°But how?¡± Artem started. ¡°How did Binky, who was this guy¡¯s tamed pet, escape and become an EFM in a different room?¡± Blair inquired. Mercer pondered on the question and at something else that was nagging in the back of his brain. A sudden thought appeared in his mind as he muttered, ¡°It has to do with the word Possessed.¡± He then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± Liam nodded. A lot was bugging him while he and the others were fighting the creatures this beast tamer released. Why the word possessed was in their names? Why the beast tamer and the other beats¡¯ dropped and their status bars disappeared with them when they did? It had taken him a while to figure it out. It was thanks to the one creature they struggled with in the last EFM room, Binky. ¡°These beasts were the beast tamer¡¯s tamed beasts. Binky must have been one of them as well,¡± Liam started as he looked at Ariyana. ¡°However, tamed beasts only obey the tamer who tamed them correct?¡± Ariyana nodded as she agreed with Liam. ¡°However, every beast that we have fought in here had the word Possessed in their name,¡± Liam continued. ¡°When we fought Binky, she did not have that. Which tells me that these creatures died due to the flooding water. We all know that Binky can handle being underwater since we fought it.¡± The others nodded as they continued to listen. ¡°Since Binky escaped here that means the taming magic it had over her is completely gone making this Beast Tamer dead as well,¡± Liam continued. ¡°Yeah, but all the EFM¡¯s besides Binky were undead like creatures,¡± Roman stated. ¡°Since this guy was turned undead wouldn¡¯t it be able to re-tame these creatures as undead beasts?¡± ¡°Ah that¡¯s where it gets interesting,¡± Liam said with a smile. ¡°That would be the case if the Beast Tamer became an undead.¡± ¡°If it became undea¡­,¡± Mercer started to mutter until realization dawn on him. ¡°This Askith Beast Tamer never became an undead did he?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Liam replied. ¡°He was never reanimated, but instead became possessed by an undead creature making him just a puppet just like the other beasts in here.¡± ¡°Then that means¡­,¡± Avery started before looking at the Askith Beast Tamer. ¡°This man isn¡¯t the real EFM,¡± Liam started. ¡°He is possessed by the true EFM.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But how is it that possible?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Hell if I know,¡± Liam said bluntly. ¡°The only thing I do know is we¡¯ll have to kill him and the rest of the creatures if we want to find out who¡¯s pulling the strings.¡± ¡°How dare a lowly species think it can kill me!?¡± the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer shouted with anger. ¡°I will make sure to kill each and every one of you!¡° After making the declaration, the man suddenly dropped to the floor. ¡°Quick!¡± Liam started as he spun his gaze around the room. ¡°Look for the beast that it¡¯s going to possess!¡± The others scanned the room. They could see the Roc since it was close by, but they couldn¡¯t see the hyena. A bestial laugh echoed throughout the room as they looked around. ¡°If that isn¡¯t a sign on which beast it is then I don¡¯t know what,¡± Roman muttered as they grouped up. Artem noticed something on the other side of the room. It was the Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena¡¯s tail. Artem turned his eyes to the others and gave them a wave to catch their attention. After they looked at him, Artem brought a finger to his lips before pointing to what he saw. Mercer and Liam nodded as they started slowly moving towards the direction the creature was hiding. As they made their way over to the creature, Liam started to wonder why the beast wasn¡¯t moving to attack them. Before he could come to a conclusion, his Danger Sense suddenly flared up. However, instead of coming from the front, the feeling covered his entire back. Shit! Liam thought as he spun around and saw the Possessed Askith Roc spread its wings out wide. Liam was about to shout out a warning, but it was too late. The Possessed Askith Roc flapped as hard as it could and sent a powerful gust in their direction. The force of the wind shot towards the middle of the group and suddenly exploded, sending each member in different directions. Liam felt his back slam hard against the pillar he was closest to at the back right of the room. He got up as fast as he could and looked around. The Possessed Askith Roc was nowhere to be seen around eye level. He swiftly looked up to see the creature was flying towards Artem who was getting back to his feet close to the pillar the hyena¡¯s body was hiding behind. Without waiting, the Possessed Askith Roc started to fly down as fast as it could with its talons stretched out. This strike looked different from the dive bomb it was doing earlier. The speed was slower, and he was able to see it soaring down. ¡°Artem!¡± Liam shouted out to warn him. ¡°Above you!¡± Instinctually, Artem swung his shield up and activated the spikes to protrude out right before the bird tried to strike. The ground below Artem caved in a bit as he used every ounce of his body strength to not buckle under the pressure. The Possessed Askith Roc let out a painful screech as it felt a couple of the spikes pierce through its foot. Before it could flap its wings to get away, Liam heard Blair finish a chant. The creature suddenly felt a massive pressure push down on it. As soon as it felt the pressure it tried flapping its wings as hard as it could. However, the sheer weight of the gravity pushing down on it prevented it from going any higher. Forgoing the chance to get away, the Possessed Askith Roc turned its head to Artem who slammed his mace over a part of the its foot that wasn¡¯t pierced and tried to hold it down. Anger filled the creature as it tried using its free talon to maneuver past the shield to dig its claws into him. However, the few moments it took to figure this plan was a few moments too long. Liam felt something powerful building up behind him. As he turned around he noticed Mercer had powered up his Zodiac ability, True Shot. Understanding what Mercer was going to do, Liam decided to run as fast as he could to get ready for the next monster. As he began to run, Mercer released the arrow. The Possessed Askith Roc only had a moment to turn its head to see the fiery arrow soaring at it. It tried to move its head out of the way, but it was too late. The arrow shot through its head, exploding it into pieces, the creature¡¯s feather lit up from the passing flames and spread throughout its body. Artem quickly pulled his shield out from its foot before the flames could touch his shield. As he went to turn around, he noticed a pair of claws were extended towards him with a drooling maw opened in the air. Liam was about six feet away from the creature with no one directly in front of. He swiped the blade in his right hand through the air, which made the others confused why he swung early. However, everyone quickly understood the moment they saw the shadowy hand trailing behind him swing out in an arc six feet away and sliced the Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena across its eyes. This brief moment allowed Artem to duck and bring his shield over his head. Once when the creature was right over his head, Artem quickly stood up, shoved his shield into the stomach of the creature and flip him over. The Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena flipped in the air and landed on his back. As it hit the ground, its body slid and rolled over and over; right into the remain pool of the Askith Battle Scorpdread¡¯s acidic blood. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The Possessed Vicious Askith Hyena let out yips and screams of pain as the acidic blood started sizzling its fur and flesh. Liam watched as its health pool soared down and down, until it finally hit zero. ¡°This¡­,¡± the familiar gurgled voice shouted. Liam and the others turned to see the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer stand back up. Anger filled this man¡¯s expression as he glared at the group. Liam stared at his status bar as it reappeared over the man¡¯s head.
¡°Possessed Askith Beast Tamer. 250/1,000 HP. 50/500 MP.¡±
¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer roared. ¡°My precious collection should have been enough to kill you!¡± As Liam watched this man start to throw a fit he noticed something that made him put his guard up. The Possessed Askith Beast Tamer¡¯s health was starting to drop as sounds of bones breaking escaped from its body. What the hell is going on? Liam thought as he watched the man¡¯s left leg bulge a bit. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have made it this far!¡± the man shouted as his right arm swelled up. It looked like the hand and arm was being filled with some kind of liquid. It swelled so much; Liam thought it could pop at any moment. ¡°What is he doing?¡± Ariyana questioned as she repulsed at the sight of the man. The Possessed Askith Beast Tamer¡¯s left arm stretched out to the point where it looked like the skin was about to rip off. His fingers on this hand elongated and turned into sharp claws as the nails grew out and sharpened like a beast¡¯s. The man had become grotesque and unnatural. The process it went through to take on this horrifying form was enough to make the group feel like they were going to throw up. Liam fought the feeling as hard as he could. After a moment had passed a chime echoed in his mind. This sound confused him, but he didn¡¯t take the time to look at it. Instead, he turned to Ariyana, who looked like the color in her skin had drained and stated, ¡°Ariyana. Snap out of it!¡± Ariyana slowly turned to look at Liam. A horrified expression was written on her face as she stammered, Wha¡­what?¡± ¡°We need to be ready to stop it from moving,¡± Liam replied. ¡°We don¡¯t know what its planning on doing, but we need to make sure it doesn¡¯t reach us. Can you bind it if it tries?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡­,¡± Ariyana stuttered. Shit! Liam started thinking. She¡¯s terrified. I need to wake her up. Liam turned to the others to get some help, but then noticed they too were looking like they were frozen with fear. He looked back at the disfigured male who stared back at them with fury. His health had stopped deteriorating.
¡°Possessed Askith Beast Tamer. 173/1,000 HP. 0/500 MP.¡±
¡°Guys!¡± Liam shouted, trying to get their attention. ¡°You need to snap out of it!¡± ¡°Oh? What is this?¡± the man started. His gurgled voice now worse than before. That sludgy sound he had before sounded even more intense. It was not the voice of a human. ¡°You were able to fight back the Fear of watching me transform?¡± Liam took an offensive stance as he stared at him, readying himself for anything. ¡°Not like it¡¯ll help you,¡± the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer tried to cackle. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you first.¡± Liam watched as the creature bent his over-flatted leg down. Before he pushed off of it, Liam rushed forward. With much more speed than what Liam thought it would be able to use, the man cleared the distance between him and Liam quickly. As soon as Liam got within his long arm¡¯s striking range he swung it like a whip to swipe at Liam. Barely seeing it in time, Liam ducked and rolled his upper body under the arm and swung up. The dagger in his hand missed, but the shadow hand followed the path his right hand took and was able to slice vertically up the creature¡¯s stomach to neck. The creature spun around and tried using its inflated arm to strike at Liam. Liam quickly pushed off his legs and did a back hand stand to dodge the strike. He was barely able to dodge it as the closed fist almost hit his feet during the dodge. Liam quickly sprinted back in after righting himself. The Possessed Askith Beast Tamer thrust his elongated arm with the claws pointed out. Liam pushed his legs to jump to the right to dodge it and ran his left dagger along the man¡¯s arm, slicing into the flesh. The creature let out a painful howl as it retracted his arm. It then swung his right arm as hard and fast as it could to slam right into Liam, however, before he could connect the hit, Liam disappeared. Confused, the creature looked around to try and find him. Before it could say or do anything, the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer felt two daggers plunge right into its back. As the daggers were pulled out, the disfigured man snarled and swung its right arm around. This time, the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer was able to land a hit against Liam due to his miscalculation on which arm was going to swing. The force of the strike was hard enough to send Liam flying to the steps in the back of the room. The force of the crash sent a sharp pain up his back and throughout his arms and legs. Liam felt the air inside of him escape and tried to gasp for air. This action sent even more pain throughout his body as he tried to gain back the air that he had lost. As he tried to regain the air, he started coughing which made the pain wrack throughout his body even more with each motion. As Liam tried to stop coughing and calm his body down, he noticed the Possessed Askith Beast Tamer was slowly walking towards him. ¡°The fight you put up was pathetic and not worth it,¡± he said. ¡°I will commend you for trying though.¡± The creature stopped within the distance for his left arm to still be able to reach. He brought his left arm back, ready to strike as he added, ¡°This is the end for you.¡± Liam watched this, but instead of fearing for his life or struggling to get out of the way, he grew a smile. The Possessed Askith Beast Tamer saw the smile and grew confused as to why it was there. Something dawned on him; however, it was too late as roots suddenly shot out from the ground and wrapped around his body. The man was furious and was about to try and break free, but before he could try arcs of lightning pierced through his skin and ran throughout his body. He tried to turn his head to see which creature dared to strike him in the back, but felt his muscles tense and root him in place. Shortly after that, the pain of a sharp needle-like blade struck him several times as arrows sailed right into his swelled arm. The force of a blunt object struck against his head several times as well, making its vision spin. A snarl grew on his face as he grew frustrated. A figure suddenly appeared in front of him. It was the Dragonkin that wielded that weird battle axe. He went to make some remark, but before he could, Blair swung the weapon that had smoothed out and sharpened across the man¡¯s throat, bringing his HP down to zero. ¡°You alright Liam?¡± Blair asked as she turned to face him. ¡°Took you guys long enough,¡± Liam jokingly said with a small smile as he placed his elbows behind him bringing his body into a sitting position. ¡°I¡¯m alright for now, but we¡¯re still not out of the clear yet.¡± The others looked around the room to see if they could spot anything. Nothing appeared before them, nor did anything show itself in the room. Is it hiding? Liam thought as he looked around once more. He still couldn¡¯t see anything. No matter how hard he looked he couldn¡¯t see anything out of place nor see any signs of anything in the room. He knew something was in there though. He could feel it. Maybe it¡¯s using some form of magic? Liam suddenly thought to himself. He closed his eyes and activated Mana Sight. As it activated he saw the colors of mana outline everyone in his group as they cautiously moved about the room. Where could it be? Liam thought to himself as he scanned the ground level once more. He looked down at the ground to make sure nothing was underneath. After he saw no signs of anything, he tilted his head up and saw the outline of something new. Its movements looked like it was floating in water. It had a bulbus form with several tentacles waving around underneath it. It looked a lot like a jellyfish. So, it¡¯s camouflaging itself with mana huh? Liam thought to himself. I wonder if that spell will be able to work. Liam slowly brought himself to his feet. He then pointed his Moon Shadow Dagger out and start chanting while keeping his eyes closed, ¡°Moon, beautiful and radiant. Bless us with your power to lighten up the night. Expose those which try to hide within your majestic light. Lunar Exposure!¡± As Liam started to chant this, he watched as an orb appeared in front of his blade. The orb then grew to the size of a basketball. After the chant was done, Liam shot the basketball size orb at the spot right in front of the jellyfish shaped creature. As the orb floated to the spot, Liam shouted out, ¡°Everyone look down! Whatever you do, do not look up! The others, confused by what Liam shouted did as they were told but were still curious. Their curiosity was filled as a sudden bright pale light lit up the room, making their shadow grow big enough to make them look like giants. The bright light lasted for a few seconds before dimming away. Shortly after the light dimmed a loud thump and squish echoed in the room as the ground lightly shook. Everyone turned to see what had fallen and were shocked. As Liam opened his eyes he laid them on the creature that was trying to elude them. He was right about the shape, it was in fact a giant jellyfish. Its bulbous body was clear enough that you could see through it while its tentacles were purple. Liam assessed the creature before it.
¡°Demonic Large Dybbuk. 597/3,500 HP. 12/950 MP.¡±
Without hesitating, Liam lifted his Shadow Moon Blade dagger and started chanting, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Shadowy tendrils shot out from underneath the creature and crisscrossed over it, completely trapping it. The creature wriggled and squirmed trying to break free. However, to Liam it looked like it was in pain. He got his answer as a small bit of health dropped. Liam tilted his head as he thought, Maybe it¡¯s hurting because of the mix of Lunar and Shadow magic? I didn¡¯t know these spells could still hurt a creature even though they don¡¯t do any damage. ¡°Quick!¡± Mercer shouted, bringing everyone back to the battle in front of them. ¡°Attack it while it¡¯s still down!¡± Everyone in the group raced over to the creature and struck it as fast as they could. Liam stayed in the back and pulled out a health and mana potion. As he drank the two potions he watched as the creature¡¯s health was slowly diminishing with every attack. As the Dybbuk took the damage, it tried its hardest to fight back the tendrils that held it down. Liam noticed the shadowy tendrils start to break and took another look at its health bar. A smile grew on his face as he decided on the final blow he would deliver. He raised his Shadow Moon Blade dagger up and started chanting, ¡°Shadows coalescing, head my call and come forth. Manifest mediums that will serve to unleash your wave of power¡­¡± The last shadowy tendril snapped, allowing the Dybbuk to swing its own tentacles around to push everyone away. As soon the others flew backwards or jumped away to dodge, it shot up into the air as if it was swimming in water. However as soon as it got into the air Liam finished his chant, ¡°Swarm together and into your target. Go forth and unleash your power. Shadow Swarm!¡± Five shadow orbs suddenly appeared around Liam¡¯s dagger. Once when the chanting finish they soared through the air and surrounded the Demonic Large Dybbuk, stopping it from going any higher. As soon as the last orb got into place, wisps of Shadow energy escaped through each orb and shot right into the middle of the transparent body of the creature. Everyone watched as the swarms of shadow energy swam through the body and connected at one point right in the center. Each wisp that entered and connected with the others formed a small shadow orb that started growing with each piece of energy connecting. When the last bit of shadowy energy entered the orb, it suddenly expanded. All of the energy within the orb that was created inside the creature filled the entire body, making the translucent figure become a black filled one instead. It looked like the energy was trying to escape the body as it started to expand it. Not soon after the body started to expand, a part of the shadowy energy pierced out. Without warning the energy started to cover the entire outside of the body. However, instead of just coating it, Liam noticed the shadows consuming it. Within a matter of seconds after the energy came out, the Demonic Large Dybbuk was swallowed up into the shadowy energy that came out of it. The energy puffing into a whiff of smoke shortly after it ate its meal.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Demonic Large Dybbuk!¡±
Tutorial 91 - Loot and Level ups
¡°Vial of Ectoplasm x 2 has been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°Demonic Dybbuk Chest piece has been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°You have received 15 Silver coins.¡± ¡°You have received 98 Copper coins.¡±
A few chime sounds echoed in Liam¡¯s mind as he let out a sigh of relief. He wasn¡¯t sure if something would happen if he tried to recreate the special effect with the opposite of what he did to the Askith Wight Commander. It was a gamble, and he was happy it paid off. ¡°Was that another special effect?¡± Mercer asked with a look of excitement as he raced over to Liam. ¡°And what was that spell you used? Was it a new Shadow magic? Also, how did you get that creature to come out of hiding?!¡± Liam, feeling the excitement off of Mercer, took a step back. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but I used Lunar Exposure to try lure it out of hiding. I used my Mana Sight to see if any creature was hiding itself with mana and when I found it I thought I¡¯d see if it would work.¡± ¡°Lunar Exposure huh?¡± Mercer muttered as he took out a notebook and started writing. ¡°What about that new Shadow spell?¡± ¡°That was Shadow Swarm. I got it when my Focus Point Shadow Control leveled up to ten,¡± Liam explained. ¡°As for if it triggered a Special Effect, let me check.¡± Liam looked back at his battle log and scrolled for what he was looking for. He noticed several notifications showing how many times Shadow Swarm hit the creature as well as the notifications showing the additional damage due to lingering Lunar Mana on the target. He kept scrolling until he found what he was looking for.
¡°Attention! Conditions for special Shadow effect, Shadow Engulfment, has been met: 1. Lingering Lunar magic has been detected on Demonic Large Dybbuk. 2. Demonic Large Dybbuk¡¯s health is under 10% allowing special Shadow effect to be triggered.¡± ¡°Shadow Engulfment ¨C Special Shadow effect. Activates only when a target has been hit with or has some sort of Lunar magic on them as well as health at 10% or lower. When activated, a swarm of Shadow mana will encase the entire body of the target and then engulf it, bringing it to the shadows.¡±
¡°Looks like it was a special effect called Shadow Engulfment,¡± Liam started. ¡°The Shadow mana pretty much wraps around the target and swallows it up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty badass,¡± Roman stated as he approached Liam and Mercer with the others. ¡°I¡¯ve got a question,¡± Artem started up as he looked at Mercer and Liam. ¡°That last creature was the real EFM right? If so why did it feel so weak compared to the others.¡± Everyone looked at him with a confused expression. Artem swiftly put his hands up with an embarrassed smile as he added, ¡°I mean those beasts were nasty and all and that Beast Tamer was no joke at the end, but it felt like that last creature was pretty weak after all that.¡± That¡¯s actually a good question. Liam thought to himself. He then directed his thoughts to Eri and asked, Why was that, Eri? It was a Demonic Large Dybbuk right? Eri questioned. Normally Dybbuks don¡¯t lose their health when possessing other creatures, however this one was special. Oh? How so? Liam asked as his brows furrowed. Avery, Blair, and Mercer watched Liam as he furrowed his brows. The hint is in the word Demonic. Eri started. I don¡¯t know how one got here, but this Dybbuk must have possessed a demon at one point and evolved. Since it became a Demonic type being it needs dead demon bodies to be able to possess without taking any damage. Since there were no dead demon bodies and took over these creatures then it took some damage as you guys whittled down each of its creatures. After fully killing each creature it weakened it to the point where it was almost dead. Are you serious? Liam started in his mind towards Eri with his eyes widening. Yup. Consider yourself lucky there weren¡¯t any dead demon bodies around or else you would have had a much more harder time than you did. Eri informed. Still though, it¡¯s strange for a demonic being to be here. I don¡¯t remember hearing anything about demonic type creatures actually appearing here. Do you think it might have to do with what that Necromancer was trying to summon? Liam asked. Maybe¡­that could be it. Eri said almost like she was trying to piece something together. I remember that man was trying to summon something that was higher than it could handle but during its summoning it caught the eye of something even more powerful. Maybe this creature was summoned by the Necromancer before all that and it followed him to this place¡­ Sounds like a good theory. Liam said. Honestly the only theory we can go on here. True. Eri said nonchalantly. It¡¯s been so long though I can¡¯t fully remember all the details. Hey, the amount you are able to tell me has been helpful so I appreciate it. Liam told her before looking at the others. ¡°That thing was a Demonic Large Dybbuk,¡± Liam started as he thought of a way to explain it without them questioning how sure he was. ¡°My guess is, that thing possesses dead bodies and moves them around like puppets. I remember back in my old world of these types of creatures in a game. They weren¡¯t demonic at all though.¡± ¡°A Demonic Dybbuk?¡± Mercer questioned as his eyes widened. Liam nodded. ¡°Do you know about them?¡± ¡°I found a book on Undead creatures, and it was in there,¡± Mercer began. ¡°It didn¡¯t say anything about being Demonic or whatnot, just that it could possess dead bodies and could cause a fear attack on the mind if it does something unnatural.¡± ¡°That explains why I was frozen in place,¡± Blair stated as she looked at Mercer with a stoic expression. ¡°It¡¯s possible that this thing evolved by possessing a dead demon body and since there weren¡¯t any around it took these normal dead bodies, but since it¡¯s a demonic creature it took more damage than it should have as we killed each body it possessed. However, that¡¯s only my guess,¡± Liam said. ¡°That could be it,¡± Avery chimed in. Liam looked at her and remembered something that happened during the fight. He then looked at Roman before saying, ¡°Speaking of something unnatural.¡± The others turned to look at him with confused expressions. ¡°What was that attack you did to that Scorpdread?¡± Liam asked Avery teasingly. He then looked at Roman too and questioned, ¡°And when did you pick up Field of Illusions?¡± Avery and Roman both tensed up and gave an embarrassed look. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m just curious is all,¡± Liam said with a light smile. Roman scratched his cheek before looking back at everyone. He then said with embarrassment, ¡°I forgot that I had it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ariyana questioned before laughing. ¡°How could you forget about something like that?¡± ¡°I got it as a racial benefit when my race awakened,¡± Roman started, cheeks brightening up a bit. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would come in handy, so I forgot about it.¡± He then looked at Ariyana and added, ¡°However, when I saw you use it on Artem I remembered it and took another look and thought that there was some use to it. Especially the Illusory Combat Focus Point.¡± Ariyana gave Roman a smug look before saying, ¡°So you were going to discard something, but when you saw how great I was at using it you decided not to?¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± Roman grumbled as Ariyana let out a laugh. He then turned to Avery and asked while trying to take the attention off of himself, ¡°What about you Avery? What was up with that whole blood thing?¡± Everyone turned to look at her. As soon as everyone stared at her, Avery averted her gaze. ¡°About that¡­,¡± she started as she started to look embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s an ability called Acidic Blood.¡± ¡°Acidic Blood huh?¡± Mercer muttered as he wrote in his notebook. ¡°What Field and Focus Point does that come from? ¡°It comes from¡­,¡± Avery started but hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to tell us,¡± Liam interjected as he watched her struggle to tell them. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you,¡± Avery started as she looked at him. She gave him a slightly worried expression. ¡°Then what is it?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°It¡¯s just I don¡¯t want you to think that I¡¯m some monster,¡± Avery said as she rubbed her left hand on her right elbow. ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Ariyana inquired as she placed a hand on Avery¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Because when I first saw it I thought about the monsters that could have ties to it,¡± Avery replied. ¡°They were the worst kind that appeared on my planet.¡± ¡°What monster are you thinking about?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°You might figure it out after hearing the field and Focus Point,¡± Avery started again. She steeled her nerves as she continued, ¡°I got it from the Field of Bood, Focus Point Blood Manipulation.¡± Everyone tried to make a connection to what she was talking about as she said this, but Liam instantly knew what she was talking about. ¡°Are you talking about Vampires?¡± Liam asked curiously. ¡°Vampires?¡± the others questioned with confusion. ¡°You know about them?¡± Avery inquired. ¡°We have myths and lore as well as they are a popular race in video games as bad guys or a race you could play, but I have never seen one before,¡± Liam stated. ¡°But you said they existed on your planet?¡± Avery nodded. ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Liam said as he stared at her, connecting everything together. ¡°You think because you have this field that we would think you are a Vampire?¡± Avery nodded. Liam let out a laugh. This made Avery scowl at him while the others looked at him with their confused expressions growing even more. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Avery demanded. ¡°Avery,¡± Liam started as he tried to calm himself down. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to worry about us thinking you¡¯re a Vampire.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Avery asked while swinging her right hand out, looking frustrated. ¡°Well, for starters,¡± Liam began. ¡°I don¡¯t think the others know what a Vampire is, judging by their looks right now. Also, if what I know about them is the same as they are back on your world, then there is no way you are one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious what this Vampire is that you¡¯re talking about,¡± Mercer chimed in. ¡°Blood sucking humanoid creatures. They have fangs, will die in direct sunlight, and cant enter a room without permission,¡± Liam stated. Mercer looked at Avery and asked with a curious look, ¡°Do you hunger for blood?¡± ¡°No!¡± Avery shouted as her cheeks reddened. ¡°Then I don¡¯t think you have to worry about us thinking about if you¡¯re a Vampire or not,¡± Mercer stated with a smile. ¡°But¡­,¡± Avery started. ¡°No buts,¡± Liam said. ¡°You are you. Whether you have vampire like abilities or were a vampire. You have fought with us, shed blood, and more. We¡¯re not going to abandon you over something like that.¡± Liam then grew a teasing look and added, ¡°Or is it your plan to make us think you¡¯re our ally so you can eat us up one by one? That¡¯s it isn¡¯t it. You want to fatten us up before you feast huh?¡± Avery¡¯s eye twitched before she walked over to Liam and punched his arm as hard as she could. ¡°You¡¯re such a jackass.¡± Liam rubbed the area she hit as he let out a chuckle. ¡°I was just kidding.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Avery said as her facial features softened a bit. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Liam smiled back. ¡°Ok, now that we figured out those mysteries,¡± Mercer coughed. ¡°Let¡¯s solve the mystery we¡¯re all waiting for. What loot dropped?¡± ¡°Ah right,¡± Liam said almost forgetting it as he pulled up his inventory. He looked for the items that dropped and said as he pulled out two vials, ¡°The first item that dropped was this. It¡¯s called Vial of Ectoplasm.¡± Liam assessed the item.
¡°Vial of Ectoplasm. Item Type ¨C Material (Crafting). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. Ectoplasm from a Dybbuk. Can be used in several different alchemical recipes for potions, toxins, etc. Can be used while crafting weapons and armors. Needs Advanced Alchemy and Advanced Blacksmithing knowledge.¡±
¡°Looks like it¡¯s a crafting material for Alchemy and Blacksmithing,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Interesting,¡± Mercer said as he wrote it down. ¡°That of course will go to you. What¡¯s the other item?¡± Liam pulled out the chest piece that had dropped and took a look at it. It wasn¡¯t that heavy, but felt light to hold compared to other chest pieces he had seen. The color of the armor piece was a dark silver with purple lines spreading around that looked a lot like tentacles to Liam. Liam assessed it.
¡°Demonic Dybbuk Chest Piece. Item Type ¨C Armor (Chest, Plate). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. + 20 Armor. 10% Resistance to the following: Lightning, Poison, Acid, and Fire. Effect ¨C Random Dybbuk Gift. Random Dybbuk Gift ¨C Can trigger a special effect during battle. Cooldown is five hours. Depending on what gift is granted will depend on how long it will last. Random Gifts ¨C 1. Whitering Touch ¨C two tentacles will reach out from the back of the armor and touch the closest target draining their stamina for five seconds. 2. Fear Mist ¨C sprays a small amount of mist at the target creating a chance to cause the target to be hit with a Fear Debuff for 10 seconds.¡±
¡°Damn,¡± Liam said with wide eyes. ¡°What is up with these effects these loots are coming up with?¡± ¡°That is good,¡± Mercer agreed. ¡°It has to be because of the dungeon we¡¯re in. I don¡¯t think this is normal in any other type of dungeon.¡± He is right. Eri stated. Due to the difficulty and the type of monsters you have been fighting the loot has to be of equal value. However, it also has to do with the Rarity of the loot. What do you mean? Liam asked. Each level of rarity on an armor or weapon has a certain percent chance of getting an effect on them. It also depends on the craftsman who make them plus materials. Eri explained. For now, be glad you guys have been getting Rare Rarity items. I¡¯m not complaining. Liam said to Eri. ¡°Who should get this?¡± Mercer asked as he looked around. ¡°That¡¯s a tough one,¡± Liam said as he thought it over. Liam looked at the others. He had no use for it since it was a plate type of chest piece. He looked at Ariyana, and Mercer and ruled them out as well. Blair already got a piece yesterday from the Askith Wight Commander while Roman¡­Roman was still figuring out his armor set. That just leaves Avery and Artem. Liam thought. This could be a good piece for Avery when she rushes in, but her speed and agility helped her dodge most attacks. While Artem¡­ ¡°I think Artem should have it,¡± Liam stated with certainty. Everyone looked at him. ¡°Oh?¡± Mercer said almost like a question. ¡°He¡¯s been taking a lot of hits lately and his current armor piece is looking kind of ragged,¡± Liam started. ¡°Since this has some resistance to acid, fire, lightning, and poison, I think it would help ease his mind when going against creatures with those kinds of elements. Not only that, but the effect could help him out as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Avery stated as she looked at Artem. ¡°Are you guys sure?¡± Artem asked with a confused look. ¡°You¡¯ve been putting in a lot of work and haven¡¯t been requesting any of the items so I agree you should have it,¡± Mercer said with a smile. Liam handed the armor and gave him a smile while saying, ¡°You deserve it big guy.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Artem stated as he switched his armor pieces. ¡°Ok now that we have all this done we should rest up a bit to get things in order before we fight the final Boss of this floor,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°I agree with you,¡± Liam said. ¡°I have some things I need to go over anyways.¡± He then looked at the others and announced, ¡°If you¡¯re low on potions let me know now so I can make more before we head out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Blair and Avery said. ¡°Same here,¡± Artem and Roman agreed. Ariyana gave Liam a thumbs up and a smile. ¡°I think we should have enough,¡± Mercer finished up. ¡°You take care of what you need to for now.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he pulled up the notifications he had been ignoring.
¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-stat Vitality has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck Sub-stat Lucky Soul has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Recovery Sub-stat HP Recovery has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Daggers has reached level 17! Progression to level 18:0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability - Shadow Hand has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability - Shadow Hand has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability - Shadow Swarm has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability ¨C Lunar Exposure has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Control over Shadow Mana has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non- Combat Ability ¨C Mana Sight has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability ¨C Mana Control has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability ¨C Mana Manipulation has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received a new Mental Resistance to Fear! Mental Resilience ¨C Fear has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Fear has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Fear has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Fear has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 0%!¡±
¡°So, this is what I gained while that Possessed Askith Beast Tamer did that weird thing,¡± Liam muttered to himself before pulling up the description.
¡°Mental Resilience ¨C Fear ¨C Helps prevent a person from freezing up, trembling, or losing themselves to Fear.¡±
¡°Not much of a description,¡± Liam muttered with a frown. He then went back to a couple other notifications and smiled. ¡°Glad to see that while using Shadow Hand I can train my Mana Control and Mana Manipulation.¡± He then looked at the Shadowy hand that was floating close by him. ¡°This has definitely been helpful, but I need to get it to a level where I don¡¯t have to focus so much on getting it to appear. For now, I¡¯ll need to get it ready before any fight.¡± Liam took a glance towards Avery¡¯s back while she was talking to Blair. Blood magic huh? Liam thought to himself. It doesn¡¯t seem like it would be a normal type of Field to have. I wonder if that is a racial benefit. If so, what kind of race besides Vampire uses it? Liam looked up at the ceiling of the room they were in. I shouldn¡¯t overthink it for now. Liam thought. She¡¯ll tell us when she wants to how she got it. Tutorial 92 - The 5th Floor Boss Room Liam and the others walked into the main room they had continuously walked to after each EFM fight. They rested in the last EFM room for thirty minutes before pulling the final lever that had appeared in the back of the room. They didn¡¯t need to know which door opened since the only one they had not entered yet was on the top floor. After making their way to the top floor, Liam looked at the Hieroglyphics. The first set of pictures placed showed a man standing on a balcony staring down at a group of people. This man wore a brown and red stripped hat-like thing that covered majority of his head and ran back to his shoulders. He had a white kilt and golden rings along his arms and ankles. In one hand was a scepter with a snake head on it. The man in the picture really didn¡¯t wear much, Liam noticed. The outfit reminded Liam of that the old Egyptian pharaohs wore. The next picture showed the same man pointing his scepter at a group of monsters that stood in front of a group of soldiers. The one after that showed the same man in the same pose, but this time instead of a group of monsters it was a horde of undead. The final picture showed the man laying with his arms crossed and eyes closed inside a container. A group of undead surrounded the container. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not ominous or anything,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°What up?¡± Mercer asked, dragging Liam out of his thoughts. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam asked as he turned his head to see the others staring at him. ¡°Oh, I was just thinking that the Floor boss might be the man who ruled over the Askith before it fell.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Avery said with some interest. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Liam pointed to the man as he explained, ¡°Back in my world there¡¯s history of a country called Egypt. He resembles a ruler from that country called a Pharoh. The hat he is wearing looks a lot like a Nemes which is meant for the Pharoh to wear. Since these hieroglyphs showcase this man, I believe he is the one we¡¯re going to have to fight.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Mercer muttered before looking at Roman and Blair who peered into the hallway. ¡°How does it look?¡± ¡°No signs of any movement nor any sounds so there¡¯s no possibility of monsters on the path to the Floor Boss room,¡± Roman stated. ¡°Good,¡± Mercer nodded. He looked back at Liam and questioned, ¡°Shall we proceed then?¡± Liam nodded back agreeing. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s finish this floor.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The walk down the hall didn¡¯t take long. It was a straight shot to a massive, opened room. Before entering the room, Liam stopped the group so they could look inside. This one was bigger in length, height and width than the others. The details and decorations within this room were better than the last few rooms they went to when facing the EFMs. While the floor tiles and the walls were made of the same stone, there were designs to them. Pictures of snakes, birds, dogs, and other animals ran along the top part of the walls that ran across both sides of the room. Yooperlite Stones were spread out throughout the room along the walls. A walkway pushed out around the mid part of the walls on both sides. Four fancy looking coffins stood against the right and left wall with pictures of a person on each side. Another four fancy looking coffins laid down in front of them. On the floor level Liam and the others stood on, close to the walls, were two rows of ten normal looking coffins. After looking at them, Liam faced forward. He followed the long red carpet that ran to the other side of the room, up the five step staircase, and stopped in front of a raised platform that held what looked like a sarcophagus. Behind the sarcophagus against the back wall were several pockets with jars of different shapes. That must be where the Final Boss of this floor is. Liam thought as he looked back at the other coffins. ¡°Everyone¡­lets prepare now before we enter,¡± Liam started. ¡°I feel like this one is going to be one hell of a fight.¡± The others nodded. Artem pulled out his colored buff bars and handed everyone one. As the others ate their buff snacks and prepared in their own way, Liam summoned his Shadow Hand. He decided to deactivate it when they took their break earlier and he started to regret that he did as it took a few tries to activate it again. After finally being able to activate it he looked at his mana bar and decided to let it refill on its own instead of using a potion since it only went down a few points. He looked at the others who were staring at the room with a serious expression. He could see how nervous they were by the way their bodies were tense. ¡°It¡¯s good to be cautious before a fight, but being too tense will hinder your movements,¡± Liam stated as they turned to look at him. ¡°We¡¯ve made it this far, let¡¯s see it through to the end.¡± Liam watched as their bodies relaxed a bit, but not too much. They all smiled and nodded in agreement before turning back to the open room. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Mercer stated as they entered the room. Artem and Blair walked in the front, slightly spread out as Avery walked behind Artem on the left side and Roman walked closely behind Blair on the right. Liam walked in the middle of the group as he scanned the area for any movement. Taking up the rear, Ariyana walked on the left side while Mercer was on the right, his violin out and ready. After everyone entered the room nothing happened. Being cautious, they slowly walked in more. As soon as the group made it to the middle of the room, a loud thump echoed in the air. The group turned around to see the opened door was suddenly closed. A deep raspy laugh danced in the air, making the group go into a defensive stance while looking around the room. ¡°Welcome invaders,¡± the deep raspy voice said, filling the air. ¡°And congratulations on making it this far. However, all your efforts were in vain the moment you stepped into my lair.¡± Liam looked desperately for the source of the voice. The sound of the voice didn¡¯t seem like it was coming from any specific spot as it reverberated around them. ¡°We proud Askith people may have fallen due to an evil devil worshiper¡¯s lies, but even in death we are still strong and proud,¡± the voice continued. ¡°Rise my servants! Rise and push back the intruders!¡± Shortly after the voice shouted the order twenty coffins, ten on one side and ten on the other, on the bottom floor closest to the door they came in and started shaking. The wooden lids shattered as Skeleton Warriors emerged from them. Their angry clattering skulls stared at the group with hatred as they got out and started making their way to the group with a rusty sword in hand. ¡°What¡¯s the plan Liam?¡± Mercer asked. Liam assessed them.
¡°Skeleton Warrior. 200/200 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°Their health is higher than the ones we fought yesterday, but they are still manageable,¡± Liam started. ¡°For now, don¡¯t waste mana giving out buffs yet. Blair, Roman, and Mercer take the right side. The rest of us will take the left side.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The others affirmed as they split up and took on the groups they were assigned to. Artem lifted his shield up and charged the group of Skeleton Warriors. Without slowing or stopping, he ran as fast as he could and rammed his shield in. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The force of the collision was enough to send one of them flying into four others. This made the five undead creatures fall to the ground. Avery and Ariyana rushed over and started attacking the five fallen creatures with Artem. Liam ran towards the other five that Artem didn¡¯t hit and nicked his daggers against their rib cages to grab their attention. Liam¡¯s Shadow Hand added in more damage as it trailed behind his right hand¡¯s movements. The five Skeleton Warriors tried swinging their swords at Liam whenever he stopped for a moment but missed as he ducked and dodged between their attacks. Liam felt good as he moved about using guerilla warfare tactics within the group of skeletons. Liam kept chipping away at their health, while maintaining the agility and speed to not only attack, but dodge any strike coming his way. His damage wasn¡¯t great due to using daggers instead of blunt weapons, but he was still doing enough to bring their health down. A smile grew on Liam¡¯s face as he continued his dance of duck, dive, dodge, and attack. As he started to lose himself in this, a moment brought his fun to an end. His foot slid, causing him to fall to his side. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam cursed before looking up. The closest Skeleton Warrior had his rusty sword already up in the air and was about to strike. As the creature moved its arms to attack, a mace suddenly crashed into its skull, making it explode. ¡°Taking a nap?¡± Artem asked teasingly as he smiled down at Liam. Liam gave a slight chuckle as he looked back at Artem. ¡°Oh yeah, decided to take it easy while waiting for you.¡± Artem shook his head before turning back around, raising his shield up to block the two incoming strikes from two Skeleton Warriors. After Artem successfully blocked their attacks, Ariyana and Avery appeared behind the creatures and landed fast multiple strikes against them, causing them to die. ¡°You going to get up any time soon sleeping beauty?¡± Ariyana smirked. ¡°If I have to clean up after you anymore, I¡¯m going to start charging you food on top of the drinks you owe me,¡± Avery stated. ¡°Oooo, that¡¯s a grand idea,¡± Ariyana said joining in on Avery¡¯s fun. ¡°Very funny,¡± Liam stated as he stood back up. ¡°You try keeping aggro on five of them without trying to get hit.¡± ¡°I could do it,¡± Avery smirked. ¡°Probably better than you.¡± Liam shook his head at Avery¡¯s comment. ¡°I¡¯ll let you beli¡­¡± Before Liam could finish, Artem slammed a mace against a skeleton making it crumble to scattered bones. ¡°While you two are playing your games I¡¯m finishing off these guys. So, I think its me who deserves to be treated,¡± Artem commented as he turned towards them. ¡°That was the last one on our side.¡± ¡°Sorry about that man,¡± Liam apologized. ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± Artem said as he shook his head. ¡°You got them down just enough that a blunt attack or two was enough to kill them.¡± Liam let out a chuckle before looking at the others on the other side. He was able to see Blair swing her rock-like scaled battle axe into the last Skeleton Warrior, shattering it. The group made their way back to the middle, a small bit of sweat rolled down their foreheads. They looked around to see if there were any more they had missed, but there weren¡¯t any signs of movement. ¡°It seems that you fools are somewhat capable,¡± the raspy voice started back up. ¡°It was my fault for thinking mere servants were enough. Wake up minions. Your master requires your services. Kill these intruders!¡± The rest of the coffins on the lower level started to shake, making the others get ready for the next wave of monster attacks. As these Undead creatures started to destroy their lids, something caught the corner of Liam¡¯s eye. At the far end of the room on the second layer close to the wall, one of the fancy looking coffin lids started to slide open. Liam turned his head around to see one on that side was moving as well. The Undead on the ground level were not just skeletons. Rotted Zombies with some Skeleton Warriors came out of the rest of the coffins.
¡°Rotted Zombie. 190/190 HP. 0/0 MP.¡± ¡°Skeleton Warrior. 200/200 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
Liam turned his gaze to the fancy coffin that had opened on his side and watched as a being covered in armor sat up. Liam assessed the creature.
¡°Elite Skeleton Soldier. 2,000/2,000 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
¡°Same plan as last time?¡± Blair questioned as she gripped her weapon tightly. Liam thought over what they could do. They could do the same thing they did as last time since Rotted Zombies were added into the mix, but those Elite Skeleton Soldiers were a pain to deal with thanks to their armor. No, we can¡¯t do the same as last time. It would be too tiring if I tried to distract some while the others try killing the rest as fast as they can. Liam thought. Trying to kill everything too quickly can lead to possible injuries or even worse¡­death. As he continued to think of something the two Elite Skeleton Soldiers were able to drop down. ¡°Liam¡­,¡± Roman started as he opened and closed his fists. If that¡¯s the case then crowd control is our only option. Liam thought as he began formulating a plan. After he devised one he swiftly shouted, ¡°New plan. You guys try to take one side. Blair, use Gravitational Force increase on as many as you can. Mercer, focus on the Rotted Zombies, while Ariyana, Avery, and Roman attack how you see fit. Remember though that magic is the best way to deal with those Elite Skeleton Soldiers.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Mercer asked as he looked at Liam. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and slow down this side as much as I can with my gravity and shadow crowd control abilities,¡± Liam stated. ¡°If I need help or have any issues I¡¯ll let you know, but focus on trying to take down as many as you can as fast as you can without getting hurt.¡± ¡°Roger,¡± the others stated before rushing towards the group on the left side of the room. Liam cracked his neck as he muttered, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try and not get ourselves killed here Liam.¡± Liam looked at the eleven monsters that stood before him. The monsters were spread out. Some of them stared at him while the rest looked at his group behind him. I¡¯ll need to get all of their attention on me and round them up. Liam thought as he stared at them. He gave a quick glance at his stamina bar and saw it was a little over half. I¡¯ll need to do this quick, so I don¡¯t use up all my stamina. Liam thought to himself before running in. He struck the first Skeleton Warrior that was closest to him with his right dagger. He then pushed off his legs backwards, spun, and hit the rotted Zombie. He continued to run in and out between each of the Rotted Zombies and Skeleton Warriors. His Shadow Hand hitting each creature a second time as he moved about. Each hit made the Undead creatures focus their attention on him as he went for the last Skeleton Warrior. However, before he could reach that creature, Liam¡¯s Danger Sense flared up his whole right side. Liam stopped dead in his tracks as a two handed sword swung down right in front of him. ¡°Jesus fucking Christ!¡± Liam cursed as he jumped backwards to dodge a powerful diagonal swing going up after the blade hit the ground. Liam glared at the Elite Skeleton Soldier who was staring back at him. Before Liam could say anything, he felt his Danger sense light back up over his whole back, causing him to turn his back to miss two downward swings from a couple of Skeleton Warriors. After dodging that, he felt a hand grab his right arm and another on his left. He yanked as hard as he could to get out of the grips the Rotted Zombies had on him before they could bite him. He then took a step back and noticed he was surrounded by all eleven Undead creatures. Panting a bit, Liam turned his head to see that even the Elite was closing in on him. Alright. This should work. Liam thought as he waited for the creatures to take a couple more steps in. After the monsters did, Liam spun around and faced the Elite Skeleton Solider. He looked around it and found what he was looking for. The Elite Skeleton Soldier brought his sword up over his head and swung down as hard as he could. As the sword came down over Liam¡¯s head, Liam¡¯s body suddenly dispersed into black smoke. Confused, the monsters stared at where Liam had once stood. That confusion lasted for a brief moment as they heard someone chanting behind the Elite Skeleton Soldier. They turned to see Liam with his Shadow Moon Blade dagger pointing at them as he finished chanting, ¡°Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Shadows quivered underneath the group before black shadowy tendrils shot up, wrapping around each individual creature. Without waiting, Liam started chanting again. ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Liam watched as the bodies of each creature trapped in his web of shadows hunch over. The pressure of the gravity pushing down on them caused them to stop trying to break free as they struggled to keep standing. Liam let out a breath of air. ¡°Thank god these became AOE spells after reaching level ten,¡± Liam muttered to himself. He then looked at his mana bar and saw it had only gone down a bit. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s test some things out shall we,¡± Liam stated with a wicked grin. Liam pointed his Shadow Moon Blade dagger once more and chanted, ¡°Shadows coalescing, head my call and come forth. Manifest mediums that will serve to unleash your wave of power. Swarm together and into your target. Go forth and unleash your power. Shadow Swarm!¡± Liam watched as five raven-black orbs formed around the tip of his dagger. After the chant was finished they floated outwards above the group. In a circle hovering over the creatures, shadowy energy started to escape each orb and strike through each creature. A slew of battle notifications appeared in front of Liam letting him know how much damage each creature was taking. Since the attack split and attacked each creature as much as it could before finishing, the amount wasn¡¯t a lot. However, this wasn¡¯t the only thing Liam wanted to test out. After the five orbs puffed out, Liam lifted his Moon Shadow Blade dagger and started chanting, ¡°O Moon, majestic and beautiful. I call upon thee to show how painful you can be. Manifest mediums that will serve to unleash your wave of power. Swarm together and into your target. Go forth and unleash your power. Lunar Swarm!¡± After Liam finished the chant, five dark orbs formed around the tip of his dagger. A pale light suddenly shone from the dagger and seeped into the orbs, draining the dark color and replacing it with the pale white color. Like the orbs from the Shadow Swarm ability the five took the same spot over the group and started its onslaught. Instead of the energy snaking around the air like wisps, the energy from the orb shot out like beams. New battle notifications appeared in front of Liam letting him know of the damage and additional damage. Before the Lunar swarm finished bright lights suddenly flashed over the Skeleton Warriors and Rotted Zombies. Each of these creatures were suddenly engulfed in a bright pale light, disintegrating within seconds. After the lights disappeared, Liam stared at the area in front of him, surprised and happy at the same time. The only creature still standing before him was the Elite Skeleton Soldier. So special effects apply to mobs as well. Liam thought as a smile contained with excitement growing on his face. This is a great thing to know. Trying to reign in his excitement from his new discovery, Liam looked at the health of the Elite Skeleton Soldier in front of him. He still had a quarter of health left, the shadowy tendrils that trapped it all gone. ¡°Let¡¯s finish you off then,¡± Liam stated as he watched the creature struggle to stand back up. Liam once again Lifted his Moon Shadow Blade dagger and chanted, ¡°O Moon, majestic and beautiful. I call upon thee to show how painful you can be. Bestow this orb with your radiance and allow it to fly true. Lunar Orb!¡± Two lunar orbs formed after he finished chanting and shot towards the chest of the creature. After both collided and caused damage, the body of the creature suddenly lit up in a pale light and disintegrated the body. Liam felt good. Not only was he able to learn that special effects can work on mob creatures, but he was able to take on this entire group of monsters by himself. Maybe I¡¯m not as weak as I thou¡­ Liam started to think until he felt a sudden sharp pain pierce his eyes. He brought both hands up to cover his eyes as he let out a grunt. After the pain had dulled a bit, Liam moved his hands away from his eyes and blinked. After blinking a few times his eyes widened. Although it was faint, around the outside of his peripherals, his sight had clouded a bit. ¡°What the fuck,¡± Liam said, shocked and a little frightened. Tutorial 93 - Burn Baby Burn Feeling a bit panicked, Liam moved his eyes around to see if the slightly clouded area in his sight would go away. It didn¡¯t. Eri, what¡¯s going on here? Liam mentally asked, trying to control the panic feeling rising within him. Eri let out a sigh as she started with a calm tone in her voice, You¡¯re fine. You have nothing to worry about. What do you mean I have nothing to worry about? Liam stated. It might be faint, but I can see some cloudiness formed in my sight. That¡¯s a sign of blindness forming isn¡¯t it? It is, but like I said, you are fine. Eri tried again with some patience in her voice. Is it enough to affect your fighting or anything? Liam paused for a moment as he moved his sight around. The cloudiness that had started to form wasn¡¯t a lot, but it was enough for him to be aware of it and it felt more annoying than anything. No, it¡¯s not enough to affect my fighting, but knowing that it¡¯s there is really distracting. Liam replied. Well, what do you expect from staring at all Lunar Energy Bursts caused by your Lunar spells. Eri chided. Just like Shadow magic, Lunar has some side effects if you don¡¯t have the proper defenses in place and either use too much or stare at it too much. This is caused from using my Lunar magic too much? Liam questioned. Yes and no. Eri started. The amount of Lunar magic you have used so far would start the process, but after all that Lunar Energy Bursts you idiotically stared at, it sped up the process a bit. You¡¯re slowly reaching the first level of it, so you don¡¯t have to worry much now. It¡¯s the fourth level of the side effects that¡¯ll start causing issues, but all of it can go away after some rest. Liam let out a sigh of relief after hearing Eri¡¯s explanation. Ok, so after some rest it¡¯ll go away? Yes. Eri affirmed. For now, focus on the fight in front of you. This Boss you¡¯re up against is going to be tough. You¡¯ll learn more soon enough about what the side effects of using Lunar magic can do later. Liam nodded before looking at the others who were finishing up the group of monsters they went up against. They turned around to go help Liam out, but were shocked as they saw no monsters on his side. What surprised them even more was the fact that there were no bodies. ¡°What did you do?¡± Mercer asked, curiosity filling him up. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± Liam stated as he approached them. ¡°Those useless imbeciles!¡± the deep raspy voice shouted. It then calmed down as it added, ¡°Oh well, that¡¯s why they were just mere servants. However, you still won¡¯t be able to survive against my elite guards. Wake up! Protect your master!¡± Liam watched as the remaining fancy looking coffins on the walkway started to stir. Elite Skeleton Soldiers emerged from the coffins that were laying down, but the creatures that emerged from coffins that stood against the walls were completely different. These creatures were wrapped in dirty tannish bandage wraps with blood stains here and there. Their eyes and mouths weren¡¯t covered, showing off some rotted flesh underneath the bandages. Liam assed the creatures.
¡°Askith Mummy Guard. 2,500/2,500 HP. 500/500 MP.¡±
The six Elite Skeleton Soldiers and eight Askith Mummy Guards dropped down to the floor level the group stood on. ¡°What¡¯s the game plan now?¡± Artem asked as he stared at the group on the left. ¡°We don¡¯t know what those Askith Mummy Guards are capable of yet so use caution when fighting them,¡± Liam started as he looked at the creatures. Liam looked over at Blair and asked, ¡°How long until you can use Gravitational Force Increase again?¡± Blair turned to look at him as she replied, ¡°Another twenty seconds.¡± Liam nodded. It was the same for him. ¡°Ok,¡± Liam started as he formulated a plan. ¡°Avery, Roman and Blair try to separate the Mummies from the skeletons from each other. Group up the mummies as close as you can so Blair can use Gravity Well on them.¡± Liam turned to Artem and informed, ¡°Artem, you and I are going to do the same over here.¡± Liam turned to Ariyana and Mercer and instructed, ¡°Keep an eye out for any stragglers as well as for any sudden changes. Once when the Mummy Guards are trapped within the Gravity Wells, we will focus down the Elite Skeleton Soldiers as fast as we can. Any questions?¡± ¡°Nope we got it,¡± Avery and Roman stated. Artem and Blair nodded their agreement. ¡°Should I use my Entangled Roots on any of them?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that up to you,¡± Liam smiled. ¡°Got it,¡± Ariyana smiled back. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this!¡± Liam shouted as they dispersed. Liam swiftly rushed in towards the group that was on the right side of the room. Using his agility, reflexes, and speed to the best of his ability, Liam dodged the attacks made by the Elite Skeleton Soldiers while trying to strike the Askith Mummy Guards. There was a few times he overshot his trajectory and almost crashed into one of the monsters, but he was able to correct his mistakes right before an attack was struck. As he was doing this, Artem swung his mace against the Elite Skeleton Soldier¡¯s armor, gaining their aggro. The two groups of monsters slowly chased after the attackers who had hit them, soon separating themselves from the others. Once when the last Askith Mummy Guard was away from the Elite Skeleton Soldiers, Liam stopped moving. The Askith Mumy Guards weren¡¯t fast moving monsters. They moved at the same speed as the Elite Skeleton Soldiers. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. As Liam waited for the last Mummy that was strangling behind he noticed the closest Askith Mummy Guard¡¯s right hand start to glow with a muddy greenish brown color. Liam decided he wanted to see what that was and took an extra step back. As soon as his foot was set, he pulled out one of the remaining crude curved talon daggers he had made when he first created daggers, and tossed it at the creature. The dagger sunk into its chest. The Askith Mummy Guard grabbed the dagger with the hand that was glowing. Liam watched as the dagger start to rust rapidly. Shortly after it was pulled out the dagger was completely rusted and broke apart like it was a cracker being crushed. ¡°What the¡­,¡± Liam muttered before a notification appeared.
¡°Crude Talon Dagger successfully damaged Askith Mummy Guard for 1 damage.¡± ¡°Damage reduced due to resistance to piercing damage.¡± ¡°Askith Mummy Guard has used Rotting Fist on Crude Talon Dagger.¡± ¡°Crude Talon Dagger has been destroyed due to Rotting Fist.¡±
¡°Rotting Fist huh?¡± Liam muttered before yelling out, ¡°These Askith Mummy Guards have a resistance to piercing damage. They also have an ability called Rotting Fist. Make sure they do not touch you with that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nasty,¡± Roman shouted out. ¡°Good to know. Thanks for the update!¡± Mercer yelled back. Liam looked back at the group that had finally come together in front of him. ¡°Let¡¯s get started now shall we?¡± Liam stated as he pointed one of his daggers at the group and began chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± The basketball sized orb that had formed at the tip of Liam¡¯s dagger was flung towards the group. It stopped in the middle of the monsters before expanding and sucking in the group. ¡°Good, now to help Artem out,¡± Liam said as he ran over to the Elite Skeleton Soldiers Artem was attacking. Liam knew they were weak to magic, but at the same time he didn¡¯t want to use too much of his Shadow or Lunar magic due to the side effects. He knew that getting his Mental Resilience - Whispers from the Beyond up would help combat that, but he wasn¡¯t sure what the Lunar side would need. ¡°No use wasting time overthinking it,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°For now, Shadow magic will have to suffice.¡± As soon as Liam got into place, he pointed his Shadow Moon Dagger at the group and chanted, ¡°Shadows coalescing, head my call and come forth. Manifest mediums that will serve to unleash your wave of power. Swarm together and into your target. Go forth and unleash your power. Shadow Swarm!¡± ¡°Incoming Artem!¡± Liam warned as he released the five orbs. Hearing Liam shout, Artem jumped backwards as the swarm of Shadow energy swiftly floated through the three Elite Skeleton Soldiers. ¡°About time you got here,¡± Artem jokingly said with a smile as he watched the attack go on. After it was done, he ran back in and swung his mace a few times against each Skeletal creature, delivering the final blows. ¡°Great job,¡± Liam cheered before pulling out a Mana and Stamina potion. As he drank the potions he turned to see how the others were doing. They had just finished the last Elite Skeleton Soldiers and went to attack the Askith Mummy Guards trapped in Blair¡¯s Gravity Well. Blair, Ariyana, and Avery slashed their weapons across the chest of a couple of the trapped monsters while Roman punched another. ¡°Shit,¡± Blair cursed before yelling out, ¡°They have a resistance to slashing attacks.¡± ¡°Same with my punching,¡± Roman added. Liam heard Artem hit one across the face with his mace. ¡°They have a resistance against Blunt attacks as well!¡± Artem announced. ¡°Resistance to blunt, piercing, punching, and slashing?¡± Liam began to mutter. He then shouted out, ¡°If that¡¯s the case then try using magic. Maybe magic is their weakness?¡± As Ariyana, Avery, Mercer, and Roman started chanting their spells, Liam stated, ¡°Blair and Artem, rest up for now. If they break out before we figure something out then we¡¯re going to need you to gain their attention.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Artem and Blair said as they took out a Stamina potion and drank it. Liam turned to the group and started chanting his Shadow Swarm spell. As the shadowy energy spilled out and attacked the group he heard Roman shout out, ¡°They have a resistance to Lightning and Earth Magic.¡± ¡°Same with Plant Magic,¡± Ariyana chimed in. ¡°Ice does nothing to them,¡± Mercer stated. Liam looked at his battle notifications and noticed the creatures had a slight resistance to Shadow magic, but it was a lot better than when he used his crude dagger. ¡°Fire!¡± Avery suddenly shouted. ¡°They are weak to fire magic!¡± ¡°Of course, they are,¡± Liam muttered as a frown grew on his face. ¡°Alright, Ariyana fuel her fire magic with your plant to give it an extra boost,¡± Liam called out. ¡°Roman, you have fire magic too right?¡± ¡°Yes I do,¡± Roman replied back. ¡°Okay help Avery out over there.¡± ¡°What about your side?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Did you forget what I can do with my Crafting magic?¡± Liam questioned as he gave her a grin. ¡°It might not be as strong as your Fire Magic, but I can at least do some damage till you get over here.¡± Avery shook her head before turning back to the task before her. ¡°Alright, you better get them down low enough for me to finish them off.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Liam stated as he opened the pouch full of mixed vials. He pulled out two tannish liquid filled vials and tossed each of them at an Askith Mummy guard. Each vial shattered, allowing the oily liquid to soak in their bandages. He pulled out two more and did the same to the last two creatures. After he did that he sheathed his daggers, pulled his goggles down over his eyes and chanted as he put a hand out palm up, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and burn!¡± He channeled his mana into the spell as he chanted to make the flame bigger than it usually was. He then got as close as he could and then threw it at the first Askith Mummy Guard. The flame Liam threw crashed against the area where the oil had splattered. The creature screamed in agony as the fire spread out across the bandages that were soaked. The creature flailed about, knocking into the others allowing the flames to spread over to them. Liam watched as their Health dropped slowly. ¡°What should I do?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°You should also get ready,¡± Liam started. ¡°I think the boss will come out after these creatures are dead so you will need to buff everyone as soon as the last Mummy Guard dies.¡± Mercer nodded as he pulled a Mana Potion out. ¡°Got it.¡± Liam watched as these creatures writhed in agony from the flames. It was a slow process, but it was effective. He felt bad for them but at the same time he knew this had to be done. He heard Roman shout from the other side of the room while laughing making Liam a bit concerned with his mentality, ¡°Burn baby. Burn!¡± As he shook his head he went to look back at the group he was dealing with when he noticed Artem was staring at the sarcophagus. Liam turned to look at it as well. There was no movement coming from it. You¡¯re just going to let your subordinates die like this? Liam thought as he scowled. Even if you¡¯re a monster you should still care about the ones who are trying to protect you. Liam shook his head and went to look back at the group of Askith Mummy Guards and felt his heart sink as they charged Artem. He forgot to keep an eye on the timer of his Gravity Well and allowed them to get within striking distance of Artem. Each of them had a muddy greenish color start to glow on one of their fists as they reached out. ¡°Artem, look out!¡± Liam shouted. Artem turned to look and grew wide eyed. He took a step back to dodge the first Rotting Fist strike. He managed to dodge it, but then saw the second and third attacks coming his way. However, before those rotten filled fists could touch him, four fire orbs the size of basketballs soared and crashed into the creatures. The amount of mana put into them caused the creatures to not only be pushed back, but they also dropped each of their health pools to zero. Feeling sweat roll down his face and panting a bit, Artem turned around and said, ¡°Thanks for that.¡± ¡°What were you thinking taking your eyes off of the enemy,¡± Blair scolded. ¡°Sorry it was my fault,¡± Liam apologized. ¡°I didn¡¯t keep an eye on the timer. Sorry Artem.¡± Artem shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault for feeling complacent on the battlefield,¡± Artem chided himself. ¡°Thanks for the help.¡± A loud rumble suddenly shook the room, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to the sarcophagus. ¡°Pathetic!¡± the raspy voice roared. ¡°How can these flies kill my elite guards! Those imbeciles! Has the long sleep dulled their battle prowess? No, you fools must have used underhanded tricks!¡± A new sound mixed into the air. It was the sound of heavy stone grinding against stone. Liam stared towards the sarcophagus that rested away from the other coffins in the back of the room. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to take care of the rabble myself,¡± the raspy voice stated. ¡°Be thankful, you undeserving peasants. For you are about to witness the majestic might of the Lord of the Askith Nation!¡± Everyone watched as the lid finally fell off of the top of the sarcophagus and landed with a heavy thud. A bandaged wrapped hand holding a scepter slowly reached out from the opening and gripped the edge of the sarcophagus. Another bandaged wrapped hand did the same on the other side. Liam watched as the Nemes he saw in the hieroglyphics matched with what was on this guys bandaged wrapped head. Glowing hate filled red eyes glared at the group as a rotted filled mouth bared its brownish yellow teeth. Liam assessed it.
¡°Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. 6,000/6,000 HP. 2,998/4,000 MP.¡±
Tutorial 94 - Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord ¡°You have got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Liam swore as he stared at the boss monster starting to get out of his sarcophagus. He stood tall and looked to be even taller than Artem. His entire body was wrapped up in eggshell white bandages that were in better condition than his guards. He wore the striped Nemes that covered the top of his head and went down to his shoulders. A black and red kilt was around his waist that went down to his knees. A necklace with the shape of a snake head dangled around his neck and stopped at his chest. One hand was empty while in the other was that snake headed scepter. ¡°An Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord huh,¡± Mercer muttered as quietly as he could. He looked at Liam and added, ¡°Looks like you were right about it being the lord of this land.¡± Liam turned to Mercer. ¡°Start buffing us now. If its anything like the Askith Mummy Guards, then we¡¯re going to be in for a long fight since it¡¯ll be resistant to a lot of our attacks.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Mercer stated as he started playing his violin. ¡°Who said you could make such pitiful noise in front of me?¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord demanded with a raspy voice. A look of disgust was given as his disgusting mouth curled into a sneer. The giant man lifted his snake scepter and pointed it at Mercer. Liam sensed a lot of mana starting to build up around the scepter. He quickly turned to Mercer and shouted, ¡°Look out!¡± However, before Mercer could react the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord chanted, ¡°Cancel all sound that surrounds the target. Silence thyself!¡± The air around Mercer shivered as the sound of his instrument ceased to be heard. Mercer opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. A look of panic rose inside him as he turned to Liam. Liam noticed something appear next to Mercer¡¯s name and status bar. He mentally looked at it and saw a notification window appear.
¡°Silence Debuff. Silences all noise, whether it be instruments, spell casting, talking or even the ground moving around the target for 5 minutes. Cool down 5 minutes.¡±
¡°What did he do?¡± Avery asked as she looked at Mercer. ¡°He was hit with a Silence Debuff,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It lasts for five minutes, but that monster has a cooldown on it for five minutes as well.¡± ¡°It must be an advanced Senses Focus Point ability,¡± Ariyana said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how high into that Focus Point you need to be, but it¡¯s almost similar to my Silence Thy Spell ability.¡± Liam nodded as he agreed. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to watch out for that spell. Ariyana, you¡¯ll need to try and cancel his chanting whenever you get the chance.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Ariyana said as she placed her Chakrams away and pulled out her wand. ¡°Avery and Roman, for now use Fire magic to try and see if that is still its weakness,¡± Liam called out. ¡°Artem and Blair, try and see if you can gain its aggro and defend the back line as much as you can. However, if it uses Rotting Fist do not try and block, but dodge it instead. It¡¯ll destroy any armor or weapons within seconds.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± the four yelled back. ¡°Mercer, for now, use your arrows to try and do as much damage as you can,¡± Liam said as he turned to Mercer. Mercer nodded as he mouthed the words okay. Artem and Blair rushed in as close as they could. When Artem got within range of his taunt ability, he slammed his foot down and let out a loud roar. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord¡¯s eyes looked down at him and narrowed. Artem¡¯s eyes widened as the Pharaoh stated in a mocking tone of voice, ¡°Do you think shouting like a wild animal would provoke me?¡± ¡°He¡¯s immune to taunts,¡± Artem yelled out. ¡°Of fucking course, he is,¡± Liam muttered as two arrows sailed towards the creature¡¯s arm. Each arrow sunk in, but the boss monster simply ignored them as he turned his gaze back at Mercer who glared back. As he was staring at Mercer, four basketball sized fireballs slammed into the left shoulder and body. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lords swirled his gaze to Avery and Roman while letting out a raspy hiss. ¡°Fire is still his weakness!¡± Avery and Roman informed everyone. ¡°How dare mere cretins cause harm to me with such despicable magic!¡± The Pharaoh roared out. ¡°I shall let you rot for burning me!¡± Mana surged around the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. Liam activated his Mana Sight and saw that instead of the mana shifting to scepter it grew around his body. He then turned to Ariyana to see she was chanting her spell, but it was taking too long. Before she could finish, two bandages snaked out from the Askith Pharoh Mummy Lord¡¯s body and shot towards Avery and Roman. When they were a quarter away from their targets, two arrows collided into the tips, making their aim miss both Avery and Roman. As the bandages shot back, Avery and Roman noticed the ground close by where the tips hit started to sizzle and smoke. Liam could smell a rotting stench as a small portion of the carpet they stood on melted away. Liam turned to Mercer and stated, ¡°Good aim, keep that up!¡± Roman and Avery split up and started chanting again as soon as they got to a new spot. He then ran to Ariyana who had canceled her spell and was looking both annoyed and frustrated with herself. ¡°I tried to cancel it, but he¡¯s too fast,¡± Ariyana said as Liam approached. ¡°I know,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It just means you¡¯re going to have to learn how to time your spell with his.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to do that?¡± Ariyana questioned as she stared into his eyes. ¡°You have Mana Sight right?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t use it much,¡± Ariyana replied. ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to learn the wonders of it right now,¡± Liam said with a smile. ¡°Have it activated and watch when he channels mana. Don¡¯t react a few times, instead learn how fast it goes. When you get the feel for his mana channeling speed, then time your spell with it. You will need to learn fast though. Can you do it?¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± Ariyana asked. Liam gave her a smile as he said, ¡°Nope. Back up some and watch as closely as you. Don¡¯t take too long though.¡± Ariyana let out a sigh before activating her Mana Sight and running back a few steps. Liam turned back to see Avery and Roman were able to land a couple more fireballs against the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. Its health was already close to three quarters. However, right as his health reached the three quarter mark, the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord let out a raspy scream of anger. ¡°I didn¡¯t think pitiful worms like you would be able to hurt me as much as you have,¡± the Mummy Lord angerly stated. ¡°To think I would need to rely on this.¡± Confused, but ready for anything, Liam watched as a bandage from the Askith Pharoh Mummy Lord¡¯s back shot out and crashed into one of the glassed cased shelves on the far left side of the wall. It then grabbed the jar and pulled it into his back, melding the jar into its body. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as its health started to regenerate. He watched as his health grew to five thousand two hundred and fifty. It might not have fully refilled his health, but a seven hundred and fifty health regen is nothing to scoff at. Liam thought as he started at the bandaged wrapped monster in front of him. Especially since he has so many of those jars still left. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Mercer suddenly exclaimed making everyone turn to look at him. The Silence Debuff must have expired. Liam thought. Which means he¡¯ll be able to use it again. Without wasting any time, the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord started channeling mana into his scepter as he chanted, ¡°Cancel all sound that surrounds the target. Silence thyself!¡± Everyone looked at Mercer, who was the target the first time, but were confused as he stated, ¡°It didn¡¯t hit me?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he realized that the Boss wouldn¡¯t prioritize someone who buffs, but rather someone who caused a lot of damage. He swiftly looked at Roman, but he was muttering to himself. He then looked at Avery and noticed her stomping the ground looking like she was throwing a tantrum, but no sound was made. And by the way her mouth was mouth, it looked like she was cursing up a storm. Yup. She¡¯s pissed. Liam thought to himself. He then shouted out, ¡°Mercer, get those buffs out! Make sure to keep doing what you were doing if those bandages fly out again. Roman keep firing those fireballs! Avery, take this time to regain your lost mana.¡± ¡°And what are we supposed to do?¡± Artem asked, still keeping his eyes on the massive form in front of him. ¡°Try and get some attacks in,¡± Liam stated. ¡°You might do some damage, but some damage is better than none at all. Make sure not to get hit by those bandages.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Artem and Blair shouted as they ran in. Liam scanned the area to figure out what to do. Avery backed off as far as she could, but was still within range in case she needed to run in. Mercer was playing song after song, sending out as many buffs as he could while keeping an eye out for the bandages. Artem and Blair were rushing in and out, swinging their weapons at the creature while trying to dodge any swipes from his hand or scepter. Roman sent fireball after fireball trying to bring down the Boss¡¯s health as much as he could. Ariyana was close by Avery. She sent out an Echoes of Sound spell, buffing Roman every time it came close to disappearing. She also kept an eye on the boss monster watching his every move. What can I do? Liam thought as he tried formulating a new plan. I can use my Light and Burn spell, but it¡¯s only effective when I soak the enemy in oil. Other than that, I don¡¯t think I have any other fire¡­ A sudden thought emerged in Liam¡¯s mind. I might be able to do something with that if I can get close enough. Liam began thinking as he looked in his inventory for a certain bottle. Once when he found it, he pulled it out and looked at it.
¡°Enchanted Runic Bottle of Liquid Fire.¡±
My Mana Control and Manipulation has risen quite a bit since my trial with this. Liam thought as he replaced one of the vials that was strapped openly to his potion strap on his leg. It was awkward due to the size, but he made sure it wouldn¡¯t slip out. He then channeled some of his mana into it to make sure he could control the liquid inside whenever he needed to. He then looked up just as the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord started to channel that same muddy greenish mana into its body. He looked over at Mercer and saw he was drinking a potion to replenish his mana. Shit! He¡¯s not paying attention! Liam cursed mentally as he started sprinting towards Roman. Time to take this for a forced test drive. After the Mummy Lord finished channeling his mana into his body, he shot out a bandage full of the rotten magic straight at Roman. Roman noticed it and tried to move out of the way, but suddenly tripped. Roman cursed out loud and was trying to get back to his feet, but as he watched the bandage getting closer, he resigned himself to getting hit and hoped it wouldn¡¯t hurt that much. However, before the bandage could get any closer to him, he watched as a small line of dark reddish-orange liquid shot through a part of the bandage, cutting it like scissors and suddenly lit up in flames. The part of the bandage that was cut off lost all mana inside it as it dropped to the ground, swiftly becoming ashes. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord quickly retracted his bandage as he let out a loud raspy scream of pain. Roman watched as the liquid that shot through the bandage swiftly floated back into a bottle by Liam¡¯s side. Liam looked down at Roman and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yeah thanks man,¡± Roman stated as he stood back up. ¡°No problem, but I have to ask,¡± Liam started as he looked at him. ¡°Ask what?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you utilizing that one field?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Field?¡± Roman looked at him with a confused expression. ¡°What do you mea¡­¡± Roman gave Liam an oh face as a light bulb clicked. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Liam gave him a smile. ¡°Well now¡¯s the best time to start thinking about it.¡± Liam looked back at Ariyana who was staring at them with a confused look. ¡°You too,¡± Liam shouted. ¡°You don¡¯t need to just stand there and watch anymore. I think this is the best time to use that field too.¡± Ariyana¡¯s brows scrunched as she stared at him. After a brief moment passed she realized what he was talking about and smiled. ¡°You got it!¡± Mercer rushed up to him and asked, ¡°What are you talking about? And why are you saying it so cryptic like that?¡± Liam looked at him and stated with a hush voice, ¡°This guy has some form of intelligence and wisdom right?¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°Then why broadcast what they should be doing when he¡¯ll know about it?¡± Liam said. Mercer brought a hand to his chin and nodded. ¡°I understand. That¡¯s pretty smart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only common sense,¡± Liam corrected. Before Mercer could say anything, they heard a loud crash. Liam and Mercer turned to see the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord had slammed a bandage wrap into one of the glassed areas and grab a jar, pulling it into him. Liam watched as his health regenerated back to five thousand health. Liam clicked his tongue as he stated with some irritation, ¡°We really need to do something about those jars.¡± ¡°Should I try and see if I can break them?¡± Mercer inquired as he looked at them. ¡°If you think you can reach them from here, be my guest,¡± Liam stated. ¡°If you don¡¯t think you can then don¡¯t waste the arrows.¡± Mercer nodded as he placed an arrow and pulled back on the string. He then aimed for the closest glassed area and released the arrow. Liam and Mercer watched as the arrow soared quickly pass the Mummy Lord¡¯s head and towards its target. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord turned his head around to look at the arrow as well. Liam was about to congratulate Mercer on the nice shot but stopped as the arrow bounced off the glass. Not even a scratch was on it. ¡°God damn it,¡± Liam cursed. ¡°You fools thought you could destroy my Canopic Jars?¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord questioned as he slowly turned his head to look at them. A wick grin grew on his face as he added, ¡°Your pitiful strength is not enough to destroy the protections placed.¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord was about to continue his rant but then let out a painful and frustrated grunt as four fireballs slammed into him from both sides. ¡°Take that you stupid son of a bitch,¡± Avery yelled, frustration evident on her face. ¡°Do you know how annoying it is to not be able to speak!?¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord snarled as he turned his head to look at Avery. With anger flashing over his eyes, the creature scolded, ¡°Wenches like you need to be silent when in the presence of a Pharaoh. I will make you stay silent and realize your follies.¡± Mana started channeling to his scepter as he chanted, ¡°Cancel all sound that surrounds the target. Silence thyself!¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord grinned triumphantly as he sent the spell over towards Avery. That smile lasted for a few seconds until he watched Avery¡¯s form suddenly disperse into a puff of smoke. ¡°What happened?¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord demanded as he looked at the spot he sent his spell. ¡°What manner of trickery is this?¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t like a woman who talks back to you huh,¡± a voice yelled out. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord turned his gaze to the back of the room to see Avery standing next to Ariyana. ¡°But how?¡± the tall bandaged wrapped man questioned. ¡°How you ask?¡± Avery smiled devilishly. ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡± ¡°A couple of talkative women out smarted you,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°You may have been a Pharaoh back in your time. However, your time has ended. You stand before a couple of queens. And these queens are pissed.¡± Tutorial 95 - Healer’s Territory – Absolute Restore! Liam looked at Mercer and quietly muttered, ¡°They are pissed.¡± Mercer nodded vigorously as his eyes widened without saying a single word. ¡°Queens?¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord questioned. ¡°You two? Don¡¯t make me laugh. A couple of wenches like you are not worthy of being royalty.¡± After saying this he felt a heavy object suddenly slam against his head, causing him to stumble a bit to the side. Even though the attack barely didn¡¯t any damage, the force of the attack was still felt. He turned to see who had dared hit him to see Blair baring her teeth at him. ¡°I¡¯d advise you not to look down on us women,¡± Blair pointedly stated. Confused, the Askith Pharaoh looked at Blair and stared at her. His confused expression grew even more as he continued to stare at her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Are you realizing your mistake?¡± ¡°No,¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord started. ¡°I¡¯m just try to figure out why you said us women when you clearly look like a man to me. Although now that I can see you better, your body is way too slim to be like a man¡¯s.¡± Artem¡¯s, Liam¡¯s, Mercer¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s eyes widened and gasped an intake of air as they heard the boss creature say what he said. Artem tensed and took a few steps back as he felt the anger roll off of Blair. Liam looked at Mercer and asked, ¡°He didn¡¯t just say that did he?¡± Again, Mercer nodded vigorously without saying a word. ¡°Oooooo, he fucked up,¡± Liam said turning back to look at the scene before him. Liam could see how livid Blair was getting. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was imagining it, but it looked like Blair¡¯s whole body suddenly lit up with fire. Blair slowly crouched her body, pushing her back leg out a bit as she evened her battle axe into a straight horizontal line. Without warning, she pushed off her back leg with a powerful push and shot straight for the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. Not being able to react in time as Blair got within striking distance, he felt her weapon slam against his knee. The force of her attack packed so much of a punch that his knee buckled, causing him to fall on his side. Without any coordination, Blair jumped back in time to get out of the way of several razor sharp leaves that pierced into his rib cage. Not even a second after that two fireballs crashed into the area where the leaves had sunk into. Liam watched as the air shimmered around the giant mummified man¡¯s body causing him to start screaming out in pain. That must be one of Ariyana¡¯s Illusion spells. Liam thought as he watched the man wriggle in pain. Judging by how he¡¯s acting, I want to guess its Pain Illusion. Pain Illusion was an Illusory Combat Focus Point ability. The caster places a debuff on the target making them believe they are experiencing more pain than they actually are. It has a five percent chance to place a Confusion Debuff on the target. It was a single target spell with a twenty five second cooldown. ¡°What the hell are you guys waiting for?¡± Avery shouted, still pissed off. ¡°Are you going to let us women do all the work?¡± The guys of the group snapped out of their thoughts and quickly started attacking. Yup. Never going to piss them off ever. Liam thought. Nor should you. Eri chimed in. If you don¡¯t want to end up like that asshole then I suggest you stay on their and all women¡¯s good side. Don¡¯t need to tell me twice. Liam chuckled as he started to chant his Grasp of the Shadows spell. However, while in mid chant, the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord let out a loud and frustrated roar. The force of his roar pushed anyone close to him sliding backwards. ¡°That is enough!¡± the mummified man stated with seething rage as he stood back up. A bandage shot out into one of the glass protected areas in the wall and quickly pulled a jar towards his body to rejuvenate himself. After his health raised up a bit he slammed the butt end of his scepter into the ground and let out a deafening roar. Liam and the others covered their ears as the loud sound started to become too much for them to handle. As the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord continued to roar, Liam felt the ground start to rumble and noticed dust and bits of sand start to fall from the ceiling. As the loud noise continue to drone on and the rumbling in the ground continued, the small bit of dust and sand started to grow into a lot of sand and dust. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord¡¯s long and winded roar finally came to an end as the sand and dust that had fallen started moving around the room giving a sandstorm effect. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Artem shouted as he tried shielding his face with his shield. ¡°I can barely see a thing,¡± Roman stated as he placed his arms in an x in front of his face. ¡°Everyone get closer!¡± Liam shouted as he looked around the room. His goggles protected his eyes from the dust and sand, but he was still able to feel each grain hit his skin. ¡°We don¡¯t know what he has planned!¡± The others ran towards the direction Liam¡¯s voice came from and stopped as they approached him. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Blair asked as she squinted her eyes trying not to get blinded by the storm swirling around. ¡°Those of you who have Mana Sight, close your eyes and activate it,¡± Liam started. ¡°Use it to detect where that monster is and when he¡¯s about to strike. Call it when you see it and I¡¯ll try to defend us for as long as I can.¡± ¡°How can we tell though?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°This sand and dust is full of mana and is making it hard to tell where he is.¡± ¡°When he uses his that rot attack the color is different,¡± Liam explained. ¡°While the sand and dust is a tannish color. That rot attack of his is a muddy greenish brown. We¡¯ll need to keep an extra eye out for that.¡± As Liam said this, the muddy greenish brown color he had warned them about suddenly lit up towards their left. ¡°On our left!¡± Blair yelled. Liam turned to see the mana split into two and shot towards them. He swiftly moved in front of Avery and Ariyana and manipulated a small bit of his Liquid Fire to cut off the bandages that were soaring at them. He barely burned through both bandages in time as they fell right in front of him and turned to ash as they floated down. He was lucky that they were close enough for him to run a line through. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord retracted both bandages back and disappeared into the sandstorm. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Liam scanned the area, looking for any sign of mana being channeled or movement. He looked forward once more, but then swiftly turned around as Roman shouted out, ¡°Over here!¡± Liam rushed over as he saw the muddy greenish brown mana building up. Liam pulled out a bigger amount of Fire Liquid than last time and manipulated it to hover in front of him. He then watched as the mana shot out wide from both sides. Liam focused on the Fire Liquid in front of him and made a gesture of ripping something apart. The blob of Fire Liquid separated into two and intercepted the two bandages. He was about to control the substance to go back into the vial until he saw another muddy green brown mana filled bandage soaring right at him. He slammed his palms together bringing the liquid back into one small blob right through the bandage that was right in front of his face. The part of the bandage that was close to his face lost control and was starting to lose its Rot mana as it was smoldering, but before the mana dispersed it touched a section of his Cowl. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam swore as he watched the mana start to spread quickly. As fast as he could, Liam pulled off the cowl and threw it away. He watched as his Cowl of the Haunted slowly rotted away becoming nothing but dust. ¡°I liked that cowl,¡± Liam muttered with a frown before he felt something tingle on a small section of his right arm. A small muddy green dot was sitting right where his arm and shoulder connected. Before Liam could say anything, a notification window appeared.
¡°You have been afflicted with Mummy Rot (Weak)!¡± ¡°Mummy Rot (Weak) ¨C Affliction Type - Curse and Disease. Mummy Rot (Weak) is the lowest level of Mummy Rot. It will slowly spread from the point of impact and start to rot your flesh. If not treated within a certain amount of time the Mummy Rot (Weak) could seep low enough into the skin and destroy the bone. Target receives 2 damage each time the Rot spreads. Since this is the lowest form of Mummy Rot, spreading will occur 75% slower than normal. If any form of healing (Magic, Potion, or Salve/Balm), is used on the area, it could slow down the process. However, if Mummy Rot Curse is not cleansed then not only will healing be reduced, but the Rot will not go away from Target.¡±
¡°What the fuck?!¡± Liam shouted as he started to panic a bit while reading it. ¡°When did this happen?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± the others yelled out. Did some of it touch me when I tried taking the cowl off? Liam thought as he tried to figure it out. He didn¡¯t get much time to think more into it as Blair yelled out, ¡°Incoming!¡± Liam¡¯s head shot up to see three bandages heading in Artem¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s direction. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed as he rushed over to them. He channeled his mana to control a small amount of the liquid in his bottle to come out and split it into two. He then tried to maneuver the two small blobs of fiery liquid to cut off two of the bandages. The two small blobs cut through the two outside bandages. However, the third bandage delayed its descent towards him and was able to dodge the blob of fiery liquid that shot out to cut the bandage on the left. Liam internally panicked as he watched the bandage racing towards him. He then noticed a small raven black thing holding an object blur by and crash into the bandage. It was his Shadow Hand. He had forgotten it was still activated due to the madness that was happening. The dagger it was holding onto collided with the bandage, stopping it in place. Liam watched as the Black Matriarch Talon Dagger started to rust and turn to ash as the Mummy Rot mana engulfed it. However, Liam was surprised to see that his Shadow Hand was fine. There was no sign of rot, disease or anything. Why¡­How is that possible? Liam questioned internally. It¡¯s because it¡¯s a thing made from mana. Eri suddenly stated. Since it doesn¡¯t have a real body and is purely made from mana, things like rot won¡¯t affect it. Good to know. Liam said. If that¡¯s the case then maybe I should use it to intercept the bandages. You could, but you¡¯ll need to arm it again. Eri suggested. What do you mean? Liam questioned as he felt a slight burn tingle on his shoulder. The Mummy¡¯s Rot spell either needs to be cut off from the main body, like you have been doing with that Fire Liquid; or it needs to come into contact with something physical. Eri explained. If it only touches your Shadow Hand then it wont be able to disperse and will move on to the next thing. ¡°That¡¯s fucking stupid,¡± Liam stated out loud. ¡°What?¡± Blair asked, confused on what he was talking about. ¡°What¡¯s stupid?¡± Artem questioned. That¡¯s just how it works. Eri said. Speaking of Mummy Rot. You need to get that cleansed as soon as you can. Even if it is weak it will become an issue after a while. Liam pulled his Shadow Hand closer to him and gave it another dagger to grip. Before he could reply to Eri¡¯s warning another set of Mummy Rot filled bandages came flying towards his direction. He was able to cut off the three bandages without any issues this time, but before he relaxed a bit to look for the next set, they were already on their way. Liam waved the two Fire Liquid blobs and his Shadow hand to intercept these three rounds of bandages. He was about to complain about how quickly these ones came, until he heard Ariyana gasp. Liam looked at her but didn¡¯t see any issues coming from her side. However, she wasn¡¯t looking to the left side of the room. She was staring in the direction the bandage wraps came from. Liam turned and felt his heart sink. What he saw through his mana sight were not three muddy greenish brown colors, but twelve areas glowing with that color of mana starting to move around the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord¡¯s main outlined body. After a moment had passed, the first and second bandage shot towards them. There was a slight delay as they moved. Soon after that two more started snaking their way. Liam moved the Fire Liquid to intercept the first two. After he cut through them he moved the two blobs to cut through the next two. The Mummy Rot filled bandages came in waves of two after that. Each wave were slightly delayed as they shot towards Liam¡¯s group. Liam waved his arms around to move the liquid to sear through the bandages. It was going smoothly until he felt a slight stinging sensation on his elbows, forearms, and biceps. Liam didn¡¯t spare a glance as he continued to try and protect his teammates. Whenever his fiery blobs couldn¡¯t make it to a bandage, his Shadow Hand was able to cut through it. It was thanks to the delay his Shadow Hand had that he was able to pull this off and he was ever so grateful for it. Each time he seared or cut through the bandages, bits of them floated around him before falling to the floor. By the time the final wave of Mummy Rot filled bandages were deflected, Liam was panting and gasping for air. He felt sweat start to roll down his forehead as he looked around. He went to wipe the sweat away but froze as he spotted something on his forearm. Several small muddy greenish brown patches were slowly spreading. When did these get here!?Liam thought as he looked at the other areas he remembered feeling a slight stinging at. Each spot had Mummy Rot spreading. He then noticed his gloves were starting to dissolve and quickly threw them off before it covered his entire hands. Don¡¯t tell me I was hit with those loose bandages before the mana disappeared! Liam internally panicked. He noticed his health bar was ticking away at a smooth pace. He had lost half of his health already. ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡± Liam stated as the panic he was trying to keep down escaped through his mouth. ¡°What?!¡± the others questioned as they grew concerned. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord let out a raspy yet wicked laugh. ¡°It seems that during your attempts to protect your useless comrades you became cursed with my Mummy Rot. Even if a small amount of it touched you, after accumulating so much your death has been set in stone.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Blair and Avery shouted. ¡°That can¡¯t be true!¡± Ariyana yelled. ¡°None of you should be strong enough to be able to cure the curse and disease that is rotting away at your body. And even if one of you were able to, the damage caused has already been done,¡± the mummified man stated. ¡°You should be feeling it by now. Your control over your arms is slipping away. Soon you¡¯ll lose both of your arms. Despair pitiful worm and watch as your own body rots away!¡± Liam snarled in the direction of the creature. He was right though. He could feel his arms start to become heavy and he was fighting to keep them up. ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± Artem suddenly shouted. Anger rolling out of his mouth. ¡°We will not lose one of our teammates today and he will not lose any body parts either!¡± Liam turned his head and watched as an aqua blue mana color started to swell around Artem¡¯s body. After five seconds of the mana building up, Artem yelled out as he pushed the mana out, ¡°Healer¡¯s Territory ¨C Absolute Restore!¡± Liam felt the mana that Artem pushed out wash over him and the others in the group. As the Aqua colored mana engulfed Liam, he felt the stinging sensation up and down his arms start to disappear. He lifted and looked at his arms and watched as the muddy greenish brown colors that were spreading start to escape his skin as small bubbles pulled them off. Not only did the color of his skin return, but he felt his stamina, mana and health fill back up. The exhaustion he felt moments ago from fighting off the six waves of Mummy Rot filled bandages disappear as well. The Debuff he had also disappeared, confirming that he was fully cleansed from the affliction. ¡°What!?¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord roared. Liam turned his head back to stare in the direction the boss monster stood. His mana slowly dimming as his Mana pool slowly dropped in the double digits. ¡°I think its time we get rid of this sandstorm,¡± Liam muttered as he lifted his Moon Shadow Blade dagger. He then chanted, ¡°Moon, beautiful and radiant. Bless us with your power to lighten up the night. Expose those which try to hide within your majestic light. Lunar Exposure!¡± The orb of lunar energy that grew on the tip of Liam¡¯s dagger flickered as dust and sand swirled around. He then threw the orb in the direction of the creature and shouted, ¡°Deactivate your Mana sight now!¡± Following his own instructions, Liam deactivated his Mana Sight and closed his eyes. As soon as his eyes closed, Liam and the others heard a wail of pain and a slew of curses. As he opened his eyes, Liam watched as the swirling bits of sand and dust suddenly come to a standstill and dropped to the ground. Standing in front of the sarcophagus, covering his eyes, the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord whipped his head from right to left. His bandaged wrapped hands rubbing against his eyes. ¡°Serves you right,¡± Liam stated. ¡°You tried blinding us with sand; So, I blinded you with Lunar Magic. Its not just the women in our group you have to worry about, bitch.¡± Tutorial 96 - Peek a boo in the Sand Liam suddenly felt a stinging sensation pierce his eyes as the faint cloudiness around the edges of his eyes grew a little more. Liam fought the urge to close his eyes as he gritted his teeth. As soon as the pain subsided, Liam turned to the others to see how they were doing, but grew concerned as Artem fell to a knee. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Liam questioned as he approached him. ¡°Yeah,¡± Artem replied with a hoarse voice as he pulled out a Stamina Potion. ¡°My Zodiac ability drains my Mana and Stamina whenever I use it. Since its still low it drains quickly.¡± ¡°Ah I see,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Thank you for using it. I was getting worried there that I wasn¡¯t going to be able to get it cleansed in time.¡± You¡¯re rather lucky he had that ability. Eri stated in Liam¡¯s mind. With the amount that had touched you, you would have lost both arms in no time at all. Liam shuddered as an image of both his arms suddenly falling fall due to rot popped in his mind. ¡°Take some time to recuperate,¡± Liam said to him before looking back at The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. He was still covering his eyes with his hands and thrashing his head around. ¡°Everyone attack while he¡¯s blinded!¡± Liam shouted as the others ran and got into place. Avery and Roman ran on opposite sides of the room to get as close as they could before they started chanting their fireball spells. After they had finished their chants two fireballs appeared in front of them before they shot it at the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. Three of the four balls of fire slammed into the mummified creature as he thrashed about from being blinded. Liam watched as his health dropped to two thousand four hundred and ninety seven after taking that last hit. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord swiped his hand that held his scepter out, making Blair jump back to dodge it. While she did this, two bandage wraps shot out from his back and crashed into two glass covered areas in the wall, grabbed the jars and pulled them in to his body. Liam watched as the creature¡¯s health pool rose back up to three thousand nine hundred and ninety seven. Not only did his health regenerate, but his mana pool also rose to two hundred and fifty. Those jars are capable of regenerating his MP too? Liam thought as he turned to look at the jars sitting behind the glass. As Liam looked at the remain glass protected shelves, he counted them. There were five jars remaining. However, as he counted them he noticed that all but one of the jars had normal designs. There was a different one that had a fancier design. This one was placed in the middle of all the glass protected shelves. What makes that one so special? Liam thought. He wasn¡¯t able to think more into it as the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord moved his hands from his eyes and scowled at Liam. ¡°How dare you blind me you dirty lowly peasant!¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord roared as he started channeling mana around his body. ¡°I will make sure to rot your body and watch as your limbs fall apart one by one!¡± After cursing Liam, several bandage wraps shot out from his body and soared right for him. Liam went to manipulate the fiery liquid in the bottle hanging on his leg, but realized he would be too late. However, before the bandages got within five feet of Liam, Fireballs collided with four of them. An arrow collided with one, causing it to deviate from its path and hit the ground next to Liam. Blair¡¯s Axe sliced through the last one causing it to lose all mana that was focused on the tip of the bandage wrap. ¡°Hey asshat!¡± Roman yelled out. ¡°Did you forget about us?¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord glared at each member of Liam¡¯s group. ¡°It seems that I must first get rid of the other rats first before I finish you off,¡± the tall, mummified man stated. Without warning, the dust and sand that had fallen from the sandstorm that filled the room suddenly started moving along the ground towards the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. The Boss monster crossed his arms in front of his chest as the sand started to swirl upwards, completely engulfing him. Shortly after that, the sand dropped down, leaving nothing behind. ¡°Everyone watch out! We don¡¯t know what he just did and what is going to happen!¡± Mercer called out as he scanned the room. ¡°Be on guard! He could pop out from anywhere,¡± Liam added as he activated his Mana Sight and scanned from left to right. He didn¡¯t see anything as he looked around. However, after a few seconds had passed he felt mana start to build up from behind him near the area behind Ariyana. As he turned around he shouted, ¡°Watch out Ariyana!¡± While turning around to warn her, he watched as a Mummy Rot filled bandage wrap shot down towards Ariyana while she turned around. As she spun around, Ariyana¡¯s eyes widened as the mana filled bandage wrap pierced through her stomach with ease and crashed into the ground behind her. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The grin that was starting to form on the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord face stopped and turned to a frown as he noticed something wasn¡¯t right. A second later, Ariyana¡¯s body rippled as her form faded away. Liam turned to his right to see Ariyana standing behind Artem, panting like crazy. Ariyana turned to look at Liam and stated, ¡°Thanks for the warning. If you hadn¡¯t shouted I wouldn¡¯t have activated After Image in time.¡± Feeling relieved to see she was fine, Liam nodded and gave her a smile. He then looked back at the Floor Boss monster. The mana filled bandage wrap retracted from the ground as sand swirled around the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. Liam watched his eyes burning with malice before he disappeared into the sand. ¡°Activate your Mana Sight and keep an eye out everyone!¡± Liam shouted as he scanned the room. He couldn¡¯t see any signs of mana anywhere. As soon as he looked to his right, he felt mana start to build up to his left. It was closest to Mercer. ¡°Over by Mercer!¡± Liam shouted as he saw the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord get ready to launch an attack. However, right before he shot a mana filled bandage wrap, Roman suddenly appeared a few feet away from Mercer, away from the group. ¡°Over here you failed excuse of a king!¡± Roman shouted. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord turned his head to scowl at him and shot the bandage wrap right at him. As Liam watched this, he grew confused. He saw Roman standing there, but at the same time, he stood next to Blair. The Roman who was next to Blair looked to be focused and was channeling mana. It dawned on him that Roman was probably using one of his Focus Point abilities from the Field of Illusions. He wasn¡¯t able to recognize the ability because he hadn¡¯t seen it be used yet, but he knew it wasn¡¯t the Mirage or After Image spell since the Roman that took the hit was able to speak. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord let out a roar of frustration as the fake Roman disappeared. Before he could turn to look at them, two fireballs slammed into his chest. The Giant Mummified monster retreated back into the sands, making everyone go back on their guard. Ariyana moved back to the spot she ran from as Roman cautiously moved closer to Mercer. Liam slowly walked to the middle of the group as he scanned the area again. Why can¡¯t I see the mana moving him? Liam thought as he spun around to look at the area behind him. I hate that I can¡¯t find him so easily while he¡¯s playing peek a boo in the sand with us. Artem and Blair turned their heads to look at the opposite sides of the room. Is my Mana Sight not high enough to detect where he is? Liam tried to figure out as he turned back around. Before he could think again, he heard Artem and Blair shout, ¡°Behind us!¡± Everyone turned to see the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord emerge from a small sandstorm and start channeling mana. The amount of mana he channeled this time was more than the last two times. Three mana filled bandage wraps shot out from his body. One soared for Avery, the second for Blair, and the last was directed at Liam. Liam watched as Avery and Blair ran from where they stood with a perfect copy of themselves still in the same spot. ¡°Liam duck!¡± Mercer shouted. Liam reacted and did as he was told and dropped to the ground. As soon as he did, an arrow sailed towards the bandage wrap and collided right under the tip. The force of the arrow made the tip of the bandage wrap bounce up a bit, making it sail over Liam¡¯s head and crashed into the ground behind him. Liam rolled away from the spot before the bandage wrap was retracted, leaving the ground to corrode. As the three bandage wraps swiftly sailed back towards the monster¡¯s body, Avery and Roman finished chanting their spells and sent four fireballs right at the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord¡¯s body. The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord started to call the sands to swirl around him, but the sands suddenly stopped as the fireballs crashed into his body, causing him to let out a painful yell. ¡°You cowardly useless trash!¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord shouted. ¡°Is using your craven abilities to distract or hide from me all you can do?¡± Liam stared at the Mummified monster and grew wide eyed as he watched mana start channeling around him. The creature¡¯s Mana bar was dropping rapidly as he continued to channel his mana for some sort of spell. ¡°We¡¯ve got a big one coming guys!¡± Liam shouted as he watched bandage wrap after bandage wrap start to slowly snake out from his body. ¡°Roman!¡± Avery called out, as she turned to look at him. ¡°Yeah?¡± Roman asked. Liam looked at her and saw her throw her hands out. Roman stared at her for a moment before realizing what she meant. He then replied, ¡°I¡¯ve got this side you got that side?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Avery shouted as she ran towards the front and stopped in front of Artem. Roman ran to the front as well next to Avery and stayed about three feet away from her. Liam was confused by what was going on. ¡°What are you guys going to do?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°Something cool,¡± Roman stated with a wild grin. ¡°Group up behind us,¡± Avery shouted before looking forward as she pointed her rapier at her target and started channeling mana. Roman extended his arms out, palms pointing forward, and started channeling as well. After a few seconds had passed they began chanting, ¡°Oh Fire, powerful and beautiful. Spark and ignite the devastating power you hold within.¡± Liam was still confused on what they were going to do. He tried to think about all the spells they had told him they had, but still couldn¡¯t think of one they were going to use. His thoughts on what they were going to do were suddenly replaced as he looked back at the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. He was shocked at what he was seeing. This was the most any of them had seen the creature use. The mana filled bandage wraps didn¡¯t stop at twelve but continued to grow until twenty bandage wraps were floating around his body. After the last bandage was ready, all twenty Mummy Rot filled bandages shot forward towards the group. Right as they were a foot away, Avery and Roman finished their chant, ¡°Course and engulf all that dare to stand in your way. Wave of Ignition!¡± A powerful burst of flames suddenly sprang out in front of them and spread out in a cone shape, engulfing the bandages that were trying to piercing them. The bandages had no chance of continuing forwards as the flames burnt each one to a crisp. Avery and Roman didn¡¯t stop there as they started to walk forward themselves, bringing this powerful spell closer to the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. ¡°No!¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord roared out as he took a step back. He tried to retract each bandage and salvage what he could, but the damage was done. Flames raced up towards his body through the parts of the retracted bandage wraps and started to burn his body as well. He tried to pat down the areas he could reach, but there was too many spots the flames touched. The small bits of fire he couldn¡¯t reach on his back, legs, and sides started spreading out. Liam was in awe from the sheer power this spell produced. Thanks to the flames spreading all over the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord¡¯s body, his health was plummeting fast. ¡°No!¡± he shouted again as anger filled his mind. ¡°You think something like this will do me in?! Think again!¡± A bandage not lit up with fire suddenly shot out towards the glass protected area in the middle of the wall where the fancy looking jar was and shattered the glass. ¡°I will regain all of my health back thanks to my hea¡­,¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord started to say, until a flaming arrow crashed into the jar, not only shattering it, but lighting the contents on fire as well. ¡°No!¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord roared out again. ¡°My heart! You destroyed my heart!¡± The fire Avery and Roman created through their spell suddenly vanished as they dropped to their knees, gasping for air. ¡°You think this is the end?!¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord shouted out as he stared at the group with so much malice in his eyes. His health quickly dropping down into the hundreds. ¡°You might have defeated me today, but the Askith Nation will rise again one day!¡± the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord continued. ¡°And when it does you will know just how powerful of an enemy you have made by killing me!¡± As he shouted his final word, his health dropped to zero. As soon as it depleted his body dropped to the floor, snuffing out the flames and bringing a notification to everyone in the room.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated the 5th Floor Boss: Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord!¡±
Tutorial 97 - Loot fit for an Undead Pharaoh ¡°Are you two alright?¡± Liam asked as he approached Avery and Roman. ¡°Yeah,¡± Roman stated as he turned his body to a sitting position. Both he and Avery pulled out a Mana and Stamina Potion and drank them. After she finished the Stamina Potion, Avery continued, ¡°Wave of Ignition takes a lot of mana to use. It also has an upkeep to continuously use it.¡± ¡°We kept using it until all of our mana supply was used up in case he tried to use that Mummy Rot thing again,¡± Roman added. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t know our Stamina would be drained too. It never mentioned anything like that.¡± ¡°It must have been because we were trying to walk with it still activated and because we were so close to the flames,¡± Avery suggested. ¡°That could be it,¡± Roman agreed as he thought about it. ¡°Either way, that was some great thinking on your part,¡± Mercer complimented. ¡°I¡¯d say. Great job guys!¡± Ariyana agreed as she gave them both a wide grin. ¡°Speaking of a great job,¡± Liam turned to look at Artem and Mercer. ¡°Great job destroying that jar before the Askith Pharoh Mummy Lord took it to regenerate. Also great job on that healing spell Artem.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem,¡± Mercer smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just glad my Zodiac ability went off cooldown in time.¡± ¡°It was my first time trying it,¡± Artem bashfully stated. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work clearing away the Mummy Rot, but I couldn¡¯t just stand there and do nothing.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re even now,¡± Liam smiled as he patted him on the back. ¡°I saved your life, and you saved mine.¡± Artem¡¯s cheeks reddened a bit. ¡°Also, great timing with those illusion spells,¡± Liam added as he looked at Ariyana. ¡°I couldn¡¯t time my other spells to cancel his spell casting no matter how hard I watched him,¡± Ariyana stated with a frown on her face. ¡°But when you mentioned to Roman about using our Illusions I knew I could time those better.¡± ¡°And that you did,¡± Avery stated. ¡°I have to say, it felt weird when you used Mirage on me. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but it saved my life.¡± ¡°Same with you Roman,¡± Mercer stated. Then asked, ¡°What was that spell you used to make a copy of yourself to get his attention away from me?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roman muttered as he looked at him. ¡°Oh that? That was Misdirection. It allows me to create an image to catch the target¡¯s attention for a short amount of time, taking their eyes off what they were targeting before. I figured I¡¯d use it right before it launched an attack on you so it wouldn¡¯t attack you.¡± ¡°So, there is some brains in that head of yours,¡± Blair smirked. Roman swiftly looked at her and frown. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Of course, I have a brain.¡± Everyone laughed. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Roman questioned as he turned to look at them. Mercer shook his head. ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯m going to go loot the body.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Liam stated as he brought his laughter under control. ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the notifications that popped up.¡± Liam looked down and brought up the notifications awaiting him.
¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-Stat Vitality has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 7%! +10% increase to HP.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Speed has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Sight has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Channeling has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Control has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Control has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Manipulation has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Manipulation has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Lunar Ability Lunar Exposure has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 11%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Lunar Ability Lunar Swarm has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Lunar Ability Lunar Swarm has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Ability Shadow Hand has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Ability Shadow Hand has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Ability Shadow Hand has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Ability Shadow Step has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Ability Shadow Step has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Ability Shadow Step has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Ability Shadow Swarm has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Ability Shadow Swarm has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Control over Shadow Mana has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! New Ailment Resistance has been discovered! Ailment Resistance ¨C Rot has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Rot has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Rot has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Rot has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 27%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! New Ailment Resistance has been discovered! Ailment Resistance ¨C Stellar Affliction From Within has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Stellar Affliction From Within has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 90%!¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Congratulations! Personal level has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! 3rr0r Corrupted (Sealed) Class ability ???????? has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 11%!¡±
Liam stared at the notifications. He stared at the last one for a long moment. Even though he wasn¡¯t sure what the Class or ability that was, he was even more confused on why it was leveling up so much these past couple weeks. He wasn¡¯t doing anything that was out of the norm that he was aware of. He decided to leave it since Eri stated it would resolve on its own soon enough. He looked at the new Ailment Resistance ¨C Rot and knew what it was about. He then pulled up the description of the other new ailment resistance, Stellar Affliction From Within.
¡°Stellar Affliction From Within ¨C Lunar Affliction that is created due to using too much or staring at Lunar Magic over a certain period of time. Will cause user to go blind, as well as suffer damage from within the body starting with their organs. At the lower levels it will start to cause the user to start going blind. Each level reached will bring a new Affliction upon the body. After some rest the effects will go away. The higher the level the longer the rest is needed.¡±
So, Shadow Magic will affect the mind while Lunar Magic affects the body? Liam thought. That¡¯s nasty. If I¡¯m not careful I could not only go mad, but I could kill myself from within. Liam closed his notifications and grew a smile. He was happy to see that his Lunar and Shadow abilities were growing, even if the price to be paid for using them too much could hurt him. His other stats were growing nicely as well. He only had one that wasn¡¯t at level ten now and that was his Ailment Resistance Sub-stat, but he felt he could get that up sooner or later. The biggest surprise for him though was his personal level. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be able to level up his personal level anytime soon, so it was a happy surprise to see it did. He looked over at Mercer and noticed he was walking away from the burnt body of the Askith Pharoh Mummy Lord. ¡°Are you going to try and Harvest the body?¡± Mercer questioned. Liam raised a brow as he looked confused. ¡°Do you think there will be anything worth harvesting from it after it was burnt to a crisp?¡± ¡°It¡¯s always worth a shot,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see if it works,¡± Liam said as he walked over to the dead body. As soon as he approached it he reached a hand out and said, ¡°Harvest.¡± The Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord¡¯s body glowed for a few seconds before disappearing.
¡°You have received Mummy Lord Liver. Item Type ¨C Material (Crafting- Alchemic). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Above Average.¡±
Mummy Lord Liver? Alchemic crafting material? I wonder what it could be used for? Liam thought as he closed his notifications. I¡¯m going to have to ask Galin when I get the chance. ¡°Get anything good?¡± Mercer asked as Liam approached them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about consulting Galin when we get back since it¡¯s an Alchemy material.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good plan,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°What about you? Anything good drop?¡± Liam asked. ¡°See for yourself,¡± Mercer stated as he pulled out a dark wooden wand with a life-like Spider-tailed Horned Viper wrapping around it. The head resting on one end and the spider like tail close to the other end. Liam assessed the item.
¡°Askith Pharaoh Snake Wand. Item type ¨C Weapon (Wand ¨C Magical). Item Rarity ¨C Epic. Item Quality ¨C Well Crafted. + 25% to all Mental Magics. Effect: Snake Charm. Snake Charm ¨C if the user is a Beast Tamer then any snake type monsters become less aggressive to the one holding the item. Has a 50% boost when trying to tame snake-like monsters.¡±
Liam let out a whistle as his eyes widened before saying, ¡°A Well-Crafted Epic item.¡± ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Everyone, except for Liam and Mercer, shouted. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t kid about something like this.¡± Everyone stared at the wand with disbelief. As Roman stared at it, a frown suddenly formed on his face. ¡°Well damn. Even though it¡¯s a Well-Crafted Epic item, it¡¯s a shame that I don¡¯t use a lot of mental magics. Plus, I¡¯m not a beast tamer. I guess it should go to someone who fits that.¡± Artem, Avery, Blair, Liam, and Mercer stared at Roman and were shocked about his round about way of saying who should get the item. ¡°It is such a shame that I chose to go down this path,¡± Blair chimed in as she crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head. ¡°Oh well, not much I can do but pass it along to someone who was able to put up an amazing mental battle against the Floor Boss.¡± Ariyana¡¯s eyes widened as she finally realized what was going on. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, surprise evident in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Liam started before looking at the others. ¡°What about you guys?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± Artem stated first. ¡°I agree with the decision too,¡± Roman said then added, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to learn Beast Taming any time soon.¡± ¡°I want to learn Beast Taming so I can get my own tamed beast,¡± Avery started. ¡°But I don¡¯t plan on unlocking it yet so that wand is useless to me.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Blair agreed. ¡°See,¡± Mercer chimed in. ¡°Even though picking up Beast Taming would be a good idea for all of us in the future so we can have a protective beast guarding us. It¡¯s not going to be a full focus for us. We all know how passionate you are about it and not only that, but I think you¡¯re the only one who uses a lot of Mental type magics.¡± Ariyana¡¯s mouth grew into a happy and wide smile as she reached out for the wand. ¡°Thank you guys.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Liam said as he put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You did a great job timing your Illusion Magic to protect us from getting hit by his attacks.¡± ¡°Did anything else drop?¡± Liam asked as he turned to Mercer. ¡°Yeah two more items,¡± Mercer replied as he pulled out the next one. It looked like a pile of eggshell white colored bandages. Liam was confused by the way it looked so he assessed it.
¡°Askith Pharaoh Hand Wraps. Item type ¨C Armor (Hands). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. +15 Armor. + 10% resistance to all magics except Fire type magic. -10% armor to Fire type magic. Effect ¨C Bandage Bind. Bandage Bind ¨C by channeling mana into the Hand wraps the wearer can shoot out a bandage wrap to bind the target closest to them. Can cause magical damage to target through the action depending on the mana type used. Warning! If Fire mana is channeled through the bandage wrap damage will be done to the armor piece!¡±
¡°Oh wow,¡± Liam said as he stared at the item. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected this to be like a glove.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool!¡± Roman stated. Mercer looked at the item and then at the group. He then said, ¡°I think Liam should get it since his gloves were destroyed by the Mummy Rot when he was trying to protect us.¡± The others looked at Mercer and thought about it. After a brief moment they nodded, agreeing to it. ¡°Are you guys sure?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yeah, you lost a couple of armor pieces during that attack. You need to be able to protect yourself. So, think of this as a thank you for what you did,¡± Mercer said with a smile while handing it to Liam. Liam grabbed it and added it to his Armor Collection in the Wardrobe. After doing that they appeared on his hands wrapping his fingers, palms, and up to his mid-forearm. ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m getting ready to train at a gym with these.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the next item?¡± Roman quickly asked, curious about what it was. ¡°Oh, yeah. The next item is¡­,¡± Mercer started as he pulled up his inventory. ¡°It¡¯s a rather strange item.¡± ¡°A strange item?¡± the others questioned as they looked at him. ¡°Yeah it¡¯s this,¡± Mercer stated as he pulled out a book. Liam looked at the book. It had a black tannish brown cover with no words or pictures on it. Mercer opened it to show the contents, but inside the pages were blank. Liam tried assessing it and was shocked by what he saw.
¡°????????¡±
All question marks? Liam thought. It can¡¯t be¡­ Eri suddenly said in Liam¡¯s mind. Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he asked, What can¡¯t be? Do you know something about this book? I¡¯m not completely sure if it is what I think it is, but¡­Eri started as her voice trailed off. But what? Liam tried again. But if it is, then you are going to need to hide it and not let anyone know you have it. Eri continued. What¡­ Liam tried to say, but what cut off. Don¡¯t ask questions for now. Eri interjected. Just do as I say. Tell them you will take it. When you do keep it inside your inventory and don¡¯t pull it out at all costs. Not until I know for sure if it is what I think it is. Got it. Alright, fine I¡¯ll trust your judgement. Liam stated before saying to the others. ¡°Can I have this item?¡± The others turned to look at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mercer asked, both surprised and confused. ¡°We don¡¯t know what it is or if it is worth anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Liam started. ¡°I¡¯m interested in trying to figure out what it is. If I find anything out I¡¯ll let you know.¡± Mercer raised a brow as he continued to stare at him through his emerald filled eyes. He then let a sigh out and handed him the book while saying, ¡°Alright then¡­but you better let me know when you do find something out about it.¡± ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Liam said as he grabbed the book. As soon as he touched the book, Liam¡¯s heart suddenly thumped hard. This feeling sent a ripple throughout his body. However, just as quickly as it happened it stopped, leaving Liam both confused and concerned. ¡°You alright?¡± Artem asked as he noticed several sweat drops roll down Liam¡¯s forehead. Liam turned to look at him through his goggles. He was thankful they couldn¡¯t see through the dark tinted lens because his eyes would have given more away than what his evened facial expression was giving. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Liam stated as he placed the book into his inventory. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling tired, sore, and hungry.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Roman stated as he stretched his arms up in the air. He let out a groan as he did this and then placed his arms back to his side. ¡°We have definitely spent a lot of time here on this floor,¡± Blair commented. ¡°Right? I can¡¯t wait to take a nice bath and sleep on my bed back at the inn,¡± Ariyana said with an excited look. Before anyone could say anything else, a rumble started to shake the ground. The group looked around to see what was going on. They were sure they had killed all the EFM¡¯s and the Floor Boss. Yet the room and the ground shaking alarmed them. As the shaking in the room continued, a section of the wall where the Askith Pharoh Mummy Lord was by during their whole time fighting fell apart. After the last piece of stone fell, the shaking subsided. Liam and the others looked over at the section of the wall that had fallen apart and noticed two Portals standing side by side. ¡°Shit. That almost gave me a heart attack,¡± Artem stated as he placed a hand on his heart. ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Roman agreed. ¡°For a moment there I thought¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Ariyana shouted, ¡°No! Don¡¯t you dare finish what you were going to say.¡± Roman and everyone turned to look at her. She looked back at them and explained, ¡°Every time he says something, he jinxes it. I don¡¯t want to have to fight another monster right now. I want a bath, hot food, and some drinks.¡± Ariyana turned back at Roman and pointed a finger at him while carefully saying each word, ¡°So not a single word out of you until we get out of here. Do I make myself clear?¡± ¡°Bu¡­,¡± Roman tried to say. ¡°Ap,¡± Ariyana interrupted again. ¡°I said, do I make myself clear?¡± A frown grew on Roman¡¯s face as he lifted his middle finger and responded, ¡°As clear as it is that I¡¯m flipping you off.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± Ariyana replied back as she swiftly reached out and gripped his middle finger. As she gripped it, Ariyana started walking and pulling him along while saying, ¡°Now, come along Roman. Let¡¯s send you out first before you cause any more issues with that mouth of yours.¡± ¡°What the hell! I can walk on my own,¡± Roman complained while trying to break himself free. The others watched as this happened. They were both stunned and surprised by what Ariyana had done. Not too long after she started pulling him to the Exit Portal like a misbehaved child, everyone let out a loud and hearty laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to switch out the gear for the average gear!¡± Mercer called out, reminding them before they exited the fifth floor. Tutorial 98 - I tried that route, didn’t like it. As Liam walked out of the portal, he felt his stomach churn worse than ever before. He felt nauseated and felt his vision start to swim. Right as he thought he was going to throw up, the feeling subsided and a chime sound echoed in his mind. Teleportation sickness must have leveled again. He thought as he straightened himself. He looked at the others and let out a chuckle as Artem and Ariyana were hunched over, upchucking. ¡°Upchuck Roulette strikes again,¡± Liam said as Ariyana turned her gaze on him and glared. Before she could say anything a familiar grandmotherly voice called out, ¡°I am so happy to see you guys have passed the fifth floor.¡± Everyone turned to see Adva and Phorge walking up to them. Liam noticed a look of concern on Adva¡¯s face before it was quickly replaced with a warm smile. ¡°Thank you, but why are you so happy? Since these dungeons are safe it should have been no problem for us to beat it,¡± Mercer stated, keeping the knowledge he found out from Liam to himself. The others looked at him and understood what he was doing. ¡°We are so happy because you guys were in there for so long. We weren¡¯t too sure how long it would take for you guys to beat it,¡± Phorge stated. ¡°How long were we in there for?¡± Mercer questioned as he looked at him with a confused expression. ¡°About a day and a half,¡± Adva answered as she looked them all over. ¡°How long does it usually take?¡± Artem asked curiously. ¡°Almost all the other groups from the other dungeons took about a day or less,¡± Phorge answered. Adva looked each of them up and down as she said, ¡°It looks like none of you are badly hurt. Which is good.¡± If you only knew how close some of us were to death¡­ Liam thought before something caught his eye. It was a new portal. This new portal was bigger than the others and had a multicolored glow to it. ¡°What¡¯s that over there?¡± Liam asked as he watched people start to walk through the portal. Adva and Phorge looked at what Liam was staring at and were about to answer until a new voice replied with some disdain, ¡°That is the portal that leads to the outside world. The elite groups who have already defeated all six floors are leaving.¡± Liam and his group scowled inwardly as they recognized the voice and turned to see Nalia approaching them. ¡°I see you lot are still taking your time,¡± Nalia continued. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve made it this far.¡± ¡°Oh? And why do you say that?¡± Liam asked with some disgust showing. Nalia¡¯s eyes narrowed as she pointedly stated, ¡°Watch your tone with me maggot.¡± ¡°Nalia!¡± Adva scolded. ¡°Stay out of this,¡± Nalia stated as she looked at Adva. ¡°I¡¯m not one to mince my words nor act kindly to those who are not worth my kindness.¡± She looked back at Liam and stated, ¡°I find you unworthy of stepping foot into our beautiful world.¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Oh? And why do you say that?¡± Nalia glared at him. ¡°There¡¯s something about you that I don¡¯t like.¡± Something about me? Liam thought. He then asked, ¡°Oh? And what is it that you don¡¯t like about me?¡± ¡°For one, your attitude towards those who are superior to you. Another is the disrespect you give me. Thirdly, you get carried by others and act like you contribute a lot to your team,¡± Nalia listed. ¡°Your existence is a joke. And lastly¡­¡± ¡°What do you know about him?¡± Blair interrupted as she glowered at Nalia. Nalia turned her gaze on Blair. ¡°It seems like your disrespect to those who are superior is infecting your teammates,¡± Nalia coldly stated. ¡°Dragon welp girl, it is rude to interrupt those who are talking.¡± Blair and the others were about to say something until Liam put a hand out to stop them. Nalia turned her gaze back on Liam as he stated, ¡°I guess your dislike of me can be justified if that is the only reason why you don¡¯t like me.¡± Nalia¡¯s gazed evened on him as she waited for him to continue. ¡°However, I have a policy,¡± Liam started. ¡°You want me to watch my attitude towards those who believe they are superior to me? Not going to happen.¡± A memory of a woman yelling at a much younger version of himself popped into his mind. ¡°I tried that route, didn¡¯t like it. So, I¡¯m not going to do it again,¡± Liam stated as his anger started to pulse through him. ¡°You¡¯re upset that I disrespect you? Ha, a pitiful person like you needs to earn my respect. I don¡¯t give it to just anyone.¡± Nalia¡¯s face started to redden as Liam continued to speak. ¡°And thirdly, you don¡¯t know what goes on in the dungeon. What makes you think I¡¯m just getting carried by my teammates and I¡¯m not doing anything?¡± ¡°You want to know why I think you¡¯re being carried?¡± Nalia questioned with some rage starting to boil. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why I think that.¡± Nalia¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up with a golden hue as she stared at Liam. As her eyes lit up, a sharp pain suddenly pierced Liam¡¯s and his teammates¡¯ minds. After a second had passed Adva swiftly slammed her hands together, making both the golden hue in Nalia¡¯s eyes and the sharp pain that had pierced Liam¡¯s mind to disappear. ¡°Nalia! We have discussed this that you are not allowed to use that magic on them,¡± Adva scolded. ¡°And I told you that I do not care what you say,¡± Nalia whirled on her. She then looked back at Liam and stated, ¡°I was able to see enough to get what I needed. Your teammates are all at level twelve while you are still at level six. Your lack of level compared to the others just proves that you don¡¯t do enough to help your teammates. You¡¯re nothing but a leech.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Liam¡¯s teeth bared as he quipped, ¡°You can go ahead and think I am a leech, but at least I am not some weasel bitch.¡± A loud smack echoed in the air as Liam¡¯s face turned to the right from getting slapped. ¡°I will not tolerate being called a weasel bitch,¡± Nalia stated. ¡°Especially coming from some half-bred fake Arcadian who can¡¯t even receive any of his Beast kin physical traits.¡± Liam slowly turned his head as he looked at her. ¡°So that¡¯s what this is about,¡± Liam started with a calm evened tone. ¡°You must be one of those Beast kin supremist.¡± Avery and the others gave Liam a confused look. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I¡¯m not a Beast kin Supremist. I simply think that scum like you are a stain to our race¡¯s heritage,¡± Nalia corrected. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how you try to justify it,¡± Liam stated as he felt his blood start to heat up and boil even more. ¡°I think this is enough,¡± Adva interrupted as she and Phorge stepped between both of them. Adva turned to Nalia and scolded, ¡°This is no way to act as an Overseer of the Tutorial Area. You¡¯ve overstepped your boundaries too many times. You need to leave this group alone.¡± After saying what she had to say to Nalia, Adva turned to Liam and added, ¡°And I know you are heated, but you must watch your mouth. There is no need to be calling anyone a bitch.¡± Liam took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He knew Adva was right, but every time Nalia was around she reminded him of the one woman he really hated. And every time he was reminded of her, he just couldn¡¯t help but get really angry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Adva for my foul mouth. We just got out from our dungeon floor run and I seem to be exhausted and went too far when she was provoking me,¡± Liam started as he looked at her. ¡°If you could please excuse me I am going to go and get some rest.¡± ¡°You guys go do that,¡± Phorge stated as he looked at him with a concerned look as Liam walked away with his group from the trio. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± Nalia started back up. ¡°You and I are not done talking.¡± ¡°Yes you are,¡± Phorge stated with a cold tone in his voice as he turned to stare at her. As Phorge started speaking, Liam could feel his danger sense pick up. Even though he knew it wasn¡¯t directed at him, he could still feel a tremendous amount of power coming from Phorge. ¡°You have nothing else to say to this team. Do I make myself clear?¡± Phorge repeated. Nalia glared at Phorge before finally saying in an irritated tone, ¡°Fine.¡± She then stomped off from the two leaving them both frustrated and concerned. After she was completely out of sight, Phorge quietly muttered for only Adva to hear, ¡°I knew she was difficult and stubborn and can be a¡­¡± Adva¡¯s eyes narrowed on him before he could say what she knew he was going to say. ¡°Not a very nice woman,¡± Phorge coughed, catching himself. ¡°But I never pegged her to be part of the Beast kin faction that hates beast kins who don¡¯t have their races features.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t either,¡± Adva agreed as she turned her gaze towards the area where Nalia walked off to. ¡°There seems to be a lot about her we didn¡¯t know. I just hope this is all that she is hiding. Also, where and when did she learn about his Beast kin race? She wasn¡¯t there when he told us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Phorge replied as he shook his head. A thought came to mind before he looked at her with a questioning look while raising a brow. ¡°You don¡¯t think she has anything to do with what¡¯s going on with that portal¡­do you?¡± Adva let out a sigh before looking over to the Black Portal. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I hope not, but if she does have anything to do with what¡¯s going on in there, then she will have a lot to answer for.¡± As Liam and his group walked down the path towards the city, Artem asked with a concerning tone in his voice, ¡°What was that all about?¡± ¡°Which part?¡± Liam asked as he kept his gaze forward. ¡°That whole Beast kin Supremacy thing?¡± Artem inquired. ¡°Also, what was up with that magic she used?¡± Roman added. ¡°Yeah, it felt like my mind was going to split,¡± Ariyana stated as she rubbed the sides of her temple. Liam let out a sigh before answering, ¡°That magic she used was something called Divine Eye. It¡¯s like a divine upgrade to our Assess. It allows the user to look at someone¡¯s stats. However, I think it needs to be fully channeled to get everything and if it¡¯s used for a short amount of time only a small amount is shown.¡± ¡°That should be illegal,¡± Blair scowled. ¡°It¡¯s like an invasion of privacy,¡± Avery agreed. ¡°Do you think someone like her thinks that?¡± Liam stated. ¡°What about the other part?¡± Blair asked. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of something like Beast kin Supremacy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just Beast kin, but I guess all races have some sort of Supremacy,¡± Liam started. ¡°However, with some Beast kin it has to do with the fact that there are those who were born to a Beast kin and a non-Beast kin and didn¡¯t get any beast kin racial features. I still don¡¯t understand why they are like that, but I¡¯m not going to waste my breath over it.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Roman questioned as he grew angry. ¡°That¡¯s a fucking stupid reason to hate someone and start shit with them over.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Liam said as he looked at him. ¡°However, I¡¯m not quite sold on that¡¯s why she hates me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Avery asked. Mercer thought about it for a moment until a question arrived in his mind. ¡°Do you think¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Liam interrupted, knowing he would catch on to what he meant. ¡°I have my suspicions, but I¡¯m still not a hundred percent yet.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what you meant back in the dungeon last night,¡± Blair stated as she realized what they were talking about. ¡°What?¡± Roman and Ariyana asked, confused on what was going on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now,¡± Artem said, surprising everyone. ¡°If it is what he thinks, then he will tell us when the time is right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely worried about it now,¡± Roman commented. ¡°If Artem was able to pick it up quicker than me then I¡¯m definitely worried about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I could be completely wrong and trust me, I hope I am, but when I completely know, I will tell you guys.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan now?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to head over to the Bubbling Potion and talk to Galin about that material I picked up then I¡¯m going to go take a bath,¡± Liam stated. ¡°What are you guys going to do?¡± ¡°A bath and some food sounds nice,¡± Ariyana said. ¡°I agree with you,¡± Artem nodded. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to go take a bath and grab some food. Want to meet us at the Dancing Baboon when you¡¯re done?¡± Mercer asked. Liam shook his head. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m going to grab something from a stall before heading back to my room after my bath.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mercer asked as he and the others gave him a concerned look. Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah, I am feeling pretty tired.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Mercer said as he looked at him. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see you tomorrow for breakfast?¡± Liam nodded and said before turning down a different path, ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll see you guys tomorrow.¡± Mercer watched as Liam walked away from the rest of them. I know he tends to over think things, but his hunches are usually spot on. Mercer started thinking. Now that I know what you are considering I can understand why you are hesitant to point your finger at the one you are most suspicion of. She is not one you can call out on without all the proof. Mercer turned his head to see Blair, Avery and even Artem staring at him. He could see their understanding in their eyes. He looked at Ariyana and Roman who were talking to each other, still not fully grasping who Liam was fully guarded against. As Mercer walked up to the three, Blair questioned as quietly as she could, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think we should do what he is doing,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°And if he is right and it comes back to bite us?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Who said anything about letting it bite us?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°We need answers, yes. But we also need strength. As we are now, we are too weak to do what we want to do. Not only that, but I believe there are those who are more powerful than us looking out for us as well.¡± ¡°So, then we train?¡± Artem inquired. Mercer nodded. ¡°We need to get as strong as we can. We won¡¯t be able to get as strong as we want here due to the limitations placed on us, but once when we get out of here¡­those shackles will come off.¡± ¡°How long do we take before we try and take on the sixth floor then?¡± Roman asked as the four turned to look at him. Roman¡¯s and Ariyana¡¯s eyes were determined. ¡°So, you guys understood what is going on?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I don¡¯t fully grasp it,¡± Roman started. ¡°I don¡¯t understand all the details either,¡± Ariyana added. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°We know what he is thinking is never something that easy,¡± Roman continued. ¡°Since teaming up with him, every time he gets like that it is because it¡¯s due to something that is more powerful than we are. So, it¡¯s always easy to understand when we need to tread carefully.¡± ¡°So even though we¡¯re all not fully on the same page,¡± Ariyana smiled. ¡°We are still on some of it.¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°I can agree with you there. We¡¯ll get back to work tomorrow. We don¡¯t know how hard this next floor will be and we are going to need to be as ready as we can.¡± The other five members nodded their agreements before heading off to the baths. As the group of six walked away, a dark silhouette popped its head out from the alleyway it was hiding in. ¡°So, they are finally done with the fifth floor, huh,¡± the figure said. A wicked grin formed on the individual¡¯s face as it added, ¡°I can now start the next and final phase of my plan.¡± The figure then went back into the alleyway and disappeared. Tutorial 99 - Different Groups and Crafting Levels Liam opened the door to the lab inside The Bubbling Potion and saw Galin and Alicia sitting there talking. As soon as the door opened they both looked at it to see Liam and were surprised. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Alicia said as she gave him a happy smile. Confused Liam looked at them and said, ¡°I was only gone for a day and a half. I haven¡¯t been gone that long.¡± ¡°True as that might be. We were still worried since we don¡¯t know what you would have to face inside your dungeon,¡± Galin replied as he hopped down his step stool and walked over to Liam. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Liam said as he thought it over. ¡°It¡¯s starting to become normal every time I go in there that I forget the difference between my dungeon versus everyone else¡¯s.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be a little worried if it¡¯s starting to feel normal to you,¡± Alicia commented. ¡°It just shows that he¡¯s starting to get used to his new life here,¡± Galin stated. ¡°But I agree you shouldn¡¯t get used to how difficult this dungeon is because majority of the ones out in the world are much easier to handle if you know what to do.¡± Before Alicia and Liam could say anything, Galin turned and waved Liam to a seat and said, ¡°Come, come. Tell us how it went. I¡¯m curious to know what monsters you fought.¡± ¡°I just want to know if you found anything interesting for us to use to make new potions,¡± Alicia remarked as she followed them. Liam gave her a smile as he stated, ¡°Then you¡¯re going to be really happy to hear what I found.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Alicia asked as her face lit up. ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Tell us. Tell us.¡± Liam shook his head as he sat down and recalled all he had gone through while taking on the fifth floor. There were some things he kept out like his teammates Zodiac Abilities and his Shadow and Lunar magic. As he talked about each monster, Alicia and Galin¡¯s mouth opened wider and wider. ¡°Dude, I am so glad I¡¯m not on your team,¡± Alicia commented after Liam finished. She then hurriedly added, ¡°I mean during this Tutorial run that is. I would be ecstatic to be a part of your team after this is all done.¡± Liam let out a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t wish anyone this kind of hassle.¡± Liam noticed Galin was staring at him. The stare he was giving him, made Liam feel a bit uncomfortable. ¡°Is everything alright Galin?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Liam¡­,¡± Galin started with a seriousness in his voice. ¡°I know I didn¡¯t ask you before because I felt like you would tell me eventually, but I have to ask now.¡± Liam felt goosebumps start to form as he waited for Galin to continue. ¡°Is the reason why you are fighting monsters that no beginner should go up against is because you stumbled across a Forbidden Path?¡± Alicia turned her gaze on Liam as she waited for the answer as well. Liam tensed as he heard the question. ¡°Your silence says it all,¡± Galin stated as he stared at him. ¡°I was hoping it wasn¡¯t, but I figured that was the case. Have you told the Overseers about this?¡± ¡°The Overseers?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Adva, Nalia, and Phorge,¡± Galin answered. ¡°They are the Overseers of this Tutorial Area.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No. Especially not Nalia.¡± ¡°You need to tell them,¡± Galin stated with a serious tone in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can¡­,¡± Liam started to say. ¡°Your life is danger here!¡± Galin shouted, interrupting Liam. ¡°You need to tell them. A Forbidden Path is too much for newly integrated people like yourself, even if there is the magic placed on the dungeon.¡± Liam stared at Galin. He knew he wasn¡¯t scolding him for any reason other than he was worried for him. Liam couldn¡¯t blame him. Especially not after what he had told him about his experience with a Forbidden Path. ¡°I will think about it,¡± Liam answered. ¡°I need to know if I can trust them. Since Nalia has been treating me like crap I feel like even if I did say something she wouldn¡¯t do anything about it. As for Adva and Phorge¡­¡± ¡°You can trust them,¡± Galin stated with a firm tone. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do anything that would harm you or the other newly integrated people. They would look into the matter and do something.¡± ¡°I will talk to my teammates and make a decision with them since this involves them as well,¡± Liam said. Galin threw a hand up as he grumbled, ¡°Bah, this is so much more than you guys can comprehend.¡± He then looked at Liam and saw the resolve in his eyes. After a moment he released a sigh and added, ¡°Fine. So what kind of Forbidden Path did you find?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Forgotten Realm,¡± Liam replied. ¡°A Forgotten Realm?¡± Galin repeated as his eyes widened. ¡°Have you heard of them before?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Galin nodded. ¡°They contain forgotten history of different races from our world.¡± Galin brought a hand to his chin as he muttered, ¡°If it¡¯s a Forgotten Realm and the monsters have the name Askith Nation¡­maybe¡­¡± Liam looked at him and questioned, ¡°Does the name ring a bell?¡± Galin shook his head as he replied, ¡°Not as a nation. But I do remember a desert called the Askith Arid Desert. It¡¯s a hard place to live, but many people have found ways to live there.¡± ¡°Why does no one remember that nation?¡± Liam asked. ¡°If there is a desert with that name someone should have known about the nation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand it either, but there are plenty of people out there who are looking for lost history,¡± Galin stated. ¡°If I remember correctly there¡¯s a guild called the Lost Records Guild who are always looking for discoveries on lost knowledge.¡± ¡°Guild?¡± Alicia and Liam questioned at the same time. ¡°Ah that¡¯s right you guys are still learning about the world outside,¡± Galin remembered. ¡°You¡¯ll have more information on it after you defeat the last floor and it¡¯s not a restricted thing, so I¡¯ll tell you. There are many types of groups out there that you will need to know about and will have to choose to join.¡± Alicia and Liam listened as Galin continued. ¡°The first type of group you¡¯ll need to know are Associations,¡± Galin stated. ¡°These are Adventurers Association, Crafters Association, Merchants Association, and Magical Association. Each of these are fundamental to what you want to do.¡± Liam took out his notebook and started writing as he continued to listen. ¡°Adventurers Association is a place where you must get your Adventurer ID from if you wish to enter dungeons. Your Adventurer ID, or AID for short, keeps track of all the floors and dungeons you have entered and beaten. It also shows what kind of monsters you have killed as well.¡± ¡°The Crafters Association is a place where you get your Crafter¡¯s Identification or CID. This allows you to join crafting businesses so you can earn a living. You could also use it to find a Crafting Business that is willing to sell your work. The CID is proof that you are legal in the craft and aren¡¯t selling another people¡¯s work. You¡¯ll have to have the CID show all crafting professions you are doing so there¡¯s no hassle.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to have a crafting business sell your crafted items and want to do it yourself then you¡¯ll apply at the Merchants Association for a Merchants ID or MID. With something like that you can legally open a shop and sell your wares anywhere you want.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°The last Association is the Magical Association. It¡¯s a place where you can learn more about magic as well as research new magics. This place doesn¡¯t require an ID unless you want to work for the Magical Association. If you want more information on it you can talk to the people at the Mage Tower.¡± ¡°So, there are Associations we¡¯ll need to get ID¡¯s for?¡± Alicia questioned. ¡°You said this was the first type of group. What are the others?¡± ¡°I was just about to get to that,¡± Galin said with a slight smile. ¡°The other types of groups are: Parties, Guilds, and Clans.¡± ¡°Parties, Guilds, and Clans,¡± Liam muttered as he wrote it down. ¡°Parties are just a small group of people who are given a name or make a name and don¡¯t want to separate,¡± Galin continued. ¡°They start off unaffiliated to any Guild or Clan or they make one while being inside them.¡± ¡°Guilds are organizations of people that have a related interest or goal. Guilds utilize parties and have them take on jobs or quests. There are mainly Adventurer Guilds, but there a few Crafters and Merchant guilds. Very high reputable guilds can get quests from the Adventurer Association if the association deems the guild capable.¡± ¡°Lastly Clans. They are kind of like a guild but much bigger in infrastructure. In many cases they are an organization of people united by actual or perceived kinship or descent. Not all clans are like that though. If you are not part of a clan and a clan wishes for you to join them and you accept then you are forever bound by loyalty and will be placed in the clan.¡± ¡°Like a guild but different in infrastructure?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°What do you mean? If the only difference between a guild and a clan is heritage then what makes them so different?¡± ¡°There is a big difference between the two,¡± Galin started back up. ¡°A guild is limited to a build of people. They can not have more than one building to their name. While a clan has no restrictions. They are anywhere between a town to a nation if they are that big. Not only that, but a clan has more power behind the name. Normally a clan only focuses on their own kin, but sometimes they find one who doesn¡¯t belong to a clan and have them join theirs and help them grow.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alicia said as her eyes widened. ¡°A clan can have guilds, associations, and more in them. They allow families to be together as well versus a guild where all of your family can¡¯t be a part of it unless they meet the criteria to be welcomed,¡± Galin explained. ¡°Damn, clans sound like they would be more beneficial to be a part of,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Galin said. ¡°Clans may not be as restricted as guilds, but they place restrictions on their people.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Alicia asked. Galin shook his head. ¡°That is something I will leave you to learn. If we continue this conversation we will be here all night and I¡¯m sure Liam is pretty tired.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right,¡± Alicia stated, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, Liam.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all good. This is some good information,¡± Liam said. ¡°So, you were saying something about the Lost Records Guild?¡± ¡°Ah yes,¡± Galin muttered as he remembered what they were originally talking about. ¡°The Lost Records Guild is a guild full of people who are scouring the world for lost knowledge and history. They are sometimes met with hostility from certain Deities who don¡¯t like that people are doing this, but they don¡¯t care. They don¡¯t require people to join their guild, but instead hire them to go out and find new things. Also, if you come across something you think they would love to know, then they will sometimes pay double for it.¡± ¡°It sounds like an interesting guild,¡± Liam stated. ¡°There are some interesting people in it, but just like any place there are some people who are¡­,¡± Galin looked like he was trying to find the right word, but then settled with, ¡°Not the best to deal with.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°Some of the people are skeptical about lost information that¡¯s been brought in. Even if it¡¯s something the guild has asked you to look into, these people try to make it seem like what you brought is fake.¡± Galin explained. ¡°Theres always someone like that somewhere,¡± Liam sighed. ¡°Always making things difficult for others.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree with you more,¡± Galin said with a nod of his head. ¡°I do have an acquaintance in that guild though. So, if you¡¯re wanting to pass along anything you find to him then I¡¯d suggest you talk to him so you can ignore those types of people.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your acquaintance?¡± Liam asked. ¡°His name is Alvis,¡± Galin replied. ¡°He is a Fehlpowl Beast kin.¡± ¡°A Felhpowl Beast kin?¡± Alicia and Liam both questioned at the same time. ¡°A Felhpowl Beast kin are a race of Beast kin that are short and look younger than what they really are. They have a racoon tail and ears and are a highly intelligent race that love magic and mysteries.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Liam stated. ¡°So do I just say your name when I speak to him or is there something I have to do in order for him to let me meet with him?¡± Galin let out a laugh as he pulled something out from his inventory. It was a silver coin. It didn¡¯t look like one of the coins you¡¯d use for money, but instead it had a unique design on it. The side he was able to see had a what looked like a scroll on it. After Galin passed it to him, Liam assessed it. ¡°Lost Records Token. Item Type ¨C Token. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average.¡± ¡°This is a Lost Records Token,¡± Galin started to explain. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have anything special. It¡¯s just a token made to use when you go to the Lost Records Guild. You can present it and ask for Alvis and whoever you show it too will take you to him.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he put the item into his inventory. He then had a curious thought and asked, ¡°Why Alvis though? Is it because he is your acquaintance?¡± Galin shook his head. ¡°No. His specialty research lies in lost history and knowledge found in Forbidden Paths.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Galin. ¡°I know what you want to say,¡± Galin started. ¡°Even though I am worried about what you are going through and don¡¯t want you to tell anyone about it, I feel like there are some benefits in those dungeon that can be shared. He is a good man and will welcome any information you have to help his research along. He is the best one to talk to about your findings and discoveries.¡± Liam looked at Galin. He tried to figure out the best thing to say, but was coming up short. So instead, he just said, ¡°Thank you. What knowledge I find in this dungeon I will share with him.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Galin replied then scolded, ¡°However, this is not me telling you to jump into any and all Forbidden Paths you find. They are dangerous and can kill you without any proper training or preparations. Do not and I repeat do not go head first just because that old coot tells you to.¡± Liam let out a laugh. He knew Galin¡¯s worries for his safety were genuine and he liked that. Back on Earth it was rare to find people who wanted you to be safe instead of just running head long into danger just because they felt it was your obligation. ¡°So¡­,¡± Alicia started bringing both of their attentions to her. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt what you¡¯re talking about, but I remember you said you had something I would be really happy to hear about?¡± Liam and Galin both laughed as they looked at Alicia. ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Liam said as he opened his inventory. ¡°Go grab me some gloves and a container while I pull out the first thing I found.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Alicia said with mild annoyance as she went to grab the items. Liam pulled out a vial and placed it on the table as she returned. ¡°The first item is this,¡± Liam started as he showed them it. ¡°Vial of Ectoplasm. It dropped off that Demonic Dybbuk I told you about.¡± Alicia and Galin stared at the vial. Galin¡¯s eyes widened as he read what he assessed. ¡°My boy, your luck is amazing,¡± Galin stated. ¡°What can you make with this?¡± Alicia asked as she grew curious of the possibilities. ¡°You can make a lot of things with it,¡± Galin started. ¡°This is an ingredient used for Magical Potions like Invisibility, Elemental Resistance, and more.¡± ¡°Magical Potions?!¡± Alicia stated as her eyes widened and lit up with excitement. Galin nodded. ¡°However, you need to have your Magical Potions in Alchemy leveled to at least thirty to be able to make any of those potions with this ingredient.¡± Both Alicia and Liam clicked their tongues in annoyance as soon as they heard the level requirements. Galin let out a hearty laugh at his two apprentices. ¡°I know you¡¯re both eager to grow your knowledge in this craft, but it takes time, patience, and repetition to be able to make better things. It may be tedious after a while, but once when you reach my level it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± ¡°What is your level, Professor Galin?¡± Alicia questioned. ¡°I am at level sixty five in Alchemy,¡± Galin stated. ¡°I could have been higher if I just focused on my specialty, but I decided it was best to level all of my Alchemy as much as I could.¡± ¡°Sixty five?!¡± Alicia and Liam both exclaimed. ¡°What did you specialize in?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°Magic Potions,¡± Galin said as he looked down. ¡°I was originally specialized in Chemicalized Creations, but switched it to Magic Potions after the death of my love.¡± Alicia¡¯s and Liam¡¯s excitement dimmed as they heard what he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alicia started to say until Galin shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I decided to switch so I could continue learn to how to best kill those creatures and help anyone who decides to take them on.¡± Liam nodded. He was impressed with Galin¡¯s dedication. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to do something like that. ¡°Wait I have a question,¡± Alicia started. ¡°You said you switched specializations right? You can do that? You¡¯re not fixed to one after you choose it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Galin stated. ¡°You are not locked into a specialization once you are able to pick one. However, there are requirement to be able to get specialized into a certain part of your craft.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°You¡¯ll know more about it later, but I will say one of them is you have to be at level thirty in one of the categories in a craft,¡± Galin said. ¡°The level requirement to be able to specialize is to make sure when the specialization option is opened you don¡¯t switch to a lower leveled category you don¡¯t have full knowledge in.¡± ¡°But why level thirty?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It is said that by the time you reach that level you¡¯ll have the fundamental knowledge of the section of craft you¡¯re working on and can specialize it,¡± Galin started to explain. ¡°Think of it this way, once when you hit level thirty in a category of a craft you are no longer a beginner in the craft. You can view it as level one to twenty-nine is a Beginner Crafter. Level Thirty to forty-nine is an Intermediate Crafter. Fifty to seventy-nine is an Advanced Crafter. Eighty to ninety-nine is an Expert Crafter. Level one hundred is Master Crafter.¡± ¡°Damn. I didn¡¯t know there were different levels to crafting,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°Theres a lot to crafting not everyone understands,¡± Galin said. ¡°You¡¯ll learn more as you grow.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case then I¡¯m probably still too low leveled to use this next item,¡± Liam stated, bringing their attention back to him. Liam put on the gloves Alicia had brought and placed his hands into his inventory. He then pulled out a foul smelling organ and placed it on the container that was on the table. All three of them gagged as soon as the stench reached their noses. ¡°What the hell did you just pull out?¡± Alicia complained as she plugged her nose with her hand. ¡°It smells like something died and rotted three times over.¡± Galin was about to agree with Alicia until he took a good look at what Liam had pulled out. His jaw dropped as he recognized the material and stated out loud, ¡°An actual Mummy Lord Liver!¡± Tutorial 100 – Tell that to the aura you’re emitting. ¡°Mummy Lord Liver?¡± Alicia asked with some confusion. ¡°What is that and what can you do with it?¡± Galin looked at Alicia and answered, ¡°This is an item you¡¯d be most interested in since you want to specialize in the Poison category of Alchemy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alicia quickly asked, her eyes beaming with excitement. ¡°This item helps with crafting high level rot type toxins that have some corrosive effects. Mummy Rot is what it is called, and it is at the higher part of the Intermediate grade close to Advanced grade,¡± Galin informed. ¡°Of course, it is,¡± Alicia said, with a huff. Galin let out a laugh as he stated. ¡°Do not worry. If you keep up the pace you¡¯ve been going with, you¡¯ll get there sooner or later. Until then though¡­¡± Galin looked at Liam and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave this with me. I can break it down and get the materials ready for the both of you once when you reach the level needed to make that toxin.¡± Liam thought about it. He really didn¡¯t want to let sit in his inventory till he got to the right level in Poison Crafting to be able to use it. However, if he gave it to Galin to process and he gave it back to him at a later date then how would he be able to find him? ¡°If I do leave it with you, how are we supposed to know where to find you?¡± Liam asked. Confused, Galin looked at him and asked, ¡°What do you mean? You just come to the Bubbling Potion, and I¡¯ll be there.¡± It was Alicia¡¯s turn to look very confused as she asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Bubbling Potion here in the Tutorial Area? How are we supposed to find this place again?¡± ¡°Ah, I see where the confusion is,¡± Galin said as he shifted himself. ¡°This building is only for temporary use. While I am hear I can conduct business as the Bubbling Potion merchant, but really my store is currently closed outside, waiting for me to return.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°Everyone who came here is not an actual resident of this area. We are either volunteers or people chosen to help with those who are transitioning into our world,¡± Galin started. ¡°Our businesses and homes aren¡¯t actually here but outside this area. So, you won¡¯t have to worry about trying to find this Tutorial Area to come find me. I can give you the exact details of where my shop is located so you can find me whenever you want to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± Alicia said. ¡°Especially since my team has already beaten the sixth floor in our dungeon.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he turned to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re already done with your dungeon? Why haven¡¯t you left yet? I thought you were supposed to head out once when you finished?¡± Alicia turned to look at him. ¡°My team and I plan on heading out soon, but I wanted to take some more time to work on my Alchemy before leaving. I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d see Professor Galin again after I left so I wanted to get as much knowledge out of him before I did.¡± ¡°You both are always welcome to seek me out whenever you want,¡± Galin smiled. ¡°Whether it is to answer questions, help guide you, or even for to come chat with me. I will welcome you openly.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Alicia and Liam stated with a smile on their face. Before anyone could say anything else the lab door suddenly opened, making all three of them turn to see who it was. Liam¡¯s heart was racing thinking it was Steve coming to find him, but his guard relaxed as he recognized who it was. That brief moment of relief though also brought in confusion. ¡°Welcome. What brings you here after hours, Mr. Nabal?¡± Galin asked as he stared at the man. Liam looked at Galin and then at Nabal with a curious look. ¡°Sorry to interrupt you during your lessons, Galin,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°I just wanted to speak with my student really quick.¡± ¡°Oh? One of my apprentices is also yours?¡± Galin questioned with a surprised look. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you. I am actually quite surprised you have taken an apprentice. Which one of my two has stirred your fancy?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Liam is the one who has caught my eye,¡± Nabal stated as he gave him a smile. Galin let out a sigh as he stated, ¡°Why does that not surprise me.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Alicia complained as she looked at Galin. ¡°Are you insinuating that it would surprise you if he was here for me?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Galin chuckled. Curious as to what Nabal was here for, he excused himself and followed him into the shop area of the building, leaving an annoyed yet teasing Alicia to pester Galin. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I just wanted to see if you had made it out of the dungeon already,¡± Nabal started. ¡°I also wanted to let you know that you and I will be training tomorrow at the Mage Tower.¡± ¡°The Mage Tower?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°But isn¡¯t that where Steve is? Why would we practice there and risk the chance of running into him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why tomorrow,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°For now, just know you don¡¯t have to worry about running into Steve tomorrow.¡± Taken aback a bit, Liam grew even more curious. However, he felt like he wouldn¡¯t get any answers if he continued to ask. So instead, he asked, ¡°What time?¡± ¡°How about around one?" Nabal suggested. Liam nodded. ¡°Alright that should work. I was going to see Fia and do some work on leveling my blacksmithing up in the morning and then I have to meet up with my team afterwards for breakfast.¡± Nabal nodded. ¡°Alright, then I will see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Liam smiled as he watched Nabal leave. Liam walked back into the room where Alicia and Galin were in. During the time he was talking to Nabal, Galin had moved the Mummy Lord Liver and had aired the room out. He was grateful for that because due to his heightened smell, it was seriously making him feel sick. ¡°I am shocked and curious how you got that man to accept you as an apprentice,¡± Galin stated as Liam walked back in. ¡°Do you know him?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I do. Not a lot, but enough to know I wouldn¡¯t want to piss him off,¡± Galin replied. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Alicia¡¯s and Liam¡¯s eyes widened at Galin¡¯s response. ¡°He comes from a powerful assassin clan,¡± Galin started. ¡°That clan is the Suits Clan.¡± ¡°The Suits Clan?¡± Alicia asked. Her confusion matched Liam¡¯s. ¡°They have another name and it¡¯s the Four Suits Assassins Clan,¡± Galin started back up. ¡°Those marks under his eyes that you saw...¡± ¡°That black club and red heart?¡± Liam interrupted. After saying it, Liam understood what the Suits stood for. Galin nodded. ¡°Yes, those are the marks that represent which family your parents came from. If you see a heart and a club, then one parent is from the Heart side of the clan and the other is from the Club. I don¡¯t know everything but I think each suit has a specialty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°So that is a good example of a clan then?¡± ¡°As good as you can get,¡± Galin nodded. ¡°Many clans are very secretive. Especially the top three Ancient Clan families.¡± Alicia and Liam scrunched their brows as they repeated, ¡°Top three Ancient Clan families?¡± Galin nodded. ¡°There are many clans out there in the world. However, there are also Ancient Clans that have been around longer than all of the clans. They have more history than the majority of the clans out there. Amongst all the ancient clans though there are three that rule above them all. You do not want to get on any of their bad sides. One is an elite assassin clan that even the Suits take orders from.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Holy shit. What are their names?¡± ¡°The three ancient Clans that you should never cross or get on their bad sides are the Illithid, the Slora, and the Valdis,¡± Galin answered. ¡°These three Clans are like the Beast kin where they are technically considered the same race, but are branches of that race.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°So, the Arcadian race is the also known as the Beast kin race,¡± Galin started to explain. ¡°They are basically of the same race, but also not since there are many different races that make up the Arcadian Race. For example, there are Bear-folk, Cat-folk, Weasel-folk, Bird-folk, Dragon kin, and more. However, there are also different types of each of those as well. Another example would be with the Cat-folk. The Cait Siths are of the Cat-folk race, but the Cat-folk do not consist of just Cait Siths. Does that make sense?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alicia said trying to wrap her mind over it. ¡°Its tough to know what is what though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how big this world is,¡± Galin stated. ¡°There are so many races out there that everyone started dividing them into race categories. For example, a few common race categories are: Beast kins, Demi-humans, Fae, Humans, and even Demon kin.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Alicia said, looking excited. ¡°You belong to the Demon kin Category while part of Liam¡¯s race is in the Beast kin category,¡± Galin added. ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Alicia stated with a smile on her face. Galin looked at Liam and noticed he was staring at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Liam?¡± Galin asked. ¡°You said the top three most powerful Ancient clans are the Illithid, the Slora, and that last one was what again?¡± ¡°The Valdis,¡± Galin repeated. ¡°Those three Clans are also the hardest to find because their clans are hidden away somewhere in the world. If they want you to find them they will reach out to you, but again you do not want to seek them out nor do you want to go against them.¡± Alicia shuddered at Galin¡¯s warning while Liam stared at him. ¡°I thought that was what you said,¡± Liam muttered as he wrote it down. ¡°What was that?¡± Galin asked as he left his gaze on him. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam said. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to change the subject, but I have a question related to Mana Manipulation and Mana Control.¡± ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Galin asked, curious about what he was going to ask. ¡°I swear if you ask a question that is related to something you recently picked up that we shouldn¡¯t know yet I¡¯m going to be pissed at you,¡± Alicia commented as she narrowed her eyes and stared at Liam like a hawk. Liam turned to look at her. He contemplated on how he was going to respond but couldn¡¯t think of anything good so he just said, ¡°Well it¡¯s a good thing I got that Mummy Lord Liver that will help your Poison Crafting in the future.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes narrowed even more. Liam turned to Galin and asked, ¡°I was wondering about what the benefits of being able to control and manipulate different types of mana? Like is there a way to incorporate it in crafting?¡± ¡°Liam¡­,¡± Galin started. ¡°Yes Galin?¡± Liam replied. ¡°Are you able to control different types of mana related to the elemental fields you know?¡± Galin questioned as his and Alicia¡¯s stare bore down on him. Feeling their strong gazes on him, Liam thought maybe he shouldn¡¯t have said anything. Feeling a bit uncomfortable now, he answered as his voice squeaked a bit, ¡°Maybe?¡± Galin let out a sigh as Alicia let out a groan of frustration. ¡°What level is your Mana Control and Mana Manipulation at?¡± Galin asked. ¡°Fourteen,¡± Liam answered cautiously as he readied himself to start running in case Alicia jumped at him. Galin¡¯s and Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as they stared at him. ¡°Fourteen? Both of them?¡± Galin asked. ¡°How?¡± Alicia questioned as she dragged the word out. ¡°Well¡­a lot of stuff happened in the dungeon and I needed to find ways to be able to attack and defend myself. And since I used my crafting magic in my battle strategies it rose to ten where I learned¡­how¡­to¡­.¡± Liam¡¯s voice trailed off as he realized what he was about to say. ¡°How to what?¡± Alicia pointedly questioned. ¡°You learned how to control one of the types of manas based on your elemental fields didn¡¯t you?¡± Galin questioned, understanding what he was about to say. Liam nodded and replied as he looked down, ¡°Yes.¡± Liam quickly jumped out of his seat as his Danger Sense flared up. ¡°Why are you so jumpy Liam?¡± Alicia asked, baring her teeth at him. ¡°Because I can sense your intent to harm me,¡± Liam answered as he stared at her. ¡°I would never do such a thing to a fellow Alchemy companion,¡± Alicia lied. ¡°Tell that to the aura you¡¯re emitting,¡± Liam quipped. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough,¡± Galin scolded as he looked at Alicia. Alicia huffed and pouted as she crossed her arms and looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you were able to get it so high already, but you must know that what you are asking is something that you will learn after you leave here,¡± Galin answered. ¡°But to answer your question, yes. Yes, you are able to incorporate controlling and manipulating different types of mana into your crafting. It is actually something you¡¯ll start doing in Magic Potions.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Alicia asked as she looked back at Galin. Galin nodded as he added, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to make potions that can either buff that type of mana¡¯s damage, or gain a resistance to it for a certain amount of time. As for other crafts you¡¯ll learn the benefits for them when you get there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Alicia exclaimed. ¡°I need to hurry and be able to do it.¡± She then turned to Liam and asked, ¡°What level were you able to start learning how to do that?¡± ¡°Level ten for both Mana Control and Mana Manipulation,¡± Liam answered, hoping this would keep her happy. ¡°That¡¯s not too far away,¡± Alicia said as she stared at something. Liam understood she was looking at her status screen since that would have been the only thing she would look at that he couldn¡¯t see. ¡°I already have one at level eight and the other at level seven,¡± Alicia muttered to herself. ¡°If I may ask,¡± Galin started as he looked at Liam. ¡°What Mana Type did you start to learn how to control?¡± Liam stared at him. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should tell him. He knew Shadow magic was a rare type of magic, but he wasn¡¯t sure how he would answer if they asked how he got that Field. At the same time he felt like if he didn¡¯t answer then Galin or Alicia would think he didn¡¯t trust them. He did trust them, but he wasn¡¯t ready to reveal his Shadow Magic yet to them nor his Lunar Magic. Even when his team and Alicia¡¯s team did joint training he didn¡¯t use those two magics in front of them. Before Liam could answer, Alicia asked, ¡°By the way, why are you still wearing your goggles? You¡¯re not crafting right now and its dark outside.¡± Shit! Liam thought. He had forgotten he still had his goggles on, but he didn¡¯t want to take them off since he still had that level one Stellar Affliction From Within debuff. He didn¡¯t know if that had any physical affects since he didn¡¯t ask the others about it. ¡°I, uh,¡± Liam stammered a bit as he tried thinking of something. ¡°I feel more comfortable with them on.¡± Alicia raised an eyebrow as she stared at him. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes really,¡± Liam lied. ¡°I got used to wearing them while I was in the dungeon that I feel like they are a part of me. And since I just recently got out and came here, I forgot they were still on.¡± Alicia was about to say something, but was stopped as Galin said, ¡°That¡¯s right. You did just come out of the dungeon not too long ago didn¡¯t you. You must be tired. Why don¡¯t you go and rest up. You¡¯ve had a long day.¡± ¡°I will go do that,¡± Liam said as he slowly started for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys again soon.¡± ¡°Have a good rest,¡± Galin called out as Liam walked out of the room. After the front door of the building closed, Alicia turned and asked, ¡°He was hiding something wasn¡¯t he?¡± Galin let out a sigh. ¡°Alicia, my girl, you must understand that everyone has a secret or two they are hiding. Maybe he was afflicted with something and he didn¡¯t want us to see and worry.¡± ¡°I get that, but it just feels like it was something more,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°Give him some time,¡± Galin said. ¡°If it is something important he¡¯ll share it. It is never good to pester people to the point they run away.¡± Alicia¡¯s gaze turned to the floor. She placed a hand on her chest as a memory from her past popped in her head. The memory contained her yelling and crying at someone. She kept doing it over and over, confused as to why this person wouldn¡¯t do what she thought he needed to do. The memory eventually faded as her constant yelling and crying drove the person to walk away. ¡°Yeah¡­I know that¡­I know that all too well,¡± Alicia stated. Tutorial 101 - Planning for the next Floor Liam walked into his room back at the inn. Since so many people were already leaving the Tutorial Area, he was lucky and didn¡¯t see anyone at the bath house. After closing the door, he took off his goggles and walked over to the mirror to get a good look at his eyes. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw nothing physically was wrong with them. I must have been overthinking it. Liam thought as he stared at his eyes. Either that or the effects are too low for it to matter. I think it should be fine after I sleep some. He walked over to his bed and looked at it. He glanced at the internal clock and saw it was only ten at night. He had already grabbed and eaten something on his way back from the bath house, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about food. ¡°I should probably get some rest, but I feel like I can get some reading in before bed,¡± Liam stated as he pulled out one of his Knowledge Theory books. ¡°Just a light read before bed shouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam felt sweat roll down his forehead as he finished up his sixth Iron Bone Ingot. A chime sound echoed in his mind as he inspected the material in front of him.
¡°Congratulations! Bone Smelting has reached leveled 5! Progression to level 6: 12%!¡±
¡°Looks like yer getting the hang of Bone Smelting,¡± Fia commented as she walked up to Liam. Liam looked at her and gave her a smile. ¡°Slowly, but surely. It¡¯s harder than regular smelting and even harder to level.¡± ¡°Well ya, it¡¯s supposed ta be since it¡¯s a higher level technique,¡± Fia stated. ¡°Once when ya start learning higher level techniques the leveling process becomes harder since ya will need ta use more than what ya have been.¡± ¡°Checks and balances,¡± Liam muttered as he wiped the sweat away. ¡°Don¡¯t know what ya mutterin to yaself, but I¡¯d probably agree to it,¡± Fia stated with a grin. Her grin lasted for a few seconds before it turned serious. She looked at Liam for a bit before she asked, ¡°When do ya plan on tackling the sixth floor?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know yet,¡± Liam answered as he turned to look at her. ¡°That¡¯s probably what we¡¯re going to discuss today when I meet up with the others in a couple of hours.¡± Fia nodded as she started thinking about something. ¡°Many of the people are starting ta pack up since majority of their business has left through the portal.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he listened to her. ¡°Are you planning to leave soon too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going ta head out within the next few days,¡± Fia stated. ¡°There¡¯s a few sticking around hopin ta level their blacksmith as much as they can before heading out. I figured I¡¯d stick around ta keep the place goin for a bit longer.¡± Liam looked down at the ground. ¡°By the way,¡± Fia started as she placed a hand on her chin. ¡°I do remember stating that I¡¯d give ya something if ya reached yer Blacksmithing ta level seventeen.¡± Liam swiftly looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s right! I almost forgot about that.¡± ¡°What level is it at now?¡± Fia asked as she tried to hide the smile that was forming. Liam pulled up his Crafting Status window and looked at his Blacksmithing. After looking at it he turned to Fia and said, ¡°It¡¯s at level fifteen. Halfway to level sixteen.¡± Fia¡¯s eyes widened. She was impressed with his growth. She then decided to tease him a bit as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me its only that high because ya focused on Smelting now?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t just focused on Smelting,¡± Liam defended himself. ¡°I have worked on my other categories in Blacksmithing. It¡¯s just¡­regular smelting is easier to level.¡± Fia let out a laugh as she clapped Liam on the back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get yer knickers in a twist. I¡¯m just teasin ya.¡± Liam grumbled as he stared at her. ¡°I know how hard ya been working each time ya come in here,¡± Fia started back up. ¡°I know ya will get there so I will have the gift ready for ya before I go. I¡¯ll also have an address of where ta find me if ya want to continue to learn more from me once yer outa here.¡± Liam lit up at that. He knew she didn¡¯t have to do any of this. She wasn¡¯t obligated to. He was thankful for it though. He knew he needed to do something nice for her, however he had no clue what he could do. ¡°Alright let¡¯s get back to work,¡± Fia said as she turned around and headed towards her anvil. Liam stared at her once more with an appreciative smile before turning back to the bones and iron ore in front of him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°And that¡¯s all Galin told me about what kind of groups are waiting for us when we get out of here,¡± Liam stated as he reached for a cup of water and took a sip. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Liam and his comrades sat at a round table outside a restaurant, enjoying their breakfast. The giant Yooperlite stone above the city started to shine bright as the time went by leading into mid-morning. ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Mercer stated as he looked over Liam¡¯s notes before copying them into one of his own notebooks. ¡°This is definitely useful information to have before we finish with this place.¡± ¡°What do you think about the Lost Records Guild?¡± Liam asked as he looked at Mercer. ¡°Hm? What about them?¡± Mercer questioned as he looked up from his notebook. ¡°Well, you said you wanted to create an information business and I thought that this guild would be something you¡¯d want to join,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Ah,¡± Mercer started as he leaned back. ¡°The Lost Records Guild does sound like a good place to try and join, but it isn¡¯t exactly what I¡¯m looking for.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Liam said as he raised a brow. ¡°The type of information I want to spread isn¡¯t just Lost Knowledge, but all types of knowledge and information,¡± Mercer clarified. ¡°To be honest, from how you explained them, it seems like this guild only deals with Lost Knowledge alone not all knowledge. So, as much as it is tempting, I don¡¯t see myself there.¡± Liam nodded as he understood what he was saying. ¡°That being said,¡± Mercer added. ¡°I think making some kind of connection with them wouldn¡¯t be too bad.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Liam nodded. He then looked at the others and noticed Avery staring at the table. Her face looked focused, almost like she was thinking hard about something. ¡°You alright, Avery?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Hm?¡± Avery muttered before looking at him. ¡°Yeah, I was just thinking about something.¡± ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡± Liam questioned. Avery shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just processing everything you had told us.¡± Liam kept an even stare on her, but didn¡¯t push. ¡°I think it is a lot to think about, but we still have another floor to conquer before making decisions.¡± ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Roman chimed in. ¡°What are our plans for the next floor? I remember you saying it was a raid floor?¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°I heard that the last floor should have a boss big enough for a couple or a few groups to join in on together. Apparently this was designed to help people work with other groups since there are some dungeons out there that don¡¯t have restrictions like the Tutorial Dungeons do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good and all, but¡­,¡± Artem started, bringing everyone¡¯s attention on to him. ¡°How would that help us out with our situation?¡± ¡°He brings up a good point,¡± Blair stated as she leaned in closer. ¡°You know¡­with how our dungeon is.¡± The others nodded in agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯d be able to handle it ourselves,¡± Artem said as he looked at the table. ¡°I don¡¯t think we are going to have to take on the sixth floor by ourselves,¡± Mercer stated, bringing all of their attention to him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°I¡¯m not completely sure of it, but that Steve guy was looking for four people,¡± Mercer said. ¡°One of the four is Liam. Another was Jude.¡± The others scrunched their brows as they tried to recall what he was talking about. A thought popped into Liam¡¯s head as he said, ¡°You think that Jude and the other four would appear on the same dungeon floor as us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a guess, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking,¡± Mercer said. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look around and see who hasn¡¯t taken on the sixth floor yet of the Black Dungeon and see if I¡¯m right about it. But until I confirm it I think we should take these next few days to train up our skills and abilities.¡± Liam nodded, agreeing with what he said. ¡°I have to meet Nabal later for some training so I¡¯m going to do that,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I think we all should take this time to train as much as we can. I don¡¯t know how long we will have with this place since people are already getting ready to leave.¡± The others nodded. ¡°Alright, then I will look into the matter we just talked about and do some training. I¡¯ll let you guys know what I find,¡± Mercer informed. ¡°Let me know if any of you find anything out about anything that can be helpful.¡± ¡°Alright, sounds good,¡± Blair said as she got up. ¡°Sounds like a good plan to me,¡± Roman agreed as he got up as well. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see if I can get some more cooking supplies so I can make more supportive foods,¡± Artem stated. ¡°Liam, did you still want to come with?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam replied as he got up. ¡°I¡¯ll take you over to the Bubbling Potion as well so you can meet with Galin and start learning how to extract as well.¡± Artem nodded as he replied, ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s meet up later then,¡± Avery said as she pushed her chair out and stood up and walked away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam walked up the pathway that led to the Mage Tower. He was nervous since this place was where Steve was at, and he didn¡¯t really want to run into him. Even though Nabal had said he didn¡¯t need to worry about running into him here, Liam was still cautious. As Liam walked into the reception room of the building, he noticed Nabal over by the desk talking to Elara. As Liam approached the two, Elara noticed him and gave him a smile while waving. ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Liam said as he walked up. ¡°Hello there Mr. Liam,¡± Elara greeted. ¡°You¡¯re finally here,¡± Nabal stated as he looked at him. Liam looked at his internal clock and noticed it was twelve fifty-six. ¡°What do you mean finally here? I¡¯m four minutes early,¡± Liam stated as he looked confused. ¡°Four minutes early is not on time,¡± Nabal replied. ¡°Now, now,¡± Elara started as she giggled a bit. ¡°You just got here a few minutes ago yourself.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Nabal said as he looked back at her. ¡°Since you¡¯re here now, let¡¯s get to work.¡± He then looked at Elara and asked, ¡°Is the room available?¡± Elara nodded as she started to walk towards the hallway. ¡°Yes, come with me and I¡¯ll lead you to it.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Nabal said as he followed. As Liam followed the two, his eyes scanned the hall looking at every person who either walked by them or came out of the rooms they passed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be on guard,¡± Nabal stated without looking back at him. ¡°How do you know?¡± Liam asked as he looked at Nabal¡¯s back. ¡°He isn¡¯t here,¡± Nabal answered. ¡°What do you mean? How do you know that?¡± Liam questioned as he was taken back a bit. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you soon,¡± Nabal replied. Curious, Elara looked at the two as she asked, ¡°I know I might be stepping over a line, but may I ask what has you on guard?¡± ¡°It has to do with that incident over at the Training Hall the other day,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°Oh,¡± Elara said before stopping. She then turned around to face Liam and bowed as she apologized, ¡°I am truly sorry for the actions of my colleague. He was out of line.¡± Liam, surprised, stopped. ¡°No, you have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°Still, the way he approached you and what he tried to do was out of line,¡± Elara stated as she straightened her posture. ¡°His conduct that day is not what we, here at the Mage Tower, condone. I hope you do not feel any animosity towards us.¡± Liam waved his hands out as he said, ¡°I do not have an ill feelings towards those at the Mage Tower. I don¡¯t feel that one person¡¯s actions speak for a whole group.¡± Elara smiled as she looked at him before giving a brief nod. ¡°I am glad to hear you say that.¡± After that she took a few more steps before coming to a stop. She then placed a hand on the wall and channeled some mana out, revealing a door. ¡°Your room is here,¡± she announced. ¡°Thank you,¡± Nabal said as he walked in. As Liam started to walk in, Elara bowed once more and repeated, ¡°Again, I am sorry for what he tried doing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± Liam repeated. ¡°You have done nothing, but help me and my teammates out.¡± He then walked into the room, letting the door behind him shut. ¡°You know it is quite rude to make a lady bow to you,¡± Nabal teased. ¡°I didn¡¯t make her do that,¡± Liam swiftly said. ¡°I know,¡± Nabal chuckled before making a serious facial expression. ¡°Now that we¡¯re out of everyone¡¯s earshot I have something serious to tell you.¡± Liam felt how serious he was through the tone of his voice, making his body tense. ¡°The reason why I said you don¡¯t have to worry about running into Steve here is because he disappeared,¡± Nabal informed. ¡°What?!¡± Liam exclaimed. ¡°What do you mean? Did he die? Did he leave?¡± Nabal shook his head. ¡°I am not sure. All I know is that he hasn¡¯t been seen by anyone for the past couple of days.¡± ¡°How can that happen?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the timing of it doesn¡¯t sit well with me,¡± Nabal said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam questioned as a sinking feeling started to grow inside him. ¡°Because the day he disappeared, someone discovered groups of new people suddenly died inside one of the dungeons,¡± Nabal gravely stated. Tutorial 102 - Illusory Daggers ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Liam exclaimed as his thoughts started to swirl. Liam¡¯s thoughts started to jumble as new questions popped up one after another. How many groups have died? Was there other groups facing the same problem my team and I were in the other dungeons? Were they from the same dungeon? Were any of those groups of people that died from Jude¡¯s and the other two we were talking about earlier today? Liam thought as he stared at Nabal. As his thoughts fought over one another, there was one that stood out. He looked at Nabal and asked, ¡°How do you know that groups have suddenly died in one of the dungeons?¡± ¡°There is a feature on the portals that shows how many groups, and people in each group, are currently in that dungeon,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°When exactly did this happen?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Yesterday while you were taking on the fifth floor,¡± Nabal replied. Liam grew a concerned look as he started organizing his thoughts even more. He had one more question he needed answered to be able to start organizing his thoughts. Without hesitating, Liam continued to ask, ¡°Which dungeon did this happen in?¡± Nabal stared at him for a moment before answering, ¡°The Black dungeon.¡± Liam¡¯s body tensed as he heard the answer. He stared at Nabal and questioned if what was going on was due to the Forbidden Path they had found. He remembered Galin¡¯s reaction when he asked about the Forbidden Path. He didn¡¯t know how Nabal would react if he told him. However, from the way things were looking, he might not be able to hide it anymore. Hesitant at first, Liam opened his mouth, but then closed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nabal asked as he watched Liam. ¡°I was just wondering¡­,¡± Liam started, still not sure if he should say anything. He wasn¡¯t sure if them going down that Forbidden Path triggered this or not, but at the same time, he wasn¡¯t sure if there were consequences for not saying anything about it to anyone. ¡°You were just wondering what?¡± Nabal questioned as he eyed him. ¡°I was wondering if a Forbidden Path cause this?¡± Liam asked. Nabal stared at him, confused at what he had just heard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, could you repeat the question?¡± ¡°I said¡­I was wondering if a Forbidden Path caused the deaths of other groups adventuring a dungeon?¡± Liam repeated. ¡°How do you know about Forbidden Paths?¡± Nabal asked as his eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯ll answer your question after you answer mine,¡± Liam said resolving himself. Nabal¡¯s eyes narrowed even more as he continued to stare at him. He didn¡¯t say anything for a minute before finally saying, ¡°If a group found a Forbidden Path then there¡¯s a possibility, but it would only affect that group not the whole dungeon.¡± Liam let out a breath of air he didn¡¯t realize he held while waiting for the answer. ¡°Now tell me how you came to know about Forbidden Paths,¡± Nabal inquired with a hard and strict tone in his voice. Liam looked at him and tensed as he felt the seriousness in his voice. He thought about making up a lie, but felt it would be useless in front of the stoic man in front of him. Summoning back the resolve he was losing, Liam said, ¡°My team and I found a Forbidden Path while taking on the dungeon.¡± Nabal¡¯s eyes widened. He then swiftly grabbed Liam¡¯s shoulders and asked with a slight panic in his voice, ¡°Are you sure? How many floors have you guys been facing this?¡± Liam was taken aback by his sudden change of demeanor. He had never seen Nabal frazzled before. Liam nodded. ¡°We found it on the second floor,¡± Liam replied. ¡°The second floor!?¡± Nabal shouted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°When we first came across it we didn¡¯t know anything about it. We thought it was just a strange path,¡± Liam started to explain. ¡°When we got back from the third floor and I brought the materials I harvested from the monsters, I received weird looks from my other two mentors, but then I heard about the possibility of what we found being one. Galin had experienced a Forbidden Path and told me about his experience on it.¡± ¡°However, we thought that since we were in the Tutorial Area, the magic that is placed on the dungeons limited the monster¡¯s abilities and strengths bringing down their true power. Which it did¡­to a degree. And since that magic was working we thought we wouldn¡¯t die while taking on the floors.¡± ¡°You experienced something that made you change your mind,¡± Nabal guessed. Liam nodded. ¡°It was during the fourth floor,¡± Liam answered. Nabal was about to ask about it, but Liam put a hand up and said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you how I came across the information so please don¡¯t ask.¡± Nabal narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t ask the question he wanted to. Instead, he asked, ¡°Have you told the Overseers?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Galin asked the same thing, but since Nalia has been acting like a bitch to me I wasn¡¯t sure if I should trust them.¡± ¡°You can trust Adva and Phorge,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°They only have your best interest in mind.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Liam said with little hope in his words. ¡°So, if a Forbidden Path wouldn¡¯t be able to do this, then how did this happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how it happened, but the Overseers are looking into it right now,¡± Nabal stated as he watched Liam. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they are going to do about it since this is a major concern. I don¡¯t know if they are going to let you continue or stop you from completing the sixth floor.¡± Liam looked at him and realized why he wanted him to see him here in this isolated room. ¡°Not everyone knows about this, huh?¡± Nabal nodded. ¡°The Overseers are concerned about this, but they don¡¯t want the news of this to spread. It¡¯ll create chaos since there is supposed to be magic to protect you from dying while in the Tutorial Dungeon,¡± Nabal explained. ¡°Since they don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on and how this happened, they are trying to figure out if they are going to let those who are still alive finish the last floor of the Black Dungeon.¡± ¡°So, there are others still alive?¡± Liam asked. Nabal nodded before saying, ¡°Including your team, there are a total of four left.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°So, then what are the Overseers going to do?¡± Liam asked. Nabal shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They are trying to figure that out right now. If I know a certain someone, she¡¯ll probably push for you guys to continue since she could care less what happens in the Black Dungeon, but the other two I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°How do you know about this?¡± Liam asked as he grew curious. ¡°I happened to overhear Adva and Phorge talk about it when I went to see if you came out of the dungeon,¡± Nabal replied. ¡°I have an ability that lets me hear better and I happened to hear them talk about it when I saw something was bugging them.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they say anything to us when we came out then?¡± Nabal shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know. Maybe they didn¡¯t want to scare you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s stupid. If something is going on then they should say something to those who it could effect,¡± Liam frowned as he started feeling irritated. ¡°They will tell you. However, it might be after they figure out what to do,¡± Nabal said. ¡°So, then what should I do now?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Just wait around for them to figure something out? We don''t have much time and I don¡¯t think they¡¯d let us just leave after not finishing the sixth floor. Isn¡¯t that the requirement to be able to leave here?¡± Nabal gave Liam a look of pity as Liam started getting frustrated. ¡°You¡¯re not just going to sit around. I¡¯m sure the Overseers, well at least Adva and Phorge, will figure out a way for you to get out of here. However, in case you do get sent back into that dungeon then I¡¯m not going to let you just sit around and do nothing while waiting for an answer. I will continue your training here.¡± Liam stared at him. ¡°Why train here? We could do that at the Training Hall,¡± Liam questioned. ¡°We could go train back at the Training Hall,¡± Nabal said as he brought his hand to his chin. ¡°However, I want to show you something. You can think of it like an advanced Daggers technique.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes lit up hearing what Nabal said. ¡°Okay!¡± Nabal shook his head before turning to the wide open room. He then walked over to the middle of the room. Before doing anything else, Nabal looked at Liam and said, ¡°Okay, watch what I¡¯m about to do.¡± Liam stared at Nabal and watched as he pulled out two daggers. He then felt a pressure start to build up around Nabal. Liam activated his Mana Sight and saw a milky-white fog color start to outline him. He then watched as the mana started to pour into the daggers in Nabal¡¯s hands. After a few seconds had passed, Nabal start to juggle the two daggers. Liam watched as the two daggers go from one hand to the other. Then a third one appeared, then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, then finally a seventh. Liam was confused about where the other five daggers came from. He didn¡¯t see Nabal pull any out from anywhere. It was almost like they appeared out of thin air. After juggling the seven daggers for a couple of minutes, Nabal let out a soft grunt before swiftly throwing two of the daggers that passed over to his right hand. The two daggers soared towards the wall in front of him and sunk into it. Liam looked back at Nabal to see that the amount of daggers didn¡¯t decrease. He still had seven daggers juggling in his hands. Liam looked back at the wall and saw that the two he had thrown were still stuck in it. Then, as quickly as he could, Nabal tossed five more daggers around the two that had pierced into wall. Liam looked back to see he had seven daggers still juggling around in front of him. What the hell is going on? Liam questioned internally. Where is he getting more daggers from? And how is he getting them while still juggling? This really confused him. No matter what he thought or how hard he tried to come up with an answer, he just couldn¡¯t figure it out. Nabal grinned as he watched Liam stare at him with that confused look. He then threw the rest of the daggers into the wall, spreading them out as much as he could. Liam looked back at Nabal and this time he didn¡¯t have any more juggling. Nabal looked at him and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Where did you get so many daggers from?¡± Liam started as his questions rolled off his tongue. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you pull any out while you were juggling. Also, what was that milky-white colored mana?¡± ¡°So, what I just showed you was something you¡¯ll learn how to do later when you get better with your daggers and your Magical Fields,¡± Nabal started. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he tried to process what he was being told. ¡°What do you mean? ¡°It¡¯s an Advanced Weapon Art skill where you channel the mana of one of your Magical Fields into your weapon or weapons and then use a Weapon Art skill tailored to you,¡± Nabal started to explain. ¡°Channel the mana of one of your Magical Fields into your weapon?¡± Liam repeated as he started thinking. ¡°Is that similar to controlling and manipulating one of the mana types you know from your Fields? Like Fire or Gravity?¡± Surprised, Nabal asked, ¡°Oh? So, you know that you can learn to control and manipulate different types of mana?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I just learned how to recently, but I¡¯m still learning.¡± Nabal gave Liam an appraising nod. He didn¡¯t think Liam would pick up how to do that so soon. ¡°Learning how to control and manipulate different types of mana that you have is the starting point to be able to do this,¡± Nabal continued. ¡°When you get it to a certain level, along with your Weapon skills in daggers, you¡¯ll be able to learn how to make unique Weapon Art skills suitable for your use called Mana Weapon Arts.¡± ¡°Mana Weapon Arts?¡± Liam repeated. ¡°That sounds pretty cool.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes suddenly furrowed before he asked, ¡°What do you mean by suitable for me? Is it not something that is teachable?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Nabal started back up again. ¡°There are beginner techniques that can help you to understand and get a better feel for it. You have used one technique during a fight when you first learned how to manipulate mana.¡± Confused, Liam tried thinking about what he meant. ¡°Forgotten already?¡± Nabal asked as he shook his head. ¡°Hear, maybe watching this will remind you.¡± Liam watched as Nabal looked back at the daggers on the wall. He then made a motion with his hands like he was reaching out and gripping something. After his hands clenched he pulled them back. As his hands made the motion, two daggers that were on the wall suddenly shot backwards and sailed for the wall behind him. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he watched. ¡°You meant that?!¡± Liam questioned with disbelief. Nabal nodded as he looked back at Liam. ¡°The version you did was a basic one using Arcane mana. It is used to practice getting a handle on controlling and manipulating mana. After a while you¡¯ll be able to do this.¡± Liam watched as Nabal made the same motion he did before, however instead of two daggers, all twelve daggers that were sunk into the wall in front of him shot out and flew towards the wall behind him. Liam was shocked and stunned at what he saw. ¡°Amazing right?¡± Nabal asked. Liam nodded. ¡°Well don¡¯t get too excited, you haven¡¯t seen nothing yet,¡± Nabal stated as he turned around and pulled the daggers towards him with his mana. However, instead of them flying towards the other side of the room again, they stopped and hovered around him. ¡°After plenty of practice you¡¯ll be able to do this,¡± Nabal said. ¡°Once when you get here, you¡¯ll be able to do this as well. After that you¡¯ll be able to add in different styles depending on the mana you use.¡± ¡°That is so bad ass!¡± Liam exclaimed with some excitement. ¡°And to answer your other question,¡± Nabal started again. ¡°Once when you get to the level of using different types of mana, you¡¯ll have to figure out how to utilize it with your own fighting style.¡± Liam¡¯s excitement dimmed a bit as he grew confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You said you saw a milky-white mana color right?¡± Nabal asked. Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen that color before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you normally wouldn¡¯t if the user of this Field is any good,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°The Field that mana color belongs to is the Field of Illusions. I used that field to create illusions of daggers to appear.¡± The daggers floating in the air around Nabal suddenly disappeared as their forms waved and winked out of existence. Liam grew more confused as he looked at the walls the daggers had sunk into. There were holes showing that the daggers had pierced through. ¡°So then, are those holes illusions as well?¡± Liam asked. ¡°No,¡± Nabal answered with a cocky grin. ¡°My Field of Illusions is pretty high so the effects of it can manifest daggers that can do real damage.¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± Liam asked. ¡°The mind is a powerful tool if you work it hard enough,¡± Nabal said with mischievous grin. ¡°So, was that why I couldn¡¯t understand how you got so many daggers when you were juggling?¡± Liam questioned. Nabal nodded. ¡°By channeling my Illusion mana into my two daggers, I can create illusory copies of my daggers that can do real damage. However, there is a drawback. I need to make sure I have real daggers and have channeled enough mana into them so I can do this. The plus side is I don¡¯t have to worry about cleaning up so many daggers.¡± Liam nodded as he understood what he was saying. ¡°Can I ask something?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Sure,¡± Nabal said. ¡°Why juggle them?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever told you what my current class is. Have I?¡± Nabal asked. Liam shook his head. ¡°My class is Wild Card Slayer,¡± Nabal informed. ¡°It is a class heavy in Illusions and Assassin techniques. Theres more to it, but due to certain rules, I can¡¯t divulge more.¡± That¡¯s right, he is part of that Suite Clan. Liam thought. His body tensed slightly as he felt a cold chill run down his back. An assassin type class that uses Illusion magic would be nasty to go up against. ¡°I understand and wont pry into it,¡± Liam said. Nabal nodded. ¡°Good. Since I have shown you a sneak peek of what you get to look forward to in the future, it is time to get your foot on that road. And to do that, you are going to need to work on the weapon arts we have been going over.¡± Liam let out a groan. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Nabal said with a laugh. ¡°Got to start with the basics before you can grow. We¡¯ve got plenty of time to use this room so be ready to train till you¡¯re ready to drop.¡± Tutorial 103 - What is it you’re not telling us? Liam stretched his arms out as he walked down the road. The Yooperlite Stone had already dimmed out, giving the town a night time feel. Liam could feel how quiet the Tutorial Area had become since so many people had left after finishing the sixth floor to the dungeons they were assigned to. There were still people that were transported to this place that either needed to finish or had already done so, but wanted to stick around and do some training before leaving. However, the amount of people that had left was noticeable. ¡°Man, Nabal really doesn¡¯t know how to hold back,¡± Liam muttered, complaining as he felt his body ache a bit. Nabal spent a few hours going over the first couple of Weapon Art skills he had taught him to make sure Liam had the muscle memory down. He had repeated doing them so much he felt he could do it in his sleep. Repetition is how one masters something, but you can only do something so many times before it becomes boring. Liam complained mentally. Oh well, it¡¯ll be a great asset once I get it down completely. Back Stab and Counter Stab weren¡¯t the only things Nabal had him train. He had shown him a Weapon Art skill called Crescent Spin. It was a technique that made the user twist their body as much as they could before swiftly stabbing their daggers in the side of the target. The amount of spin they used from twisting their body was in the shape of a Crescent moon. Apparently there was another Weapon Art skill called Full Moon Spin that made the user spin three times. The point for this move wasn¡¯t to stab, but to slash as much as they could before getting countered or struck. However, Nabal told him not to worry about learning that yet because it required a certain amount of Reflex, Agility, Speed, and Power to pull it off. After training Crescent Spin, Nabal taught him another Weapon Art skill called Sinister Strike. This move had the user try and aim for either the eyes, knees, elbows, wrists, or any spots on the body that could be potential lethal areas to attack. The goal for this was to try and cripple your opponent by taking out a vital spot on the target. The early stages had the user focus on the eyes, elbows and knees since the user could see those spots easily. At the higher understanding of the Weapon Art, and much knowledge of the target, the user would be able to strike other vital areas with much ease. Liam was happy to learn these and train himself to be able to pull them off in a real battle. He felt that these Weapon Art skills would come in handy when fighting either a group of monsters or an elite type monster. Even though Liam was glad to learn these, he couldn¡¯t get the Mana Weapon Art skill out of his mind. He was excited to know he would be able to use the Mana Types he was trying to manipulate and control on a different scale than crafting. After Nabal had left, he decided to try learning how to control the other types of mana from his Field of the Elements. He was able to train Gravity and Lightning to level four, but he wasn¡¯t able to grasp Lunar Mana. He felt like every time he tried to learn how to manipulate it and control the mana, it was too much for him to handle. Each time he was about to grasp it, the lunar mana would go haywire or just fizzle out. He decided to not try it for now until he was able to get a better understanding on the Lunar Magic. As he went over everything he did with Nabal and when he was alone in his mind, Liam almost didn¡¯t realize that he was passing his destination. The Dancing Baboon. He came to a stop and made his way to the door. As he opened it, he looked around and smiled as he saw it was still full, despite people already leaving the Tutorial Area. However, he noticed each person had their gazes towards a specific area in the building. Following their gazes, he noticed the direction was towards the area he and his team usually sat at. As he looked at the spot to confirm if it was his team they were staring at he noticed two new people were sitting at the table. It was Adva and Phorge. So, it wasn¡¯t my teammates they were staring at, but Adva and Phorge. Liam started thinking. While it¡¯s not strange to find them out and about throughout the Tutorial Area it was rather strange for them to be sitting with a team at an establishment like the Dancing Baboon since they¡¯ve never done that before. I wonder why they are here and what they want. Liam thought with a confused expression as to why they would be there, before Liam making his way to the table. Everyone turned to see him approach. ¡°Ah, Liam,¡± Phorge called out. ¡°You arrived just in time.¡± ¡°Adva, Phorge,¡± Liam greeted as he pulled out a chair between Blair and Mercer. As he sat down he asked, ¡°Is there something we can do for you?¡± Adva looked at him and gave a concerning half-smile before replying, ¡°We came by to tell you that there has been a change regarding your dungeon and would like to talk to you and your group in a more private location.¡± Liam stared at her as she explained this. This might have to do with what Nabal told me. Liam began thinking. They must have come to a conclusion on how they want to proceed. It didn¡¯t really matter to Liam what changes they wanted to make as long as it didn¡¯t put his teammates in harms way. As hard as the last floor was, he knew the next floor was going to be harder and a lot more challenging. The difficulty could lead to a death or two depending on how much harder it was compared to the last floor. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if not completing the sixth floor of the Forgotten Realm would have any negative effects. Would he still be able to talk with Eri if he went to a different dungeon or not complete any sixth floor of any of the other dungeons? Would they have to start over if they had to go to a different dungeon? These were questions he needed to have answers to. Liam glanced at Mercer, then Blair. They both nodded. He then looked at Artem, Ariyana, Avery, and Roman who were staring at him waiting to see what he had to say about this. Liam nodded. ¡°Alright, what place did you have in mind?¡± ¡°A training room in the Mage Tower,¡± Phorge responded. The others looked at him with puzzling expressions. They knew those room were protected by some sort of magic that restricted others from peering into them as well as protected them from anyone eavesdropping. ¡°Alright, but do you mind if we order some food to go?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I am pretty hungry from training with Nabal.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Adva¡¯s and Phorge¡¯s body tensed a bit as they heard him mentioned Nabal¡¯s name. ¡°That is fine,¡± Phorge replied and looked like he wanted to say more, but Adva beat him to it. ¡°If you were with Nabal then might I ask if he spoke to you about anything?¡± ¡°What makes you think he spoke to me about anything besides training?¡± Liam questioned. Adva looked uncomfortable before saying, ¡°Nabal has a reputation to pick up on things that takes others a while to no matter how hard others try to contain it.¡± Liam stared at her. He knew she knew Nabal had information about things currently going on. While he did tell him some things, Nabal did leave out a lot. After thinking it over, he decided not to out Nabal, but instead opted to say, ¡°Nabal only talked to me about survival methods for situations out of my control while in the dungeon. He also trained me in techniques that would be beneficial to me with my daggers. So, I honestly don¡¯t know what you wish to talk to us about.¡± In one sense he did lie, but he also told them the truth. He wasn¡¯t sure what they wanted to tell them or how much they would. Even though Nabal and Galin told him he could trust these two, it didn¡¯t mean he would reveal any or everything he was told. Adva and Phorge eyed Liam. ¡°Ok,¡± Adva finally said with a sigh. ¡°Grab some food and we will head out.¡± Liam nodded before looking at the others. ¡°Did you guys already order?¡± ¡°Yeah, we did,¡± Ariyana answered as she started to get up. ¡°I can ask them to put it in a to go container so we can head out.¡± Liam nodded. He then looked at the two Overseers and said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam and the others followed Adva and Phorge into a training room. On the way over he had noticed people staring at them and whispering to each other but didn¡¯t pay it any mind. After the door closed, Adva and Phorge walked to the middle of the room, stopped, and turned to face the seven who were already staring at them. ¡°What¡¯s going on that requires you to bring us here?¡± Mercer asked with a cautious yet curious tone in his voice. ¡°We have brought you here to inform you that your dungeon conquest through the Black dungeon will end with the fifth floor,¡± Phorge stated promptly. Taken aback by his words, Avery, Ariyana, Artem, Blair, Mercer, and Roman stared at him wide eyed and mouths wide open. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°Why is our Tutorial Dungeon stopping at the fifth floor?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°Calm down,¡± Adva started, trying to stop the questions from flying out. ¡°An issue has happened to have come to our attention, and we have decided to stop all those who were assigned to the Black dungeon.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mercer quickly asked, curious as to what was going on, but also concerned. ¡°What issue has happened to stop those who were assigned to the Black Dungeon?¡± Adva and Phorge gave them a sombre expression. ¡°What is it that you¡¯re not telling us,¡± Avery questioned as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°We have a right to know why you are making this decision.¡± ¡°We have determined something has happened in the Black Dungeon that has changed the nature of the Tutorial Dungeon,¡± Adva started to say. ¡°What happened and what has changed for the Black Tutorial Dungeon?¡± Roman inquired. ¡°We don¡¯t know how it happened, but¡­,¡± Adva started to say, hesitant to reveal the information. ¡°The magic that protects the groups while in the Tutorial Black Dungeon has been tampered with causing teams to suddenly die while taking on the sixth floor,¡± Phorge stated bluntly. ¡°What?!¡± Everyone but Liam shouted. ¡°Phorge,¡± Adva started to say. ¡°They are right that they have a right to know,¡± Phorge quipped. Adva looked at the floor as she said with a defeated tone, ¡°I know. I just wanted to not worry or scare them.¡± ¡°I can understand your wishes to not make them worry, but I feel that by not telling them what has happened will make them anxious and worry,¡± Phorge responded. Mercer brought a hand to his chin as he thought about this development. Questions formed as he thought about it and decided to ask one that was bugging him. ¡°How do you know that teams have suddenly died while taking on the sixth floor?¡± Adva and Phorge turned to look at him. Adva sighed as she answered, ¡°As Overseers we can look into the dungeons and see how many groups are currently taking on that dungeon. It also shows what floor they are on.¡± ¡°While checking up on the Black Dungeon participates we noticed something that shouldn¡¯t have happened since these are Tutorial Dungeons,¡± Phorge continued. ¡°As we inspected the dungeon, we saw the numbers suddenly start to disappear.¡± ¡°Disappear?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°If they disappeared wouldn¡¯t that mean they are no longer in the dungeon? Wouldn¡¯t it be possible that they just exited the dungeon and went to the surface? Why would you think they died if the numbers suddenly disappeared?¡± Adva and Phorge shook their heads. ¡°That is not how it is done,¡± Adva stated. ¡°You guys saw that new portal correct?¡± Phorge asked. Liam and his team nodded. ¡°That Portal is the only way out from the Tutorial Area and back to the surface. It is not possible to be teleported out from the dungeon to the surface without coming out from the Dungeon and walking through that portal,¡± Phorge explained. ¡°As for why we know they have died¡­The only reason for the numbers to suddenly disappear without them coming out from a dungeon is death. That¡¯s how the dungeon portal screens work.¡± ¡°Dungeon Portal Screens?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°That screen you see before entering the dungeon that shows the floors accessible to you,¡± Adva informed. ¡°Since we are Overseers of the Tutorial Dungeon we have the privilege of being able to see more into the Dungeon. However, it only shows how many people are in it and what floor they are on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Mercer muttered. ¡°As an Overseer are you able to see the name of the Dungeon, what kind of monsters are on the floors, or what is going on in the dungeon?¡± Adva and Phorge shook their heads. ¡°No, that kind of access is above our rank and power,¡± Adva answered. ¡°Only Deities and selected chosen are able to see that, but it is limited to peeking inside for a certain amount of time. We do not have that kind of power.¡± So, they don¡¯t know what we have been going through? If what they are saying is true then I can cross them off my list, but how do I know they are telling the truth? Liam thought as questions started to form one after another. ¡°How do we know you are telling us the truth?¡± Artem questioned with a slight quiver in his voice. Phorge and Adva turned to look at him. ¡°I can swear it on my Deity¡¯s name that I am telling the truth,¡± Adva stated with resolve. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he heard her say that. He remembered Eri saying not to do something like that as a joke. There were repercussions for one who lied or did not follow what they were swearing about on the name of a deity. If she is going that far then she is telling the truth. Liam thought. ¡°What does swearing on your deity¡¯s name have anything to do with this?¡± Avery asked as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°Swearing upon a Deity¡¯s name is not something anyone should take lightly,¡± Phorge started. ¡°If someone were to do this and either lied or did not hold up their end of what they were swearing in the name of a or their deity then the consequences could range from enslavement to a Deity to damage to their bodies. Some have lost all the progress on their path. Worst case you could die.¡± Avery was about to ask another question, but stopped as she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked back to see Liam shake his head, indicating to stop. Avery leaned in closer to him and asked as quietly as she could, ¡°Why are you stopping me? Do you believe what they are saying?" Liam nodded before answering in the same volume, ¡°They do speak the truth about that. I came across some information about what they have said, however I did not know the extent of the consequences. Only that you should not swear anything to any deity so lightly.¡± Avery frown as she heard what he had said but stopped asking any more on the topic. Mercer, who was close by, heard what they had said. He then stated, ¡°We will believe you on this, but I must ask¡­What happened to the magic that is supposed to stop the participants from dying?¡± ¡°We are still investigating into that,¡± Phorge stated. ¡°I will tell you that this Tutorial Area is not the only one that is having this issue. Two other Black Tutorial Dungeons from two other Tutorial Areas are dealing with this same phenomenon.¡± ¡°Two other Tutorial Dungeons are having this issue?¡± Mercer repeated sounding confused and shocked by this. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he thought about what he had just heard. Two other Black Tutorial Dungeons? Is this a coincidence or is this something planned? If that is the case then maybe the culprit isn¡¯t anyone here? ¡°Has this ever happened before?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°If this is happening in two other Tutorial Areas then are there only four Tutorial Areas in total?¡± Adva shook her head. ¡°No to both of your questions. This is the first time this has ever happened. Also, there are not three Tutorial Areas in total. There are twenty.¡± ¡°Twenty Tutorial Areas?¡± Liam and his group repeated with surprise. Adva and Phorge nodded. ¡°Three out of twenty is not something you could write off as a malfunction due to the type of dungeon,¡± Mercer muttered as he tried to think about it. He then looked at Adva and Phorge and asked, ¡°Are there any similarities amongst the four dungeons?¡± Adva and Phorge looked at each other, hesitating to answer. Liam picked up on this and didn¡¯t like their silence. ¡°There is one thing that is similar amongst the three Black Tutorial Dungeons¡­,¡± Adva started. Liam and the others stared at them as they waited to hear it. Were there others like him and his group in the other two Tutorial Areas? Did they find a Forbidden Path as well? If so, how did Adva and Phorge know about them finding a Forbidden Path? Liam thought as his mind raced. ¡°Each Black Tutorial Dungeon in the three Tutorial Areas only has four groups alive right now,¡± Phorge answered. Tutorial 104 - Answer these questions Liam and the rest of his group were shocked by what they had heard. Wait does that mean there is only four groups here too? Is that why they are stopping our conquest of the sixth floor? Liam thought as he processed what he heard. ¡°Only four groups remain for our dungeon and the other two who are having the same issue?¡± Ariyana repeated. Adva nodded. ¡°We are currently working with the other Overseers of those Tutorial Areas to see what is going on, but since there are restrictions on the dungeons we can not enter them,¡± Phorge started. ¡°We know that the remaining groups have no way to cause this, but we do have to ask some questions to see if we can make any connections to this phenomenon.¡± ¡°What questions?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°First, has anything strange happened to you while facing each floor in the black dungeon?¡± Adva questioned. Her usual calm smile was gone and was replaced with a serious expression. ¡°What do you mean by strange?¡± Mercer asked. His tone of voice not betraying that he knew what they were hinting at. ¡°Since this is our first dungeon we don¡¯t have anything to compare it to. So, we don¡¯t know what would be considered strange in a dungeon.¡± What Mercer had said was true. This was their first dungeon and in the beginning they couldn¡¯t compare it to anything, but with Mercer¡¯s information gathering skills he was able to tell the dungeon path they were on was different. Everyone else stayed quiet as they let Mercer do the talking. They tried to make themselves look confused to the question Adva and Phorge had asked them, trying not to give anything away. Adva and Phorge eyed them carefully. Liam wasn¡¯t sure they were convinced by Mercer¡¯s misdirection, but he knew they believed what Mercer said was true about it being their first dungeon. ¡°That is true,¡± Phorge finally said as he thought about it. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have any dungeons to compare yours to, to be able to tell if something strange has happened.¡± Liam relaxed his body a bit. ¡°So, I¡¯ll have to ask if you have faced these known EFMs and Floor Boss monsters while taking on the Black Tutorial Dungeon known as The Graveyard,¡± Phorge continued, making Liam tense a bit. Mercer and the others swiftly glanced at Liam before looking back at Phorge and Adva. ¡°Okay,¡± Mercer responded. ¡°Have you fought any Skeleton Butchers, Skeleton Warriors, or Thrashing Zombies?¡± Phorge asked. ¡°Yes we have,¡± Mercer answered. Wait¡­Skeleton Butchers, Skeleton Warriors, and Thrashing Zombies are considered EFMs or Floor Boss monsters in the regular path? Liam thought with some confusion. I mean they were hard to beat at first, but they really aren¡¯t a challenge any more. But them as EFMs or Floor Boss monsters? Theres no way right? Also, the dungeon is called The Graveyard to them? Can they not see the name we see? ¡°Ok,¡± Phorge said with some confusion. ¡°How about any Skeleton Mages?¡± I mean we were about to fight a Deathloc on the fifth floor so we could consider it a Skeleton Mage¡­ Liam internally commented. ¡°One, yes,¡± Mercer answered. ¡°Only one?¡± Adva asked with surprise. ¡°Yes¡­,¡± Mercer repeated with some confusion. ¡°It was an EFM on the fifth Floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit unusual, but not worth anything alarming,¡± Adva muttered as she began to think. ¡°Ok, my next question has to do with what you said after coming out from the second floor,¡± Phorge started up again. ¡°You said that the portal disappeared, and you fought a tree monster. Is that right?¡± ¡°We thought a tree was a monster due to how the wind blew the branches. It was our first time going into a zombie filled area mixed with skeletons so we were on edge and mistaking things,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°As for the portal disappearing, we ended up going to the wrong place where we thought the entrance portal was, but were turned around.¡± Adva and Phorge narrowed their eyes as they stared at Mercer before looking at the others. Phorge¡¯s eyes landed on Artem before asking, ¡°What about that shield you had when you came out? It wasn¡¯t a normal one that you would get from the Tutorial Dungeon.¡± Artem looked at him and gave him a confused look. ¡°What shield?¡± ¡°I think it was a wooden shield?¡± Phorge said, questioning his memory of it. ¡°Hm,¡± Artem muttered as he brought his hand to his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t remember having a wooden shield, but I do remember getting a crappy one that I sold not too long ago.¡± Adva watched Artem¡¯s demeanor as he spoke. Liam was watching him too. He was surprised that he was lying so blatantly about it. Artem didn¡¯t seem like someone who would lie, but he also recognized that Artem was trying to keep up with Mercer. He wasn¡¯t sure if not telling them about the Forbidden Path they were on was the right choice. These two were looking out for them and both Galin and Nabal vouched for them. However, because he didn¡¯t know these two fully, yet he didn¡¯t want to tip their hand on what was going on till he knew if he could fully trust them. Liam knew he was probably overthinking things again, but him overthinking things has always kept him alive while on Earth and he probably wouldn¡¯t break the habit since this world was full of powerful people and dangerous things. ¡°Is that so?¡± Phorge stated as he looked at Adva. ¡°The last question we would like to ask is, have you guys heard or notice anyone acting strangely?¡± Adva questioned. ¡°I mean there are plenty of people who act strangely compared to where we¡¯re from,¡± Ariyana started until Liam interrupted. ¡°There is one person who has been suspicious.¡± Adva and Phorge turned their attention to Liam. ¡°Who? And what have they done that is suspicious?¡± Adva asked. ¡°Not too long ago there was a guy named Steve who tried approaching me and was asking around trying to get information on me,¡± Liam stated. ¡°He approached me at the Training Hall and tried to forcefully take me somewhere.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Steve?¡± Adva repeated. Phorge looked equally confused as he asked her, ¡°He¡¯s that Mage Tower guy we had complaints about right?¡± Adva nodded as her brows scrunched. ¡°Yeah, but I think he disappeared a couple of days ago, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too,¡± Phorge agreed. He then added, ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to cause this though. His level isn¡¯t high enough to be able to tamper with Deity level magic.¡± ¡°Deity level magic?¡± Mercer questioned with much interest. Phorge looked at him and responded, ¡°It¡¯s a level of magic. Too powerful for you to learn it and too much to explain exactly how powerful it is.¡± Mercer frowned at the inadequate answer but didn¡¯t complain. ¡°Um so what are we going to do now?¡± Blair asked, concerned with the next step for them. Adva looked at her and answered with a half warm smile, ¡°We are discussing that with the other Overseers to see what they are planning to do, but for now we are leaning on you guys entering a different dungeon.¡± ¡°Are we going to have to start over from the first floor?¡± Roman asked, displeased with the possibility. ¡°That is what we are trying to figure out right now,¡± Phorge replied. ¡°Normally you can¡¯t skip floors in a dungeon, but these are the Tutorial Dungeons. With the help of certain Deities, it is possible to enter a floor despite not doing the other floors. However, we are still waiting for a response. So, for now you will have to wait till we get an answer.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we just leave this place?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°The Portal to go to the surface is a bit complicated and complex,¡± Adva started. ¡°The magic and runes placed on it is designed to stop any who haven¡¯t completed six floors of a Tutorial Dungeon. This is to make sure there aren¡¯t any who try to fake their way out without doing the work and stop them from dying the moment they leave because they decided to jump into something they have no knowledge of.¡± Everyone frowned at the answer. They could understand what they were saying, but they still felt like it was stupid they couldn¡¯t leave since they were being forced not to finish their dungeon due to the issue. They were also dissatisfied with the possibility of having to start all over in a different dungeon. ¡°You will tell us when you have an answer, right?¡± Blair asked, frowning. ¡°As soon as we get it,¡± Phorge answered. ¡°So, for now I¡¯d advise you to train as much as you can while you wait.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really the only thing we can do isn¡¯t it?¡± Roman commented. ¡°What will happen if everyone here in the Tutorial Dungeon leaves while we wait for an answer?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Are we going to have to figure out what we¡¯re going to eat and get repairs and stuff?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Adva answered with a smile. ¡°We will make sure all of your accommodations and needs are met until you leave here.¡± Avery nodded in relief as she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It is the least we can do,¡± Adva said with a melancholy tone. ¡°We will leave you to eat and do what you must to prepare.¡± ¡°If you hear or come across any information that is related to what is going on in the Black Dungeon please let us know,¡± Phorge added as they walked to the door and exited out of the room. After the door closed, everyone turned to look at each other. ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start,¡± Avery started. ¡°There are twenty other Tutorial Areas and out of them all only three are having issues with the same type of dungeon?¡± Blair said. ¡°I don¡¯t like that. It¡¯s not big enough to be a coincidence, but it¡¯s also not small enough to write off as a simple malfunction of magic.¡± ¡°Especially if its Deity level magic,¡± Avery added. ¡°I agree,¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°Not only that, but all but four groups have died in the dungeons. That can¡¯t be a coincidence,¡± Artem added. ¡°That is also something important to note,¡± Blaire agreed. ¡°Was it alright that we didn¡¯t say anything about finding a Forbidden Path?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what triggered all of this?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Liam stated as they all turned to look at him. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Roman asked. ¡°I met with Nabal earlier and he already told me about the issues happening in our dungeon,¡± Liam answered. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me about other Tutorial Areas and the problems they¡¯re having, so that was new to me. However, he more or less told me the same thing they said, but with less information.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you said us finding a Forbidden Path didn¡¯t cause all this,¡± Blair commented. ¡°I thought that maybe us finding one did cause it, but after asking if a Forbidden Path would he told me it wouldn¡¯t,¡± Liam replied waiting for their response. ¡°You told him about the Forbidden Path we found?¡± Mercer asked. Liam nodded. ¡°What did he say?¡± Artem asked. ¡°He said that we should tell Adva and Phorge as well as train as much as we can in case they still had us go back in,¡± Liam said. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything and allowed us to lie to them?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°Because you think there is a chance they are hiding something. Don¡¯t you?¡± Mercer asked. Liam nodded before saying, ¡°Both Nabal and Galin have vouched for them, but I still don¡¯t fully trust them yet. It might be a bad habit of mine, but I don¡¯t know them well enough to just divulge everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to be cautious about,¡± Blair said as she agreed with Liam¡¯s logic. ¡°Just because they are¡­what was the word? Overseers?¡± Liam and Mercer nodded. ¡°Just because they are Overseers of the Tutorial Area doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t a chance they could be behind it,¡± Blair continued. ¡°Until we know they have nothing to do with this we should be cautious about what we tell them.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Roman inquired as he looked at everyone. ¡°First¡­we eat,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I am starving. After that we will need to train and get stronger in case anything happens. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence that only four groups have survived in three Tutorial Areas that have been tackling the Black Tutorial Dungeon.¡± ¡°I agree with you,¡± Mercer stated while he and Artem pulled out the food they had received from the Dancing Baboon. ¡°There are still too many factors we don¡¯t know about yet. However, the odds of all twelve groups finding a Forbidden Path and have survived this long because they have gotten stronger than the ones who didn¡¯t is not non-existent. And if they did find one then it could all be tied together somehow.¡± ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°So, for now we are going to need to get stronger and find out if the other three groups here in our Tutorial Area have found a Forbidden Path.¡± Liam turned to look at Mercer and asked, ¡°Do you think you can find the ones who are still alive from our dungeon and see if that is the case?¡± Mercer brought a hand to his chin as he began to think. While he was thinking he muttered, ¡°I can try, but they wouldn¡¯t speak to me before.¡± ¡°Still try and see,¡± Liam said. Mercer nodded. ¡°Alright lets end the talks for now and get some food in our bellies,¡± Artem said as he passed out the food. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adva and Phorge walked out of the Mage Tower. No one was around as they walked down the street. ¡°How much of what they said do you think was the truth?¡± Phorge asked. ¡°That Mercer child did speak the truth, however he did so in a roundabout way to evade telling the whole truth. His skill as a Bard is tremendous,¡± Adva replied. ¡°However, that Artem is too honest for his own good. He can¡¯t lie to save himself.¡± Phorge nodded agreeing with her. ¡°It is a shame that your friend couldn¡¯t come here to help us investigate what they had to go against while they were taking on the floors in the black dungeon,¡± Adva continued. ¡°However, it is fortunate that what is going on here is also going on over at the Tutorial Area he is overseeing.¡± Phorge¡¯s face grew a stern look as he said, ¡°He said he will tell us what he finds out, but it will be a while. Apparently there¡¯s some issues he came across while trying to scry into the dungeon there.¡± Adva stopped and looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°An issue with scrying a dungeon? That is not good.¡± ¡°No, it is not.¡± Phorge agreed while shaking his head. ¡°What¡¯s even more of an issue is the information about that Steve fellow Liam had mentioned,¡± Adva continued as she grew a grave expression. ¡°After getting some complaints from a few of the newly integrated people, I took the liberty to ask an information guild to look into him for me.¡± ¡°Oh? What did you find out?¡± Phorge questioned. ¡°Apparently, many who knew him thought he was dead since he vanished from their lives after an incident that had happened to him and his group,¡± Adva started. ¡°He resurfaced a couple of weeks before the Tutorial Areas were about to open up for this new batch of people. They said he was very adamant about volunteering to help out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not strange for people to strongly volunteer to help newly integrated people in a Tutorial Area,¡± Phorge said with a look of confusion. ¡°You¡¯re right, but the list to volunteers was already full at the time he appeared. He originally wasn¡¯t going to be accepted until someone came forth to vouch for him and he was then accepted,¡± Adva continued. Phorge¡¯s brows scrunch as he listened to Adva. ¡°Someone vouched for him to be accepted even though the list was full? That can¡¯t be true. Those old coots at the Adventurer¡¯s Association are sticklers for rules. The only way for someone to get him without them kicking up a storm would be¡­¡± ¡°Someone with a lot of power. Enough power to shut those stubborn fools up,¡± Adva finished for him. She then looked at him and added, ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing. Apparently, there were two others that got in the same way. All having classes that were similar in mana type.¡± Phorge¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°We need to find Steve and see if he is the one responsible for this,¡± Adva stated. Tutorial 105 - Experimenting with Alchemy and Mana ¡°Man, that was some good food,¡± Roman commented after letting out a loud belch. Ariyana crinkled her face as she looked at him with disgust. ¡°Excuse you.¡± Roman shrugged not caring. Liam shook his head as he watched the two start to bicker. ¡°Hey Liam,¡± Artem started as he turned towards him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I was wondering if you had any empty vials I could use?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I bought a few and thought they would be enough, but I didn¡¯t realize I would need more.¡± Liam chuckled a bit before pulling up his inventory. After looking through it he frowned. He then looked at Artem and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any empty ones right now, but I could grab more tonight and give you some tomorrow?¡± Artem nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°What level do you have your Extract at?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Hold on,¡± Artem said as he pulled up his Crafting Window. ¡°Hm, level three.¡± ¡°Not too bad,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It¡¯ll level easier when you have multiple extracts going on at a time.¡± ¡°What¡¯s yours at?¡± Artem questioned. Liam pulled up his Alchemy section in the Crafting window and took a look at it.
Alchemy Level 18 Progression 17%
Skill Extraction Level 18 Progression 17%
Skill Description Separating compounds from solids into liquids
Skill Distill Level 18 Progression 17%
Skill Description purify the extracted liquids to a more consumable/or deadly item
Skill Mana Extraction Level 15 Progression 51%
Skill Description Skill to add your mana to a liquid extraction.
Skill Potion Making Level 15 Progression 23%
Skill Description Skill to make HP MP or Stamina Potions
Skill Medicinal Creation Level 0 Progression 0%
Skill Description Skill to make medicinal Balms and tonics
Skill Poison Craft Level 13 Progression 25%
Skill Description Art of making poison usable as a weapon
After closing it he looked back at Artem and responded, ¡°It¡¯s at level eighteen.¡± ¡°Eighteen?!¡± the others shouted. Liam looked at them with a confused expression. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°You¡¯re not overworking yourself again are you?¡± Mercer asked with a look of concern. ¡°No,¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Extraction is one of the easiest to level and doesn¡¯t require a lot of focus since all you have to do is mix the ingredients together and let them sit. I¡¯ve had multiple going at a time while I do other things. It helps to have a lot extracting so when it comes to the Potion Making process I have a lot of material to work with and mass produce health and stamina potions for us and to sell.¡± ¡°So, it doesn¡¯t wear you down while you do your extractions?¡± Mercer inquired. Liam shook his head. ¡°No. You are thinking about Mana Extraction. That one requires a lot of focus to make sure the mana is properly mixing with the liquid.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize there was different extractions,¡± Blair stated as she looked at Laim. ¡°I just thought you needed to focus on everything when you do your alchemy.¡± ¡°Not everything in Alchemy needs a lot of focus when you¡¯re making items,¡± Liam started. ¡°Extraction, distillation, Health, and Stamina Potions are the only ones you don¡¯t need to spend all your focus on. Mana Potions don¡¯t need it either after you make Mana Extracts. However, Mana Extraction and Poison Craft need all of your attention while creating. I haven¡¯t reached the level to try the others yet, so I can¡¯t say much about them.¡± ¡°What other things is there in Alchemy?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°The ones that I have been told that I haven¡¯t dipped my foot into yet are: Medicinal Creations, Chemicalized Creations, and Magic Potions,¡± Liam answered. ¡°I know when you reach a certain point in the craft you can specialize in a section. Have you thought about what you want to specialize in with Alchemy?¡± Mercer asked. Liam thought about it. He wasn¡¯t sure how the specialization really worked. For example, if he specialized in Extraction would it make things easier to extract? Would it make extracting faster? He needed to ask Galin how it worked. Out of the ones he was already used to working with Poison Crafting looked like it would be fun to specialize in, but then again Potion Making would probably be more beneficial in the long run. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. However, he really wanted to know more about Chemicalized Creations and Magical Potions. From their names alone, they seemed like they would be a lot more helpful with his current style of fighting. After thinking it over, he looked at Mercer and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I know that I don¡¯t have to rush on choosing since I can¡¯t specialize in anything until I reach level thirty in one section. However, I know I don¡¯t have to worry about being stuck specializing in one since I can switch between them. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mercer questioned as he looked confused. ¡°Galin spoke about specializing in a section of a craft. Apparently you can¡¯t specialize in something until you reach level thirty in a section of a craft, but you aren¡¯t locked in to that section so you can switch your specialization into a different section, but only if that other section is level thirty or higher,¡± Liam explained. ¡°That¡¯s interesting to know,¡± Mercer responded as he wrote down what Liam told them. ¡°So, then you can switch specializations whenever you want to as long as you are level thirty in that section?¡± Mercer questioned. Liam nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if there is any other limitations, but I was going to ask him when I went over there.¡± ¡°Let me know what you find out,¡± Mercer asked. Liam nodded as he stood up. ¡°Will do. Is there anything else we need to discuss before I head out?¡± ¡°Not that I can think of,¡± Mercer answered as he looked at the others. They each shook their heads. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just train until we find out what they decide to let us do,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Alright. Let me know if you hear anything,¡± Liam said as he walked out of the room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam stared at the vial full of purified water in front of him. He was going to make some Mana Extracts when an idea popped into his head. Since he found out that he could use different types of mana and could control and manipulate them, he wanted to see if he could extract those different types of mana using Mana Extraction. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if using the method he used to coat the mana on his hands would be enough since it only covered up to his wrists. He knew it didn¡¯t need a lot of Arcane Mana, but was that the same for the other types of mana? Only one way to find out. Liam thought as he set the vial down and thought about which mana. Now which mana type should I experiment with? He knew he probably shouldn¡¯t use Shadow Mana since he was trying to keep it a secret for now. He would use the same logic for Lunar Mana, but he still couldn¡¯t get that one down yet. No matter how hard he tried the Lunar mana wouldn¡¯t connect, almost like there wasn¡¯t enough to latch on to. So it came down to Gravity and Lightning Mana. His control over Gravity Mana was a level higher than his Lightning Mana, but he felt like if he was going to try and experiment then it should be with his weakest one. Why? He just felt like it. He looked over to see where Galin was to make sure he wasn¡¯t around him if it backfired. Galin was standing on the other side of the room, so he didn¡¯t need to worry. Alicia was in the Poison Craft room so she wouldn¡¯t be around either. He activated his Mana Sight, closed his eyes, channeled some mana over his body and started to quietly chant the Static Grasp spell. ¡°Lightning surge bright and engulf my hand with the sparks of your stunning force¡­¡± He felt and watched as the purplish-yellow mana started to form as he started to chant. When he got to a certain part of the chant he cut it off and tried to grasp the Lightning mana before it disappeared. He was successful in keeping the mana type from disappearing and noticed the Lightning Mana covered a bit more past his wrists. As he noticed this he heard a chime sound echo in his mind. Must have leveled it up. Liam thought with a grin. His grin then turned serious as he stared at the vial before him. Ok now time to see if this will work. He grabbed the vial with his right hand and started to channel a little bit into the liquid. He started with the amount he would normally channel in when using his Arcane Mana. As he watched the Lightning Mana connect with the liquid, he noticed the amount of Lightning Mana didn¡¯t stay, but instead disappeared. Liam frowned. Okay, maybe I need to pour in a little more. Liam thought as he channeled five percent more than the usual amount he used. Once again, the amount of Lightning Mana he channeled in stopped and disappeared. Liam furrowed his brows as he watched this failure happen. What am I doing wrong? Liam thought. He thought about what he saw as he was channeling the Lightning Mana into the vial. He could tell it was working, however the moment he cut the mana off it disappeared. Am I supposed to continuously channel the mana into it as the extraction process is going on? He thought as he stared at the amount of Lightning Mana he had left. Would I have enough to make it to the end? Liam thought about it and tried to do the calculations in his mind. I might have just enough if I don¡¯t screw this up. He came up with after running the numbers three times. Guess the only way I can tell is by trying. I mean what¡¯s the worst that can happen? I run out of Lightning Mana and it ends in failure? Liam grinned. Like they used to say in that one kids movie. Nothing to it but to do it. Liam brought his other hand over the vial and started channeling the mana he had. He started slow at first, but notice the mana barely entered the vial. He decided to increase the amount of mana he was channeling. Liam watched the Lightning Mana pour into the vial from the top and start to mix with the liquid. As it mixed with the clear water, Liam watched the purplish-yellow mana start to take a liquid like form inside the vial and sank to the bottom. Liam was amazed to watch this because as soon as the mana sank to the bottom it started to spread out and change the color of the water. However, the mana didn¡¯t spread upwards towards the top like he thought would happen. Instead, it condensed at the bottom and started pushing the water above it upwards. Liam¡¯s eyes furrowed. The more Lightning mana he channeled into it, the more it sank to the bottom and the more the water started to push towards the top, coming close to push the stopper off. Liam started to panic internally as he couldn¡¯t figure out what to do. If he stopped channeling his mana there was a chance it would disperse and end in failure. On the other hand, if he continued to channel more mana into it, it would push the stopper off the vial and push the water out. Liam turned down the amount of mana he was channeling, making the streak of liquified mana turn into a thin line. As he looked at the thin line he remembered his training at the Smithy when Fia taught him how to infuse mana into a bone. Maybe the process is kind of similar, but instead of trying to fuse the mana with a bone I need to find a way to fuse it with the water so it can start the Extraction process. Liam thought as he took a deep breath. Liam closed his eyes as he slowly let the air roll off his lips. He felt his body start to relax a bit as his mind started to calm. As he opened his eyes he stared at the vial before him. His eyes focused and zoomed in a bit as his sight was set on the liquified Lightning Mana he had produced at the bottom of the vial. He felt his connection to it still there through the thin line pouring down from the top of the vial. He then focused his will to move the Lightning Mana. He watched as a small portion responded to his will. A small blob started to move up. Then a second one broke off from the bottom. Then a third, a fourth, a fifth. He was able to break down the condensed liquified mana into blobs and spread them out throughout the vial. As the blobs moved it reminded him of a lava lamp. After he was able to spread the blobs around he made them stop. The clear water now looked like it was spotted with purplish-yellow dots. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what to do from here, so he decided to try some things out. He moved a small speck over, but noticed it merge with the speck next to it. He frowned. He didn¡¯t want the speck to merge with each other, he wanted it to mix with the water. He separated the slightly bigger speck again and thought over what he could try. Maybe if I swirl the specks of Lightning mana fast enough it would mix with the water? Liam thought. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was the answer, but he figured it was worth a try. After all this was going to be a trial and error experiment. Liam grabbed a holder to place the vial down so he could free his hands. After placing the vial into the slot to hold it up right, Liam focused on all the purplish-yellow spots. He placed his hands around the vial but didn¡¯t touch it. He could feel the lightning mana still even though he wasn¡¯t touching it. Here goes nothing. Liam thought as he started to move all the purplish-yellow bubbles in one direction. The movement was slow at first, but after pushing his will a bit more onto the bubbles the speed of the spin picked up a little. After a few seconds the speed was moving faster. It was almost like a blender had started inside as a small whirlpool formed in the middle of the vial. Liam grew a smile as he watched through his Mana Sight and saw the liquified mana start to blend with the clear water. That smile lasted a few seconds as he noticed something else start to materialize within the water. It was a spark of lightning. It happened for a brief moment and was so fast that he wasn¡¯t sure if he was just seeing things. However, a second spark flashed on the bottom of the vial. Then a third at the top. More sparks started to appear throughout the vial as he felt a pressure start to build within the vial as he continued to spin the water. He was about to cut off the mana he was channeling within the vial and release his control over the mana within, but lost his focus on that as a small arc of lightning suddenly connected with the thin line of his Lightning Mana he channeled. As the arc connected with his mana line, it flowed up the line and out the vial and shot out, crashing into an empty glass vial, shattering it. A second, third, and fourth arc of lighting followed suit destroying a couple more empty glass vials that were close by. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed as he felt the pressure of the Lightning Mana start to take form outside of the liquid filled vial in front of him. I need to stop the lightning mana from escaping! Liam thought with some urgency as he cut off the channel of Lightning mana he was feeding to the vial. He swiftly glanced at his hands and noticed there was still a little bit of Lightning Mana coating his hands. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but there was still enough for him to control the Lightning Mana that was going out of control. He tensed his hands and tried to grip the arcs that were sparking out from the vial. He failed to stop the next arc from escaping as it shot out and fired towards the wall behind him. ¡°Fuck!¡± Liam muttered as he tried again. ¡°What¡¯s going on over there!?¡± Galin shouted. Liam ignored him as he focused on what was going on in front of him. After a couple of failed attempts, he was finally able to stop the next three rampaging lightning arcs and tried to push them back into the vial. They resisted at first, but after pushing his will as hard as he could he was able to forcibly pack it back into the vial. However, a new problem occurred after he did this. The arcs he pushed back into the vial started to bounce around against the glass vial. The vial started to shake violently as the arcs of lightning pinballed around like a pro level pong match was being played. Liam locked his hands in place, straining to not let the arcs of lightning escape while trying to keep swirling the liquid inside. He could feel drops of sweat roll down his face as a headache started to pound inside his skull. After a minute of trying to keep this going, he started to internally panic as he noticed the last bit of Lightning Mana that was coating his hands start to dim out and disappeared. Right as the last bit of Lightning Mana disappeared he noticed the arcs of lightning started to calm down and the swirling of the liquid smoothed out. The chaotic happening that was going on had finally stopped, revealing a vial full of purplish-yellow liquid with small flashes of lightning appearing here and there throughout the liquid. Liam panted as he stared at the vial in front of him. His vision faded in and out as he stared at the vial. A smile appeared even though his head was pounded even harder as a couple of chime sounds echoed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Lightning Mana has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Lightning Mana has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Lightning Mana has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Alchemy has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Alchemy ¨C Extraction has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have discovered a new Extraction Ingredient!¡± ¡°New Extraction Ingredient ¨C Liquified Lightning Mana Extraction (Weak)!¡±
Tutorial 106 - I came across this process by accident ¡°Are you alright?!¡± Galin yelled as he ran over to Liam. ¡°What the hell was going on over here?¡± Before Liam could say anything he and Galin heard someone running in the room next to them. ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± Alicia shouted as she swung open the Poison Crafting room door. ¡°I heard some glass shattering. Are we under attack or something?!¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not under attack,¡± Galin said, trying to calm her down while claiming his own heart rate. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but we¡¯re not under¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he stared at the vial that was right in front of Liam. Galin¡¯s face flashed through several emotions. First was confusion. The next was astonishment. The third was curious. Then finally his face turned back to confusion as he looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Did you just make a Liquified Lightning Mana Extract?¡± Feeling proud of himself, Liam replied with a raspy voice, ¡°Yes.¡± Still feeling weak from the amount of effort it took to make, he pulled out a Mana and Stamina Potion and drank them. Galin stared at him. ¡°How? You shouldn¡¯t have been able to make this, let alone know how to make this.¡± ¡°Hold up,¡± Alicia started. ¡°What did he make?¡± Galin grabbed the vial of Purplish-yellow liquid with small arcs of lightning flashing within it and turned to show her. Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the item. ¡°That¡¯s so pretty,¡± Alicia cooed as she looked at it. ¡°It is,¡± Galin agreed. ¡°It¡¯s called a Liquified Lightning Mana Extraction. It¡¯s an ingredient used for many different types of crafting. In Alchemy, for example, it can be used for Poison Crafting, Chemicalized Creations, Magical Potions, and Medicinal Creations.¡± After explaining this to Alicia, his face turned serious as he looked back at Liam and repeated his question, ¡°How did you make this? And how did you learn how to make it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to make it,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I had a random thought that maybe I¡¯d be able to extract different mana types with Mana Extraction. I thought I¡¯d experiment to see if the method I used to learn how to control and manipulate different types of mana would be usable. I didn¡¯t expect the Lightning Mana I was trying to extract would connect back with the mana I was channeling and cause it to arc out the way it did.¡± ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Galin suddenly snapped before scolding, ¡°Making something like this isn¡¯t something you¡¯d be taught here at the Tutorial Area. It¡¯s something you¡¯d learn in the outside world after you train your Control over different mana types to a sufficient level. If your understanding and control over a certain mana type you¡¯re trying to extract isn¡¯t sufficient enough there are chances where the process will backfire.¡± ¡°Some cases of backfire ended with the item being processed exploding, destroying buildings, and wiping people out. Other cases involved mana types surging back within the one processing the item and destroying them from within.¡± Galin narrowed his eyes as he stared into Liam¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know majority of the things I have taught you have been safe minus the poison crafting, but Alchemy is not something to take lightly. You can die just from making an item you have little to no knowledge of crafting.¡± Liam stared back at Galin and took in the words he was saying. After watching the arcs of lightning that had escaped while he was struggling to make this new item was evidence he wasn¡¯t blowing smoke. He knew Galin was right. If he didn¡¯t stand his ground and struggled till the end, the extract he was trying to make could have ended very poorly. However, his results showed that when experimenting on something with little to no knowledge of the proper process could still end in success. ¡°You need to proceed cautiously and slowly when working on Alchemy. You can¡¯t go off the path that the many people who have come before you and made ways that have been proven to be safe,¡± Galin added as he continued his scolding. Even though he understood what Galin was saying, Liam felt that that last part was wrong. Sure, if he followed the safe route and proceeded forward the same way all the others have he would reach Galin¡¯s level eventually. However, he felt something in his blood telling him that it he wouldn¡¯t grow as a crafter if he didn¡¯t take risks. Trial and error was always something that helped many learn. If he followed the same path that other Alchemists took then maybe he would miss something no one had ever thought. He felt what he was thinking and feeling was right. Backing up his logic was the fact that he discovered how to change the taste of potions when he created the Minty Shallow Bell Extract which led to making the Weak Mint Health Potion. By not following the logic other Alchemists had, he was able to create those plus the other two flavored potions. So, while Galin was right on some accounts, Liam knew he was wrong at the same time. ¡°Do you understand what I am saying?¡± Galin asked. Liam nodded. ¡°I do¡­,¡± Liam started before resolving himself. ¡°However, while there are dangerous risks when crafting, I can not agree with just following one way to do it.¡± Galin let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Liam, you can¡¯t be stubborn about this. If you can¡¯t follow¡­¡± ¡°Minty Shallow Bell Extract,¡± Liam interrupted. ¡°What?¡± Galin questioned. Liam lifted a finger as he repeated, ¡°Minty Shallow Bell Extract.¡± He lifted a second finger. ¡°Weak Mint Health Potion.¡± A third came up. ¡°Weak Blueberry Mana Potion.¡± A fourth rose. ¡°Weak Orange Stamina Potion.¡± Confused by what he was talking about, Galin stared at him thinking. After realizing what Liam was going on about, Galin countered, ¡°Those do not count. You were lucky on creating them and they pose no threats while making them.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No. While you can call it luck I call it being flexible and creative. If I had listened to you and followed the path all alchemists took, I wouldn¡¯t have taken the chance to try. I would have given up and moved on.¡± ¡°We would also be stuck drinking those nasty potions too,¡± Alicia added. Galin turned to look at her. ¡°Alicia don¡¯t encourage him.¡± Alicia shook her head. ¡°Sorry Professor Galin. I have to side with him on this. I have been thinking about how to effectively make my toxins either stronger or more potent or new toxins that haven¡¯t been discovered yet.¡± ¡°You too?¡± Galin gawked. ¡°It is dangerous to make things without the proper knowledge or understanding. Especially with Toxins. What if you get poisoned with something you cannot cure?¡± ¡°Then I die,¡± Alicia stated. ¡°If something like that kills me then I just wasn¡¯t good enough. However, if I also don¡¯t try to find a way that is better or something different then what the hell am I doing?¡± Galin was taken aback. ¡°Crafting isn¡¯t just all about making something with a process that has been tested and proven,¡± Liam jumped back in. ¡°Crafting is all about learning new things and new ways to make them. If we are too afraid to test new theories or try new things then we can¡¯t properly call ourselves crafters. We¡¯d be essentially cowards who are too afraid to reach for the top of our craft through our own means, talent, and hard work.¡± Galin stared and took in what Liam was saying. It triggered a memory in his mind; bringing forth an image of someone who was very dear to him as he heard Liam finished saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t want to be stuck in someone¡¯s shadow throughout my entire crafting career. If I¡¯m going to put my heart and soul into something I want to do it with the freedom of knowing there¡¯s a chance I could fail and learn from it.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The words pulled on his heart as he remembered Lici saying the same exact thing to him when they were just beginners. She, too, took risks and tried thinking of new ways to make things while she practice her Alchemy. Galin continued to stare at him as the image faded away. He then noticed Liam¡¯s pupils thin into slits. Galin let out a sigh as he slumped a bit. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was just worried since you did something that could have hurt you very badly without you knowing what the consequences are, but I also forgot you have the Cait Sith race running through your blood.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Liam questioned with a confused expression. ¡°Never mind,¡± Galin responded as he waved a hand out. ¡°You¡¯ll understand as time goes on.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Liam said with a raised brow. ¡°So can we make something out of this with our current level?¡± Alicia asked changing the topic. ¡°At your current level no. You won¡¯t be able to make anything with this ingredient until you hit level thirty in Poison Crafting. Or when you hit level twenty in Alchemy and can make Medicinal Creations, Chemicalized Creations, and Magical Potions,¡± Galin answered. ¡°Damn,¡± Alicia frowned. Galin let out a chuckle before saying, ¡°I can make you something out of it if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Alicia said with an excited look. ¡°What can you make for us?¡± ¡°Well, that depends on how many vials of this ingredient Liam can make,¡± Galin said as he looked at him. ¡°I don¡¯t have any Lightning Mana I can control or manipulate so I won¡¯t be able to make the Liquified Lightning Mana Extract.¡± Liam looked over at him. ¡°I can make as many as you need.¡± Galin nodded. ¡°I¡¯d also like to see what method you used to make it. Maybe I can help you with any issues, so you don¡¯t have the mana rampage out of control again.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± ¡°I want to see this as well,¡± Alicia commented. ¡°I need to know how this is done so I have an idea what to do when I start trying this out.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he got a vial full of purified water ready. Alicia and Galin watched as Liam proceeded to coat his hands with the Lightning mana. Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as she watched Liam chant the Static Grasp spell and stop halfway through. She then watched as he connected his arcane mana to the Lightning mana and then pulled it equally to spread over his hands and wrists. ¡°That was amazing,¡± Alicia said almost in a whisper with a look of awe on her face. Galin¡¯s face scrunched as he stared at Liam. After the mana stopped a little past his wrists he asked, ¡°How did you come up with this process? Did someone teach you this?¡± Liam thought about how Eri talked him through how to control and manipulate his Shadow Mana. He knew he couldn¡¯t tell him that a Goddess taught him so instead he decided to lie a bit. ¡°I came across this process by accident,¡± Liam started. ¡°I was practicing chanting a spell and was interrupted in the middle of it and noticed the mana still lingering. Before it disappeared I tried to grab it with my Arcane mana without thinking and succeeded. Why?¡± Galin looked at him with a confused and concerned look. ¡°This method is a very old and a dangerous way to learn how to control different types of mana.¡± ¡°How old and how dangerous?¡± Liam asked with a frown on his face. ¡°It is so old that it first originated back when people were first learning how to use magic. I can¡¯t place a date on it but it¡¯s pretty damn old,¡± Galin started. ¡°As for how dangerous¡­One wrong move and it could cause a spell backlash so powerful you could lose both your hands.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at Galin. ¡°It¡¯s that dangerous? But I¡¯ve failed a few times and never had something like a spell backlash happen.¡± Galin brought a hand to his chin as he thought about it. ¡°It might be because you aren¡¯t channeling enough mana to have that happen.¡± Galin nodded as he believed that was the reason. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m positive that it is because you aren¡¯t channeling a lot of mana beforehand for a spell backlash to happen if you fail.¡± ¡°The amount of mana you channel before proceeding to try and control the Lightning Mana is a safe amount and won¡¯t cause any damage if a backlash were to occur. So, I am glad you are going about this safely,¡± Galin sighed. ¡°However, I must tell you that you must not teach anyone this method.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Alicia questioned. ¡°Because, this method was deemed so dangerous that it is banned to be taught,¡± Galin answered. ¡°But you just said that how he was doing it was safe,¡± Alicia stated with a confused look. Galin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Only because of the amount he channeled. Many do not think things through and would have channeled a lot more mana before attempting this method, leading to massive damage to the user¡¯s body or harm to those around them.¡± ¡°Wait¡­,¡± Liam started. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I can channel more mana? I always thought you were only allowed to channel a certain amount before you couldn¡¯t anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true for most people,¡± Galin started. ¡°Their bodies have a good feel for the amount of mana they can channel before it exceeds what they can hold. However, there are people who bypass this due to their pride or sheer stupidity.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± Alicia stated before switching her focus back to the vial. ¡°Now enough about that I want to see how this goes.¡± Galin shook his head while sighing. ¡°That¡¯s the problem with you youngsters. Always in a hurry to learn more instead of listening to warnings.¡± He then looked at Liam and said, ¡°Go ahead and proceed.¡± Liam nodded as he placed his hands close to the side of the vial, palms open. He slowly channeled the Lightning mana as he created small thin strings and snaked them into the vial. This time, instead of pushing one line down the middle, he pushed both strings along the sides of the vial. He watched as the mana started to thicken into the water and liquify while it sank to the bottom. He waited until the liquified Lightning mana filled about a quarter of the vial. Once when it did he focused on the liquified mana and broke it down into small specks while pushing them up into the water. ¡°Ooooo, it¡¯s like a lava lamp,¡± Alicia whispered with awe. Liam continued to focus on the specks of Lightning Mana until it completely spotted the water. Once when he did that he started to swirl the specks until a small vortex was made inside the vial. Sparks of lightning started to flash inside it. Liam watched while he continued to swirl the liquified mana into the purified water. A sudden arc of lighting swiftly tried to escape, but Liam was ready this time. As the arc jumped out from the vial, he mentally focused the arc to redirect back into the vial. Galin was shocked as he watched this happen four more times. After the fourth arc of lightning was redirected back into the vial, Liam heard a couple of chime sounds in his mind, indicating he was finished. He released his control inside of the vial and watched as the vortex calmed down revealing a completed Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extract. ¡°That was awesome!¡± Alicia shouted as she stared at the vial. Liam felt his body was less tense this time and notice he had more Lightning Mana coating his hands. He still felt tired though. Galin shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose once again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Professor Galin?¡± Alicia questioned as her excitement calmed down. ¡°Liam,¡± Galin started up again, wariness in his voice. ¡°How did you come up with this method of process?¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°When I first tried doing this I couldn¡¯t figure out how to blend the mana and the water together. I thought I just had to channel some mana inside just like I did with my Arcane Mana, but the water just absorbed the mana. Leaving nothing behind.¡± He looked back at the vial and continued, ¡°So I channeled the mana continuously until I noticed the vial was getting too full. After that I cut off the channeling and saw the water was absorbing it again, so I thought I¡¯d treat it like when I was learning how to control and manipulate it. So, I held on and tried to figure out a way to mix it. Then I remembered how I used to mix things back on Earth and started swirling it.¡± Galin shook his head. ¡°I applaud you for coming up with a new way to do this, but that¡¯s not how you do it. At least not the swirling part.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Separating the liquified mana into specks throughout the vial was the correct way to do it, but instead of making the mana swirl until it blends together and the water extracts the mana, you are supposed to connect the specks together by using a mana string,¡± Galin explained. Liam stared at him. He then thought about what he said and tried to picture how that would work. It would take a lot longer to extract the mana and the method would be much safer. ¡°How much longer would it take to do it that way?¡± Liam asked, curious, if he saved time this way. Galin grimaced. It looked like to Liam that Galin was hoping he wouldn¡¯t ask this. ¡°It normally takes about thirty minutes to make a weak version of this if you did it with the method I mentioned,¡± Galin said. ¡°So, what I¡¯m hearing is¡­Liam just saved a lot of time by coming up with this method?¡± Alicia commented. ¡°He might have come up with a faster way, but that way has some risks,¡± Galin argued. ¡°If you didn¡¯t catch those arcs of lightning that tried escaping, then it would have shattered more glasses or hit us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°I remembered it happened last time, so I was on the lookout for it this time.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t scold you this time since you learned from your first mistake,¡± Galin started before a grin formed on his face. ¡°And I won¡¯t charge you any money to pay for the equipment you did break. Instead, I¡¯ll have you make me a few extracts. Is Lightning the only different mana type you¡¯ve learned how to control?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°I have Gravity as well.¡± Galin nodded. ¡°Good. Good. I think I can make you both some nice things as well as show you the wonders of what you¡¯ll come to learn soon enough.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Alicia shouted with excitement. ¡°Liam, I¡¯ll need you to make a lot more Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extracts,¡± Galin stated. ¡°Since I don¡¯t have that mana type I¡¯ll have you make it. Also, a lot of Weak Liquified Gravity Mana Extracts.¡± ¡°How much more?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Twenty each,¡± Galin stated. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Galin nodded. ¡°Since you came up with a new way that speeds up the extracting process I am serious. Don¡¯t worry I have plenty of Mana and Stamina Potions available if you need them.¡± Liam let out a long deep sigh. He then muttered to himself, ¡°Why did I have to go and do that.¡± Galin let out a loud laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry you won¡¯t be disappointed with what I¡¯m going to make you. These items I am going to make you aren¡¯t something you¡¯d see in the Tutorial Area. So rejoice. You both get something others will be jealous of.¡± ¡°Ooooo, I can¡¯t wait!¡± Alicia smiled as she turned to Liam. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and make the ingredients. Chop, chop!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chop, chop,¡± Liam commented back as he brought a hand up and swung it in a chopping motion to her. Tutorial 107 - Escape! Man, Galin wasn¡¯t joking about making some nice things for us. Liam thought to himself as he walked the dark roads of the Tutorial Area. Galin had shown both he and Alicia how to make a Neurotic Toxin called Staticbolt Paralytic toxin. The Quality of the toxin was average, hence why there was no weak or minor in front of the name. Using several vials of the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extracts in the mix, Galin was able to mix them together to bring the quality from Weak to Average. Something Liam did not know was possible. He also added some toxins from a creature called a Staticbolt Wasp. A creature that apparently injects a paralyzing poison into their targets to try and paralyze them so the rest of the swarm could finish off their prey. If you stab, slice or inject this Staticbolt Paralytic Toxin on a target it courses through the target¡¯s blood stream and slowly makes the target feel numb around the area the poison was applied at while it spreads. Shortly after the poison spreads throughout the limb it becomes paralyzed for ten minutes or until the target can get the toxin cleansed. This poison only spreads out on the limb it was applied to. If you want to make their entire body paralyzed you¡¯d have to inject it around the heart or have them ingest it. If you can¡¯t do that then the user would have to attack each limb separately. The other item he made was a Chemicalized Creation called Magnetic Shockwave. Just like with the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extracts, Galin mixed and created Average Quality Liquified Gravity Extracts. He also added some other ingredients Liam couldn¡¯t recognize and wasn¡¯t able to assess. This shocked both he and Alicia and asked Galin about it but were only told that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get information on these ingredients since they were from higher leveled dungeons. Even though Liam wasn¡¯t happy to hear that he still watched Galin go through several different processes making this one item. Each one of these steps he took to make this Chemicalized Creation were over Liam¡¯s head. However, it still fascinated him as he watched Galin make this concoction. When he was finished, Galin had explained to them that the Magnetic Shockwave created a black ball that expands making a gravitational pull within a twenty-five yard radius, pulling all that is within to the center. After a few seconds of pulling in the targets, the expanded black ball would compress within itself before suddenly exploding, sending out a ring with arcs of Lightning jumping around each target within the blast radius as well as bolts continuously shooting outwards from the center doing massive damage. To add on to the Lightning damage, if anything survives from the lightning storm, a massive gravity debuff is placed on the targets. This debuff is similar to the Gravitational Force Increase, but four times stronger. On top of that, there was a twenty-five percent chance a Paralyze Debuff would be placed on the target for thirty seconds. Galin had made four medium sized vials of the Staticbolt Paralytic Toxin and three medium sized vials of Magnetic Shockwave for each of them. Even though the creations were too high of a level for them to learn how to make right now, there were no restrictions on them to use the items. That part really confused Liam, but he wasn¡¯t going to question it. Galin said that these were an added gift he was going to give them for being his apprentices while in the Tutorial Area. Both Alicia and Liam were glad to accept them. Alicia was happy to not only get the new and powerful Toxin, but also something to help solidify what she was going to specialize in. As for Liam, he felt that he now had a better idea where he was leaning to. If Chemicalized Creations can create something like that and its only at the Average quality¡­ Liam thought to himself as he grinned. Then I wonder what it would be like at a higher quality. Man, I really want to learn how to make Chemicalized Creations now. Getting those new items from him wasn¡¯t the only thing that put Liam in a good mood. His control over Lightning Mana had rose to level eight while his Gravity Mana reached level seven. And because he made all those weak mana extracts, his level in Mana Extraction reached level eighteen. Even though it didn¡¯t do much to level his Alchemy any higher since it was at a standstill at level nineteen thanks to his regular Extract category. ¡°Hm¡­,¡± Liam began to mutter to himself. ¡°Maybe I should just do a bunch of different extracts and get it to level twenty already. Just to get it over with already. Or maybe I should just get my Mana Extraction to level twenty since it helps me level my control over different mana types.¡± While Liam was contemplating this, he was unaware of someone approaching him from behind with a hand reaching out. Right before the hand gripped his shoulder, Liam¡¯s danger sense flared up, causing him to turn his head around to see a cloaked figure. Reacting on instinct without thinking, Liam activated his Shadow Step. The hand that went to grab him raked down into a puff of black smoke. A dagger appeared across the area where the figure¡¯s throat would be. The figure let out a strange laugh as their body vibrated. ¡°A bit jumpy aren¡¯t we?¡± The voice of the figure indicated it was a man. Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he questioned, ¡°Anyone would be jumpy when they feel danger. Especially when someone approaches them from behind and tries to grab them.¡± The man let out another laugh before coughing. As the man started coughing, Liam got a whiff of something foul and disgusting. The smell reminded him of a rotted corpse. Confused at first, Liam tried to remember where he had smelled this scent before. However, as soon as he remembered where he had come across this smell the man stated, ¡°I am so happy that I was right about you. That shadow ability of yours proves you are connected to them. And having their blood is the key I need to reach my goal.¡± Liam went to jump back away from the hooded man, but failed to move. He looked down to see his feet were planted to the ground due to some spell he didn¡¯t see be casted. Panicking a bit, Liam tried to yank himself free, but was unsuccessful in doing so. He went to yell out as loud as he could but before he could, he felt a powerful force suddenly hit him in the stomach. The sheer force of the punch this man had thrown made Liam lose all the wind he had, causing him to gasp for air. As Liam tried sucking in some air, another hard punch hit the back of his head, causing his vision to blur before he passed out. Liam¡¯s consciousness slowly came too as he felt his head swaying back and forth. He couldn¡¯t remember what had happened as his vision swam. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but there was one thing he was able to notice and that was he was moving. From the angle his disoriented sight was able to pick up on, he was able to tell he wasn¡¯t moving on his own. He was being carried over someone¡¯s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He tried not to stir while he tried to reorient himself, but due to the pounding in his head he was having a hard time with that. Since he was having a hard time, he decided to try and take note of where he was. The ground looked familiar to him. He tried to remember where he had seen the road design and remembered that it was the road from the Tutorial Area town. Liam decided that was a good sign. If he was still in the Tutorial Area then he wasn¡¯t out for long. As Liam was thinking things over, his vision was starting to correct itself. As it did this he picked up on something he didn¡¯t catch when he first looked around. This road was in Tutorial Area, but it was the road that lead to the Dungeon Portals. Why are we heading to the Dungeon Portals? There¡¯s nothing special over there. Why would this man take me¡­Oh shit. Liam thought as he realized that this man was taking him to the Black Dungeon. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Before Liam could do something, the man suddenly stopped as a voice called out, ¡°You do realize that what you are doing can get you killed right on the spot. Don¡¯t you?¡± This voice was familiar to Liam as he recognized it. However, it also confused Liam. What is she doing here? Liam thought as he felt the man turn to face the woman. The man clicked his tongue before stating with some disgust in his tone. ¡°I¡¯m shocked to hear that coming from someone who despised those sent to the Black Tutorial Dungeon.¡± He then slowly turned to face the woman who was walking up the path he had come from. ¡°Nalia.¡± Nalia narrowed her eyes at the hooded man. ¡°As much as I do hate those sent to that Tutorial Dungeon, I do have a duty as an Overseer to protect the newly migrated people while they are here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you,¡± the man said with a wicked laugh before going into a coughing fit. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Nalia questioned. The man calmed himself as he stopped his coughing fit and continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t an Overseer supposed to be impartial and not bias?¡± Nalia waved a hand in front of her as she said, ¡°If you¡¯re implying that whole beast kin supremacy bullshit then stop. Those kind of mundane concerns are beneath me.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? I¡¯m pretty sure you were going on a tangent the other day about this one being some half bred fake Arcadian?¡± The man recalled. ¡°Contrary to what you or that boy may think, I was just heated in the moment and threw that out there,¡± Nalia stated. ¡°My issues with that boy are different, however, no matter how much he irks me, I cannot let you simply kidnap him and do whatever you want with him. He will be judged for his sins, but not by you.¡± Liam felt the man¡¯s body tense as he inquired, ¡°You know what he is?¡± ¡°My Matron has informed me, yes,¡± Nalia informed. ¡°However, I have to ask how you figured out what he is?¡± ¡°I had my suspicions, but after tonight it was made apparent that I was right,¡± the man sated. ¡°Just like the other three I had my eyes on.¡± ¡°Other three?¡± Nalia questioned, taken aback by what he said. ¡°There were three others I was unaware about?¡± ¡°If your Matron Deity told you about him then she should have known about the other three?¡± The man stated with a bit of confusion. ¡°You should have noticed yourself as well especially since one of them was very obvious about it.¡± Nalia¡¯s brows furrowed as she stared at the hooded man. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re talking about the same thing.¡± ¡°Are you saying I know something about four people you and your Goddess do not?¡± The man questioned with a smile. Nalia glowered as she narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°You speak blasphemy Necromancer. There is nothing my Matron Deity wouldn¡¯t know and cannot see.¡± ¡°And yet I know something you and she do not,¡± the man gloated. ¡°And since you know something that makes you hate him that means he is worth more than I knew.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have planned or why you need him, but I will not let you have your way,¡± Nalia growled as she took a step forward, mana starting to channel over her body. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have any authority over me nor the ability to stop me,¡± the man stated before suddenly spinning around and running towards the multi-colored portal. Nalia whipped out her wand and pointed it in the direction of the man and swiftly chanted, ¡°Rock Barrier!¡± A giant slab of earth suddenly shot up in front of the man causing him to crash right into it. Liam¡¯s body flung backwards with the momentum. His head whiplashed backwards and smacked hard against the wall, causing him to lose consciousness once more as he fell face first towards the ground. Liam let out a groan as he came back to his senses. He pushed himself up and was suddenly jolted awake, making him wide eyed as a loud thunderous crack boomed while a swiftly flash of light brightened the area. His eyes widened at the scene playing before him. Spread out throughout the area were several copies of Nalia that were fighting armored skeletons that looked a lot like the Elite Skeleton Soldiers he had fought against in the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord room. The copies of Nalia each shot out different elemental spells as the skeletons withstood the powerful hits or crumbled under the pressure. Liam understood that each spell the copies released were high leveled spells as he watched the power build up within each copy before they were released. Liam looked at the skeletons. He could tell how tough they were not from how they were able to take the spells that were thrown at them, but by the armor and aura they exuded. He assessed one of the Skeletal creatures to see how much more powerful they were compared to the ones he had been fighting.
¡°Elite Skeleton Soldier. 25,000/25,000 HP. 0/0 MP.¡±
Off to the side of this battlefield were the hooded man and what Liam had figured was the real Nalia. She must have the Field of Illusions. Maybe that¡¯s why there are so many copies of herself. Liam thought as he got to his feet. He looked around to see if there were any openings around for him to escape, but couldn¡¯t find one. As he turned his head, his Danger Sense suddenly flared up across the right side, causing him to jump back as quickly as he could. As he did this, a massive fireball the size of a small car zoomed pass his head. Liam turned towards the direction it came from to see Nalia and the hooded man were now staring at him. ¡°Stay where you are!¡± Nalia ordered as she pointed at him. ¡°Yeah okay,¡± Liam sarcastically stated, remembering what she said earlier. ¡°Elite Skeleton Soldiers!¡± the hooded man shouted. Each Skeletal creature swung down their swords hard enough to destroy the illusory copies of Nalia before looking at their master. He then pointed at Liam and ordered, ¡°Hold him down, but do not kill him!¡± All of the Elite Skeleton Soldiers suddenly snapped their heads towards Liam in unison and started clattering before they advanced towards him. Nalia clicked her tongue in annoyance before shouting out, ¡°Ok don¡¯t stay there kid. Run!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice!¡± Liam yelled back as he started to run towards an opening that appeared once when the undead creatures started moving towards him. As he approached the area, he slid to a halt right before a sword swung down. Liam then ducked and spun around the Skeleton to get passed him. As soon as he was about to start running away, he had to duck to miss the horizontal sword swing from that same creature. After ducking down, Liam pushed off his back leg and made it past that creature only to stop and juke another as a skeletal hand tried to grab him. He then jumped to his right as a third Undead creature stepped in front of him and tried to wrap its arms around him. ¡°I don¡¯t remember these creatures being this fast,¡± Liam complained as he started zig zagging around the skeleton creatures. What Liam didn¡¯t realize until it was too late was the skeleton creatures led him away from the path back to the town and towards the portals. He was able to create some distance from them when he saw the glowing colors of the portals. He looked at them and thought of an idea. If I can¡¯t out maneuver them, then maybe I can escape into the Black Dungeon and wait on the first floor until all this dies down. Liam thought as he ran over to the portal. As soon as he approached the Black Portal he placed his hand on it. He looked back really quick to see how far the creatures were. There was still some distance between him and them. As he looked back at the panel that had appeared, he pushed the first floor selection and felt his heart dropped as a red notification appeared.
¡°First Floor inaccessible. Please choose another floor.¡±
¡°What?¡± Liam said as he frowned. His heart pounded as it started to quicken. He closed it and clicked the second one. Again, another red notification appeared.
¡°Second Floor inaccessible. Please choose another floor.¡±
¡°What the fuck!¡± Liam shouted as panic rose within him as he heard the skeletal creatures getting closer. He tried the next floor and got the same message. The same notification appeared for the fourth and fifth floor as well. A mix of worry and confusion clashed with the panic as he looked at the sixth floor option. What the fuck is going on here?! Liam thought. He looked back at the creatures and noticed they were almost within arm¡¯s reach as they fanned out in a half circle around him. It was too late for him to think of any other way to get out of this situation. It was either he resolved himself to getting captured or he jumped right into the sixth floor. He went with the latter option. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed as he pushed the sixth floor option.
¡°Warning! You are entering the 6th floor of the Graveyard of the Forgotten Realm solo. Do you wish to wait for the team you have previously entered the previous floors with? Yes No?¡±
¡°No!¡± Liam shouted, panic escaping his lips as he frantically pushed the button mentally.
¡°A message has been sent to each member of the team you have previously entered this dungeon with. Good luck.¡±
As soon as Liam closed the notification, he rushed into the dungeon, barely missing the bony hands that reached out to grab him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam appeared in a wide room as he rushed out from the portal. As soon as the last piece of his body exited, the portal disappeared. His stomach violently lurched as liquid spewed out from his mouth. As soon as he finished throwing up, he wiped the little bit of liquid that hung to his lips with the back of his wrist and looked at his surroundings. Before he could take in the design of the room, he felt the gazes of monsters that resided within the room turn on him. Two dozens of skeletal creatures were mixed with two dozen zombie like creatures. Mixed within the crowd were a few Elite Skeleton Soldiers and Skeleton Butchers. In the back of the crowd Liam saw six Mummy Guards. Liam¡¯s face turned horrified as he saw them staring at him. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Liam muttered as he switched his normal clothes for his armor and weapons. Liam? What¡¯s going on? Why are you here by yourself? Eri asked suddenly with a mix of worry and concern laced in her voice. I¡¯ll get back to you in a moment Eri. I¡¯ve got company that are not too happy to see me at the moment. Liam replied back, trying to hold back the fear that was creeping up his spine. He let out a long breath, resolving himself and mentally kicking himself for making the decision to jump into this floor without a proper plan. He pulled his daggers out from the sheaths on his hips. He flexed his grip on them right before letting out a loud battle cry and rushing in towards the creatures that bolted for him as well. Tutorial 108 - Confusion Mercer suddenly woke up as a few loud explosions echoed in the air. ¡°What the hell!?¡± Mercer shouted as he swiftly sat up. He looked at his internal clock and saw it was a little pass two in the morning. What is going on so early in the morning? Mercer thought to himself before two more loud explosions filled the air bringing flashes of light here and there. Mercer quickly got out of his bed and ran to the window to see if he could find where the source was coming from. As he approached the window he saw two different colored lights flash on the outskirts of the town. One was a golden yellow with splashes of orange while the other was hazy grey with a mix of black inside it. He was able to feel powerful mana within the explosions happening with each collision of magic. Mercer¡¯s eyes widened. What the hell is going on over there? Mercer thought until he heard a knock on his door. He turned and called out, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Artem and Roman,¡± Artem replied through the door. Mercer raced over to the door to see Artem looking at him with as much confusion as he felt. Roman on the other hand, looked like he was still half asleep as he let out a big yawn. ¡°Do you have any idea of what is going on?¡± Artem questioned as anxiety started to creep up within him. Mercer shook his head. ¡°No, I have no clu¡­,¡± Mercer started to say until a notification suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡°Warning! Teammate Liam has entered the 6th floor of the Graveyard of the Forgotten Realm solo.¡± Mercer looked at Artem and Roman surmised they must have gotten the same notification since Artem was staring at something with an even more confused expression. Roman looked like he finally fully woke up as he shouted, ¡°What the hell!? Why would he have entered the dungeon alone?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we would like to know,¡± a voice stated causing the three guys to turn and see who spoke. It was Blair. Close by her were Avery and Ariyana. Each of them were in their armor looking like they were ready for a fight. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he would, but I have a feeling it might have to do with what¡¯s going on outside,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°We need to figure out what¡¯s going on,¡± Avery stated as she turned back around and started for the stairs. ¡°I agree,¡± Mercer said as a puff of smoke covered his body, switching his pajamas into his armor. ¡°We need to hurry up and get there. We don¡¯t know what to expect on that floor.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mercer and the others approached the Portal area with caution as they walked up the path. The noise and massive amounts of mana they were able to feel earlier had stopped and disappeared as they ran through the town. As soon as the Portal came into sight they noticed a group of people standing around. Mercer noticed there were officials from the Training Hall, Mage Tower, and the three Overseers. The group of six looked around as they slowly approached the other people. Craters were spread around the area with bones scattered across the ground. Broken chunks of earth were spread here and there around what looked like broken walls of rocks and stones. ¡°What in the world happened here?¡± Roman asked, shocked to see how extensive the damage was. ¡°What do you guys think you are doing here?¡± a voice called out. ¡°Non-officials are not allowed to be here.¡± Mercer placed his hands up as he looked at a woman who had a bad case of bed head and said, ¡°We were not told about this area being off limits.¡± ¡°Someone should have¡­,¡± the woman started before a hand touched her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Nabal stated as the woman turned to look at him. ¡°I will talk them.¡± The woman let out a sigh before turning away and saying, ¡°Fine.¡± Nabal turned to look at Mercer and the others and was about to say something until Avery swiftly inquired, ¡°What happened here?¡± Nabal placed a hand on the back of his head and replied, ¡°There was a fight between an Overseer and a Necromancer. Apparently she was stopping the man from kidnapping a person and it broke out into a fight.¡± He gestured with his hands to the area around them. ¡°A fight between an Overseer and a Necromancer?¡± Roman repeated with shock. ¡°Which Overseer was fighting?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°The Necromancer was kidnapping someone? Who?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Whoa, whoa. One question at a time,¡± Nabal stated trying to calm them down. As soon as they stopped barraging him with questions, Nabal started back up, ¡°First, Nalia was the one who was fighting the Necromancer.¡± ¡°Was the Necromancer Steve?¡± Mercer interjected. ¡°Not sure,¡± Nabal shrugged. ¡°She claims the man was hooded so she didn¡¯t get a good look at his face to be able to identify him.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Mercer muttered as he started thinking. ¡°What happened to the Necromancer?¡± Ariyana asked, curiously. ¡°He got away right before the rest of us got here,¡± Nabal answered. ¡°He used some kind of smokescreen ability to hide where he went.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Artem asked as he looked around. Nabal looked at them all. ¡°To answer that last question from earlier. The one he was kidnapping was Liam.¡± ¡°What?!¡± the others exclaimed. ¡°Nalia stated he got away during the middle of the fight, but she wasn¡¯t sure where he went,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°You guys haven¡¯t seen him have you?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. All six members turned to look at each other. They didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds until Mercer stated, ¡°That¡¯s actually why we came here. We got a notification stating he entered the sixth floor of the black dungeon.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Nabal shouted. ¡°Are you sure?¡± The six of them nodded. ¡°Yes. Although I never heard of the dungeon sending messages out like this before,¡± Mercer said, hoping for Nabal would clarify. ¡°The dungeon will do that to inform members who have entered the dungeon together for a total of three floors,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°It¡¯s a feature that Guilds and Parties use for certain reasons, but you¡¯ll learn that later. Are you sure it said he entered the sixth floor?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Mercer repeated. ¡°Did it say if he entered with anyone?¡± Nabal questioned. ¡°No, it only said he entered alone,¡± Artem stepped in answering. Nabal looked at him and started thinking. ¡°He must have entered to escape the fighting that happened.¡± ¡°That could be a possibility,¡± Blair started. ¡°However, we need to know for sure and the only way for us to know is to get to him.¡± Nabal looked at her after she finished saying this. He then looked at the others and recognized the resolve in their eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure the Overseers will allow that,¡± Nabal started. ¡°If they say no then what are you guys going to do?¡± Mercer and the others turned to look at each other. With a nod from each of them they turned and replied, ¡°We¡¯ll go anyways.¡± ¡°Good answer. Come with me,¡± Nabal said as he turned and started walking through the crowd. Mercer and the others looked at each for a brief moment before following him. Nabal pushed through the crowd with the group of six close by. A few people were going to stop the group until Nabal turned his gaze upon them and waved for them to stop. When they reached their destination, they saw Adva and Phorge looking down and talking to Nalia. Mercer and the others let out a gasp as they saw the state Nalia was in. She was sitting on the ground with her back up against a rock slab. Her clothes were torn, and she had some purplish bruises. Some blood was splattered across her arms and a light gash across her chest under her neck. As Nabal and the others approached, she glared at Mercer and his group. With a scowl she questioned, ¡°What are you guys doing here? Go back to your inns. You¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡± ¡°The situation has changed,¡± Nabal interjected. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Phorge questioned as he looked at him. Nabal turned to Mercer and said with a strict tone, ¡°Tell them what you told me.¡± Mercer eyed Nabal for a brief moment before turning to look at the three Overseers. ¡°We received a message stating Liam had entered the sixth floor of the Black Dungeon.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Adva yelled. ¡°What was he thinking?!¡± Artem gulped before chiming in, ¡°We think he entered the dungeon to get escape whatever was going on here.¡± Adva turned to look at Nalia. ¡°Is this true? Did you see him enter the dungeon?¡± Nalia let out a sigh of annoyance as she replied, ¡°My attention wasn¡¯t on that scum. I had my hands full on that fucking Necromancer.¡± ¡°Nalia!¡± Adva shouted, looking flustered. ¡°I told him to get out of here when those skeletons started chasing him,¡± Nalia explained. ¡°I do remember him running towards the dungeons, but I didn¡¯t think he would be stupid enough to enter alone.¡± Adva looked like she was about to explode before Nalia continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure he is fine. He¡¯s probably waiting till he thinks it is safe to come back out.¡± Adva let out a breath of air. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. He¡¯ll come out sooner or later.¡± Mercer and the others looked at each other with nervous expressions. Nabal caught the looks. He knew why they were looking at each other. He then looked Mercer in the eye and said, ¡°Are you going to tell them or should I?¡± Adva, Nalia, and Phorge looked at each other before giving Mercer and his group a confused look. However, before anyone could say anything a man came running up to them. He was a lanky man wearing the Mage Tower¡¯s outfit. ¡°Phorge!¡± he shouted. ¡°I have a message from one of the Overseers in the sixth Tutorial Area.¡± Phorge turned to look at the man. ¡°What¡¯s the message?¡± ¡°The Overseer said that he found out something very important pertaining the four groups from the sixth and the nineth Tutorial Areas,¡± the man continued. He paused, waiting for Phorge to respond. ¡°Well, what did he find out?¡± Phorge asked, annoyed that the man didn¡¯t proceed. The man noticed Mercer and the five by him. ¡°Are you sure I should be talking about official matters with non-officials around?¡± the man asked as he turned his focus back on Phorge. Phorge waved his hand out, frustration starting to fill him. No longer remaining patient, Phorge ordered with a strict voice, ¡°There¡¯s no time with that. Get on with it.¡± The man flinched at Phorge¡¯s tone and said, ¡°Yes, well all eight groups had found a Forbidden Path and traveled down them. Apparently each group in the other Tutorial Areas entered the Dungeons shortly after he found out.¡± ¡°Did you say a Forbidden Path?!¡± Adva and Nalia questioned with some shock. Phorge clenched his fists after hearing this. He then slowly turned to Mercer and the others and asked with a calm and cold tone, ¡°Does that sound like something that pertains to you guys?¡± Mercer gulped as he felt a powerful mana roll off of Phorge. His gaze was so fierce that Mercer¡¯s body started to shake a bit unconsciously. He wasn¡¯t shaking because he completely feared the man per say. Phorge was frightening and he¡¯d be a complete fool to not have some fear of the man, but it was his mana that rolled off of him. His mana felt life threatening, like if he made a movement Phorge didn¡¯t like then it could crush him right there on the spot. ¡°Ah¡­,¡± Mercer started to say until Phorge added. ¡°And don¡¯t talk in a round about way. I know you are skill in the Field of the Bard for your level, but I am not in the mood for games.¡± Phorge narrowed his eyes. Mercer slowly turned to see how the others were doing. They were not fairing well either. Sweat drench down their faces as they looked like they were struggling to breath. Mercer turned back to face Phorge again and went to say something, but struggled to speak. He couldn¡¯t find his voice within the overwhelming mana. Nabal stepped in front of Mercer and clapped his hands, dispelling the oppressive mana. Phorge turned to look at Nabal and growled, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Nabal?¡± ¡°I could ask you the same question,¡± Nabal quipped with a raised brow. ¡°How do you expect them to speak when your Mana Aura is suffocating them.¡± Phorge stared at Nabal for a long moment before reeling in his mana. Ariyana, Artem, Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman took in a long deep breath of air before they started panting. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Phorge apologized as he turned to them. His angry expression turned embarrassed. ¡°I knew you lot were hiding something, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be something like that. When I heard about it I just lost myself.¡± Mercer stared the man down as he listened to him apologize. After calming himself he started cautiously, ¡°We had our reasons as to why we hid it and you must look at it from our point of view.¡± ¡°There is no reason good enough for you to not tell us that you found a Forbidden Path,¡± Adva stated with a strict tone of voice. ¡°That is where you are wrong,¡± Blair butted in. The look on her face was hard as she got ready for some arguing. ¡°You have to remember; we are new here.¡± ¡°How were we supposed to know that what we found was a Forbidden Path when we are still learning about this world?¡± Avery added. ¡°There are no books that talk about Forbidden Paths either so if we are supposed to inform you about it how would we have known?¡± Artem chimed in. ¡°When we found out that the path to the dungeon we were on was totally different, we weren¡¯t too sure what to do. At first we did think about telling you, but after what Nalia did and has said to not only us, but to Liam¡­How could we trust you,¡± Mercer informed. Adva and Phorge started to protest, but Mercer cut them off as he continued, ¡°Again, you must look at it from our perspective. This is a new land with new people to us. If you¡¯re telling us to trust you because you say so it¡¯ll have the opposite effect.¡± Mercer glared at Nalia as he added, ¡°Especially when one of you steps over the boundaries of basic decency.¡± Nalia let out an irritated chuckle. She then did something that shocked all of them as she said, ¡°I may have gone a bit overboard with how I do things and I apologize for that, but I wont apologize for my attitude towards that Liam guy. He rubs me the wrong way.¡± Mercer and the other five glared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t look so hostile to me,¡± Nalia said with some annoyance. ¡°I mean I did try to save the guy even though I don¡¯t like him.¡± It still doesn¡¯t make you any less suspicious. Mercer thought to himself. ¡°Going back on topic,¡± Nabal stated grabbing their attention. ¡°Even though he did mention to me it was a Forbidden Path, he never told me the name of it.¡± Mercer and the others averted their gazes after Nabal spoke. ¡°We¡¯re not trying to admonish you for not telling us before,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°We simply want to know what we¡¯re dealing with here. What type of Forbidden Path is it that you stumbled upon. It might help us know what is going on in there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called The Graveyard of the Forgotten Realm,¡± Mercer finally said after a moment. ¡°A Forgotten Realm?!¡± Nalia shouted, both shocked and amazed at what she heard. Mercer nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the Realm?¡± Nalia swiftly asked. ¡°What was forgotten¡­¡± Mercer, Avery, and Blair placed a hand in the air, stopping Nalia from asking more questions. ¡°I hate to interrupt, but we have more pressing issues at foot here,¡± Mercer said with a frown. ¡°We need to get to Liam before he dies,¡± Blair added. Phorge looked at Adva and Nalia. He then looked back at the group before turning towards the Black Portal and said, ¡°I want to confirm and make sure he really is in there before we let you go.¡± He placed a hand out and looked at the screen. As he stared at it, his brows furrowed as his mouth slowly dropped. ¡°What is it Phorge?¡± Adva asked. Phorge turned back and informed, ¡°He¡¯s not the only one in there. It shows five groups are in the sixth floor. There is a solo one. That one is probably Liam. One with two members. And the others are groups of six. I want to say those groups are the other surviving groups, but I¡¯m confused about this other group of two. There shouldn¡¯t be a fifth group. Especially one with two members.¡± Tutorial 109 - Should have seen the other guy(s) ¡°Maybe someone survived from one of the groups you claimed died?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°That could be a possibility but I don¡¯t know,¡± Phorge said as he thought it over. ¡°Never mind that,¡± Nalia interjected. She then tried to get back up, but due to how tired she was, she fell back down against the rock slab. Grumbling about something, Nalia turned her gaze back to Mercer and the group and ordered, ¡°Tell me what you have learned so far in this Forgotten Realm.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to tell you right now. We need to get to our teammate before he dies,¡± Avery stated with a scowl. Nalia was about to say something but was cut off before Adva asked, ¡°Do you not fear the chances of dying?¡± The group of six turned to look at her before adverting their gazes. If they boldly claimed they weren¡¯t, they¡¯d be lying to not only her, but to themselves. However, they also felt like if they admitted it then they would be stopped from entering. The silence was finally broken as Artem stated, ¡°We¡¯d be foolish to say we weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you¡­,¡± Adva started to say until Artem continued. ¡°But it would also be foolish to leave a teammate to his potential death just because we were scared of the possibility of dying. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like here or back on everyone else¡¯s planet, but back on my planet the chances of dying were always high each and every day. You could die from a hunt, starving, being dehydrated, or whatever. Yet it didn¡¯t stop us from still pushing forward.¡± Blair nodded, approving his words while Ariyana grinned widely. Roman patted him on the back while Avery and Mercer nodded their agreement. Adva let out a sigh as she asked once more, ¡°There¡¯s no way to try and stop you is there?¡± Mercer turned to look at her. A look of resolve on his face as he affirmed, ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. We¡¯re going in, whether you want us to or not.¡± ¡°Hold up,¡± two new voices called out, making everyone turn to look at them. It was Fia and Galin. ¡°We heard right that Liam is on the sixth floor right now?¡± Galin questioned as he approached them. ¡°You heard right,¡± Nabal answered. ¡°But how did you find out?¡± ¡°I heard what was going on and ran to grab Professor Galin,¡± Alicia answered as she appeared behind them. ¡°Fia here was on her way over to see what was going on when I ran into her,¡± Galin stated. ¡°Before coming here we both agreed on something though.¡± ¡°I swear, take one eye of tha lad and he goes off doin something stupid,¡± Fia grumbled as she nodded. ¡°If you¡¯re going to try and stop us¡­,¡± Mercer started to say until Fia placed a hand up. ¡°It¡¯s the exact opposite,¡± Fia started. ¡°We have stuff for ya ta give him.¡± Galin nodded as Fia pulled something out from their inventory. It was a medium sized satchel. ¡°In there are some items we were planning on giving him since we know how difficult a Forbidden Path is, regardless of whether it¡¯s a Tutorial Dungeon or not,¡± Galin said before looking to Mercer. ¡°Can we trust you¡¯ll pass along these items?¡± Mercer nodded as he took the satchel and placed the strap around his shoulder. Normally he would have place it in his inventory, but the materials the bag was made out of somehow prevented him from putting it in. Instead of wasting time asking why, he just said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to deliver the package.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Galin stated. ¡°He¡¯ll know how to use the items I prepared for him.¡± ¡°For the items I made, just tell him he¡¯ll need ta channel in what mana he wants,¡± Fia stated without explaining more. Adva, Phorge, and Nalia looked confused as they tried to process what she had said. If what they thought she was implying was true, then Liam was already learning how to control and manipulate different types of mana. That was impossible. It was something no one who was participating in the Tutorial Area should be able to do yet. It wasn¡¯t a high level technique, but it was something no one would have been able to reach while being here. That¡¯s why they never mentioned something like that to any of the newly integrated people. It was even more confusing since Nalia confirmed that his personal level was six. Was he focusing on other aspects instead of personal level growth? Was that why his level was so low compared to his teammates? Nalia thought as she looked at his group. Has any of them reached that level of Magic? If so then the possibility of them succeeding might not be zero. Just what is that boy Liam? More importantly why did Isis¡­ Nalia shook her head. No. It is not my place to question my Deity¡¯s intentions. However, now I want to know who or what he is to warranty a Goddess¡¯ ire. ¡°What are ya waiting for?¡± Fia suddenly stated. ¡°Are ya waiting for some grand fanfare? Maybe a special lass to kiss your cheek or something? Go on, get! Liam¡¯s probably waiting for ya ta get there ta save his ass since he¡¯s probably neck deep in something.¡± Mercer let out a chuckle as he turned towards the Black Portal. The others followed suit as they waited for him to open the sixth floor for them. He placed a hand on the portal and waited for the screen to appear. As it did, a notification appeared in front of him.
¡°Do you, and the current members with you, wish to join your teammate Liam on the sixth floor? Yes No?¡±
Mercer grew a smile as he pressed the yes option.
¡°Ariyana, Artem, Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman have been granted access to enter the same entrance as Liam.¡±
Confused, Mercer thought, Same entrance as Liam? Granted access? What does that mean? Mercer shook his head. No time for that. We need to hurry up. After Mercer accepted the floor, he no longer hesitated and walked right in with the other five following behind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Mercer felt his stomach flip as he stepped out of the portal and entered the area. He took two steps and fell to his knees as he fought the liquid that was threatening to escape his stomach. He heard the others groan or make dry heaving noises as they entered the room. A chime noise echoed in his mind shortly after. After a few seconds, Mercer pulled himself together and stood back up. He looked back at the others. Contemplating on if he should he said, ¡°Since Liam isn¡¯t here to do the honors, maybe I will¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Avery sharply stated. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Artem said with a slight grin, ¡°Upchuck¡­¡± ¡°Roulette,¡± Mercer added. ¡°Strikes again,¡± Roman quickly finished as they let out a short laugh while the three females in their group stared daggers at them. As their laughter died down they turned to look at the room before them. As they did this, their eyes widened at the sight before them. The room was big. It was wide and long enough that you would be able to run at full speed and not have to stop after taking fifteen steps. The materials for the walls and floors was the same as the last floor they were on, tiled stone. There was an open doorway with no sign of a door on the opposite side of them. However, that wasn¡¯t what had Mercer and the others shocked. It was the destruction that was spread throughout the room. Shattered bones were spread out in areas, along with rotted body parts. Some pieces of Undead creatures were piled within two craters that were on separate sides of the room. Rusty swords and axes were either laying across the floor or plunged into it. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± Artem asked as he felt a shiver run down his spine. Mercer looked at the wall on the left side and saw parts of the wall were chipped and crack. The one on the right had a few indents indicating something had crashed into it pretty hard. ¡°Does anyone see Liam anywhere in here?¡± Blair questioned as she scanned the room. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Roman replied as he looked around. ¡°I see nothing but broken bones and chunks of zombie parts,¡± Avery added as she started to move in. The others followed cautiously after her while they continued to look around. ¡°It looks like a massive battle happened here,¡± Blair commented. ¡°It¡¯s kind of creepy how all these monster parts are just laying around,¡± Artem stated. ¡°Do you think Liam did this?¡± Ariyana questioned as they came closer to the middle of the room. ¡°Do you think he survived this battle?¡± Avery stopped moving and placed a hand out to stop the others. They turned their attention on her, but then turned it on to the massive pile of bones that was directly in the middle of the room. ¡°What¡¯s wro¡­,¡± Artem started to say until he noticed the pile of bones twitch. ¡°Get ready. There might be a monster still alive,¡± Blair ordered as she stepped forward with her Battle axe ready to strike. Mercer stared at the bones. He tried to assess the pile to see what kind of monster was hiding under, but only got information on dead creatures. After a moment he noticed something strange hidden inside the pile which caused his eyes to widen. After realizing what he saw he swiftly rushed over to the pile. Blair tried to grab Mercer to stop his approach, but failed as he quickly ran by her. As he reached the pile, he started to move the bones away. After a brief moment, he revealed what was hiding underneath the pile. With a hoarse voice and squinted eyes, a voice called out as loud as it could, but still sounded a bit quiet, ¡°Oh, hey guys. What took you so long? You missed one hell of a welcome party these guys had ready for us. Don¡¯t worry, I went ahead and thanked them for you as well.¡± ¡°Liam!¡± the others shouted as they ran over to him. They pushed off all the bones and tried pulling Liam out from the mess. Liam let out some complaints as his body ached all over. ¡°Careful,¡± he said with a few winces. ¡°My health is in the tens.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you drink a health potion yet?¡± Avery questioned. ¡°Oh, you know, had such a great time that I was too tired to move afterwards. You know how banger parties go right?¡± Liam stated with a wry smile while sitting up as slowly as he could and pulled out some potions. As he slowly drank the health, stamina, and mana potions, Avery looked him over. His armor was battered a bit, but wasn¡¯t destroyed. The only thing that worried her was the blood that covered him. After he drank the potions, Liam caught where she was looking and glanced down. With a shit eating grin he said, ¡°I might have gotten into a scuffle or two during the party, but don¡¯t worry, if you think this is bad.¡± He waved a hand over his head as he finished, ¡°You should see the other guys.¡± Everyone let out a small chuckle as they were glad to see he was alright. ¡°What happened?¡± Mercer questioned as Liam slowly stood up. ¡°When?¡± Liam asked as he looked at him. ¡°In here or out there?¡± ¡°Both,¡± Blair responded. Liam went over the events of what happened. He started with when he left the Bubbling Potion and finished with what happened inside the dungeon before they arrived. Everyone looked deep in thought as they took in what Liam had told them. ¡°So, someone tried to kidnap you?¡± Mercer asked with his brows furrowed. ¡°Did you see who it was?¡± Liam shook his head as he moved his arms around trying to get all the soreness out. ¡°He wore a hood that kept his face hidden from my sight. Which I find strange since I should have been able to see at least something with my racial benefit.¡± ¡°That is weird,¡± Roman agreed, looking concerned. ¡°What are the chances you think it was staged and Nalia had it all planned?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°I can understand why you would think that and I agree that it was strange that out of everyone, she was the first to react,¡± Liam started as he shook his head once more. ¡°No, that level of fighting was too real for it to be staged. It also felt like she really wanted that man dead for some reason.¡± ¡°Any chance it was Steve?¡± Ariyana inquired as she looked deep in thought. ¡°No chance,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Even though they had the same scent of death, this man¡¯s foul smell was way worse than Steve¡¯s.¡± Avery and Artem grimaced. ¡°You were able to smell the scent of death?¡± Avery asked with a look of disgust. ¡°What does it smell like?¡± Liam looked at her and gave her a very serious expression as he replied, ¡°Like someone took a corpse that was rotting in garbage on a very hot day and decided to add shit into the mix. And that¡¯s me putting it mildly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s gross dude,¡± Artem stated as he tried hard not to gag. ¡°You have no idea,¡± Liam stated as Roman and Blair nodded. ¡°Before I forget, Fia and Galin wanted me to give this to you,¡± Mercer stated as he pulled the strap over his shoulder and handed Liam the bag. Curious, Liam grabbed it and opened it as he said, ¡°Oh? What kind of goodies did they give?¡± Liam stared inside the bag for a moment before his eyes widened. ¡°Holy shit!¡± ¡°What?¡± the others said as they stared at him, curious to know what was in there. There were different types of potions and daggers in it. As Liam stared at them he could tell they were not the same things he was used to making. Liam pulled out the first item. It was a vial slightly bigger than the ones he normally used. In it was a dark minty green colored liquid.
¡°Mint Health Potion. Item type ¨C Potion. Item Rarity -Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Restores 200 health points with each sip. Has a minty flavor.¡±
The next item was a vial the same size with a purplish-blue colored liquid.
¡°Blueberry Mana Potion. Item type ¨C Potion. Item Rarity -Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Restores 200 mana points with each sip. Has a blueberry flavor.¡±
The next was a vial with orangish-yellow colored liquid.
¡°Orange Stamina Potion. Item type ¨C Potion. Item Rarity -Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Restores 200 stamina points with each sip. Has an orange flavor.¡±
The next item was a larger vial filled with purple liquid in it. Every few seconds a red flash would blink in and out. Liam assessed it.
¡°Implosive Heatwave. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C Sucks in enemies within a 25 foot radius. Once when gravity orb hits the ground sends out a powerful wave of fire, covering all enemies within the radius. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 1 minute. Burn debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds.¡±
The last item was one he familiarized himself with not too long ago.
¡°Magnetic Shockwave. Item type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C Pulls any enemies within a 25 foot radius towards the gravity ball in the center. After a few seconds pass, a powerful shockwave will shoot out sending arcs of lightning towards the enemies. Arcs of lightning will also bounce off from one enemy to the next for ten seconds. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 1 minute. 25% chance to paralyze enemies still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds.¡±
Galin, you are amazing! Liam thought as he checked the quantity he gave him. There were fourteen of each potion. As for the Chemicalized Creations, there were five each. Thank God he made more after I left. I was down to my last Magnetic Shockwave after this fight. Now what did Fia give me? Liam placed the potions back into the bag and pulled out one of the daggers that were placed inside. They were curved throwing bone daggers. The size was slightly bigger than the ones he currently used, but he felt there was something different with these ones. He focused his sight on it and tried to see what was so different compared to the ones he currently had. His eyes widened once more as he recognized the difference. ¡°Fia, you didn¡¯t,¡± Liam muttered under his breath as a smile crept up.
¡°Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger (Unattuned and incomplete). Item Type ¨C Enchanted Runic Weapon (Throwing). Item Rarity (Weapon) ¨C Unusual. Item Quality (Weapon) ¨C Above Average. Rune Quality ¨C Common. Enchant Quality ¨C Common. Runes placed - 3 ¨C Endure, Fatal, Swift. Enchants placed ¨C 1 ¨C Unattuned. (Please attune a Mana type to complete enchantment). + 20% Durability, + 20% Damage, + 20% Speed.¡±
Tutorial 110 - Attuning a Mana Type ¡°Please attune a Mana type to complete the enchantment?¡± Liam muttered to himself. His brows scrunched as he questioned, ¡°Fia, what is this about? Why did you give me an incomplete weapon?¡± Hearing Liam mutter Fia¡¯s name made Mercer remember the message she wanted passed along. ¡°That¡¯s right, Fia stated to tell you to channel the mana you wanted. I don¡¯t know what she meant by that though.¡± Liam looked at him then back at the dagger. After a moment, it clicked what the message about attune a Mana type meant. A grin slowly grew on Liam¡¯s face. ¡°Fia, you always complained about doing things above what I am supposed to do and now you¡¯re telling me to finish this enchantment? You sly woman.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ariyana asked with some curiosity and confusion. Liam sat down in a cross legged position as he pulled out the rest of the daggers on the floor to count how many there were. There were a total of eight of them. All of them had unattuned Enchantments, waiting for a mana type to be added to complete the process. ¡°She made me these daggers that have both Runes and Enchantments on them,¡± Liam stated. ¡°They are incomplete because the enchants do not have any mana types attuned to them yet.¡± Mercer¡¯s brows furrowed as he looked at Liam. ¡°What are Runes and Enchantments? And why are the weapons incomplete without any mana types attuned to them?¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know a lot about Runes and Enchantments, but if I had to make as accurate of a guess¡­Runes enhance the weapons physically while Enchantments enhance magically due to the mana type.¡± Liam gave him a toothy smile as he added, ¡°So in retrospect, she made me magical throwing daggers with Runic enhancements.¡± Mercer and the others looked surprised and amazed as they looked back at the weapons. ¡°So, what about the incomplete part?¡± Blair asked with some confusion. ¡°They are incomplete because the Enchantments aren¡¯t attuned yet to any Mana Type,¡± Liam answered as he looked back down at them. ¡°I¡¯m guessing I need to channel enough mana into them to complete the enchantment.¡± ¡°Have you done that before?¡± Avery inquired. Liam shook his head. ¡°No, Enchanting is something I was told I could learn more about after leaving the Tutorial Area, so I didn¡¯t get to look much into it.¡± Roman shook his head. ¡°So, what I¡¯m hearing is you¡¯re about to take a step into something you know nothing about and with no knowledge. Just gut feeling?¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± Liam responded as the others started laughing. He looked at them with a puzzled expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°That sounds so like you,¡± Ariyana stated as she shook her head trying to stifle her laughter. Liam frowned as he stated, ¡°You make it sound like I make a habit of this.¡± ¡°You do,¡± the others said in unison. Liam gave them a faux look of hurt. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even try to defend yourself,¡± Avery bluntly stated. ¡°Just do what you have to do so we can move on.¡± Looking both perplexed and shocked, Liam looked back at the items and thought about what to do. I have eight daggers and four mana types, not adding Lunar Mana since I still can¡¯t get it down. Liam thought. Should I just attune all of them to my Shadow Mana since I use that one a lot? Liam shook his head. As helpful as it would be, he didn¡¯t want to just have them all as one type, he liked diversity, and it seemed like someone else agreed with him. You should do two Shadow, two Lightning, and two gravity. Eri suggested. Leave the last two for when you can grasp Lunar Mana. Yeah? Liam questioned. It¡¯s good to have weapons with different mana types in case you come across enemies that require it. Eri stated. You don¡¯t want all of your eggs in one basket. To be able to catch someone or something off guard will help you in the end. Liam agreed with her. The logic was sound and much like the fighting style he wanted to go with. He didn¡¯t want to be a one trick pony and during his fights on all the previous floors it did seems like having different surprises would be needed. Alright I¡¯ll go with that. Liam agreed as he started to channel some mana around him. He went through the process of chanting a Shadow Orb and cutting off the chant halfway through and pulling the mana towards his hands. He noticed something different this time as the shadow mana wrapped around his hands and made it up to his elbows. He heard a chime sound echoed, but didn¡¯t take the time to check it. He figured he¡¯d look later since he still had a slew of notifications from his fight earlier. He activated his Mana Sight and looked at the weapon before him. He noticed the silver barrier that wrapped around the weapon. Within the barrier was Arcane Mana that didn¡¯t fill the weapon, but instead filled the gap between the barrier and the weapon. He also noted that the Arcane Mana didn¡¯t touch the weapon, there was still some space between them. There¡¯s Arcane Mana there so why didn¡¯t it seep into the weapon? Liam thought as he stared at it. Is it because she didn¡¯t push it to connect? Or maybe¡­ Liam remembered something Fia had told him. It was about the fact that Arcane had no affinities. If Arcane has no affinity then maybe it¡¯s there to act like the middleman to help fuse the mana type with the weapon? Liam concluded as he thought about it. It¡¯s worth a shot. Liam grabbed one of the daggers with his right hand as he hovered his left, open palmed, over it. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. He closed his eyes and started to focus the Shadow Mana on his left hand into a thin line and snaked it around the barrier around the dagger. As his mana wrapped around the barrier of the weapon, he tried poking and prodding to test how strong it was. The barrier was strong, but he did notice a couple of weak spots. That was where he focused his Shadow Mana at. He molded the Shadow Mana to create a sharp triangular shapes, just like he did when Bone Smelting. As soon as they had formed, he slowly pushed the mana into the weak spots. The barrier around the two sharp pencil like forms started to bend a bit, but didn¡¯t hold up as a hole formed, allowing his Shadow Mana to seep in and connect to the Arcane Mana that was inside. Liam grinned as he felt this wasn¡¯t too hard. If it was this easy then Enchanting was going to be easy for him. As soon as he thought this, the two holes suddenly closed up, blocking any more Mana to enter. Liam frowned as he stared at it. What the hell? Liam thought as he stared at the barrier around the dagger. As he stared at it, he thought what went wrong. He was able to make the holes to allow his Shadow Mana to connect with the Arcane Mana, but as that happened it felt like the barrier closed back up. He tried again and watched as the Shadow Mana connect with the Arcane Mana, but shortly after that the barrier closed up once more. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he tried again, but this time focused hard around the barrier and where the two mana types connected. As he watched he realized what the issue was. As soon as the Shadow Mana connected with the Arcane Mana, the thin line of Shadow Mana around the barrier thinned out a bit, allowing the barrier to cut it off. It was like when two water droplets connected. The two areas that connected sucked in allowing those spots to thin out more than they were before. ¡°Okay. It looks like I¡¯ll have to thicken that area once I get it through the barrier,¡± Liam muttered to himself. The others watched with confused looks. Out of all six of them though, Mercer, and surprisingly Roman understood what he was muttering as they watched him do this process with their Mana Sight activated. Liam pushed through the barrier once more with his Shadow Mana. As soon as it connected with the Arcane Mana, he forcefully thickened the two lines that had pushed through, making the barrier push back some before it could cut them off again. Liam grinned as he watched his Shadow Mana mix with the Arcane. The violet color darkened as the raven black color started to take over the space between the dagger and the barrier. Once when the color fully took over, Liam allowed the barrier to cut off his Shadow Mana from entering it and just stared at it. He still wasn¡¯t sure how to properly enchant anything, let alone weapons. Was he supposed to let it sit there and it would complete the process by itself, just like Extraction would do in Alchemy? Liam didn¡¯t think that was the case. He knew he had to do something. He could feel his mana around the dagger, but he didn¡¯t feel any changes to the weapon. He assessed it again and just saw the same thing as last time.
¡°Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger (Unattuned and incomplete). Item Type ¨C Enchanted Runic Weapon (Throwing). Item Rarity (Weapon) ¨C Unusual. Item Quality (Weapon) ¨C Above Average. Rune Quality ¨C Common. Enchant Quality ¨C Common. Runes placed - 3 ¨C Endure, Fatal, Swift. Enchants placed ¨C 1 ¨C Unattuned. (Please attune a Mana type to complete enchantment). + 20% Durability, + 20% Damage, + 20% Speed.¡±
How the hell am I supposed to get the enchantment attuned? Liam thought as he continued to stare at it. It¡¯s not like channeling any more of my mana will do any¡­ A sudden thought popped into his mind as he thought back to when he was trying to learn how to control and manipulate Shadow mana for the first time. He tried to pick up a dagger, but accidentally threw it over his head. As he went to grasp it, a shadow hand had appeared to grab the flying weapon. The Shadow Mana that was coating his hand had disappeared when the Hand was created. Why did that happen? He hadn¡¯t known it at the time, but when he went to grasp the weapon, he had channeled the Shadow Mana that was in his hand to give form to something. He had channeled the Shadow Mana to create a Shadow Hand to grasp the weapon. If channeling mana was what led to creating the Shadow Hand, then maybe channeling the Shadow Mana inside the barrier was what was needed to create the Enchanted attunement? Liam felt he was on the right track, but still felt like there was something he was missing. Just simply channeling the mana wouldn¡¯t be all that was needed. Maybe there was different rules when it came to this. If that was the case then what was it? Liam stared at the dagger that had the pitch raven-black mana surrounding it. After staring at it for a few seconds it clicked. That space between the mana and the dagger. He needed to channel the mana into the dagger. Without second guessing himself, Liam felt his connection to the Shadow Mana inside the barrier and started channeling it. As he channeled it, he tried pushing the mana towards the dagger and felt some push back. ¡°So, you wanna play the hard to get game do you,¡± Liam muttered with a grin. He forced his focus on channeling a little harder, pushing the Shadow Mana closer to the weapon. Each time he pushed the weapon pushed back harder. Liam could feel his mana draining as he forced the mana closer and closer, not allowing the mysterious force pushing him back to win. After a minute of straining, Liam felt the mana touch the weapon and watched as the pitch raven-black colored mana get sucked into it. A couple of chime sounds echoed in Liam¡¯s mind as he opened his eyes and saw the color of the weapon had changed. Instead of the eggshell white color of the bone, thin black lines were marked around it. Wisps of black smoke wafted off of the weapon as well. Liam assessed the item.
¡°Shadow Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger. Item Type ¨C Enchanted Runic Weapon (Throwing). Item Rarity (Weapon) ¨C Unusual. Item Quality (Weapon) ¨C Above Average. Rune Quality ¨C Common. Enchant Quality ¨C Common. Runes placed - 3 ¨C Endure, Fatal, Swift. Enchants placed ¨C 1 ¨C Shadow. + 20% Durability, + 20% Damage, + 20% Speed. + 20% extra Shadow damage. 15% chance to activate Effect ¨C Hidden Whispers. Hidden Whispers ¨C Whispers plague the target¡¯s mind causing distractions and confusion. Can stack up to seven times. Each stack will make the whispers louder, causing the target to become more distracted and confused. Lasts for 30 seconds.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened at what he had read. After reading it all, he said in an almost quiet voice, ¡°Holy shit.¡± ¡°Holy shit is right,¡± Mercer agreed. ¡°That is a nasty debuff.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got that right,¡± Liam said as a smile grew. ¡°If a Shadow Mana enchant can do that then I wonder what Lightning and Gravity can do.¡± Without wasting any time, Liam pulled out a mana Potion, drank it and got back to work. It took Liam another thirty minutes to complete the enchantments on the other five daggers. He grinned wide as he stared at them with complete amazement at what he just did.
¡°Lightning Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger. Item Type ¨C Enchanted Runic Weapon (Throwing). Item Rarity (Weapon) ¨C Unusual. Item Quality (Weapon) ¨C Above Average. Rune Quality ¨C Common. Enchant Quality ¨C Common. Runes placed - 3 ¨C Endure, Fatal, Swift. Enchants placed ¨C 1 ¨C Lightning. + 20% Durability, + 20% Damage, + 20% Speed. + 20% extra Lightning damage. 15% chance to activate Effect ¨C Static Pulse. Static Pulse ¨C sends a small pulse of static up and down the limb of the target every ten seconds. Each pulse will make the limb feel numb for 5 seconds while doing bits of lightning damage with each pulse. Can stack up to five times. Each stack will make the pulse stronger and make the numbing last a second longer with each stack. Lasts for 1 minute.¡± ¡°Gravity Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger. Item Type ¨C Enchanted Runic Weapon (Throwing). Item Rarity (Weapon) ¨C Unusual. Item Quality (Weapon) ¨C Above Average. Rune Quality ¨C Common. Enchant Quality ¨C Common. Runes placed - 3 ¨C Endure, Fatal, Swift. Enchants placed ¨C 1 ¨C Gravity. + 20% Durability, + 20% Damage, + 20% Speed. + 20% extra Gravity damage. 15% chance to activate Effect ¨C Weight Increase. Weight Increase ¨C Each successful strike on a target makes the area struck feel heavier. Can stack up to 8 times. Each stack will make the area struck on the target heavier than the last. Lasts for 1 minute.¡±
¡°This is amazing,¡± Liam said with glee. He then looked at the others and said without thinking, ¡°I need to test these out! We need to head to the dungeon and take on¡­¡± His words died out as he noticed their expressions. He then remembered where they were as he looked around them. With slight embarrassment, Liam let out a cough and said, almost as if he never said anything before, ¡°When we get the chance against some monsters on this floor, I want to test them out.¡± Tutorial 111 - I regret asking Each of the six members shook their heads. A couple let out a sigh as they did this. ¡°Your focus on crafting is on a whole other level,¡± Mercer said with a slight concerning, slight pitying tone of voice. ¡°Are you going to need some time to regain any lost mana before we head out?¡± ¡°You mean before Liam decides to get lost in another crafting spree?¡± Roman snickered. Mercer glared at him before turning back to Liam. ¡°Sorry guys, I just got in my own zone when I tried to attune the enchantments,¡± Liam said with an apologetic tone. ¡°I should only take a few more minutes to replenish my mana. While I do that, pass these potions out. They are Average Quality so they each give two hundred with a sip. Everyone should get two apiece.¡± Liam pulled out twelve of the Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions and placed them in front of him. ¡°Alright,¡± Mercer said as he started passing out the potions. While he did this, Liam decided to check out the notifications he had waiting as he drank a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion.
¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-Stat Resilience has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-Stat Resilience has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 51%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-Stat Vitality has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Constitution Sub-Stat Vitality has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 7%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Agility has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Agility has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: N/A! You can now move an additional 5% faster while in stealth. Your attack speed has increased 5%!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to Tutorial Restrictions, you cannot level this stat any higher. Any and all experience gain while still in the Tutorial Area will accumulate after leaving the Tutorial Area!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Fine Motor has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Fine Motor has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: N/A! All thrown weapons and/or arrows shot have an additional 5% success hit rate. Thrown weapons are easier to curve when throwing!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to Tutorial Restrictions, you cannot level this stat any higher. Any and all experience gain while still in the Tutorial Area will accumulate after leaving the Tutorial Area!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Reflex has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Reflex has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: N/A! 10% chance to dodge surprise attacks! 5% chance to counter or defend surprise attacks!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to Tutorial Restrictions, you cannot level this stat any higher. Any and all experience gain while still in the Tutorial Area will accumulate after leaving the Tutorial Area!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Speed has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Dexterity Sub-Stat Speed has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: N/A! 10% increase when running or sprinting! Decreases Stamina Drain when running by 5%!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to Tutorial Restrictions, you cannot level this stat any higher. Any and all experience gain while still in the Tutorial Area will accumulate after leaving the Tutorial Area!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-Stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-Stat Body Endurance has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-Stat Body Endurance has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Endurance Sub-Stat Crafter Endurance has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 7%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Strength Sub-Stat Power has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Strength Sub-Stat Power has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Stat Strength Sub-Stat Body Strength has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mind Stat Intelligence Sub-Stat Perception has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: N/A! Can pick up on the slightest changes in your surroundings! When assessing enemies¡¯ levels can now be seen!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to Tutorial Restrictions, you cannot level this stat any higher. Any and all experience gain while still in the Tutorial Area will accumulate after leaving the Tutorial Area!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck Sub-Stat Lucky Break has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck Sub-Stat Lucky Break has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: N/A! 10% to get a lucky break during a crafting session, a fight, or learning something new while training!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to Tutorial Restrictions, you cannot level this stat any higher. Any and all experience gain while still in the Tutorial Area will accumulate after leaving the Tutorial Area!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Sight has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Control has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Control has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Channeling has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Channeling has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Manipulation has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Manipulation has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Daggers has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 87%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨CThrowing Weapons has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨CThrowing Weapons has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 12%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Shadows has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 80%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point ¨C Shadow Control has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 80%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability Grasp of the Shadows has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 80%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point ¨C Utility (Shadow) has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%!¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Congratulations! Ability Shadow Hand has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Can now make a 2nd Shadow Hand. When making a Shadow Hand the cost of Shadow Mana needed to produced has decreased.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability Shadow Swarm has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 8%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability Shadow Step has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability Shadow Step has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability Lunar Swarm has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ability Lunar Swarm has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Mana Type - Gravity has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Mana Type - Gravity has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Mana Type - Gravity has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Damage and effects made from Gravity spells has increased 5%! Your Understanding over Gravity abilities has increased!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Mana Type - Lightning has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Mana Type - Lightning has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Damage and effects made from Lightning spells has increased 5%! Your Understanding over Lightning abilities has increased!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Mana Type - Shadow has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Control over Mana Type - Shadow has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Damage and effects made from Shadow spells has increased 5%! Your Understanding over Shadow abilities has increased!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You unlocked Enchanting! You reached Level 1 in Enchanting! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You reached Level 2 in Enchanting! Progression to level 3: 90%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have unlocked Mana Attunement in the Enchanting Craft! You reached Level 1 in Mana Attunement! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You reached Level 2 in Mana Attunement! Progression to level 3: 90%!¡±
Jesus! That was a lot! Liam thought with wide eyes. I knew I had a lot of level ups, but I wasn¡¯t expecting that many. Especially some hitting level twenty. Liam looked at the notifications on Enchanting and Mana Attunement. He still didn¡¯t know much about Enchanting and didn¡¯t expect to get the craft from attuning a Mana type to the weapons, but it was a welcome gift he wasn¡¯t going to complain about. He pulled up the description on the two to see if he could get some idea on what to expect with the craft.
¡°Enchanting ¨C Description ¨C The art of adding Magical stats, increasing the power of different Mana Types, adding Mana Types, and more to weapons, armor, items, or any inanimate object.¡± ¡°Mana Attunement ¨C Description ¨C Through channeling a mana type, you can attune weapons, armor, or items; giving it a Mana Enchant. Through Mana Attunements, items will gain a Mana Type as well as an effect.¡±
¡°Not much of a description, but then again it seems pretty straight forward,¡± Liam muttered quietly to himself. ¡°You ready to go yet?¡± Roman called out. Liam looked at them and then at all the skeletal remains spread out. He grinned as a thought came up. He then called out and said, ¡°I have one more thing I need to do before we go.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After ten more minutes had passed, Liam and the others were walking down the hallway. The thing he did before they left the area was use his Class ability Harvest on all the monster remains. He was able to level his ability up from sixteen to twenty. Another thing that had leveled quite a bit that he had forgotten about was another Class ability called Item Understandance. It was one he always looked over whenever it leveled since, to him, it was just an ability that let him understand items, materials, and the like better. It had leveled to nineteen after looking everything over. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d ever leave that room,¡± Roman jokingly grumbled. ¡°I hope you got some good things from all that.¡± Liam grinned as he looked at the Kitsune. ¡°You have no idea. I got a lot of level ups and some good crafting materials.¡± Avery, Blair, and Mercer eyed Liam as he spoke to Roman. ¡°Do we even want to know what level you¡¯re at with some of your sub-stats?¡± Blair questioned. Liam shrugged as he looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ll just say that that last battle got six of my sub-stats to level twenty.¡± Everyone stopped and turned to look at him. Some had a look of shock, a couple with a look of confusion, and one with a mix of shock and respect. ¡°I regret asking,¡± Blair said as she shook her head. Before they started walking again, Blair, Liam, and Roman¡¯s ears twitched. Mercer and Avery caught it as Mercer questioned, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I hear something up ahead,¡± Roman stated. ¡°Kind of sounds like people arguing,¡± Blair added. Mercer looked at the them and guessed, ¡°Might be the other groups that came in here?¡± ¡°Other groups?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Yeah, apparently there is more than just us in here,¡± Ariyana informed. ¡°Phorge looked into the dungeon. Apparently there¡¯s three other groups of six and a group of two.¡± ¡°A group of two?¡± Liam questioned as he looked at them with some confusion. ¡°Any idea who that group is?¡± The others shook their heads. ¡°Hm¡­,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Maybe they are with the other groups? But then if there are others in here then why were there so many damn monsters at the entrance when I came in?¡± Mercer shrugged. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine.¡± Liam looked down the pathway they were walking in and said, ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find out once when we get out of this hall.¡± As Liam and his group approached the end of the hall they were able to hear people arguing loudly. ¡°We need to wait,¡± A voice growled. ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Another voice shot back with some irritation. ¡°I¡¯m tired of waiting. Whoever it is that is supposed to arrive is taking way too fucking long!¡± ¡°I must agree with Mr. Aranis,¡± another stated. This one sounded more feminine. ¡°Even if we wanted to move into the room, we cannot.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯d agree with him,¡± the agitated voice growled. ¡°You could care less what we do.¡± Liam¡¯s guard went up as he pulled out both of his daggers. He noticed Roman and Blair were ready as well, more than likely recognizing the same voice. Mercer, Avery, Artem and Ariyana noticed this and gave them a concerned look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I¡¯m not one hundred percent, but I¡¯m think I just heard Jude¡¯s voice,¡± Liam stated. Avery¡¯s eyes widened as she asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I heard the voice as well,¡± Blair nodded. ¡°Same here,¡± Roman scowled as he popped his knuckles. ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Artem questioned with a look of confusion. ¡°We should approach the area cautiously and see what¡¯s going on?¡± Mercer suggested. ¡°Sounds like the only thing we can do,¡± Liam commented as he felt an uneasiness in his stomach. He took in a breath and slowly let it out before moving forward again. As they walked out from the hallway they were in, they scanned their surroundings. The room was a half-circle with a tiled floor and bricked walls. Along the curved wall were several doorways. Four doorways were sealed while the others were open, with no signs of doors anywhere. Along the wall opposite the curved wall were hieroglyphs that ran towards a sealed door with a sinister looking lion¡¯s head on it. Liam and the others were walking out of a doorway that was on the end of the right side of the room. In the middle of the room were several people that were spread out in groups. A single person stood in front of each group looking like they were the ones leading them. One group had a Goliath male wearing plate looking armor. A War hammer rested beside him. A male and female elf with blonde hair stood next to the tall Goliath. One wore a white robe with some green lining running along it while the other had a dark red robe with some blue patterns here and there. A Tiefling also stood in the group wearing dark leather armor and a dark brown cloak. On the person¡¯s hips were two daggers. Standing in front of this group was another Elf with the same kind of armor Avery wore. By his side was a long thin sheathed sword that looked a lot like a katana. His facial features were sharp as he stared at the man he was arguing with and had short red hair. He looked different from the other two elves in the group. The next group contained three beast-kins. They looked to have Lion-like features from their ears to their tails. The two males had enough hair that ran to their shoulders looking like it was more of a mane. They had little to no armor on them. Their chests completely bare. They had some leather leggings with some bones wrapping around the shins. Making them look like they were brawlers. Their hands had fingerless gauntlets allowing their sharp nails to freely be displayed. The female Lion-folk had short blond hair. She wore a dark leather top with some chainmail that covered her chest and the top part of her stomach. Her bottom wear was a female version of a loincloth that covered her hips and ran freely to her knees with chainmail lining the inside of the cloth, leaving her legs bare and open. She held an interesting looking spear next to her. Beside the female Lion-kin stood a man with red and blue fairy-like wings. He wore a leather armor with some skulls and bones designed around the chest and arms. Two daggers were strapped to his side as well. Standing next to him was a green skinned woman with long dark green hair. She wore a tight fitting robe with a dark brown wand in her hand. Her looks reminded Liam of Ariyana, but not quite as beautiful as her. Standing in front of this group was a woman who looked the same age as Liam. She had long red hair that was braided in two running, down her green and brown cloth sleeveless shirt that matched her pants. Two branch-like antlers were sticking through her hair. Her skin was tinged with a light green color. She wore red gloves that ran up to her elbows that matched the knee high boots and the short red skirt around her waist. The thing Liam was confused about was the vines that wrapped around her legs and boots as well as her bare arms. In her right hand was a wooden staff that looked like it was made from a tree with vines wrapping around it as well. She had emerald-green eyes and plump red lips. She had a bored aloof expression as she stared at the guys who were arguing. She kind of looked like a plant-human hybrid. The last group had members Liam and the others remembered with two others they had never seen before. Henry¡¯s race had changed to an elf. His pointy ears and sharp facial features stood out with his red leather armor and two daggers strapped to his hips. Mia¡¯s race hadn¡¯t changed at all from what Liam could tell. She also wore leather armor except the color of her armor was a tannish one with some green mixed in. She had a quiver on her back with a bow in her right hand. Theodore¡¯s race had changed his physique a lot. He stood taller than the last time Liam had seen him. His muscles were also bulkier as well. His skin had darkened a bit revealing his Goliath nature. The broad axe he wielded during his fight with him had changed into two battle axes he was able to wield in each hand. For his armor he wore a single pauldron that cover his right shoulder, arm, and some of his right chest area. He also had plated leggings and boots. On his head was a Skull helmet in the shape of a snake head that covered his entire head except his face. Standing next to him was a woman who wore a pure white robe that covered her entire body. She had long green hair and opal eyes. Protruding from her hair were pointy ears revealing she was an elf. Next to her was a beast-kin female that had cat ears and a cat-like tail. Her clothing was a little more provocative than any of the members they had scanned. Her top piece was a cloth like shirt that crisscrossed around her neck and breasts revealing her stomach. She also wore a short skirt with purple leggings that ran down to her ankle high heeled boots. Standing in front of them was Jude. His race didn¡¯t look like it had changed at all. His armor set was interesting to Liam. He too had a snake skull helmet. The rest of his body was black leather with bones wrapping around him. He had tomahawk like axes resting by his side. Jude and the Elf were arguing while the Plant-human hybrid stood there looking bored or aloof. As Liam stared at them, he suddenly felt something¡­familiar coming from the three leaders. He couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but he knew they had to be similar to him. As he thought this, Eri commented in his mind, Now that¡¯s interesting. Tutorial 112 - We need more tact to it Confused by Eri¡¯s comment, Liam questioned, What¡¯s interesting? There was silence for a moment before Eri stated, I won¡¯t say much, but I will say that the Elf swordsman, the Dryad girl, and that human who are standing in the middle are in a similar situation as yourself? Liam looked at the Plant-human hybrid and thought to himself, A Dryad huh? Similar situation? Liam asked as his brows furrowed while redirecting his thoughts to Eri. What do you mean by that? I won¡¯t say anything else. Eri said. Time will reveal all. Not liking Eri¡¯s answer, Liam decided not to push since she wouldn¡¯t divulge any more. Instead, he turned to Mercer and stated, ¡°Looks like you were right about Jude being one of the three.¡± ¡°Of course, I was right,¡± Mercer said giving him a faux look of offense. That look quickly disappeared as he then asked, ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Liam looked at his group then back at the groups in the middle of the room. ¡°We need to figure out what¡¯s going on here.¡± The others nodded as they stepped forward into the room. Artem and Blair walked in front while Avery and Roman walked behind them. Liam was in the middle of the two while Ariyana and Mercer took the rear. As soon as Ariyana and Mercer fully entered the room, the doorway behind them started making noise. The group turned around to see a stone slab slowly go up to close the path they had just entered from. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no going back,¡± Roman commented as they turned back around to see everyone in the room turn to look at them. Liam and his group stared at them, not sure what to do or say. After a brief moment of silence, a voice yelled out, ¡°I knew it!¡± The groups turned to see Jude walking through them, making his way towards Liam¡¯s group. ¡°I knew I felt something different in you from all those other weak trashes out there,¡± Jude stated with what Liam could guess was a grin. He wasn¡¯t able to tell if Jude was actually smiling or scowling since his bone snake head helmet kind of hidden some of Jude¡¯s facial features. Feeling annoyed with the man, Liam stepped forward out from the middle of the group and replied back, ¡°I can¡¯t really say I¡¯m surprised to find you here with how things have been. However, I am surprised that you were in here before me since they restricted us from coming here.¡± As the three groups stared with confusion, realization dawned on Theodore, Mia, and Henry. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Theodore stated as he stared at Liam, Blair, Roman, and Mercer. ¡°Why are they here?¡± Henry scoffed. ¡°Do you know them?¡± the cat girl questioned as she looked at the three. ¡°Not all of them, Mica,¡± Mia started. ¡°That Tiefling in the back was our old boss,¡± Theodore chimed in. ¡°We fought and lost to that guy with the goggles, that Dragon-kin, and the damn fox. The rest are unknowns to us though.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mica muttered as she looked at them. Her eyes fell on Liam and noticed his eyes. Not really his eyes, but his pupils. As she stared at them she recognized something familiar. A playful grin grew on her face as she commented, ¡°Looks like he¡¯s a Cat-folk like me.¡± The members of her group turned to look at her. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Henry questioned. ¡°Call it a girl¡¯s intuition,¡± Mica smiled playfully, not wanting to say more. Henry clicked his tongue at her response. He really didn¡¯t like how coy she was at times. Instead of trying to get more out of her he just faced forward and watched the exchange between Jude and Liam. ¡°Of course, I would get here first,¡± Jude stated. ¡°I wanted to prove that I was strong enough to do this without any other groups. Also fuck the restrictions. I don¡¯t care about what they think. They are just annoyances trying to hold me back.¡± Liam let out a sigh as he commented, ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me that that would be how you would think given with how our last encounter went.¡± Jude let out a laugh at Liam¡¯s comment. ¡°What about you two?¡± Liam asked as he stared at the Dryad woman and the Elf male. ¡°Do you share the same mindset as this muscle head?¡± Jude didn¡¯t take offense to Liam¡¯s words as he turned to look at the two Liam addressed. The Elf swordman and the Dryad slowly walked up to them with assessing gazes. ¡°Please don¡¯t lump me up with a brute like him. It¡¯s insulting,¡± the dryad woman stated with mild annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment, Inyis,¡± Jude grinned. Inyis gave him a look of disgust while rolling her eyes and shaking her head. ¡°As much as I would love to prove that I am stronger than everyone here, I wouldn¡¯t do it in a way he would,¡± the Elf swordsman stated as he approached them. Liam noticed the man looking at something behind him. The look on his face was one of curiosity and confusion. This made him turn to see the one he was staring at. It was Avery. Liam raised a brow at Avery who was frowning at the Elf. Her frown was slowly turning into a scowl which made Liam think she didn¡¯t appreciate the man staring at her. Wonder what that¡¯s all about. Liam thought before looking at the Elf once more and said with a cautious tone, ¡°I¡¯m Liam and you are?¡± The man turned his attention to Liam and looked him up and down. ¡°I¡¯m Aranis. Tell me, are you a rogue class?¡± Liam stared at him for a moment. Without hesitation, Liam replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m a Crafter.¡± Aranis and Inyis raised a brow as they looked at the man once more. ¡°A crafter?¡± Aranis repeated. Liam nodded. ¡°Aren¡¯t Crafters considered a non-combat class?¡± Inyis questioned, her bored and aloof facial expressions from earlier turning into a more curious one. ¡°Are you even useful in a fight? I don¡¯t think Crafters would have any useful attacks,¡± Aranis frowned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t look down on nor underestimate him Aranis,¡± Jude started. ¡°He lasted longer than you against me in the arena and that was before he made it past the fourth floor.¡± Aranis raised a brow at Jude with a slight look of shock. ¡°Interesting,¡± Aranis said then asked Jude, ¡°I take it you won the fight?¡± Jude scowled, ¡°I don¡¯t count that fight as a win. As much as I hate to admit it, if it wasn¡¯t for outside interference I don¡¯t know who would have won that fight.¡± This brought a look of shock and surprise to Inyis and Aranis. Both now looked at Liam with a new light. ¡°If that is the case then I¡¯ll hold any more comments for after I have seen you in battle,¡± Aranis finally stated. ¡°Since you have revealed your class I will tell you that I have the Swordsman class. I do have some Illusion and other magic.¡± ¡°I am a Plant Mage with some Mental type of magic and some earth as well,¡± Inyis joined in. ¡°I do have some healing capabilities, but it isn¡¯t my strong suit.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°If you don¡¯t already know, I have the Warrior class,¡± Jude stated with a grin. ¡°What you probably don¡¯t know is I have some fire magic, but I have focused more on body magic. The Warrior starting class was one Liam hadn¡¯t heard of before yet. He knew there were many different starting classes, but he had seen a lot of the same thing throughout his stay in the Tutorial Area. ¡°Aside from my class as a crafter I have focused in several different aspects. Such as daggers, elemental magic like gravity, and some¡­other things,¡± Liam divulged as he looked at them. ¡°Gravity magic huh?¡± Aranis inquired as he looked at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that one hard to level since the cooldowns are longer than most of the other magics?¡± ¡°It does have some long cooldowns, but when placed in the right area as well as timing when to use it, it can be quite useful. Also, I like the crowd control capabilities it has,¡± Liam stated. Aranis and Inyis nodded to what he said, agreeing that having some form of crowd control was useful. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on in here?¡± Liam asked, changing the subject. ¡°Why have you guys been standing around here?¡± ¡°Apparently this floor is almost similar to the first where there is only one boss fight,¡± Inyis started. ¡°The difference of course is there were monsters at the entrances, and we can have more people here. However, to enter the boss room you need a minimum of four teams to open the door.¡± ¡°Yeah I met those monsters not too long ago,¡± Liam grumbled, which brought up a question. ¡°You said entrances¡­as in more than one?¡± Inyis nodded. ¡°Yes each group entering this floor is sent to a different entrance.¡± ¡°That explains a lot,¡± Liam muttered. A look of confusion grew on Jude¡¯s face as he asked, ¡°By the way, what took you so long to enter the floor?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t originally going to,¡± Liam said. ¡°We were told no one was allowed to so I thought no of you were going to be in here. However, after almost getting kidnapped, I ran in here to escape the battle between Nalia and my would be kidnapper.¡± The three looked at Liam with wide eyes. ¡°Nalia was fighting someone?¡± Inyis asked. ¡°Why would she do something like that?¡± Aranis questioned. Liam shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. I¡¯m more curious on who that man was.¡± ¡°Was it that Steve guy?¡± Jude inquired while narrowing his eyes. Liam shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but the smell was worse than what he had.¡± ¡°Smell?¡± Aranis, Inyis, and Jude questioned as they stared at him. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m half beast-kin so I have heightened senses,¡± Liam explained. The three looked at him again with a questionable look. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have any beast-kin features so I never would have¡­,¡± Aranis started to say until he saw Liam¡¯s pupils thin into sharp lines. ¡°Ah, okay now I see. Your features are more perceptive, and sense based than physical.¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± Liam said, leaving it to that. ¡°So, if it wasn¡¯t Steve, then who was it?¡± Inyis asked. Liam shrugged as he shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure someone will figure it out sooner or later, but for now I just want to focus on getting out of here a live.¡± ¡°I agree with that,¡± Aranis said. ¡°Do you think they know what¡¯s going on in here yet?¡± Liam was about to say something, until Mercer popped in. ¡°They do have knowledge that this is a Forbidden Path.¡± The four turned to look at Mercer. Liam was surprised to hear that and was about to ask, but was stopped as Mercer added, ¡°Before we came in here to find Liam, we ran into the Overseers and some officials who were taking care of what happened before Liam got in here. A messenger arrived to inform Phorge that the other two Black dungeons in the other Tutorial Areas were determined to have Forbidden Paths going on as well.¡± ¡°So those other two Tutorial Areas are experiencing the same thing we are,¡± Inyis commented. ¡°So, they know?¡± Liam questioned. Mercer nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they know or not,¡± Jude stated. ¡°What we¡¯ve been going through doesn¡¯t effect what those who died went through. Unless they too found a Forbidden Path, which I highly doubt since they were so weak, this path we all found has nothing to do with their deaths.¡± Inyis formed a slight scowl at Jude¡¯s words. She was about to comment on what he said until Aranis butted in, ¡°I agree. I hope they don¡¯t try to pin this on us since we are potentially perfect targets for blame.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they would,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Nalia could, but I think Adva and Phorge wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I agree that that Weasel bitch would do something like that,¡± Jude frowned. Unconsciously, Liam let out a laugh. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Jude questioned as he stared at him. ¡°We can agree on something and that¡¯s Nalia is a weasel bitch,¡± Liam replied. Aranis and Inyis nodded their heads in agreement. Inyis tried to hide the chuckle she let slip before schooling her face once more. ¡°Ok, so what¡¯s the plan here?¡± Liam asked as he brought his laughter under control. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jude asked. ¡°We go in there and fuck shit up.¡± Aranis, Inyis, and Liam turned their attention to him with a disdainful look. ¡°What?¡± Jude questioned, taken aback by their facial expressions. ¡°I think it is a great plan.¡± ¡°As much as I can¡¯t really argue that it is the fact what we are supposed to do¡­,¡± Liam started cautiously. ¡°We need more tact to it.¡± ¡°What do you mean more tact?¡± Jude argued. ¡°We don¡¯t know what to expect in there. So instead of planning for something that might not work we should just go in there and attack with all we¡¯ve got till we kill the bastard.¡± Inyis and Liam let out a sigh as Aranis stared at him, unsure what to say. Liam looked at Jude¡¯s group and asked out loud, ¡°Has he been like this the entire time?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Mica replied back with a giggle. ¡°Not much for strategizing that one.¡± Liam shook his head as he looked back at Jude. ¡°You know I¡¯m right,¡± Jude tried to argue once more. ¡°You¡¯re partly right,¡± Liam stated. ¡°You¡¯re right on the fact that some parts of the planning might not work, but that¡¯s what improvising and adjusting is for. As for what to expect in there, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.¡± Aranis, Inyis, and Jude looked at him. Liam pointed to the wall that ran up to the Lion headed door. More importantly, he pointed to the hieroglyphs. ¡°Those hieroglyphs,¡± Liam started then added as he looked at Jude, ¡°Or pictures on the wall¡­¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re attacking my intelligence, but I¡¯m going to choose to ignore it,¡± Jude stated while narrowing his eyes. Inyis let out a giggle at the banter. ¡°Tell us what we will be facing,¡± Liam answered. Aranis looked at the hieroglyphs Liam pointed at. ¡°How do you know this?¡± Liam looked confused. ¡°Because it was like that for the last floor.¡± The three looked at him with surprised looks on their faces. Liam stared at them, trying to figure out why they were giving him those looks until it clicked. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t catch that did you?¡± Inyis averted her gaze from him while gripping her staff and staring at it. Aranis looked away with an embarrassed look while Jude just kept staring at him. ¡°From my brief interactions with him, I can understand he wouldn¡¯t have caught it, but are you really telling me you guys didn¡¯t catch that?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Hey!¡± Jude shouted. ¡°I just never looked at the walls on the last floor,¡± Inyis said with a cough. ¡°She said it was pointless to look at stuff that didn¡¯t make sense to her,¡± the Nature Fae in her group called out. ¡°I was just too focused on the task at hand,¡± Aranis said. ¡°He only has the sword on his brain,¡± the Tiefling in his group shouted out. Liam let out a sigh as the members of their groups started laughing. ¡°I¡¯ll go figure out what we¡¯re going to be up against,¡± Liam said as he walked out to the wall. To Liam¡¯s surprise, Inyis, Aranis, and a few others walked over to the wall with Liam. As soon as Liam approached the end of the wall where the pictures started he saw a figure wearing a cloak standing before walls and buildings. The next picture showed the cloaked figure kneeling before an audience of people and someone sitting on a throne. Is that the Askith Pharoah? Liam thought as he stared at the figure sitting on the throne. The one after that showed the cloaked figure standing in a crowd of people passing them some sort of item. These people looked like they were commoners in the kingdom. The three after that showed the cloaked figure talking to a few notable figures handing them some sort of item as well. Liam recognized them as the Askith Commander who turned into the Askith White Commander, the beast Tamer, and the mage they were supposed to fight instead of Binky. However, Liam had noticed an outline hovering behind the cloaked figure in the one where the Beast Tamer was in. ¡°Interesting,¡± Liam muttered as he looked back at that picture after barely catching it. ¡°What is?¡± Mica asked as she stood next to Liam looking at what he was staring at. Liam turned to see not only her, but the Tiefling from Aranis¡¯ group, and Inyis was looking at him. ¡°I¡¯m Mica, a Cat-folk beast-kin,¡± Mica introduced. ¡°You¡¯re one too right?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± Mica pointed to her mesmerizing light blue eyes. Liam noticed they turned into thin slits. Realization dawned on him as he noticed this. ¡°Ah okay. Anyways¡­these pictures so far have shown that the figure that keeps appearing in each one has had contact with each boss we had to go up against in the last floor.¡± Liam pointed to each figure. ¡°The commoners who turned into the Undead with the Wrathful Mohrg. The Askith Wight Commander. The Deathloc that was eaten by Binky¡­¡± ¡°I remember that creature, she was super hard for someone like me to deal with,¡± Mica stated. ¡°I didn¡¯t like her either,¡± Inyis agreed as she looked at them. ¡°She was a pain,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°There was also the Beast Tamer who was taken over by the Demonic Dybbuk and the Askith Pharoah Mummy Lord. However, what I found interesting was the fact that the Demonic Dybbuk was there when the cloaked figure made contact with the Beast Tamer.¡± ¡°Really?¡± the Tiefling questioned, clearly enamored by what Liam had informed them of. ¡°I¡¯m Joshua by the way. You can call me Josh.¡± Liam got a better look at the man and noticed he had blue skin and crimson orbed eyes. His horns were small and didn¡¯t elongate a lot, unlike Mercer¡¯s were. Liam nodded as he pointed to the faint outline of a jellyfish. ¡°Yeah, right there.¡± The three peered at what Liam had pointed out and after a few seconds they were able to see it. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s pretty cool. But what does that mean?¡± Josh inquired. ¡°It means the creature was either there all along or was brought there by the cloaked individual,¡± Liam explained. ¡°These pictures show some sort of information about the target we¡¯re about to face. So far it has clearly shown this person has had some influence on their changes or something of the like.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Mica asked, curious about the whole thing. ¡°The items the figure keeps giving out,¡± Liam said as he pointed to each one. ¡°So far it¡¯s been handing them out to each person for some reason.¡± ¡°Any idea why?¡± Inyis questioned. ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find out as we continue down the pictures.¡± After Liam finished he looked at the next one and saw the figure standing next to the Pharoah. Both the figure and the Pharoah had an item each and it looked like they were exchanging them. The figure now held a jar of some kind, while the Pharoah held a book. Liam narrowed his eyes as he stared at this. Is that the same book I got after killing the Askith Pharoah Mummy Lord? And did he give the figure one of his jars? Liam thought before moving on to the next picture. The next picture showed a temple with stairs leading up to the top. It had several different copies of the cloaked figure making its way up to the highest floor in the temple. As Liam looked at the next picture he let out a slew of curses making the three stare at him with very concerning looks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aranis questioned as everyone turned their attention on him. ¡°We¡¯re dealing with a god damn fucking Necromancer,¡± Liam grumbled loudly. Tutorial 113 - It takes four to open a door ¡°Are you sure?¡± Aranis questioned as he and the rest made their way over to him. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam said with some frustration laced in his voice. ¡°Look here.¡± Liam pointed to the hieroglyph showing the cloaked figure glowing with colors of hazy grey and black. Outside of the temple showed dead bodies everywhere with the same color wrapped around their bodies. The next picture showed the dead bodies were now skeletons, zombies, and mummies. The Throne room had the Pharoah now in his Mummy Lord form with the other EFMs in their new forms. ¡°These pictures show the figure transforming the dead citizens of the Askith Nation into Undead creatures,¡± Liam stated. ¡°And unless there is a different class that can do that, then we are dealing with a damn Necromancer.¡± ¡°What is it with Necromancers?¡± Jude commented, sounding a bit irritated as well. Inyis looked at the pictures Liam had pointed out before turning to the last couple ones. ¡°What about these ones?¡± Inyis questioned. Liam turned to look at them. The next picture went back to the room the hooded figure was in with some sort of drawn out circle on the ground. Colors of black, hazy grey, and sickly green looked to be going towards the circle. The last one had the cloaked figure standing in a position with a leg back and leaning back with their hands out, looking almost afraid. However, Liam couldn¡¯t see what the figure was afraid of because that section of the picture was destroyed. It was almost like something didn¡¯t want them to see or know what had happened. ¡°It looks like the figure was trying to summon something,¡± someone stated. Liam turned to see it was the Elf wearing the dark red robe with blue patterns spread throughout the clothing. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Liam asked, curious about what he said. ¡°That circle drawn out there. It¡¯s a Summoning Ritual Circle meant to summon beings. If we are dealing with a Necromancer then it could be demons or some sort of high level Undead creature,¡± the Elf informed. Liam looked at the picture again. After thinking it over, he nodded agreeing with the man. ¡°If the figure was trying to summon something, then what did it summon?¡± Mica questioned. ¡°Thanks to whoever did this, we don¡¯t know,¡± Liam stated as he stared at the destroyed section of the picture. He really hated not having all the information. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to fight a Necromancer either before or after the summoning ritual?¡± Aranis asked. ¡°Or during,¡± Liam added. ¡°With how things have been who knows.¡± ¡°Well, instead of trying to figure it out let¡¯s just get in there and kill it,¡± Jude stated. ¡°If it¡¯s a Necromancer, then maybe with all of us here we¡¯ll be able to take care of it quickly.¡± ¡°Or we¡¯ll just walk into a mass horde of Undead already summoned by the Boss,¡± Liam countered. Jude shrugged. ¡°More exp for us to get then.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Alright fine, but before we go diving in to what is probably a sea of creatures we need to figure some things out.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Jude questioned, feeling impatient. ¡°Are we doing this as a single group or are we doing this as four different groups?¡± Liam asked. Before anyone could say anything, Jude firmly stated, ¡°Four.¡± The others stared at him. ¡°I swear you can be insufferable,¡± Inyis commented. ¡°We don¡¯t know each other, nor do we know how each group fights,¡± Jude continued, ignoring Inyis¡¯ comment. ¡°Instead of trying to create some unstable synergy its better we split into four groups and just fight like how we normally do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually¡­sound logic,¡± Inyis stated with a cautious stare at Jude. ¡°What happens if something happens that needs someone to organize everyone,¡± Aranis asked. Jude hiked a thumb at Liam as he stated, ¡°Then leave it to that guy. I have seen how he was able to move his team in an arena fight and could tell he has a knack for strategy. He probably has better eyes than us anyways and can tell us what we need to know or do.¡± Everyone turned to look at Liam. ¡°You have got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Liam swore under his breath feeling irritated at Jude. ¡°I¡¯m going to put this out here, I am no leader. I can help by pointing shit out whenever I see something, but I cannot lead. However, if there are others in different groups willing to help me out by relaying information as well as pointing out stuff I miss then I¡¯ll take point. However, I need to know if anyone else has something called Perception of the Control Tower?¡± ¡°I have it,¡± Inyis said as she looked at Liam with a surprised expression. ¡°I have it as well,¡± Mica stated as she raised her hand. ¡°Me too,¡± the male elf wearing the dark red robe said. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Liam asked, mentally kicking himself for not asking earlier. ¡°Rezath,¡± he answered. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Rez since it¡¯s easier to pronounce,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Are you alright with that?¡± Rez shrugged looking like he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam started back up. ¡°I¡¯ll need you guys to call out when heals are needed, debuffs need to be taken off or if anyone needs any buffs. Everyone will take care of their groups during the most part of the fight, however, if someone can¡¯t do it and needs assistance from another group we will need to communicate that. How does that sound?¡± Everyone nodded agreeing with the idea. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s a few other things we will need to go over before we start this fight. So, let¡¯s get it out of the way,¡± Liam stated as they jumped into a strategy meeting. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam and the others spent the next half an hour coming up with a strategy for how to approach the boss fight. First they assigned roles to certain members. Those roles were buffers, healers, main tank, off tanks, Control Towers, etc. Most of the roles were easy to understand like buffers, healers, main tank, and off tanks. The Control Tower had several functions in this raid type atmosphere. The Control Tower kept an eye on the party¡¯s health, mana, and stamina. They called out for buffs when they were about to drop, debuffs or damage over time spells that needed cleansed, and for those that had some sort of crowd control, used those spells. They weren¡¯t limited to just that though, they would also attack or heal when needed. However, their main job was to keep an eye out for changes in the battle and new mobs joining the fray. Since there was one person in each group who had the Perception of The Control Tower skill, they tried to experiment with it to see if they could add people from the other groups to their list. However, it didn¡¯t work. They weren¡¯t sure if the skill needed to be at a higher level or if it was even possible, but they tried anyways. After going over that they decided how they were going to approach this fight. Since they were going to stay with their respected groups, they figured they would spread out as much as they could, but still be within reach in case one group needed a healer or buffer. If the room was full of monsters then they would try and fight their way towards the main boss. Depending on how many mobs were running around, they would focus the mobs first if there were a lot of them. If there wasn¡¯t a lot then they would send the main tank, the Goliath male wearing the plate armor by the name of Bernard, would make his way to the main boss to get his aggro. Along with Bernard, they would send an attacker type from each group to try and whittle the boss¡¯ health down while the others finished the mobs before joining in. Those first string attackers would be Josh, the Tiefling from Aranis¡¯ group, Avery from Liam¡¯s, Leo, the Lion-folk from Inyis¡¯ group, and Jude. They would switch people around as best as they could depending on the situation. ¡°So, what do we do if the situation isn¡¯t what we expect it to be?¡± Jude questioned. ¡°We improvise,¡± Liam said with a shrug. ¡°Not much we can do without any information.¡± Jude nodded, accepting his response. ¡°Are we ready to go now?¡± Liam was hesitant to answer. He wanted to bring out his Shadow Hands, especially since now he could have two, but wasn¡¯t sure if he should with this crowd. He didn¡¯t know if any of them knew Shadow magic since they were as new as he was to this world, but he was still cautious. On the other hand, he knew he would probably need to use everything he had at his disposal, including his Lunar magic. After debating it over a few times in his mind, he decided to be safe than sorry. ¡°Not yet, let me get ready,¡± Liam said as he activated his Mana Sight. He started to channel his mana and was about to start chanting his Shadow Orb spell so he could control the Shadow Mana, but stopped as he noticed something different about the mana channeling around him. Mixed in with the violet color of his Arcane Mana, Liam noticed clumps of raven black and purplish-yellow colors swimming about. Interesting. Liam thought as he stared at them. He decided to try an experiment. He focused on the Raven-black colors that were swimming around within the violet mana encasing his body. As he focused on trying to pull on that mana, he noticed all of the raven black mana pushed through and cover his hands and forearms. Liam grew a smile as he saw his experiment succeed. This will be so much faster than having to do that half chant. Saves time and doesn¡¯t require a waste of mana. Liam thought as he focused on the spell he needed for the fight. Two Shadow hands appeared floating above both of his shoulders. Everyone¡¯s, except for Liam¡¯s group, eyes widened as they saw the two smoky raven black hands appear. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Liam heard someone shout. ¡°What are those?!¡± another questioned. Jude grinned as he stared at Liam. He then looked at Aranis and commented, ¡°See, not to be underestimated.¡± Aranis, who snapped out of being surprised, looked back at Jude and said, ¡°I guess so. He is full of surprises.¡± Liam pulled out two Black Widow Matriarch Throwing daggers and handed them to the two Shadow Hands. After he did this he decided to test something out. Instead of moving his hands to move the two Shadow Hands, he tried to move them with his will. He failed at first, but after four more tries he was able to have them move on their own. What he had to do was connect the Shadow Mana that covered his hands and forearms and just allow the connection to move around freely, like a puppet with strings. He did notice that this drained the Shadow Mana slowly. It was negligible, but he figured after a while it would fully drain. For now, he cut the connection off to save the mana. Another thing he noticed was the range increased a bit since leveling this up to ten. However, if he moved the hands out as far as he could they were less responsive with this new method. ¡°What are those?¡± Inyis and Mica asked with much curiosity. ¡°This is an ability called Shadow Hands,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I won¡¯t go into much details about them because it¡¯ll take a while, but they are very handy for holding small items like daggers to help with attacks.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Inyis said. She then quietly muttered as she stared at Liam without him hearing, ¡°Shadow magic huh? I guess it could have uses like this.¡± ¡°Are we ready now?¡± Jude asked again, feeling a bit antsy. ¡°Unless anyone else needs to prepare,¡± Liam said as he looked around. ¡°Then I think we are ready.¡± ¡°About time,¡± Jude said as he made his way to the door. Everyone followed close behind with the other three leaders standing by him. They stared at the giant menacing looking lion¡¯s head. The mouth was closed, but its teeth were baring. On the forehead of the stone creature was a violet eight pointed star with a weird oval shape in the middle of it. In a half circle above the door were seven dimmed crystals. There were no handles or levers around the door showing no indication of how to open it. As they stared Jude looked to the others and asked, ¡°So¡­how do we open this door?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Inyis replied as she studied the stone door piece. ¡°Maybe we have to push it?¡± Aranis suggested. Jude shrugged as he placed his hands on the lion¡¯s head and got ready to push with all he had. However, right as he touched the door ornament, one of the crystals lit up. Liam watched as a line ran from the crystal to the violet eight pointed star. He then watched as the shape slightly opened. Jude removed his hand from the door, deactivating the crystal and closed the shape. ¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered as he placed a hand on it and watched the same thing happen again. While keeping his hand on the door, Liam looked at Avery and said, ¡°Place a hand on here, I want to test something out.¡± Avery nodded as she place a hand on it. Nothing happened. Avery frowned as she took her hand away. He had Mercer and Blair do it as well but still there was no change. He then turned to Jude and said, ¡°Put your hand back on it.¡± Jude nodded as he placed his hand back on it. A second crystal lit up creating another line to run towards the symbol on the lion¡¯s head. The shape opened a little more. It was now a third open. Liam saw a dot form in the middle of the open section of the oval shape, but at the same time he wasn¡¯t sure if it was a dot. ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said as he believed he figured it out and took his hand off of the door. He turned to the others and said, ¡°I think it only activates when one member from each group places a hand on it.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Inyis agreed as she looked at him. ¡°Should it be us leaders who do it?¡± Liam shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters, but for morale, it might be good.¡± Aranis nodded as he and Inyis walked up to the door and stood on Liam¡¯s right. Liam looked at them and then at Jude who was on his left. ¡°You all ready to do this?¡± ¡°Hell yeah,¡± Jude grinned. Aranis nodded with a stoic look as Inyis shrugged, looking like she could care less. ¡°Alright then without further ado, let¡¯s get this show on the road,¡± Liam said as they all placed a hand on the door. Liam watched as four crystals instantly lit up. Lines ran from the crystals towards the violet eight pointed star symbol. The weird shape in the middle of the star slowly opened up. It stopped at the three quarters mark. Liam stared at what he thought was a dot, but then realized he was thoroughly wrong. It wasn¡¯t a dot, but an eye. It further made it true as the iris and pupil moved to stare at them all. Liam wasn¡¯t sure, but it felt like the eyes was judging each and every one of them. He then watched as it lingered on the ones who placed a hand on the door. It squinted for five seconds before sending the energy from the lines down into the lion¡¯s head. Liam and the other three quickly removed their hands away from the door as the lion¡¯s mouth opened and let out a proud loud roar. After that, a line ran down the middle of the door and the lion¡¯s head. After the line fully formed, the two newly formed doors slowly swung towards them revealing the contents of the room. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the room, fully infested with Undead monsters, awaiting them. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Liam muttered as he dragged the word out. Tutorial 114 - Opening Salvo Liam stared into the room with eyes wide and mouth agape. If he thought the entrance had a lot of monsters there when he arrived then he was sorely mistaken. He couldn¡¯t tell how many were in the room, but he knew it was more than a hundred maybe two hundred, but with how they kept moving around it was pointless for him to try and count. Liam did notice that something was preventing the monsters from rushing towards them. Not that they weren¡¯t trying to. Some of the skeletal creatures were walking into some sort of invisible barrier that just bounced them back a bit. It looked like the barrier¡¯s edge was at the bottom of the steps in front of them. Liam took a moment to scan the room. This room was massively spacious. Four massive stone pillars stood close to the edge of the room holding up the ceiling that was high up that you¡¯d seriously had to use all your strength to throw something to hit it. Off to the middle of the left and right walls were closed entrances with a dimmed crystal above each door. In the middle of the room standing on the raised platform was a cloaked figure with its back towards them. It stood close to the edge as it looked down at something. Four small pillars were standing on the corners of the raised platform. On the tips of them were dimmed light green crystals. Liam noticed some new undead monsters mixed in with some familiar ones in there. He decided to assess each to see what they were dealing with.
¡°Askith Skeleton Warrior. 650/650 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 17.¡± ¡°Rotted Askith Zombie. 600/600 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 16.¡± ¡°Shredding Zombie. 775/775 Hp. 0/0 MP. Level 17.¡± ¡°Elite Askith Skeleton Soldier. 4,700/4,700 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 21.¡± ¡°Askith Mummy Guard. 7,000/7,000 HP. 500/500 MP. Level 21.¡± ¡°Rotted Askith Zombie Mage. 2,750/2,750 HP. 1,960/1,960 MP. Level 18.¡± ¡°Hyena Zombie. 1,000/1,000 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 15.¡±
Liam¡¯s mouth widened with each notification he read. Well, this is going to be a bit harder than I thought. Liam thought to himself before assessing the cloaked figure. However, no matter how hard he tried to assess what looked like to be the boss, he wasn¡¯t able to pull anything up. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Liam muttered under his breath while scrunching his brows. He turned to look at Inyis. She too had the same look as him. Mica and Rez as well as he figured out they, too, weren¡¯t able to get much information on the target. ¡°Looks like this fight is going to be one of attrition,¡± Inyis commented as she looked around. She then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°How should be do this?¡± Liam looked from her to the Undead crowd that were trying to get pass the invisible barrier to them. He thought some things over before starting, ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be as easy as just killing our way over to the boss. We¡¯re going to need to fight smart and with precise judgement.¡± Liam turned to Jude. ¡°I know your way of fighting is probably just barreling through using brute force, but I don¡¯t think that will work here. We will need to work together to wipe out as many as we can before facing the boss.¡± Jude turned his gaze from the sea of monsters towards Liam. Liam noticed the wicked grin that was placed upon his face. ¡°I may be a battle junkie, but even I know when I need to tone it down some,¡± Jude stated. ¡°Tell me, what kind of strategy do you have in mind for this fight?¡± Liam eyed him. He was surprised by Jude¡¯s sudden change from wanting to rush in head first to using his head. ¡°We¡¯re going to use a strategy I like to call, Crowd Control,¡± Liam said before turning to face the others. ¡°Everyone with movement restriction type crowd control abilities up to the front.¡± Ariyana and Blair walked up along with Inyis, Rez, and Mica. Liam looked at them. He knew Inyis was a Plant mage and had the same type of crowd control abilities that Ariyana would have. He didn¡¯t know what Rez or Mica had though. ¡°What are your movement restriction type abilities?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°I have gravity,¡± Mica answered. She then gave him a wink as she added, ¡°Since you have it too, you should know what spells I have.¡± Liam was surprised by this. He didn¡¯t think she would have Gravity magic. His first impression of her was more of a seduce your opponents and take them out, but maybe there was more to her than he thought. Probably guessing what he was thinking. Mica gave him a playful smile and said coquettishly, ¡°A girl¡¯s got to have options.¡± Liam shook his head as he turned to Rez. ¡°I have Ice magic and I gained a crowd control ability called Icicle Encase,¡± Rez replied. ¡°I have it leveled up enough that it will freeze a group of enemies up to their knees.¡± Liam looked at Mercer and gave him a curious look since he knew Mercer had the same elemental magic. Mercer shook his head and mouthed, ¡°Not high enough yet.¡± Liam nodded before turning back to everyone. ¡°Okay so here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do,¡± Liam started. ¡°Since the front area isn¡¯t that wide in front of us. We¡¯re going to use our abilities to trap those monsters in the front to prevent others from coming. While the front is blocked, we will try and attack long ranged to take out as many of the mummies and zombies as we can. Especially those thrashers. Anyone with fire spells focus the mummies.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Melee and defenders will guard and wait for the crowd control abilities to wear out. Buffers will wait on buffing and will join in on the long range attacks if you¡¯re able to. Does that work for everyone?¡± Finding the plan acceptable, everyone nodded their heads. ¡°Okay. So, from left to right, the order of crowd control will be Ariyana, Mica, Rez, Myself, Inyis, and Blair,¡± Liam informed. ¡°Try to leave a small gap between so the spells don¡¯t overlap and create some issue.¡± Liam then added as he looked at Mica, ¡°Blair already knows this, but Mica, when you use Gravity Well layer a Gravitational Force Increase on top of it.¡± Mica gave him a surprised look as she said, ¡°I was wondering if that would work, but never tried it. I take it you have tested this out?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Sweet then I¡¯ll do that,¡± Mica said with a wicked grin. ¡°Sounds good and all, but I have a question,¡± Aranis butted in. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liam asked. ¡°How are we going to get pass the barrier that¡¯s holding back the monsters?¡± Aranis questioned. ¡°I have two theories on that,¡± Liam started to reply. ¡°One, once when the last person walks in then it¡¯ll drop. If that doesn¡¯t happen then once when a spell has been casted and shot over the barrier it¡¯ll drop.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the likelihood any of those would be it?¡± Inyis asked. Liam shrugged. ¡°Five percent. I¡¯m running with guesswork and video game knowledge, which probably isn¡¯t the best, so nothing is certain.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Inyis said with a slight giggle. ¡°Alright lets get into position,¡± Liam said. ¡°Defenders and melee with no long range abilities to the front. Crowd Control users on the second step. Start chanting when I give the signal. Long range attackers will be behind everyone with the buffers.¡± Liam then looked at Mercer and said, ¡°Wait a moment before entering the room. Once when we are almost done chanting then step inside so we can see if my first theory was right.¡± Mercer nodded as he waited and watched everyone get into place. He watched as they started channeling mana around them before they started chanting. He was familiar with Liam¡¯s and Ariyana¡¯s spells and how long it took to chant. Once when he recognized their chants getting close to the end he took a step into the room. Nothing happened. Theory one debunked. Mercer thought as he faced forward and watched as the spells shot towards their designated locations. Vines shot out from the ground in several places, wrapping around the creatures that stood above them as three black orbs hovered a bit behind some of the monsters and started pulling them in. The one spell Mercer was interested in though was the one Rez was casting. The ground below a group of monsters suddenly grew cold and white as it spread out. Once when it reached out far enough, the feet and legs of the undead creatures standing on it started to freeze, restricting their movements forward. As soon as these spells took form though, the door behind the group of people slammed shut. Moans, groans, and indistinguishable noises suddenly filled the room. Theory two was correct. Mercer thought as he pulled out his bow and aimed for the first thrasher in his sight. He took a breath in and released it as the arrow sank into the skull of the creature. After Liam finished placing his Gravitational Force Increase over the area his Gravity Well was placed, he watched as the long range attackers released spells and arrows. Zombies, Mummies, and Skeletal creatures were suddenly pummeled by the attacks. A few zombies dropped from barrages, but the Mummies and the skeletal creatures tanked the hits. After a few more of the attacks landed against them they started dropping. However, the speed at which they were falling was a lot slower than he liked it to be. He took note of where the stronger of the creatures were. More Mummy Guards were spread out a bit in the middle of the pack but were still located in two groups close to each other. The Zombie Mages were huddled close to each other in two groups as well with a few Elite Skeleton Soldiers guarding them. He judged how far they were and thought about how far his throwing arm could lob things. It was too far to throw his throwing daggers, but the range was acceptable for the items he had in mind using. A smile grew on his face as he thought about the potential damage he was hoping to cause with these items. He looked at the timer on his Gravity Well and decided to get ready as it passed the halfway mark. He pulled out four large vials. He grabbed the daggers off of his Shadow Hands and gave them each a vial full of purplish liquid with flashes of red coming in and out. He then pulled his goggles down over his eyes and grabbed the two large vials full of purplish liquid with arcs of lightning bouncing around inside. Inyis saw this and asked, ¡°What are those?¡± Liam turned to look at her and gave her a wicked smile as he replied, ¡°These? They are party favors I¡¯m about to give to our kind hosts.¡± The defenders and melee attackers turned with curious looks as they heard this and stared at the vials. Before anyone could ask what they really were, Liam called out, ¡°Stop attacking and replenish your mana. Buffers get ready to start buffing. Defenders and melee get ready for the incoming wave. Control Towers don¡¯t forget to communicate.¡± Everyone did as they were told while they got ready. ¡°However, before any of that,¡± Liam started as he took aim for the spots he took note of. He then brought his right hand back along with the right Shadow Hand and then threw the two vials towards two different spots. He then brought his left hand back aimed and then threw as quickly as he could. As the vials soared through the air, Liam finished saying, ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy the show.¡± The two on the left weren¡¯t as accurate as the ones thrown with his right hand, but they were close enough as the bottles smashed on the ground. One of the vials with red flashes landed in the middle of the groups with the Mummy Guards as the other landed a bit more towards the edge of the left side of the other group. One of the ones with lightning arcing around landed in the middle of the Zombie Mages while the other landed a bit more in front of them. At first nothing happened. This caused one of the Lion-folk males to turn and ask, ¡°Were they duds?¡± Liam just stood and smiled as four massive pitch black orbs rose into the air above the heads of the monsters they landed around. Large chunks of monsters in the area were suddenly pulled in towards the orb, not allowing them to escape. After a few seconds had passed the orbs above the groups that had the Mummy Guards along with some Elite Skeleton Soldiers and Zombie Thrashers suddenly dropped to the ground. As soon as the orbs slammed down hard a large ring of fire blasted outwards, engulfing everything that was clumped together in a massive wave of fire. Liam noticed the monsters that were around the edges of the wave of fire light up with fire coating them. He also noticed their movements start to become more sluggish than normal. At the same time this was going on, the two orbs that hovered around the Zombie Mages, Elite Skeleton Soldiers, a few Zombie Hyenas, and Rotted Zombies, suddenly flashed and sent a shockwave of lighting out washing over all the creatures within it. After the shockwave dispersed, lighting suddenly bounced from creature to creature that were crumpled together until several arcs of lightning shot out from the group and connected with the undead creatures outside of the radius, causing them to convulse and fall to a knee. Everyone stared at the fireworks that had happened behind enemy lines with shock and awe. They stared at the aftermath with amazement as almost all the monsters caught up in the destruction were wiped out. Only a few individuals were still alive, if barely, inside the four craters that were made from the items. The group of people turned to look at Liam, including his group, who was smiling at the results of the creations he had a part in making. I am so going to specialize in Chemicalized Creations in Alchemy when I get the chance. Liam thought as he grinned widely and excitedly. Ariyana leaned close to Mercer and whispered, ¡°Now we know where those craters came from back in the entrance room.¡± Mercer nodded slowly. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a spell was it?¡± Aranis questioned as he looked at Jude. ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t think that was. I think those were purely crafted items,¡± Jude replied before looking at Liam. ¡°Huh,¡± Aranis said. He then muttered as he turned to look at Liam, ¡°Crafters can be scarier than regular fighters.¡± Liam noticed Aranis and Jude staring at him. Aranis with a look of approval mixed with some concern as Jude had the same wide excited grin as Liam. Liam stood proud and stated while still wearing a grin of his own, ¡°One hell of an opening salvo right?¡± ¡°One hell of an opening salvo indeed,¡± Jude agreed. Tutorial 115 - You can take my fun if you’d like Jude turned back to the group of monsters that were breaking free from their restraints. He then said, ¡°Can¡¯t let a magnificent way to start a boss fight go to waste.¡± He took a deep breath before shouting out as loud as he could, ¡°Defenders and Attackers! Let¡¯s do some damage!¡± In unison, all the defenders, Bernard, Artem, Blair, one of the male lion-folk from Inyis¡¯ group, and Theodore, spread out then slammed a foot down and let out a loud taunting roar at the creatures in front of them, making them focus their attention on them. Each of them received different types of buffs as Mercer and the others assigned to the roles of buffers cast their spells. Since Mercer was the only bard, however, he was the only one playing a song through his chosen instrument, the violin. Ariyana and Mica cast their buffs over the spell users and the buffers to help give an extra push to them before focusing on their assigned tasks. Both of them, along with Inyis, had the Field of Illusions, and were tasked with using any illusion type spells to help the front line when they were in a tight spot. The only ones they were told not to use these spells on were Aranis and Roman since they too had the same field but decided to use it on themselves when need be. As the first wave of creatures, that weren¡¯t affected by Gravitational Force Increase, reached the front line, the defenders swiftly clashed with them. After the buffers finished with the defenders they switched over to the melee attackers. Once they finished up, they too joined in with long range attacks. Their targets were the undead creatures that were coming towards them from behind the front line of monsters. Liam watched as Artem parried a strike from a Skeleton Warrior, allowing Roman to come in from the side and land a few punches in before jumping back to dodge a strike from a Rotted Zombie. Liam threw a couple of his Gravity enhanced Throwing daggers into both arms. After they sunk in, he quickly pulled them back with his mana manipulation. The zombie¡¯s arms dropped to its sides almost as if they were too heavy to lift. This allowed Roman to slam a few punches into the creature¡¯s skull and stomach. Since the monster¡¯s arms were dangling, Roman continued to punch it several times until it finally dropped. As the creature dropped, Roman spun to his right and landed a few more strikes in to the Skeleton Warrior as Artem knocked it off balance. Liam turned his focus to Blair who had swung her Axe down in a diagonal angle into two Rotted Zombies and one Skeleton Warrior. The force and heaviness of the weapon caused the monsters to stagger back and drop to a or both knees. Avery didn¡¯t let this opportunity slip by as she swiftly and preciously struck two of the monsters as quickly as she could. After landing a few strikes, Avery pivoted her right foot back to turn her body and dodged a strike from the Skeleton Warrior. After allowing the monster¡¯s sword to miss and collide with the ground, Avery kicked the Skeleton into a Zombie on the opposite side. Both creatures tipped over as she turned her focus back on the two Rotted Zombies and unleashed a flurry of strikes upon them. After one dropped she continued on the next one. Mercer released an arrow and split it into two having them collide into the skull of a Shredding Zombie that was getting ready to leap at Avery. Liam noticed Ariyana suddenly appeared behind the undead creatures her teammates were fighting. She said something to them and started running to an open spot leading the few monsters she was able to distract away. He then watched as a sword slammed into her causing her body to disperse into a puff of smoke. Liam glanced to his right and left. After slaying some of the monsters that had blocked their path they were able to push in some and spread out a bit. Since the room expanded some, it gave enough room for them to let loose some Area of effect spells without them colliding with anyone from the other groups. They had enough space for that, but were still close enough in case they needed help. Inyis and her group was to his right and were fighting the wave of monsters closer to the wall. Aranis¡¯ group was right next to his left. However, due to their attack speed and great teamwork, they were pushing the monsters a little farther forward giving Liam and Jude¡¯s group on the other side of Aranis¡¯ group some breathing room. Liam saw Aranis split into three copies of himself and attack a small group of undead creatures on his own while his team worked together to take down a small group. Jude¡¯s group was holding their own as well. As much as he didn¡¯t like some of the people in his group, Liam had to admit they were doing a great job. He saw Mia light an arrow tip on fire before firing it into the head of a Mummy Guard a few times. Theodore was tanking hits from several Rotted Zombies and Skeleton Warriors while responding with strikes from his axes. Henry popped in and out while attacking some of the monsters going after Theodore with some impressive attack speed. He then shook his head as he watched Jude destroy three Skeleton Warriors to pieces as he struck as hard as he could with his tomahawk-like axes. Musclehead. Liam thought before looking at timers that were counting down next to each member of his party. Artem¡¯s and Blair¡¯s buffs were close to falling off. Mercer¡¯s was next. Avery¡¯s and Roman¡¯s still had some time. He looked at the monsters close by them and took stock on how close others were. ¡°Mercer rebuff Artem and Blair. Ariyana recast Echoes of Sound on Mercer and then once when the cooldown is gone cast it on Avery and Roman!¡± Liam yelled out. ¡°On it!¡± Mercer responded as he switched over to his violin and started to play his Resilient Defense song. Since he was able to get it to level ten he was able to buff both the defenders at the same time. ¡°You got it!¡± Ariyana replied as she started to channel her mana before chanting. ¡°Avery and Roman after ten seconds have passed get close to each other. Once when you receive your buff from Ariyana use Wave of Ignition to try and clear some of the zombies closing in. Keep it running for ten seconds then jump back, replenish some mana, and shoot out a fire blast towards the Mummy Guards close by. Vocalize which one you are going to target so you don¡¯t overlap the spells!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Avery and Roman yelled out as they finished off their opponents in front of them as quickly as they could. ¡°Artem and Blair! Once when Avery and Roman release Wave of Ignition hop back behind them and replenish your health!¡± Liam ordered. ¡°Also keep an eye out for any strays that get too close from the sides. If you can, try and grab the attention of any of loose monsters around; lead them right into the line of fire.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Artem and Blair let out a grunt of acknowledgement as they swung their weapons against the skulls of the Skeleton Zombies. Avery turned to look at Liam and asked with a slight frown, ¡°You didn¡¯t try to make that into a pun did you?¡± Liam looked at her with a confused look as he thought about what she meant. After realizing it he smirked and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t, if I tried to make a pun it would be better than that.¡± Avery shook her head and readied herself next to Roman as they started channeling mana. They both angled themselves to give the cone of fire they were about to release enough space to give maximum damage and no holes. As they started to chant, Artem and Blair released a taunting roar to grab a few new monsters¡¯ attention. Once when they got what they wanted they ran back behind Avery and Roman while pulling out a Weak Minty Health Potion. As they drank the contents they watched as the two attackers finished their chanting and released a powerful wave of fire from the weapons they held in front of them. Liam watched as the Undead creatures caught up in the cones of fire washing over them, letting out loud agonizing screams and bone rattling noises. Liam nodded as he was impressed with how they were doing. They were able to put a dent in the sea of monsters with their teamwork. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but they were able to slowly whittle down the clumps of monsters that were throwing themselves at their feet. However, in the midst of all the carnage, something felt off to Liam. He wasn¡¯t able to tell what it was with the amount of monsters that were replacing the fallen creatures they slayed. No, it wasn¡¯t the fact that with each monster they killed more took their place. It was something else. It felt like right when the creatures were about to die from them they just suddenly lost all health. Since he had the adding effect of keeping all information on the monsters he assessed above their heads in a semi translucent way, he was able to track the monsters¡¯ health pool. And by keeping track of it he noticed that when they entered the last few health points left they would instantly die. Before he could think more about it, Inyis called out from his right. ¡°Liam! We could use some help over here!¡± Inyis called out. ¡°We have a group of Elite Skeleton Soldiers and Zombie Hyenas we can¡¯t take on just yet!¡± Liam turned his focus over to where Inyis was talking about. A group of five Elite Skeleton Soldiers and four Zombie Hyenas had some how made their way close to the left side of Inyis¡¯ group¡¯s defender who was busy taking on several Rotted Zombies and Skeleton Warriors. The other members of Inyis¡¯ group were handling the undead creatures on the other side making it possible for this group to almost surround them and cut them off from any reinforcements. This group was stuck as vines wrapped around their legs and arms preventing them from moving closer. However, the vines were slowly breaking. Liam thought about what to do. He couldn¡¯t send Avery or Roman over there since they were about to have their hands full with the monsters approaching Artem and Blair. They also needed to replenish their mana and stamina after releasing their Wave of Ignition spells for the amount of time they did. Artem and Blair were essential for not only defending the attackers, but to also taunting any loose monsters trying to get behind them. Mercer was needed to not only buff the group, but his Archery was needed for the Thrashing Zombies that kept making their way over to them. He could have Ariyana help out, but her Illusion spells helped distract some of the monsters while Avery and Roman landed some attacks or to keep the extra monsters from approaching them too soon. Guess there¡¯s no helping it. Liam thought before he yelled out, ¡°Mercer, buff me with your Swift Footed spell. Ariyana yell out to me if any changes to the battle happen on our end.¡± Mercer and Ariyana turned to look at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°Yes, they need our help and everyone¡¯s role here cant be outsourced for the moment,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you guys got this. Besides I need to stretch my legs sometimes. Can¡¯t let you guys have all the fun now can I?¡± ¡°You can take as much of my fun as you¡¯d like over here if you¡¯d like to,¡± Artem commented with some irritation and grunts as he slammed his shield into a Skeleton Warrior. Liam shook his head. ¡°Come on, the faster I do this the faster I¡¯ll get back.¡± Mercer looked at him with some concern but relent as he switched to a flute and started to play the fast upbeat song that gave the Swift Footed buff. Liam stretched for a couple of seconds before pulling out the Gravity enhanced daggers and giving them to the two Shadow Hands. He then pulled out his Shadow Moon Blade and Moon Shadow Blade before crouching down and pushing off his back foot and sprinted to the group of monsters breaking free. Right before the last vines snapped, Liam approached the edge of the group. He swung his weapons across each creature as he danced within the group of monsters. His Shadow Hands trailed behind him, echoing his attacks with ones of their own. After the last vines broke free, Liam jumped out of the way from a snarling maw snapping at him and a sword swinging down from his side. Liam continued to dip duck and dodge while striking each creature several times, trying to keep their attention on him. He continued this dance for a while, chipping their health down as well. ¡°He¡¯s fast,¡± Inyis muttered as she watched Liam spin, jump, and juke while attacking each of the creatures. ¡°I was not expecting that at all.¡± She then turned her attention back on her team and barked out orders, feeling safe now leaving their left side to Liam. Once when he felt like he had their undivided attention he jumped out of the group and kited them a bit farther back from Inyis¡¯ group and his own. After landing some blows on the monsters, Liam noticed how sluggish their movements were. The strikes landed by his Gravity enhanced throwing daggers released the Weight Increase effect they came with. While he attacked in the group he came to realize something about the Weight Increase effect. In the description it stated it would stack up to eight times. However, he learned that there was a requirement for the stacking to happen. You had to strike the same area in order to make the effect stack. After learning this, Liam was able to stack it three times. Even though it was stacked that low, the effects activated was still noticeable especially on the Zombie Hyenas who were faster than the Elite Skeleton Soldiers. Liam was able to catch his breath before they reached the area where he was waiting for them. Once when they had reached the right amount of distance, Liam started chanting, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my targets. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadows. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± After chanting the spell several shadowy tendrils shot out from their shadows and wrapped around their legs, arms, chests, and heads. Liam opened one of the flaps from his potion belt strapped to his leg. He then pulled out two muddy looking liquid filled vials. ¡°Luckily I restocked on some of this before leaving the Bubbling Potion,¡± Liam muttered before running around the restricted group and splashed some of the liquid over their bodies. After emptying the contents, he then sheathed one of his daggers and placed an open palm out before chanting, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre before you. Become the tool that will help. Light and burn!¡± A flame the size of his palm lit up and flickered a bit. Not wasting time, he threw the flame towards the group of oil drenched enemies. Before the flame could hit one enemy, Liam controlled the flame and manipulated it to split into three separate flames. Not watching the flames land, Liam repeated the process until all the creatures were engulfed in flames. ¡°Alright, now that they are taking some damage, I should add some more before the flames go out,¡± Liam muttered as he got as close as he could. Liam focused his control over the Shadow Hands and manipulated them to start flying between the creatures, striking every chance they got. He watched as his Shadow Hands chipped away at their health with the burn damage caused by the fire. After a couple of minutes had passed, all five Elite Skeleton Soldiers and four Zombie Hyenas dropped to the ground as their health hit zero. Again, that weird feeling hit Liam as he stared at the fallen monsters. The feeling only made itself known as each monsters¡¯ health dropped to zero. What the hell is going on here? Liam thought as he stared at them. He quickly shook his head, figuring he wouldn¡¯t get anywhere trying to figure something out he had no clue about. He then turned his attention over to Inyis and saw she and her group had moved in closer to his group not allowing any more monsters to cut them off from their left side. Looks like she learned from that mistake. Liam thought as he approved of her adaptability. He then shouted out to her before running to his group, ¡°Stray monsters taken care of. Let me know if you need help again.¡± Inyis spun to look at him with a surprised look. She thought he would just take their attention off of her group long enough for her to send a couple attackers to help him when she had the chance. She looked at the smoking pile of dead undead creatures before looking back at him. He was able to take care of that group by himself? Inyis began to think. Is he really just a crafter? Inyis shook her head. Don¡¯t question one¡¯s class Inyis. It¡¯s not the class that makes one able to fight. It¡¯s their skills, adaptability, and ingenuity that makes them able to fight. And I think he has had to live up to that to be able to do that. She then turned back to her group and looked at them. A smile slowly grew as she muttered to herself, ¡°Looks like we have a lot to work on if a Crafter is able to hold his own.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± the female Nature Fae questioned with a confused look after shooting out a blast of water towards a Skeleton Warrior who slammed against a raised wall of stone. Inyis shook her head. ¡°Nothing Lapis, just setting future goals.¡± Tutorial 116 - Hubristic Arisen Liam stared at the other side of the battlefield as an explosion of fire erupted behind the monsters Aranis¡¯ group was facing against. Steam rose in the air after the explosion happened. He then turned his attention over to Jude¡¯s group where two loud shouts echoed over the room. Even though the fighting was slower than it had been from the previous floors, he was still impressed with how far they had made it. It was also added with the dead bodies of the slain monsters. Majority of the weaker monsters were now gone. Thanks to his opening salvo with the two Magnetic Shockwave vials, he was able to take out all the Zombie Mages. The two Implosive Heatwave vial took out majority of the Mummy Guards, leaving just small handfuls spread out throughout the battlefield. ¡°If we can keep this up then we¡¯ll get¡­,¡± Liam started to say until he felt it again. That uneasy feeling that was filling up the room as they pushed forward. As they kept slaying each creature, the feeling grew even more. He still couldn¡¯t pin point where exactly it was coming from or what was triggering it. It was starting to feel like a nagging feeling at the back of his head as he really wanted to figure out what was going on. After a few moments of racking his brain over it, he decided to try and see if it was something magic related. He activated his Mana Sight and scanned the room. As he did this he realized something truly was going on beyond their normal senses. As each creature dropped, a sickly green and black colored orb was released from their bodies and swam up into the air. Liam followed the orbs up above them and was shocked. His mouth flung open and his eyes widened. Hovering high up into the ceiling was a massive sea of the sickly green and black orbs floating around close. As Liam stared at this he noticed something. The orbs didn¡¯t expand throughout the whole ceiling. Instead, they were clumped together on the side of the room they were on. He watched as they tried to go towards the other side but were bounced back almost like an invisible barrier stopped them from moving forward. Liam opened his mouth and was about to say something until he heard an ethereal voice say, ¡°I think that should be enough.¡± The voice was so quiet amongst the sounds of magic and weapons clashing that Liam knew he wouldn¡¯t have caught it if he didn¡¯t have his enhanced hearing. In the corner of his eyes he noticed Blair, Mica, Roman, and the other beast-kin caught it too as they straightened their backs and looked around for the source of the voice. The other three leaders were about to question why they had stopped until a shockwave suddenly shot out from the cloaked individual and washed over everyone, including the undead creatures. The force of the shockwave caused Liam and the others to lose their balance and bring them to a knee as the undead creatures suddenly collapsed. ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± Jude yelled out looking around. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure,¡± Aranis replied as he slowly got back to his feet. ¡°It was the cloaked figure,¡± Liam shouted as he ran up to his group. Everyone turned to look at him with a confused look. Aranis, Inyis and Jude made their way over to him as Jude asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what exactly it did, but that shockwave did shoot out from it.¡± ¡°How were you able to tell that?¡± Aranis questioned. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling that something has been off during the fight,¡± Liam started. ¡°Right before the shockwave I felt it even more than normal, so I thought I¡¯d see if it was magic related instead of something physical.¡± The others looked at him and listened. ¡°I found out what was making me feel off,¡± Liam continued. He then thought about how to describe what he saw, but then decided, ¡°It would be easier to show you instead of me trying to describe it and fail. If anyone has Mana Sight, activate it and look up.¡± Liam waited as he watched them all look up. He knew who had Mana Sight and who didn¡¯t just by watching each of their expressions. Those without Mana Sight looked confused, but the ones who were able to use it had a look of horror as they stared at the massive clump of orbs swimming around above their heads. ¡°What the hell are those?¡± Mica shouted with a pale expression. ¡°Where did they all come from?¡± Rez asked as he stared wide eyed. ¡°They came from each fallen monster we slew,¡± Liam stated. ¡°However, the last few monsters that dropped from the shockwave didn¡¯t release any of those orbs.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Jude asked, looking irritated. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why those orbs came out from the slain monsters. However, I can guess that it could be related to the boss.¡± Jude nodded as he faced the cloaked individual who still had its back facing them. Liam looked at it too and tried assessing it once more. Once again, nothing happened. Liam narrowed his eyes and focused as hard as he could trying once more. This time something did appear. ¡°?. ?/? HP. ?/? MP. Level - ?¡± Liam had mixed feelings as he shook his head after seeing the notification. He was happy that his assess went through, but at the same time he was confused that it was all question marks. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°You know,¡± a voice called out, making everyone turn to face the creature. Its voice had a dispassionate yet smooth sound to it. ¡°It is quite rude to try and peer into one¡¯s personal information.¡± Liam turned his attention towards the cloaked figure as it turned to face them. Inside the cloak was nothing but darkness, the sleeves were so long it covered the person¡¯s arms and hands. ¡°Is that the Necromancer?¡± Jude asked. ¡°A Necromancer?¡± the cloaked individual questioned. ¡°I guess you could say I was once one long ago.¡± Liam¡¯s brow raised after hearing what the figure said. ¡°Do you mean before the downfall of the Askith Nation?¡± Inyis asked. ¡°No,¡± the figure replied. A confused expression grew on their faces as they stared at the figure. ¡°I was a Necromancer long before I came to the Askith Nation, however I ascended to a higher race thanks to my master. One that better suited my talents and abilities,¡± the figure continued. ¡°However, due to my new¡­looks, I would have been met with fear and disgust from those who look down upon my race.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Inyis stated with a confused expression. ¡°Sadly, many wouldn¡¯t,¡± the figure said as it slowly shook its head. Liam remembered Eri telling him a bit of what she could remember of the fall of the Askith Nation. There were some gaps that he wanted to fill and since he was confused about a few things the figure was saying, Liam asked, ¡°If your new looks would have made others fear you then why did the people of the Askith Nation welcome you. And why did they mistake you for a healer?¡± The dark hooded part of the cloak shifted and looked at Liam. ¡°Interesting that you should ask that. Thanks to my new master I was given an ability to make others see me in a way that would give them peace of mind. When I arrived at the Askith Nation they viewed me as a healer only because they truly needed one.¡± ¡°What do you mean they needed one?¡± Inyis inquired. ¡°The Askith Nation was a Proud country. They never requested aid even when they faced the harshest trials. They even viewed themselves as Supreme beings. Stronger and better all around than any race or country. Albeit, even the proudest have their moments when they need outside aide, especially when faced with an unknown disease,¡± the figure started back up. ¡°Disease?¡± Inyis muttered as she scrunched her face. ¡°You see I found the best way to get people to view me in a way that would garner trust is to create something the proud wouldn¡¯t be able to fix. In the Askith¡¯s case, they had an unknown disease with unknown origins,¡± the figure continued. Liam thought about what the individual was saying. He thought about what he saw on the wall outside of the room and remembered seeing the cloaked figure passing out some weird item to everyone. However, something didn¡¯t fit in the story. He had an inkling he knew what had happened but there was something that he needed to confirm. ¡°If the nation had a disease spreading then why didn¡¯t they just cure it with healing magic?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°It might have been able to be cured using healing magic, but Healing magic is not omnipotent,¡± The figure replied. ¡°It is something that needs a lot of knowledge and experience to be able to be of use. But that wasn¡¯t what you were asking. You see something had happened that required all of their healers to¡­travel and take care of. This happened right before this disease hit the main capital.¡± Hearing this clicked some things in place. Following his gut, Liam said, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, you did something that caused all of the healers to go take care of and while they were away you somehow spread this disease throughout the capital, came in disguised as a healer and gained the trust of the people?¡± The figure stared at Liam not saying anything. That has to be it. It kind of reminds me of an old game I played. Liam thought shaking his head. ¡°How were you able to piece that together?¡± the figure asked. ¡°The hieroglyphs outside this room showed you passed items to everyone. I assume those items were ¡®the cure¡¯,¡± Liam air quoted. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t was it? Instead, it hastened whatever disease you concocted within the people of the Askith Nation didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That is where you are wrong. It didn¡¯t hasten the disease. It had a different purpose¡­¡± ¡°It would transfer their life energy to your summoning circle didn¡¯t it?¡± someone asked. Liam turned to see Rez with a look of realization and horror. ¡°I must say that I am impressed that you were able to figure it out,¡± the figure stated. ¡°It would do that and one more thing.¡± Everyone stared at the figure as they waited to hear what he was going to say. ¡°It would not only transfer their life energy, but also corrupt their very being thus turning them into my eternal minions,¡± the figure finished. ¡°Shit I was afraid of that,¡± Rez cursed. ¡°We¡¯re not dealing with a Necromancer. We¡¯re dealing with a fucking Lich.¡± Everyone turned to look at him as he announced this. ¡°What?¡± Inyis questioned with wide eyes. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Aranis asked. Rez nodded. ¡°Yes. I am very sure.¡± The figure started laughing, causing everyone to turn and look at it. ¡°How astute of you to figure it out,¡± it said as it lifted its right robed arm. A deathly pale hand escaped from the cloak and gripped the collar. With a swift motion of the figure¡¯s hand, the cloak that covered its entire body was pulled over its head and taken off. As it slipped its right arm through the sleeve of the cloak it threw it down and allowed everyone to get a better look. It was a middle aged man with a deathly pale complexion. It wore an open chest black robe with violet outlining the edges revealing a sunken chest with a pulsing ghastly violet orb in the middle of his chest. The orb pulsed, sending violet lights running through the veins that stood out against his pale skin and throughout his chest into the robe. The man had icy white long hair that floated around behind him almost like he was underwater. His eye sockets were pitch black with piercing white orbs. In the middle of the orbs were violet dots that kind of looked like pupils. Liam tried assessing once more to see if anything had changed and what he received was terrifying.
¡°Hubristic Arisen Lich. 15,000/15,000 HP. 10,000/10,000 MP. Level 27 (Partially Sealed).¡±
Hubristic Arisen Lich? Liam thought. I don¡¯t understand the Arisen part¡­Is it a race or a nation? Also, hubristic? As in¡­ Liam was taken out of his thought process as the Lich continued. ¡°It seems that not all of my power has been released,¡± the Lich started back up. A look of slight irritation appeared on his face. The facial expression disappeared as it was replaced into one of nonchalance. ¡°As annoying as that is, it matters not. You are all too weak to do any noteworthy damage to me.¡± Jude¡¯s face turned into a scowl as he yelled out, ¡°What makes you say that?¡± He went to take a step forward towards the Lich, but was rebuffed as soon as he went to step on the stairs leading to the platform the creature was standing on. Liam be careful. Eri suddenly warned in Liam¡¯s mind. This isn¡¯t a normal Lich. It belongs to one of the Seven Immoral Vices. Immoral Vices? Liam quickly asked, confused. As in Sin? So, then the Hubristic part means its related to the sin of Pride? Focus Liam! Eri stated. He¡¯s about to do something. The lich let out a laugh. ¡°See, you can¡¯t even damage a simple barrier spell. No worries. I have a few friends of yours that are dying to see you again.¡± The Lich snapped his finger causing the crystals above the doors on the left and right walls to light up and open. The doors opened wide, much wider than they thought the door was. After the doors opened they were able to hear clattering and scrapping from within the halls. Liam and the others stared at each door with bated breath as they waited for whatever was making their way in to appear. Groups of skeletons scuffled in, dragging something behind them. When the objects were dragged into sight, Liam felt his heart drop. Gasps and sounds of disbelief rippled throughout the groups. Liam even heard Artem let out a slew of curses as all the color in his face drained. These skeletons weren¡¯t bringing in just anything. What they brought in was two very familiar creatures. Creatures they had slain back on the third floor. On the right side was the corpse of the Black Widow Matriarch while on the left side was the corpse of the Spider Tailed Horned Viper. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Liam muttered under his breath. Tutorial 117 - He has a presence that makes others fall to their knees. Liam stared at the corpses that were dropped on both sides of the room. The skeletons that dragged the dead bodies already leaving the room back through the doors. As Liam stared at the bodies he noticed they weren¡¯t in pristine condition. The Spider Tailed Horned Viper was missing parts of its skin while the Black Widow Matriarch had dents throughout its body. Several crack lines were seen on the back abdomen. The Lich raised both arms up and started channeling mana as a sickly green and black color started to build up around him. ¡°What¡¯s the plan here?¡± Aranis shouted out as he turned to look at Liam. Liam noticed everyone had turned to look at him. Hesitating, Liam decided to think the situation through. He looked up to see the creepy floating orbs were still swimming around above them. He looked back at the Lich. They needed to reach the Lich and defeat him, but the barrier was still intact preventing them from attacking him. Not only that, but it was also not allowing them to race over to the corpses to try and hack them down. It was starting to look inevitable that they were going to have to fight these two creatures before they could attack the Lich. Liam looked at the groups of people spread out. There were four groups and two large monsters. It would be wise to have a couple of the Defenders taunt and keep one of the monsters¡¯ attention while they try to kill off the other. Each of these people have had experience against them before and was able to defeat them back on the third floor, however there was a problem. These monsters would mostly like be stronger thanks to not only the Lich¡¯s power, but also thanks to them being on the sixth floor where all the monsters¡¯ powers have risen more than the previous floors. It would be wise not to underestimate them now since they would be tougher. After thinking it over, Liam came to a decision. ¡°Jude and Aranis!¡± Liam yelled out. ¡°Both of your groups will handle the Spider Tailed Horned Viper. Inyis¡¯ and my groups will take on the Black Widow Matriarch¡­¡± ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Artem yelled out. Ignoring Artem¡¯s sudden panic, Liam continued, ¡°We may have defeated them before, but that was back on the third floor. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to change especially since they are going to be Undead type monsters now, but we will need to be careful. However, we should also not take too long. I don¡¯t know what that Lich is planning, but it can¡¯t be good. Mica and Rez, don¡¯t forget to communicate with each other and with Inyis and I as well.¡± Mica and Rez nodded as they moved over to the left side of the room, giving each other enough space to be able to see the room better on their side. Inyis turned to Liam. ¡°What is our approach?¡± ¡°Before that, Artem,¡± Liam started as he looked over at the Lich. It looked like the spell he was preparing for was going to take some time. ¡°Do you have enough for everyone here?¡± Confused, Artem scrunched his brows before realizing what he meant and looked into his inventory. He then nodded and informed, ¡°I have just enough for everyone.¡± ¡°Okay pass them out while I explain the plan,¡± Liam said. ¡°What are you talkin¡­,¡± Inyis started to say until Artem pulled out three different colored bars and started passing them out to everyone. The people in Inyis¡¯ group stared at the oddly colored bars before looking at Inyis. ¡°These are what I like to call Buff Bars,¡± Artem answered their unasked question. ¡°They give out a buff depending on the bar you eat.¡± Inyis¡¯ groups eyes widened after hearing what he said before eating them. ¡°Which one is your defender? Or are both your Defenders?¡± Liam questioned as he pointed to the two lion-folk who stared at Liam with their arms crossed after eating their buff bars. ¡°Marco is technically our defender,¡± Inyis replied between bites. ¡°Although he doesn¡¯t look like it, he has body strengthening type magic that helps him defend and strengthen his body better when taking hits.¡± Liam nodded then looked back at the two Lion-folks. Their looks were so identical that he couldn¡¯t tell them apart. They both stared at him looking stoically. Neither revealed who was Marco. Liam frowned before letting out a sigh and asking, ¡°And which one of the two is Marco? They look so similar I can¡¯t tell them apart.¡± Inyis let out a small giggle before saying, ¡°The one on the left is Marco. Next to him is his twin Danny.¡± ¡°Well, that explains why they look so similar,¡± Liam muttered under his breath. ¡°Marco, I need to know what kind of Defender you are?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Marco asked as he uncrossed his arms. ¡°I mean are you like a guardian type that focus more on defensive abilities? Or are you a vanguard type that has a lot of offensive capabilities? I want to say you¡¯re more the latter than the former, but I need to make sure,¡± Liam explained. Marco narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why do you need to know? Who are you to¡­¡± ¡°Marco, don¡¯t be difficult,¡± Inyis chastised with narrow eyes. ¡°We all have our roles to play and Liam here will be the main Control Tower who will be yelling out the orders. So don¡¯t play the dick measuring game you usually do and just answer.¡± Marco¡¯s stoic expression faltered a bit before he sighed and said, ¡°Fine. You are right. I have focused more on being an offensive type Defender due to my race and the type of magic fields I am suited for.¡± ¡°What type of magic fields do you have?¡± Liam asked as he side eyed Inyis before looking back at him. Stolen story; please report. ¡°As Lady Inyis has mentioned, I have the Field of Reinforcement with my main focus on Body. I have self buffs that can overlap with other buffs. Whether they be offensive or defensive.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I also have the Field of the Berserk and Field of the Elements with a focus in Lightning,¡± Marco added. ¡°Alright, are comfortable with being our main tank?¡± Liam asked. Marco gave Liam a wide grin. ¡°Most definitely.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Liam started. ¡°With you being an offensive type Defender you can easily get and keep aggro.¡± He then looked to Artem and Blair and said, ¡°Blair you¡¯ll be off tank. You and Marco will be rotating aggro to keep that creature¡¯s attention confused. Make sure you both aren¡¯t too close to each other and are spread out.¡± ¡°Artem you¡¯ll tank whenever they can¡¯t hold aggro. You¡¯re our back up if they both lose or can¡¯t keep aggro. However, your other job besides attacking is to heal and cure any poisons that we get afflicted with, whenever we need it.¡± Artem nodded still hating the fact they had to fight the dreaded spider. ¡°Danny, since you know how your brother fights and you are a close ranged type fighter I¡¯ll leave you to fight close by your brother,¡± Liam continued. He then looked at Roman and added, ¡°Same with you Roman. You¡¯ll be next to Blair.¡± Danny and Roman nodded. ¡°Avery and¡­,¡± Liam continued as he pointed to the Rogue-looking Fairy and the female lion-folk with the spear. ¡°Lector is the rogue and Nidy is the lion-folk,¡± Inyis filled in. ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said. ¡°You three will spread out behind the Black Widow and attack there. You will need to be careful for any attacks back there. Inyis and I will spread out so we can still see you, but we wont be able to see everything.¡± The three nodded as well. Liam then turned to the last three he hadn¡¯t addressed yet and relayed, ¡°Mercer and Ariyana, same as usual. Buffs and Illusion magics when needed. Use your other spells if you think it¡¯ll help or listen for my call for them. As for¡­¡± ¡°Lapis,¡± Inyis said. ¡°Lapis, I don¡¯t know every magic you have, but buff when needed and use your spells accordingly.¡± Liam said before looking at Inyis. ¡°I know you said I will be main Control Tower here, but since I don¡¯t have full knowledge on all your teams magics I will let you handle them. I¡¯ll keep an ear out whenever you mention who has what magic during the fight and relay to you what we need when we need it, but for now you have control over your team.¡± Inyis nodded understanding and approving his decision. Liam felt a sudden spike wave out from the Lich, indicating he was about to release the spell and yelled out, ¡°Alright everyone get ready. Marco, you have the opening shot so make it flashy. Everyone else get ready. Buffers start buffing when I give the single.¡± Everyone in their group released a loud yell as they spread out and got into position. Liam turned his attention to the Lich whose body pulsed with the sickly green and black colored mana. Liam watched as the mana started to snake out from his hands and slither their way to the two corpses to his left and right. Once when the mana touched the creatures¡¯ corpses their bodies started glowing with the same colored mana as the Lich. After a few seconds their bodies glowed brighter. Once when the brightness of the mana over their bodies shined intensely, the Lich said with a commanding tone of voice, ¡°Arise my minions.¡± The Mana covering the Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s and the Spider Tailed Horned Viper¡¯s bodies suddenly pulsed as it seeped into them. After the last bit of the glowing mana disappeared inside them, there was silence. Everyone stared at the two bodies with anxiety and eagerness to get this fight over with already. Without having to wait long, the two bodies suddenly twitched. A sharp leg from the Black Widow moved slightly as a part of the Viper¡¯s stomach jerked to the left. Then all of a sudden both of their bodies jerked and convulsed almost like they were getting a shock to bring them back to life. The Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s legs started to rise and fall, clattering in a way that reminded Liam of someone taking a thin poker and constantly stabbing a slab of ice. The Viper¡¯s tail twitched up in the air and slammed down a few times as well. This kept going for at least twelve seconds until they stopped and became still. Then at the same time, the Viper lifted its head up high and stared at the group in front of it as the Black Widow lifted her body up and looked at Liam and the others. ¡°God you¡¯re still as ugly and frightening as the day we killed you,¡± Artem involuntarily stated. Liam assessed both creatures to see what they were dealing with.
¡°Raised Black Widow Matriarch. 9750/9750 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 18 (Partially Sealed).¡± ¡°Raised Spider Tailed Horned Viper. 9750/9750 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 18 (Partially Sealed).¡±
¡°Ooof. That is a massive increase in health compared to when we first fought them,¡± Liam grimaced after seeing those bars. He then thought, I guess our only saving grace here is that their powers are still sealed. I tell you these damn checks and balances are getting skewer and skewer in every damn fight in this dungeon. ¡°As much as I would love to play with you all, I have more important matters to attend to,¡± the Lich stated in an almost dismissive tone. ¡°Damn bastard,¡± Liam heard Jude scowl. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even see us as actual enemies.¡± Jude was right. The way the Lich was looking at them made Liam believe he didn¡¯t believe they would reach him. He looked like they were some minor annoyances that he could have someone, or in this case, two creatures, handle them while he was trying to achieve some goal. It must be because of that hubristic portion in its name. Liam thought with a frown. He looked back up at the orbs. What is he trying to accomplish? What is so much more important than dealing with us? And what are those orbs¡¯ role in all of this? Liam racked his brain trying to think what the Lich was trying to do so he could make some sort of counter plan against it. However, before he could try and figure something out, he was taken out of his thoughts and back to reality as the two massive creatures started to move forward. After taking a few steps they were suddenly rebuffed by the invisible barrier. The Lich frowned before turning into a look of disapproval. ¡°No matter how intelligent they used to be, after death had consumed them and being reanimated by my great powers, their minds have become dumb as rocks.¡± He then flicked his hands out to the sides. ¡°Get the buffs out now,¡± Liam ordered as loud as he could so the other combined group could hear him as well. Ariyana started chanting along with the other vocal buffers. Mercer waited for his buff before he started playing his violin. Marco closed his eyes and quietly chanted something as several colors flashed over his body. His muscles bulged a bit before they tightened and looked like they compacted slightly. After that, he moved back a bit and got into a runner¡¯s starting stance with both hands on the ground in front and his legs back, one under his stomach and the other stretched out a bit. As this was going on, Liam watched as two sections of the invisible barrier suddenly became seeable as they flicked a few times. To Liam it was like a panel of glass suddenly appeared and disappeared a few times before shattering. ¡°You can now go play with these pathetic creatures,¡± the Lich ordered as he turned back around and stared at something. ¡°Marco, charge!¡± Liam roared as the Black Widow Matriarch rushed forward. Instead of letting out a taunt, the muscular Lion-folk pressed down on his back foot before jolting forward as fast as he could. The giant spider stopped her run and raised her two front sharply pointed legs back and struck them towards Marco. ¡°Artem, Blair!¡± Liam yelled. Inyis and the rest of her group watched with shock as the two appeared beside Marco. Blaire swinging her rock hardened axe, and Artem swinging his shield. Both parrying the Black Widow¡¯s strikes with ease. After picking up enough speed, Marco leaped up as he turned and leaned his body enough for his right shoulder to stick out. Liam watched as Marco did this and was curious how it would end. The results surprised him as Marco slammed right into the Black Widow Matriarch, causing her to slide backwards and falter enough for her to lose her balance as her legs slide out from underneath her a bit. Liam looked at Inyis and said with a grin, ¡°I guess that¡¯s another great way to make an entrance.¡± Inyis nodded as she gave him a grin. ¡°What can I say. He has a presence that makes others just fall to their knees.¡± Tutorial 118 - Never piss off the healer Even though the charge Marco did looked powerful, the giant arachnid didn¡¯t look like she received much damage. Albeit, the strike did what it was supposed to do making her main focus all on Marco. ¡°Melee in now!¡± Liam shouted as he moved a few to the left so he could have eyes on his teammates as well as Lector who appeared right behind the spider. ¡°Long range, attack!¡± Avery rushed to the left side and stopped in between the two back left legs. When she saw an opening between them, she rushed in and struck a few times before jumping backwards to dodge one of the legs from swiping into her side. Blair swung her axe at one of the front legs on the right side with enough force to make it slide out some. Roman took the opportunity to rush in and slam a few hard punches right into the joint of the leg that connected with the main body. Razor sharp leaves sudden flew from behind Liam where Ariyana was at and dug into the creature¡¯s side Avery was on while Mercer shot a few arrows right into the abdomen. Artem timed his shield swings any time the giant spider tried to strike Marco. As impressive as his team¡¯s teamwork was, he had to give it to Inyis¡¯ group as well. Liam watched as Marco threw out a slew of punches as hard as he could, right underneath the creature¡¯s head. The force of his punches made the spider¡¯s head bounce up. His twin Danny timed his attacks each time the head went up. He would jump up with not just speed, but with some great agility to slam the head back down making it look like they were playing ping pong. Liam couldn¡¯t see much of what Nidy was doing since the massive body of the spider blocked his view of her, but what he could see of Lector was impressive. Lector was swinging his daggers in a flurry of swings that almost matched Avery. Inyis and Lapis shot razor sharp leaves into the same side as Roman and Blair, lodging them deep. As great as it was to see all of this, Liam saw it wasn¡¯t enough. Throughout all of the attacks going on, the damage done was not a lot. They were only able to chip out four hundred and twenty seven of the creature¡¯s health with all of those attacks. Okay, let¡¯s try some combinations between magic to get that extra damage. Liam thought as he turned to look at Mercer. He then shouted out, ¡°Mercer! Shoot some icicles into the creature¡¯s side!¡± Mercer stopped shooting his arrows, nodded and started channeling some mana before chanting. ¡°Roman, after Mercer lands some ice spells channel as much mana as you can within fifteen seconds and shoot out a Fire Blast onto the spots Mercer, Inyis, and Lapis landed!¡± Liam continued before turning towards Avery and adding, ¡°Avery, you channel as much as well and shoot out a couple fireballs where Ariyana landed her spells!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Avery and Roman shouted as they stepped back while they started channeling mana. ¡°Melee and Defenders! In ten seconds jump back and make sure you¡¯re out of the way of the blast zone!¡± Liam yelled out. Inyis turned her head towards Liam and gave him a puzzled look, not sure about this plan. She then voiced her thoughts, ¡°Liam, if the defenders move out of the way then the Black Widow Matriarch will push forward. Also, what will using fire magic on the spots where the ice and plant magic landed do?¡± Liam raised a brow. ¡°For that second question do you not know about extra magic damage?¡± Inyis just titled her head still giving him a confused look. Liam let out a small chuckle before responding, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll tell you about it later. As for the first question, I¡¯ve got it handled.¡± Before Inyis could say anything else, Liam started channeling mana all around him. He waited ten seconds before he started chanting, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Right as the melee fighters and Defenders jumped back, long thick shadowy tendrils shot out from underneath the Black Widow Matriarch. Each tendril wrapped around the massive spider¡¯s legs and body, keeping it in place. ¡°Now!¡± Liam roared. Avery and Roman both started chanting. ¡°Oh, flame of power come forth. Burning bright and hot shoot true towards my enemy. Fireball!¡± Avery chanted. ¡°Fire, powerful and deadly. I request you take form and explode hotter and brighter than before. Engulf my enemies with your brilliance. Fire Blast!¡± Roman chanted. After they each finished their chants, two balls of fire the size of a cat appeared in front of Avery¡¯s rapier while one massive fire ball the size of a child size human formed in front of Roman. In unison they released their spells and hurdled them towards both sides of the Black Widow Matriarch. The creature released a loud hissing sound of pain as two explosions erupted from the side Avery was on while a giant explosion that engulf the entire half of the side Roman was on. Liam looked at the creature¡¯s status bar and was a bit happier with the results.
¡°Raised Black Widow Matriarch. 8,467/9750 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 18 (Partially Sealed).¡±
Hm only eight hundred and fifty-six damage. Not a lot, but much more than the amount of damage we have been doing so far. Liam thought as he nodded while looking at the squirming spider trying to break free from the shadowy tendrils gripping tightly to it. He gave the creature a smirk that quickly dispersed as Liam noticed something start to drip out from its mouth. Liam squinted his eyes to focus on what it was. At first it was just a drop, then a second one dropped from the right fang. Then a third from the left fang. Shortly after that more drops started to drip consistently from the fangs. ¡°Shit, Defenders and melee, scatter!¡± Liam shouted right as the Black Widow Matriarch flung her head back and flicked the dark green and purple liquid, as if she was trying to spray the liquid out towards Artem, Marco, and Danny. She then flung her head to the left and the right, scattering the liquid towards the fighters on her sides. Liam watched as Avery juked left, right, and back out of the way of the raining drops. Nidy crouched down and sprung backwards in one swift motion to get out of the way in time. Blair swung her axe backwards using the momentum to pull her out in time as several large drops landed where she once stood. Roman swiftly ran as fast as he could out of the way as Marco and Artem did the same. Even though everyone heard and reacted, there were still two who got hit. Danny was hit in the face as the liquid splashed against his eyes and on his mane-like hair. Liam couldn¡¯t see but he heard Lector let out a cry letting everyone know that he too was hit. Danny went to try and rub the liquid off his face, but as he did it only smeared more on his face and was now on his hands, which were quivering. ¡°Shit, they are hit with a very potent poison!¡± Inyis yelled out. ¡°Someone grab Lector and pull him over here!¡± Liam ordered. ¡°Make sure not to touch the poison on him! Someone lead Danny away from the battlefield. Artem, get that poison off of them!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Nidy yelled back as she ran over to Lector. ¡°Okay!¡± Artem shouted as he ran back in to the space between Liam and Inyis. ¡°I can¡­,¡± Inyis started to say until Liam cut her off. ¡°Focus on your role as a Control Tower,¡± Liam instructed. ¡°Artem can handle it.¡± Conflicted, Inyis looked at Danny who was letting out some painful grunts. Then to Nidy who was pulling Lector over to them. Lector had it as bad as Danny. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The poisonous liquid was splashed over his mouth and face. Both men had dark green veins slowly appearing around their necks and started spreading out. Inyis then turned to Liam. Liam could see the turmoil in her eyes for a brief moment before she nodded and faced the giant spider that had stopped drooling the liquid out of her mouth. The shadowy tendrils slowly started snapping as the spell was beginning to weaken and end. Liam looked around and saw the liquid still in small puddles around the feet and out some from the Black Widow Matriarch. He turned around to see how much room they had behind them. With Artem getting ready to cure the two who were hit, there wasn¡¯t enough room without getting them involved. Liam turned his attention to the area behind the creature and saw how much room was over there. He nodded as he thought of a plan. ¡°We need to get the Black Widow Matriarch away from that spot. No room behind us, so we¡¯ll need to kite it backwards,¡± Liam shouted. He turned his attention to Ariyana. Before Liam could say anything, she nodded already understanding what he wanted. Liam then turned to the others and informed, ¡°Ariyana is going to grab the monster¡¯s attention and drag it away from the poison puddles. Once the creature is far enough, Marco will rush in and grab aggro. After he¡¯s got the creature¡¯s attention, everyone who can still fight will attack.¡± Everyone nodded understanding the plan. ¡°Except for Ariyana, all buffers will start buffing, starting with the defenders then the attackers once when Ariyana is kiting the monster. Got it!¡± Everyone let out a shout of affirmation. The shadowy tendrils began snapping one by one as Ariyana started channeling her mana. Everyone took a defensive stance and got ready in case whatever Ariyana was about to do didn¡¯t work. The Black Widow Matriarch leaned forward with all she had as she began freeing herself from the grip made from shadows. Her beady eyes were locked on the group in front of her as she let out screeches and chittering noises while her fangs moved feverously. As soon as the last tendril snapped, she took a step and began to make her way towards the group. However, right as her two front legs touched down she heard a taunting voice from her left, making her turn her head. It was Ariyana standing close to the creature. ¡°What¡¯s the matter little spider? Did you get stuck in a stronger web?¡± Ariyana taunted. ¡°I guess you¡¯re pretty damn weak, especially when it comes to fire. This will be an easy fight against something so weak and pitiful as yourself.¡± The Black Widow Matriarch let out a loud scraping hiss as she turned her entire body and ran towards Ariyana. Ariyana didn¡¯t wait and started running to her right, away from the group of people. Liam watched this as he heard Mercer start playing his violin and send out buffs to the defenders who were grouped up. After Ariyana pulled the Black Widow Matriarch far enough away from the spot and closer to the back of the room, she stopped with her arms out and waited for the slash that was coming her way. The sharp leg of the Black Widow Matriarch swung horizontally right through Ariyana¡¯s torso causing the body to dissolve into mist. This confused the massive creature, but before she could turn back around, a massive amount of force rammed into her, causing her to slide and slam right into the wall she was close to. Marco didn¡¯t let this opportunity slip by as he started punching and kicking as hard as he could right into the abdomen of the massive spider. Feeling annoyed, the Black Widow Matriarch pushed herself up with all eight of her legs and spun around with her right sharp leg out to strike at the annoyance who dared to hit her. Marco ducked low enough to dodge the strike and then pushed off the balls of his feet and jumped back to dodge the next strike that came down on the spot he once stood. ¡°Attackers and defenders go!¡± Liam shouted as Avery, Blair, Nidy, and Roman ran in to join Marco. Lapis looked over at Ariyana, who was standing next to Liam, and gave her a disappointed look. ¡°Is that really the best kind of taunt you had?¡± Ariyana finished drinking a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion before saying, ¡°Hey don¡¯t judge me. The illusion comes up with the best taunt that would work on the target. If the taunt was as stupid as that and worked to that degree, then that just says a lot about the creature¡¯s mind.¡± Lapis shook her head before starting to make her way over to the others. Artem arrived at Danny¡¯s side and inspected him. Before he channeled any mana, he looked at Lector and studied him as well. After thinking it over he looked to Nidy and said, ¡°We need to lay them down on their backs now.¡± Artem then looked at Liam and Inyis before shouting out, ¡°I need someone with Water magic over here now!¡± ¡°Lapis, get over there,¡± Inyis ordered. Lapis nodded, feeling slightly annoyed as she turned around and made her way over to Artem as quickly as she could while Nidy ran back to the fight. Why does he need my water magic? If he has healing magic then it should be enough. I need to hurry this up and get back by my lady¡¯s side. Lapis thought. As she approached Artem she asked with a slightly more than annoyed tone of voice, ¡°What is going on? Why do you need water magic? Are you truly incapable of doing the task given to¡­¡± ¡°I need you to use your water magic to wash out all the poison that¡¯s in their hair and on their skin,¡± Artem stated, cutting Lapis off. ¡°Why do you need to wash it off of them. Just cure them and they¡¯ll be fine,¡± Lapis quipped. Artem turned to give her a scowl which made Lapis flinch for a brief moment when she noticed the sharp teeth he had. ¡°It would be pointless if I just cured the poison for it to affect them again because the poison mixed with their sweat and got into their eyes or mouth again,¡± Artem slightly growled. He then pointedly said while narrowing his eyes, ¡°These are your teammates, keep their health in mind because if anything were to happen to them like this then it¡¯s your life that will be on the line next.¡± Lapis was taken aback by Artem¡¯s scolding. She really didn¡¯t think much of it since none of them had ever been poisoned before. She really thought that all it took was a simple spell then it was all good. This half orc, no this man has taken in more than what¡¯s in front of him when it comes to this task. What¡¯s more is he actually has my teammates best interest in mind. Lapis thought. Maybe my thought about his leader taking charge instead of Inyis clouded my judgement about them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lapis bowed. ¡°I am ignorant in the ways of healing. I let my mind get clouded due to a previous annoyance and I didn¡¯t think things clearly.¡± Artem watched her and noticed her eyes shifted towards something. He knew what was in that area they shifted to for that brief moment but didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he looked back at the two men laying down and stood up before taking a step back. ¡°Could you please use a small water orb spell and try to make it do as little damage as possible. Their health is still ticking away and we don¡¯t want to hurt them more than what they received,¡± Artem requested. He looked down at the two men and informed, ¡°Danny, Lector, if you can hear me we are going to dose water on you to wash away the poison off of you. Don¡¯t move. Once when that¡¯s done I¡¯ll get the poison out.¡± He then looked back at Lapis and gesture for her to start. Lapis nodded as she channeled a small amount of mana and chanted, ¡°Water, clear and pristine. I call upon you for your aide. Wash away any that I point you towards. Water Orb.¡± Two small orbs of water manifested in front of Lapis¡¯ wand. She maneuvered them right above Danny¡¯s and Lector¡¯s heads and gently let them drop. Artem watched as the water from the orbs washed over their hair, faces, and hands. The poisonous liquid that was sticking absorbed into the water and rolled off towards the ground. Both men twitched from the temperature of the water but didn¡¯t move from their spot. Artem positioned himself so he was right above their heads. He then channeled some mana before he chanted, ¡°Impurities coursing through the body have no place here. Expel, expunge, disperse all foreign substances to make the body healthy once more. Detox!¡± Both of Artem¡¯s hands glowed with a bright light mixed with light green. He then knelt down and placed his hands on their heads and allowed the magic to wash over their skin. Lapis watched as Danny¡¯s and Lector¡¯s body jerked. At first it was subtle, but after a couple of seconds had passed their chests started convulsing. Their mouths and eyes opened wide. Lapis could see the panic in their eyes as their arms shot up and their hands tried grasping at the air in front of them. Choking sounds started to escape their mouths right before they turned into dry heaving. Panic started to crawl up Lapis¡¯ spine as she watched the two men in some indescribable pain. To her it looked like something was stuck inside their throats and couldn¡¯t get out. ¡°Stop,¡± Lapis quietly said, unsure if what this half orc was doing was actually helping. Then with a little more forceful tone she stated, ¡°You¡¯re hurting them!¡± Right after she said this both men¡¯s chests stopped jerking about as they turned over facing the ground while using their hands to support them. They both started coughing. With each cough, clumps of dark green and purple liquid shot out. Artem released the spell and stood back up looking down at them. Lapis stared at the man, unsure what had happened. Before she could say anything Artem said, ¡°I am sorry. This was the first time I had to detox someone who had ingested poison. My last experience inside the dungeon was when a teammate of mine had been cut and the venom escape from the wound. So, this was a first for me.¡± Danny and Lector waved a hand at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just happy you were able to get the poison out of us. I don¡¯t know about him, but my health was getting dangerously close there,¡± Danny croaked as he looked up and gave Artem an appreciative grin. ¡°Let me heal you both so you can get back to the fight and repay the monster that did this to you,¡± Artem said as he started channeling mana again. ¡°Much appreciative,¡± Lector grinned while panting. Lapis watched as Artem started chanting again, ¡°O¡¯ Heart beating inside me, I beseech you to pulse. Release the healing sensation and wash over those I wish to protect and refresh their spirits again. Refreshing Aura!¡± Artem reached his hands out and released a bright white tinged with light green aura that pulsed out and engulfed Danny, Lector, and Lapis. Lapis felt the warmth coming from the aura calm her mind and wash over her. Even though her health was already full, she could feel how great this magic felt. After several seconds had passed, Artem stopped the pulsing healing aura. ¡°I need to restore my mana before heading back into the fray. A potion or two should top you both off.¡± Danny and Lector stood up and stretch for a moment. They both pulled out a weak health potion and downed them. ¡°Thanks again,¡± Lector said before they turned and ran towards the fight that was still going on. Lapis stared at Artem. Her thoughts raced through her mind. She had thought the spell he used was doing more damage then good, but she was wrong. Again, she jumped to conclusions before actually looking and understanding what was going on. Before she could say anything, Artem stated after drinking a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in your head, but I¡¯ll say this¡­¡± He looked at her with a strong resolve in his eyes. ¡°Your leader and the other leaders have deemed ours to be competent enough to make the right calls. Don¡¯t let your devoutness to your leader cloud the judgement that she made. Ours isn¡¯t looking at what is best for him, but what is best for the whole. I may be a coward a lot of the time, but even if he would never order me to, I can and will refuse to save a person if I believe they will cause more harm than good to those he is trying to protect.¡± Lapis¡¯ eyes widened at his sudden words. However, she understood the next message loud and clear as he added, ¡°Never obstruct or piss off the healer especially when they are trying to save another¡¯s life because if you do¡­then you could end up dead.¡± Tutorial 119 - Multitasking Liam stared at the fight before him. The amount of damage they had been dealing while Artem was healing the other two attackers had diminished a bit. They needed to do something that could help up the damage. The strategy to use the added damage from landing fire on plant and iced areas that were landed could help, but they needed to rely on their crowd control abilities to pull it off. They could have Ariyana and Inyis take turns using Entangled Roots, but the spell wasn¡¯t big enough to hold the whole body down while they used the magic combination. Plus, the fire would destroy the vines and release the creature before they could get back into position. How can we incorporate that spell combination. If fire won¡¯t do then maybe¡­ Liam started to think until a thought came in to mind. It was when Artem called out for someone who could use water magic. ¡°I guess if using Grasp of the Shadows is only suitable for that strategy¡­then Entangle Roots could be used for that strategy instead,¡± Liam muttered under his breath as a smile formed on his face. His smile disappeared as he noticed a slight twitch in the spider¡¯s left leg and shouted, ¡°Incoming swipe! Back out!¡± Macro, Blair, and Roman jumped back right as the Black Widow Matriarch brought her left leg back and swung. As she brought her leg back Marco rushed back in without waiting for any orders. Liam watched as he rushed back in and swore under his breath before yelling, ¡°Marco don¡¯t rush in, stop!¡± But, it was too late. As Marco ran back in the Black Widow Matriarch was already swinging her right leg right for Marco¡¯s torso. He tried to stop and was going to jump back, but Liam knew he wouldn¡¯t make it in time. Marco brought his hands and arms in, getting ready for contact, but then grew wide eyed as Artem rushed in as fast as he could and swung his shield up and over his head, parrying the strike above both of them. ¡°Yes! Great job Artem!¡± Liam yelled. He then barked out, ¡°Alright, everyone back in!¡± Marco gave Artem an appreciative nod before resuming his duties. Artem ran back to the side he was originally on while Blaire, Avery, and Roman resumed their attacks. Liam watched as Danny reappeared by Marco¡¯s side, but before he could attack, Lector called out to him, ¡°Danny! Give me a boost!¡± Danny turned around and cupped his hands together and crouched his legs a bit as Lector rushed over to him. With a smooth solid motion, he placed a foot in Danny¡¯s cupped hands and was launched into the air arcing over the massive spider. Liam watched Lector look around, found something interesting, aimed for it and threw a couple of daggers. The Black Widow Matriarch let out a loud shrill sound indicating it was in pain as it tried to swing around and swipe at the dual colored fairy winged man. Right before it could swipe its sharp leg at him, Lector suddenly split into two. One of the versions of the man ran as fast as he could out of the striking range while the other ran towards the creature gaining its attention and having her attack it instead. The Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s leg swiped right through that version of Lector¡¯s torso cleaving it into two. However, the body didn¡¯t shoot blood, but instead looked like a puff of smoke being pulled away. ¡°Great timing, Ariyana!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Buff the casters and replenish your mana before attacking again.¡± Ariyana nodded before doing as she was told. ¡°Mercer, rebuff the defenders then the attackers!¡± Liam ordered. ¡°Lapis help out with¡­,¡± Inyis started to say. ¡°Hold up on that,¡± Liam interjected making Inyis turn to him. Lapis looked at the man too, slowly growing a scowl, and was about to complain about how he had the nerve to stop her lady from giving an order but stopped as Liam continued. ¡°Lapis, you have water magic right?¡± Liam questioned. Lapis looked at Inyis who stared at her waiting for her to answer. ¡°Yes, why?¡± Lapis asked holding back her disdain. ¡°Can you land a water spell big enough to get that creature wet?¡± Liam asked. Lapis thought about it. She then replied, ¡°Yes but it takes up a good portion of my mana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Cast it as soon as you can.¡± Lapis wasn¡¯t really sure why he wanted her to use a water spell that would probably only get the creature wet and was going to argue about it. ¡°Do it Lapis!¡± Inyis barked giving her an irritated look. ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± Lapis stated before channeling her mana. ¡°Inyis and Ariyana, use Entangled Roots on that creature to hold it down. Spread it out so you both are able to pin as much of the body as you can.¡± Inyis and Ariyana nodded as they started channeling their mana before chanting. ¡°Front line!¡± Liam shouted while turning to face the front. ¡°Lapis is about to cast a water spell over the creature, do not get wet or stay in the puddle that¡¯s about to form under the creature! Marco and Roman! After the spell lands use your most powerful Lightning spell! Lector, get over here when this goes on!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± the others shouted. Shortly after Liam barked out his orders, Ariyana and Inyis finished their chanting. Several vines suddenly shot out from the ground underneath the Black Widow Matriarch. Each vine snaked around the legs of the massive spider, tightened and pulled down, restricting the creature from moving. A couple other vines wrapped around the abdomen and tightened as well, but the amount that wrapped around wasn¡¯t as tight as the ones around her legs. The Black Widow Matriarch struggled as she tried jerking and twisting her legs around but failed to free herself. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Liam turned to look at Lapis and watched as the mana she was channeling grew bright. Once when the level of brightness reached the amount she was able to take she started chanting, ¡°Water, clear and pristine. I call upon you for your aide. Wash away any that I point you towards. Water Orb.¡± Liam watched as the mana she had channeled poured into two small orbs of clear water. With each bit of mana she pushed into them, the orbs started swelling. Before he knew it both orbs grew too big and were merged together. The size of this orb was almost the same size as her. She lifted her wand up a bit to let it grow some more as she continued to pour in more mana she had channeled. Liam grew a bit worried as he watched this giant orb of water grow. It reminded him of a water balloon being filled. It looked like it was ready to pop at any second. Finally, it had reached the size of a small car and she slowly guided it right above the struggling creature being held down by vines. After getting it right into place, Liam shouted, ¡°Everyone out now!¡± As soon as he shouted this, Lapis popped the massive orb of water and watched as it washed down and drenched the Black Widow Matriarch. The wave of water that hit the ground spread out a few feet from the giant creature. ¡°Marco and Roman!¡± Liam yelled out as he pulled out a vial that flashed every other second. ¡°O orb of sparks pure and true. Shoot and engulf the one in your path. Ripple through the muscles and make them lock. Electro Orb!¡± Two orbs of purplish-yellow electricity suddenly sparked right in front of Roman¡¯s and Marco¡¯s hands. They grew to the size of basketballs as Marco and Roman focused hard. Shortly after that they both ran to opposite sides and threw the orbs at the drenched creature still struggling to break free. As soon as the orbs of electricity made contact with the spider, a bright light of purplish yellow suddenly flashed as several arcs of lightning danced around the Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s body. A few wild flashes of electricity snaked out and around the edge of the giant puddle. The Black Widow Matriarch let out a loud agonizing shrill noise as her body looked like it was tensing up. However, thanks to the vines, she couldn¡¯t move her legs enough to curl up. ¡°And for extra damage,¡± Liam muttered before throwing the vial at the spider. He then added, ¡°Back up some more people!¡± Everyone ran back as they saw the vial hurling in the air. As soon as they got back far enough, they watched as the vial shattered against the Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s head releasing a raven black orb that floated up above her head. The massive size spider¡¯s body looked like it was trying to be lifted off the ground to get closer to the orb but was stopped by the vines that held it in place. After a few seconds had passed, the orb that hovered above suddenly flashed and sent a shockwave of lighting out washing over the creature within it. After the shockwave dispersed, lightning suddenly bounced all around the spider¡¯s body, causing it to scream even louder and started to convulse. Liam quickly glanced at the creature¡¯s stat bars. ¡°Raised Black Widow Matriarch. 6,157/9750 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 18 (Partially Sealed).¡± ¡°That is amazing to see,¡± Lector stated as he appeared next to Liam. Liam turned to look at the Fairy man and gave him a grin. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Anyways, you needed me?¡± Lector said prying his eyes away from the sight. ¡°Yes, what did you do when you jumped into the air and threw your daggers?¡± Liam started. ¡°It looked like you got a couple of crits in there.¡± ¡°Crits?¡± Lector questioned as he gave him a puzzled expression. ¡°Never mind,¡± Liam waved. ¡°Okay¡­there are a few cracks on the top of the abdomen. I threw my daggers there and got some extra damage in,¡± Lector informed. ¡°Interesting,¡± Liam started to say and was about to continue until someone shouted to grab his attention. ¡°Liam!¡± Mica shouted. ¡°We could use one of those fire bomb things you have over here!¡± Liam turned to see Jude¡¯s and Aranis¡¯ group struggling to fight the Spider Tailed Horned Viper. A couple of their melee strikers jumped back to dodge a tail swing and swift snap of the snake¡¯s jaw. ¡°In a sec!¡± Liam yelled back. He then turned to Inyis and stated, ¡°You¡¯re in charge till I get back. I¡¯m taking Ariyana with me though.¡± Inyis and Ariyana swiftly turned their heads to look at him. ¡°Huh?¡± Ariyana questioned. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Inyis inquired with a confused look. ¡°Yeah this should only take a moment. We¡¯ll be right back,¡± Liam stated as he motioned for Ariyana to follow. ¡°Um okay,¡± Inyis replied back before looking at the paralyzed spider. ¡°Why do you need me?¡± Ariyana questioned as she ran next to Liam. Liam looked at her and answered, ¡°I¡¯ll need your help to distract the giant snake while I try to restraint it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think any of my charm spells will work on it though,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to charm it I just need you to distract it. I think your Dancing Lights spell should work,¡± Liam stated. Ariyana looked at him before saying, ¡°I kind of forgot about that spell.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It has a lot of potential, so you need to use it more.¡± Ariyana nodded. ¡°Alright. When should I use it?¡± ¡°As soon as we get there get as close as you can without getting into harm¡¯s way and cast it,¡± Liam replied as they quickly approached Mica. ¡°Got it,¡± Ariyana nodded as she changed her trajectory towards the Spider Tailed Horned Viper. ¡°How are you guys doing over here?¡± Liam asked as he reached Mica. ¡°We¡¯re surviving,¡± Mica quickly answered. ¡°Those damn scales are as hard as rocks and are still a pain even after becoming an Undead type.¡± Liam nodded as he stared at the creature¡¯s health pool.
¡°Raised Spider Tailed Horned Viper. 7150/9750 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 18 (Partially Sealed).¡±
¡°Alright, we¡¯ll give you guys a quick hand before we head back to the other monster,¡± Liam stated as he watched Ariyana throw out three different colored orbs towards the viper¡¯s head. The Spider Tailed Horned Viper suddenly whipped its head back before shaking it. It then tried snapping its massive mouth at one of the dancing lights, but failed. ¡°What the hell?¡± Jude yelled out. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of my spells,¡± Ariyana replied as she started channeling mana. As everyone on the front lines turned to look back they heard Liam finish chanting, ¡°Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Bernard and Jude instinctively jumped back as shadowy tendrils shot out from the Spider Tailed Horned Viper¡¯s shadow. Each tendril wrapped around parts of the snake¡¯s massive body and yanked it down to the ground. A loud thunk sound echoed as its head was slammed down hard against the floor. Shortly after the shadowy tendrils constricted over the creature, Ariyana finished chanting and released several razor sharp leaves that flew towards the mid-section of the snake. A couple of the leaves bounced off while others lodged themselves between the rocky scales. Liam saw this and thought of an idea. He turned to Rez and asked, ¡°Can you land as many ice spells as you can before I throw this vial?¡± Rez turned to look at him. At first he was confused, but after looking at the bottle he understood what he wanted to do. Rez nodded before he started channeling as much mana as he could. As soon as he channeled enough mana he chanted, ¡°Liquid condensed, Freeze and take form. Sharp as a sword, but hard as steel. Fly forth and pierce my enemy. Icicle Lance!¡± Two orbs of water suddenly formed right in front of the Elf. They stretched out a bit before suddenly freezing over. As soon as they fully formed Rez threw the two Icicles and watched as they pierced into the other side of the giant snake, freezing the areas around where they landed. Liam waited for another round of Icicles to land on one side and another round of razor sharp leaves to pierce the other. After they landed once more, Liam barked out, ¡°Frontline back up as much as you can!¡± Aranis, Bernard, Jude, and the others turned around and ran as fast as they could away from the creature. As soon as Liam believed they were well out of range, he threw two small vials of tannish brown liquid. One crashed right between the Spider Tailed Horned Viper¡¯s eyes while the other landed on its back. ¡°Time for a fire show,¡± Liam said while tossing the bigger vial. Liam watched as it arced a bit and shattered right behind the creature¡¯s head. A raven black orb slowly rose and started sucking in anything within the radius. Bits and pieces of dust and broken floor tiles floated into the air and towards the orb. Liam stared at this and grew a frown. Something about seeing those clumps of broken tile starting to cover the orb didn¡¯t sit well in his stomach. Liam tried to think about why he was feeling this until the orb started to drop. As soon as it dropped down, Liam¡¯s Danger Sense suddenly flared up. ¡°Shit! Everyone, duck!¡± Liam shouted as he started to drop down himself, but it was too late. As the heatwave exploded outwards, the rubble that was collected shot out like a shotgun. Two pieces, one the size of Liam¡¯s fist and the other the size of his stomach collided right into Liam¡¯s stomach and chest. The force of the objects crashing into him sent him flying backwards like a skipping stone until he slid to a stop. ¡°Liam!¡± Ariyana shouted. Tutorial 120 - You don’t know how to lead, do you? Inyis looked back to the Black Widow Matriarch who was still feeling the effects of being paralyzed from the combination of Lightning magic from Marco and Roman as well as the Magnetic Shockwave Liam had thrown at it. This gave the defenders and the melee attackers a brief moment to replenish their stamina and any health or mana they had used up. ¡°Marco, get back in there as quickly as you can. Attackers, after Marco gets settled back into a rhythm, continue attacking. Avery and Roman do not use your magical abilities. Save as much mana as you can for the later fights,¡± Inyis ordered. ¡°Liam¡¯s team, call out for heals when you get too low.¡± Inyis¡¯ attackers yelled out a confirming shout while Liam¡¯s remaining team nodded while staring at the Black Widow Matriarch. Lapis let out a scoff at Liam¡¯s team¡¯s lack of verbal affirmation compared to when Liam called out orders before chugging down one of her mana potions to try and get back the mana she had spent on that Water Orb spell. ¡°Do you need me to use my Mana Pulse spell to replenish your mana?¡± Mercer asked Lapis. Lapis glared at Mercer before stating, ¡°No, I should be fine with this mana potion.¡± ¡°Lapis, allow him to hasten your mana regeneration,¡± Inyis stated as she watched Marco run right towards the giant spider and begin to strike the creature as fast as he could. The other melee attackers joined back in. ¡°Fine,¡± Lapis grumbled as she looked away from them. Inyis watched as Mercer pulled out a violin and started playing a rather interesting song. The sounds coming out weren¡¯t master level, in fact there were a few notes that screeched or didn¡¯t sound like he ran the bow right. It didn¡¯t affect the spell he was casting through the instrument though. This was proven when a light blue wave pulsed out away from him and washed over Lapis and Inyis. Inyis stared at the Tiefling with some amazement. She looked at the other members of Liam¡¯s team and thought how mismatched they were. She knew they weren¡¯t related to Liam or to any one of them. They were strangers who had met when they arrived here in this new world and yet their teamwork spoke volumes. They trusted their leader and their leader trusted them. He didn¡¯t need to voice out many orders. They knew what he wanted, which led to him not needing to fully vocalize the commands. Instead, sometimes it seemed they just needed him to relay when to act or react. However, there were a few moments when they were confused by what he wanted. Many times, during the fight with the Black Widow Matriarch, Inyis had given him some glances. His facial expression changed multiple times throughout the fight. Even though he hadn¡¯t attacked much, it looked more like he was fighting a theorized battle. Coming up with and adjusting ideas to attack, when to attack, what to look out for, and how to counter. Adding in her team probably changed a lot of his strategies since he didn¡¯t know much about them, but she was able to see how he slowly grasped what they could do and were capable of. This had impressed Inyis. ¡°His adaptability is astounding,¡± Inyis quietly muttered to herself. ¡°What did he go through to be able to adapt and add factors no one would take the time to think about?¡± Inyis looked again at each of his members. They didn¡¯t have the looks of someone who hated taking orders from someone who wasn¡¯t their leader. Is it trust? Do they trust him that much to be able to listen to an order that gives their life to another? Inyis thought before looking at her team. Inyis wasn¡¯t dumb, she knew a couple of her members weren¡¯t happy taking orders from another. She also knew with their personality they would turn that unhappiness towards those who were associated with Liam. Although Inyis hated to admit it, she too was skeptical about having someone else lead them during this battle. So, she could understand how her teammates felt. However, after watching how he led his teammates adding in how he didn¡¯t play favorites towards his teammates only, allowing her members to handle key roles, she had to admit he had better foresight than her. Also, the way he fought without needing his team to take out that group from earlier showed he knew what he was doing. Luckily Lector, Danny, and Nidy weren¡¯t ones to give it much thought and went with the flow allowing the synergy between her team and Liam¡¯s team to not crumble. Marco tried to show his dissatisfaction at the beginning but after Liam revealed he wanted him to be the main tank she believed it made him start to think differently towards their temporary leader. Lapis, however, didn¡¯t get onboard with the whole thing. Inyis could understand her frustration about the whole thing. She was someone who was raised to follow only Inyis and take her orders. However, even Inyis knew that in order to survive this everyone had to do things they weren¡¯t happy doing. A sudden thought came to Inyis¡¯ mind as she quietly muttered, ¡°Did he calculate that some of my members wouldn¡¯t be happy? Is that why he wanted me to act like a vice leader, allowing me to relay my own orders to my team while throwing in some commands here and there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think,¡± Inyis heard Mercer replied while playing his song. Inyis turned to look at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mercer gave her a smile. ¡°Liam is a big ball of contradictions. He doesn¡¯t want to lead yet he has the ability to give out orders and the mind to make difficult decisions. He struggles with his inner demons yet at times he looks so calm and composed. One thing we have come to learn is that you can¡¯t begin to understand what is going on in his mind.¡± ¡°He pays attention to everything around him. He spots certain details when constructing plans and can notice minor changes in people¡¯s body language even when he isn¡¯t speaking to them. He probably had an inkling there would be some who would have an issue with him leading everyone. He¡¯d be delusional to believe everyone would be onboard. Hell, I thought for sure there would be a lot more people causing issues. He probably made the judgement call on having you lead your team due to that, but at the same time he really doesn¡¯t know your team. He doesn¡¯t like adding in factors he doesn¡¯t have knowledge of.¡± Inyis¡¯ brows furrowed as she tried to understand what Mercer said, ¡°Are you saying he had me lead my team so he could see what we can do so he could make adjustments in his strategy? Can he really adapt on the fly after gathering information during battle?¡± Mercer gave her a smile. ¡°Is it really that hard to grasp? That is how we¡¯ve managed to make it this far. I don¡¯t know how you or the other two groups have made it this far, but for us it has always been because he has adjusted and strategized during battle. That¡¯s why we can trust his orders. Are his orders always right? No. And he has expressed to us many times that his plans won¡¯t always go the way he planned.¡± ¡°But why make a plan if it won¡¯t go the way you envision it?¡± Inyis questioned. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Because nothing ever goes the way you want it to,¡± Mercer replied. ¡°Battles evolve as time goes on. You won¡¯t always have all the information on an opponent you¡¯ve never fought before. That¡¯s why you must have not just one plan but multiple back up plans as well as be able to readjust those back up plans.¡± Inyis gave him a disbelieving look. ¡°I do not believe there is someone capable enough to be able to do that.¡± ¡°Believe it or not. It¡¯s your choice,¡± Mercer stated before giving her a devilish grin. ¡°He can do it and it¡¯s not even the strangest part about him.¡± Curious, Inyis questioned, ¡°What is the strangest part about him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his uncanny ability to test new things out while during battle and they end up working about ninety percent of the time.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Lapis suddenly shouted. Mercer turned to look at her. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°No one is stupid enough to test new things out during a battle. This isn¡¯t a place where you can try something and not expect consequences,¡± Lapis frowned, feeling irritated that this man was trying to make his leader sound like some genius. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Mercer agreed. ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t stop him. Regardless of if you believe me or not. He¡¯s already proved during this fight.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Inyis questioned as she turned to look over the fight still going on before them. The Black Widow Matriarch was released from her paralyzed debuff and started to stretch her legs out. Artem stopped striking and paid closer attention to the front leg before him while Blair and Roman backed off as well awaiting for the right time to strike again. Avery pulled her rapier out from being able to pierce it into the Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s side. Danny, Nidy, and Lector took note of what the other team was doing and decided to do as they were doing. Are they learning from them? Why aren¡¯t they continuing their attacks? Inyis thought as she noticed this. My team is good enough to be able to do anything and yet those three are following the flow of the others? ¡°Tell me, did you know that the lightning magic and his Magnetic Shockwave would work on that spider?¡± Mercer asked, pulling Inyis¡¯ attention back to him. Inyis turned to look at him with a puzzled look. Without thinking she stated, ¡°No, I thought that the Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s body was covered in a hard shell since our attacks weren¡¯t doing as much damage as well as how hard her body feels when hitting it.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Mercer stated before pulling an arrow on his bow string, aimed, and released. ¡°He didn¡¯t look at it and thought hey this wont work because it looks like the creature can block it. No, instead he looked at the creature and thought I wonder if this would work against. And after it did what did he do?¡± Inyis¡¯ eyes slowly widened as realization struck. ¡°He made an adjustment to the plan and threw the alchemy item at it.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Mercer grinned. ¡°He tests what works and what doesn¡¯t work and creates new plans based on those findings. A mind that can process that during a battle isn¡¯t someone you can grasp. If you try he¡¯ll just end up surprising you when you least expect it.¡± ¡°You jest,¡± Lapis scoffed. ¡°Please don¡¯t try to make your leader out to be some amazing and cool guy that can do anything and everything.¡± Mercer glanced over to her and gave her a stern look. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. We all know he has flaws and isn¡¯t perfect. Sometimes his plans don¡¯t go the way he wants them to and there have been a couple of times where a couple of us have almost lost our lives.¡± ¡°Then¡­,¡± Lapis started to say as a victorious grin started forming. However, that grin stopped and returned to a frown. ¡°However, there is something I have learned from watching you, Inyis, and the other leaders during this fight,¡± Mercer began. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡± Inyis questioned before turning her gaze back to Avery and Roman who started channeling mana. ¡°Avery and Roman! I said don¡¯t use any magical attacks! Save your mana for later!¡± Avery and Roman glared at her as they stopped channeling and ran back in to attack. ¡°That is going to prove what I am about to say,¡± Mercer started back up. ¡°You don¡¯t really know how to lead during battle do you?¡± Inyis jerked her head to look at Mercer with an incredulous expression. ¡°How¡­how dare you question our lady¡¯s credibility to lead!¡± Lapis roared. Her face turned so red, Mercer thought she was going to burst a vein. ¡°I never said she couldn¡¯t lead. I said she doesn¡¯t know how to lead during battle,¡± Mercer corrected. ¡°I can see she can keep you and the rest of your team under control outside of battle, but she made a mistake just now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Inyis questioned starting to feel a bit frustrated. ¡°That was a perfect time to gather mana to use magical abilities,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Besides the fact that our physical attacks are barely doing any damage. By allowing them to channel mana and get ready to use a spell, it would have allowed Marco to gain more aggro. However, right now he¡¯s barely hanging on to that. And because he¡¯s struggling he¡¯s exerting more stamina to try and keep it which in turn is tiring him out.¡± Inyis turned to look at the Black Widow Matriarch. After studying her for a few seconds, she was able to see it. The creature¡¯s gaze was shifting away from Marco who was struggling to keep it. She was able to see how tired he was getting. Sweat was rolling down his face and his breathing was starting to labor. She took a glance at his stamina bar and saw how it was dangerously low. Not only that but his health was slowly dropping, from what she wasn¡¯t able to tell. What the hell? How did I not see that? Inyis thought as she slowly started to panic internally. What do I do? If Marco cant keep this up he¡¯s going to get seriously hurt! What do I do? What do I do?! Mercer watched as her eyes showed signs of panic. After waiting for her to make some worth while calls he let out a sigh. After releasing an arrow towards the giant creature, he shouted out, ¡°Avery, Roman, Blair, and Artem! Adjustments to the plan! Artem trade take over for Marco and take aggro.¡± ¡°Blair back him up! Avery and Roman start channeling some mana to give Artem and Blair enough time to gain the creatures attention. After they have accumulated enough of it, use Fireball. Danny, Nidy, and Lector, if you guys have any helpful magical attack do the same. The objective right now isn¡¯t to do a lot of damage, but instead give Marco enough time to regain his stamina so he can retake his role!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Avery and Roman yelled out. Artem and Blair grunted as their strained faces eased up and started to shift into the roles given to them. Danny, Lector, and Nidy jumped back, stopped what they were doing and stared at Inyis and Mercer. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± Lapis yelled out. ¡°What makes you think you have any right to take command and tell our people what to do while¡­¡± Mercer shifted his gaze upon him, making her flinch. He narrowed his eyes and bored down on her while stating in a creepily calm and collective tone of voice, ¡°What I am doing is trying to make sure we don¡¯t get ourselves into a situation that will fuck us in the long run. If your leader is as competent as you clearly wish her to be then she needs to step up and think better before I take over.¡± Inyis was shocked to hear him say this. That shock slowly turned to frustration as she whirled and stated, ¡°I am in charge here. Your leader¡­¡± ¡°Has made a mistake allowing you to lead us when you can¡¯t properly lead,¡± Mercer finished. He then added, ¡°He has also stated since we gave him the role that if someone has a better strategy then they need to relay it. And since you haven¡¯t been giving out any good instructions I¡¯m going to take command.¡± Lapis looked like she was about to argue while Inyis grew even more frustrated. What this Tiefling was saying was right. She had never been a war leader. She was trained at a young age to lead people outside of fights but never in one since she was never supposed to see battles back on Earth. There was no need to learn battle tactics since her country was never in a war zone. That was true until the planet turned into an apocalyptic hell. When it did, her family had started teaching her in the art, but due to the suddenness it was too little too late especially with what was going on. It became even more apparent when she arrived here to this new world with her best friend and five bodyguards. They had lost one of her most trusted body guards during the third floor fight against the Black Widow Matriarch when she tried to issue commands. It was after that that she truly understood the importance of learning how to properly lead during fights. She had picked up the Perception of the Control Tower thanks to her efforts, but she didn¡¯t truly understand its worth till Liam had pointed out things she didn¡¯t know about it. She believed her team had faith in her, but she didn¡¯t know if it was because they were bodyguards still taking their roles seriously or if they believed her competent enough to do it. ¡°You look frustrated. Good,¡± Mercer jumped back in. ¡°If you¡¯re frustrated then you understand how right I am. You can grow. Watch and learn. And when you¡¯re ready to take full reigns then I¡¯ll step back down and allow you to do your job.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Lapis yelled again. ¡°Marco don¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, they heard a loud explosion shortly before Ariyana yell out Liam¡¯s name. This proved to be a mistake that could prove fatal. As they turned their attention towards Liam skipping backwards like a stone, the Black Widow Matriarch took advantage and lifted her right leg and struck Marco across the chest creating a gash diagonally across it. ¡°Marco!¡± Inyis yelled as she watched blood fly out from the wound. Tutorial 121 - Getting us nowhere Inyis stared at Marco with wide panicking eyes, unsure of what to do. The Black Widow Matriarch lifted her right leg back up and was about to strike again, but was rebuffed as Blair swung her axe up to block the attack and send the leg back up. Before Inyis could try and think of what to do Mercer yelled out, ¡°Danny, pull Marco back here! Artem, you know what to do. Blair, back him up. Avery and Roman, continue channeling mana and get those spells out. Same to the rest of you!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Artem, Avery, Blair and Roman communicated back. Artem slammed his right foot down and let out a thundering roar causing the Black Widow Matriarch to turn away from Blair and focus on him. She went to strike at him but was parried with his shield allowing him to swing his mace at her face. The Black Widow Matriarch swung with her other leg, but was pushed up as Blair¡¯s axe swung upwards close to the tip of the leg redirecting the trajectory over Artem¡¯s head. Each strike, block, and parry these two made caused the giant spider to step back, allowing some room between the creature and Marco. Danny quickly rushed over to Marco who was on his back after getting struck. He gripped his arms under Marco¡¯s armpits from behind and dragged him back towards Mercer. Lector and Nidy froze and stared at them. Their bodies jerked as Mercer yelled out, ¡°Lector and Nidy what are you guys waiting for?! Start channeling any mana you have and use your spells!¡± He then turned to Lapis and stated, ¡°You too, don¡¯t just stand there. Get to work!¡± Lapis snapped out of her shock, glared at Mercer and started channeling her mana. ¡°Wha¡­What can I do to help?¡± Inyis questioned as she approached the three. Mercer turned to look at her and replied, ¡°Tell me what his health is at.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Inyis asked with a confused look. ¡°His health. What is his health at? How much is left?¡± Mercer tried again, this time with a bit more snap in his voice. Danny¡¯s eyes narrowed at Mercer after hearing his tone of voice. ¡°Oh,¡± Inyis said as she looked at his bars. ¡°He¡¯s got fifteen health points left.¡± ¡°God damn. Any sign of poison?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°None,¡± Inyis responded quickly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one saving grace,¡± Mercer muttered to himself. He then nodded before looking at her and instructed, ¡°Alright, get back to fighting. Start channeling some of your mana and use some of your plant magical spells. Anything that can pierce that creature.¡± ¡°But I can¡­,¡± Inyis started to say, but was cut off. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the healing. You focus on attacking and paying attention to those bars. We need verbal communication when people¡¯s stamina, mana, and health are getting low. You got it?¡± Mercer stated as he pulled his violin out and started playing a heartwarming song. Inyis stared at him for a few seconds. She watched as a white with light green colored aura pulsed out from Mercer as he played his song. Is that another form of healing? Inyis thought as she stared dumbfounded. She snapped out of her amazement at this new thing she saw, came to a conclusion, and nodded her head before turning back around. Mercer turned his attention to Danny who was standing there staring at him. ¡°Do you think my words harsh?¡± Mercer asked as he continued to play. ¡°If you do, then you have yourselves to blame for not properly letting her grow and truly understand all that is going on. As her bodyguards you must not just coddle her nor do everything for her. She needs to learn and grow. If she doesn¡¯t then she will die.¡± Danny was about to say something until Marco cut in with a cough, ¡°We know that. We want her to grow and get stronger, but¡­¡± Mercer let out a sigh. ¡°Let me guess, you want her to be free and grow on her own, but at the same time you want to not let it get too hard for her?¡± Marco slowly sat up and turned his gaze on Mercer who was still healing him. He could feel each pulse that waved out from the Tiefling and wash over him. It was as warm and soothing as the song he was playing. "Before you ask, yes I know all too well how that can go,¡± Mercer started back up. ¡°As grateful as she is, it will only hinder her. If you truly want her to grow and learn to really lead. Let her experience the hardships and struggles. I¡¯m not saying let her do it to the point where it might kill you. If you know what she is doing wrong, call her out. Show, explain to her why it was the wrong choice. That¡¯s how you will help her really grow.¡± Marco looked to the ground for a moment, looking like he was thinking something over. He then looked at his twin and nodded at him. Danny understood what he was thinking and nodded as well before they both turned to Mercer and said in unison, ¡°Thank you. Please, during the rest of this fight, continue to be as harsh as you can to help her grow.¡± Mercer stopped playing his instrument and placed it back in his inventory. He then pulled out a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion, and said, ¡°You can count on me. For now, drink a health and stamina potion to get the last bit you need to replenish and get back out there. Your lady needs your strength.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jude and Aranis turned their heads to look behind them after hearing Ariyana call out Liam¡¯s name. They both watched him sliding backwards and rolling on his sides before coming to a stop. His warning saved everyone else from getting hit from the random rubble that had shot out, but it looked like he wasn¡¯t able to dodge it. ¡°Amateur mistake,¡± Jude grumbled before getting back to his feet. He then turned to look at a female elf wearing a pure white robe that ran down to her knees and ordered, ¡°Lacy, go heal Liam then get back here.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Lacy replied as she and Ariyana ran towards Liam. After the two women started running, Aranis looked back at the Spider Tailed Horned Viper. The giant snake was still being held down by the shadowy tendrils that Liam had called upon. A giant flame flickered over the snake¡¯s head as it jerked and thrashed to get itself free. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I hate to admit it, but that was some great thinking, using shadow magic to hold it down and throwing that liquid on it before using that fire bomb thing,¡± Aranis stated. ¡°Not only that but using ice and that girl¡¯s plant magic to get some extra damage on it too was very helpful,¡± Rez said, looking appreciative at the results. ¡°It did about eight hundred damage and is still ticking thanks to the damage over time the burn debuff is giving it.¡± ¡°I told you not to underestimate him,¡± Jude stated with a stern look. ¡°He¡¯ll come up with some things we wouldn¡¯t bother thinking of.¡± Aranis nodded, slowly understanding what Jude was saying. He stared at the tendrils and thought to himself, I didn¡¯t think Shadow Magic would be this helpful. I thought it would be more¡­dark. Utilizing magic in a way to hold down opponents so more powerful magic can strike is something I should probably try thinking about more. Maybe I should just accept it. After thinking that he turned to Rez and questioned, ¡°How long do you think those tendrils will last?¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure. I thought that fire explosion would have burnt them away, but the flames just washed over them like they were nothing,¡± Rez responded. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Aranis glanced at Jude. Jude gave him a wide grin as he stated, ¡°Let¡¯s tear off that fucking tail.¡± After Jude said that, both he and Aranis raced towards the tail. The spider shaped tail was wiggling around. The spikes that would easily pass as legs flailed about trying to ward off any enemies from attacking it. Aranis and Jude looked for the spot where the tail and the hard rock-like scales connected and were happy to see the tendrils didn¡¯t block it. Aranis was closer to it and swiftly lifted his katana up into the air and chopped down as hard as he could. He felt it connect, but the sword didn¡¯t dig in as far as he would have liked it to go. As soon as he lifted his sword out, one of Jude¡¯s tomahawk looking axes was already swinging down. The Spider Tailed Horned Viper let out a loud hiss of pain as it felt the sharp weapons strike it. Both men took turns trying to hack the tail off the best they could. However, no matter how hard they swung down, their weapons were only able to sink in a little bit. Small amounts of liquid started to form and trickle out from the wound. ¡°What the hell,¡± Jude complained as he tried to keep in sync with Aranis. ¡°This was far easier back on the third floor.¡± ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Aranis huffed. ¡°It just goes to show how much weaker it was back then.¡± As Aranis and Jude focused on severing the tail, the rest of their teammates focused on attacking the rest of the body. Rez shot Ice Orbs at the left side of the Spider Tailed Horned Viper¡¯s body while Mia fired arrows at the creature¡¯s eyes. Her arrows missed their mark and either sunk into the flesh around head or bounced off as the snake jerked its head around, still trying to break free from its restraints. Theodore slammed his axe down as hard as he could while standing on the right side of the creature as Henry pierced his daggers in between the scales. Mica kept her eyes on each of her member¡¯s stamina and mana bars, making sure they didn¡¯t run out. Bernard swung his war hammer vertically and horizontally, chipping away at the rock-like scales that covered the giant snake. Joshua fired off a few Fire orbs at the spots Rez had hit, trying to get in that extra damage. The female elf wearing the white robe with green lining from Aranis¡¯ group watched and waited for orders to heal. Aranis stopped attacking the tail as he panted heavily. ¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡± Jude asked as he panted as well, trying to gasp in as much air as he could. ¡°This is getting us nowhere,¡± Aranis answered while wiping away some sweat from his forehead. ¡°We can keep hacking away and the Viper will be free before we can cut this damn thing off.¡± ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Jude questioned as irritation started to swell inside him. ¡°I think there should be enough running for me to cast a spell,¡± Aranis stated. ¡°Not only that, but since there¡¯s probably some poison or venom or whatever this thing has it should be enough.¡± ¡°Enough running? Enough of what?¡± Jude questioned as he gave him a confused look. ¡°And what does poison, or venom have to do with anything?¡± Aranis looked at Jude and realized he hasn¡¯t seen him cast this spell before. He was trying to keep it hidden from the other groups, but it looked like he wasn¡¯t going to be able to. He knew they all had their own secrets they were hiding, but this fight was slowly revealing each of their aces. He remembered, before Liam was called over, watching Jude call shadows forth towards his axes. He didn¡¯t try striking the creature, but instead swung at the air, shooting shadowy bladed trajectories at the Snake. Then Liam came over and used Shadow magic to pin the massive creature down. He didn¡¯t know many who could use Shadow magic and since there weren¡¯t many, he figured it had to be something only select few individuals could get. Since they were willing to reveal those secrets then who was he to hold back. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± Aranis replied. ¡°For now, back up. You¡¯re not going to want any of this to land on you when I cast this.¡± Jude let out a huff before taking a few steps back. He watched as Aranis started to channel mana. He then listened as Aranis chanted, ¡°Blood, pure and essential, mix with the poison that is vital. Skip the alchemic process and transform. Melt that which you touch, corrode the armor which protects, and boil away any defense. Acidic Blood.¡± Jude¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the blood that was slowly pooling out from the wound they both had made start to sizzle and smoke. The Spider Tailed Horned Viper let out a loud and ear piercing shriek as pain raced through it. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± Jude questioned. ¡°I just made things a lot more uncomfortable for it,¡± Aranis smiled. ¡°Although it wont be enough to melt it away at a fast pace, its health will drop over time till it is dead.¡± Jude eyed the elf swordsman with a cautious look. ¡°Did you have this ability when we fought before?¡± Aranis shook his head. ¡°No. I got it after.¡± ¡°And you wont tell me how you got it?¡± Jude asked. Aranis gave him a wicked grin. ¡°Nope.¡± Jude crossed his arms as he let out a grunt. ¡°Figures.¡± Rez stopped casting and drank a weak mana potion to replenish his mana. As he did this, he felt something off. He glanced at Mica and noticed she felt it too. After looking at Rez to see if he felt it, Mica narrowed her eyes to look closer at the snake. Both she and Rez noticed something disappear around the Viper¡¯s mouth. It was elusive at first. However, after whisps of the thing that caught their attention started to build up, they were able to recognize what it was. It was a poisonous gas. ¡°Shit! Everyone get away from the Viper!¡± Rez shouted. ¡°Right now!¡± Mica yelled. Everyone heard the shouts and started to sprint away from the massive snake. As soon as they turned and started to book it, the Spider Tailed Horner Viper snapped the tendril that was holding its head down, lifted its head up while opening its massive mouth as wide as it could, then pushed out a dark purple gas as it swung its head from right to left. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam felt his consciousness come back to him as he slowly opened his eyes. He felt a warm wave wash over his body as a white light mixed with some light green pierced his sight. With a groan, Liam slowly lifted himself to a sitting position and tried to look around. ¡°What happened?¡± Liam asked as he looked around. ¡°You took a hit from some rubble after the Implosive heatwave went off,¡± Ariyana replied. ¡°I thought you were out for good after you went flying and skidded like a rock.¡± ¡°I must admit,¡± a sweet angelic sounding voice started. ¡°You were hit pretty hard. I don¡¯t know how much damage you took, but judging by how much mana I have used so far, you were probably close to being dead.¡± Liam turned his attention to the voice and saw the female elf looking at him. She gave him a warm smile that could have entranced many men or women if they stared at her long enough. Her long green hair waved around her head as she continued to use her healing magic to replenish Liam¡¯s health. Her opal eyes were just as mesmerizing as her smile was. ¡°Thank you¡­,¡± Liam started but realized he didn¡¯t know her name. ¡°Lacy,¡± the female elf helped out. She stopped casting her healing spell and took out a Weak Mana Potion and drank it. After she finished, she grimaced from the taste. ¡°You know there are better tasting potions right?¡± Liam inquired as he looked at her. ¡°I know, but I still have a few of these left and figured I might as well finish these off now,¡± Lacy replied. ¡°Understandable. Thank you for the heal,¡± Liam stated. ¡°You are quite welcome,¡± Lacy smiled. Liam turned his attention to Ariyana and asked, ¡°What have I missed?¡± Ariyana looked back at the group fighting the snake and answered, ¡°Not much. Jude and Aranis are trying to cut the tail off while the others are trying to attack it. It looked like Marco got hit pretty hard over there, but it looks like Mercer is already on it.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Liam said as he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Not going to lie, I was iffy about leaving that Inyis girl in charge, but if things are looking okay then that¡¯s fine.¡± Ariyana nodded her agreement. Liam was about to stand back up, but then noticed something happening above them. He stared at the sickly green orbs. He almost forgot about them, but now that he was staring at them he noticed they were acting weird. He scanned his eyes around to see what it was. He wasn¡¯t able to see it at first, but then noticed four orbs making their way through the barrier and were floating towards the four crystals sitting on the pillars around the raised platform the Lich was standing on. As his eyes followed the orbs down, he then noticed something that shocked him. The Lich was engulfed in rich and thick mana. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Liam swore. Tutorial 122 - Get your head out of your ass ¡°What?¡± Ariyana quickly asked, panic filling her after hearing Liam swear. ¡°The Lich is making his move now,¡± Liam replied as he stood up. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ariyana questioned as she turned her attention towards the paled skin male. Her eyes widened as she activated Mana Sight and saw the intense bright color of his mana flare out. ¡°He¡¯s pulling four orbs at a time towards those crystals,¡± Liam stated as he pointed to the next four that made their way down towards the crystals. ¡°Why only four at a time?¡± Lacy asked, her brows scrunched. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam answered as he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°But if it¡¯s only four at a time then we have some time to try and stop it. The only issue is the barrier that is surrounding him. We need to find a way to break it.¡± ¡°But how are we supposed to break it?¡± Lacy questioned. ¡°Jude tried to and he wasn¡¯t able to put a dent on it.¡± Liam started working his brain trying to come up with a way, but nothing he thought of was helping. He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts as he heard Rez and Mica shout something. He turned his attention to the group fighting the Spider Tailed Horned Viper and saw a thick dark purple cloud roll out from its mouth and cover the entire area it was in with the gas. The entire body was engulfed within the cloud, blocking everyone¡¯s sight of it. Isn¡¯t that the Noxious Fog it tried to cover me in right when I killed it last time? Liam thought as he stared at the purple cloud. A loud yell tore Liam¡¯s attention from the poison covered snake to see Marco rush towards the Black Widow Matriarch and slam right into it. As Liam watched this, gears started turning in his mind. He looked back at the poisonous fog and then back at Marco. Covered¡­rushing¡­ Liam began to think. Another thing that popped into his mind was the rock-like scales that covered the Spider Tailed Horned Viper. Rock covering¡­ramming¡­. Liam looked at the barrier and then it clicked. ¡°That just might work,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°What might work?¡± Ariyana and Lacy questioned. Liam turned his eyes on Lacy and asked, ¡°Are any of your members a Taurus Zodiac?¡± Lacy¡¯s brows scrunched as she thought it over. She then shook her head while replying, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Damn¡­maybe one of Aranis¡¯ group members is,¡± Liam said. ¡°Why does that matter¡­Ooooh,¡± Ariyana stated as she understood what he wanted to do. She looked at the barrier and then back at Liam and asked, ¡°Do you think that would work?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gamble, but with the force made and how big and heavy their bodies are there¡¯s a good chance it could work,¡± Liam answered as he sprinted over to Rez. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lacy asked as she jogged next to Ariyana. ¡°Why does he need someone who is a Taurus Zodiac?¡± Ariyana gave her a smile as she vaguely said, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± ¡°Rez!¡± Liam shouted as he ran up to him. Rez turned his head to see Liam. ¡°Good to see you¡¯re back up.¡± ¡°Thanks. Is anyone in your group a Taurus Zodiac?¡± Liam asked. Taken aback a bit by the question, Rez responded, ¡°Maybe. Hold on let me think.¡± After thinking for a few seconds, he nodded as if he confirmed something and said, ¡°I believe Bernard is a Taurus.¡± ¡°Okay thank you,¡± Liam said before yelling out, ¡°Bernard! Come over here please.¡± Bernard, Aranis, and Jude turned to see Liam standing over by Rez. Bernard looked at Aranis who nodded and followed him over. ¡°I see you¡¯re back on your feet,¡± Jude stated. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. That fucking hurt,¡± Liam responded as he rubbed his stomach. He then looked at Bernard and asked, ¡°You¡¯re a Taurus Zodiac right?¡± Hesitant at first, Bernard nodded. ¡°Good, I have a plan that might work on destroying the barrier, but I¡¯m going to need yours, Mica¡¯s, and Rez¡¯s help,¡± Liam started. Liam explained his idea. After explaining it all, Aranis asked with some skepticism, ¡°How sure are you that it¡¯ll work?¡± ¡°Hm. About eighty percent,¡± Liam responded. ¡°Only eighty?¡± Aranis repeated with a brow raised. Jude let out a laugh. ¡°I like it. It might be a little reckless, but if it works then it¡¯ll be one great sight to see.¡± Aranis scrunched his brows as he contemplated something. ¡°Why do it though? Wont it go down if we defeat both the creatures?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee it will and besides, we¡¯re on a timer,¡± Liam said as he gave him a serious look. ¡°The Lich is making his move. He¡¯s pulling the four orbs at a time towards the four crystals. We need to stop him before he finishes.¡± Rez¡¯s brows shot up as he stated, ¡°He¡¯s fueling the summoning circle.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I am thinking. So, we need to stop him and what better way than to do it like this.¡± Aranis stared at Liam. After a moment he said, ¡°Alright, I am onboard. We¡¯ll pass the plan along to the others. Are you going to relay it to the other groups?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Liam said. He was about to add something else, until he heard Lector shout something that made everyone turn to look over at the other groups with a concern and confused look. ¡°There¡¯s some butt action going on over here!¡± Lector yelled with a slightly panicked voice. As Liam turned to look over, he watched as the Black Widow Matriarch shot a web up to the ceiling. After it stuck, she pulled herself up and turned upside down. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Jude stated. Liquid started drooling out from the spider¡¯s mouth moments after it latched its legs onto the ceiling. A second after that, she started spitting clumps of greenish-purple liquid towards the ground where people stood. ¡°Scatter!¡± Inyis yelled. ¡°That definitely doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Jude repeated before loud snapping sounds echoed out from the fog of poison that was in front of them. ¡°Neither does that,¡± Liam said. ¡°Alright, get that cloud gone with wind magic if any of you have it. I¡¯ll go help out over there and get things in motion. Once when we¡¯re set I¡¯ll call out when to start.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Aranis said as he turned his attention towards the cloud of poison and readied himself. The sound of snapping stopped abruptly leaving an eerie silence within the cloud. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. As soon as Liam and Ariyana started running, the Spider Tailed Horned Viper shot out straight for Liam. A trail of purplish colored fog escaped out of its massive mouth. Bernard let out a deep rumbling roar making the massive creature turn its head towards him. It took a deep breath and heavily breathed a clump of fog towards him. Liam watched as Bernard and the others split to get out of the way before turning his attention back to the scene before him. Liam turned his head to Ariyana and asked, ¡°Do you think you can fire your Dancing Lights spell that high?¡± Ariyana stared at the Spider that was slowly crawling around upside down, spitting globs of poison at the fleeing people below it. She thought it over in her head before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I might be able to, but I¡¯ve never tried throwing it that far.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to try today. Once when we get there try and do it.¡± Ariyana nodded. Nervousness filled her as she tried to center herself. ¡°Remember, it¡¯s okay if you fail. If you do then we¡¯ll try something else. Our goal is to try and redirect its attention while we regroup,¡± Liam encouraged. Ariyana looked at him. Her nervousness was still there, but less than what it was a moment ago. ¡°Got it.¡± Liam and Ariyana ran as fast as they could towards the others, but as they got closer Liam saw Nidy, who was running along the side of the wall with Lector right behind her looking up at the spider, trip over something. This caused her to fall face first onto the ground with Lector tripping over her. ¡°Nidy! Lector!¡± Inyis yelled. The Black Widow Matriarch turned her head towards them and shot out a giant glob of poison in their direction. Before they were able to get back up, the liquid splattered over their bodies and along the side of the wall and ground. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam cursed under his breath. ¡°Ariyana get that spell out now. Lapis wash the poison off of them now!¡± Lapis¡¯ scowling face turned towards Liam. She looked like she was going to say something, but then swallowed it before channeling mana. As she started chanting a spell, Ariyana finished chanting hers. Three different colored orbs winked into existence and danced around her wand. She narrowed her eyes at the Spider that was slowly skittering on the ceiling, brought her wand back behind her head, aimed, and whipped her arm out, fling the orbs towards the spider. Ariyana and Liam stared at it. The orbs were flying with some speed, but then started slowly as it approached the spider. Right as the speed dropped to a crawl, Ariyana grew anxious. ¡°Its not going to make it,¡± Ariyana said. However, before she could say anything else, the orbs stopped right above the spider¡¯s head like a halo and started spinning. The Black Widow Matriarch saw the orbs and tried swatting them with one of her legs. Each swipe and strike went right through the orbs. Getting a bit irritated at them, the spider tried spitting poison at them. Again, the liquid missed. Instead of landing on them, the globs of liquid shot towards the ground pooling together right underneath where the spider was. As this was going on, Lapis shot a water orb big enough to wash the poison off of Nidy and Lector. The two slowly got up and made their way over to the others. ¡°God job, Ariyana,¡± Liam yelled out. ¡°Come over here you two and I¡¯ll Detox you,¡± Artem called out. ¡°Hold up on that Artem,¡± Liam started. ¡°What do you mean hold up on that?¡± Lapis glared. ¡°Do you want them to die to poison?¡± ¡°No, depending on their situation there might be time to cleanse them after we take care of something really important,¡± Liam continued. Before Lapis could say anything, Liam turned to Inyis and asked, ¡°Inyis what are Nidy¡¯s and Lector¡¯s health at?¡± ¡°They are still over three quarters full,¡± Inyis answered, feeling both confused and irritated at Liam. ¡°Ok, and how much are they losing each second?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°About ten health every five seconds,¡± Inyis answered. Liam brought a hand to his chin and quickly thought it over. ¡°Ok we should make it in time.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lapis started back up. ¡°We need to¡­¡± ¡°We need to get that spider down from the ceiling and close to the barrier as soon as we can,¡± Liam cut her off. With a strict and stern tone of voice he added, ¡°That takes precedence before we heal everyone.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Inyis questioned. ¡°Ariyana, fill everyone in on what¡¯s going on,¡± Liam instructed. He then turned to Mercer and ordered, ¡°Mercer, we need to try and kite that creature over to the barrier. Aim for the cracks on its abdomen.¡± Mercer nodded. He looked at Blair and stated, ¡°Once when I give the signal we are going to use Gravitational Force Increase to bring that spider back down.¡± Blair gave him a grin. Liam turned to Lapis and said with an even stricter tone, ¡°Lapis, if you have a spell that can wash away the pools of poison out there then I need you to do it. Don¡¯t worry about using up all your mana, you will get it back quickly.¡± Ignoring Lapis¡¯ argument, Liam turned to Artem and said, ¡°Replenish any and all missing stamina and mana. After we pull off what I¡¯m trying to do we¡¯re going to need you to do what you do best¡­besides cooking.¡± He then looked at Roman and added, ¡°Same with you. You are one of the two key pieces in this plan.¡± Not questioning what Liam was saying, Artem and Roman quickly pulled out their stamina and mana potions and started drinking. ¡°Are you listening?!¡± Lapis yelled. ¡°Not now Lapis. Get going on your task. If you don¡¯t then this will be harder for what we need to do,¡± Liam scolded before running away from the group. Inyis watched as he pulled out two bone daggers that had a purplish glow radiating from them. What is he planning and what is up with those daggers? Inyis thought. ¡°My lady, we can¡¯t let this madman continue to take charge,¡± Lapis started. ¡°I urge you to take command and order that healer to Detox Nidy and Lector before it is too late.¡± Inyis turned to look at her. The survival of her teammates was her highest priority. She, too, was unsure of what was going on in Liam¡¯s head, but there was something in the way he ordered everyone and what he had said that told her he had a plan that would make sure they would get the treatment they needed before it was too late. She was indecisive on what to do. She was torn on whether she should make Lapis do her job like Liam had instructed or do what she believed was right for her team. Before she could think on it more, Avery stated, ¡°Could you please get your head out of your ass already.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Lapis stated with shock and frustration as she turned towards Avery. ¡°You heard me,¡± Avery shot back. ¡°You need to see the bigger picture here. You think they are the only ones who are suffering from poison?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lapis questioned. Avery pointed to Aranis¡¯ and Jude¡¯s group. The others looked over to see a purplish fog roll over someone who was trying to run away from it. Another was on their knees coughing. ¡°They have casualties going on over there as well, yet they are still going through with whatever plan Liam has cooked up,¡± Avery stated with a glare sharper than the one Lapis had. ¡°Why don¡¯t they use Detox on them?¡± Lapis countered. ¡°And what is so urgent that we must ignore the wellbeing of our teammates?¡± ¡°I can enlighten you on that,¡± Ariyana said, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to her. She explained the situation she and Liam had seen as well as the plan he had. ¡°That¡¯s utterly insane. How do we know it will work?¡± Lapis stated, full of incredulity. Blair, Avery, and Artem let out a long and loud laugh. ¡°What is so funny?¡± Lapis questioned as she glared at them. ¡°It sounds just like Liam. Not entirely sure if it will work, but still wants to try it,¡± Roman stated. ¡°Right?¡± Artem agreed. ¡°However, no matter what the likelihood of it working or not. I¡®ll choose to follow through with it. I figured he had something up his sleeve, but I didn¡¯t think it would be that.¡± Inyis stayed silent after listening to them. She then turned her attention to Liam. He was jumping around the puddles of poison as he threw his weird looking daggers at the spider. His accuracy was impressive as the daggers crashed right into the cracked areas of the abdomen. She also saw arrows that Mercer was shooting, hitting the spots where the daggers sunk into right after Liam pulled the daggers back with his mana manipulation. The timing and synchronization they displayed was impressive to her. The trust they showed that they wouldn¡¯t get in each other¡¯s way made her feel envious. She was also impressed with Liam as he dodged any incoming poisonous attacks that the spider shot at him. The three dancing orbs Ariyana had thrown had disappeared while she explained everything. Coming to a conclusion, Inyis turned to Artem and asked, ¡°Are you truly capable of taking care of your role?¡± Artem looked at her. He didn¡¯t say anything at first, but instead stared right into her eyes. After a moment had passed, he nodded and said, ¡°If it is something he assigned me to do then I will do it with everything I have.¡± Inyis took in his confidence. What he said was what she wanted to hear. She nodded then looked at Lapis and said, ¡°Lapis do what was told of you.¡± Lapis whirled to look at Inyis. She was shocked and upset at what her leader said. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. Do it¡­now!¡± Inyis ordered with finality in her voice. She then looked at Avery and added, ¡°I will put faith into his plan, but if this fails I will take control of both groups.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it will come to that, but it¡¯s about time you look your part,¡± Avery stated as she turned to look at Liam. Liam and Mercer backed up after each strike they inflicted. The Black Widow Matriarch was slowly chasing after them. She was slowly closing in on the barrier with every step she took. Liam felt his back touch the barrier right after jumping back from a blob of poison aiming for him while pulling his daggers out. Right as this happened he heard Lapis finish chanting, ¡°Jet Stream!¡± Liam jumped to his right and back out of the way of a powerful stream of water shot towards each pool of poison. After a few seconds of blasting the water over each area, the poison flung away like a power pressure trying to get oil off of the ground. The Black Widow Matriarch, now right in front of the barrier, started to turn around. As she did, Liam yelled out as he started channeling his mana, ¡°Blair now!¡± Blair channeled in as much mana as she could do as quickly as she could before chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Become heavier and stronger. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing and hindering its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Both she and Liam finished chanting the spell and focused it on the Black Widow Matriarch. The Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s body suddenly glowed briefly. After the spell took hold of her, she desperately tried to dig her sharp clawed feet into the ceiling but failed to hold on. Her body grew heavy, too heavy to keep her up, causing her to slip off and fall to the ground, hard. After the spider crashed next to the barrier, Liam glanced behind him to see Aranis and Jude had the Spider Tailed Horned Viper on the opposite side of the barrier. Feeling like this was the best they could do for right now, he shouted, ¡°Trap them now!¡± As he shouted this; Rez, Mica, and Liam started channeling mana. Here we go. It¡¯s do or die now. Liam thought right before the three of them started chanting. Tutorial 123 - Finished Processing ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Liam chanted as Mica finished chanting her Gravitational Force Increase spell applying heavy gravity on the snake while Rez chanted his Icicle Encase freezing the underbelly to the floor. Shadowy Tendrils shot out from underneath the Black Widow Matriarch after she flipped herself right side up. Each tendril snaked around her legs while a couple wrapped around her mid-section. Both creatures let out a cry of frustration after getting trapped in the spot they were now restricted to. After both creatures were secured, Liam shouted as loud as he could, ¡°Bernard, Roman! Run wild!¡± Roman and Bernard each smiled before letting out a deep growl, ¡°Earthen Bovine Rush!¡± In unison, Roman and Bernard started running clockwise from where they stood. Both started for the closest corner, rounding the pillar then making their way for the other side of the room. ¡°Everyone! Make sure not to get in their way!¡± Liam warned. As Bernard and Roman ran, rocks and stones started to cover their bodies. It started with their feet before slowly covering their legs, their lower torso, and chest. By the time they made it half way from where they started, their entire body was covered in rocks and loose stones. The earthen rubble then started to mold over their bodies transforming their looks to resemble a rock shaped minotaur. Their form grew as they continued to run around the room. Each step they took sent a shake throughout the room, causing everyone to try and keep their balance. After making the first round, their height and mass had tripled. Liam stared at their forms and then back at the two creatures struggling to break free from their restraints. He then looked at the barrier and thought, Not yet. He then shouted, ¡°Another round!¡± Bernard and Roman acknowledged his shout by running around the room once more. As they ran, Liam glanced up to the orbs and noticed the amount had lessened a lot. Not only that, the orbs were now moving faster towards the crystals that were glowing brightly. Vein-like lines had ran down the four pillars towards the summoning circle in the middle of the platform. Shit, we¡¯re running out of time. Liam thought as he looked back at Bernard and Roman. The two rock covered males were coming close to making it back to where they had started. Their height and mass had tripled in size yet again. However, Liam felt that it still wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Once more!¡± Liam shouted, trying to keep himself from falling over. He then yelled out, ¡°Everyone else gather around Artem!¡± Liam and the others slowly made their way towards Artem who accommodated the others from Aranis¡¯ and Jude¡¯s group by making it to the middle of the room a few feet away from the shielded area, but still out of Bernard¡¯s and Roman¡¯s way. After Liam made it to the group, he looked back at the two running around and saw they were almost at the ideal size. One more time should do it. Liam thought before announcing, ¡°If you can do one more round then please do so!¡± Bernard and Roman let out a loud deep roar in response to him as they continued pass their starting point. Their forms started to hunch as the horns formed on their heads almost scrapped the ceiling. Liam turned to Avery and Marco. ¡°Once when they ram into the two creatures and their forms shatter, run as fast as you can and pull them over here.¡± ¡°You got it,¡± Avery stated as she readied herself. Marco nodded as he got to the side Bernard was going to finish at. Liam looked back up and saw the last of the orbs started making their way to the crystals. Shit! Liam thought before snapping his sight on the two. He noticed they were coming in fast to the areas they started at. Right as they were about to get there, Liam shouted as loud as he could, ¡°Now!¡± Bernard and Roman, shifted their trajectory right for the Spider Tailed Horned Viper and the Black Widow Matriarch. Liam looked at the last four sickly green and black orbs that were racing for the crystals. His attention suddenly looked away from them as snapping and crunching sounds echoed in the room mixed with the rumbling of Bernard¡¯s and Roman¡¯s footsteps. As the two earthen Bovines ran straight for them, the two creatures broke free from their restrains and tried to get out of the way. However, it was too late. Bernard lowered his head angling his rocked covered head straight at the Spider Tailed Horned Viper while Roman did the same for the Black Widow Matriarch. Right before both men crashed into the two creatures they jerked their heads up, bringing the two massive creatures bodies straight up and right into the barrier. Their rock formed bodies exploded upon contact. Bernard and Roman were shot backwards as the Spider Tailed Horned Viper and Black Widow Matriarch flew harder into the barrier. Like a starting gun going off at a track meet, Avery and Marco sprinted for the two falling bodies that were thrown away from the collision. Liam turned to look at Artem and order, ¡°Do it now!¡± Artem started channeling mana as fast as he could right after hearing Liam. A loud shatter filled the room as the barrier broke. Liam turned back to see the last four orbs getting closer to the crystals. Shit. Shit. Please make it in time. Liam swore and panicked internally. He kept his eyes on them as they kept getting closer and closer. Each inch they got; Liam grew more anxious. His anxiety grew even more as faint whispers tickled the edge of his ears and mind. Liam¡¯s eyes grew as they were about to enter the crystals. However, right before they could, the Lich looked up and let out an angered roar of shock and rage as he saw the two massive undead bodies come falling down. The pillars and crystals shattered under their gravity increased weight and fell right on top of him. Liam let out a shout of triumph as the last four orbs floated up to the ceiling and then winked out of existence. Right after Liam yelled out his victorious battle cry, Artem released his built up mana and said in a commanding tone of voice, ¡°Healer¡¯s Territory ¨C Absolute Restore!¡± Before anything happened, Marco and Avery had just returned pulling the two panting and exhausted men into the circle. Aqua colored mana engulfed everyone as it pulsed out from Artem. The ones with poison running through their bodies felt the painful sensations start to disappear. Everyone watched as purple and greenish-purple colors start to escape the skin of the ones inflicted as small bubbles suddenly formed and floated off their bodies. Not only that, but everyone felt their health, mana, and stamina start to return as the exhaustion they were feeling disappear. ¡°This¡­,¡± Lapis started with amazement in her wide eyes. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Inyis questioned as she looked around her, shocked and amazed as well. ¡°Healer¡¯s Territory ¨C Absolute Restore,¡± Lacy started. ¡°This is an ability all healers would kill to have.¡± ¡°This is a healer¡¯s ability?¡± Inyis questioned as she turned to look at her. Lacy shook her head. ¡°It is but at the same time it isn¡¯t. Healers can¡¯t get this as an actual ability. This ability falls under the Zodiac powers.¡± ¡°Zodiac? Which one?¡± Inyis and Lapis asked. ¡°Pisces,¡± the female elf wearing the white robe with green lining that came up to her knees stated. Everyone turned to look at her. ¡°Pisces?¡± Inyis questioned. ¡°How do you know that¡­¡± ¡°Anna,¡± the elf said. ¡°I know that because I am one and have the ability as well. It¡¯s an ability that completely heals any wounds, poisons, afflictions, and the like. It also restores all health, mana, and stamina as well as gets rid of any curses that have been branded on you.¡± Inyis and Lapis turned to look at Artem. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Inyis then looked at Liam and thought, You really did make sure they wouldn¡¯t die and replenished everyone¡¯s reserves as well. You successfully broke the barrier and destroyed the four crystals before he could finish whatever it was he was doing. Just how were you able to make such a plan so quickly? Lapis looked around as the aqua colored aura pulsed over everyone. She could see how everyone was getting back on their feet like they didn¡¯t just struggle a few seconds ago. Her teammates hadn¡¯t just recovered from the poison, but all of their health, mana, and stamina was being refilled. She just couldn¡¯t understand it. Her sight landed on Artem and Liam. They really did what they said they would do. I had almost ruined it. What would have happened if I didn¡¯t listen and refused like I was about to. Would my teammates die from the poison that was in their system? Would they have survived long enough for us to find a way to get it out of them? Lapis shook her head. There were too many unknown factors to give her a proper answer to those questions. She knew her hardheadedness could have cost not only her teammates, but also the lives of other members. She knew what she had to do. She didn¡¯t like it, but she knew she had to do it. As she approached Liam who was staring at the middle platform next to Artem, she watched the aqua aura stop pulsing. Artem pulled out a health, mana, and stamina potion and started drinking each one. ¡°Um¡­,¡± Lapis started. Artem turned his gaze to look at her, but Liam still kept his sight on something. ¡°What is it?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry for my attitude back there and thank you,¡± Lapis said uncomfortably. Before Artem could respond, Liam stated, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. Things might get a bit more complicated now.¡± ¡°What do you mea¡­,¡± Lapis started to ask until a powerful feeling washed over her and everyone in the room. A loud angered roar echoed as the bodies of the Spider Tailed Horned Viper and the Black Widow Matriarch were violently thrown off of the Lich to his right side. ¡°No!¡± he roared as he stood back up. ¡°How could this have happened! I was so close. So close!¡± Aranis, Inyis, and Jude walked up and stood next to Liam. Each member of their groups focused their attention on the creature. The Lich¡¯s creepy eyes snapped over to the two creatures he had thrown off of him. ¡°You two!¡± he started with a thick layer of anger boiling in his voice. ¡°You had one job! One fucking job and you couldn¡¯t even do that!¡± Liam stared at the two massive creatures and was shocked as he recognized something in their body language. Fear. These two powerful creatures were afraid of this Lich. If the creatures we were struggling with are afraid of something much smaller than them then we might be in even more trouble than I had imagined. Liam thought. His eyes then widened as he watched a sickly green and black color start to form around his hands. ¡°The mana wasted on you shall be corrected,¡± the Lich stated as his voice grew colder. The sickly green and black color that were covering the Lich¡¯s hand started to outline the Spider Tailed Horned Viper¡¯s and Black Widow Matriarch¡¯s bodies. Their forms started to squirm and writhe in what looked like pain to Liam. Everyone watched with wide eyed horror as the two massive creatures that were giving them so much trouble struggled with some unseen pain happening to them. Within a few seconds these two massive creatures suddenly dropped, all life or whatever was holding them up winking out. Two notifications suddenly appeared in front of Liam.
¡°Spider Tailed Horned Viper has been slain.¡± ¡°Black Widow Matriarch has been slain.¡±
Liam gulped as he tried to think of all the possibilities that could happen. However, due to the wide amount of things he had no clue about this Lich, he was struggling to come up with any plan. The Lich let out a long sigh before slowly turning to face them. With a calm and collective tone, he said as he looked at the four leaders, ¡°I must admit¡­ I did not think you would have been able to stop me from summoning my master. Using those two worthless creatures to break the barrier was an ingenious plan. Which of you thought of it?¡± He stared at Aranis and Jude. ¡°You two are capable fighters, but I do not see you thinking of a plan like this.¡± He then turned his attention to Inyis. ¡°You look capable, but there¡¯s something in your posture and eyes that says your too inexperienced.¡± ¡°That leaves you.¡± The Lich stated as his cold gaze then fell upon Liam. He was silent as he eyed the male. After a moment had passed he said, ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re as strong as the two warriors and your eyes look cunning. You have the look of someone who is always thinking. Even now you¡¯re trying to come up with a strategy against me.¡± Liam froze at his words. He then took a breath in and let it out before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re complimenting me or insulting me.¡± Jude and Aranis shifted their gaze at Liam as Inyis gawked at him. ¡°A compliment for sure,¡± the Lich assured. ¡°Even if you¡¯re not as strong as the warriors here, you have the capability to adapt and evolve your strategies in the middle of a fight. You make up for your lack of strength by using your brain to create strategies many wouldn¡¯t come up with.¡± ¡°On a battlefield it isn¡¯t the strongest soldiers that armies should fear. It is the mind that strategically places the pieces in the right places and uses their abilities in ways the enemies wouldn¡¯t think of. You are the greatest threat here. I believe once when you have fallen it wouldn¡¯t be long for the others to die afterwards.¡± Jude scowled at the Lich. The Lich gave him an evil smile as he stated, ¡°However, I must add that I feel something in the three of you as well as him. Something faint and familiar. I say he is the greatest threat here, but I do believe the three of you have something that can rival that.¡± Aranis, Inyis, and Jude tensed a bit. Liam raised a brow as he looked at them. What does he mean by that? Liam questioned internally before looking back at the Lich. ¡°However, I still believe you are no match for me. So, I won¡¯t bother lifting a finger to kill you. Instead, I¡¯ll do this.¡± The lich said as his hands started glowing again. He then whipped his hands back then forwards shooting out a line of his mana like a rope towards Aranis and Inyis. Instinctually, Jude pushed Aranis out of the way while Liam shoved Inyis. Both fell on their sides before looking at the other two. The two rope-like mana substances wrapped around Jude¡¯s and Liam¡¯s arms and chest. Before they could do anything, the Lich yanked them as hard as he could and flung them behind him. He released his hold on the two males and allowed them to crash into the corners of the walls before whipping the mana rope back at Aranis and Inyis. Inyis¡¯ and Aranis¡¯ group tried running as fast as they could towards them, but failed as the Lich did the same thing to them as he did to Jude and Liam. Aranis and Inyis flew towards the wall directly behind him and crash hard as well as they landed. ¡°Now that they have been separated, it wont be long before you lot perish,¡± the Lich announced as he snapped his fingers. The doors on the left and right side of him slid open. Clattering sounds and metal scrapping against the floor echoed out. Slowly pouring out from the darkened hall were Skeletal creatures of different size, Zombies, and bandaged wrapped mummies. ¡°Shit! We need to get to them!¡± Mercer yelled out as the remaining members from all four groups started to rush towards their leaders that were slowly regaining their wits and trying to get to their feet. However, before they could take a few steps, the Lich shouted out, ¡°Glacial Wall!¡± An icy blue line formed from the edge of the door on the right wall towards the left wall. A second after they connected, a thick layer of translucent ice shot up to the ceiling, cutting off their path. ¡°Now, now,¡± the Lich started. ¡°Just sit there patiently and watch as your leaders die. Your turn will come soon.¡± Marco, Danny, and Artem rammed their shoulders into the ice trying to break through while Blair and Bernard swung their weapons as hard as they could. Small bits of ice broke free from the wall, but it wasn¡¯t enough to dent it. Panic filled each of the members as they desperately tried to break the ice covered wall. Liam placed a hand to his head as he slowly rolled over to his stomach. He let out a groan as he pushed himself to his knees. His danger sense suddenly flared up covering his head. Instinctually, he rolled to his right and dodged a sword swinging down on him. He brought his head up to see an Elite Skeleton Soldier turn its head to look at him. Right behind him were a couple of Mummy Guards with glowing muddy brown hands and Skeleton Warriors making their way to him. Liam got to his feet and glanced around. The area he, Aranis, Jude, and Inyis were thrown towards was slowly filling up with a horde of Undead creatures. He saw Inyis close by, slowly getting to her feet. He rushed over to her and helped her up as quickly as he could. ¡°Why are you rushin¡­,¡± Inyis started to protest until her eyes fell upon the creatures. ¡°What the hell?!¡± ¡°What the hell is right,¡± Jude agreed as he and Aranis appeared by their side. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± Liam started as his mind started racing. The light whispers that tickled his ears and mind didn¡¯t help as they whispered negative words like, You¡¯re going to die. This is the end for you. You failed again. They are going to die thanks to you. His thoughts grew panicked and were disarrayed as he looked around. His breathing grew ragged and sporadic as doubt and confusion slowly started to creep in and take over. As this was happening, the undead creatures crept in closer and closer with each step they took. ¡°Liam, what are we going to do?¡± Aranis repeated Jude¡¯s question. ¡°I¡­,¡± Liam repeated as he turned his head left to right, feeling the negative feelings grow even more with each whisper growing stronger in his mind. ¡°Liam!¡± Jude roared. Liam turned to look at Jude. As he did this, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice penetrated through the whispers and the anxiety growing. Pathetic. If you can¡¯t keep a calm mind through the turbulent storm raging inside then you really aren¡¯t suited to survive in this world. That one voice, strange as it was, brought Liam to a single thought. I need to calm the storm. Liam took in a shaky breath and muttered the words, in his mind, he would always say when trying to calm himself. Calm the Storm. He slowly released his breath. As he released it his mind started to calm. This time it was much quicker than it normally took. After his mind became as calm as an unrippled pond, a few chime sounds echoed in his mind. Liam was going to ignore them until a few interesting notifications appeared.
¡°Secondary Class 3rr0r Corrupted (Sealed) ability ????????? has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%!¡± ¡°Secondary Class 3rr0r Corrupted (Sealed) ability ????????? finished processing one of two anomalies. Hidden and corrupted information has been fixed and revealed!¡± ¡°Secondary Class Shadow of the Devourer (Sealed) ability Devour has finished processing the Spirit of the Prideful Wraith!¡± ¡°You have received ability Hubris Aura. Hubris Aura ¨C Ability Type ¨C Buff. Any enemy caught within the Hubris Aura will receive additional damage when attacked. When attacked while in the Hubris Aura, all enemies will start to doubt themselves as well as grow timid. Spell type ¨C Aura AOE. Aura Range ¨C 20 foot radius. Spell cost ¨C Mana channeling (Non-chant).¡± ¡°Warning! Due to insufficient knowledge on and not having Field of Sins, ability is dampened from 20 foot radius to 5 foot radius!¡± ¡°Due to devouring a spirit you have received a portion of Seed of ????? (Information sealed). Due to nature of Seed of ?????, you must devour more spirits to reveal and plant the Seed of ??????. Progress to fully planting the Seed of ?????? ¨C 10%!¡± ¡°Alert! Requirements for the Hidden Class for main class ¨C Crafter has been met. Would you like to evolve Main Class ¨C Crafter to Main Class ¨C Spirit Weaver? Yes No?¡±
¡°What the hell?¡± Liam muttered wide eyed. Tutorial 124 - Would you like to evolve? Liam stared at the notification again and reread the last two questions.
¡°Would you like to evolve Main Class ¨C Crafter to Main Class ¨C Spirit Weaver? Yes No?¡±
¡°Did you guys get a notification about evolving your class?¡± Inyis suddenly asked, bringing Liam¡¯s attention to her. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jude stated. ¡°Does anyone know how long the process will take for the class to evolve?¡± Aranis questioned as he looked at them. Jude and Inyis shook their heads before looking at Liam. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. It¡¯ll be a gamble for sure, but we need to decide now before it¡¯s too late,¡± Liam stated as he glanced at the monster¡¯s heading their way. Do it. Eri suddenly stated in Liam¡¯s mind. Don¡¯t hesitate and do it. As Eri spoke to him, he noticed the other three suddenly tense and look confused. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched at this. Are you sure? Liam inquired. If you don¡¯t then your chances of surviving are a lot lower than it would be if you put it off. Eri stated with some urgency. Before Liam could say anything to her, Jude suddenly shouted, ¡°Fuck it!¡± The other three turned their attention towards Jude as a wave of power started to build up around him. The temperature around him started to rise as steam began to roll off his skin. Liam saw a small flame flicker in his pupils for a few seconds as he started grunting and breathing heavily. It looked like he was in pain as he brought his arms across his chest while the power continued to grow. To Liam it looked like Jude was about to burst as his skin started turning red. After a few seconds had passed he let out a loud and powerful roar as a burst of flames suddenly exploded out from him. Aranis, Inyis, and Liam braced themselves for the impact, but as the flames washed over them they didn¡¯t receive any damage. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the creatures that were closest to him. The Skeleton Warriors fell backwards as the Rotted Zombies and Mummy Guards lit up in flames. Amazed and shocked, Aranis, Inyis, and Liam stared at Jude who was studying himself. The flames that covered his body simmered down before he clenched a fist and grinned wickedly. He looked at the three and stated, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± Inyis and Aranis nodded as they stared at their notifications and accepted. An invisible power built up around the two shortly after they accepted. Unlike Jude, the power around Aranis felt weird. It had a sharp yet nonexistent touch. Almost like it was illusionary. The power that was covering Inyis gave Liam the impression that he was in the middle of nature. It was calm yet a hidden danger could be felt within the calmness almost like a predator was lurking around. Not only that, but it felt that Liam¡¯s thoughts were laid bare in front of her. Liam then saw Aranis¡¯ body start flickering in and out as vines started to run up Inyis¡¯ body. After a few seconds had passed a translucent wave pulsed out from Aranis. As the wave washed over the creatures closest to him, slashes and gouges suddenly appeared all over their bodies. The vines that had ran up Inyis¡¯ body suddenly shot out towards the monsters closest to her. They pierced through some of the monsters and constricted around some of the others. Liam felt some excitement from watching this. He wasn¡¯t sure what a Spirit Weaver was, but it sounded cool to him. He looked at the notification still hovering in front of him and mentally accepted it. As soon as he accepted, he felt a pressure start to build up all around him. He felt an invisible power start to touch his skin. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on and before he could say anything he felt that power pierce into his body and touch something he was unfamiliar with. As the power invaded his body his sight suddenly grew dark. His body felt cold, and his consciousness faded. The last thing he heard was Aranis, Inyis, and Jude yelling out his name. Aranis Inyis and Jude were elated with what their evolved class presented them. However, before they could look more into it they felt something odd and dangerous right beside them. They all turned to see Liam¡¯s body start to fall backwards. That wasn¡¯t the only thing. It felt like his presence suddenly vanished almost like he had died right as he hit the ground. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Jude stated, confused and shocked. ¡°Is that supposed to happen?¡± Inyis asked, just as confused as the other two. ¡°Is it possible one could die from evolving their class?¡± Each of them froze as words whispered their minds, calming them and taking away their slowly panicked feeling. They were still confused by what was said to them, but they braced themselves for what was coming next. An eerily ghastly green color suddenly sparked around Liam as his body floated up. His body positioned itself into a standing one, but his feet didn¡¯t touch the ground. Instead, it just hovered a bit as the ghastly green color started to brighten. A few seconds after it grew to the point he was looking like a beacon, the power shot out and washed over twenty undead creatures, making each of them drop the instant the power covered them. Orbs of ghastly green, much cleaner than the ones the Lich had produced, escaped out from the dead creatures. All twenty orbs then flew towards Liam and started to swirl right in front of him creating some sort of shape. After a second had passed, Liam thrusted his right hand out and griped the swirling orbs. The swirling orbs then transformed into a hexagonal lantern with raven black metal and glass covering the opened areas the length of Liam¡¯s forearm. Aranis, Jude, and Inyis stared at the lantern looking object and felt a shiver run down their spines. Through the glass they were able to see a creepy green light that seemed to be calling for something deep within their bodies. The call was both soothing and dangerous the longer they stared. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Their attention then turned to Liam as his body floated down to the ground. As soon as his feet touched it, his eyes shot open. A ghastly green smoke rolled out from his eyes as they glowed the same soothing and dangerous color that had encased his body moments ago. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Aranis asked as he stared at Liam. ¡°Did you get some powerful class?¡± Jude quickly asked, excited to know what he had got. Liam stared off at something the others couldn¡¯t see. After a moment had passed, Liam¡¯s face turned to a frown. He then said with some disappointment, ¡°Its another fucking crafting type class.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mercer watched as everyone panicked and struck as violently and hard as they could against the ice wall that was preventing them from getting to their leaders. He noticed they were attacking with reckless abandon. Not really aiming or thinking. They were using their stamina recklessly, causing them to grow tired as they struck fast and hard. This is getting us nowhere. We need to figure something out. Someone needs to take command. Mercer thought. As he was thinking of something, he heard someone call out, ¡°Mercer! What¡¯s the plan?¡± He turned to the voice to see Roman staring at him. He was shocked to see Roman of all people asking him for instructions. ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re the one who¡¯s always close by Liam when he leads us. You and he are always talking about strategies whenever we weren¡¯t in the dungeon,¡± Ariyana explained. ¡°If anyone is close to being able to lead us right now it¡¯s you,¡± Avery added. ¡°I¡¯d love to, but leading isn¡¯t something I really want to do. Artem and Blair are in a panic. Roman is surprisingly calm and thinking for once, but even he understands he isn¡¯t fit to lead.¡± ¡°Liam has been teaching me things, but I¡¯m still nowhere close to you guys in that area,¡± Ariyana stated. Roman glared at Avery¡¯s comments, but instead of arguing with her, he added, ¡°That just leaves you. You took charge when Inyis couldn¡¯t and I think you¡¯ll be able to do so here as well. So, what do we do?¡± Mercer stared at them. He felt a bit happy that his teammates trusted him well enough to lead them with their leader¡¯s absence, but as soon as he felt that he recognized another feeling. Fear. Fear that all these lives were going to be in his hands. Fear that he had to come up with something to get them not only pass this ice covered wall, but pass the hordes of undead monsters streaming in just to get to their leaders before they died. Is this the pressure Liam was feeling during this whole fight? How was he able to deal with it all while at the same time thinking of strategies? Mercer thought. He shook his head as he tried not to think of any negative thoughts. No. If he was able to do this, then I should too. They are counting on me, and he is waiting for us. After finishing his thoughts, he began to study the wall. The entire thing was solid and thick. After watching the frontline trying to chip away at it, he noticed there wasn¡¯t a lot of damage done. It¡¯s either that wall is immune to physical attacks or we just aren¡¯t strong enough to shatter it with pure strength. If that¡¯s the case then¡­ Mercer began thinking before looking for Rez. After he found him, he called out, ¡°Rez! Come here!¡± Rez turned his attention over to Mercer and gave him a puzzling expression. After a brief moment he made his way over to him. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­Mercer, right?¡± Rez asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Mercer replied. ¡°Since you know more about Ice Magic than I do, what do you know about this spell?¡± Rez studied Mercer before looking back at the ice wall. After a few seconds had passed, he answered, ¡°I know it¡¯s a much higher level spell than what I have, but if its Ice Magic it has a major weakness and that¡¯s fire. However, I don¡¯t think throwing Fireballs all over will do anything. At our level it probably do as much damage as their physical attacks.¡± Mercer nodded at Rez¡¯s analysis. ¡°Okay, but what if we focus our Fire Magic in a certain area?¡± Rez shrugged. ¡°If someone has a continuous spell going will another threw powerful fire magic then there might be a chance, but I¡¯m not entirely sure.¡± An idea suddenly popped into his head. ¡°I know you have Fire Magic, but do you have the spell Wave of Ignition?¡± Rez nodded. ¡°I do, but I don¡¯t think having me use it alone will be enough.¡± Mercer smiled as he said, ¡°Who said you¡¯ll be the only one to use it?¡± He then motioned for Ariyana, Avery, and Roman to come over to them. As soon as the three arrived, Mercer asked, ¡°Avery and Roman, what¡¯s your MP at right now? Is it full?¡± ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t used anything since Artem refilled it,¡± Avery answered. ¡°Same here,¡± Roman agreed. ¡°Good,¡± Mercer started back up. ¡°We¡¯re going to have you two use Wave of Ignition focused around a certain area with Rez. I¡¯m going to use Mana Pulse to try and keep your MP up for as long as I can while you¡¯re using it.¡± Mercer turned to look at Ariyana. ¡°I need you to cast Echoes of Sound on everyone. Rotate through us all to help give us that extra boost.¡± Ariyana, Avery, and Roman nodded. Rez stared at them. He was impressed they were able to come up with this strategy. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to work. The probability of this working was extremely low. He didn¡¯t want to waste any mana unnecessarily. Albeit, after looking at their confident faces, he couldn¡¯t help but want to go along with the plan. After all, it was better than doing nothing. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this,¡± Rez stated. ¡°But where are we going to focus?¡± Mercer looked around and scanned for a spot. He didn¡¯t want to do right behind the Lich since that could spell trouble. Instead, he found a spot on the right side of them. It was in between the door and the Lich where a lot of undead creatures had gathered. ¡°Right there,¡± Mercer pointed. The four turned to look at where he pointed and where skeptical. ¡°That is where you want to do this at?¡± Rez questioned. Mercer nodded. ¡°Yes, I have another idea for what comes after, but I need to confirm something. You guys go stop them from wasting their stamina and inform them what we¡¯re going to do.¡± The four nodded and started doing what they were told as Mercer scanned the area to find the one person he needed to talk to. Once he found her, he made his way over. He called out the moment he was close by, ¡°Mia!¡± He knew she could be very skittish at times, so he wanted her to know he was coming instead of just appearing. Mia turned to look at him. Henry was right next to her and looked at him with a scowl as well. ¡°What do you want?¡± Henry glared. ¡°I need your help Mia,¡± Mercer started. ¡°What¡¯s this? The genius merchant needs someone¡¯s hel¡­,¡± Henry started to say haughtily. ¡°Not the time Henry,¡± Mercer cut him off. Henry glowered as he started back up. ¡°It¡¯s never the time with you. Why should Mia help you?¡± ¡°Because if I remember correctly she has an ability that can help us get to both Liam and Jude. And I need her help if we want to get to them as fast as we can,¡± Mercer quickly stated. Mia looked at Mercer. She studied him as she listened. ¡°As much as that sounds so noble, what makes you think she would help you out? What, are you going to take credit again for her¡­.,¡± Henry started back up, but stopped as Mia put a hand out. ¡°He¡¯s right Henry. Now¡¯s not the time to dive into the past,¡± Mia said as calm as she could. She looked back at Mercer and asked, ¡°Why would know about one of my abilities?¡± Mercer looked at her. He gave her a sad smile and said honestly, ¡°I truly thought of you guys as my friends since I didn¡¯t have any back then.¡± Henry was about to say something again, but stopped as Mia shot a look at him. ¡°Since I thought of you guys as my friends I took note of as much as I could of you all. Including birthdays,¡± Mercer said. Mia flinched at what he said. ¡°So, it comes to that ability. How do you know of it?¡± ¡°I was born the same month as you so we both have the same Zodiac,¡± Mercer stated. After thinking things over, Mia started to say, ¡°I don¡¯t think I will¡­¡± A sudden wave of power in the air turned their attention towards the area behind the ice wall. ¡°What was that?¡± someone questioned. ¡°You felt that too?¡± Another asked. Mercer looked out and tried peering through the ice wall and the crowd of undead. Two more waves of power were felt as objects were seen flying in the air around a certain spot. Everyone then heard three voices yell out Liam¡¯s name that sent a chill running down his spine. He narrowed his eyes and tried focusing on what was going on over there. He couldn¡¯t see much since there were so many monsters in the way, but after a few seconds had passed he saw an eerily ghastly green light start to brighten. He then saw a body start to float a bit in the air. His brows scrunched at what he was seeing and grew even more confused as he heard the Lich say something that made him confused. ¡°How is that possible? That kind of power shouldn¡¯t belong to anyone but them,¡± the Lich stated with both confusion and shock. The ghastly green light then suddenly pulsed out. The color and brightness had faded after reaching a quarter of the way away from the person. However, he felt something wash over his skin that helped calm his nerves. Mercer grew resolute after feeling that and said with finality, ¡°They are still fighting with all they have to stay alive. Why shouldn¡¯t we do all we can to fight our way to them?¡± Mia tore her gaze from the scene in front of her towards Mercer. After a few seconds had passed, she let out a sigh and replied, ¡°What do you have planned?¡± Tutorial 125 – New Class, New Moves Jude, Aranis, and Inyis stared at him. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Jude questioned with a somewhat look of pity. Liam looked over the information that was right in front of him again.
¡°Congratulations! You have evolved your Main Class ¨C Crafter into Main Class ¨C Spirit Weaver. Harvest the souls of the fallen, collect them in the Spectral Lantern, and weave them into weapons, armor, consumable and alchemic items to create powerful variants. Wield the spirits you weave into your items in ways long forgotten in this world.¡± ¡°Health, Mana, and Stamina have increased due to class evolution.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have unlocked a new resource pool, Spirit Pool. Spirit Pool ¨C like your Mana Pool, Spirit Pool is used when using Spirit abilities!¡± ¡°Congratulations! New Spirit Stat and Sub-stats have been revealed!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to certain requirements not fully met, new Spirit Stat and Sub-stats¡¯ have been locked.¡± ¡°Congratulations ¨C Class ability Harvest has evolved into Spirit Harvest. Level of Spirit Harvest will remain the level it was at when it evolved. Spirit Harvest ¨C the ability to harvest the soul of a fallen enemy and place it into user¡¯s Spectral Lantern.¡± ¡°Spirit Harvest Level 10 update ¨C can harvest multiple souls of fallen enemies at once within a twenty foot radius!¡± ¡°Spirit Harvest Level 20 update ¨C ability now has an execute effect. If a creature is at 5% health user can call upon their soul to leave the body and end the creature¡¯s life instantly.¡± ¡°Warning! Crafting Focus Point -Gathering Craft ability ¨C Harvest has separated from Main Class ability ¨C Soul Harvest and will level up separately.¡± ¡°You have received the ability Anima Forge. Anima Forge ¨C Creates a small Soul Forge for user to use to craft the collected souls into weapons, armor, alchemical items, and more.¡± ¡°You have received the ability Soul Weave. Soul Weave ¨C When using a piece of armor or weapon with a soul imbued inside it, user can gain limited abilities and equipment appearances from the creature(s) soul inside item. Limited abilities and appearances are limited to level of ability as well as the spirit(s) fondness to the user. Ability cost ¨C 10 SP. Additional 5 SP is used for every 10 seconds. Target Ability ¨C Self. Ability Type ¨C Instant (Non-Chant).¡±
Liam looked at the black metaled lantern with the creepy aura seeping out of it. This must be the Spectral Lantern. Liam thought as he turned it around. His eyes scrunched as he thought, Am I supposed to always hold onto it during battle or can I put it away? Almost as if it was hearing his thoughts, an ethereal chain formed on the handle of the lantern towards his belt loop on his freed side. Liam released it as he felt a tug and watched it shoot to his hip and dangle there. It didn¡¯t have any weight and almost felt like it wasn¡¯t there. Hm¡­neat. He thought before looking at the others. ¡°I say that, but I think its better to say it relies on crafting,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I only have one ability that I can use during battle and another that can be an execute.¡± Jude¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°An execute ability is still useful no matter what.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Aranis nodded. ¡°Well shall we try and see how better we have become with our newly evolved classes?¡± Jude said with a wide grin. Liam and the others nodded. Before Liam closed out the notifications he had read and pushed the others he was going to read later, a new notification popped up.
¡°Soul crafted weapons detected. Set items user can weave - Shadow and Moon Blades of the Lunarian Shadow Cats. + 15% to Shadow magic and skills. + 15% to Lunar Magic and skills. Mana Manipulation to Shadow and Lunar will increase 10% while weaving the souls. Abilities granted with Soul Weave ¨C Lunar Step, Shadow Double. Would you like to use Soul Weave with set items ¨C Shadow and Moon Blades of the Lunarian Shadow Cats? Yes No?¡± ¡°Lunar Step ¨C Allows the user to blink right in front of a target within 6 feet. As the user disappears from where they stand and where they reappear, a swift flash of Lunar light will appear, blinding the target and whoever stares at the spot where the user once was, for a second. Ability Cost - 10 MP. Cooldown ¨C 2.5 seconds. Ability type ¨C Instant (Non-Chant).¡± ¡°Shadow Double ¨C Creates a shadowy double of the user from the shadow of a target the user is facing. The Shadow Double can inflict real physical and Shadow damage. When fighting multiple targets can create up to 5 Shadow Doubles at a time. Shadow Double(s) last for 30 seconds. After last Shadow Double has been called upon a cooldown of 45 seconds will be incurred. Ability cost ¨C 50 MP (10 MP for each Shadow Double created). Cooldown ¨C 45 seconds. Target ¨C Single or AOE. Ability type ¨C Instant (Non-Chant).
¡°Hello,¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself as he read this. He pulled his daggers out from their sheathes and stared at them. He had forgotten that these daggers were given to him because the cats deemed him worthy back on the fourth floor. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d have anything he could use the skill on, but it presented itself right to him, almost like the daggers were wanting this to happen. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give this a go,¡± Liam said in a low voice as he accepted. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Both of his daggers started to shine brightly right after he accepted. A cold sensation washed over him as he felt something start to cover his arms, mouth, nose, chest, and back. Aranis, Jude, and Inyis was about to start attacking until they noticed something shining behind them. They turned to see a raven black shadow-like hooded cloak with pale white splotches form over Liam. On top of the hood were two pointed spots that looked like cat ears. One was the same raven black color while the other was a pale white. A black cat-like tail formed from the back with pale white spots. A thin black mask covered his mouth and nose. Surprised by this Inyis stared at him before saying with an excited and adoring tone of voice, ¡°You look just like a cat like that.¡± Liam looked over at her and raised a brow. Her look grew even more excited as she said, ¡°Your cat eyes are more pronounced like this too!¡± Jude let out a humph of irritation as he jumped in, ¡°Looks don¡¯t matter when it comes to power. Tell me is it suitable for battle?¡± Liam grinned under the mask before he said, ¡°I believe so. There¡¯s only one way to find out.¡± Jude grinned wickedly at Liam¡¯s response as he replied back, ¡°Now that¡¯s what I like to hear.¡± ¡°Ok here¡¯s the plan,¡± Liam started as he pulled his googles down over his eyes. ¡°Aranis take the right side of the group, Jude you¡¯re in the middle. I¡¯ll take the left side of the group. Inyis you¡¯ll be behind us. I don¡¯t know what all new abilities you guys got, but let¡¯s try and take as many as we can without over reaching. Inyis, let us know if one side is going too far.¡± ¡°Our goal is not to wipe out everything, but instead to either clear a path to the others or to the Lich. Don¡¯t waste your mana if you can, but don¡¯t wait around for perfect moments. We all know there is hardly any chances for those.¡± Jude and Aranis let out a grunt in affirmation while Inyis nodded before they faced the mounting army of undead heading their way. Liam waited as Jude and Aranis started channeling mana all around them. As Jude did this, the color of his skin started taking on a dark orange to reddish hue. Aranis¡¯ body started to ripple as parts of his body started to flicker in and out. Once when they accumulated enough mana, Aranis said in calm collective tone, ¡°Illusory Field.¡± Jude on the other hand, threw his arms out and let out a might roar as he shouted, ¡°Burning Frenzy!¡± A wave of fire pulsed out from Jude as he rushed in and started swinging his tomahawk-like axes in a fast and furious manor at the first monster near him. The flames pulsing out from him washed over the monsters that were surrounding him taking in fire damage while trying to figure out what to do. Some tried to back up, but ended up backing into other monsters that caught on fire as well from the flames that covered the monsters that were in front. Aranis suddenly appeared in front of an Elite Skeleton Soldier and started slashing as fast as he could. The monster as well as the couple next to it, tried swinging their swords down upon Aranis, but missed as their swords went right through him. His body looked like an illusion, but he was right there still attacking the monsters and taking them down slowly. Inyis scanned the area and started channeling some mana. After reaching the amount she felt was right she started chanting, ¡°Oh trees, strong and resilient, heed my call. Sprout from the earth my enemies stand upon and restrict them where they stand. Willow Entanglement!¡± Liam watched as several small seed looking objects were thrown out over their heads and into the crowd. A few seconds after they disappeared, Liam felt a light rumble in the ground as several willow trees sprouted and grew four feet taller than the tallest creature in the room was. The branches from the willow trees then started swaying until they shot out and wrapped around groups of monsters and pulled them up off the ground. ¡°Geez, you attack specialized classes sure know how to show off,¡± Liam jokingly muttered before facing the monsters in his area. ¡°Oh well, time to test out these new abilities.¡± After Liam said that, his body suddenly flashed and disappeared before reappearing with a bright flash in front of a Mummy Guard. This caused it to bring its muddy brown colored hands up to its eyes. The Rot magic covering it¡¯s hands touched its face allowing the Rot magic to seep across and start to damage it. Liam then kicked it in the chest causing it to fall backwards and touch other monsters it collided with, spreading the rot onto them. He then turned to his left and flashed to a Rotted Zombie. This monster covered its eyes as well. However, instead of kicking it, he stabbed it in the stomach and channeled some mana and sent it to the creature¡¯s shadow. A Shadowy version of Liam emerged from the shadow of the creature. It had two daggers that looked exactly like the ones he had. Liam tried to peek within the hood of his Shadow Double, but he wasn¡¯t able to see anything. That was until an unnatural smile with bright sharp looking teeth formed where the mouth was. Seeing this made a shiver run down his spine as he thought, Well that¡¯s not creepy as fuck. The Shadow Double then stabbed one of its daggers right into the Rotted Zombies¡¯ back, making the creature turn and try to attack it. Liam didn¡¯t wait to see how the fight continued as he flashed out towards an Elite Skeletal Soldier and repeated what he with the Rotted Zombie. He did this three more times with monsters that were spread out before flashing to the spot he started at. He scanned the areas his Shadow Doubles were and saw groups of monsters were focused on them. He watched how they fought, and he had to admit, their movements and attack patterns were almost exactly like his. They were as fast and agile as he was as he watched them dip, dive, duck, and dodge through the crowds they were accumulating. The way they wielded their daggers showed that they were capable to take down monsters within due time. He turned his attention towards areas that had monsters still making their way towards him and Inyis. He started channeling mana before chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± After he finished chanting he went right back into channeling more mana before chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and Keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± He sent the orb towards the group of monsters he had used Gravitational Force Increase on and watched as the Gravity Well pulled in the crowd of monsters. He then turned to another area with free roaming monsters and started to channel Shadow Mana. As he did this he was shocked. As he channeled the Shadow Mana he was able to tell the difference than when he channeled Gravity Mana. It was smoother and easier. He was able to channel more mana in than he was able to before. I guess that¡¯s what an additional ten percent to Shadow Mana Manipulation can do for you. Liam thought before chanting, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± As he released the spell towards his targeted area he watched as the shadowy tendrils that usually came out looked a lot thicker than normal. Excitement started to grow as he saw this. He then looked at his Moon Blade dagger and thought, If Shadow Magic is buffed this much then I wonder what Lunar Magic would look like. He shook his head before looking back at the battlefield before him. Not yet. I may need to save that for later. After that he flashed towards a free roaming monster. After appearing in front of it, he started attacking. After striking a few times he felt his Danger Sense light up to his right. A sword came swinging down over his head. Right as the sword struck down, Liam¡¯s body dispersed into a puff of black smoke. Liam reappeared behind the monster that had tried attacking him. As the creature spun to swing, Liam¡¯s body flashed, blinding the creature momentarily as well as the monster he was attacking before this one interrupted him. He finished that monster off and then turned his attention back on the other monster and killed it before another three monsters approached him. He was amazed that he was able to keep this up. Before his main class evolution and weaving the two spirits into him, he would have started to be really tired as his stamina would have been drained quite a lot. However, right now he had plenty to spare. And he was loving this. He was able to take out four more monsters before he felt his Shadow Doubles suddenly disappear. Losing his focus, Liam flashed out from the area of monsters he was in back to an open area. He looked at his mana pool and saw he still had plenty to spare. While looking at his MP he noticed the new addition to his resources, his Spirit Pool. It was slowly ticking away, but it was just reaching three quarters. Before he took his eyes off of his resources he noticed something else. Avery¡¯s, Roman¡¯s, and Mercer¡¯s mana was fluctuating back and forth. This confused him because it looked like it was draining, but at the same time it was replenishing at a fast rate. However, before he could think more into it, a loud boom rumbled through the air as well as the sound of something shattering. Three seconds later he felt his Danger Sense start to tingle right before a massive fire arrow flew through the crowd of undead and slammed into the Elite Skeleton Soldier next to the wall a few feet away from him and explode. Tutorial 126 - You need us to clear you a path. Three streams of flames washed out from Avery¡¯s rapier, Roman¡¯s gauntlets, and Rez¡¯s wand. Mercer stood closely behind Rez playing his violin, sending ripples of mana out to the three of them, trying to keep their mana up for as long as he could. Sweat rolled down their foreheads as they focused on the task before them. Their faces were strained from the focus they tried keeping. Blair stood next to Avery while Artem was next to Roman and Anna next to Rez. The three of them held bottles of Weak Orange Stamina Potions and held them close to their teammates lips to let them drink without stopping their spells. Ariyana stared at Mercer and noticed he was starting to strain while he kept playing his song. She knew that even though he was replenishing the others¡¯ mana, his was draining. No one wanted to attempt to feed him a mana potion in fear they would cause him to stop playing due to bumping in to him. However, she knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the mana expenditure he was going through to keep the others full. Coming to a decision, she looked in her inventory and saw she still had three Weak Blueberry Mana Potions and two Blueberry Mana Potions they were saving for an emergency. After grabbing a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion, Ariyana made her way over to Mercer. Mercer raised a brow as he stared at her. He then noticed the vial in her hand and gave her a smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to try and reach over from behind me if you want to feed it to me,¡± Mercer suggested. Ariyana nodded and did as he suggested. After standing on her tippy toes, she reached her arm around the side his violin wasn¡¯t on and angled it in a way that wouldn¡¯t hinder his playing. After tipping the vial and allowing the liquid to slowly roll into his mouth she watched as the others who weren¡¯t part of the plan stare out to the other side of the iced wall. Firey explosions and trees suddenly sprouting within groups of undead monsters suddenly appeared. They weren¡¯t sure what was going on over there, but they knew something had changed. After the last of the liquid was drank, Ariyana pulled her arm away. ¡°As dire as the situation is, I wouldn¡¯t put it past him for coming up with some new power we didn¡¯t know about,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past Jude either,¡± Mia suddenly said behind both of them. ¡°He is definitely an interesting guy,¡± Mercer agreed. ¡°He¡¯s like a more violent version of Liam,¡± Ariyana commented remembering seeing him fight when she and Liam ran over to help them. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Mia started. ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t have all the power he has now, he was still pretty violent when we fought in the arena. Cunning too.¡± Mercer let out a short laugh remembering that. Before anyone can say anything else, Mia asked, ¡°So how sure are you that this will work?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mercer answered. ¡°There¡¯s a low chance it will, but as long as there¡¯s a chance I will try it.¡± Mia studied Mercer from behind. She wasn¡¯t one for taking chances, especially when the end results weren¡¯t clear. She knew Mercer was the same. He didn¡¯t like to partake in plans when the probability wasn¡¯t higher than ninety percent. However, hearing him say this made her realize that he had changed since coming to this world. Whether it was good or bad, she didn¡¯t know. Before she could say anything a strange crack suddenly echoed on their side of the room. Mercer scanned the area to see where it came from. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Everyone else did as well. After looking around and not finding anything he faced forward and focused on what he was doing. Another cracking sound echoed. Confused Mercer looked around again. Once more he didn¡¯t see where it was coming from. Where is that coming fro¡­ Mercer began to think while turning to face forward again. His thought came to a stop as he noticed something on the ice wall. Right above where the flames were being blasted at, a thick line slowly rose. Mercer smiled as he realized where the sound was coming from. ¡°Keep it up guys!¡± Mercer shouted. Avery, Rez, and Roman grunted as they focused on their spells. Mercer turned his head enough to glance at Mia and stated, ¡°Get ready.¡± Confused, Mia asked, ¡°What do you mean? Why are you telling me to get¡­¡± Mercer noticed the realization on her face as a light bulb clicked. ¡°Is it working?¡± Mia questioned. Mercer nodded. ¡°Start charging ten seconds after I charge mine.¡± Mia nodded as she took a few steps back; away from him. Mercer faced forward once more and stared at the line. He noticed several other cracks starting to spiderweb out to the left and right of it. Ok, I think I should start charging myself. Mercer thought as he stopped playing his violin and switched it for his bow. The other members of the group who were standing around noticed the music had stopped playing and turned their attention to Mercer. Artem and Blair gave Mercer a grin as they felt him start to channel a lot of mana. Ariyana understood what was going on as she saw Mercer start to channel his mana. She then yelled out, ¡°Avery, Roman, Rez, go ahead and stop. Everyone get away from the area and get ready!¡± Avery, Roman, and Rez released their spells and felt their bodies feel heavy. Artem, Blair, and Anna helped the three out of the way as they drank a few potions. Mercer felt the mana he was channeling build up. It was heavy and dense as he tried to squeeze as much as he could. He looked at the spot where they had the Wave of Ignition spells repeatedly crashing and saw an indent in the wall with several cracks painted across it. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. He then focused his attention on the undead creature that was right behind the area where the biggest crack was. He took in a deep breath, gripped his bow string, and slowly pulled back on it. As he pulled back on the bow string, a massive thick arrow started to form. The mana he had channeled started to condense around the arrow, lighting it up with a brilliant red and orange flame. After letting all the mana he had channeled encase the arrow, he slowly released the air he brought in and said before releasing the bow string, ¡°True Shot.¡± Mercer watched as the arrow flew fast towards its target. He kept his eyes on it right up to the point it crashed right into the area where the biggest crack was. As soon as the thick fiery arrow collided into the wall a massive explosion erupted, letting out a shockwave as well as a loud boom upon impact. The sound of solid objects smashing, and breaking echoed as dust covered the area he had struck. Everyone watched and waited for the dust to settle to see if they had broken through the ice wall. A few seconds had passed dispersing the cloud that was blocking their view to reveal a hole big enough for three people to go through. Not waiting to admire the work they had done, Mercer ran to his left and shouted, ¡°Go for it Mia!¡± Mia, who was standing a few feet away from him, narrowed her eyes to aim for a creature farthest away. She noticed a figure wearing a raven black cloak with cat ears and was confused at first who it could be. She was going to aim for him, but then noticed the Dryad female close to him. She then spotted an Elite Skeleton Soldier closer and aimed for it instead. After locking on to her target she released her arrow and repeated Mercer¡¯s words, ¡°True Shot.¡± She watched as it sailed with much more speed than Mercer¡¯s right through the sea of undead creatures. The arrow moved up a bit so not to collide with the other undead that weren¡¯t her target. However, the heat radiating from the arrow as well as the speed, caught the Mummy Guards and Zombies on fire as well as knocked all the creatures off their feet. With a smile she continued to watch her arrow until it collided into the Elite Skeleton Soldier and slammed him into the wall, shattering its form and killing it in an instant. ¡°Defenders!¡± Mercer yelled out. ¡°Charge!¡± A loud roar erupted from the defenders of all four groups right before they sprinted for the hole. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam fell to his side after feeling the shockwave of the arrow crashing into the undead creature and slamming it into the wall. ¡°What the hell,¡± Liam groaned in complaint as he slowly got back to his feet. ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± Inyis shouted. Liam noticed that she too fell down. ¡°If I had to make a guess, I believe that was a True Shot attack,¡± Liam replied. Inyis looked at him with a confused look and asked, ¡°A True Shot attack?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Zodiac ability,¡± Liam replied before looking around their side of the battle field. Many of the monsters that were in the line of the shot were moving around sporadically as flames danced around their bodies. As they moved around, more zombies and Mummy Guards close by them caught on fire as the ones covered in flames collided into them. As Liam saw this, he noticed something else. Ghastly green orbs started to float above the heads of the creatures. They seemed to be escaping the groups of monsters. Liam stared at one and tried assessing it. He was surprised when a notification appeared.
¡°Common Soul Orb of Mummy Guard. Item Type ¨C Crafting Material (Spirit).¡±
Huh, a new crafting material. Liam thought as he stared at it. He was about to think about what exactly he could use it for until he noticed a couple of orbs started to float towards a certain area almost like they were being sucked away. He followed where they went until his gaze landed upon the Lich who had his hand out gathering multiple orbs towards him. Why is he¡­ Liam started to think until realization appeared. He then muttered to himself, ¡°He¡¯s gathering the soul orbs for another attempt at summoning. Shit, we need to stop him.¡± He was about to rush in the Lich¡¯s direction until another thought came to mind. Watching the Lich suck the orbs towards him reminded him that he had an ability he received but hadn¡¯t used yet. Liam placed his Shadow Blade dagger into his left hip sheath and then looked at the weightless Spectral Lantern he had forgotten about. The fact it was weightless and didn¡¯t hit his side as he moved made him completely forget it was there. He gripped it and pulled it away from his hip and stared at the area where the Soul Orbs were starting to move away. He realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach them due to how far they were. He then judged the distance of the ones close to the moving orbs that were still floating around. They were barely in range, but he knew he could reach them. Without hesitation, he called out, ¡°Soul Harvest.¡± The Spectral Lantern lit up with the creepily ghastly green light that was inside. A glass section suddenly opened up on its own allowing the light to shine even brighter out from it. Liam watched the closest orbs that were hovering around the area where dead creatures laid shudder. Then after a moment had passed the collective amount of orbs shot towards the lantern in one swift movement. Without having to do anything, Liam saw all the orbs within the radius, given in the flavor text, fly right into the Spectral Lantern. Once when the last orb entered the lantern the glass door shut. A slew of chimes echoed in Liam¡¯s mind letting him know he¡¯ll have even more notifications to look at later. Before Liam could say or think anything, he heard a loud angry roar coming from the Lich¡¯s direction. ¡°No! How dare you! Those are mine!¡± The Lich yelled out with much frustration. ¡°What¡¯d you do Liam?¡± Jude shouted with a bit of confusion. Liam gave him a grin as he replied, ¡°I took away his crafting materials.¡± Aranis, and Inyis whirled their heads to look at him and, just like Jude, gave him a very confused look. ¡°What?¡± Jude asked with furrowed brows. ¡°Long story short, I took away the souls he¡¯s collecting to try another summoning,¡± Liam replied with a disappointed look. ¡°Oh,¡± Jude said while looking back at the monsters in front of him. He had cleared enough of them that there was some space around him. ¡°Say that next time.¡± Liam rolled his eyes. Inyis and Aranis stared at Liam with an even more confused look than they had before as they tried processing what he said. After a couple of seconds had passed, Jude blinked then looked back at Liam and shouted, ¡°Wait, you did what?!¡± Liam raised a brow. He then said with a nonchalant tone of voice, ¡°I took away the souls that he was trying to collect.¡± ¡°How?¡± Inyis questioned. ¡°How were you able to do that?¡± ¡°Did it have something to do with that lantern of yours?¡± Aranis inquired. ¡°I saw some sort of light bright up from your direction but didn¡¯t pay it any mind since it could have been a spell.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was an ability of mine,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I can see the orbs without Mana Sight and collect them with an ability of mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not freaky at all,¡± Jude commented. ¡°Says the guy that looks like his sweating flames every now and then,¡± Liam quipped. ¡°Fair point,¡± Jude said. ¡°But I¡¯m not sweating¡­¡± ¡°You said the Lich was collecting the souls of the monsters we¡¯re killing?¡± Inyis cut in. ¡°Yeah, every time we kill monsters he pulls them towards his hand,¡± Liam stated. ¡°We can¡¯t let him continue to do it or he¡¯ll be able to regain the amount he needs to do his summoning I think.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Inyis said. ¡°I agree,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ll need to rethink our strategy then,¡± Aranis suggested. ¡°Anyone got an idea of what we can do?¡± Jude asked. ¡°We need to kill monsters close enough for Liam to collect them before the Lich can,¡± Aranis said. ¡°Can you move around while collecting the souls or are you stuck in one place?¡± Inyis inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can move around while harvesting but I can try,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Alright then our next issue is the open doors,¡± Aranis stated. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many monsters there are, but it looks like more and more are piling in. We need to¡­¡± Before Aranis could finish what he was saying they heard a couple people shout, ¡°Stone Spike!¡± The four turned to see four giant spikes made of stone shoot up by the door to their left. Liam smiled as he commented, ¡°Looks like they had the same idea.¡± As Liam stared he noticed the willow trees Inyis had grown. They were standing strong even while the undead monsters around them swung their swords at their trunks. An idea formed as he looked at them, but first tried looking for certain monsters around any of them. He couldn¡¯t see any Mummy Guards around the trees so he wasn¡¯t sure if they would have any resistance to their magic. It would be a gamble, but if it worked and there weren¡¯t any of those creatures left in the other hallway then they might be able to block it. ¡°Inyis, do you think you can block the other door with some of the willow trees you made earlier?¡± Liam asked as he looked at her. Inyis looked at him and then at the door over to the right wall. ¡°I might be able to grow a few to block and trap some of the monsters, but I¡¯ll need to get closer to be able to reach that far.¡± Jude gave a wicked grin as he said, ¡°So what I¡¯m hearing is, you need us to clear you a path.¡± Tutorial 127 - Flash Freeze Hunt Jude and Aranis rushed forward towards the closest creatures, two Rotted Zombies and three Skeleton Warriors, as they made their way to the door on the right wall. Liam used Lunar Step to appear in front of the Elite Skeleton Soldier behind the group Aranis and Jude were fighting. The towering creature lifted its sword up and went to strike down, but before it could slice him, Liam¡¯s body puffed into black smoke and reappeared behind it. Liam sent the Shadow Mana he channeled within those few seconds and created A Shadow Double before using Lunar Step towards another undead creature. He did this a couple more times before appearing behind Aranis and Jude. As he reappeared he felt a little strange. His eyes winced a bit and the whispers that were tickling his mind earlier came back slightly louder. After opening his eyes from closing them he noticed something he had forgotten would happen after using Lunar Magic so many times. Stellar Affliction from Within. He noticed the corner of his eyes had started to darken a bit after the realization happened. Shit. Liam thought to himself. If I keep doing this with how low my Ailment Resistance to it is then I might not be able to see clearly by the end of the fight. Coupling that with Whispers from Beyond¡­I need to hurry this fight up as soon as I can. Inyis noticed something was strange with Liam after he had reappeared. It was slight, but she noticed the slight tense of his body. ¡°Are you alright Liam?¡± Liam looked at her and gave her a slight smile under his shadowy mask while saying, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m going to cast some crowd control spells to stop the monsters on our left so let me know if any come from anywhere I miss.¡± Inyis nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± Liam looked at the group of Undead creatures that were slowly coming towards them from their left and thought about where he could use his spells effectively. He didn¡¯t want to place it too close, but he also didn¡¯t want to place it too far. He judged the distance between the closest monsters to the ones behind them and decided that allowing a small amount to get through would be manageable. He then started to channel some Gravity Mana. After he did he chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and Keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± He threw the dark purplish orb that had formed in front of his Shadow Blade dagger and flung it not too far to a group struggling to make their way towards them. Not waiting to see how many he was able to snare in it, Liam started channeling his Gravity Mana again before chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Instead of using this spell on the clump of undead creatures Liam had snared up in the Gravity Well, Liam focused on a group close by them and released a powerful weight of gravity that brought many of the monsters to a crouch. Their movements became sluggish as they tried to press forward. Liam grinned as he watched these creatures struggled to keep upright. A moment after that he stared at the group a little farther back but slightly more to the right. He hesitated for a moment. He knew he should ease up on his Shadow Magic, but he also knew this needed to be done. After resolving himself, he channeled his Shadow Mana. Shortly after that he started chanting, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Shadowy tendrils shot up and started to wrap around the limbs of the group of monsters Liam focused his spell around. The area this spell was used on was bigger than the previous time he had used it and it shocked him. After thinking about it, he realized it was thanks to the amount of mana he had channeled adding to the extra Shadow effect his current form gave him. He then turned his focus on the area Aranis and Jude were fighting. They had reached the area his Shadow Doubles were and were confused at first; until the five shadowy figures turned to fight the monsters behind them. This made them grow a bit more confused until it looked like they realized those five weren¡¯t their enemies. Liam them noticed several Soul Orbs were floating over the dead bodies that laid behind the two. A couple more undead creatures fell adding more to the group. Liam sheathed his weapons and made his way closer to them while gripping his Spectral Lantern and pulling it away from his hip. The Spectral Lantern lit up with the creepily ghastly green light that was inside. A glass section suddenly opened up on its own allowing the light to shine even brighter out from it. Liam watched the closest orbs that were hovering around the area where the dead creatures laid shudder. After a moment had passed the orbs within Liam¡¯s radius swiftly moved towards the lantern in one swift movement. Liam took a step forward to see if he could move with the lantern harvesting the Soul Orbs and found he could move. However, his legs felt sluggish and heavy. Almost like there was a major pressure trying to keep him in place. At the corner of his eye he noticed his stamina tick down ten points with each movement forward. At the same time, he was able to collect the Soul Orbs that were just outside his radius. As he started thinking about the reason for the pressure on his legs, his Danger Sense suddenly flare up all around his body. He noticed Aranis, Jude and Inyis flinch at the same time. Without hesitating or waiting for what was coming, Liam cancelled his Soul Harvest and allowed his Spectral Lantern to shoot back to his hip before turning around and sprinting away from where he was at. At the same time, Aranis, and Jude whirled around and were hot on his tail. Aranis and Jude hooked their arms under Inyis¡¯ pits and dragged her away as well. Surprised by their suddenness, Inyis let out a few protests. Her words fell on deaf ears and were suddenly drowned out as thick sharp icicles rained down on the area the four were once at. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Inyis questioned as she stared at the sharp long ice spears that were standing upright pierced into the floor. ¡°We got out of there just in time,¡± Jude stated. ¡°I agree,¡± Aranis nodded. ¡°Danger Sense really showed its worth there.¡± ¡°You can say that again,¡± Liam replied as his attention shifted towards the Lich. Liam noticed he had his right hand out and was muttering something. ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be the last of it either.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aranis questioned. ¡°He¡¯s getting another spell ready right now,¡± Liam replied as he pointed to the boss monster. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Jude asked. ¡°We need to block that door up,¡± Liam stated. ¡°However, if he¡¯s going to keep using AOE abilities, its going to get complicated.¡± Liam¡¯s mind started to race as he tried to think of a strategy. He knew that they needed to prevent more monsters from coming in, but if they stuck in a group the Lich would be able to use his magic to slow their progress. They needed the Lich to focus on someone while the others got Inyis close enough to do her thing. They needed a distraction. ¡°Incoming!¡± Jude announced as Liam felt his Danger Sense light up once more. The four started running again. After Liam got out of the radius of the Ice spell the Lich had used he noticed he was standing alone away from the others. He looked around to see the other three had run towards the wall while he ran away from it. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Liam cursed as he felt a presence coming from behind. He quickly dodged by rolling to his right. As he rolled back to his feet, he spun around to see a Mummy Guard with its hand on one of the long thick icicles protruding into the ground. The Rot Magic it had coating its hand burned through the icicle. Smoke started to drift off of it as a hole started to melt. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Liam grimaced as he stared at the hole, remembering his equipment melting before. He then muttered to himself, ¡°I really did like that cowl.¡± ¡°Liam!¡± Inyis called out. ¡°We need to stop him from casting more spells. Or have him focused on something else. Do you have a plan that can do that?¡± Liam shook his head to get him back on track. After replaying Inyis¡¯ words, he knew that he was on the right track on where his thoughts were going. Inyis too seemed to get to the same point. However, he also understood the hidden message in her question. Since he was away from the others, and they were on the side the door was on he knew the role of distracting the Lich should fall on him; but he needed a for sure method to keep the Lich¡¯s attention on him. He looked back at the Lich and saw he was preparing another spell. As he started to think of one, one particular memory came to mind. The Lich grew enrage when he used Soul Harvest. Soul Harvest would be the key to get the Lich¡¯s attention on only him. If he was going to use that then he needed to kill as many as he could at different times. His strength and attack wasn¡¯t as quick as the others so he knew he¡¯d need to get creative with this. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Aranis and Jude! You guys focus on getting Inyis close enough to plug that door!¡± Liam yelled. ¡°You got it!¡± Jude yelled out. Liam turned his focus back on the monsters in front of him. Several Rotted Zombies had gotten closer while he was distracted. He channeled his Shadow Mana and created a couple of Shadow Hands before handing them a gravity enchanted dagger. ¡°You first lot will be easy to deal with right now for what I need to do,¡± Liam muttered before using Lunar Step to flash in front of the closest one. As soon as he appeared, he started his attack as swiftly as he could. His two Shadow Hands attacked a Rotted Zombies to the left and right. The Rotted Zombie Liam was focused on went to swipe its right hand at him, but missed as Liam ducked and stepped under the arm to get to its side. He then stabbed and sliced away at the monster¡¯s rib cage. As the creature turned to attack him again, Liam kicked him away towards another Rotted zombie. He then spun around and started to attack the creature his left Shadow Hand was striking. His Shadow Hand moved on to another target as Liam plunged both of his daggers right into the skull of the creature. It dropped immediately. He knew he was rushing it as he attacked as quickly as he could, but time was not on his side. He peeked glances at the Lich to keep an eye on him. After the fourth Rotted Zombie fell, Liam felt the Lich begin to make his move. As soon as he did this, Liam used Lunar Step to get closer to a group of monsters, but made sure he was still in range of the Soul Orbs that had appeared. As quick as he could, Liam sheathed his daggers and pulled his Spectral Lantern out and shouted while looking at the Lich, ¡°Soul Harvest!¡± As his lantern started to suck in the Soul Orbs, the Lich glared angrily at Liam. He then roared out, ¡°Icicle Bombardment!¡± Liam felt his Danger Sense flare up again, giving him enough time to use Lunar Step to escape the spot he was once at. Several thick long sharp icicles suddenly shot down and skewered the monsters that were still standing there. Each icicle that ran through the creatures caused enough damage to kill them right there. Liam reappeared out of range from the area the spell struck and watched as the icicles rained down. He positioned himself to look around the icicles and straight at the Lich. He then flipped the Boss creature off while lifting his Spectral Lantern and said, ¡°Soul Harvest.¡± The Lich let out an angered yelled before channeling even more mana around him. As Liam collected the soul orbs from the creatures that recently died he glanced a quick peek at the Lich and smiled. Good. This is working out better than I expected. If I keep this up then I¡¯ll deal with three things at once. Liam thought as he placed his Spectral Lantern back to his hip and used Lunar step to appear in the middle of the group to his left. The Mummy Guards and Rotted Zombies flinched as he suddenly appeared in front of them. Without waiting, Liam summoned five of his Shadow Doubles behind five of the monsters. After letting them loose he began attacking the Mummy Guard in front of him. He was careful not to let it touch him with his rot covered hands as he slashed and struck any chance he got. After feeling like it was taking too much time, Liam kicked the Mummy Guard back into an Elite Skeleton Soldier. Liam watched as one of the Mummy Guard¡¯s rot covered hands brushed down the rib cage of the skeletal creature it collided with. The Rot magic swiftly spread across the skeletal structure killing it within a few seconds. Liam felt the same pressure of a powerful magical attack starting to come down, making Liam use Lunar Step to get out of harms way. After reappearing he felt his eyes start to sting a bit more than earlier as well as the whispers beginning to get a little clearer. He ignored it and pressed on. He knew he shouldn¡¯t push too much using these abilities since it¡¯ll create a toll he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to handle later, but he knew he needed to use them. This strategy of his was working and it was the best he had for right now. After the Lich¡¯s attack finished the group of monsters he was once attacking, he harvested the Soul Orbs and repeated this three more times in random areas. After successfully harvesting another group of Soul Orbs, Liam saw three Willow trees suddenly appear right next to the wall on the right where the door was. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam muttered. He decided to drink a Weak Orange Stamina for now to get a little back from what he spent from moving around so much. However, after he finished drinking the potion, he felt a sudden shift in the air. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but he felt the air start to grow colder. It wasn¡¯t too alarming at first, but after a few seconds had passed, he realized the temperature was dropping too fast. He was currently standing at the back of the room as he looked around for the source. He didn¡¯t see anything that was cause for concern. The amount of undead creatures had dropped thanks to his strategy of using the Lich to use his magic on the areas where he was fighting monsters. However, as he scanned the room he did notice something. The areas where the Lich used his Icicle Bombardment still had the clumps of icicles that pierced the floor. Not only that, but besides the icicle that was struck Mummy Rot, the rest didn¡¯t look like they were melting. After looking at each group of icicles he noticed something else. The ground where those icicles had pierced were starting to freeze over and spread out. Liam then heard a maniacal laugh causing him to look at the Lich. ¡°It seems like all my preparations are complete,¡± the Lich stated. ¡°With this, I¡¯ll finally stop you from moving around and be able to keep you still long enough to extract what you stole from me.¡± Confused, Liam stared at the Lich. His eyes widened as he noticed the amount of mana he channeled. Liam hadn¡¯t notice it, but while he drank that potion and was lost in his thoughts, for that brief moment. The lich was able to channel a lot of mana. The Lich then said in a cold and prideful voice, ¡°Flash Freeze Hunt.¡± The next moment, all of the icicles that were pierced into the ground in groups throughout the room suddenly exploded into tiny particles that shimmered and swirled to a single point. To Liam it looked like a massive ball of pure white fog the size of a small truck. Around the fog it shimmered and glittered. It reminded him of a cold snowy Christmas morning. He then watched as it slowly floated down on top of a group of undead creatures. As the ball of pure white fog got closer to the creatures Liam¡¯s eyes widened. Their bodies started to stiffen and grow a layer of frost. The frost quickly rolled over their skin or bones and instantly froze them in place. ¡°Oh shit,¡± Liam slowly muttered as he realized the name Flash Freeze was a literal and not a figurative thing. ¡°If that part is literal then does that mean the hunt part is¡­¡± Before he could finish that sentence, the ball of pure white fog unexpectedly soared right for him. Without thinking, Liam quickly sprinted to his left. He cursed himself internally as he saw the horde of mixed undead still around. Even though they were able to take groups of them down, there was still a lot more. Feeling like there was nothing he could do that could really help, Liam approached them as quickly as he could. He then used Lunar step to appear as far into the group as he could. The moment he did he started to juke, spin, duck, and dodge through the group. He made his way towards the wall and got as close as he could before turning hard to his right. A sword came down upon him as soon as he turned. The sword sailed right through his body causing it to puff out into black smoke. Liam reappeared behind the creature and kicked in forward right into the fog of pure white freezing it midair before it could land or collide into anything. Liam pushed off his back leg and continued his obstacle course. ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± the Lich called out. ¡°As long as I can continue to channel more mana into it, it will continue to hunt you down. There is no escape for you. Only an icy hell!¡± Liam scanned the area as he continued to juke and spin around each undead creature. Even though he had gotten a big increase to his stamina, he knew it wouldn¡¯t last as long as the Lich could channel mana. He knew the monster¡¯s mana pool was vastly bigger than his stamina pool. He wanted to have the creature keep using massive amount of mana on the spells he used before, but it looked like it backfired on him. Liam only knew he could run for now. Run until he could figure a way to stop him from channeling his mana. As he spun around a Skeleton Warrior something caught Liam¡¯s eye. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if what he saw was right and couldn¡¯t chance another peek since he was surrounded by undead creatures that were trying to slow him down. Instead, he let himself create a theory on what he saw. If his theory was right then there was a way. However, it was all dependent on him continuing to run. To run and freeze as many monsters as possible. Like playing the old snake game, Liam turned right and after a few steps right again. Ducking, diving, dodging, juking, and spinning, Liam kept up with what he was doing. Three times he had to use Lunar Step and two times he had to use Shadow Step to get out of a sticky situation. A couple of those times he tripped over himself or bumped into a skeleton or zombie creature. Him tripping over himself was due to over shooting for a spot as well as how heavy his body was starting to feel. However, he kept at it. He led the fog of pure white over all the monsters around the corner of the back right before making it back to the middle of the back area. Once when he made it close to the area he had started he went to turn left, but as soon as he turned his body he felt it slide forward right into a frozen creature. The frozen undead shattered instantly upon impact and caused him to fall down face first. Liam got up as quick as he could so he could start running again, however, he felt his limbs and muscles start to tense and grew icy cold. His ragged breathing took form right in front of him as panic started to grip hold. The cloud of pure white fog had caught up and was almost right on him. With all his might, Liam willed himself to use Lunar Step once more. With it he reappeared right in front of the Lich. The Lich winced from seeing the flash, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop him from channeling his mana into his frightening spell. It was enough for him to cause a ripple in his channeling though. Not really caring, the Lich said as he stared Liam down and said, ¡°If you believe that my spell will harm me then you are mistaken. You have lost. There is nothing you can do to stop me.¡± Liam stared back right into the eyes of the Lich. He stared at him for a brief moment before giving him a wicked smile. He then said with a smug tone, ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s nothing I can do¡­but that doesn¡¯t apply to her.¡± He finished his sentence by pointing to his left. The Lich, confused by this turned to look at where he was pointing. Standing not too far away with no undead in the way, was Ariyana. The Lich then realized that she was chanting something. He wasn¡¯t able to hear all of it. Just the last two parts. ¡°Cancel the sound that this caster needs to give life to their spell. Silence thy Spell!¡± Tutorial 128 - Catch these hands Liam watched as the mana the Lich was channeling suddenly winked out, making the Lich give a confused look. One that lasted for a brief moment before he whirled at Ariyana and cursed, ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried about what she did, you¡¯re going to miss what¡¯s coming next,¡± Liam commented with a glee in his voice. ¡°Wha¡­,¡± The Lich started as he turned to look at Liam but was cut off as Jude suddenly rammed right into the Lich¡¯s side. Liam channeled as much Shadow Mana as he could and smiled even more while he watched the Lich fall to his side and slide a few feet away from the raised platform. Fire lit up on the shoulder piece where Jude had ran into. After the Lich stopped from sliding he pushed up to get back to his feet, until he felt a dark cold mana suddenly pool out from underneath him. He looked down to see his own shadow start to quiver. A feeling washed over him he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time as he stared down into his shadow. One he thought he wouldn¡¯t feel anymore. Fear. He felt fear sink into him as he recognized the nature of the magic that was being cast. He knew shadow magic was dangerous for many reasons. One reason would be the madness that it covers. Another was how powerful it could be if someone spent a long time studying it. However, the one major reason he knew Shadow magic was dangerous and the cause of the fear that was gripping him was what hid within the shadows. He spun around and started to move up as fast as he could so he could get away, but before he could get himself back up, raven black tendrils shot out and wrapped around his limbs, torso, and neck. They pulled him down to his back, sprawling his arms and legs out across the ground. ¡°Everyone! Attack!¡± Liam shouted as everyone rushed towards him. He then yelled out orders, ¡°All melee attackers surround him and strike hard. Buffers get those physical buffs out now! Magic dealers, if you have a spell that can do damage without hurting those in melee range then use those, if not then pull out a melee weapon and join in on attacking. I don¡¯t want to see any spells harming allies!¡± Liam watched as everyone attacked swiftly and hard. As they did this, he pulled out one of the Orange Stamina Potions Galin had gifted him and took two sips. As his stamina replenished, he watched as the Lich¡¯s health pool started to drop rapidly. It quickly dropped from the ten thousands then to the nine thousands. Eight, seven, six. He wasn¡¯t sure if the Lich¡¯s health was dropping because his defense was so weak or if the Lich was just weak to physical damage in general. He wasn¡¯t going to complain. He felt this fight had dragged on long enough and he would be happy to see it end now. Liam watched the monster¡¯s health continue to tick down until it got into the three thousand range. Once when it entered that area, Liam felt a sudden pressure build up in the air. Before he could remember where he had felt that before, the Lich let out a pained roar of frustration and sent a shockwave out from his body. This shockwave forcibly flew everyone away from the creature. Liam fell to his back as the pulse slammed into him. After he brought his head back up to see what had happened. He noticed no one but the Lich was close by. He guessed that since he was the farthest away from the lich, before he released that shockwave, the pressure was less potent than the area the others had stood. A cold icy blue color started to gather around him as he glared at Liam. Liam realized he was channeling mana for another spell. He had to stop it, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything that would be enough. If his Lunar Step was at a higher level then he would be able to cause a quick blindness when he appeared, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t do the trick. After thinking about that, a thought popped into his head. He had a spell that could be enough to blind the creature and thus stop him from casting. He bite his lip trying to think if he had enough time. He then shook his head and decided to try it anyways. He readied himself and started chanting the spell. ¡°Moon, beautiful and radiant,¡± Liam started to chant as a dark orb appeared before him. A pale light started to shine down upon him and enter the black orb forming. ¡°Bless us with your power to lighten up the night.¡± The once pitch black orb was now almost devoid of any color other than the pale white. ¡°Expose those which try to hide within your majestic li¡­¡± Liam¡¯s Danger Sense suddenly flared up as he stopped chanting. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed right before he used Lunar Step to get out from the rain of sharp icicles. As he reappeared he glared towards the Lich from the right side of the frozen area he had AOE¡¯d upon. As soon as he peeked his head out from the side, an icicle flew towards him. Liam went to move his head back, but heard the object hit something. He spun his head around to see his Shadow Hand had been pierced and was starting to disappear. The dagger it was holding onto started to fly away as Liam tried to reach out for it. Another icicle shot towards his hand causing him to retract it. He kept his eyes on the object and tried to form another Shadow Hand to grab it before it got out of reach. A hand formed and gripped the dagger; however, it wasn¡¯t a Shadow Hand. Liam stared at it with a perplexed expression. It looked almost exactly like his Shadow Hand. Albeit, It had black smoke rolling off of it, but the color of the actual hand was a pale white. As he took in this new hand he felt it looked like a moon with shadowy clouds wisping around and off of it in the shape of a hand. Moon? Wait, Liam began to think as he turned his head to his hands. His right hand was devoid of mana, but his left wasn¡¯t. His left hand was covered in a pale white color. He was confused. He was trying to summon a Shadow Hand. Normally when he summoned his Shadow Hand he would channel some of his Shadow Mana, but in the thick of it he didn¡¯t have enough time and tried to do it without channeling any. He was thinking of trying to summon it without channeling any of it, but instead this new hand appeared. What was this mana that coated his hand? Where did it come from? Lunar Mana? Liam thought as he stared with wide eyes at his hand. But how? When¡­ His thoughts then went to when he was trying to chant to use the Lunar Exposure spell. He was cut off at the end due to the Lich¡¯s spell about to come down and had to use Lunar Step to get away. Was I able to absorb the mana when I used Lunar Step? Allowing me to finally grasp Lunar Mana Manipulation? Liam thought to himself. But that doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would¡­ His thoughts were suddenly broken when he felt his skin start to prick and sting. ¡°Ow. Ow!¡± Liam said as the pain started to rise a bit more as the seconds ticked. Liam! I don¡¯t know how you did it, but you need to get rid of both of those Hands. They are causing damage to you! Eri suddenly shouted in Liam¡¯s mind. What is this pain? What¡¯s going on? Liam questioned with some alarm. Both your resistance and knowledge of Lunar and Shadow Magic is limited. Eri started back up. Because it is, you¡¯re causing harm to yourself since both magics are opposites. And since your resistance to them is stupidly low it¡¯s only harming you. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Liam felt a little panic start to rise as he listened to Eri. Without realizing it his Shadow Hand started getting a little closer to his Lunar Hand right in front of him. As this happened Liam¡¯s Danger Sense flared up quicker than it had ever before. Liam looked forward and noticed several pale white and raven black lightning like lines start to grow out from both hands. They looked like they were trying to reach each other as they formed. Liam willed them to move away from each other as quickly as he saw this happen. See. You barely have control over them. Eri informed. Her voice was full of worry, but also had a hint of¡­pride. If those lines had touched they would have sucked both hands in and the mana within would have combined and created an attack I don¡¯t think you would have been able to handle that close. What should I do? Liam asked. Before Liam got an answer, he felt his danger sense lit up all over his body again. He looked up and saw icicles start to form above his head. ¡°Shit.¡± Liam cursed as he used Lunar step to get out of range again. He reappeared backwards outside of range from the AOE spell the Lich had used and glowered. ¡°That stupid fucking Lich and his magic,¡± Liam growled. ¡°I need to¡­¡± His words slowly died as he felt another wave of pain ripple across his body. That wave of pain gave him an idea on how to get rid of both hands. It was a stupid plan since he didn¡¯t know what would happen, but it was an idea, nonetheless. Liam¡­ Eri slowly started. I can see that smile you normally get when you have a stupid idea. What are you plan¡­ Liam didn¡¯t let her finish, nor did he answer her. Instead, he felt the Lich start to channel mana again and felt it was the right moment to do what he planned. He used Lunar Step and blinked away from where he stood. He reappeared in front of the Lich with his arms spread out barely out of range of two certain spells he had going on. The Lich widened his eyes in surprise when Liam had appeared in front of him not too far away. Recomposing himself, he saw the man in front of him had his arms out like he was ready to catch his spell. ¡°What in the deity¡¯s name are you doing? Do you plan on catching my spell?¡± Liam stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m not catching anything. Its you who¡¯s going to catch something.¡± Taking the bait, the Lich questioned, ¡°Pray tell, what am I catching?¡± Liam grinned, glad to take the opportunity to finish saying. ¡°You¡¯re about to catch these hands.¡± He then slammed his hands together and made a loud clap. The Lich was about to retort, until Liam¡¯s Lunar Hand and Shadow Hand suddenly rushed towards each other right in front of the Lich¡¯s face. Liam watched as the two opposite mana types collided together. As they got closer to each other he saw the same pale white and raven black lightning lines connect. Once when they did they pulled both hands together and sucked into a bead the size of a coin. The coin size formed for only a second before it suddenly expanded into a bright explosion of raven black and pale white swirling out to the size of a small vehicle and swallowed the Lich whole. The brightness of the explosion was enough to make Liam bring a hand up to block the light so he could try and see what was going on. However, due to the brightness of the explosion he wasn¡¯t able to see the shockwave that rippled out. Liam was hit hard from the force almost like someone had tackled him making fall to his back and slide backwards a bit. The force from the shockwave also sent a ripple throughout the entire ice wall that was still standing and shattered it. The shockwave was also powerful enough to send everyone who was trying to race back towards Liam and the Lich backwards once more. Liam got back to his feet and placed a hand out to block the brightness once more. The raven black parts circled around the bright pale light giving the explosion a flashing effect. After a few seconds had passed the bright pale light and raven black shadows swirling around dissipated. Once when it was easier to see, Liam looked to see the Lich standing there. Liam stared at the man dumbfounded. He thought for sure taking that so close would have destroyed him wholly. Instead, he stood there in tattered clothes. His left arm missing from the elbow down, parts of his right leg was destroyed to the bone. Many other sections throughout his body had cuts and gashes. Dark purple liquid oozed out from the open wounds. Especially from the destroyed leg and arm. The Lich let out a cough, releasing a massive amount of dark purple liquid from his lips. ¡°How the fuck did you survive?¡± Liam muttered as he stared at the man with incredulity. He then looked at the creature¡¯s stats.
¡°Hubristic Arisen Lich. 417/15,000 HP. 239/10,000 MP. Level 27 (Partially Sealed).¡±
He¡¯s almost dead. Good. Now we just need to¡­ Liam started to think until he felt something start to vibrate on his hip. Confused, Liam looked down to see his Spectral Lantern shaking. ¡°What the hell,¡± Liam muttered as he stared with brows furrowed. He then remembered something. Something a certain ability that evolved and retained its level twenty level at. There was a certain mention about an execute ability when a creature was at five percent health. Not thinking it over any more or hesitating, Liam gripped the lantern as he raced over to the Lich. As soon as he got within a fifteen foot radius of the man, he watched the Lich starring daggers at him. He went to say something but was only able to let out a gurgle as more of the dark purple liquid spewed out of his mouth. The Lich¡¯s eyes then widened as Liam pulled his lantern out in front of him and yelled out, ¡°Soul Harvest!¡± The Spectral Lantern shook violently before the glass panel shot open and allowed some of the ghastly green light out. The light that shone started to circle into a swirling motion. The Lich¡¯s mouth opened wide almost like it was trying to scream while his eyes remained wide open. As this was going on, Liam saw a ghastly light green figure slowly get pulled from the Lich¡¯s body. The figure took the form of the Lich. This specter of the Lich struggled as it was being pulled out from his body. Thick green lines connected the Soul shape to the body tethering them together. Liam felt the struggle as he kept holding the lantern out in front of him. Sweat rolled down his face as he felt not only his Spirit Pool drain, but his stamina as well. ¡°Come on,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Come on.¡± It had become a game of tug a war as Liam kept trying to suck the Lich¡¯s soul out and harvest it into the lantern. The Lich, for his part, put up a fight, trying to keep his soul connected to his body. As Liam fought to win this battle, he felt his muscle start to spasm while his arm shook. Even though his body was battered, bruised, and tired, he refused to lose. He would harvest this soul and end this fight once and for all. He then felt his stomach drop as the swirling of the ghastly green light started to slow down. This allowed the Lich¡¯s soul to move back, away from the Spectral Lantern. ¡°No,¡± Liam said in almost a whisper. He repeated the word in a much louder volume with anger and frustration in his voice. ¡°No!¡± He watched as the Lich¡¯s soul gave him a creepy grin as it moved back once more. ¡°No! I won¡¯t allow you to escape!¡± Liam roared. He then felt something stir inside of him as the anger swelled up. With as much force as he could summon, Liam shouted, ¡°Your soul will be harvested!¡± Then, in a brief moment, a pressure shot out of Liam, causing everything to stop moving. Liam¡¯s body, the others behind, and even the Lich¡¯s soul had stopped moving. Even though Liam couldn¡¯t move a muscle, he was still able to see and move his eyes. As he looked around, he noticed there was something that hadn¡¯t stopped moving. It was the ghastly green light that was swirling in front of him. As it slowly circled, it suddenly pulsed. Once, twice, three times. After the third time a form suddenly appeared in front of him. Liam was shocked to see something manifest right in front of him. He wasn¡¯t able to get a clear look of what had formed, but he knew it was different. It wasn¡¯t ghastly green or had any color that made it seem like a soul or anything. Instead, it had a raven black cloak that looked to move around like smoke. It wasn¡¯t fully corporeal, but it also wasn¡¯t incorporeal. Liam stared at the figure. The smoky substance that rolled off wisped around. One moment it looked like a solid body was in front of him and then next he was able to see through it. He then looked at the Lich¡¯s spectral figure and noticed something he hadn¡¯t seen on his face before. He saw the boss monster¡¯s face was full of panic. Liam then watched as the shadowy figure, that had manifested in front of Liam, started moving. It slowly walked towards the spectral frozen in front of it. Liam watched as the panic turned to fear as the shadowy silhouette got closer and closer. It made its way to the frozen spirit without any effort or trouble. It walked past it and stopped. It then turned to face the lines that connected the spirit to the Lich¡¯s body and raised its right hand up. A frightening and wicked scythe suddenly appeared in its hand as it gripped the pole. Liam wasn¡¯t able to see all the details of the weapon due to the Lich¡¯s spirit body blocking the entire view. The creature then gripped the pole with its free hand and without any hesitation, it sliced down; cutting through the lines keeping the soul and the body tethered together. Liam watched as the Lich¡¯s eyes dimmed with any sign of life and slump a bit. Then without any warning everything started moving again. The Lich¡¯s soul rushed towards the swirling ghastly green light and was sucked into the Spectral Lantern while screaming out. Even though that was going on, Liam couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off the shadowy form that was still standing there with the scythe in hand. Liam didn¡¯t move or make a sound. He wasn¡¯t sure who or what this figure was, but he knew it was powerful. Powerful enough that it could kill him in an instant if it wanted to. Then the figure slowly turned to look at Liam. At first Liam was confused as he stared at it. Inside the hood where the creature¡¯s head was, was a deep darkness. One that was so dark, Liam couldn¡¯t peer inside. Then, a wide sharp tooth grin appeared with one eye that looked back. A cold sweat ran down Liam¡¯s body as he stared at the smile and eye. He then felt his heart drop as the eye did something he just recently got familiar with. It thinned into a slit. As its eye did this, it opened its sharp looking teeth and started laughing a dark deep laugh. Then it puffed out of existence. For a moment, Liam didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t twitch a muscle, blink, or even risk taking a breath. He didn¡¯t realize what he was doing until a loud chime echoed in his mind and brought a notification with it.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated the 6th Floor boss: Hubristic Arisen Lich.¡±
Tutorial 129 - The Other Group The Lich¡¯s physical body suddenly dropped to the floor. The door they had entered from opened as a rumble stirred behind Liam. He felt the cloak and mask disappear without warning. A few chimes echoed within Liam¡¯s mind, but Liam ignored them as he stood there still confused about what had just happened. Was that a part of his Soul Harvest ability? Was that what the execute does? If so why did it create a figure that was able to stare back at him? And why did it feel so¡­familiar? Eri? Liam started as he projected his thoughts to her. What was that? For a brief moment, besides the whispers that entered his ears, there was silence from Eri. Then with just as confused of a voice as Liam, Eri answered, To be honest I am not too sure. Your new class and its abilities are ones that haven¡¯t been seen for many, many years. So, I¡¯m not sure if what just happened is an effect of your ability or¡­something else. Eri¡¯s response didn¡¯t help the shiver that ran down his spine. Before he could respond to Eri, Liam felt a massive amount of weight suddenly rushing into him from behind as several people shouted, ¡°You did it!¡± He let out a shriek of surprise before falling to the ground. ¡°Oh shit! Sorry!¡± Liam heard several people say. He turned around to see all of his team members huddled around him with wide grins. Artem reached a hand out and pulled Liam to his feet. As he got up, he took a moment to look around and take everyone in. Not only his team, but the other three teams were a mess. Hair was disheveled and faces were covered in dust, sweat, and dirt. Some had armor pieces that were dented while the cloth and leather armor had tears. Even though they looked like shit, they each had a smile or a relaxed look on their faces. They had beaten the sixth floor boss of this Forbidden Path. Even though it was a tough fight, Liam knew that if the boss didn¡¯t have its level partially sealed then they probably wouldn¡¯t have had any chance of winning. But they had won. ¡°We did it!¡± Ariyana shouted with a wide grin as she wrapped her arms around Liam. ¡°Holy shit, what was that?!¡± Mercer cursed as he stared at Liam with excitement. ¡°What was with that cloak too!?¡± ¡°Great job finishing him off,¡± Avery laughed with a warm smile. Blair and Roman patted Liam on his back without saying anything. Artem grinned a toothy grin as he gave Liam a thumbs up. Liam stared at them through his goggles as he took everything in. He didn¡¯t say anything due to being at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t even realize he was smiling along with them until he felt his cheeks start to hurt. ¡°Liam!¡± Jude called out as he made his way between Avery and Mercer to stand in front of him. Jude had a smile on his face. However, Liam recognized it as not one of happiness to be done with everything, but one of excitement and curiosity. It was one a fighter gave when he saw someone he really wanted to fight. ¡°I want to fight you as soon as we get back. Those new abilities of yours aren¡¯t weak and¡­ hey!¡± Jude started to say until Inyis pushed him off to the side. ¡°Yes, yes, we all know how much you like to fight,¡± Inyis stated before adding with an annoyed sigh, ¡°Damn musclehead. I swear you and the guys in my group are so much alike I¡¯m surprised you all aren¡¯t in the same group.¡± She then coughed into her hand and tried to recompose herself before saying, ¡°Great job Liam. I wasn¡¯t sure if you understood what I was getting at when we got separated, but I¡¯m glad you were keener than I gave you credit for.¡± Liam gave her a smile. ¡°It was nothing. I wasn¡¯t sure at first if I would have been able to distract him. With out my new ability I don¡¯t think I would have been able to get the job done.¡± ¡°Give yourself a little more credit than that,¡± Aranis suddenly said as he appeared next to Inyis. ¡°Not only were you able to distract him and take on his powerful spell all by yourself, you were able to kill him when we couldn¡¯t get back to him.¡± Aranis reached a hand out as he gave him an embarrassed smile and added, ¡°I want to apologize for doubting you from the start. I wont look down on a Crafter class again.¡± ¡°I told you not to underestimate him,¡± Jude chimed back in. ¡°He might not be a front line fighter like us, but he still has tricks that, if left to his own devices, will pack a powerful punch.¡± Aranis and Inyis nodded agreeing with Jude. ¡°Speaking of a powerful punch,¡± Jude started back up. ¡°What was up with those two weird hands. When they came together they created that powerful explosion that sent even me on my ass.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite curious about that as well,¡± Inyis said as she eyed Liam. ¡°That¡­,¡± Liam started. ¡°Is a secret.¡± He gave them a wink after finishing. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me?¡± Jude questioned with a grin. ¡°Nope.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t give away all my secrets. Especially if you¡¯re going to challenge me to a fight again.¡± Jude¡¯s grin grew even more from hearing that. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll accept that answer.¡± Inyis rolled her eyes as she muttered, ¡°Men.¡± Everyone let out a hardy laugh at that. However, that laugh died quickly as Liam¡¯s Danger Sense suddenly flared up. Before he could say anything though, six eggshell white spikes suddenly shot up all around him. The objects then moved to encase his body. They squeezed right into him, but allowed his arms to dangle out and his head to see outside of the entrapment. The objects pinched in so tight they brought his body off the ground. ¡°What the fuck,¡± Liam heard a few shout in confusion. Liam looked around and saw he wasn¡¯t the only one who was trapped like this. Everyone else had the same happen to them. As he stared at the objects that entrapped the others he got a better look at them. They didn¡¯t look like they were made from stone or earth. They looked like they were made from¡­bones. What the hell? Liam started to think. Didn¡¯t we defeat the boss? How could¡­ That was when Liam remembered what Ariyana had told him earlier. There was a group of two in this dungeon floor besides their groups. He had forgotten about them with all that had happened. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Since they were in the room with Aranis, Inyis, and Jude, he had pushed it out of his mind. It turns out they were just waiting, biding their time for the perfect moment to make themselves known. Liam turned his head to look at the open door. Standing there were two hooded figures wearing dark brown cloaks. ¡°Amateurs,¡± one of the hooded figures stated. ¡°Quite the haul,¡± the other said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect so many to still be alive.¡± Liam¡¯s blood ran cold as he recognized both voices. The first belonged to the man who tried to kidnap him earlier. The other belong to someone he had discarded since he thought it to be impossible with all that was going on. ¡°Steve,¡± Liam growled as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh?¡± Steve said as he took his hood off. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d recognize me so quickly. What gave me away?¡± ¡°That oily voice of yours,¡± Liam glared as the two figures made their way in towards Liam and the ones closest to him. ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t recognize him?¡± Steve asked with a crazy look on his face. ¡°I heard you both had a bonding experience until Nalia butted in.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t on a name to name basis,¡± Liam replied. ¡°He was quite rude too. Wanted to take me somewhere without buying me dinner first.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re using sarcasm to keep your fear from showing,¡± Steve stated. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam replied with a confused look. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Steve made a tsk tsk noise as he waved a finger in front of him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to hide it. Its okay to admit in your situation.¡± ¡°No, seriously. Confused, yes, but scared? Not really,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Besides its not like I can¡¯t¡­¡± Liam went to use Lunar Step to escape, but nothing happened. Liam¡¯s eyes widened at this. What the fuck! Why didn¡¯t it work?! Liam thought as he tried to wiggle. It¡¯s because your Lunar Step is only available to you when you¡¯re using Soul Weave with your daggers. Eri answered his thoughts. Your Lunar Magic isn¡¯t at a knowledge level high enough yet that will let you use it without that ability. Are you fucking serious? Liam cursed. Damn it! Steve was about to say something else but the other figure cut in, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time trying to escape.¡± The figure looked at the others who were struggling and trying to muscle their way out of their restraints. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t at a high enough level to break the Bone Entrapment spell we used on all of you.¡± ¡°How?¡± Inyis said as she grunted. ¡°How did you guys get in here? I thought those who aren¡¯t new couldn¡¯t enter the Tutorial Dungeons?¡± ¡°Oh that?¡± the figure started as they looked at Inyis. ¡°Some of that is true. However, it is not fully true. There is a contingent for each dungeon. Anyone can enter the Tutorial Dungeons if they are at a high enough level of mana manipulation that associates with that dungeon. Since those fools have no mana manipulation related to the Black Dungeon, they can¡¯t enter here. No one except us.¡± ¡°And who are you?¡± Jude growled, frustration laced within his voice. ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m hurt to hear you ask that. Especially since each and every one of you have met me before. Though none of you ever came to me I was always around you whenever you came to the place I worked at,¡± the figure stated. Everyone looked confused at the figure¡¯s words. They had no clue what he was talking about. Before anyone could say anything else, the figure took his hood off to reveal who he was. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he grew shocked at who it was he was staring at. The man had copper hair combed back neatly and brown eyes. Sticking out a little at the collar of the cloak was a uniform Liam recognized from the Tutorial Town. It was the man who always stood next to Menera in the Training Hall helping the new people that were summoned to this world. Liam never saw him actually help anyone though. He remembered him scowling at anyone who approached him, but he was there. He was also there when Steve tried to approach me that day. Liam thought to himself. His name was¡­ Liam drew a blank as he tried to remember the man¡¯s name. He then realized he never got it any time he went there. He also realized that he never smelled the nasty smell of death from the man whenever he went to the Training Hall. ¡°How?¡± Liam said without realizing he said it out loud. The man turned to look at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°How did you mask your nasty stench? I didn¡¯t smell it like I did off of Steve.¡± ¡°Oh that?¡± the man said with a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I have a magical item that helps hide the smell.¡± ¡°I must say,¡± Jude started as he gave the man a venomous glare. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have pegged you to be in cahoots with Steve, Gary.¡± So, his name is Gary. Liam thought. ¡°And why would you?¡± Gary questioned as he gave Jude a confused look. ¡°Although I must admit, I was a bit scared I almost got caught during that incident when this guy here¡­¡± Gary hiked a thumb at Liam. ¡°Caught on that I told Steve when he was at the Training Hall.¡± Liam glared at him. ¡°So, what is it that you want?¡± Aranis asked. Gary and Steve looked at Aranis. ¡°You obviously want something or else you wouldn¡¯t be here in this dungeon with us and wouldn¡¯t have gone to so much lengths. It also didn¡¯t help when your partner over there kept saying something about keys,¡± Aranis added. ¡°There is something that we want,¡± Gary started to say. Liam¡¯s mind tried thinking of what it could be that they were after. He didn¡¯t have much to go on. The only thing he could think of was what he knew about Steve. Galin had told him about what happened when he, Steve, Lici, and the rest of their team came across a Forbidden Path. About how a weird portal appeared and¡­ Two other memories came to mind as he recounted what came out of the portal during Galin¡¯s dungeon dive. It was the last picture on the wall outside of the room and Eri¡¯s words. He tried to summon something, but something more powerful answered instead. ¡°You¡¯re trying to call upon the twisted monstrosities and that shadowy being aren¡¯t you?¡± Liam whispered. Gary and Steve looked to Liam and were surprised at what they heard him say. ¡°I must say, you are well informed for someone who recently came to our world,¡± Gary commented. ¡°It was Galin who told you. Wasn¡¯t it?¡± Steve frowned. Liam just glared at him. ¡°That¡­creature,¡± Steve spat with anger. ¡°It took everything from me. My teammates and my will to continue to adventure. I want¡­No, I need to kill it. To get revenge¡­¡± Gary placed a hand on Steve¡¯s shoulder. Steve turned to look at him. ¡°You¡¯ll get it don¡¯t worry,¡± Gary said in a reassuring voice. ¡°But first, go and check the circle out and see if it got damaged. I¡¯ll take care of things here.¡± Steve¡¯s eyes narrowed at him. After a brief moment had passed, Steve gave a huff and walked over to the raised platform. ¡°Okay, but what does that have to do with us?¡± Inyis questioned, confused on what he was talking about. ¡°Why drag all of us in your revenge? And how were you able to get into this Forbidden Dungeon? I thought not everyone was able to get into it?¡± ¡°To answer your first question¡­Let¡¯s just say there are¡­ways to open a Forbidden Path and to find certain... people suited for it. As for why you?¡± Gary started. ¡°That¡¯s something I need to correct you on. It¡¯s not why all of you. Its why you four.¡± Gary pointed to Aranis, Inyis, Jude, and Liam. ¡°The others are here because of you four.¡± He then looked at the members of each of their groups. ¡°If you four are anger then be angry at the fact you choose to be in their groups. If you hadn¡¯t chosen them you wouldn¡¯t be in this mess.¡± Each member of Aranis, Inyis, Jude, and Liam¡¯s group glared at Gary. Gary ignored them and turned his attention back on the four as he continued, ¡°We have knowledge of certain Forbidden Paths. Knowledge that let¡¯s us know what happened in them and how they came to be a Forgotten Realm.¡± ¡°This one in particular caught my attention. The Lich you had slain was trying to summon a powerful demon. Pride of the Seven Immoral Vices. However, in doing so he didn¡¯t realize that four people he had slain were¡­special.¡± ¡°How special?¡± Jude questioned. ¡°They had something very similar to you four,¡± Gary replied. Liam looked at Aranis, Inyis, and Jude who were looking at him and each other as well. He then remembered Eri had said something about a few people being similar to him. But what it was it that made them so similar, he wasn¡¯t sure of. ¡°They had something in their blood that mixed with the summoning circle which changed the location of the summon. Instead of opening to the Realm of Demons, it opened to a different place. A more¡­dark and cold place.¡± Liam watched as a smile formed on Gary¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t a warm or happy one. Instead, it was a dark and twisted one. ¡°Anyways,¡± Gary started back up. ¡°You four have the same blood of those four he didn¡¯t realize he had killed.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re going to kill us. Just to use our blood to open a portal to some location?¡± Inyis asked, her face drained of most of its color. ¡°Not quite,¡± Gary started to answer. ¡°You see, if this does work then you are more valuable to m¡­to us alive than dead.¡± ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t work?¡± Liam asked. Gary turned his eyes on him. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to answer the question you already know the answer to.¡± ¡°What about us?¡± Lapis asked. Gary looked over at her and the others. ¡°You guys? Why you guys are the bait to lure out what we are trying to summon.¡± Liam¡¯s brows furrowed at what he said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sen¡­,¡± he tried to say until Steve interrupted him. ¡°The circle is still in good condition,¡± Steve called out. ¡°We can cast the spell to charge it up, but it looks like it only needs one more soul to fully open the portal once when it¡¯s fully charged.¡± Gary turned to look at him. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s get this started shall we?¡± Gary announced as he snapped his fingers. Tutorial 130 - From the Depth they came In a smooth motion, Aranis, Inyis, Jude and Liam were hauled over to the raised platform. Each of them, still encased by the long thick bones, stopped at each corner of the raised platform. After Liam stopped at the corner of the right side closest to the door he was able to get a good look at what was on the ground. It was a complicated design of symbols and circles all connected together. If he remotely had anything to compare it to, it reminded of similar designs from one of his favorite animes with alchemists in it. At the same time, the other members of their groups were shuffled around the room in random order, but still positioned to face the raised area. ¡°How did the summoning circle remain?¡± Rez yelled out in confusion. ¡°It should have dispersed after we stopped the Lich.¡± Steve glanced a peek at the man and replied bluntly, ¡°Your understanding of all magic is quite insignificant. I don¡¯t blame you though, after all you¡¯re still new to it.¡± ¡°Quit talking Steve and let¡¯s start this up,¡± Gary ordered as he walked over to Aranis. He reached out and gripped Aranis¡¯ wrist and with all the strength he had pulled it out, palm facing down over the edge of the circle. He then pulled out a knife and sliced his palm. Aranis let out a grunt, trying to bite back the pain he felt. Blood dripped down from the open wound. Some of it landed on the ground, but most of it landed on the lines of the circle. Once when it did, the lines started to change colors from dark purple to a blackish one. After Gary felt it was enough, he released Aranis¡¯ wrist and moved over to Jude. At the same time, Steve had finished with Inyis and was reaching for Liam¡¯s wrist. Liam tried to fight by moving it away. Steve¡¯s face grew irritated. Then without warning, Steve punched Liam in the right cheek, catching him off guard. This was enough for him to grab Liam¡¯s wrist and yank it out. Liam tried to pull it back but wasn¡¯t able to get free. How high is his strength? Liam thought as he glowered at the man. He felt the pain of the knife cutting his palm and clenched his teeth from letting out any sound. He didn¡¯t want to give this guy anything. After Steve got enough blood out from Liam, he released his wrist and made his way over to Gary who was standing on the edge of the summoning circle with their back to the open door. After the color of the circle had changed around the edges and connected, Gary and Steve lifted their arms out and started channeling mana. Liam kept his eyes on them, he wasn¡¯t sure how they would be able to get out, so instead of wasting energy trying to squirm or shift, he wracked his brain. As he was doing this his Mana Sight was activated. He saw the mana start to build up, but instead of it going around the two men, the mana rolled off of them and into the circle. The circle started to glow as they began. The light was dim at first, but as seconds ticked by, it started to brighten. Liam¡¯s heart rate started to quicken as his thoughts swirled. He tried to calm himself, but the whispers plaguing his mind didn¡¯t help stop the panic growing within him. After a few minutes had passed, the brightness of the circle had grown enough to make it seem like a sun was peering through the lines. When it got to this point, Gary and Steve had stopped channeling. Liam noticed Steve looked more worn out than Gary as he hunched over and gasped for air. ¡°There¡­the charging¡­is com¡­pleted,¡± Steve wheezed out. ¡°Now we need¡­to feed it¡­one more soul¡­¡± Steve looked at one of the members of Liam¡¯s team closest to them. It was Mercer. ¡°No!¡± Liam yelled out. Steve gave him a wicked grin before letting out a few coughs. ¡°You have¡­no say in¡­who we¡­us¡­gah!¡± Steve suddenly let out a pained gurgle. Everyone else in the room went wide eyed as they saw a dagger sticking through Steve. Right where his heart was. Steve turned his head confused and panicked as he looked at Gary, who was staring at him with a look of disgust. ¡°That¡¯s quite enough out of you,¡± Gary suddenly stated. ¡°Why?¡± Steve asked with a painfilled protest. ¡°It¡¯s like you said,¡± Gary started back up. ¡°You have no say in who we use. I was planning to kill you eventually since you have no connection to the Order. You were nothing more than a pawn to us to begin with. One we could use to¡­misdirect the direction of watchful eyes.¡± ¡°The Order?¡± Steve questioned. Then realizing what he meant he said as blood dripped out from his mouth, ¡°You don¡¯t mean the Order of¡­¡± Before he could finish, Gary ripped the dagger out, killing Steve the moment it was wrench. ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you,¡± Gary stated before channeling some mana and moving his hands towards the soul orb that floated over Steve¡¯s body and directing it to the circle. As soon as the Soul Orb reached the middle of it, it suddenly dropped and disappeared within. A ripple shook throughout the circle before it hummed to life. Gary gave a wicked smile as he moved his hands in a weird motion and turned the summoning circle on. A raven black orb the size of a bead suddenly appeared hovering over the circle. Mana that charged the circle started to leak out and flow into the bead, almost like it was feeding it. A few seconds later, the bead started growing bigger. Liam watched as the orb, once the size of a bead grew and grew. After a minute had passed it grew to the size of a portal he grew acquainted with this past month. The color of it was black, but it was so dark it wasn¡¯t the same as the portal he was currently in. The thin pitch black oval shape looked solid at first before purple and white lines started swirling in the middle. It swiftly expanded within the shape as it hummed vibrantly. It then started to look unstable as dark colored sparks shot out from the edges and struck wildly all around it. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. A few had zipped pass Liam¡¯s face, making him flinch. ¡°Yes!¡± Gary shouted with a wicked glee on his face. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s working!¡± After a minute of instability, the sparks started to calm down and arc around the inside of the swirling vortex. The sparks began to stop disappearing after bouncing around, but instead remained whole as they connected from four points. Almost like corners, of the shape to the middle. When the last one connected, the point in the middle then expanded like the sparks was pulling it out till it reached the edges of the oval. As soon as it connected to the edges, a powerful shockwave exploded outwards, shattering the bone trappings and sending everyone sailing backwards. Liam skipped across the ground until he finally stopped. ¡°I¡¯m really starting to hate being thrown around like a ragdoll,¡± Liam muttered as he slowly got to his feet. He looked around to see Mercer, Blair, and a couple members of Aranis, and Inyis group were thrown by him. He noticed they all stared between the exit portal and at the newly formed portal. Almost like they were trying to decide whether they had the power to destroy it or if escape was the better option. Before anyone could make that decision Liam felt a terrifyingly cold and icy sensation wash over him. This was different from the Ice magic the Lich used against him. Liam knew this. He knew whatever was on the other of the portal was something none of them would be able to handle. Without hesitation, Liam yelled out, ¡°Everyone! Escape now!¡± That was all they needed to hear. Not even Jude argued as they all ran for the exit portal in the back of the room. They sprinted as fast as they could and were about to reach it, until thick eggshell white bones shot up and blocked their path to the exit. ¡°Shit!¡± Jude screamed as he tried swinging his tomahawk axes against them. Not even a scratch was made as his weapons bounced back. ¡°Nah uh,¡± Gary said as he looked at them with a maniacal grin. ¡°No one is going to escape from here. Like I said majority of you are bait to lure out something I need.¡± A pulse suddenly rippled through the portal hovering on the raised platform. Gary looked at it and said while still smiling, ¡°But enough of that. Let¡¯s see how long you will last before it arrives.¡± Right as soon as he finished saying those words, forms started to exit the portal. Liam¡¯s and everyone¡¯s eyes rose as mixtures of shock, horror, and disgust rushed over their faces. A few different types of figures had entered the room. One creature had long stretched out arms with claw-like fingers. Its torso and legs were smaller, while its head was elongated with its mouth running from where a nose would be to the top of its skull. Its had one eye on each side of the mouth. When it opened its mouth razor sharp teeth were able to be seen. The second creature was a massive blob with several tentacles all around its chubby body. Liam couldn¡¯t see any feet anywhere since the gelatinous body touched the ground. Several eyes circled around the top of the body. Medium sized mouth pieces were scattered around close to each tentacle. The last creature stood on four legs. This one was smaller than the other two types and was covered in fur. It had the form of a wolf, but with one massive eye in the center of the head and a long drooling tongue that lolled out from its mouth with rows of razor sharp teeth. One thing Liam noticed that each of these types of creatures had in common were the fact they had blackish-purple smoke rolling off their bodies. Liam felt a sensation suddenly wash over him. His body shook as the feeling covered him from head to toe. At the same time, his mind felt like it was being split. Almost like something foreign was invading it. The whispers that were assaulting him from earlier grew even louder than before as the pain started to feel unbearable. During this time, a voice yelled out his name, but between the whispers and the pain it was being drowned out. Images then started to flash through his mind as the pain and whispers continued their attack. He felt his legs start to shake before they buckled and brought him to a knee. His heart suddenly thumped hard as a new feeling started to stir. He grabbed his chest where his heart would be. As soon as he gripped the area his mind stopped on an image. It was the shadowy cloaked figure with the scythe that stared at him. A new voice whispered in his mind. ¡°He is not yours to tether to, you mindless lessers.¡± This new voice was ethereal. It sounded so far away, yet so close to him. Then it said with a hint of worry but at the same time dangerous, ¡°Get a grip, you pathetic vessel.¡± Then all of a sudden, the pain that made his mind feel like it was splitting disappeared. It was enough for Liam to take a deep breath in and slowly release it. He did this three times to calm his heart and dampen the whispers that tried to scream in his mind. Once when he felt his body calm back down, he stood up and assessed the creatures. As he did he felt his heart sink.
¡°??.¡± ¡°??.¡± ¡°??.¡±
Each creature that came out from the portal weren¡¯t able to be assessed. Does this mean their level is much higher than what we have fought? Liam thought as he stared at the creatures slowly pouring in. The portal rippled once more and stopped allowing creatures to enter after the thirtieth one came in. ¡°Oh my god!¡± Liam heard someone yell with horror. ¡°What the fuck are those things?!¡± another two people yelled out. Liam looked at the others closest to him and saw they stood there, terrified. Their bodies shivered and shook. A couple had their hands on the sides of their heads as they faced the ground with screams rolling out from their mouths. The others had red eyes and were crying streams of¡­blood. ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Liam stated as he looked around to the other groups and saw that Aranis, Inyis, and Jude were staring at the people around them. They too looked worried and unsure what to do. Gary stood where he was, unfazed by the monstrosities. However, it did look to Liam like he was even more crazed than earlier. A sudden flash of movement caught Liam¡¯s eyes as one of the one eyed wolf looking creatures made a bee line towards Mercer. ¡°Oh hell no!¡± Liam shouted as he raced to intercept the creature. As soon as he got right in front of Mercer, Liam yelled out and waved his hands out and readied himself for the collision, ¡°Get back!¡± However, the wolf like creature skidded to a halt as soon as it laid its eye on Liam. Liam stared at it with confusion as the wolf eyed him back. It let out a deep throaty growl, before turning around and sprinting for the other side of the room. What the¡­ Liam thought. He didn¡¯t have enough time to continue his thought process before another one eyed wolf rushed towards Blair, who was on her knees with her hands on her head, not seeing the creature. Liam ran for her to intercept it, but instead of this creature stopping to a halt, it rammed right into Liam and sent him flying towards the wall, hard. Liam slammed into the wall, creating an indent upon arrival and fell to his butt on the ground. Blood had escaped his lips and spat on the ground in front of him. His vision was blurry, but he tried his best to fight against losing consciousness. His eyes then went on the creatures that made their way towards his and the other¡¯s members. ¡°No,¡± Liam muttered as he tried to get back up. He felt his knees wobble and give out as he fell forward. Liam watched as the creatures raced even faster towards their prey. ¡°No,¡± Liam groaned as he internally raged and reached a hand out. Several of them were almost within reach of their targets and prepared to attack. Liam punched the ground before trying to push himself up once more. With all his might, he let out a loud growl, ¡°No!¡± As his word echoed, a heavy pressure suddenly filled the entire room. Everything and everyone stopped moving and went silent. No one dared to move an inch. The pressure they all felt was terrifying and a lot more powerful than when Phorge released his aura when he had gotten pissed. Liam held his breath, waiting for the source of the pressure to make its move. Then a thud echoed in the room. Liam slowly turned his head around to try and find where it came from. A second thud echoed. After the third Liam noticed the Bone Wall that was covering the area where the exit portal was shudder. A crack formed in the middle of several of the thick bones. As a fourth thud echoed the cracks grew more as they started to spiderweb out. A fifth thud echoed and a sixth as the cracks grew even more. ¡°Yes!¡± Gary shouted. ¡°It is finally he¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the bone wall shattered completely. Spinning end over end, a massive hammer fit for a giant soared out at high speed. The force of the spin of the hammer demolished each head or body part it flew through, making its way towards one area. Liam watched as the hammer moved with purpose towards a certain destination. Without knowing what had happened, Gary¡¯s eyes widened as the head of the hammer destroyed the portal. He tried to move out of the way of it, but before he could react, it crashed right into him, exploding his head and upper body, before it finally fell and dug into the ground. Tutorial 131 - A choice must be made Chatter and conversations mixed in the air as people ran around the portal area. Tension filled the air as people from the Training Hall, and Magic Tower ran between each other. Some had paperwork in their hands looking them over as others talked amongst themselves. Guesses and ideas were thrown around, trying to make some sense of what was inside the black dungeon. ¡°How¡¯s it looking so far?¡± Adva asked as she stared at Phorge who kept his eyes on the screen in front of him. ¡°So far everyone is still alive,¡± Phorge responded, focused and stern. ¡°Is the boss still alive?¡± Nalia questioned as she approached the two. ¡°Yes,¡± Phorge grunted. ¡°Can¡¯t tell how its going besides that the Boss symbol is still there. No information on what boss they are fighting against either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Nalia stated with a frown. Phorge nodded. ¡°All the years I¡¯ve monitored dungeons, not once have I come across an issue like this. It¡¯s like¡­¡± Phorge let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s like everything in there is eluding all sight and senses we should be able to have.¡± Adva stared at the man. She knew Phorge to be a strict and stern man. He also held a powerful and prideful presence. However, he looked to be completely different right now. She had never seen him like this. Worried, concerned, and¡­regretful. Adva placed a hand on the tall man¡¯s back. It reached his lower back due to their height difference, but she paid it no mind. He dared a peek at her and gave her a soft smile before looking back at the screen. ¡°All we can do is hope they make it through,¡± Adva stated with as much belief as she could muster. Galin and Fia stared at the portal side by side. Fia stood with her arms crossed as Galin kept his face forward on the portal. They stood in silence never taking their eyes off, waiting for any sign of good news. ¡°So, you both became his mentor in Blacksmithing, and Alchemy huh?¡± a calm and collected voice asked. Fia and Galin turned their heads to see Nabal approaching them. ¡°Aye,¡± Fia replied, wary of the man. ¡°What is tha boy to ya though?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Liam¡¯s Dagger Instructor,¡± Galin responded carefully. Fia¡¯s eyes widened at what Galin said. Almost letting out a choke, she asked as she looked at Galin, ¡°Did I hear that right?¡± Fia turned her gaze back on Nabal and asked, ¡°But Narad said ya¡¯d never take an apprentice that wasn¡¯t yer blood.¡± Nabal stared at her and gave a slight grimace as he responded, ¡°Narad needs to keep his mouth shut around his apprentices when he talks about others.¡± He then let out a sigh before adding, ¡°I didn¡¯t plan on taking any apprentices, but Liam¡­surprised me.¡± Fia let out a snort as she commented, ¡°He really is an interesting lad, that one.¡± Her expression then turned solemn before asking, ¡°What¡¯cha ya think his chances of survival are?¡± Nabal let out a long breath of air before replying, ¡°I really can¡¯t say.¡± He then looked at the portal as he added, ¡°I want to believe his chances aren¡¯t zero, but we really don¡¯t know what¡¯s¡­¡± Before he could finish, Phorge yelled out, ¡°They did it!¡± Everyone turned to face him with a confused expression. ¡°They did it!¡± Phorge repeated with a fist in the air. ¡°What?¡± Nalia questioned as she stared at him. ¡°The symbol for the boss monster disappeared!¡± Phorge clarified. Fia and Galin felt their shoulders relax. They didn¡¯t realize how tense their bodies were until this happened. However, before they could relax anymore then they did, Phorge yelled out, ¡°What?! How?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Adva asked, concern laced in her voice. ¡°Someone suddenly died,¡± Phorge responded as he stared at the screen. ¡°Who?!¡± Fia and Galin shouted, a sinking feeling starting to grow in their stomachs. ¡°Someone for the group of tw¡­,¡± Phorge went to say. ¡°What¡¯s happening to the portal!?¡± Someone suddenly shouted. Everyone stared at the black portal that swirled in front of them. The black color grew darker and a cold and wicked aura started to leak out from it. Adva, Nalia, and Phorge felt the aura wash over them and involuntarily felt their bodies shiver while the back of their hairs stood up. Adva¡¯s eyes widened as she asked with a gasp, ¡°What¡­What is this? I have never felt something so¡­so twisted and demented before.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Phorge said as he gripped his fists so hard he thought he was going to draw blood. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t like it.¡± He was about to take a step towards the portal, but before he could set his foot down, a powerful wave of power shot out and knocked everyone away from the portal. The other portals flickered in and out, almost like they were going to snuff out, as the powerful wave washed over them. Phorge rolled to his side and pushed to his feet. He stared at the portal and noticed new colors had grown over the Black colored portal. Around the edges was a dark golden hue while sparks of red, indigo, and icy blue bounced around the middle. ¡°What kind of portal is that?!¡± Adva questioned as she stared at it with a mix of confusion and shock. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Phorge said, almost in a whisper. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that one before.¡± As Phorge kept his eyes on the portal, he missed something that happened on the screen that showed not only a person¡¯s life sign disappearing, but a notification that showed what was approaching. However, the notification didn¡¯t wait for the man to see it as it disappeared, not only from the screen, but from his knowledge of anything appearing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam stared at the massive hammer that was dug into the ground right behind the raised platform. The stoned floor was completely destroyed. A small portion of Gary¡¯s legs remained whole sticking out from the edge of the head of the hammer. It happened so fast that Liam was confused if it had really happened in the first place. His stupor was shaken free when the twisted monstrosities started making growling, gurgling, and screeches, that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Liam turned his attention to them to see they weren¡¯t staring at any of them anymore, but instead their focus was turned towards the back of the room where the exit portal was. Liam glanced in that direction to see a second portal was next to the exit. This new portal, albeit, was much larger than the other. It almost touched the roof and was much wider, almost like it was accommodating for something. The colors of this new portal were black with a dark golden hue while sparks of red, indigo, and icy blue bounced around the middle. Liam! You need to listen to me! Eri suddenly shouted in Liam¡¯s mind. The tone in her voice snapped his attention to her. It was full of fear and worry. What¡¯s wrong Eri? Liam questioned. You and everyone in there is in immense danger! Eri started. What do you mean? Liam asked. He knew the situation was different than when they had to face the Lich, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what exactly was going on. The creatures that came out of that portal earlier caught the attention of something much more powerful than anything you have ever faced. Eri continued. It seems that, that¡¯s all we ever face. Something much more dangerous or powerful¡­ Liam started to say until Eri quickly interrupted. The danger that is coming is entirely different than what you have faced through the dungeon floors. You always had some chance for survival. This time now, however, you only have one chance to survive and even that is still abysmal. Liam grew even more confused as he listened to Eri. He knew the situation going on was bad. He didn¡¯t know how exactly bad it was, but as Eri kept talking he felt his blood run cold and a sinking feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. That feeling grew even more as a massive figure walked out of the portal. Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of it. Its entire body was pitch black and smoky, barely letting anyone see what the creature really looked like. However, it wasn¡¯t able to hide the fact it had a two-horned helmet that covered down from the top of its head to the top of its cheeks with red glowing eyes. A long flowing beard ran down to its bare chest. Pauldrons ran down from its neck, shoulders, and mid biceps. It had some sort of pants that hung over its boots. The pressure it exuded washed over everyone. It wasn¡¯t just powerful; it was also oppressive. It almost felt like it demanded everyone to knee and obey it. Liam watched as it scanned the area. It ignored many of the people in the room as it continued to look around. He noticed it lingered on the twisted creatures, but continued. He then felt his body tense and freeze as the massive creature¡¯s gaze stopped on not only him, but Aranis, Inyis, and Jude. A scowl was visible on its face as it looked at these four. Shit, that¡¯s not good! It has you locked in its sight. Eri swore. The twisted creatures closest to it bristled as they stared at it. Three of the one eyed wolf creatures instinctually charged at it. One jumped up at its chest while the other two ran for its legs. The massive figure brought its right hand back and then swatted the wolf-like creature that had jumped. The force of the slap caused it to swiftly slam down into the ground. Black ooze escaped from its mouth as it landed. No movement was made after it fell. The two wolf-like creatures that went for its legs were able to clamp their mouths on their targets, but the massive creature didn¡¯t react in any sort of pain. Instead, it reached down for the one attached to its left leg, gripped it, and yanked it right off without even a flinch. It then brought its right leg back before whipping it forward, flinging the wolf-like creature off. At the same time, it threw the other creature that it was holding, sending both to the other side of the room. Both creatures slammed hard against the wall, causing the wall to ripple and crumple inwards where impact was made. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Like a starting signal going off as soon as the creature hit the wall, the rest of the twisted monstrosities charged at it with reckless abandon. What is that thing Eri? Liam asked as he felt his heartbeat start to race. That thing is a shadow of its real self. Eri started to say. A shadow of its real self?! You mean that¡¯s not even the real body?! Liam suddenly blurted. Yes. Eri replied. I wouldn¡¯t underestimate it though. It may just be a shadow, but it still carries a small portion of the main body¡¯s power. Only a small fucking portion?! If that is only a small portion then I don¡¯t ever want to see its main body. Liam panicked. Liam focus! Eri chastised. Once it finishes off those creatures it will go after you as well as those other three. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he heard her say that. Why us? What did we do it for it to want to kill us? I will explain why after you get out of here alive. Eri said, trying to keep her composure. Out of here alive? How are we going to do that? I don¡¯t know if you saw any of that, but those creatures are way more powerful than us and even they can¡¯t hold a candle to it! Liam yelled back, the panic that had started to grow now almost filling him entirely. There is still a chance you can survive. Eri responded. There is? How? What? Liam asked, feeling some hope within him start to bloom. There is, but it¡¯s a gamble. I¡­I¡¯m not sure if it will be enough though. Eri said with some hesitation towards the end. There¡¯s also going to be a huge backlash if you do survive. One that will cause a big enough side effect that it could leave you weakened for some time¡­Do you wish to take that chance? Liam hesitated as he watched the battle between the horde of twisted and deranged creatures fighting violently against the massive monster. Even with numbers on their side they were still losing badly and quickly. He then saw his teammates swiftly making their way over to him as the members of the other groups ran to their respected leaders. Seeing his teammates running to him made him think about all they had gone through before getting here. All the nights spent making strategies to make sure they had some sort of survival when tackling the Forbidden Path floors. All the blood, sweat, and tears they shared training and fighting together. The plans they made back on the fifth floor. He didn¡¯t want those dreams to die here. He wanted to survive this. He wanted to make sure they survived this. ¡°Liam!¡± Ariyana shouted as she and the others approached him. ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Artem questioned as he stared at the battle still raging on. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have plan right?¡± Roman asked as he looked at Liam. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Blair inquired. Liam ignored them as he summoned up the resolve that wasn¡¯t there before, he replied with slight sarcasm, If it¡¯s a chance to survive then I don¡¯t think I have any choice now do I? What do I need to do? Feeling his conviction, Eri responded with the same resolve as he had shown, We¡¯ve put this off for a while now, but you need to make the choice. What choice? Didn¡¯t I make the choice to survive? Liam questioned with some confusion. Not that choice. Although it is one needed to make the choice, but no. That wasn¡¯t the choice I was talking about. Eri stated. Then what choice are you talking about? Liam inquired starting to feel a bit frustrated. The choice to become my Champion. Eri clarified. That is your only hope for survival right now. Liam felt his body tense. With all the chaos going on these past few days, he had completely forgotten about Eri wanting him to be her champion. It was something he wasn¡¯t fully sure if he wanted to do. At first it was because he didn¡¯t know anything about her. He still didn¡¯t know much about her. Just random snippets and knowledge she had shared. However, he did know some things and that was she gave him advice when she didn¡¯t need to, she helped him out here and there, and she seemed lonely when they first met. She was very adamant and sure of herself that he would accept, especially during the last floor. Maybe she wanted someone to talk to. If that was the case she didn¡¯t need to make him her champion¡­so why him? Before I decide can you tell me why? Liam asked. Do you really have time for that? Eri quipped. ¡°Liam!¡± Avery shouted, making him look to the fighting that was going on. Eri was right. The giant of a man had just finished killing off the last of the twisted creatures. Their bodies were either smashed, torn apart, or laid lifelessly throughout the room. Liam didn¡¯t notice much of the fight during his conversation with Eri. So much so that he didn¡¯t even see that the creature was close to the half destroyed raised platform in the middle of the room, closing in on his hammer. I need to know. Liam urgently stated as he watched the giant reach and grip the handle of the hammer. Even if I told you. You wouldn¡¯t understand right now. Eri replied. I will tell you one day, but today is not that day. Conflicted, Liam wasn¡¯t sure what to do. He needed to know why, but at the same time if he wasted any more time it could spell their doom. Before he could think any more on it, Liam felt two new pressures suddenly fill the room. Liam searched the entire room for the sources. They came from two corners of the room. From where he stood, the corner of the back right of the room, close to the portals, one of the pressures was directly to his left at the back left of the room while the other to his right around the right front of the room close to the doors. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he saw what the sources of the pressures came from. Or to be exact, who they came from. It was Aranis and Inyis. Looks like those two made their decision. Eri stated. What do you me¡­ Liam started to say until he heard them speak. ¡°Gemini Zodiac Ability - Class Fusion¡­Embodiment of Nature!¡± Inyis shouted. ¡°Gemini Zodiac Ability - Class Fusion¡­Defiler of Fel!¡± Aranis yelled. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he felt the pressure suddenly suck back in to them before they started glowing brightly. Inyis¡¯ skin started to radiate a forest green and earthen brown from head to toe. Her two branch-like antlers started to grow a myriad of different types of colored flowers while the vines that wrapped around her bare arms and legs started to thicken. Her legs were completely covered and pushed her up, making her taller than she was before. The vines around her arms covered them from her shoulders to hands. As they covered her hands, branch-like fingers grew out. This new form of hers took Liam by surprise, however that wasn¡¯t the only thing that changed. In the middle of her flower covered antlers, vines started to twist and connect, taking an oval shape form that made Liam unsure if what he saw was right. It was an eye made from vines with a big green flower in the middle of it as the iris. All around Inyis, grass started to appear and spread out. Within the field that was starting to replace the stone tiles, flowers and several trees started to sprout and bloom all around her and her team. Her teammates stared at their new surroundings with confusion, awe, and slight fear. At the same time as Inyis, Aranis too started to have changes start to happen. Like Inyis, Aranis started to glow a mixture of colors. His colors, however, were a bit more sinister. They were a sickly dark green and a poisonous purple. Aranis¡¯ entire eyeballs changed from white to a dark purple as sickly green liquid slowly started to drip from them. Around Aranis¡¯ body, a light purplish-green fog started to form into several small clouds that hovered around his head, shoulders, and hands. A dark reddish-green and purple liquid dripped from these clouds and darkened the ground, almost like an invisible fire had scorched it. As the ground around him started to change color and spread out several feet Aranis¡¯ teammates took several steps away from him after getting spooked from the sudden changes that had happened. A couple of them covered their noses and mouths as they ran back as far as they could. The aura that rolled off the two suddenly spiked out and clashed. As it filled the entire room, Liam could feel the pressure they emanated. Each clash that they made created a wave of pressure that began to suffocate everyone in the room. The Giant stood there turning his attention back and forth between the two people, unsure who to strike at first. Aranis and Inyis, however, stood in place glaring at each other, ignoring the giant and everyone else in the room. It was almost like they had eyes only for the other and not in a good way. The snarls that were on their faces made everyone believe they were mortal enemies. Liam grew more worried with each second until a new pressure filled the room. This one came catty-corner from him on the exact opposite side of him. He couldn¡¯t see the changes happening, but he did hear Jude yell out, ¡°Gemini Zodiac Ability - Class fusion¡­Arbiter of Order!¡± As soon as he shouted this, the clash between the two pressures were pushed down and balanced out. This gave everyone in the room a chance to breath and regain their composure. And the third one has accepted. Eri suddenly stated. What do you mean? Liam asked. He had an inkling of what was going on, but he wanted to know for sure. Ever since Eri had mentioned some people were the same as him, he had some ideas, but since he didn¡¯t have all the facts he didn¡¯t want to assume. It was what Eri said next that made him understand there was more going on than he had thought. Each of them decided to accept the proposal of being Champions to other Deities. Because of that, they were able to use their Gemini ability and fuse their classes together to give them that boost they need to be able to fight that creature. Liam gulped. He then asked with some shakiness in his voice, They accepted the side effects too? Their side effects will be completely different from what yours will be. Yours will be a bit¡­harsher due to the nature you will have to shoulder. Eri explained. ¡°What?!¡± Liam suddenly blurted. ¡°What? What happened?¡± Artem quickly asked as the group turned to face Liam. Liam waved them off as he internally asked Eri, What do you mean by that? We don¡¯t have enough time to go over everything. Eri swiftly dodged. I¡¯ll tell you what you need to know to make a decision. Fine. Liam stated with a frown. If you accept, you will gain an ability to temporarily unseal the seal that¡¯s been placed on your other race and class. This will allow you to use your Zodiac ability Class Fusion just like them. However¡­ However? Liam repeated as the sinking feeling returned. Due to how powerful your second class is, it will temporarily raise your stats to even everything out and give you a fighting chance against this being. Eri started. That¡¯s not too ba¡­ Liam began to say until Eri cut him off. At the same time, due to my nature and the nature of your other race, you will be not only fighting that being, but yourself as well. If you don¡¯t remain in control and completely lose yourself to the power you gain you will be engulfed by your other race. You will go insane and won¡¯t be able to return to your former self and will need to be killed. Eri finished. Liam felt his whole body go stiff after hearing everything. What Eri had told him was no small thing. This chance to be able to protect his group and fight this being had a price that couldn¡¯t be accepted half-heartedly. This was the type of decision that needed the type of resolve where one had to accept there was a chance he could not only die, but also harm those who he wanted to protect. He glanced at each of his teammates. They were staring at the fight that had started while Liam was talking with Eri. The power and pressure that exploded with each collision of strikes sent ripples of shockwaves out. His teammates looked to be not only shielding their faces, but also leaning forward so they wouldn¡¯t fall backwards. The three fighting the giant were able to do some damage, but it didn¡¯t look like they were doing enough. If they expended everything and it wasn¡¯t enough to at least make the being retreat then they would all die, regardless if he accepted or not. He didn¡¯t like this. Not one bit. He needed to make a decision. Did he refuse and pray those three would be enough or did he accept and take the chance of losing against himself. After looking at each of his teammates, he grew a small soft smile. Mercer noticed the soft smile that appeared on Liam¡¯s face. He was about to ask what was going on, but Liam beat him to it. ¡°Hey guys,¡± Liam started as they turned to look at him. ¡°Do you all trust me?¡± Confused by the question, they slowly responded, ¡°Yes, completely.¡± That¡¯s all he need to know. ¡°I¡¯m about to do something really stupid. I can¡¯t tell you what it is now, but if I survive¡­I¡¯ll answer all your questions,¡± Liam said before walking out closer to the battle in front of them. Avery, Blair, and Roman stared at him. They knew something was up, but they weren¡¯t entirely sure. They just watched. Ariyana and Artem protested for him to get back and not get any closer, but their words fell on deaf ears. It was Mercer who grew concerned. Liam would never tell them he was about to do something stupid, he just did it. However, what really got him scared was the one word no one caught. If he survived, not when they survived. After Liam got far enough away from them he shouted out into the air, ¡°I accept your proposal!¡± A slew of notifications suddenly appeared in front of Liam.
¡°Congratulations! You have received the blessing- Champion of Chaos!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received the ability ¨C Temporary Unseal! Temporary Unseal ¨C Allows the user to temporarily unseal any seals that have been sealed on the person¡¯s body!¡±
Liam closed the notifications, not wanting to delay any longer, and readied himself for what he planned to do next. Without hesitation, he activated Temporary Unseal. A wave of dark cold power suddenly erupted from his shadow. The amount of power that pushed out threatened to suffocate him as it gripped around his limbs and heart. Liam! Activate your Gemini ability now! Eri commanded. Gritting his teeth while his body tensed even worse than it had earlier, Liam growled out the words, ¡°Gemini Zodiac Ability - Class Fusion¡­¡± A few new notifications appeared, clarifying why the others paused before saying anything.
¡°Zodiac -Gemini Ability activated. Fusing Main Class ¨C Spirit Weaver and Secondary Class ¨C Shadow of the Devourer.¡± ¡°Alert! Title ¨C Champion of Chaos has been detected. Will be mixed into Class fusion!¡± ¡°Alert! Bloodline has been detected! However, due to not being awakened it will not be mixed into the Class Fusion!¡± ¡°Calculating¡­Calculating¡­Class Fusion complete. Class fusion taking form now¡­¡±
Even though the words of the new class didn¡¯t appear he knew what it was. He felt the changes start to happen as he said the words that formed in his mind, ¡°Harbinger of Chaos!¡± After Liam felt the changes finish taking form he blinked. He knew he was told there was a chance he could lose his mind, but he was relieved it didn¡¯t happen. Before anything else could be said or done though a new notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have reached Level 1 of the Performance Gauge. Would you like to receive the Level 1 Gifts of Chaos? Yes No?¡±
Liam shrugged and mentally accepted. However, as soon as he did, his entire world went black. Tutorial 132 – Let Chaos Reign Mercer didn¡¯t know how or what exactly happened, but it happened right after Liam asked them that strange question and when it did, it did quickly. He and the others watched as Liam walked out in front of them. After getting a few feet ahead, he shouted something about accepting some proposal. Shortly after that a cold and dark pressure suddenly washed out from behind him. No. It wasn¡¯t per say behind, but rather from right underneath him. Before he could think more about it they heard Liam shout out, ¡°Gemini Zodiac Ability ¨C Class Fusion¡­¡± Hearing those words made everyone in their group fix their full attention to him. They heard the same words come from Aranis, Inyis, and even Jude. What came after when they said those words were some very crazy changes. Even though they all had different class fusions they knew it wasn¡¯t some simple Zodiac ability like theirs. However, they knew Liam was reserved when it came to anything about his Zodiac. They weren¡¯t entirely sure, but they had believed he couldn¡¯t use its ability due to something blocking him. Did he find a way to clear that up? There were too many secrets being revealed here in this dungeon floor. Not just from him but from the other three leaders. However, now wasn¡¯t the time for them to ponder that. The next few words were what they were waiting to hear. They would reveal what kind of fusion his class or classes would make. ¡°Harbinger of Chaos!¡± Liam finally shouted. Mercer¡¯s, Avery¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s eyes widened at the words while Artem and Ariyana grew confused. They watched as his appearance started to change. A mixture of raven black, ghastly green, red, and grey colors started to outline him. His shadow began to quiver, almost like it was alive as it expanded outwards and covered most of the ground around him. Parts of it also started to run up his legs covering them entirely, almost like they were trying to hold him tightly. Shortly after that, a pitch black shadowy tail had formed as two shadowy cat ears sprouted on his head. They had seen him when he had that weird cloak earlier and were confused how that happened, however, seeing this made them believe this was his true appearance. The ears and tail from before looked like some clothing aesthetics while these parts looked like they really belonged to him and not some gimmick. From the angle Mercer was looking, he noticed something else. The inside of his goggles were glowing with a mixture of vibrant colors he wasn¡¯t fully able to make out. What the hell is going on Liam? Mercer thought to himself as he watched his friend transform. He then noticed Liam had titled his head, almost like he was surprised about something. He then shrugged and looked like he accepted something only he could see. That was when the air around them suddenly and unexpectedly changed. Although none of them could see what was going on, they felt the air grew¡­chaotic in a way. Almost like there were invisible things trying to forcibly change everything around it with no true direction. Liam¡¯s body suddenly slacked while his head drooped, but he never fell. Mercer and Avery threw a hand out and were about to ask if he was alright, but before they could say anything, Liam¡¯s body started to shake. He then threw his head back with his right hand on his forehead as he let out a terrifyingly maniacal laughter. Each of their team members stared at him, unsure what was happening. They just watched as he just stood there and laughed. An uneasy feeling grew within all of them. They weren¡¯t afraid for themselves, but rather for their friend who looked like he had lost his mind. Before they could do or say anything, Liam stopped laughing and looked forward. He still held a wild smile. Not the kind that looked like it was happy to see a friend. Rather, it looked like one who was entirely insane. Without warning, Liam suddenly leaned forward. Mercer and Artem thought he was about to fall on his face as his upper body continued to fall. Once when it got to a certain angle, he shot forward. He ran with such speed that everyone couldn¡¯t help but stare with disbelief. They had never seen anyone move that fast before. ¡°Is he¡­,¡± Ariyana suddenly started to say. Everyone was brought out of their stupor as they turned to look at her. She had a frightened and concerned look on her face as she finished, ¡°Is he going to be alright?¡± Everyone stared at her, unsure what to say. They didn¡¯t know the answer to that question because they too were wondering that. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± Mercer suddenly stated. ¡°But I think he did something he believed would protect us without consulting with us first again.¡± Avery let out a sigh. ¡°Something stupid again.¡± Blair and Roman slowly nodded in agreement as they all turned to watch what was about to unfold. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A loud thud echoed in the room as the giant swung his hammer down on Jude, spraying dust everywhere. Before the dust could settle and the creature could lift his hammer back up, Jude jumped on top of it and leaped towards the giant¡¯s face with both of his tomahawk-like axes, that were covered in flames, over his head. Jude¡¯s body had undergone some changes as well after using his Class Fusion Gemini ability. His body glowed with a mixture of dark blue and fiery orange. He grew a few more inches while his muscles toned out. However, the major changes he didn¡¯t expect to receive were the dark blue and black wings that sprouted on his back revealing the racial features that were suppressed. He wasn¡¯t sure why his Angelic race was hidden like his other race, but he knew if he walked around with these wings it would give him the type of attention he didn¡¯t want. If the wings weren¡¯t enough his eyes could have created a stir as well. A symbol of dark blue scales replaced his normal looking irises and pupils, but didn¡¯t hinder his sight. Not only did Jude¡¯s eyes change but Inyis¡¯ and Aranis¡¯ did as well. Replacing both of Inyis¡¯ normal emerald green eyes were emerald green trees. Aranis¡¯ irises had changed into a sickly green and poisonous purple hazard-like symbol. The giant went to move his hammer so it could defend from the attack, but before it could move, thick vines wrapped around his arms and prevented him from moving them. Instead, the giant snarled, brought his head back and threw it forward right into Jude before he could slash his face. Jude took the hit head on and was flown backwards, slamming into the ground. Jude let out a cough after hitting the ground but wasted no time getting back to his feet. As soon as he did, the giant flexed his arm muscles and yanked them up, ripping the vines off. He swiftly turned around and swung his massive hammer at Inyis, but instead collided with a tall sturdy oak-like tree. The brief pause the tree provided while taking all the damage of the hammer was enough for Inyis to get out of range from the strike. However, the force of the swing was strong enough to send a powerful gust of wind in her direction. Inyis planted the vines that covered her legs into the ground to root herself down and not send her flying away. The grass and plants that surrounded her, however, were ripped from the ground and flew behind her. Not long after the wind had died down, the grass and plants regrew, surrounding her in a meadow like scenery. She scowled at the giant man through her strange looking eyes. At the same time this happened, Aranis rushed in and swiftly slashed his katana several times across the back of the giant¡¯s left calf. Each strike created a small wound. Steam started to hiss as black liquid escaped and rolled down his leg. Aranis reached a hand out and was about to move the corruption he injected into the giant¡¯s leg further into what he felt was the creature¡¯s blood stream, but had to jump back as a massive hand swung back to try and grab him. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Aranis scowled as he watched the open wounds close back up. His connection to the poison was snuffed out, letting Aranis know the amount he injected wasn¡¯t enough to keep it flowing. Aranis turned his head to see Jude, who had jumped back into the air towards the giant, bring his left hand back and threw his tomahawk-like axe while getting ready to strike with his other. The giant shadow man ignored the thrown weapon and allowed it to sink into its cheek while he was swung his hammer horizontally. Right before the hammer rammed into Jude, he flapped his wings to pivot himself into a barrel roll, barely dodging the attack. The gust of wind that came with the swing caught in his wings, causing him to fly backwards with the draft. As soon as his feet touched the ground he slide backwards until he stopped. Jude pulled his tomahawk axe out from the giant¡¯s cheek and back to his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you keep leaping when you have wings. Why don¡¯t you just fly?¡± Aranis commented. Jude grew a scowl on his face as he growled, ¡°If I could I would. If you didn¡¯t realize by now these wings are new to me and I don¡¯t have a proper handle on them yet.¡± ¡°My bad, that was a dumb thing to say,¡± Aranis replied as he kept his eyes on the giant. ¡°I¡¯m just irritated. We have this boost in power and its still not enough. We¡¯re barely keeping it in place. If only we had one more.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he just hasn¡¯t accepted yet,¡± Jude stated. Aranis raised a brow as he looked at Jude. ¡°Do you think Liam is like us? If he is I would have thought he would have accepted by now.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the overly cautious type from what I¡¯ve seen. He¡¯s probably overthinking it, but he¡¯ll accept. What he¡¯ll bring to the table, I don¡¯t have a clue, but I think it¡¯ll stem the tide in our favor,¡± Jude said with certainty. ¡°I hope so, because if he doesn¡¯t accept any time soon I think we¡¯ll get overwhelm¡­,¡± Aranis began to say until they felt a new pressure fill the room. Jude smiled wickedly as they all heard Liam shout, ¡°Gemini Ability ¨C Class Fusion¡­¡± ¡°See what did I tell you,¡± Jude said. The next words they heard suddenly made a shiver run down their spine as Liam finished, ¡°Harbinger of Chaos.¡± Jude couldn¡¯t find the words to explain what he felt next. It was like he felt a pull but at the same time he felt a push towards the direction Liam was at. Almost like the power that was coursing through him wanted to take on this new power that was emanating and submit it. Jude felt his front leg lose control for a moment before he recomposed himself. He grew acquainted with his new Class a bit during the short time he was fighting. At first he almost lost control over himself as his new title of being the Champion of Order mixed with his Main Class, Second Class, Bloodline, and races. Thanks to being an Arbiter of Order though, he was able to balance everything out and regain his mind. He had to use the same power to place order and balance on Aranis and Inyis who lost themselves to the power that coursed through them. However, now he felt an instability dance in the air threatening to undo the balance he was able to create. Liam¡­what the hell kind of power are you bringing to the table? Jude thought. He couldn¡¯t think more on it as he noticed the giant turn and face Inyis again. It took a step forward, brought his massive hammer overhead, and prepared to swing. Inyis saw this and raised her hands into the air, roots and vines began to shoot out of the ground to create a barrier. As this plant designed barrier started to form, she felt a cold chill run down her spine as a low crazed laugh echoed behind her. She swiftly turned her head to see Liam smiling wildly. She was about to ask him what he was doing, but then he suddenly said in a strange voice, ¡°Unstabled Balance.¡± As the words were spoken, Inyis suddenly felt the power that Jude had balanced out overwhelm her and grasp, not only her body, but her mind as well. The vine and root like shield suddenly rippled. The roots and vines quickly thickened and shot out towards the giant. They wrapped around his entire body and arms, preventing him from swinging his weapon. Liam then disappeared and reappeared on one of the vines before sprinting upwards towards the shadowy giant. He pulled out two vials in each hand and slide to a halt as he got within the range he was aiming for. Without any hesitation he threw one down at the giant¡¯s stomach and the other right at his forehead. Liam let out a maniacal laugh as he watched the vials soar. As soon as they shattered he jumped backwards off the vine. His tail gripped onto a stray vine and used it to spin around to land on it. Liam then saw the show start to happen as black orbs formed right where the vials shattered and started pulling anything it could towards it. The giant was stuck in place as his body felt the effects of the gravitational pull from the orbs, while being wrapped with roots and vines. Shortly after that, the orb around the giant¡¯s forehead dropped down and hit a vine right by his beard where his chin was and ring of flames exploded outwards engulfing not just his entire face, but the vines wrapped around him as well. At the same time the other orb flashed and sent a shockwave of lightning arcing all over his body, tensing his muscles, arms, and legs. Liam didn¡¯t wait for the lightning and flames to disperse before he jumped right back at the monster. As he jumped into the air he threw his arms out. The bandage wrappings he had for gloves shot out towards the horns on the giant¡¯s helmet wrapping around them and pulled his body to the top of his head. The giant tried to wave his arms around to put the flames that covered his beard out, but failed as the muscles in his arms tightened. Once when Liam placed his feet down and secured his footing, he released his wrappings allowing them to return to his gloves. He then conjured a Shadow and Lunar Hand. He gave then both a gravity enhanced dagger as he pulled out both his Shadow and Lunar Blade daggers. Then with a blink he reappeared in front of the giants face and slashed at his right cheek. Then disappeared and reappeared at the top of the man¡¯s back and slashed again. He did this a few more times, slashing and hacking anywhere there was bare skin. Jude and Aranis stared at the scene going on before them. Both were confused and surprised at what Liam was doing. Jude was snapped out of his stupor as he noticed long bladed grass start to overflow from Inyis¡¯ side. As he looked over, he felt Inyis¡¯ power increasingly grow stronger by the second. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Jude shouted before running over to her. As soon as he got over there he felt the balance he had placed over her was out of control. What the hell did this? Jude thought before placing a hand on Inyis¡¯ forehead and yelled, ¡°Balance Alignment!¡± Inyis felt her consciousness come back to her as she looked around confused. She spotted Jude and said while gasping for air, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Jude asked as he stared at her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. One minute I¡¯m trying to protect myself the next I heard¡­,¡± Inyis started to say until something clicked. ¡°You heard what?¡± Jude questioned. ¡°Liam. He was laughing like a madman and he said something. The next thing that I remember is being swallowed up,¡± Inyis said before turning towards the scene going on in front of her. Liam was popping in and out all around the giant. Each place he appeared he slashed or pierced his daggers into the shadowy flesh of the giant. Both she and Jude watched as black liquid oozed out of the many open wounds he had created. ¡°I think he¡¯s¡­,¡± Inyis started to say as she heard the wicked laughter echo around the room as Liam continued his game of peek a boo. Jude¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched, but before he could say anything the giant broke free from his paralyzed state and went to clap his hands over Liam. However, Liam just blinked out of the way and reappeared next to Aranis. Aranis turned to look at him and was about to say something, but before he could utter a word, Liam said with a battle high grin, ¡°Unstabled Balance.¡± Aranis felt his blood pump violently throughout his body as the power he was keeping under control washed through his veins and took control of him. He then let out a loud blood curdling roar before raising a hand out towards the giant and flexed his hand and looked to be gripping the air hard as he could without fully closing his hand. The giant went to grab the hammer he dropped to his side, but as soon as he gripped the handle, the black liquid that was oozing out from the open wounds Liam had made started to flow outwards into the air and hovered about the weapon. Once when a massive pool of it had formed, Aranis dropped it like a waterfall right onto the head of the hammer. The liquid completely engulfed the head of the weapon and started sizzling and smoking. The giant raised the hammer and watched as it started melting away into a gloop of shadowy metal and acid. Jude didn¡¯t wait this time to see Aranis was drowned in his own power. As Aranis was melting the weapon, Jude was rapidly approaching him. Before Aranis could do anything that would harm those around him, Jude placed a hand on his shoulder and yelled, ¡°Balance Alignment!¡± As Aranis felt his blood start to simmer down within him, Jude whirled on Liam who was staring at him with an unhinged grin. ¡°Liam! What the hell is going on with you!¡± Jude roared. The only response Liam gave him was a mad laugh. ¡°You¡¯re out of control. I¡¯m going to balance you out now!¡± Jude screamed with annoyance and anger laced in his voice. He went to reach for him, but Liam moved his head out of the way. Jude¡¯s fingers did catch his goggles and as he pulled on them and Liam fought to get out of the way, the strap on the goggles broke, revealing the symbols that were vibrating completely out of control where his irises and pupils would be. Replacing them in each eye ball was a circle with several arrows circling around. A mixture of ghastly green, raven black, different shades of red and grey pulsed vibrantly. ¡°What the hell?¡± Jude whispered, understanding now what was going on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam! Liam! Liam! Eri shouted mentally as she stared at the bowl of water that showed her what was going on in the sixth floor where her newly placed champion was at. Fear and worry was growing inside her and gripping her heart as she watched the stunts he pulled against the giant. Please no! Don¡¯t lose to it! You have to overcome it! Eri pleaded as her emotions began to grow unstable. You have to. You just have t¡­ She stopped herself as she watched Jude take off the goggles that covered Liam¡¯s eyes. Her heart sank as she watched the colors vibrating in his eyes pulse and swirl. She knew what that meant. The way they pulsed and vibrated were signs of falling deeper into the madness happening in his mind. Once when someone got that far deep there was no way someone like the Champion of Order would be able to balance him out. There was only one thing that had a chance, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it would be enough. After all, he hadn¡¯t been around anyone that was currently in the room for too long. However, if it was them. Eri turned her gaze in the room towards the six that stared at Liam with looks of concern, worry, and fear. I can¡¯t hesitate. If there¡¯s a chance then I will take it. Eri mentally said before she willed her thoughts out. Tutorial 133 – How much of a chance is there? ¡°We have to stop him,¡± Roman said with concern in his voice as he watched Liam jump right for the giant¡¯s head. ¡°He¡¯s lost his mind.¡± ¡°What is he thinking jumping in right after those vials went off?¡± Artem questioned with worry as Liam landed on the giant¡¯s head. ¡°I¡­What¡­what are we going to do? He¡¯s pushing himself even more than he¡¯s ever had on the other floors,¡± Ariyana asked as she turned her head to the others. Tears threatened to start forming as her eyes started to water. Blair and Avery looked at Mercer. A stern yet neutral expression rested on their faces. Mercer felt their stares on him, but he didn¡¯t turn to look at them. Instead, he continued to watch Liam. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s what he meant?¡± Blair asked, finally getting the Tiefling to look at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°When he said if he survives,¡± Blair clarified. So, someone else did catch that. Mercer thought as he looked at Avery and saw she had the same question on her mind that Blair voiced. She did too. Ariyana, Artem, and Roman gave her a confused look after she asked her question. Mercer, still not entirely sure what was going on with Liam, let out a sigh. ¡°I do think that was what he meant.¡± ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s going on?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°Before he left he said he couldn¡¯t tell us what it was, but if he survived he would,¡± Avery explained as she watch the three look at her with the realization that he did say that. ¡°Then¡­,¡± Ariyana tried to say, but felt her words catch in her throat. ¡°I think he took a gamble on something he wasn¡¯t entirely sure would happen,¡± Mercer helped her by saying what she couldn¡¯t. ¡°And I think he drew the short stick on that gamble.¡± He turned towards the direction of where Liam was. He blinked in and out attacking anywhere and everywhere he could while a crazed laughter echoed in the room. He then disappeared right before the giant could clamp his enormous hands over him and reappeared right next to Aranis. Anger and frustration built up within him as he watched his friend lose himself. The same feelings weren¡¯t created just from that, but also from the fact that once again he couldn¡¯t do anything to help. That giant being was just too powerful for any of them to handle. He was angry and frustrated with himself. He knew he couldn¡¯t do anything to help but knowing that didn¡¯t help quell these feelings and it frustrated him entirely. A sense of helplessness touched him deeply, especially after all the work he put in to try and catch up to his friend; so he didn¡¯t have to overthink things and take on a sense of burden to make sure they were safe. ¡°And because of that I think he¡¯s losing his mind to whatever power he received is consuming him,¡± Mercer added trying to reign in his warring emotions. ¡°Then we need to stop him before he gets completely taken over,¡± Roman stated. ¡°And how do you propose we do that?¡± Mercer snapped back. His anger slipped out as he said that and added, ¡°Don¡¯t you think I have tried to think of something?¡± ¡°Just because you haven¡¯t come up with anything doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t a way,¡± Roman snapped back. His anger now showing on his face as well. Mercer was taken back from Roman snapping at him. He then took everyone else in. Really took them in and noticed each of them were trying to control their raging emotions as they tried, and failed, to hide the scowls on their faces. Mercer could see it now. They, too, felt exactly like he did. They wanted to help their leader, but they had no clue how to. They wanted to fight by his side just like they had during the other floors, but the stage wasn¡¯t set for them. It was those four who were the characters on this stage set up by some unknown force. Mercer then turned to look at Aranis, Jude, and Liam. Jude had just ripped the goggles off of Liam¡¯s face revealing his eyes. Mercer let out a gasp as he saw the madness radiating from them. It hurt him to see his leader, his teammate, his¡­friend falling deep in whatever madness that was coursing through him. ¡°There just has to be a way to help him,¡± Mercer quietly whispered. There just might be. A voice suddenly said in his mind. Mercer¡¯s eyes widened as he whirled around. He tried to see if he could find the source of the voice and couldn¡¯t, but he did notice that the others were looking around as well. I¡¯m not in the room. I¡¯m talking to you in each of your minds. The woman stated. Alarms bells grew in Mercer¡¯s mind as he heard her say this, but there was something else he noticed when she talked. It was a sense of worry and urgency. This made Mercer confused. ¡°Who are you and why are you talking in my mind?¡± Roman said out loud, confirming Mercer¡¯s guess that the woman was speaking to them as well. We don¡¯t have much time to get into everything. I¡¯ll give you the cliff notes. The woman started again speeding up. My name is Eri. I am the Goddess Liam has mentioned to you all before. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Ariyana gasped as she brought her hands to her mouth. ¡°Then you know what¡¯s going on with Liam?¡± Blair and Avery asked in unison with narrowed eyes. Yes. Eri started. I wont go into full details right now. He accepted being my Champion in order to up your guys¡¯ survival. He received the power to unseal his other half and used it to use his Zodiac Ability. However, it¡¯s too much for him. His mind is slowly getting swallowed by the mixture of my nature and his¡­race¡¯s nature. ¡°So, this is your fault? Can¡¯t you retract what you gave him and save him?¡± Avery questioned; her hands clenched by her side. I can not. Eri replied. Once when you accept a blessing from a Deity it can not be taken back. There are only¡­ ¡°A blessing?¡± Ariyana suddenly shouted, tears threatening even more to escape her eyes. She threw a hand towards Liam¡¯s direction and chastised, ¡°How is that a blessing?! That looks more like a curse to me!¡± Eri hesitated for a brief moment. She then stated, You can say that. Any blessing anyone gets from a deity can be a curse. However, he is like that because he is shouldering it all by himself and due to the nature of my blessing. He is currently the only one I have blessed. ¡°You¡¯re not helping your case here,¡± Blair stated with a scowl. ¡°If he is like this because of you then you have a resp¡­¡± Mercer cut her off as he put a hand out. Everyone turned to look at him. They noticed the glare that was resting on his face and were taken aback. It was one thing for Avery and Blair to show open hostility, but for Mercer to look like he was trying so hard to restrain the hatred bubbling inside of him was another. They had never seen him look so mad before. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You said there is a way to help him?¡± Mercer asked, trying to keep a calm and collected mindset. I am not going to mince words with any of you. Eri responded. After Liam and I met on the fourth floor I have been watching him and all of you. Only when you were in the dungeon floors. I have seen how he has tried to protect and make sure you all survive. I have seen his conviction and resolve to do so. What he chose to gamble on a few minutes ago can attest to it. The six members were about to say something, but were cut off as Eri continued, However, I have seen the same in all of you towards him. Blair, you are right that I have a responsibility for what I have allowed to be unleashed and I plan to do so. But I need your help. Avery¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, Mercer¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s eyes narrowed. Artem and Ariyana looked confused. The two ways to save him are if he accepted a blessing from a different deity. That would cancel out everything. Eri continued. However, due to the state of his mind I don¡¯t think he would accept it. Not only that they would have to offer him the same level of blessing I gave him, so it would be impossible. So, the only other option we have is other one¡­No one will be able to truly catch his attention due to the nature running rampant. No one except for those with a blessing from the same deity. We don¡¯t have enough time for me to fully explain how it works, but if you accept a blessing I give you, there is a chance you can get through to him long enough for him to regain some form of consciousness and deactivate his Zodiac ability. If he can manage that then he will return to normal. ¡°Accept a blessing you give us?¡± Ariyana question with a scoff. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we lose our minds too like Liam?¡± No. Eri said. The blessing I give you wont be at the same level of his. A Deity can only have one Champion and that level of blessing is the highest anyone can get. Instead, you will get a different one. One that should be enough for him to hesitate and listen to your words. The six looked at each other. Mercer noticed the unasked question lingering in their minds and decided to voice it, ¡°What if it isn¡¯t enough?¡± Silence. The silence hung for a few seconds that Mercer thought maybe she didn¡¯t hear him and was about to ask again, but stopped. If you can not reach him and get him to deactivate his Zodiac Ability then¡­you and everyone will have to kill him before he leaves this room. Eri finally replied. The six felt their body stiffen. Ariyana and Artem let out a gasp as Avery, Blair, and Roman felt their balled up fists dig into their palms. ¡°How much of a chance is there?¡± Artem asked. This brought everyone¡¯s attention to him. He looked at them and gave them a hardened face. The resolve in his eyes spoke volumes as he continued, ¡°If there is a chance it can work I will accept wholeheartedly. I may be a coward and not like to face scary things like this, but¡­How can I stay here in fear when he took the chance to try and save us. It might not have gone the way he wanted, but he did what he thought was right. I am going to do the same. For him. SO, I¡¯ll ask again¡­How much of a chance is there?¡± There is at least a five percent chance. Eri stated. Due to how he feels towards you guys I think it might be higher, but I don¡¯t want to make guesses based on hope. However, I must warn you. If you do accept my blessing you will be tied to me just like him. So keep that in¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t care. I accept,¡± Artem repeated with no hesitation, trying not to waver. His resolve hit Mercer. He knew Artem was right. Liam always took a risk when it came to their safety. What kind of a teammate would he be if he didn¡¯t take a chance in saving his leader, his¡­friend. ¡°Fuck it. I accept too!¡± Roman said. ¡°Same here,¡± Blair joined in. Avery looked to have some hesitation, but that was for a brief moment before she announced her choice as well. Mercer let out a breath of air, still feeling a bit mad, but not as mad as he was before. A chance had presented itself and he wasn¡¯t going to let his old habit of not taking chances on low probabilities stop him. ¡°I accept too,¡± Mercer finally stated. Everyone turned to look at Ariyana. She seemed hesitant as she looked from Liam to them. They could see some conflict warring inside her head. Mercer was about to tell her it was okay if she didn¡¯t accept, but Ariyana beat him to the punch. ¡°We wont lose our minds if we accept, right?¡± Ariyana asked. No, not at that level. You will still be conscious and be able to make decisions for yourself with this level of blessing. Eri answered. ¡°Then I have one last question for you,¡± Ariyana started, looking unsure of herself again. What is it? Eri asked. ¡°You wont get mad if I punch him after we save him right?¡± Ariyana meekly asked. The question caught everyone off guard after she asked it. So much so, not only did they start laughing, but Eri did as well. I wont get mad. Eri answered. In fact, could you please punch him once for me too? Ariyana let out a chuckle as she nodded her head. Alright then I take it you all accept my blessing? Eri asked. Mercer and the others glanced at each other once more before they said, ¡°Yes, I accept.¡± Eri smiled, happy to know her champion had people willing to take a bet that could possibly not go the way they wanted to. I want to inform you that you might not be able to truly fight on equal terms with those four after receiving this blessing, but you will be able to aide them with it. Eri said. However, you have one shot at helping Liam return to his senses. When the right moment comes I¡¯ll signal when to¡­ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jude stared at Liam who was just laughing at him. Before he could do or say anything however, three Shadow Hands and three Lunar Hands appeared around Liam. He took out several daggers and threw them up for the free hands to grab and then suddenly disappeared from his sight. Jude looked around and saw Liam had reappeared right in front of the giant¡¯s face and slashed with each hand. Liam then puffed out of sight to reappear behind the back of the creature to strike again. The giant turned around to slap a massive hand at him, but missed as Liam puffed out of harms way. Jude watched him as he not only continually did this, but also successfully grabbed the giant¡¯s attention. He was like an annoying fly that he couldn¡¯t catch. That wasn¡¯t the only thing that Jude saw though. This next bit had him a bit worried. He noticed it when the Shadow Hands had appeared and confirmed it as he puffed in and out. The raven black shadow like substance that covered his legs to his knees were starting to grow and cover more of his body. The same was true where his shadowy cat ears were. They were slowly covering the top of his head. If he continues to use that power he will be engulfed in the shadows. Jude thought. But at the same time, it because of him doing that he is able to grab the giant¡¯s attention allowing us to do what we can. Maybe with this we can send¡­ Before he could finish his thoughts he heard several shouts of rallying cries coming from each corner of the room. Aranis, Inyis, and Jude looked around to see their teammates rushing towards them. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Jude started. ¡°You need to get out of here before you get hurt!¡± Aranis ordered. ¡°No,¡± Bernard replied. ¡°We are here to back you up however we can.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aranis questioned as he took a few steps back from them. If you get any closer I might¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about us getting hurt. Especially by your new powers,¡± Anna interrupted. Jude looked at his teammates. They all stared at him with resolve as Mica stated, ¡°We can help you keep the balance where it is needed.¡± ¡°But how? There¡¯s no way you can¡­,¡± Jude was starting to argue, dead set on wanting to make them leave the room before one of them died. ¡°We received a blessing from the Goddess that made you her champion,¡± Lapis said to Inyis as each of her teammates nodded. ¡°She did what?!¡± Inyis shouted. ¡°That troublesome bitch,¡± Jude muttered to himself. He then focused his thoughts on the one person he was both angry with and relieved with, You just like to make things more difficult don¡¯t you, Themi. Please don¡¯t confuse me for my sister young Jude. The Goddess stated back to him, with a somewhat warm tone in her voice. I am just balancing things out since you have your hands full with just that one Chaotic child running amok. Jude grew a slight scowl as he growled in a low volume, ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡± He then turned back to the look at the giant before letting out a long groan as he watched three figures suddenly run straight for the giant. Artem, with as much speed as he could push, placed his shield right in front of him with hard wooden spikes protruding from it. Blair, her dragon-folk physique on full display with her scales covering parts of her body and her small wings flapping, flew right above Artem with her axe trailing right behind her. The last was Roman who ran besides Artem with lightning covering his hands. Behind them, Ariyana was channeling a massive amount of mana while Mercer, revealing all of his Tiefling physical traits, played his violin loudly and proudly. Avery too looked to be doing something, what it was she was doing he wasn¡¯t sure, but he noticed Aranis staring at her with wide eyes. It looked like he knew what she was doing and it was enough to make him surprised. As Jude stared at them he noticed the look on their faces. Their eyes were hardened, ready to take on the world no matter how powerful the opponent they were facing was. At the same time, he felt a shiver run down his spine as he also noticed the slight smirk on their faces. The smirk they had reminded him of the crazed smirk that was currently on Liam¡¯s face. They, just like the other members of each team, were not done with this fight. They were willing to fight and help take down the creature just like the four of them were. He couldn¡¯t turn that down, no matter what. Jude resigned the argument he was ready to make, but instead shouted, ¡°Alright, my team you¡¯re on damage control. Do not let anyone lose control over themselves. If you see any signs of that try to balance it out.¡± ¡°What if crazy man causes it?¡± Henry questioned as he stared at Liam. Jude looked to Liam then back at Henry and replied, ¡°Then call for me. I¡¯ll handle whatever kind of chaos mess he makes.¡± Tutorial 134 – Screams, cries, and whispers The giant shadowy male turned his body to try and catch Liam once more. Right as he went to pick his leg up to turn, Artem, Blair, and Roman landed their strike. They struck as hard as they could at the same time right above his ankle. The force and momentum from Blair¡¯s axe, hardened with the rock-like scales, and Artem¡¯s shield was enough to make his leg push back a little farther than he had wanted. Roman¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t as forceful as the other two but it did have a different effect as the static he had sparking on his hands ran up his leg and tightened his muscles. The giant felt the Charlie horse feeling tense and grip the muscles on his leg. Due to his foot going back farther and the muscles tightening, he was unable to control it and dropped to a knee. The trio who had struck swiftly moved and got out of the way before he turn his ire towards them. However, as he turned his eyes on them, Liam had reappeared in front of his sight and slashed several times, bringing his attention back to him. He puffed out in a cloud of black smoke once more before getting caught in the grip of the giant¡¯s massive right hand and reappeared right on the back of his neck. Since he had some footing, Liam started hacking and slashing his ten daggers all across the nap of the giant¡¯s neck. Before the giant could try and reach for him, several brightly colored orbs formed all around him from the ground in front. These orbs formed in front of a mixture of Inyis¡¯, and Aranis¡¯ groups. They readied their spells and after chanting, they released a slew of fire balls, Jet streams of water, and rock spikes right at him. The giant brought both of his arms up to block his face from getting struck. Grunts and weird noises that made him sound like he was under water escaped his lips as he felt each attack hit him from the front and the pain coming from the swift and piercing pain from Liam¡¯s daggers. As the onslaught was going on, black liquid that had oozed out from every open wound Liam had created started to float away from the giant¡¯s body to the right side of him, out of his sight. Once when the elemental attacks had ceased, the giant let out a gurgled roar and went to swing with his right hand, his fist entering the pool of acidic blood Avery had accumulated. The giant flinched as it felt his hand enter the small pool of blood. It wasn¡¯t enough to cover his hand entirely, but it was enough to damage the back of his hand to the knuckles. Steam rolled off the singed area as it sizzled. The giant glared in Avery¡¯s direction before gripping what was left of his weapon, the handle. He brought his arm back and was getting ready to throw it until Aranis shouted, ¡°Like hell I¡¯d let you do that.¡± He positioned himself into a stance as he reached both arms out and looked like he was moving his hands in a way like he was forming something in the air. All the blood Avery couldn¡¯t grasp and group up, Aranis was able to gather it instantly. He then shaped it into a long line, almost like a katana, right above the giant¡¯s right shoulder. Before he dropped it, he activate his most powerful spell he had recently received and chanted the words, ¡°Corrupted Dismemberment!¡± The acidic blood-looking katana then swung down in a clean motion right through the giant¡¯s shoulder, slicing the right arm off with no effort. The giant let out a gurgled howl as he gripped the area that was cut off with his free hand. Liam, who was still on the giant¡¯s back, stopped what he was doing and jumped down towards the fallen limb. The top of the arm that was sliced let out a hiss as the acidic blood that had sliced into it started to seep across the flesh. The back of the hand where Avery had struck was doing the same, except at a much slower pace. However, that hand was still gripping the melted handle. Liam appeared by the end of the handle were the head had melted away. Any signs of the acidic blood that fully melted down the weapon earlier was gone. He then put all of his daggers away and went to grab the handle. It was futile at first, but then Liam summoned three more hands of Shadow and Lunar. It was barely enough for him to move the handle and the arm around, but he didn¡¯t need to move it for long. He positioned each hand along the handle and gripped it as hard as he could from his end. He then turned his body to the left with as much strength as he could muster. At first it didn¡¯t budge, but after a second had passed the entire arm and handle that wasn¡¯t completely melted away started to slide. Everyone who could see Liam stared at him with disbelief. They just couldn¡¯t understand what he was thinking of doing and watched as he started to pick up speed as he spun around while trying to hold on to the handle. After picking up enough speed, Liam then heaved the impromptu weapon up at an angle so when he released it, the entire thing flew right at the giant¡¯s forehead, knocking up to his feet and taking a few steps back. Not missing a beat, Ariyana suddenly shouted, ¡°Botanic Field!¡± Botanic Field was a Virgo Zodiac Ability that spread seeds through out a certain area. After the seeds plant into the ground they grow into powerful living attack plants and attack any and all enemies around them. The amount of plants that sprout and grow as well how powerful they are depends on the user¡¯s MP plus Plant Focus Point Level. Outside assistance can be added. Ariyana sent twenty glowing seed-like orbs out towards the front of the Giant. As soon as they touched the ground, they melted through the stone. Shortly after that cracks started to form right where the seeds landed and stems, vines, and trunks started to grow. Several flowers grew to four feet tall and bloomed showing off the colorful pedals. Some bloomed with rows of purplish blue pedals with a yellow center while the rest bloomed six long white pedals with an aqua blue hue in the middle with five long aqua blue stems with a black bulb at the tips. Several vines grew out and extended twenty feet with spikes throughout the vines. The trunks grew up and up right before they touched the roof. The branches that grew out, grew with forest green leaves and pine cones dangling from the branches. ¡°Allow me to help with these beautiful babies,¡± Inyis called out as she channeled as much mana as she could and sent it towards the plant life that Ariyana summoned. As her mana washed over the area Ariyana sent her ability at, the plant life soaked it in. The vines with thorns started to thicken, grow longer, and wrap around each other. These vines whipped out and crashed into the giant, raking the thorn across his body. The flowers grew taller and wider. They started to glow around the center before shooting out several powerful beams of green energy right into the chest of the tall man. The pine cones on the trees multiplied and grew in size before each branch bent backwards far enough and released at different times, allowing a barrage of giant pine cones to fly off of them and right into the broken and bleeding man. The giant took each strike, beam, and pine cone collision as best as he could. With each hit though, he took a step back, slowly being pushed back towards the massive portal. After the attack for each plant had either stopped coming or was out of reach, the giant let his left hand down and glared at each person who had dared attacked it. He then did something that made everyone grow wide eyed and panic. His open wounds started to close as the bleeding from them stopped. The wound from the dismembered arm started to ripple as a new arm slowly started to grow back. All the work they put into damaging him was becoming moot as he healed himself back up. Some of the members from the groups dropped to their knees as they watched this. Despair started to fill their bodies as they began to believe all the hard work they put into this was for nothing. However, before anyone could fall any further into that pit. One person, who currently didn¡¯t care what was going on, rushed as fast as he could, right for the healing giant. His several floating hands of Shadow and Lunar trailing behind him. Everyone watched him. Confused as to why he didn¡¯t succumb to the despair they were feeling. Confused as to how and why he kept going. Even though some didn¡¯t know the madness that was plaguing his mind, making him unable to feel the way they were, there were a small few who knew. They knew he didn¡¯t care and would continue to fight even if it killed him in the end. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. They watched as he got close enough to the giant and then crouched down as far as he could before launching himself up into the air. His body sail up and came to a slight stop, stopping him within eye height of the giant. The giant snarled at the chaotic man who was not only grinning madly, but also laughing like he heard a very funny joke that only he had heard. The giant was about to slap the crazed man away, but before he could, Liam slammed his hands together. Then suddenly all the Shadow Hands and Lunar Hands, he created throughout the fight, flew right towards one spot. Right in front of the giant¡¯s face. The explosion the two forces created as they collided was so big and powerful it sent Liam flying backwards like a bullet that was fired from a gun. No one was able to see how fast he flew, they only felt the sudden shockwave that was created by the explosion and the loud thud behind them. However, their eyes weren¡¯t on where Liam had landed. Instead, they desperately kept their eyes on the giant, who was falling backwards from taking the powerful explosion and shockwave from point blank range. Their breaths held as they willed the giant to not stop falling backwards. Their bodies stiffened as he put a foot back to try and stop his momentum. However, it wasn¡¯t enough as he flailed both his good arm and his rapidly healing arm in a circle like motion, still stumbling backwards. ¡°Come on,¡± a few said in almost a whisper as they continued to watch hoping their words wouldn¡¯t jinx the outcome. The giant took another step back, but still kept going. ¡°Come on,¡± a few others repeated. Another step, then a small hop. Arms still circling around. ¡°Come on!¡± Aranis, Inyis, and Jude roared. The giant took another step back and looked like he was recomposing himself, until his foot went down, right on top a rounded shattered bone, slipping on it like a banana peel and falling completely backwards right through the portal. ¡°Yes!¡± Everyone in Aranis¡¯, Inyis¡¯, and Jude¡¯s group yelled. They were all starting to celebrate loudly that they didn¡¯t see one person start to sprint for the portal. Aranis¡¯, Inyis¡¯, and Jude¡¯s eyes suddenly saw Liam rushing forward and tried to reach out for him, but missed as he juked and spun out of their reach. The members of each team noticed what was going on and tried to help stop him as well, but he was too fast for them. Liam let out more laughs as he made his way through the obstacle course of people that appeared before him. ¡°Liam stop!¡± Jude roared, trying to send some of his power out to balance the instability coursing through him, but he was just out of reach. His hand dropped as he watched his crazed rival pass the last person standing in his way. Jude stared as Liam was just a few feet away from the portal and looked like he was going to reach it until a loud boom exploded behind. He went to turn his head to see what happened until blurs of some sort of objects suddenly flew over his and the other members¡¯ heads at a fast pace. He watched as the speed of these objects sped pass everyone at a much faster pace than Liam and landed right on top of him when he was inches away from the portal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam stirred as he felt pain wrack his body. Several times he tried to open his eyes ever since he came to this place, but each attempt ended in failure as a pressure forced him to keep his eyes close. Liam didn¡¯t know what happened, where he was, nor how much time had passed. His memories from before arriving here were muddled. Each time he tried to remember, a new voice would make itself known and distract him. He could tell he wasn¡¯t grounded as his body floated. He felt cold as his body was surrounded by some substance. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was under water because he didn¡¯t feel wet. The only thing he knew was it was loud here. The whispers that assaulted him earlier were much louder here. They continued to grow louder as his body started to ache all over, causing him to curl up. The whispers caused his body to grow sore and achy as they spoke to him. The whispers weren¡¯t the only thing that assaulted. Screams of anger sent ripples through his body making it ache and sore with each shout. The angry voices screamed at him for being weak. There were some mocking voices telling him how pathetic he was for not being able to handle the power he was given. Cries echoed within him sending chills as they filled him with sadness. Sadness for killing those he swore to protect. He felt all of these different emotion in full force as they took turns assaulting his mind and body over and over again. It had felt like an eternity ever since he entered this hollowed space. After so much time had passed he started to feel something new. Tiredness. This new feeling started to fill him as a group of whispers tickled the edge of his mind. They whispered words telling him it was okay to sleep. That they would take care of things now and he didn¡¯t have to worry about anything anymore. He was tempted to do just that. His mind and body was slowly succumbing to it after taking so much abuse from the other voices. Maybe it is best that I just disappear. Liam thought to himself as the whispers of sleep started to grip his mind and body. Without me someone else can¡­ Before he could finish that thought process he felt a sudden shake ripple all around him. New words echoed around him shortly after a new feeling washed over him. Albeit, he couldn¡¯t hear the words. They sounded muffled and far away. He tried to ignore them. Feeling like they were just there to try and break him down even more. He didn¡¯t want that. He was tired. So very tired and just wanted to rest. He started to close his mind and allow the sleepiness that was calling for him to take hold. Another ripple waved around him. This time it was powerful enough to shake his mind away from the grip of sleep. The muffled words were louder now. He wasn¡¯t sure what they were saying, but he thought he heard his name being called. Liam went to open his mouth to protest for them to just let him sleep, but no words came out. This shocked him. Shocked him enough to wrench his eyes open. His sight was flooded with a bright light which made him wince, but he refused to close them. Afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to open them back up again. He waited for his sight to adjust. It only took a couple of seconds. Once when it did, his body tensed at the sight he saw. He wasn¡¯t able to see his surroundings, but that wasn¡¯t what his sight was locked on. Instead, it was the shadowy cloaked individual from earlier. It was floating right in front of him, staring at him with a disapproving glare. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but if he was staring at this creature then it probably wasn¡¯t good. Screams, cries, and whispers started to pick up and try to attack his mind again, with the force of a hurricane. Ripples waved over them as the other voices, he wasn¡¯t sure about, tried to drown them out. They were still unclear to him what they were saying. The cloaked figure shook his head as he said in a clear and disapproving tone, ¡°You can¡¯t hear them can you?¡± Liam went to answer, knowing he couldn¡¯t speak, but still tried. He was shocked when he said, ¡°Hear who?¡± He brought a hand to his throat, taken aback that he was able to speak again. ¡°They are calling for you to come back,¡± the voice said not answering him. ¡°Are you going to ignore them? Or will you answer their call?¡± ¡°Who is calling for me?¡± Liam questioned, still unsure of what was going on. ¡°Wha¡­¡± ¡°Are you so far gone that you can¡¯t recognize the voices of your own teammates?¡± the figure asked with a scoff. ¡°My own teammates?¡± Liam asked with a confused look. The voices rippled around him once more, still muffled and unclear. The Cries, screams, and whispers raised in volume, trying to drown out the unwanted voices calling out. ¡°Ah that¡¯s probably why you can¡¯t hear them. Here, let me help you,¡± the cloaked individual stated as he waved a hand out, silencing the hateful screams, the wailing cries, and the enticing whispers. Once when the cacophony of negative words and emotions died down, Liam was able to hear the muffled and unclear words in a clear and loud volume. ¡°Liam!¡± a female and male shouted. ¡°Come back to us!¡± another female cried out. ¡°Wake up man!¡± a male grunted. ¡°You need to deactivate your ability!¡± another male called out with desperation. ¡°Who¡­what¡­what is going on?¡± Liam asked, confusion still in effect as his mind started to whirl. ¡°Ability? Come back? Wake up? What is happen¡­¡± Before he could finish his words a final voice caught his attention. This one was a female. Her voice held some desperation in it, but her words held a threat that jump started his memories. ¡°If you don¡¯t wake your ass up and come back to us, I will, in your own words, egotiscally beat you the fuck up until you do. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Avery?¡± Liam whispered. A flood of memories suddenly exploded within his mind as he said her name. The events of him arriving in this world, the fights he fought on the second to sixth floor. The people he met and befriended as well as the ones who acted like enemies. So much ran through his mind he had to grab the sides of his head, feeling like it was going to explode. Emotions, experiences, everything. It all came to him at once. The cloaked figure smiled as he stared at the man in front of him. He watched as he too felt the pain the man felt as some of it ran through him as well, helping him handle it. After the events of what led to what happened when he lost control of his mind finally finished, Liam brought his head up to look at the shadowy figure. A tear rolled down his cheek as he looked at the individual. The cloaked figure knew what he wanted to say, but cut him off as he said, ¡°They are waiting for you. You better not disappoint and get your ass back out there. Now is not the time to rest. You can do that when your dead¡­or when I...¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam asked as the shadowy figure¡¯s words died out. His vision started to brighten as the dark world all around him started to be replaced with the room where everyone else was at. Screams and cries punched through his ears making him realize he was back in control. He was rooted in place right before the portal. Ariyana was hugging him from his right side, tears rolling down her face. Mercer on his left hugging him tightly as well. Roman and Blair were behind him gripping the top of his shoulders on both sides pulling back as much as they could. Artem was right in front of him with his hands on Liam¡¯s shoulders pushing him back. He was fighting back tears with a face so red he couldn¡¯t tell if he was angry or was using all of his strength. However, his eyes were on the one person who was holding his face to stare directly into hers, Avery. Liam was about to say something, but was stopped as Avery suddenly recognized there was something different with him. ¡°Liam, you need to deactivate your Zodiac ability right now!¡± Avery shouted as her face grew a mix of emotions. Happy, sad, and¡­irritation? ¡°Huh?¡± Liam said, his voice so hoarse he almost coughed. Avery slapped him to get him to pay attention. ¡°Ow,¡± Liam said as he frowned at her. ¡°Don¡¯t talk back just do as I say now! Deactivate it!¡± Avery ordered. ¡°Deactivate¡­Gemini¡­Ability¡­Class Fusion,¡± Liam forced out from his lips. He felt a pressure he didn¡¯t realize was pushing down on him suddenly dissipate. As soon as it disappeared, so did all the strength he had in his muscles. Pain beyond anything he had even felt suddenly crashed through his body before he blacked out. The last two things he saw before all the pain caused him to lose consciousness was the golden hued portal winking out of existence and notification that blinked into view.
¡°Congratulations! You have successfully pushed back the Shadow of¡­.¡±
Tutorial 135 - Dazed and Confused Liam¡¯s body started to stir as he let out a groan. His consciousness started to wake him up as his eyes slowly opened. He blinked a couple of times due to his sight being blurry. His thoughts raced as he tried to figure things out. Whe¡­where am I? Liam thought to himself. A rush of memories from fighting the giant suddenly filled his mind. Panic filled his entire body causing him to wrench his eyelids open wide and shot himself up into a sitting position. The movement sent an echo of pain coursing through his body making him wince and grimace from it. He was about to shout that they needed to get out, but as he opened his mouth he was thrown into a coughing fit. ¡°Liam!¡± someone shouted as a few people rushed to his side. ¡°Calm down Liam!¡± another yelled. He felt a few hands touch his shoulders and arms. The feeling of their touch sent another wave of pain through him, causing him to let out a weird noise of pain and agony mixed with some coughing. ¡°It¡¯s alright Liam,¡± a third voice said as calm and soothing as it could. ¡°You¡¯re safe now. We¡¯re all safe,¡± a fourth voice said. Liam grit his teeth and tried to open his eyes once more. As soon as his sight cleared up he noticed a good portion of the corner of his sight was darkened. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Liam tried to say. His voice was barely able to get the words out as it felt dry and sounded very hoarse. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Artem questioned bringing Liam¡¯s attention to him. Artem was standing over him to his left. Artem¡¯s eyes widened as he looked in Liam¡¯s. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Avery, Ariyana, and Mercer asked as panic started to fill them. Liam couldn¡¯t see where they were due to the darkened areas in his sight, so he turned his head to the right to try and find them. As he did this, a pain ran down his spine and made him wince. ¡°Ow,¡± Liam hoarsely said before he was finally able to find them staring down at him with worry in their gazes. As he turned his head he saw Blair and Roman were right by Artem. Ariyana gasped as she looked into Liam¡¯s eyes. Mercer and Avery¡¯s mouths were wide open, but they didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°What is it?¡± Liam tried to ask. His voice came out quietly and felt like sandpaper was rubbing against his throat. A few coughs escaped his mouth making him feel like he had entered some desert area and hadn¡¯t drunk anything for days. ¡°He needs some water,¡± Mercer said as he looked at someone. Judging from the angle it was probably Artem. ¡°I¡¯ll show you after you drink something,¡± Avery informed, giving him a concerned look. Liam slowly turned his head trying not to cause any more ripples of pain. Even trying to slowly turn his head was painful, but not as painful as it was earlier. As he watched Artem hand him a bottle full of water, Liam looked down and then realized something he should have after his sight came back. He was no longer in the dungeon. He was sitting on a bed in a strange room. The room didn¡¯t have much in it. There were a few chairs around the walls, a couple of small tables with Yooperlite lamps to light the room up. A window was behind Artem, and a door was on the opposite wall. Artem gave him a concerned look as Liam slowly looked around and took the room in. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam looked back at him and said in almost a whisper, ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re in a make shift medical room in the Training Hall back in the Tutorial Town,¡± Mercer informed as Liam turned to look at him. ¡°We¡¯ll answer any other questions you have, but you need to drink first.¡± Liam nodded before trying to reach for the bottle of water. His arm started to shake as he tried reaching for it. The shaking was subtle at first, but the farther he lifted and reached out the more it increase. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to handle drinking on his own for right now,¡± Avery stated with a worried look on her face. ¡°You¡¯ll have to help him Artem.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Artem said as he opened the top of the bottle and slowly tipped the bottle back against Liam¡¯s lips allowing the liquid to slowly enter. Liam took a few sips. Small amounts at first, but then took more as he realized exactly how thirsty he was. Artem brought the bottle away from him, so he didn¡¯t drink too much too fast. Liam swallowed the last bit he was able to get before turning his attention back to Mercer. ¡°Okay,¡± Liam said, noticing his voice sounded much better than earlier. He still let out a couple of coughs, but it wasn¡¯t as bad anymore. ¡°What happened?¡± Before Mercer could say anything a voice replied, ¡°That¡¯s what we would like to know.¡± Everyone in the room turned their heads to look at the door. Walking in were Adva, Phorge, Nabal, and Nalia. Each wore different expressions on their faces. The four new arrivals looked at each of them before setting their gazes on Liam. Looks of confusion ran across Phorge¡¯s, Nabal¡¯s, and Nalia¡¯s faces as Adva let out a gasp and ran to his side. ¡°What is that?¡± Adva questioned as she pushed Artem out of the way, placed a hand on Liam¡¯s cheek and turned his face to look towards hers. ¡°Ow, ow, ow,¡± Liam protested. ¡°Oh sorry,¡± Adva replied as she moved her hand away. ¡°I forgot that you¡¯re still hurt.¡± ¡°What is it that has everyone so worried?¡± Liam questioned as he slowly brought a hand to his chin and softly rubbed it. Nabal and Phorge looked at the other members of Liam¡¯s team. Before any of them could ask anything, Adva questioned, ¡°Has no one told you or shown you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Hold on,¡± Adva said as she looked like she was staring at something far off. After a moment had passed she pulled out a mirror from nowhere and handed it to Liam. Liam slowly reached for it and grabbed it. His hand was still shaking a bit, so he brought it down to his lap. He then titled his head to look into the mirror and was shocked. All around the outside edges of his eyes was a dim pale white fog moving like it was some liquid. ¡°What is that?!¡± Liam asked with some panic in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Adva said with concern in both her expression and tone. ¡°I could have sworn that I cleansed any and all ailments on you.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Nalia questioned. Everyone turned their gazes to her. They had forgotten she was in the room. ¡°What do you mean Nalia?¡± Adva asked. ¡°I mean, are you sure you cleansed and cured any and all issues he had?¡± Nalia repeated as she clarified. ¡°I may not be a healer type class, but you know the healing capabilities I have are close to a healer my level,¡± Adva stated, confused at what she was getting at. ¡°Let me take a look then,¡± Nalia stated as she took a step towards the side Adva was on. Artem, Blair, and Roman took a protective step forward to block her way. ¡°Oh please, I¡¯m not going to hurt him,¡± Nalia scoffed before pushing her way between Artem and Roman. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if I can identify what is wrong with him.¡± After she approached Liam right next to Adva, Nalia leaned forward and stared right into Liam¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hm,¡± Nalia muttered as she studied the pale white fog swimming around the edges of his eyes. As she stared at them she saw them flash for a brief moment. It was dim, but it was enough for her to catch it. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Adva asked. Nalia straightened her body. She wrapped one of her arms across her stomach under her breasts as she brought the other to her cheek and said, ¡°Tell me, boy. Did any of the opponents you fought on that floor have Lunar Magic?¡± Liam and his crew tensed. The question caught them off guard especially Liam. Warning bells ran through his mind as he tried to think of something. The rest of his team weren¡¯t sure what to say or do. They too were thinking frantically about what to say. Before they could be pressed, a weird sound came from the foot of the bed. It was Phorge. He was choked up by what he heard. He let out a cough to correct himself before asking, ¡°Lunar Magic?¡± Even though his speech was corrected his body language still looked surprised. His hands were half way up from his sides and palm up. ¡°What do you mean Lunar Magic?¡± ¡°I mean, he has been afflicted with a Lunar Affliction. It has gone down some, probably since a day has gone by¡­,¡± Nalia started as she stared at him. Liam¡¯s eyes widened at her words. Both shocked and confused, Liam suddenly asked, ¡°A day has gone by? What about everyone else? Did they all make it?¡± Feeling the sudden panic growing within him, Adva said in a calm and soothing voice, ¡°Everyone is fine. No one died. They were badly hurt, but we took care of them.¡± The worries Liam had felt that were blossoming into panic started to calm, but his body tensed again as Nabal asked, ¡°What do you mean that he was afflicted with a Lunar Affliction? Which one?¡± ¡°I think it might be a certain one, but I need to know something else,¡± Nalia stated as she looked from Nabal to Liam. ¡°Tell me. Does your body hurt?¡± Liam slowly nodded, unsure why she would ask. After what he went through, of course his body would hurt. ¡°Where does your body hurt?¡± Nalia asked. ¡°Everywhere,¡± Liam reply slowly as he kept his eyes on her. ¡°Okay. Now tell me,¡± Nalia started back up. ¡°What debuff or debuffs do you see?¡± ¡°What debuf¡­,¡± Liam started to say until he noticed a few icons next to his stats. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. He wasn¡¯t sure how he had missed them. As he looked at each icon he noticed one had an x with the number two next to it. He focused on it and brought it up.
¡°Stellar Affliction From Within ¨C Level 2. Level 2 effects ¨C Mild blindness and Muscle Overuse. Time until debuff reduces to level 1: 12 hours 47 minutes 23 seconds. Time until Stellar Affliction from Within fully disappears ¨C 1 Day 12 hours 47 minutes 23 seconds.¡±
How? How did I get this debuff? When? Was it because I used Flash Step too much? Liam thought to himself as he stared at the notification with wide eyes. ¡°You have one don¡¯t you?¡± Nalia questioned as she stared him down. ¡°I have a Debuff called Stellar Affliction From Within,¡± Liam answered cautiously. He then added, ¡°It says it has a timer of twelve hours, forty seven minutes and twenty three¡­no five seconds till it reduces to level one.¡± Nalia¡¯s eyes rose. ¡°It¡¯s at level two of that Debuff?¡± She then brought her hand to her lips as she started mumbling something to herself. ¡°Level two? What does that mean? I haven¡¯t heard of any affliction type debuffs having levels,¡± Phorge questioned. ¡°Hell, I haven¡¯t even heard of that kind of affliction before.¡± Nalia turned her focus on Phorge. ¡°Stellar Affliction From Within is a very nasty Affliction type Debuff caused by Lunar Magic. It¡¯s rare and I mean super rare for anyone to have it. Not many monsters can use it as well. I don¡¯t know a lot about Lunar Magic, but I have heard about that debuff and how nasty it can be. At level one you get acute blindness, not enough to really hamper your sight, but it can be annoying.¡± ¡°After level one it gets complicated. From what I was told by someone who was trying to research it, the effects get deadlier. Your body starts to feel like the muscles are being torn and overused and the blindness grows. Level three the blindness covers almost half of your sight and you start to take some damage from internal injuries. Don¡¯t ask me what because I don¡¯t really know. However, at level four not only do you go blind, but the injuries inside you gets worse. At level five, well¡­I don¡¯t know what happens except you wish that your dead.¡± Nalia turned her attention back on Liam. She had both a curious look and one that said she wanted to experiment on him. It gave him goosebumps. ¡°It seems, judging from the amount of time you have been in here recuperating, you had reached level three of the affliction. I am surprised you were able to handle it,¡± Nalia stated. ¡°What?!¡± Adva shouted before turning to look at the boy. ¡°If that is the case then that would explain why his body was the way it was and why it was so hard to stop the bleeding. But it all should have gone away after I healed him. Why didn¡¯t it?¡± Nalia shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. I know Lunar Magic acts differently after it hits level two. So, when it gets to level one you should be able to fully wash him clean of the taint.¡± Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him with a quizzical gaze, ¡°What kind of monster did you fight that would leave this Debuff on you?¡± Liam slowly looked at her, confusion etched on his face. He wasn¡¯t sure what she meant. Why was she asking what monster placed this debuff on him? Did she not know he could use Lunar Magic? As these thoughts ran through his mind, a memory of his talk with Eri appeared. ¡°Lunar Magic is super rare, especially for someone at your level.¡± Does she not suspect me to be able to use it because of that reason? Liam thought. He internally nodded as he figured out what to say. He then looked at her and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember a lot of the fight.¡± Nalia¡¯s brow rose as she stared at him. ¡°Are you sure? Why don¡¯t you remember? You¡¯re not lying to me are you?¡± ¡°Nalia!¡± Adva scolded. ¡°He is a patient under my care right now. I will ask you not to pummel him with questions. His memory might be muddled due to trauma. Whatever they fought in there was something low levels like themselves would never go up against till they reach the sixties or seventies. Regardless of if the Tutorial magic sealed the levels of the monsters or not.¡± Nalia stared at Adva for a few seconds before letting out a huff. ¡°You¡¯re right. There is a chance that whatever was in there was scary enough for all of them to accrue some form of dissociative memory lose to protect their mental state.¡± Liam grew even more confused as he listened to her. What does she mean by all of them? Liam thought. Is everyone claiming they don¡¯t remember what happened? He wasn¡¯t sure what Aranis, Inyis, and Jude were thinking. He wasn¡¯t lying that he couldn¡¯t remember, but that only applied to the part after he accepted Eri¡¯s request to be her¡­ His thought process began to work on overdrive as he remembered accepting being Eri¡¯s champion. That was when things went crazy. He had no control over his actions, his body, nor his mental state. It was like something had taken over him and kicked him to the back seat with a bag over his head. Nalia watched and studied Liam. After a few seconds had passed she added, ¡°Or it could be they do remember and none of them want to share what had happened.¡± Liam and the others were about to argue with her until Nabal cut them off. ¡°I think that¡¯s quite enough. You have gone above and beyond your usual decorum with them,¡± Nabal started then added under his breath, ¡°Surprisingly.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Nalia went to argue but was cut off again. ¡°However, if what you said is true and he needs another twelve hours before Adva can fully heal him then I suggest we give the boy some more time to rest. We can come back another time to ask him questions. Maybe after being fully healed, he might remember something,¡± Nabal stated challenging Nalia to argue with him. Nalia narrowed her eyes on Nabal. After a few seconds of silence she huffed, ¡°Fine.¡± She started to walk towards the door, but before she walked out she turned around and announced, ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow to ask more questions.¡± She then turned and walked out of the room grumbling, ¡°Someone¡¯s got to have some clue what happened in there.¡± Adva and Phorge shook their heads. Adva then turned to the others and said, ¡°You guys too.¡± Mercer and the rest of the team were about to argue, but Adva cut them off, ¡°No buts. He is a recovering patient and still needs his rest.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Majority of Liam¡¯s team stated while Avery turned to look at Liam. Liam saw something pass through her eyes. Hesitation? She looked to be contemplating something. However, before Liam could ask what was wrong, Avery suddenly went down and hugged Liam. This not only caught him off guard, but with some of the others. As Liam froze in place he felt Avery suddenly move her hands down to his side and felt something weird right next to his leg under the blanket. He stared at her as she pulled back. ¡°I¡¯m glad you came back to us,¡± She whispered in his ear as she pulled back. A warm smile was on her face before she replaced it with a stern one and followed the others out. Liam watched as everyone walked out of the room. A lot had happened, and he was still confused about a lot of things, but his body tensed as he caught Nabal staring at him. It was for a brief moment, but after the moment had passed he too walked out and closed the door. ¡°I don¡¯t like the look on his face,¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself. After he said those words a notification suddenly popped up in front of him causing him to grow wide eye and alarmed.
¡°Neither do I. ¨C Eri.¡±
Tutorial 136 – Consequences, Changes, and Expectations ¡°What the hell?!¡± Liam suddenly exclaimed as the notification took him off guard. The door to his room suddenly opened as Adva looked inside with a concerned look. She quickly asked, ¡°Are you alright? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m fine. I just moved the wrong way and it hurt,¡± Liam lied as he looked at her. Adva eyed him before saying, ¡°Alright. Let me know if the pain becomes too unbearable. I¡¯ll see what I can do to make it better.¡± Liam raised a brow before saying, ¡°Um¡­thank you.¡± Adva nodded before closing the door. Liam turned his attention back to the notification in front of him. He was confused as to what was going on. Last he could remember Eri couldn¡¯t speak to him while he was out of the dungeon. So why did he receive a notification with a message from Eri? Did something change when he accepted to be her Champion? There was only one way to find out. Liam focused his thoughts on Eri and asked, Eri? Can you hear me? The notification in front of him added a new text below what it had earlier.
¡°Yes. I can hear you. ¨C Eri.¡±
How is this possible? Is it because I became your champion? Liam asked.
¡°Yes. Becoming my Champion has made a few changes. One of them is I can communicate with you through notifications while outside of the dungeon. This is like a text channel. You can always come back and see what I say when you¡¯re outside the dungeon. When you¡¯re inside we can communicate the way we have before¡­maybe. ¨C Eri.¡±
What do you mean maybe? Liam questioned.
¡°*Sigh* I won¡¯t lie to you. This is new to me. My last few¡­champions¡­they couldn¡¯t make it past the indoctrination of my nature within them¡­ - Eri.¡±
Indoctrination of your nature within them¡­Liam internally muttered as he tried to think about what she meant. A memory appeared in his mind of when he accepted the Level 1 Performance Gauge Reward. It was right after he accepted when things went crazy. Are you talking about when¡­ Liam started to ask.
¡°Yes. You received a few rewards when you accepted the Reward. One of them is a seed similar to, but not exactly like, mine. All Champions get one from the Deity they become a Champion for. As the seed gets planted, the nature of the Deity washes over and enters the body of the Champion. The Champion has to accept the nature, fight the strong urges that try to take control of them, and keep their minds intact. ¨C Eri.¡±
Is the reason why it¡¯s new for you because your previous champions couldn¡¯t handle it? Liam asked.
¡°Yes. ¨C Eri.¡±
Is your nature the reason why I almost ended up like them? Liam inquired as he tried thinking over the events right before he blacked out.
¡°Yes and no. My nature had a play in it, but it was also due to the culmination of the natures between your two classes, races, and bloodlines. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he read the new message. What do you mean? Also, bloodlines? I thought it was bloodline? ¡°I can not answer those questions right now. Telling you now will only hinder your progress. When the time is right I will tell you all that you need to know about it. All you need to know is¡­I now have a better idea as to why you are perfect for being my Champion. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam stared at the words with some skepticism. He didn¡¯t like not having all the facts. It really bothered him. However, after getting to know Eri for the short amount of time he had, he knew when she wasn¡¯t going to answer questions, she wouldn¡¯t. It really irritated him when she did that. Liam let out a sigh before asking, Fine. Will this happen every time I use my Zodiac Ability or was that a one-time thing?
¡°That is a bit complicated. At full strength, especially after accepting a Performance Gauge Level Up Reward, there will be a high chance for it to happen again. However, while you were asleep I made some modifications to the ability I gave you, Temporary Unseal. Take a look. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Partial Temporary Unseal ¨C Allows the user to temporarily unseal any seals that have been sealed on the person¡¯s body for 10 minutes! Note ¨C Only 10% of the power unsealed is usable.¡±
¡°I have changed it to only allow ten percent of the seal placed on you that seals your second Class to be released so the overwhelming power it has doesn¡¯t try to swallow you again. I have also placed a timer of ten minutes so in case you do end up like last time then it will forcefully close the seal and take you out of your Class Fusion. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam thought about what she said. He wasn¡¯t sure how powerful his other class was since he didn¡¯t get the chance to see anything after he had blacked out. But, the added protection would be helpful in case he couldn¡¯t control himself and had no way to get out of that power¡¯s hold. After thinking about it, a couple of questions surfaced. Why ten percent and ten minutes? Are they both similar because of a certain reason? Liam questioned.
¡°There is a reason for them both being at a numeric value of ten, but not for any significant reason other than any higher than that and you won¡¯t be able to handle it. Ten percent of the power is the amount your body will be able to handle without receiving the amount of backlash you received at full power. The other part of having a ten minute timer is just for precautionary measures. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam slowly nodded, agreeing with what she said. It did make sense to have measures set in place and if he could only handle ten percent of the power right for ten minutes now then he wouldn¡¯t complain. After thinking about it and rereading the message a couple of new questions popped in his mind. Would the amount I can harness raise if I grow in power? Also, what were the backlashes I received? Was it the high level in Stellar Afflictions From Within? Liam inquired.
¡°No. You received a high level in both Stellar Afflictions From Within and Whispers From Beyond due to your recklessness of using both Shadow and Lunar Magic both when you were in control and out of control of your mind. You should take a look at your other Debuff. ¨C Eri.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Liam¡¯s brows knitted together before he looked at the other icons next to his stat bars. He skipped over the two he knew he had, Stellar Afflictions From Within and Whispers From Beyond, and focused on the last one.
¡°Stat Shatter Level - 2. Debuff Type ¨C Stats. 50% of all stat levels are partially sealed. Time for Stat Shatter to reach level 1: 3 Days 12 hours 5 minutes 15 seconds. Time for Stat Shatter to completely disappear: 5 Days 12 hours 6 minutes 15 seconds.¡± ¡°Stat Shatter ¨C A Debuff given when a person¡¯s or creature¡¯s stats are forcibly pushed to compensate and match the stat levels of another power. Depending on the amount the stats are pushed will determine the level the Debuff is given once when the stats go back to normal. Level 1 ¨C if stats are pushed between 5 to 30 levels higher then a 25% partial seal will be placed on the target. Level 2 ¨C if stats are pushed between 31 to 50 levels higher then a 50% partial seal will be placed on the target. Level 3 ¨C if stats are pushed between 51 to 70 levels higher then a 75% partial seal will be placed on the target.¡±
Shit. Liam said while dragging the word out. That¡¯s one nasty Debuff. Thank God it only has three levels to it.
¡°It doesn¡¯t. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam blinked at her response before his brows furrowed. What do you mean it doesn¡¯t? It only shows three levels.
¡°That¡¯s because you reached only three levels. Your stats levels barely entered the third level, so the timer was only a day longer since you were asleep. But you did enter the level three range of the Debuff. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened at what she had said. You¡¯re kidding right?
¡°No. ¨C Eri.¡±
But that means¡­ Liam started to say until Eri cut him off.
¡°Yes. ¨C Eri.¡±
That gave him a better idea of how powerful he was during the fight while using his Class Fusion. At that realization another made itself known. His stats grew that much, and he was still barely able to fight back that monster. He and the others were only able to harm it and that was only a shadow of its real power. Just what were they fighting? Eri¡­what was that shadowy giant? Liam asked, not sure if he was ready to know.
¡°I won¡¯t tell you anything about him now because he is not your focus as of this moment. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam grew confused at what he read. He then thought to himself instead of projecting his thoughts to Eri, Not my focus as of this moment? What does she mean by that? I have a focus? He then turned his thoughts to his mental resident and asked, If that is the case then what is my focus?
¡°*Smiles* To level up and spread my nature around the world. ¨C Eri.¡±
Your nature? Liam asked still not sure. ¡°Yes. You should have figured it out from the title you received when you became my Champion as well as from the name of the class you made with your Class Fusion. If you need a reminder then pull up your Character Sheet page and look at your Faith and Blessing Section. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam did as she said and was shocked at what he saw.
Character Sheet
General Information
Character Name: Liam Health Pool 326/326 (653/653 Sealed)
Race: Cait Sith/Sealed Mana Pool 308/308 (617/617 Sealed)
Bloodline: ?????? Stamina Bar 349/349 (698/698 Sealed)
Zodiac Gemini Spirit Pool 10/150
Class: Spirit Weaver Age: 22
Secondary Class Shadow of the Devourer (Sealed) Level 3 (7 Sealed)
Faith and Blessings
Matron Deity Eris - Goddess of Chaos
Deity Description: Sealed
Deity Blessings: Champion Of Chaos
What the fuck?! Why are my HP, MP, Stam bar and Level lower than what it is supposed to be? Why do they say sealed? And why hasn¡¯t my Spirit Points regenerated? Liam started to panic.
¡°Calm down. That is only temporary because of the Stat Shatter Debuff. After that has passed everything will return back to normal. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam slowly let out a sigh of relief. He then looked over at what Eri had told him. He had some inkling she was just like the Greek Goddess of Chaos from the myths from his world, but he wasn¡¯t sure. Liam shook his head mentally and corrected his thoughts on it. He didn¡¯t have any inkling and wasn¡¯t going to lie to himself. He didn¡¯t pay attention to it and just moved on because at the time he wasn¡¯t sure he was going to get involved with her as well as being distracted with everything else going on at the time. However, now that he had some time to think more about it, as well as getting a look at the information on the Faith and Blessings Section, he had another couple of questions. So, your Blessing is called Champion of Chaos? Also, why is your Description sealed?
¡°The information on my description is sealed because you don¡¯t need to worry about it right now. The Blessing is called Champion of Chaos yes, but you can think of it as a title. What you received from that Blessing is more important. The first thing you get from the Blessing is called Foolish Bravery. It is a basic one that any of my followers will receive when they get blessed by me. Foolish Bravery is a Passive ability that helps you face dangerous situations, that would normally make you run away from them, with a smile. At a low level it slightly helps you push back the fear of facing something that seems impossible or scary. The effect grows as the level grows. ¡°The second thing you received due to being my Champion is Chaotic Transmission. It is also a passive that helps spread my nature when you enact deeds I give you. It helps spread it around the area and to people. At a low level it¡¯s subtle and doesn¡¯t change much. Maybe some different views than normal or the occasional fight might start. It¡¯s different depending on where you are. ¡°The last one, Primeval Veil, is another passive that helps hide certain information from prying eyes. Like the fact you are my Champion as well as your Zodiac, classes, bloodline, etc. It already came to good use when those three were in the room. ¨C Eri.¡±
Those three? Who? Also, is it common to receive three passive abilities when you get a Blessing? Liam asked.
I believe their names were Adva, Phorge, and Nalia. Each of them are Champions to their so called Gods. *Scoffs* - Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s face grew into a confused expression. What do you mean by it came to good use when they were in the room?
Champions can feel whenever another Champion is around. Since they are Champions they would have felt that you were one and questions would have been asked. Judging by their demeanors it seems that the other three did the same as me. Now you don¡¯t have to worry about that Nalia woman using her Divine Eye on you¡­for now. ¨C Eri.¡±
What do you mean for now? Liam asked.
¡°Primeval Veil will only last till you hit a certain high level or certain¡­events unfold. After that, the veil will fall and all will be revealed. You must be strong enough to hold your own against those who want you dead when the time comes. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam caught the words certain events unfold. There was something that wasn¡¯t being said and he didn¡¯t like it. Throughout their entire conversation he noticed she had either ignored, brushed, or shot down certain information. The one thing that really stuck out so far was when she said his focus should be on leveling up and spreading her nature. Whatever the reason was she probably needed him to get stronger for some goal of hers. Maybe once when I¡¯m strong enough I¡¯ll be able to get more information out of her. For now I should just do as she says while I try and find my family. Liam thought to himself.
¡°As for your question from earlier. No, it is not common for any follower to get more than one ability, especially right at the beginning. Unless you receive the Champion Blessing. Then it is common. Your teammates have received the Foolish Bravery when they accepted their Blessing from me, but soon they will receive another. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was caught off guard when he read that last part. His team received a blessing from Eri? When? Why? He then remember something. Avery left him something under his blanket. He pulled out what she had placed and saw it was a piece of paper. He opened it and saw there was a message. It read: Aranis, Inyis, and Jude talked to us before we left the dungeon. They all agreed that they would not say anything about what had happened in the dungeon and left the decision on what should be relayed to the Overseers to you. They ¡°claimed¡± you would have a sound judgement on what should be shared and what shouldn¡¯t be. They also implied that they were leaving the Tutorial Area the moment they could so they will probably be gone before you recover. ¡°Those fucking assholes,¡± Liam swore under his breath. Tutorial 137 – The Mess of Partial Gains
¡°*Laughs uncontrollably* - Eri.¡±
It¡¯s not funny. Liam grumbled as he crumpled the paper and tossed it into his inventory. Why do I have to make that decision? I mean they saw an opportunity to leave without dealing with any of the troubles this will bring, but still. Why me?
¡°Probably because of your cautious nature. ¨C Eri.¡±
What cautious nature? Liam questioned. He then slowly gestured to his hurt body as he added, Not sure if you noticed but there was no cautious nature in my decision that led me to this.
¡°What I meant was you don¡¯t trust people easily and your nature to pick and choose what to say and to who. To be honest it¡¯s probably a good idea they left it to you. From what I saw that Jude fellow is too rash and would make things more troublesome. That Inyis girl is too inexperience to know what she should say and what not to say. And that Aranis fellow wouldn¡¯t know what to do. So that leaves you. Someone who will think before speaking and will not leak what shouldn¡¯t. ¨C Eri.¡±
Sounds like an excuse to me. Liam complained. Deciding to go back to some of the questions he had from earlier, Liam asked, You said my teammates received a Blessing from you. When did that happen and why? They didn¡¯t lose themselves did they?
¡°Yes and no, they did not fully lose themselves to my Chaotic nature. They did feel it a bit, but not at the level you did. The amount that washed over them took hold for a few seconds, but they were able to overcome it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Amount that washed over them? Not the same level as me? What do you mean? Liam asked.
¡°I won¡¯t get into the different types of blessing for now. I will tell you that since you became my Champion and survived, no one else will have to go through that again so long as you stay alive. The level of Blessing they received wasn¡¯t my lowest, but since you hold the highest that means they do not have the highest. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he grew confused. Again, what do you mean?
A Deity can only have one Champion at a time. Since you are my Champion that means no one else can be as long as you stay alive. What I meant by they didn¡¯t have the lowest or highest is exactly how it sounds. A Deity has different levels of Blessings. Again, I won¡¯t get into it right now because it will take up a lot of time to explain it all. For now, all you need to know is why they accepted my Blessing. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam didn¡¯t say anything as he waited for her to speak again.
¡°They accepted my blessing because of you. I talked to them during the fight after you lost control and explained the situation. The warring natures running through you amped the power of the Chaotic nature you received. The Nature of Order that boy Jude had wouldn¡¯t have been able to stabilize your mind like he was able to with the other two because of that. I felt the only way to get through to you was from those who had a similar nature as you.¡± ¡°Because they accepted my Blessing they had my Chaos Nature washing over them and they used that to try and form a connection to your mind to try and pull you back long enough to get you to deactivate your Class Fusion ability¡­.Do you remember any of that? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam tried to recall everything. He felt his face scrunch a bit as he said, I don¡¯t remember a lot. After I blacked out everything was just gone. It almost felt like I just didn¡¯t¡­exist. Then all of a sudden I came back. Not fully though¡­I do remember something¡­covering me, but not holding me in place. It was like I was floating in something. It felt dark, cold, desolate of anything. Almost like any and all life was erased. But at the same time, I felt the gazes of something or somethings staring at me¡­I also remember voices.
¡°Voices? What kind of voices? ¨C Eri.¡±
There were many voices. First came the screams. Hateful screams. They assaulted me¡­Yelling at me, mocking me that I was a weak pathetic being¡­that I wasn¡¯t¡­ Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as the word he was looking for suddenly disappeared as whispers grew loud enough to distract him for a brief moment. He mentally shook his head, remembering that the Whispers from Beyond Debuff was still in effect, and continued, Next came the cries. They wailed that I was responsible for their deaths and the deaths of many more to come if I allowed people to continue to... Again, the next few words suddenly escaped his thought process as the whispers grew in volume for a brief moment, distracting him once more. He was confused but brushed it off as he pushed forward. Soon after that the whispers came. Liam¡¯s body suddenly shuddered. They were the scariest out of the voices.
¡°*Tilts head with a concerned look* Why were they the scariest? ¨C Eri.¡±
They were sweet and soft. They embraced me and made me feel comforted. They told me that it was okay. That is was okay to rest¡­That I didn¡¯t have to worry about anything anymore¡­ that they would take care of things. Liam recounted. A sudden realization came to Liam as he talked about this part. But that wasn¡¯t why they were scary¡­
¡°What do you mean? What was it that made them scary? ¨C Eri.¡±
What made them the scariest out of all the voices was because they felt famil¡­ Liam suddenly winced as a sharp pain suddenly jolted across his mind.
¡°Are you okay? ¨C Eri.¡±
Yeah. I¡¯m fine. Liam responded as he felt the pain subside. He took a breath in, held it for a moment, and let it out slowly. He then continued, I remember slowly starting to fall asleep, but before I could I heard my teammates voices. I couldn¡¯t tell it was them at first. Something¡­Someone reminded me¡­scolded me that¡­it said¡­ As Liam tried to recount what had happened his breathing started to pace quickly. He didn¡¯t realize it as he kept trying to push to remember exactly what had happened when his friends called out to him. It was weird. The harder he tried to remember what happened before he woke up while in that state, the more the whispers grew in volume. The whispers were jumbled and didn¡¯t make any sense. He tried to push through them, but the whispers fought back harder until they became a loud jumbled white noise. The noise pierced his ears, causing him to move his hands to his head to cover his ears. He let out a few grunts as he tried to recompose himself.
¡°Liam?! Liam? Are you okay Liam? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam winced as he felt a wave of pain wash over his body. He let out a pained grunt as he felt the wave swim across his limbs and muscles. He didn¡¯t know what to do. He wanted the pain to stop, but the more he tried to think the more the white noise grew in his ears and the pain rippled across him.
¡°Liam! Calm down Liam! God damn it. ¨C Eri.¡±
The pain and noise grew so much Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen. Then as quickly as the pain and noise came, it disappeared. Liam let out pained filled gasps, trying to get in as much as air as he could. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but he did feel something right as the pain and noise disappeared. It was a familiar touch, but he wasn¡¯t sure why it was familiar.
¡°Liam!? Are you alright? ¨C Eri.¡±
Yeah. Liam stated.
¡°What happened? ¨C Eri.¡±
I¡¯m not sure. Whispers just grew louder as I was talking to you. I think my Whispers from Beyond Debuff had some sort of flare up or something. I¡¯m not sure how it works. Liam said, guessing what had happened. Eri didn¡¯t say anything for a few moments. After a minute had passed a new notification appeared.
¡°Let¡¯s finish our talk here for now. You need to rest, and I fear I might have pushed you too hard with everything that has happened to you. Why don¡¯t you get some rest for now and we can talk more later. ¨C Eri.¡±
Sounds good. Liam said as he let out a yawn. I¡¯m going to look over my notifications before I fall back asleep. I know a bunch appeared after we defeated the Lich so I¡¯m sure I¡¯m pretty far behind on everything.
¡°Ah¡­About your notifications¡­- Eri.¡±
Liam raised a brow as he stared at the text log waiting for her next response.
¡°Any notifications related to your Sub-stat level ups will be suspended until your Stat Shatter Debuff disappears. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam stared at what she said like it was in a foreign language to him. What do you mean by that?
¡°Since your stats are sealed and decreased to the amount due to the level you have reached of the Debuff; any and all Sub-stat levels up are put on hold and suspended until the Debuff has disappeared. Since that is the current situation, your notifications on any Sub-stat Levels up will not be shown until it disappears, and the real level of your Sub-stats have been regained. ¨C Eri.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Liam stared at the text with his mouth open.
¡°That also goes for your Mental Resilience and Ailment Resistance. It is not limited to your Magical abilities or Physical skills, or any new things you received though. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam shook his head. He then muttered mentally to Eri, That¡¯s bullshit.
¡°Eh. That¡¯s how it goes. ¨C Eri.¡±
Not feeling like arguing about something he can¡¯t change, Liam decided to just see what he was able to.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Level 1 Gifts of Chaos as a Champion of Chaos!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received the following abilities with your Blessing, Champion of Chaos: Foolish Bravery, Chaotic Transmission, and Primeval Veil!¡±
This wasn¡¯t new to him since Eri had told him about this earlier when he checked out his Faith and Blessings Section. The next thing he received surprised him though.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Seed of Discord!¡±
Hey Eri? What is this Seed of Discord? Liam questioned.
¡°When followers receive a Blessing from a Deity there is a small chance they will receive a Seed that is similar to, but not exactly like, the seed their Matron or Patron Deity has. The chances for a follower to receive it is very slim. However, a Champion automatically receives it from the get go when they receive their Level 1 Gifts. ¨C Eri.¡±
So, it¡¯s like the Seed of the Arcana but one tailored to your seed? Liam questioned. He was surprised by this. He didn¡¯t expect to receive something so good.
¡°Yes. However, it grows differently than your Seed of Arcana. The Seed of Discord will not have so many different styled Fields. It¡¯ll only have Fields suited for the seed you received. You will get to choose one field at a time. Also, you will only be able to choose one Focus Point in each Field. Once when you get a Field to a certain level then a new Field will be available to pick from. - Eri.¡±
That¡¯s¡­interesting. I wonder why it¡¯s like that. What level do I have to each field before I can pick another? Liam inquired.
¡°*Slyly grins* You¡¯ll have to find out for yourself. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned. You¡¯re no fun. A new notification popped up.
¡°Would you like to open the Seed of Discord and accept a Field to finalize the planting? Yes No?¡±
Oh well, I¡¯ll take a look and see¡­ Liam started to say as he went to accept.
¡°NO! Don¡¯t accept anything nor open it yet! ¨C Eri.¡±
Alarmed and confused, Liam quickly stopped what he was doing and asked, Why? What¡¯s wrong?
¡°The Primeval Veil won¡¯t be able to shield you from the amount of power that will swirl around you when you open and accept a Field from the Seed of Discord. Wait till you leave here to do it. Outside you can play it off as someone strong you know was growing. Many won¡¯t know any better. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned before complying. That¡¯s stupid. But if it¡¯ll create a ruckus then I¡¯ll wait.
¡°For now, just look over the rest of your notifications and get some rest. ¨C Eri.¡±
Yes mom. Liam teased.
¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not your mother or else I¡¯d whoop your ass for that sass. *Sticks tongue out* - Eri.¡±
Liam let out a chuckle as he closed the notification for now and pulled up the rest.
¡°Congratulations! Main Class ability - Spirit Weave has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Main Class ability - Spirit Weave has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! The fondness of the spirits in your Shadow Lunar Daggers has increased! New ability has been unlocked! Note - Ability will be revealed next time you use Spirit Weave with this weapon set.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Main Class ability ¨C Soul Harvest has leveled up!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to Tutorial Restrictions, you cannot level this ability any higher. Any and all experience gain while still in the Tutorial Area will accumulate after leaving the Tutorial Area!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills -Dagger has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills -Dagger has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 90%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Mana Manipulation has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Mana Manipulation has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have learned how to manipulate the Mana Type - Lunar Mana. Lunar Mana Manipulation has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Lunar Mana Manipulation has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 9%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Shadows has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Shadows has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 17%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Hand has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Hand has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 17%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Grasp of the Shadows has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Grasp of the Shadows has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Step has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Step has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received the Field of the Lunar ¨C Focus Point ¨C Utility (Lunar) ability ¨C Lunar Hand!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Lunar Hand has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Lunar Hand has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! You can now create two Lunar hands.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Elements has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Elements has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point ¨C Gravity has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point ¨C Gravity has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravitational Force Increase has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravitational Force Increase has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravity Force Well has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Gravity Force Well has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Perception of the Control Tower has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 30%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Sight has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 17%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Manipulation has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Manipulation has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 20%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Channeling has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 20%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Control has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± ~ Elapses~ ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat Ability Mana Control has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 20%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Common Soul Orb of Askith Mummy Guard x 9!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Common Soul Orb of Rotted Askith Zombie x 12!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Common Soul Orb of Elite Askith Skeleton Soldier x 6!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Common Soul Orb of Shredding Zombie x 4!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Common Soul Orb of Askith Skeleton Warrior x 13!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Common Soul Orb of Hubristic Arisen Lich! Item Type ¨C Crafting Material (Spirit).¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Book: Fall of the Askith Nation! Item type ¨C Book. Item Rarity ¨C Historic. Description ¨C A history book filled with the events that led to the downfall of the Forgotten Nation of the Askith Empire!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have successfully pushed back the anomalies and threat that should have killed you. You have received Umbral Goggles of the Fallen One!¡± ¡°Umbral Goggles of the Fallen One. Item Type ¨C Armor (Eye Protection). Item Rarity ¨C Unique. Item Quality ¨C Excellent. Armor + 40. + 25% to Perception when worn over the eyes. + 25% to making a higher quality crafting item when worn while crafting. + 25% to detecting unusual creatures or people hiding in the shadows. + 15% increase to Shadow abilities.¡±
Liam stared at the last three notifications. Most of the things he read were shocking, but these two items were amazing just as much as finding out that he didn¡¯t need to kill anything to get the goggles. He thought in order to receive loot from creatures he needed to kill them, but receiving this item from just surviving and pushing it back. That was an amazing discovery. Liam pulled up his inventory and looked for both items. He found the book and pulled it out to inspect it. It was a thick tannish covered book with a picture of a Spider Tailed Horned Viper resting on the front cover staring menacingly. He opened it to inspect the inside and flipped the pages. Each page held words and pictures. As he skimmed the pages he saw familiar pictures of monsters he and his team had fought from the fifth floor of the dungeon as well as pictures of what different citizens of the nation looked like. Liam closed the book and placed it back into his inventory. It wasn¡¯t a light read and he was feeling exhaustion starting to come back. He looked back into his inventory for the other reward he had gotten. Once when he pulled them out his eyes widened. It was just two circular eye protections that connected together with a jet black material. There was no strap that ran from the edges of the eye protection to connect so they wouldn¡¯t fall off. The eye protection were circular, just like his old goggles, except the lens were a raven black color. However, what shocked him was the shadowy smoke that lightly rolled off the item. Liam slowly brought them closer to his face so he could inspect them. He noticed that the raven black lenses were actually the shadowy smoke, he saw earlier, engulfing them. The smoke was circling around from the center to the outside allowing the smoke to roll off to the outside area of the goggles. Besides that, there wasn¡¯t anything else unusual about them. ¡°I wonder if you can even see through them,¡± Liam whispered to himself as he turned them around and rested the goggles over his eyes. As soon as they touched his skin, the goggles suddenly stuck around his eyes. The shadowy smoke shout out and around the back of his head, connecting together. Liam panicked at first and went to tear them off but stopped. He watched from the inside of the goggles as the swirling shadowy smoke rolled off the lens and to the side of his head. He was able to see clearly through them now. He could feel the smoke touch his skin and it made him tense. He could feel the goosebumps start to form as the familiar cold dark feeling brushed against him. The feeling reminded him of what he went through not too long ago. It scared him. It scared him, but it also comforted him. As powerful as that sensation that covered him when he was trapped within his own mind was, it was also soothing. It almost felt like it was¡­ Liam shook himself before the final thought finished. He then grabbed the edges of the goggles and pulled them off of his head. The shadowy smoke strap disappeared and receded back around the lens, swirling. The feeling that he was getting from them disappeared as he stared back down at them. Was it a figment of my imagination? Liam thought as he stared at them. He wasn¡¯t getting that feeling he had when he was wearing them. He stared at them for a while to see if it would come back. Nothing happened after a minute. He then sighed before placing them back into his inventory and stating, ¡°I need to sleep. I feel like I¡¯m losing my mind after everything that has happened.¡± Liam slowly lowered himself to lay down. As he did he felt the sweet embrace of sleep start to take hold of him. Tutorial 138 – An early morning meeting. Liam stirred as he started to wake up. He felt his body aching still, but the level of pain he had felt earlier had dampened quite a bit. There was still some pain, but it was bearable. Liam slowly opened his eyes to see the room was dark. He turned his head in the direction of the window and saw it wasn¡¯t covered up but was dark outside. Feeling like he wasn¡¯t going to be able to go back to sleep, he slowly brought himself up into a sitting position. As he did this he focused on the internal clock he had to see what time it was. 5:01 a.m. ¡°Jesus, how long did I sleep for this time?¡± Liam softly muttered to himself. ¡°Over thirteen hours,¡± a voice replied. It was stern, but also soft at the same time. Liam¡¯s body tensed as he jerked his head in the direction of the voice. A dark silhouette sat in a chair against the wall facing him. At first all Liam was able to see was a dark shadow-like figure staring at him. He wasn¡¯t able to see any features or details and he was about to yell out. However, Liam stopped himself as his Dark Sight kicked in. The dark silhouette started to reveal all features as his vision accumulated to the darkness. It was Nabal. As Liam brought a hand to his heart he let out a sigh and said, ¡°God damn it Nabal. You almost gave me a heart attack. How long have you been here?¡± Nabal didn¡¯t say anything to that, nor did he look apologetic. Instead, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to wake up for the past five hours. You really must have worn yourself out to be able to sleep for so long. How are you feeling now?¡± Liam slowly reached out for the Yooperlite lamp that rested on the nightstand next to the bed. It was an interesting device that reminded him of one of those touch lamps back from Earth. If you tapped the device it had a few different brightness levels. He tapped it three times to make the brightness as dim as he could. After getting the brightness adjusted to what he wanted he looked back at Nabal and responded, ¡°I feel better. Still a bit sore, but not as bad as I felt yesterday.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Nabal nodded. ¡°What are you doing here so early? Why not wait till later when everyone is up?¡± Liam asked, curious why the man had come so early and waited for so long for him to get up. ¡°I¡¯m here for a few reasons,¡± Nabal started. ¡°I am leaving the Tutorial Area as soon as I leave here. My purpose for being here is coming to an end. As your mentor here I wanted to let you know that.¡± Liam frowned at the man as he asked, ¡°As much as I appreciate it. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s all you came here to do right?¡± Nabal let out a slight chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ve got good instincts. I like that. Never lose it. It¡¯ll come in handy when you leave this place. Yes. That isn¡¯t the only reason. I¡¯ll start with this and don¡¯t lie to me. You know Lunar Magic¡­don¡¯t you?¡± Liam felt his blood run cold. He thought he was in the clear since not even Nalia suspected him due to them being in the Tutorial Area. But how did Nabal know? Why did he suspect him of having Lunar Magic at all. Nabal eyed Liam as he hesitated to respond. Recognizing the war in his eyes, Nabal decided to throw him a bone. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you for any nefarious reasons. My reasoning for believing you have Lunar Magic is simply because there are a few in my clan that can use it.¡± Nabal allowed his words to sink in. ¡°I talked to them about it and they informed me about the cons using that kind of magic has. One of them is developing the affliction Stellar Afflictions From Within. A nasty Debuff that can only appear on a person if they use Lunar Magic too much over a period of time. The type of Debuff Nalia was thinking about was a different one than that. But we won¡¯t get into that for right now.¡± Liam stared at Nabal. He now knew why he knew Liam had Lunar Magic. He didn¡¯t realize that anyone would be able to deduce that just from the Debuff he received. He needed to be even more careful. Liam licked his lips before replying, ¡°Yes. I do.¡± Nabal nodded. ¡°Thank you for telling me the truth. I wont ask you to tell me how you got it, but I will tell you not to let anyone know you have it. Not until you get to at least level fifty. Around then no one will try to force you to tell them. Lunar Magic is not only rare, but there are plenty of people who try to collect rare magic like that, and they will do anything to get it. Do you understand?¡± Liam nodded. He didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Eri had warned him before about it and hearing the same warning from Nabal made it even more clear. He couldn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t use it around anyone who wasn¡¯t his teammates. ¡°The next thing I want to ask you is¡­what really happened during that floor?¡± Nabal suddenly asked. Liam stared at the man. He remembered what the note he received from Avery had said. That they trusted him to tell who and what he felt was appropriate. He trusted Nabal, yes. But he was still someone who he didn¡¯t fully know. What would this man do with this information. How much should he tell him. Should he play ignorant and say he had no recollection of anything? All these thoughts and more swirled around Liam¡¯s mind. Liam took another glance at Nabal. This man was someone who helped him before. He has scolded him for not saying anything about him and his team facing the Forbidden Path floors. Instead of refusing him from continuing he trained him to help his survival. He really did have his survival and interest in mind.
¡°I think he is trustworthy enough to receive some of the information. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam read what she said. After thinking it over, he made a decision. ¡°Before I say anything I want you to know. There really are parts I have no recollection about,¡± Liam finally said as he let out a breath. Nabal nodded as he got ready to listen to Liam. Liam informed him about the sixth floor boss monster. What they had to face as well as how strong he was. He then told him about Steve and Gary. What they had said about their plan and what Steve had mentioned before he died. He decided to leave out the parts about he, Jude, Aranis, and Inyis evolving their classes, and anything related to Deities. He knew what he told Nabal left a few holes. It showed on Nabal¡¯s face. After he finished saying that he blacked out after hitting the wall he stared at Nabal and waited to see what he would say. Nabal brought a hand to his chin and started thinking. The room was silent as Liam waited for Nabal to say anything. After a couple of minutes had passed, Nabal finally said, ¡°What you told me makes me understand why the others played ignorant. Discovering that not one but two people infiltrated this place and worked to warp the nature of the Black Tutorial Dungeon under the noses of not only the Overseers, but Deities can lead to distrust and paranoia. ¡°It can make someone believe there is a chance there are more people hidden within the crowd. And the mention of this Order¡­I don¡¯t know what he was saying and its frustrating. If there is an Order out there doing this to dungeons then they need to be stopped. However, since we have no clue who they are we can¡¯t keep a look out for them.¡± Nabal looked back at Liam as a new question popped up. ¡°What you have told me is good information to have, but its only your word. The timing is suspicious too since the other groups left without anyone knowing. If the others were wary enough to play dumb about everything that happened in the dungeon floor and dip out, then why did you tell me?¡± ¡°I received a note that told me they were leaving when they had the chance and they would leave me to tell whoever I trusted,¡± Liam informed leaving out the part about what he felt would be safe to tell. Nabal nodded, understanding what he meant. ¡°You trust me enough to tell me. I appreciate that¡­ Do you plan on telling the Overseers about this?¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Liam thought it over. He was hesitant to tell anyone at first. Letting Nabal know about it felt like he was pushing his luck. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to tell Adva or Phorge nothing. His main concern was really Nalia. Even though the woman did try to save him from Gary when he was being kidnapped, the woman was still an evil bitch in his eyes. After thinking it over he finally shook his head and said, ¡°No. I would like to tell Adva and Phorge since they deserve to know, but I¡¯m not sure about Nalia. My other concerns are like you said earlier. I don¡¯t know if there are any that are allied with Gary still around here. If they hear what I say then there is a chance that things might get¡­troublesome.¡± Nabal nodded, agreeing and understanding his concerns. He then started to think about something. After a moment passed he nodded again after coming to a decision and stated, ¡°I agree with your assessment and your decision on how you acted. It was wise to feign ignorance earlier. However, that won¡¯t keep you safe for long. Nalia is prone to wanting to know anything and everything. She won¡¯t buy that you can¡¯t remember anything for long. Once when you are fully healed she will try to pry everything out of you with spells she has. You have to leave as soon as you can.¡± Liam furrowed his brows. ¡°I would like to, but I¡¯m still in no condition to leave.¡± ¡°Not at this exact second you¡¯re not. However, after I leave here I¡¯ll get Adva to see if she can finally fully heal you and get rid of that Debuff you have. After she leaves the room, jump out the window and head to the Portal Area and leave through the Main portal immediately. As for Adva and Phorge knowing. I¡¯ll leave a note letting her know what you told me and for her to let Phorge know. I¡¯ll also add in to not let Nalia know anything.¡±
¡°Wise decision on his part. The less this Nalia knows the less her goddess knows. And we don¡¯t want her to know anything yet. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°But¡­,¡± Liam was about to argue, ignoring Eri¡¯s comment, until Nabal suddenly pulled out three bags from his inventory and set them next to the bed. ¡°I¡¯m glad I had a hunch to do this,¡± Nabal started. ¡°I have your stuff from your room in this bag right here. These next two bags are from your other mentors, Fia and Galin. I talked to them while you were asleep yesterday and told them about your condition. They were worried about you, but I informed them that you would be fine, and they didn¡¯t need to wait around for long. It took some convincing, but they finally agreed and gave me some gifts to give you.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at both of the bags. The last time Fia and Galin gave him some things they were exceptional and helped out quite a lot. He was excited to see what they gave him this time. ¡°I also have left you something in the bag full of your stuff,¡± Nabal added. He watched Liam look at him and knew he was going to ask, but Nabal beat him to the punch, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you what it is. You wont have the time since you¡¯re going to be really busy after I leave here.¡± Liam frowned after hearing Nabal tell him this. ¡°Listen to what I have to say now. This is what I want you to do,¡± Nabal started. Liam felt the man grow serious and gave him all his attention. ¡°After I leave here, I¡¯m going to grab Adva and have her heal you. Once when I know you have fully healed from the Debuff, I am going to find your teammates and tell them they to leave the Tutorial Area now. After Adva leaves the room, get dressed, jump out of the window and make your way to the portal area as quickly as possible. Do not stop to talk to anyone. Do not let anyone spot you, especially Nalia. If she see you then she will grab you and try to interrogate you to get out as much information as she can. Do you understand me?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Alright, put these bags into your inventory now so Adva doesn¡¯t suspect anything,¡± Nabal stated as he started to make his way to the door. Liam watched as he moved but then stopped him before reaching for the knob when he said, ¡°Nabal¡­thank you. For everything.¡± Nabal looked back at him. A slight smiled formed on his face as he replied, ¡°It was fun¡­being your mentor. If you wish to continue to study under me and learn more than just dagger arts then seek me out. I can¡¯t tell you where I¡¯ll be because I¡¯m always on the move, but¡­if you do want to continue being my apprentice then I¡¯ll gladly continue being your mentor.¡± Liam smiled back at the man as watched him leave the room. He quickly looked at the bags and placed them into his inventory. As soon as he looked back at the door, it opened to reveal Adva quickly walking in. Nabal stood in the doorway and watched the woman quickly make her way over to him. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Adva stated. Her hair was sticking out and tangled in different areas looking like she had just woken up. Liam stared at the woman. He felt a pain of guilt keeping things from this woman, who was worried about him. He could see how stressed she had been since he woke up yesterday. However, he was resolved not to say anything and to leave that to Nabal. Instead, he sat there and waited as Adva used a few different types of healing spells on him. Each spell washed over his body, making him feel cool then warm. It was like a refreshing breeze on a summer day. The aches and pains he felt from the soreness he had slowly drifted off of him as the spells worked their magic. A notification appeared before him.
¡°Congratulations! Debuff ¨C Stellar Afflictions from Within Level 1 and Whispers from Beyond have been cleansed!¡±
¡°It worked,¡± Liam said with surprise. He moved his arms around to test out if all the soreness he felt was gone. As he moved his arms in a circle motion from his sides, Adva let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Do you feel any pain anywhere? Any tingle, numbness, or issues?¡± Adva questioned. Liam stopped moving his arms around and slowly brought his legs over to the left side of the bed. He slowly moved to his feet, in case anything happen, but as his feet touch the ground and he stood up, he felt¡­nothing. There was no pain, stiffness, or soreness. He looked at Adva and gave her a smile while saying, ¡°I¡¯m all good. Thank you.¡± Adva gave him a warm smile as she said, ¡°Thank goodness. I won¡¯t lie and say that I didn¡¯t have any reservations when Nalia said I could heal you when the Debuff lowered down, but I¡¯m happy to know she was right.¡± Liam turned to look at Nabal at the doorway, but was surprised when he wasn¡¯t there anymore. That¡¯s right. He said once when he confirms I was healed he was going to leave. Liam thought before looking back at Adva. Which means I don¡¯t have much time to execute my escape. I first need to get Adva out of here. ¡°Now just because you¡¯re able to not feel any more pain doesn¡¯t mean you get to run around just yet. You still need to rest for a little longer. At least until we know for sure you don¡¯t have any other issues,¡± Adva stated in that sweet grandmotherly tone of hers he grew to like. ¡°Fine,¡± Liam said, trying to sound like a spoiled brat while getting back into the bed. After he pulled the blanket over his legs he noticed Adva had a strange look on her face. Curious, Liam asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Adva looked hesitant, but then said as she slightly bowed her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Surprised and confused, Liam lifted his hands up and said, ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about.¡± ¡°No there is,¡± Adva started. ¡°I haven¡¯t been much help to you or anyone else that had to go through the Black Tutorial Dungeon. And because of that you guys weren¡¯t able to feel like you could trust me or go to me for help when you needed it most. All I could was intervene when Nalia caused trouble. Everything you and the others had to go through could have been prevented if we had educated you properly about types of dungeons you need to be wary of. This had never happened before, so we didn¡¯t believe it was necessary for any of you to know until you were out there. Because of our ignorance, many have died, and you suffered a lot.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know what to say. It was true what she had said about not properly teaching them about all different types of dungeons, but he also knew it wasn¡¯t her fault because dungeons like the Forgotten Realm should never have appeared in the Tutorial Area. He could see that the outcome of all the events weighed heavily on her, and she was reflecting on it. That was enough for him. Someone who genuinely felt guilty about what had happened was someone who needed to know it was okay. He couldn¡¯t blame her too since it was not her fault for Gary and Steve, she had no control over who came here. He wasn¡¯t sure who was to blame for that, but he knew he shouldn¡¯t blame her or Phorge. He gave her a soft smile as he said with a sincere tone of voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± Adva lifted her head and looked at him. ¡°Thank you for everything you have done. Don¡¯t stress over things you had no control over. You have done all you can for me, and my team and I thank you for that,¡± Liam said. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me. I¡¯m going to try and rest for a bit more.¡± Adva nodded as she slowly made her way to the door. She grabbed the door and was about to close it, but stopped. She looked at him once more and said before closing the door, ¡°You¡¯re a good boy. Don¡¯t let that change. When you leave here and truly enter the world of Paracosm, don¡¯t let the harshness and negativity change you.¡± Liam stared at her as he let her words sink in. He thought about his past before coming to this place. All the things that happened around him, what the madness brought, how it changed everyone, and lastly, the things he had to do. A sad expression grew on his face as he thought to himself, You wouldn¡¯t say that if you knew. He then shook his head and opened his wardrobe feature. He looked over his armor set and noticed something was missing. It was his Kassan¡¯s Beginner¡¯s Goggles. They weren¡¯t there. Where did my goggles go? Liam panicked internally as he scoured his inventory. They weren¡¯t there. Where the hell did my goggles go? Liam thought. Did something happen to them? His eyes then landed on the new pair he had gotten. As he looked at them he thought to himself, Is that why I got these as a reward? I got these because I lost my original pair of goggles?
¡°Focus Liam. I¡¯ll explain what happened to your old goggles later¡­ - Eri.¡±
Liam shook his head. He was distracted. He needed to change clothes and leave as fast as he could. He placed the goggles in the slot where his old goggles were and quickly pressed the change button as he pulled the blankets off of him and stepped out away from the bed.
¡°Liam, you need to get out of there now. ¨C Eri.¡±
Why what¡¯s wro¡­ Liam questioned as he started to move. Before he could move to the window and finish what he was asking, he heard steps coming from the other side of the door. They were fast, almost like someone was running. His brows scrunched as he tried to determine how close the person was to the door from the sound of the footsteps and found they were closing in on the room fast. He tried to activate his Veil of Shadows as he moved to the window sill.
¡°Don¡¯t waste time using that ability. Just get out of there. Now! ¨C Eri.¡±
He looked out and noticed it led into an alleyway. He didn¡¯t listen to her as he felt his ability start to wrap around him while he climbed halfway through the window, however, after a second had passed he felt his ability fail. As he felt the effects start to dissipate he turned to look at the door and saw Nalia barge in and turn to stare at him. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam muttered before throwing his other leg over the edge and started to sprint. Tutorial 139 - A Fun Hectic Chaotic escape
¡°Run Liam! ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Get back here!¡± Nalia shouted as she sprinted for the window. She popped her head out to see he was already turning from the alleyway into the street. She jumped out and started her chase. As Liam turned into the main street he was surprised to see the scene before him. The street wasn¡¯t as empty as it normally was around this time in the morning. It was full of people walking on foot or filling up carriages with boxes or other containers. The large Yooperlite overhead had started to brighten up bringing light upon this small town. He turned around to look back into the alleyway and saw Nalia jump out of the window. ¡°God damn it,¡± Liam cursed before he started to sprint through the ever changing obstacle course that was presented in front of him. As he ran in and out of the traffic, jumping to the side of the people that wouldn¡¯t get out of the way, Liam tried to get his bearings and figure out where he was in the town. After a few seconds he figured out he was close to the middle of the town. Shouts escaped from the lips of people he was trying to pass by as they noticed him running. ¡°Watch it!¡± a man shouted. ¡°Slow down!¡± A woman yelled. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Liam heard Nalia yell out. He turned around to see she was shoving people to the side, trying to make them get out of her way. The people that weren¡¯t being pushed by her as she made her way to Liam noticed what she was doing and yelled at her to stop causing a scene. She glared at them, but didn¡¯t stop to give them a piece of her mind. Instead, she kept her eyes on Liam.
¡°Liam, look out! ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam spun his head back to look forward. He let out a yelp as he almost ran into a stack of boxes sitting in the middle of the road. At the last second, he stomp his foot down and spun around the right side of the boxes. Right into a person who was carrying a barrel. Both Liam and the man collided and fell to the ground. Liam shook his head as he tried to get back up. The person who he had ran into was already on his feet glaring down at Liam. ¡°What the hell is your problem,¡± the man scowled as he looked down at Liam. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m in a hurry and I didn¡¯t¡­,¡± Liam tried to say until the man reached down and gripped the collar of his shirt.
¡°She¡¯s closing in on you fast. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care about your excuses mate. You just destroyed my barrel full of cab¡­,¡± the man roared. He had a fist form and was ready to throw it at Liam. Liam didn¡¯t wait for him to finish as he felt Nalia closing in on him. Liam gripped the man¡¯s wrist with his left hand and twisted it. He felt the man release his grip, which surprised him. The man was even more surprised as Liam grabbed and pushed the inside of the man¡¯s bicep, spinning him around right into Nalia, sending them both to the ground. ¡°Sorry!¡± Liam shouted as he started to run again. Nalia growled as she pushed the man off of her and got back up onto her feet. She restarted her chase for Liam shortly after that, leaving the confused man on his back. ¡°Quit fucking running!¡± Nalia yelled. ¡°Hell no!¡± Liam shouted back before seeing a group of people wearing a uniform he didn¡¯t recognize not too far ahead. They wore a white shirt with a golden eye on it with chain mail that poked out from the bottom and the arms of the shirt. They had plate mail looking leggings and a helmet. They didn¡¯t look like people from the Training Hall or the Magic Tower. They looked more like security of some sort. Who the hell are these guys? Liam thought as he saw them slowly turn their heads to look at him.
¡°They are a group from the All Knowing Eye. A group of trained warriors who worship Isis. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Stop that man!¡± Nalia yelled out to the new group of people. The group of men didn¡¯t hesitate as they rushed towards Liam.
¡°Turn down the road to your right. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam listened and turned down the street Eri suggested. This one was just as busy, but a lot narrower. This was the road that held majority of the stalls where people sold their items and food products. Now it was full of people tearing down the stalls. Poles, tents, boxes, and more littered the road. ¡°Shit, this was a bad idea,¡± Liam said as he tried to make his way through it without running into anything or anyone.
¡°Stop complaining and keep moving forward. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam let out a displeased grunt as he pushed his way through the crowd. People yelled and scowled as he tried to push through them. Liam heard someone complained that young people these days were always in a hurry. As he made it to the middle of the roadway the crowd had started to thicken. He tried to push his way pass someone, but failed. It felt like the person was a boulder. He tried to move to the side, but more people got in his way. ¡°Fuck, come on people. Move!¡± Liam shouted. The people around him turned and glared at him. They didn¡¯t say anything, but instead continued to stand there. He turned to look behind him and saw the people from the group Eri had told him about were quickly moving people to the side and getting closer to him. He then looked back at the crowd in front of him and noticed more people wearing the same uniform coming down from the other side of the road. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m trapped,¡± Liam muttered to himself.
¡°Liam, do you see that stack of boxes and barrels to your left. The ones next to the stall that hasn¡¯t been torn down yet. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam turned his head and saw what she was talking about. Yeah I see them¡­why?
¡°Climb up them and try using the tarp above the stall as a trampoline to launch yourself to the roof. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam looked at the building close to the tarp. It was a two story building. The stall was only half of the building and looked flimsy. You¡¯re kidding right? That thing will break once when I try to bounce off of it. Liam complained.
¡°No, it won¡¯t. Trust me. ¨C Eri.¡±
Yes it will. This isn¡¯t a movie. The tarp wont magically hold my weight like its made out of some magical material¡­ Liam started to argue until he realized what kind of world he was now in.
¡°*Raises one brow* ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was about to say something again, but then heard one of the men chasing yell out, ¡°Stop where you are!¡±
¡°Quit your bitching and just do it. Now! ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam grumbled as he made his way to the wall where the boxes and barrels were stacked in a way that allowed him to climb up next to the stall. Once when he made it to the top he heard someone shout out, ¡°What do you think you are doing? Get off of that right now! Guards!¡± Liam ignored the salesman, took a couple of breathes and then jumped. He felt his legs push down onto the top of the stall and for a moment he truly believed he was going to go right through. Then all of a sudden he was shot up into the air, arms flailing around as his body sailed towards the top of the building. He was almost within reaching distances of the ledge and was reaching both arms out to grab the edge, but then his speed slowed down. He felt panic rise as the tips of his fingers were inches away from the ledge. The panic rose immensely as he felt his ascent momentum stop and was starting to fall back down. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam yelled as he started to fall. His descent stopped as two pairs of hands suddenly reached out and grabbed his. He looked up to see Blair and Avery pulling him up to the roof. ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam said as he planted his feet down on the side of the building and moved them to help push himself up. He was panting a bit. Once when he was fully on the roof he added, ¡°I thought I was going to fall back down there for a second.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°No problem,¡± Blair stated. ¡°We were told to get up here and try to catch you.¡± ¡°We need to move. Those guys are still pursuing us. I think I hear some coming up the stairs to get up here,¡± Avery announced ¡°Where do we go from here?¡± Liam asked. ¡°If their coming up the stairs then our escape is cut off.¡± Blair looked around. After scanning the area she said, ¡°No it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked as he looked in the direction she was staring at. It was the other roofs of the buildings. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­,¡± Liam started until Eri popped in.
¡°Start hopping those roofs. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°God damn it,¡± Liam complained as he took in some air before following Avery and Blair. The roofs of these buildings were close enough to each other that hopping over to the next ones wasn¡¯t that hard. ¡°I thought you guys would have left by now,¡± Liam said as they ran and hopped. ¡°Nabal had come by each of our rooms and informed us about what was going on,¡± Blair started. ¡°However, as soon as we walked out of the building we saw those golden eye bastards making their way to us,¡± Avery continued. ¡°That was when Eri warned us about them and that you were being chased by Nalia.¡± ¡°And since we were closest to you, she told us where to go and to catch you,¡± Blair finished before she skid to a halt. Liam and Avery came to a stop and looked at the reason why Blair had. The next roof was across the road and the gap was not a small one. Liam heard the shouts of men as they ran out of a door a few buildings down. They looked around and spotted the three they were pursuing and started for them. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Liam asked. ¡°We need to get over there,¡± Blair stated. ¡°How?¡± Liam asked. ¡°By jumping of course,¡± Blair smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know but¡­,¡± Liam started to complain. He hadn¡¯t told them about the Stat Shatter Debuff that was still plaguing him. ¡°We know about your predicament,¡± Avery stated. ¡°Just trust us.¡± Liam let out a gust of air before calming himself down. He then looked at her and said, ¡°I trust you guys.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Avery smiled before she started chanting, ¡°Wind, light and ferocious. Aid and help me. Gather around and cover me. Lighten the gravity that defies you. Light as a Feather!¡± Liam watched as a small gust of wind outlined Avery¡¯s figure. Her hair flitted and fluttered as the wind moved around her. After she finished she took a few steps back, gave him a wink and said, ¡°See you on the other side.¡± She then sprinted as fast as she could towards the edge of the building. Once when she reached the ledge, she bent her knees down and then pushed herself as hard and far as she could. Liam watched as she soared through the air. Her body launched up in an angle. Once when it reached a certain altitude, she started to descend. However instead of falling straight down fast like a rock after being thrown, her descent was angled like the wind lightened her mass and allowed her to fall at a thirty-five degree angle. This trajectory allowed her to land her feet right on the edge of the building she aimed for. Liam was shocked and surprised at what he saw. He knew Light as a Feather helped lighten the body but he didn¡¯t know it could do something like that. ¡°She must have leveled it up and got it to add some new thing to the ability or something,¡± Liam muttered as he tried to think about it. Blair suddenly grabbed Liam¡¯s arm and pulled him back some. ¡°Come on. We need to hurry as well.¡± Liam was brought out of his thoughts and looked at her. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to make it ov¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about that for now. Just go!¡± Blair shouted. Liam looked behind him and saw the men chasing them getting closer. He looked back at where Avery was, took a deep breath, let it out, and yelled as he started running, ¡°Fuck it! Don¡¯t think, React it is then!¡± He mimicked Avery¡¯s movements as he ran towards the edge. As soon as his feet touched the ledge he bent his knees, and then jumped. He didn¡¯t make it far before he started falling. However, before he could drop straight down like a stone, he felt something hook under his armpits and was yanked back into the air. He let out a surprise yell before looking up to see Blair right above him. Her wings stretched out as wide as she could. They were gliding in the air. Liam let out a short laugh before yelling out, ¡°God damn it. You should have said you were going to do this in the first place.¡± Blair smirked before she commented, ¡°A girl has to make surprises here and there every now and then.¡± Liam shook his head as they approached the roof of the building they aimed for. As soon as they reached it, Blair let Liam go allowing him to land on his feet before folding her wings and making them disappear. ¡°Okay, that was cool,¡± Liam smirked. ¡°No time to be amazed we still need to get out of here,¡± Avery said as they made their way to the door that led to the stairs. Avery, Blair, and Liam reappeared out from the building as they rushed out and looked around. The road was packed with people making it hard to tell if there were any more of the people from the All Knowing Eye around. ¡°Jesus, how are we supposed to make it through this giant crowd of people?¡± Avery complained as she tried to figure which way to go.
¡°Taking care of it now. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam made a confused look as he looked at the other two and noticed they had the same expression. ¡°What does she mean by¡­,¡± Blair started to ask until a scream suddenly filled the area. A few more screams were let out as the crowd of people from their left started to move back. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± someone yelled out. ¡°Who let their pet loose!?¡± another shouted. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s my roast pig!¡± another complained. ¡°Run its coming this way!¡± a female screamed in fright. Avery, Blair, and Liam watched as the crowd start to make its way to the right, clearing a path and revealing a white crocodile like creature with six legs hissing and snapping its jaws. It would have looked menacing to the trio if they didn¡¯t know who it was. A voice called out, scolding the creature, ¡°No, bad Barty! You weren¡¯t supposed to steal that man¡¯s food. If you were that hungry I would have bought it for you.¡± Liam looked at Bartholomule. He noticed a part of a bone sticking out from the side of his mouth with some type of sauce smeared around his scales near that area. It let out a happy trill as it opened its mouth and sucked the rest of the bone in before chomping back down and swallowing. It padded its feet merrily before spinning around. Liam wasn¡¯t sure, but it looked like it was some sort of happy dance. Liam let out a small chuckle before the three made their way over to Ariyana and Bartholomule the Albino Crocolisk. Liam was about to say something until his Danger Sense suddenly flared up covering his entire head. He looked up to see two rocks flying right for them. The speed they were falling was too fast for them to respond. However, right before they could land right on top of them two arrows collided and made them burst. Liam saw Mercer a bit further down the road waving his arms telling them to hurry up and head towards him. Liam then turned around and saw Nalia was running through the panicked crowd with a group of men from the All Knowing Eye. ¡°Shit, time to go!¡± Liam called out. Ariyana recalled Bartholomule back into his tattoo form before she started to run with them. As soon as the four of them caught up with Mercer, he scolded while running, ¡°God damn it Ariyana. You were supposed to just disperse the crowd not attract attention and alert them to where we are.¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not my fault Barty was hungry. Plus that man was an asshole. He tried grabbing my ass. I am not sorry for my little man stealing his food,¡± Ariyana pouted as they ran. Liam shook his head and let out a small laugh. The others looked at him and after a brief moment laughed with him. After his laughing died down, Liam took in his surroundings. He knew where they were now. They were on the main road that led to the Portal Area. They were almost there. As soon as they made it to the edge of the town all they had to do was run up the slope and rush through the portal. However, as soon as he saw the edge of the town he noticed a group of men wearing the All Knowing Eye uniform standing in a line, blocking their way. ¡°Shit! They¡¯re blocking the way out. What are we going to do? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to get through,¡± Liam called out. Mercer grinned as he responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We have two who are especially suited for something like this.¡± Liam looked confused and was about to ask what he meant until he heard someone let out a loud battle cry. On the right side of the group of men, a large figure suddenly plowed right through them from behind, causing them to fall face first into the dirt. On the other side, flashes of light sparked before a group of men tensed up and arcs of lightning bounced around them. It was Artem and Roman. The rest of the men who weren¡¯t affected by the attacks turned around with surprised looks on their faces. They weren¡¯t able to react before Liam, Blair, Avery, Ariyana, and Mercer shoulder chucked them as they passed, causing them to spin and lose their balance before falling to their sides. Roman let out a laugh as he and Artem joined them in running. ¡°What took you so long? Did sleeping beauty here not want to wake up or something?¡± Roman teased playfully. ¡°Hey, when the nap is so good you just don¡¯t want to get up,¡± Liam commented back, huffing as he pushed forward. He really didn¡¯t like his Sub-stats being halved like this. It made him feel like when he had just entered this new place and his stamina was so low. He pulled out a Weak Orange Stamina Potion and drank it to replenish his Stamina Bar. He felt the exhaustion that was piling up slowly disappear as he started his climb up the slope. Halfway up, the group saw a dirt wall suddenly appear, blocking their path. ¡°Roman, Artem. Alleyoop!¡± Blair called out. Roman turned around and clasped his hands together allowing Blair to place a foot on them without stopping and launched her up high enough for her to step on Artem¡¯s shield. Artem gave her an extra boost up in the air. Blair spun fast in a front flip motion. Her axe suddenly appeared in her hands spinning along with her as she appeared above the dirt wall. She used the momentum as she came down to slam her hard covered scaled axe right through the middle of the wall. The force of the spin and the hard scales destroyed a big enough gap for them to squeeze through as she placed her weapon back into her inventory. After they made it pass the wall they saw a group of people lined up waiting to enter the portal. Standing next to a person in front of the large multi colored portal was a familiar figure. It was Phorge. He saw them rushing up and was about to wave until he saw a group of men yelling with Nalia in front of them. ¡°Stop them!¡± Nalia shouted. Phorge grew even more confused as he watched this. He then noticed the direction of where the group of seven were running towards and they were not slowing down. The official standing next to him started to panic and shake as he took a step forward and threw his arms out, hoping the running group of seven would slow down. Phorge didn¡¯t know what was going on, but even he knew what the outcome would be if he didn¡¯t move the scared person next to him. ¡°Get out of the way you idiot,¡± Phorge stated as he grabbed the person by the shoulders and pulled him out of the way. ¡°Hey!¡± the official complained as he was thrown to the side. He then watched and listened as the group approached and said something to him before running through the portal. ¡°Thank you for everything, Phorge!¡± Artem yelled leading the pack. ¡°You¡¯re the man Phorge!¡± Roman stated before diving into the portal. ¡°You¡¯re awesome Phorge!¡± Avery shouted before sprinting through. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, thank you for everything Phorge,¡± Mercer smiled as he waved at the Goliath before running through. ¡°Thank you for your guidance Phorge,¡± Blair stated as she nodded at him before entering the portal. ¡°Thanks for everything Porgy,¡± Ariyana smiled as she winked at him before hopping through the portal with her feet tucked under her. Liam slid to a halt in front of the portal and looked at the tall muscular man. Out of breath and breathing deeply, Liam gave the man a grin. ¡°You lot look like you¡¯re having fun,¡± Phorge stated as he looked down at the small male. He gave him a smile. ¡°Oh, you know how it is. If we¡¯re going to go out then you might as well do it with style,¡± Liam stated as he brought a fist up and left it out in front of him. Phorge looked at it with a confused look. A light bulb popped in his mind as he said while gently tapping his own fist against Liam¡¯s, ¡°You must be from that Earth planet. I don¡¯t know any other planet that does this.¡± Liam grinned widely before saying, ¡°It wasn¡¯t long, but thank you for all that you have done. Also apologize to Adva for me please.¡± Phorge gave him a confused look as he asked, ¡°What for?¡± Liam turned his attention to Nalia who was speedily approaching them. As she was running as fast as she could, Liam yelled out, ¡°Hey Nalia¡­¡± She gave him a confused look, but before she could say anything Liam lifted both his hands up and flipped her his middle fingers as he shouted before jumping backwards into the portal, ¡°Fuck off you Weasel Bitch.¡± Phorge let out a loud bellowing laugh as he watched Liam disappear into the portal. Nalia came to a stop right in front of it. She turned her attention on to the tall muscular male and glowered, ¡°What the hell did you let them through for? You worthless piece of shit!¡± Phorge looked at her and noticed her entire face was beat red with rage. As his laughter died down he said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember taking orders from someone like you. They have the right to leave. They have not done anything wrong, so why should I have stopped them from leaving this place?¡± ¡°They had information on what had happened inside that portal. We needed to¡­,¡± Nalia started to argue. ¡°You need to leave them alone,¡± Phorge cut her off. All laughter ceased to exist from his face. ¡°Look, I want to know what happened in there just as much as you do, but the way you went about it was not correct. I would run too if an army of men started chasing me.¡± Nalia was about to say something but was cut off once more. ¡°Also, when did these men come in? There''s no record of them coming in when this portal was created.¡± Phorge eyed the beast-kin woman who was glaring at him. ¡°And I would know since I was in charge of guarding this place and taking in any and all personnel using this portal.¡± Nalia didn¡¯t say anything. She just kept staring at him. Phorge then said in a low threatening voice, ¡°That tells me that there is a chance they were here the entire time. Hiding. Which begs me to ask¡­why was there a group of your men hiding here in this Tutorial Dungeon Area without the proper authorization. What is that goddess of yours planning Nalia?¡± Nalia kept her gaze on the man. After a moment of silence had passed, she responded, ¡°The actions and plans of a goddess more dignified than yours is not for you to interpret.¡± She then turned around and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. I have work to do before we leave this gods forsaken place.¡± Phorge eyed the woman with suspicious eyes as she and the large group of men followed her away from the area before turning back to his duties. Before Nalia started down the stairs, she turned her head and eyed the portal. She then looked back at the Black Tutorial Dungeon and thought about the events that happened the other night. When the black portal started to go haywire and changed she stared at it with not just shock, but with a hint of recognition. She had never seen this portal before. She knew she hadn¡¯t. But for some reason, she felt like she had. No. Not her, but the one she shared a connection with and who was able to see through her eyes at any given time. As she stared at the portal during that time that night she felt that person¡¯s rage and¡­fear. What that person was afraid of she didn¡¯t know, but lately Nalia has found out there has been a lot of confusing things happening that left her confused. The most recent thing that left her confused and enrage was the one she was trying to get her hands on the most. That Liam guy. She let out a breath of frustrated air before turning back around and walking away. I¡¯ll find you out there. Just you wait. And when I do no one will be able to save you from me. Tutorial 140 - Epilogue The night sky was starting to fade as morning slowly approached. As the sun breached through the darkness around one side of the world, darkness blanketed the once bright sky on the other side. As both of these things happened, seven people began their ascent onto this vast new world they were brought to. Unbeknownst to them, as soon as the last member stepped out from the portal they had walked through all the dungeons portals, Divine Portals, and Forbidden Portals rippled like a rock was thrown into a still pond. As the portals began to ripple an unseen power shot out from them and washed over the world. A woman wearing a white robe with a golden eye across the chest area, felt the power ripple through the world inside the Divine Portal area and let out a gasp. ¡°What was that?¡± she questioned as she stood up. She then turned to look at a woman who was staring out into this space she called home with an ugly angry expression upon her face as she tightened her grip on a glass goblet. The glass goblet in this woman¡¯s hand suddenly shattered as glass pieces shot out like a shotgun blast, sending not only chunks of the material, but also liquid that was resting inside. ¡°She failed,¡± the woman seethed. ¡°Who failed, my lady?¡± the robe wearing priest woman asked. ¡°My Champion,¡± the woman stated with much hate. ¡°She allowed something to escape her grasp and enter our beautiful and orderly world.¡± Confused, the priest asked with some hesitancy, ¡°What was it she allowed to escape? Surely with your powers you would be able to see where it escaped to.¡± ¡°No,¡± the woman replied before turning around and making her way to a chair that sat in the middle of the pearly white room. ¡°What escaped can not be tracked or seen with my eyes.¡± The priest let out a gasp at the divine woman¡¯s words. ¡°There can not be anything that has the power capable to do that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± the woman agreed before sitting down on the chair and staring down at the priest woman before her. The priest dropped to her knees and stared at the ground, not daring to look into her deity¡¯s eyes. ¡°There is nothing currently here on this planet that has the power to do so. However, that is only here. This¡­person.¡± She said the word with much venom. ¡°Does not have the power to defy me, but whoever is backing him does. And that, my little lamb, is the reason why I didn¡¯t want it stepping into our world.¡± The priest was confused by what the woman had said to her. Thoughts raced her mind as she tried to think about who or what her deity could be referring to. As these thoughts started to stir a sudden pain pierced her mind. The pain was so sudden she was shocked at first, but then understood what was going on. ¡°You do not have the right to ask or even think about things above your existence. When you reach my level then you¡¯ll have the right. For now¡­don¡¯t think about them,¡± the woman warned and scolded. ¡°Yes, my lady. I apologize for over stepping my boundaries,¡± the priest woman stated as she felt the pain cease. The woman let out a breath. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. It is not your fault. Being curious and wanting to know things you don¡¯t know is my very nature that I have instilled upon you,¡± the woman said with a sad smile. She then looked up at the massive golden eye floating above her in the air. Several smaller golden eyes floated around it, turning, looking, and collecting. ¡°It seems the other gods have felt the disturbance as well,¡± she said. ¡°Not surprising since it¡¯s been ages since the last time something new happened and disturbed the order of things¡­¡± A sudden thought came to mind as her thoughts ran wild for a moment. ¡°Could it be¡­,¡± she started to say softly. Her words were so soft the priest kneeling before her almost thought she didn¡¯t say anything at all. ¡°But it couldn¡¯t¡­but then again¡­no. There¡¯s no way that would happen.¡± ¡°Um¡­,¡± the priest woman started up, hating herself for letting her tongue slip. The divine woman before looked back at her with a raised brow waiting for her to continue, already knowing what she was going to ask. ¡°What could it be that there¡¯s no way it could happen?¡± the woman asked with some fear in her voice. The woman looked down at her priest, she was both proud and frustrated with her priest to actually go through asking her the question. She answered her not because she felt the woman deserved to have a reply, but to again remind her of her place. ¡°It is part of the knowledge I told you is above your existence¡­however, I will say that it has to do with a group of certain individuals we had¡­locked away a very long time ago.¡± The priest woman was about to ask another question, but was stopped as the deity before her swished her hand in a dismissive gesture telling the priest to get out of her sight. The priest woman complied as she stood up, bowed and walked away. I know there is no way it could happen¡­but that power¡­that power that pulsed out from those damn portals held the same feeling as theirs. It can¡¯t be a coincidence¡­can it? Isis thought to herself. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Not wanting to think more on it, she closed her eyes and allowed the images of her followers throughout the world to flow into her, allowing her to see what they saw. She needed to find these individuals and figure out who or what they were, before it ruined everything she and all those who sided with her had made these past hundreds of years. I will not allow them to rule above us again. We are the supreme. Not them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eri let out a long playful laugh as she laid back onto her bed. She could feel a sliver of power tingle over her skin. It wasn¡¯t a lot. It was barely enough for her to even feel it touch her. But it was there. How long¡­how long has it been since I have felt the power of my nature spread and touch others? Eri thought to herself. She smiled as she saw the faint glow of black mixed with different shades of red lightly run over her body. She ran a hand along her arm as she thought to herself, They didn¡¯t even leave the Tutorial Area and they already create some chaos. The way they did it and the final touch my champion made before leaving. Ha. That was just perfect. I bet that scum Isis is reeling right now. Gah, I wish I could have seen the look on her face. Eri stared at the ceiling of her prison. The same shade of obsidian stone seemed to have a new light today. It was a good sign. It meant her champion was starting to create ripples without his knowledge of doing so. She thought about Liam. He had so many qualities that made him the perfect Champion for her. She didn¡¯t think someone like him would ever appear. The more she thought about him and what coursed through his body the more that smile that she had faded into an upside down one. The fact that he was a perfect choice for a champion for her was also the sad part. He had a long road ahead of him and he didn¡¯t even realize it. She couldn¡¯t tell him due to some bullshit magic, probably her sister made, that prevented her from telling him until he got stronger. All she could do was find ways to help prevent his downfall from happening. To prevent the chances of the madness her nature brought from claiming his mind and turning him into¡­she shook her head forcing herself to forget. She then turned her gaze back to the water bowl close by her. As she stared at it she realized she had forgotten to tell them something really important. She had forgotten to tell them that once they step through the portal they would all be separated from each other. They would be sent to some random city that resonated with their race. Eri shrugged. ¡°Oh well, I¡¯ll just have to watch and see what kind of mischief they¡¯ll create while separated from each other.¡± A smile slowly formed back on her face as she let out a small chaotic giggle. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of chaos he will create.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A man stood on a balcony as he watched the sun set in the far off distance. He admired and enjoyed watching the scenery before him. He wasn¡¯t very tall nor was he short. He wore a black tank top, black shorts, and a pair of matching boots to enjoy the nice breeze that gently blew over him. A few people sat around or near the man fiddling with whatever was in front of them. One chomped down on a large piece of meat that was cooked on the bone. This man was bigger and wider than everyone there. A woman sat close to the man who was staring out at the setting sun, polishing the metal staff she had on her lap. She wore a clean white robe with green patterns across it. On top of her head was a weird looking cap. Another man sharpened his sword. He was shorter than everyone in the group. The armor he wore resembled that of a samurai. The man felt a presence make itself known as he deactivated his illusionary field. ¡°For fucks sake mate,¡± the man sharpening his sword cursed. ¡°I almost threw my sword at you. How many times have I told you not to do that?¡± The newcomer smiled as he looked at the swordsman. ¡°Good to see you too.¡± ¡°Glad to see you back,¡± the man staring out at the distance said. He didn¡¯t turn to look at the man. He did smile though. ¡°Did you enjoy taking my place, Nabal?¡± ¡°I would be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t entertaining,¡± Nabal started. ¡°Oh?¡± the man started. ¡°I take it something fun happened? Did you finally meet someone who interests you and make him your apprentice?¡± Nabal gave the man a slight smile before replying, ¡°As a matter of fact. Yes, I did.¡± The other members of the group stopped what they were doing to stare at Nabal. ¡°Are you serious?¡± the man eating the meat said after coughing from a piece of meat sliding down the wrong pipe. He had an accent similar to an Irish one, but with a deep tone to it. Nabal turned his gaze on him and replied, ¡°Yes. I can proudly say I have an apprentice who exceeded my requirements.¡± ¡°How?¡± the shorter man questioned. His voice was a bit gruff but also kind of high pitch. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone would have passed those outrageous requirements you placed.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone would either, but he did with flying colors,¡± Nabal stated. He then turned back to the giant male and added, ¡°I think you¡¯d find an interest in him as well, as a fellow Crafter.¡± ¡°Oh? The boy has some talent in the crafting arts does he?¡± the bulky male questioned. ¡°You should ask Fia and Galin next time you see them. They were his mentors in their respected crafts,¡± Nabal responded. The man let out a hearty laugh as spital flew from his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s disgusting. How many times have I told you not to do that,¡± the woman scolded. Her voice had an accent similar to a British woman. The man ignored her as he slapped his knee. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Little Fia and Little Galin in quite some time. If they took a liking to the boy then my interest is piqued.¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± The man still facing the view before him started. ¡°How did the boy pass?¡± ¡°If I am to be honest¡­he pulled a you,¡± Nabal answered. ¡°What does that mean?¡± the woman asked, curiously. ¡°He¡¯s not some genius that beat my challenge right off the bat. He couldn¡¯t keep up with me. His reaction speed was horrible and got easily distracted with the first couple tries. However, do you want to know what he did before his last try?¡± ¡°What?¡± the woman asked. ¡°He grinned. He had a goofy idiotic grin on his face. It took me by surprise at first so I asked why he was grinning when he should have been frustrated. Do you want to know what he said?¡± The two men and woman facing him nodded, excited to hear. ¡°He said he couldn¡¯t help it. He always grinned when he faced challenges. It was¡­a habit.¡± The man flinched as he listened. He then stated, ¡°That does sound like something I would do. What¡¯s the boy¡¯s name?¡± ¡°His name is Liam,¡± Nabal answered as he watched the man slowly turn, grinning wildly. ¡°Is that so?¡± he said as he stared at Nabal. ¡°Do you know him?¡± Nabal questioned. ¡°I might. If it is who I think it is then it¡¯s about time he appeared here,¡± the man stated. Everyone looked at him. This was a new thing for them. They had never seen him be interested in anyone who had recently migrated to this world. Well, except for two boys that appeared together and started creating a storm wherever they went. Till this day they still hear the things those two do. It gets even funnier for them when they hear about them coming across each other¡¯s paths. When that happened fights beyond what many could handle happened. The man turned to look back at the now dark sky filling up with stars. He then thought to himself, I¡¯m glad to know you made it here safely. Now I pray this world doesn¡¯t eat you up. I know how you can be and if you let things get to you too much then this world might not be able to handle what you hold inside. Stay strong and get stronger. Adventure 141 - The first step into a new Reality Liam stepped out from the portal exit. His front end was staring at the portal with his hands still up flipping the portal off, chuckling. His chuckling ceased as he heard someone let out a cough behind him. Liam¡¯s hands dropped to his side and turned to tell his teammates what he did, but stopped as he stared at a tall muscular man wearing a blue buttoned up uniform. He had orange hair with black stripes that matched his round tiger-like ears and tail that swished slowly back and forth behind him. He had an unamused expression resting on his face as he looked at his clipboard and asked with a bored tone, ¡°Name and location?¡± His voice was a bit deep. Liam blinked a couple of times as he stared at him, unsure what was going on. Since he and his team had to run out of the Tutorial Area quickly he didn¡¯t know what to expect after walking out of the portal. Liam looked around the room to get a better understanding of his surroundings. It was a white plain room with a couple of desks. Two beast-kin people with lion like features stood by the only door in the room. A woman sat at one of the desks writing some stuff down. She had blond hair wrapped up in a bun and glasses over her green eyes. Some kind of horns poked out from her head and arched up a bit, not giving Liam any clue what kind of Beast-kin she was. She wore a business like dress. Next to this woman¡¯s desk was a table with a machine that kind of looked like a scanner. It was small and a design Liam had never seen before. A crystal ball sat on a stand with a couple of clear tubes running from the stand to the machine. The tiger-folk standing in front of him sighed as he repeated, ¡°Name and location?¡± Liam looked back at him and responded, ¡°My name is Liam. As for location¡­I don¡¯t know where I am or where I¡¯m going.¡± The man raised a brow as he looked down at him. Liam saw him give him an expression that said, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re trying to be funny or not, but I¡¯m not in the mood for games. The man then said, ¡°Please don¡¯t play games with me Sir. If you don¡¯t tell me what location you came from I will have to send you back through the portal.¡± Liam tilted his head a bit to the side and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure it is possible to do that. But if you are not asking where I am or would like to go to then it should be safe to assume that you¡¯re asking where I came from. If so then I just came from a Tutorial Area.¡± The Tiger-folk¡¯s expression changed a bit as he looked down at Liam. His brows scrunched as he asked, ¡°Are you telling me you are a newly integrated person to our world?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes I am.¡± The man eyed Liam up and down. A frown formed on the man¡¯s lips as he stated, ¡°If that is so then why did you appear here? Only newly integrated Beast-kins would arrive to an Arkadian location when entering our world.¡± ¡°Ah I am a beast-kin,¡± Liam responded. ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± the man argued. ¡°Yes. I am,¡± Liam countered. ¡°I¡¯m a Ca¡­¡± Liam caught himself before saying exacting what he was. He quickly corrected himself by saying, ¡°I¡¯m a Cat-folk Beast-kin. You can see it in my eyes. See.¡± Liam pointed to his eyes and allowed the irises and pupils to thin into slits before returning them to normal. The man looked and saw what he was saying. However, shortly after that he stated in a soft growl, ¡°So you¡¯re half breed huh.¡± As soon as the man said this he realized why the man¡¯s bored expression turned into a slightly hostile one. This man was someone who he was warned about. He was a full blood supremist. A cough echoed from behind the man. Both Liam and the man turned to see the woman with the horns make her way over to them. ¡°That is quite enough Larry. I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± the woman stated. Larry, the Tiger-folk, glared at her and was about to say something, but the woman cut him off by saying, ¡°You know newly integrated people are my responsibility. And since you do not seem to be in the mood to properly explain things nor look to want to give proper guidance, I will do it for you.¡± Larry scowled and was about to say something, but then saw the two Lion-like men staring at him. He then looked back at the woman and replied, ¡°Fine, take it from here and explain to this¡­half breed,¡± Larry narrowed his eyes at Liam while gritting the words, ¡°how things are done around here.¡± ¡°Thank you Larry,¡± the woman smiled as she watched the man walk back to the desk. Once when he sat back down she turned to Liam, stuck a hand out, and greet with the best smile she could give, ¡°Greetings, Mr. Liam and welcome to the Arkadian Empire. I will be your guide and help you understand some rules you will need to know while visiting our Kingdom. My name is Lucilindiana. You can call me Lucy. I am an Impala from the Antelope-folk Beast-kin race. You said you were a Cat-Folk right?¡± Liam slowly reached out and shook her hand while responding, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good, good. What race of Cat-folk are you?¡± Lucy questioned as she started to write something down on her clipboard. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure,¡± Liam slowly said, trying to make it look like he didn¡¯t already know. ¡°What do you mean by race of Cat-folk? All of this is new to me, so I think I¡¯m having a hard time understanding certain terms.¡± ¡°That is quite alright. For newly integrated people things like this will be very confusing. From what I know many people who come to our planet have different countries and their races are considered what country they are from. I know there are other planets that have a more complicated system when it comes to their races, but I will go out on a limb here and say you come from the former, correct?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Good, good,¡± Lucy said as she wrote something down. ¡°What planet did you come from?¡± ¡°Earth,¡± Liam answered as a brow slowly rose. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s good to know. We haven¡¯t had many from that planet start here,¡± Lucy stated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can I ask why you¡¯re asking me personal questions?¡± Liam questioned as he eyed her suspiciously. ¡°Also where are we? Why haven¡¯t I seen anyone else come out of the portal?¡± Lucy looked at him with a slightly confused look on her face. ¡°Did¡­did they not explain the procedure for entering our world?¡± Liam looked at her with an equally confused look. With everything that had happened, he didn¡¯t think to ask what would happen the moment he went through the portal. He had just thought he would appear and that was it. He wasn¡¯t expecting to be questioned the moment he arrived. ¡°I apologize but no. My departure when I left the Tutorial Area was¡­rushed. No one had informed me what to expect,¡± Liam said while mentally kicking himself. Lucy let out a weary sigh as she placed a hand to her forehead. ¡°I swear. I don¡¯t know what those Overseers were thinking.¡± She then shook her head before looking back at Liam and saying with that smile she gave him earlier. ¡°Oh, well. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not the only one having to go through this. Anyways, when a new arrival walks through the Transportation Portal to exit the Tutorial Area, they arrive at a place that resonates with the race they are. For a half breed, one that has two different kinds of races or a Muddled Breed, one that has more than two races, the place they arrive at depends on which race is more prominent within them. For you, it happened to be your Cat-folk Beast-kin. What is your other race or races?¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Human,¡± Liam said without hesitating. He still didn¡¯t know what his other race was since the information still showed as sealed, so he went with what his physical features mainly showed. And that was Human. ¡°Human, got it,¡± Lucy said as she started to write it down. She then looked back at Liam and continued, ¡°What I am doing here now is asking you questions I can run through our system so I can make sure you¡¯re not wanted or banned from our Kingdom. This would be easier if you had an A.I.D., C.I.D., or a M.I.D.¡± Liam thought about what she was saying. Those acronyms were different forms of I.D.¡¯s that Galin had told him about. An A.I.D. was an Adventurer¡¯s I.D. A C.I.D. was a Crafter¡¯s I.D. And a M.I.D. was a Merchant¡¯s I.D. ¡°Those are the different types of identifications that allow me to do adventuring, crafting, or merchant stuff correct?¡± Liam asked, making sure he did remember it correctly. Lucy gave him an appraising smile as she said, ¡°Yes. That is correct. I¡¯m surprised you know about that, but not what happens when you first arrive to our world.¡± Liam gave her a sheepish look before saying, ¡°One of my Crafting Mentors told me about them.¡± ¡°Ah a Crafter I see,¡± Lucy started as she looked him over once more. ¡°What kind of crafting did you get a mentor in?¡± ¡°Blacksmithing and Alchemy,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I picked up some Tailoring, but never got a mentor in it. I have an interest in Enchanting and Rune Crafting though. I¡¯m hoping to find a mentor in those two areas as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Lucy noted down before looking back at him. She then stated with a bit of a chuckle, ¡°Well if you get any good at any of those then you¡¯ll have a bright future ahead of you. Many who turned away from adventuring have made a name for themselves through their crafts. However, I¡¯d advise you don¡¯t get your hopes up too much. Just like Adventuring, the Crafting Market is a very competitive field.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thank you,¡± Liam said as he nodded his head. A deep cough came from behind Liam, coming from Larry. It made Lucy shake her head before she stated, ¡°Getting back on track. Since you do not have any of the three I.D.¡¯s then we have to run your information through our system. Once when that is complete we¡¯ll know if you really did come from the Tutorial Area or not.¡± Liam¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What kind of system would allow you to know if I came from the Tutorial Area? I don¡¯t remember seeing any device taking our information down when I was there.¡± Lucy smiled. ¡°That is because there wasn¡¯t any device in the Tutorial Area. A device like that would be costly to transport there and to recalibrate to match the magic in the Tutorial Area.¡± Liam looked even more confused. ¡°Then how?¡± ¡°Do you remember something scanning you when you first arrived at the Tutorial Area?¡± Lucy asked. Liam slowly nodded. He did remember something like that happening. He and his teammates were freaked out about when it happened. ¡°That light that did some sort of assessment that helped determined what our starting class was and filled out my Character Sheet right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one,¡± Lucy nodded. ¡°When it did that, the magic not only created the character sheet for you to see it, but also sent information about you to the Magi-Net.¡± ¡°Magi-net? Also¡­it collected my information?¡± Liam asked as he stared at her feeling a bit uncomfortable. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit¡­invasive?¡± ¡°Ah I can see why you would feel that way, however you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Magi-Net is still new and doesn¡¯t collect a lot of information,¡± Lucy started to explain. ¡°Magi-Net is a Magical Network that collects information about newly integrated people. Right now, the only information it can really collect is your name, what Tutorial Dungeon you were assigned to, and that you were in the Tutorial Area. ¡°A group of Artificers came across this really old magical system sixty or so years ago and they¡¯re working on trying to repurpose it. I¡¯m not to privy on all the details. All I know is that it helps us determine if you really did come from a Tutorial Area or not.¡± ¡°Artificers are repurposing a really old magical system to collect information on newly integrated people? Yeah that sounds safe,¡± Liam muttered under his breath. ¡°What was that?¡± Lucy asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam quickly said. ¡°So how does it work? I¡¯m sure it takes more than a piece of paper for you to get accurate information.¡± ¡°You are correct,¡± Lucy smiled. ¡°After I write everything down I ask you, pertaining to this process, I will lead you to a crystal where you will channel some mana into it. As you channel your mana into the crystal the paper will run through a device. The magic inside the device will activate and it will verify if what you said is correct.¡± Liam narrowed his eyes. ¡°That sounds too simple.¡± ¡°I agree, but like I said, I¡¯m not too privy to all the details on how it works, only that it works,¡± Lucy stated. ¡°Now tell me, what dungeon were you assigned to in the Tutorial Area?¡± ¡°The Black Dungeon,¡± Liam answered. Lucy started to write the answer down, but then stopped. She looked at Liam and asked with a slightly confused looked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry which dungeon did you say you took on?¡± Liam caught the sudden tense in her body language. It was only for a moment, but he had caught it. ¡°The Black Tutorial Dungeon. Why? Is there an issue?¡± Liam asked. ¡°No, sorry. Its just¡­I haven¡¯t come across anyone who was assigned to that one before. You are a new experience for me,¡± Lucy said as she gave him another smile. Liam stared at her. The first time she smiled at him he thought it was forced, but now he knew she was in fact forcing that smile. ¡°Alright, come with me and we¡¯ll run this information through to see if you¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Lucy said as she lead him to the table with the crystal ball and scanner-like machine. As soon as they approached it, she turned to look at Liam, pointed to the crystal ball, and instructed, ¡°Once when I give the go ahead, channel some mana into the crystal ball and keep doing that until I say to stop. Liam nodded as he walked over to the ball. He watched as Lucy placed the paper she was writing on onto a tray. She then looked at Liam and said, ¡°Alright go ahead.¡± Liam looked at the crystal ball and placed a hand over it. He then started channeling his arcane mana and felt it start to get sucked into the crystal ball. The inside of the crystal ball lit up with the familiar violet color of Arcane Mana. As it did this, Liam watched as some of that mana entered through the clear tubes and make its way to the scanner-looking machine. The machine hummed to life the moment the Arcane Mana entered inside of it. The paper on the tray then slide into it. Several different colors flashed inside and through several small holes. This kept going for almost a minute before the paper slide out from the other side along with a new piece of paper. ¡°Okay, go ahead and stop,¡± Lucy informed as she grabbed both pieces of paper and looked them over. Liam stopped channeling his mana and looked at her. ¡°Alright, looks like all is in order. You did just come from a Tutorial Area and were assigned to a Black Dungeon,¡± Lucy stated with an appraising look. ¡°Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on passing the Tutorial and entering not only our Arkadian Kingdom, but the World of Paracosm as well.¡± She reached out a hand towards Liam. Liam looked at it at first before gripping it and thanking the woman. ¡°Now that that¡¯s over with. If you will follow me to the next room we can start the next round of screening,¡± Lucy informed as she turned around and walked towards the door. ¡°Next round of screening?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Yes,¡± Lucy started as they walked up to the door. ¡°Our Arkadian Kingdom have strict rules and policies we have in place before we let any outsides, whether they came from a Tutorial or a different country.¡± The two Lion-folk men gave Liam a quick glance before Lucy, and he walked through the door. On the other side was a hallway that ran both left and right. The walls were tannish and looked to be made of wood. It was made from different materials than the room he was in. ¡°We just have a few questions we would like to ask before we can determine if you are allowed to fully step foot into the Kingdom or not,¡± Lucy answered. ¡°This rule and policy is set in place to make sure no one¡­unsavory arrives and tries to start issues or a war. You understand right?¡± Liam nodded as he followed along with what she was saying. ¡°What kind of questions do you ask? How long will it take?¡± ¡°We have a few questions that range from what your goals will be to what you are expecting from entering our kingdom. You know questions like that. After that I have to send the application to a team where they review the information I send. It can take anywhere from five to fourteen days, depending on the traffic of applicants,¡± Lucy informed. ¡°Five to fourteen days?!¡± Liam exclaimed. ¡°What am I supposed to do for that long? What happens if I get rejected?¡± ¡°There is plenty to do while you wait on the island. You can apply at any of the three Associations. We have a market place, a library full of the Arkadian Kingdom History, crafter workshops, and a tower full of Dungeon Portals suitable for lower leveled Adventurers to at least level forty,¡± Lucy stated. ¡°It is rare for someone to get rejected, but if you do we will just send you to another country through the transportation portal.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°If that happens will I have to reapply for an A.I.D., C.I.D., or M.I.D.?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lucy replied as she stopped in front of a closed door. ¡°Those are your personal identifications the associations make for you as well as your identifications to carry with you.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam nodded as he watched her reach for the doorknob and opened the door. He then followed her inside the room. The room was a small plain one much like the last room he was in. It had one table, two chairs, and a hanging light with a dim Yooperlite stone as the bulb. There were no other doors nor windows and instead of it being white, it was a tannish brown. The floors, walls, and ceiling looked to be made of wood. ¡°Please take a seat on the other side of the table,¡± Lucy requested as she closed the door behind them. Liam did as she said and started to sit down. However, the moment he sat down, his ears wiggled as he heard something in the hall behind the door. It was footsteps. It wasn¡¯t one or two pairs. Instead, it was six pairs, and they were jogging. Confused, Liam was about to ask if something was going on, but before he could, the door suddenly burst open as someone barked with a deep growl, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Adventure 142 - Does he look like a Demon-kin to you? ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± Liam questioned, narrowing his eyes at Lucy while two men rushed over to both sides of the table and pointed their swords at Liam in a threatening manner. Lucy, who was equally as confused said as she turned around, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Liam got a good look at the two men that were growling menacingly at him while keeping their weapons pointed. The two men looked to be some sort of dog or wolf like Beast-kin. They wore clean metal plated armor with a cloth-like surcoat over their armor that ran down to mid-thigh. On the surcoat was an picture of a flag with a paw print with claws within a howling wolf head with wings spread out. They didn¡¯t wear any helmets. In their hands were steel-like swords with glowing runes running up the blades. Liam turned his gaze on the man that stood right behind Lucy. He was taller and wider than the other two men, wearing the same armor and surcoat. His facial features were more bear-like with his ears and brown hair. In his hands was a morning star weapon. ¡°What is the meaning of this Fred?!¡± Lucy shouted as she stared up at the man. ¡°Lucilindiana?¡± Fred, the bear-folk said with a confused expression. ¡°Is everything alright? We got word that a demon-kin was causing trouble in one of the Application Rooms and rushed over here as fast as we could?¡± Lucy pointed to Liam while keeping her irritated expression, ¡°Does he look like a Demon-kin to you?¡± Fred looked straight at Liam and eyed him up and down. With a suspicious tone of voice, Fred replied, ¡°No, but he could be using an illusion type spell, hiding his appearance.¡± Lucy let out an irritated sigh before responding, ¡°Fred, you know Illusion magic doesn¡¯t work in these rooms. There are protective Runes and Enchants restricting any Illusions and Charm-like magics placed in all of these rooms. You should know this since you¡¯re head of security here.¡± Fred looked down at her for a moment before letting out a deep laugh. ¡°You¡¯re right. My apologies. We got worked up and didn¡¯t want to take the chance since we were informed it was a worshipper of an Immoral Vice.¡± Immoral Vice? Where have I heard that before? Liam thought to himself as he tried to wrack his brain. ¡°A worshipper of an Immoral Vice?¡± Lucy repeated, stunned at his words. ¡°Which one? How did¡­¡± Before she could finish a loud thud echoed from the hallway. The door across the way from the room Liam was in suddenly broke free as smoke escaped out the door. The three guards that were standing outside spun around just in time to see a tall slender man with pointed ears, wavy long brown hair, mesmerizing green eyes, a pair of demon like wings, and a wicked pointed tail. He wore a tight shirt and skinny-like fashioned jeans with dark brown leather boots. He was coughing as he exit out of the room, but then froze as soon as he saw the guards standing close by him. He was about to run away, but as soon as Fred turned his body to the side enough to look at him, the male demon-kin saw Liam. Liam watched as the man locked eyes on him. He then watched as the male demon-kin let out a very angry hiss before dodging the first guard who reached out to detain him. The male demon-kin then sprinted forward right towards Liam. Confused, Liam watched as the man ran at him. However, after taking a few step in and not paying any attention to anyone else, the man was suddenly slammed to the ground as a morning star rammed right into his back. The demon-kin dropped to the floor hard. Cracks formed under him as he went face first with the weapon resting on his back right between the wings. Liam noticed the familiar dark purple mana that engulfed the top part of the morning star. It was Gravity magic. Fred looked at Liam after releasing his grip on his weapon, leaving it and the gravity magic still on the Demon-kin. He cocked an eye before asking, ¡°A friend of yours?¡± Liam looked from the Demon-kin to the man and shook his head. ¡°No. Never seen him before in my life.¡± The tall wide man narrowed his eyes at Liam before stating, ¡°Are you sure? He seemed to not be particularly happy to see you.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. He didn¡¯t, but I don¡¯t know why.¡± He then looked back down at the male who was laying on the ground unconscious. ¡°He might have wanted to use him as a hostage,¡± Lucy suggested. ¡°Oh? And what makes you think that?¡± Fred asked. ¡°Liam here is a newly integrated person,¡± Lucy stated. ¡°I believe there couldn¡¯t have been any way for this Incubus to know who he is let alone have had any interaction with him.¡± Fred raised a brow as he looked at Liam. ¡°A newly integrated arrival huh?¡± He looked Liam up and down before adding, ¡°A half breed or a muddled breed?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at the giant man. ¡°Easy there tiger. I don¡¯t mean it in a derogatory way. I¡¯m not like that. I¡¯m only asking because I don¡¯t see any beast-kin features on you,¡± Fred stated as he put his hands up. ¡°If you¡¯re going to try and get access to Arkadian Citizenship you will have plenty of people asking you if you are half or muddled. Now some will be displeased with your existence, but not all will.¡± Liam kept quiet and continued to listen to the man. ¡°I have some advice. If you don¡¯t want to deal with the negativity then don¡¯t mention you have Beast-kin heritage. If you do say you are then just ignore those idiots. Its just senseless idealism spouted from a time when Beast-kins didn¡¯t mate with those outside the country. Anyways, welcome to Gashat Post and sorry for the confusion earlier.¡± Fred then picked up his weapon and ordered his men to cuff the Incubus that was still unconscious and hauled him out. Fred closed the door after the last man walked out. Lucy shook her head and looked back at Liam. She gave him an apologetic look before saying as she sat back down, ¡°I apologize for that. We have never had that happen before.¡± Liam stared at her. ¡°Which part? Where someone went crazy and tried attacking another or your guards getting the rooms mixed up?¡± ¡°The latter,¡± Lucy replied. ¡°The former is the reason why we have these procedures and policies in place. If that Immoral Vice Worshipper had slipped by not only would this island be in danger but so would have the kingdom.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Liam questioned as the words nagged at him. ¡°The Immoral Vice?¡± Lucy asked. Liam nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time to go over what it is, but I will give you some important information since¡­this happened,¡± Lucy started. ¡°The Immoral Vice is short for The Seven Immoral Vices. When you hear someone say Immoral Vice they are talking about one of the seven. They are seven powerful beings that hold power and magic that is based on the Vice they represent. Their goal is to spread corruption throughout the world. Since it was an Incubus I will assume he belonged under the Immoral Vice of Lust. Many Incubi are under her.¡± Liam¡¯s brow furrowed. If what she was saying was anything like what he knew from back on his planet then Vice was another word for Sin. And if that was the case then he had come across someone who had worshipped an Immoral Vice. The Lich had the words Hubris which was another way to say Pride. Could it be that he sensed that I killed that Lich and that was why he looked so angry? Liam thought. No, that wouldn¡¯t make sense. That Lich was a dungeon boss and was in the Tutorial Area. There couldn¡¯t be a way anyone would know about that¡­ ¡°Each Immoral Vice has a group of worshippers. Much like how deities can bless their followers, the Seven Immoral Vices can do the same, except not on the same scale as a Deity. It is said that the lower worshippers don¡¯t like the other worshippers from other Immoral Vices. Some believe they have some way to tell when someone has a power from other Immoral Vices. They don¡¯t like them to the point where they would attack them on sight.¡± Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he listened. What she said nagged at the back of his mind. It was bugging to the point he couldn¡¯t hear anything else she was saying. After a few seconds it dawned on him why that Incubus had attacked him. It was because he had received the ability called Hubris Aura. He had an ability from an Immoral Vice even though he didn¡¯t worship that being. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Liam groaned internally. God damn it. This is going to be annoying. I wonder if there is a way to get rid of an ability. Liam was taken from his thoughts as he heard Lucy ask, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Liam blinked before looking at her. He then said, ¡°Oh, yes. Sorry. I was just thinking that back on my planet we had something similar but instead of calling them Immoral Vices they were called Deadly Sins. I was just thinking about how there is a lot of similar things on this world and my world.¡± ¡°Oh, I can actually help clear that up right now,¡± Lucy said with a smile. ¡°You can learn more about it in a library in the capital since we don¡¯t have any books on the topic in the library on the island, but the reason why you feel that there are similar things from both worlds is because many years ago beings all over the world were transported away from our plant to other plants carrying with them knowledge and traditions from here. If you find something similar that is because what those people shared wherever they went stuck on the planet they went to.¡± Liam stared at her. Shocked and surprised at what he heard. It took him a moment to process everything before he asked, ¡°So the reason why things like the immoral vices, zodiacs, and more is so familiar is because the people here from this planet shared that?¡± Lucy nodded. ¡°Yes, but I will have to stop you from asking anymore questions on the topic and wait to see a library that has books on it because we have already spent too much time away from the main task. So, before my supervisor comes in here and starts questioning what is going on, let¡¯s proceed.¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to stop. He wanted to know more, but the look on Lucy¡¯s face told him she wouldn¡¯t continue on the topic. Looks like that is something I need to find out as soon as possible. How and why did they come to our world? How did we not know there were different species of people living on our planet? There is so much I want to know now. Liam thought before letting out a defeated sigh. ¡°Fine let¡¯s get on with it then.¡± Lucy gave him another smile before she started peppering him with questions. After an hour and a half of Lucy questioning Liam, they had finally finished. Liam stretched his arms and legs before standing up with Lucy. ¡°Thank you for hanging in there,¡± Lucy started. ¡°I know it¡¯s boring and tedious, but as you saw earlier it is necessary.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°As an apology for what had happened, I will talk to my boss to see if we can offer some compensation,¡± Lucy offered. Liam looked at her. He wasn¡¯t expecting her to say that. He wasn¡¯t necessarily hurt since they did not attack him, but he could see why she was worried about it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Nothing happened to me and in the end the real target was captured.¡± Lucy shook her head. ¡°No, I insist that we find a suitable compensation. If you follow me I will lead you to the building entrance and I will see what I can do.¡± Liam let out a sigh, understanding he wasn¡¯t going to win this. ¡°Alright.¡± Lucy led Liam out of the room and to the right down the hall. After a few twists and turns, they finally walked out into a wide open reception area where people of different races bustled about. Behind the desks or walking around the room were Beast-kins of different shapes and sizes wearing similar uniforms. They were either doing desk work, talking to one another, or to other races. Liam was astounded by the architecture of the room. He had some suspicions from the material of the walls and floors after he exited the Transportation Portal room, but he was now certain of it. He was standing inside a tree. Hanging along the sides of the walls were vines and branches woven into shelves. Flowers decorated some parts of the walls and along the door frames. Even the desks were made from parts of the tree. ¡°This is amazing,¡± Liam whispered as he took it all in. Lucy smiled as she looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be too impressed yet. Some of the buildings here on the island are made within trees, but these ones aren¡¯t nearly as impressive as the ones in the capital. Many Construction focused Beast-kins put their all in the designs of those ones. The ones here are made by fledglings or apprentices practicing.¡± Liam turned his gaze to her. ¡°If this was made by apprentices then I can¡¯t wait to see what a master Construction worker can do.¡± ¡°If you could please wait for me in this room, I will be right back,¡± Lucy stated as she walked away from Liam. Liam took in the room once more and thought of his father. Before the craziness of the world and people disappearing, his father was a construction worker. Liam believed his father to be really good at his work. He wasn¡¯t a top notch construction worker you¡¯d see working in big cities. Instead, he helped out those around the town or close by. He had worked a few times with his father to help him out. At first he wasn¡¯t sure why he charged so little when he did work that could cost more. After he had asked his father about it, his only response was, He didn¡¯t care about making a lot of money. He just wanted to help those who needed it. I wonder if you¡¯re really here and if you are, are you continuing your construction work? I bet you¡¯re enjoying the different styles here in this world if you are. Liam thought. ¡°Um hello there,¡± a voice suddenly said. The sound of the voice was soft and sweet with a hint of curiosity mixed with it. Liam, snapping out of his thoughts turned to see a little girl staring up at him. She had long ashy grey colored hair with lightly stripped cat ears and a matching tail swishing behind her. She had a pair of goggles resting on her forehead pushing up the bangs that slightly hung over the lens. She wore a plain olive dress with straps that ran over her shoulders. A long sleeve shirt covered the areas where her bare skin would have been seen. She looked to be close to or in her early teens. Liam noticed stains splotched around the dress like she had spilled some kind of liquid. He then noticed her baby blue eyes staring at him with pure curiosity and interest that Liam wasn¡¯t sure what to do. ¡°Um, hi?¡± Liam started. ¡°You¡¯re new here aren¡¯t you?¡± the little girl questioned. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam slowly answered. ¡°By chance do you like Alchemy?¡± the little girl asked. ¡°It is one of the crafts I have learned when I was in the Tutorial Area¡­,¡± Liam started to say until he was cut off. ¡°I knew it!¡± the little girl shouted. ¡°I saw you come out and had a feeling you were a fellow Alchemist. Tell me! What level is your Alchemy at?!¡± Liam took a step back, confused and a little concerned at this little girl¡¯s enthusiasm. Before Liam could respond he heard someone shout, ¡°Abby!¡± Both Liam and the little girl turned to see a taller and little older version of the little girl making her way to her. This lady had the same colored hair, ears, and tail as the little girl. Her hair was in a pony tail and looked to be a little shorter. She wore black pants, an aqua blue tank top, and black fingerless gloves. She stood up almost as tall as Liam, but looked to be a couple inches shorter. As she approached the little girl, she grabbed her by the arm and stated, ¡°I told you not to run off and stay by my side.¡± The woman turned to look at Liam and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My little sister loves to approach people that she thinks likes Alchemy. I hope she didn¡¯t do or say anything weird.¡± Liam let out a small chuckle before shaking his head. ¡°No. She¡¯s fine. I was surprised when she first approached me and asked those questions, but it¡¯s alright.¡± Liam then looked down at the little girl and replied, ¡°I do like Alchemy and my level is currently at nineteen.¡± The little girl¡¯s eyes widened as Liam answered her question. The taller girl looked at him with an impressed expression. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good. How long have you been working on that?¡± ¡°I think about a month,¡± Liam replied. The taller girl looked at Liam suspiciously as the little girl beamed. ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± the little girl shouted. ¡°You should¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the taller girl placed a hand over her mouth and said, ¡°I know I said that that was pretty good, but I don¡¯t think you should lie about how long it took to get that high.¡± Liam looked at her with a confused expression. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. I started shortly after I arrived at the Tutorial Area and worked on it as much as I could under my mentor.¡± ¡°Tutorial Area? Then that means¡­,¡± the taller girl started as she stared at Liam with a shocked expression. ¡°Did you just arrive to our world then?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Then if you just arrived and here nonetheless¡­,¡± the taller girl looked Liam up and down. Her eyes then landed on Liam¡¯s and noticed them thin out into slits. Hers did the same. ¡°You¡¯re a Cat-folk aren¡¯t you?¡± Liam slowly nodded. ¡°You saw my eyes didn¡¯t you?¡± He let out a sigh before adding, ¡°I¡¯m a Half-breed.¡± Both girls gave him a smile. ¡°Well, as fellow Cat-folks we welcome you to the island,¡± the taller girl smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Cindy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Abby,¡± the little girl greeted with a wide smile. ¡°We¡¯re Tabby Cat-folks. What kind of Cat-folk are you?¡± ¡°I¡­uh¡­,¡± Liam stammered. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure yet.¡± Abby tilted her head a bit before asking with an innocent look, ¡°Does your status not say?¡± Liam shook his head. He then said with the best poker face he could muster, ¡°No it doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, that sucks. I¡¯m sorry it doesn¡¯t say,¡± Abby said with a smile. ¡°Well, we need to head out now. Our business here is already done,¡± Cindy said. ¡°If you need any help with anything you should come by our shop. Or whenever you need any Alchemy stuff too,¡± Abby stated as she pulled out a card and handed it to him. Liam gave her a smile as he took the card. ¡°I swear,¡± Cindy started. ¡°It¡¯s not our shop, but our uncle¡¯s. Feel free to stop by. As a fellow Cat-folk, we¡¯ll be happy to help explain or show you the town.¡± ¡°Thank you I appreciate it,¡± Liam nodded as he gave them both a wave while watching them walk away. Abby waved enthusiastically before disappearing within the crowd of people. Liam looked at the card and let out a chuckle. It read, ¡®The Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron. Your one stop shop for most Alchemy supplies.¡¯ It had a picture of a cauldron with smoke forming a cats paw. ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± Liam muttered before putting the card away. As soon as the card disappeared he watched Lucy walking towards him. ¡°Sorry it took so long,¡± Lucy stated as she approached. ¡°I have talked to my superior and he has agreed to pay for two days of room and board at an inn we recommend. That also includes meals.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at her. Paying for room and board as well as the meals for two days at a recommended inn was good compensation. Too good for what had happened. Apparently he wasn¡¯t the only one who thought this.
¡°That¡¯s a little suspicious. ¨C Eri.¡±
You¡¯re telling me. Also, thanks for the warning about what happens when walking through that portal. I¡¯m going to assume my teammates didn¡¯t come here? Liam said to Eri.
¡°Your assumption would be correct. They each appeared in different places around the world. Before you ask, there are other places Beast-kins could appear and that¡¯s where they went. ¨C Eri.¡±
Figures. Liam replied to Eri. Any ideas why they are willing to do this?
¡°None, but we¡¯ll talk more once when you get to a room. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded, forgetting he was talking to Eri as Lucy stood there waiting for a response. He looked at her and gave her a sheepish look before saying, ¡°Thank you. I appreciate what you have to offer as compensation, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much?¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Lucy started with another one of her smiles. ¡°This is our way of saying sorry for the guard¡¯s ineptitude for earlier. If we don¡¯t do at least this much our honor and pride of the Arkadian Kingdom would be questioned.¡± Liam let out a sigh, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll accept. Can you show me where it is?¡± Lucy¡¯s smile grew wider as she responded, ¡°Perfect. Let me show you where it is now.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said as he followed her out of the door. Adventure 143 - New City New History Liam and Lucy walked outside the building. Shouts and chatter filled his ears as a bright light suddenly blinded him. He brought a hand up to block the light and felt a light breeze blow over him. After his eyes adjusted to the light he stood there amazed. His eyes widened as he took in the scenery. People of different shapes, sizes, colors, and races walked around on a road that circled around the massive building he had walked out of. Shadows caught his attention from above him, bringing his gaze to the sky. People with bird-like wings flapped around, laughing or talking as they went about their way. He noticed there were a few tree-like buildings with the trunk as wide and as tall as a two story building. They were scattered about from what he was able to see. Windows and doors were placed throughout the tree-like buildings with hanging signs placed over the doors. There were other types of buildings ranging from wooden or stone two stories to mounds with a single door that looked to lead underground. Liam turned around to get a better look at the building he was in and was even more amazed. The trunk expanded farther than he thought. The crown of the tree was so high up he wasn¡¯t able to see it from where he stood. Branches reached out with giant leaves that flashed periodically here and there. ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Liam muttered not able to contain his amazement. Lucy stood beside him, smiled, and watched the different facial expressions Liam displayed. ¡°This building is called the Portal Tree. It is the biggest on the island and in the middle of the island. There are similar ones on the other islands and in the mainland. Those flashes you see in the branches are people coming and leaving through the Transportation Portals.¡± ¡°That is amazing,¡± Liam said as he turned his gaze to Lucy. ¡°How did you come up with something like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the combination of Magic, Runes, and Enchantments. There are also certain Crafting skills and abilities needed to create something this advanced, however, I won¡¯t tell you what it entails. Each country has their own ways and methods and we can¡¯t give away those secrets. I¡¯m sure you will find out how it is possible if you ever reach the heights required. That and if the Cait Siths feel generous enough to share those secrets.¡± Liam froze at what she had just said. ¡°Cait Sith? The Cait Sith made this possible?¡± ¡°Do you know about the Cait Sith?¡± Lucy inquired as she raised a brow. Liam caught the look in her eye. She knew he was a Cat-folk but he had purposely omitted the fact his Cat-folk race was Cait Sith. He had received a few warnings back in the Tutorial Area to not reveal that due to their masterful work when it came to crafting. As much as he was coming to love crafting, he knew he wasn¡¯t at a level where he was a master. He had a feeling that there was a chance if he did mention what he was he could possibly get some training from his race, but he still didn¡¯t know if they would welcome him since he was a half-breed. Until he got more information on how they treated their kind he didn¡¯t want others to know. Those that already knew were enough. ¡°We had mythology on Cait Sith back on my home planet and there was a character in a popular video game that was called Cait Sith, but that¡¯s all I know about them,¡± Liam stated, playing dumb. Lucy held her gaze on him for a long moment before saying, ¡°The Cait Sith are a well known Cat-folk race in the Arkadian Kingdom. They are well known for their love of research and crafting. Their accomplishments through their work alone has granted them an entire island and massive amounts of land on three other islands solely for their work and research. Each place they own is blocked off from everyone except the Royal Family. They have a strict rule that only Cait Siths and those the Head Clan Elders have acknowledged are allowed within their lands and can learn their techniques. ¡°Rumors have it even the Royal Family aren¡¯t allowed to know their techniques unless the Clan Elder okays it. The Royal Family agreed to their terms as well as executing anyone who ignores the rules or trespasses in their lands.¡± Liam let out a whistle. ¡°Damn that¡¯s some serious strictness.¡± Lucy nodded. She then turned away from Liam, started walking, and said, ¡°Enough about that. Let me escort you to where you are going to stay for the next few days.¡± As Lucy navigated Liam through the crowds, she pointed out key things about the island and the city. This island was the smallest out of all the islands that circled the Mainland of the Arkadain Kingdom. Cashat Port, the city they were located in, covered most of the island. There were small pockets of forests, mining caves, and other places that were there for people, who didn¡¯t venture into the dungeon portals, to work on their gathering abilities. The materials weren¡¯t the best, but it was there for them. There was also a few sea ports for those brave enough to travel through the sea and not take the Transportation Portals. The town had three sections to it. One section was the Residential District. This district was only for those that had citizenship to the Arkadian Kingdom and lived on the island. This district was located in the northern part of the island. On the western side of the town was the Adventurer District. This district had the Adventurer¡¯s Association, a few Adventurer gathering spots like pubs, Adventurer shops, and a tower they called the Dungeon Tower. This Tower stood three stories high. Inside it had many different colored portals for Adventurers of different levels. The rest of the city had The Merchant Association on the eastern side and the Crafting Association on the southern. Merchant stalls and buildings were scattered about with Crafting buildings mixed in. Lucy explained that this island served as a secondary purpose other than a waiting city for those seeking Arkadian access or citizenship. They set it up for foreign merchants and crafters to showcase their wares and talents by allowing them to sell here on the island during their wait for the kingdom to see. This was set up for certain Arkadian officials of different Beast-kin origins to see the quality and popularity of the crafters and merchants wishing to have access to Arkadian channels. There were also merchants and crafters who set up shop here on the island for other foreigners since they found more profit that way instead of waiting for access to the other islands and mainland. Liam understood what they were doing, but felt it was just too much. It didn¡¯t matter much to him about the merchant side of the whole thing. As for the crafter side of it all, he understood that there was a big competition, especially when they were trying to appeal to well known Crafters like the Cait Siths. He wasn¡¯t interested in those things since his goal was too travel and see the world. If he could get access to better techniques in the crafts he was interested in, then that would be a boon, but he didn¡¯t want to be shackled to a place. Even if he caught the eyes of the Cait Siths and they wanted to help him grow, he really didn¡¯t like the fact he would have to keep secrets that could possibly hold him here. Of course, that was just him being optimistic. He didn¡¯t think that anything he crafted would be worthy enough to catch the eyes of Master-leveled Crafters yet, but you never know. As she informed him about the differences between an Arkadian owned shop and a foreign shop, Liam took the chance to grab a pair of sunglasses. He did this because he noticed the stares he was getting when people noticed his eyes. Some looked interested while others scoffed and gave him less friendly looks. ¡°Here is the inn my superior has recommended, The Resting Roost,¡± Lucy announced as they stopped in front of a tall wide three story building. Liam got a good look at it and noticed it wasn¡¯t a specially made building made from a tree or anything like that. Instead, it looked like a traditional inn you¡¯d see in any fantasy-like game or movie. Hanging over the wooden door was a sign with a picture of a creature laying on its back over a bed of straw with the name above the picture. ¡°Let¡¯s get a room secured for you. After that I will take my leave,¡± Lucy stated as they walked in. It didn¡¯t take long for them to get things in order. He was able to get a room on the second floor. It was a bit bigger than the room at the inn he had back in the Tutorial area. There was a couple of desks, a bed, a bathroom with a shower, and a couple of Yooperlite lamps. Liam slowly walked over to the bed and sat down. After a moment had passed he laid down and looked up at the ceiling. The bed felt comfy. He wasn¡¯t sure what the materials were made from, but after laying there he knew they were different than the ones used back on earth. As much as he liked the way the bed felt, he had a list of things he wanted to do today. The first he knew he could get done now since he was finally alone after the long morning he had. Eri, you there? Liam thought. A notification popped up adding to the long list of texts from his earlier conversations with his Matron Goddess.
¡°I am. What¡¯s up? ¨C Eri.¡±
A lot. Liam thought back to her. First off, I¡¯m curious as to why they went out of their way to get me a room for a couple of days. Any thoughts on that?
¡°It does seem suspicious. However, it could also be their pride as Beast-kins since they messed up and not only almost arrested you for something you didn¡¯t do, but almost got you hurt. Beast-kins are very prideful beings. Always have been even before the Great Bestial War. ¨C Eri.¡±
Great Bestial War? Liam questioned. What¡¯s that?
¡°The Great Bestial War was a war waged between two factions of beast-kins. Those who wanted to change how things were. The Revolutionaries. And those who wanted to keep the old ways going. The Traditionalists. ¨C Eri.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
The Traditionalists and the Revolutionaries? Liam repeated with a brow raised.
¡°Something you need to know is before these factions were a thing, the Beast-kins didn¡¯t have any country. Instead, they lived in villages that only had their race of Beast-kin. They believed themselves superior to other races and looked down on them. This was before deities existed. Instead, they worshipped the Primals. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam raised a brow as he grew more curious about this history lesson Eri was sharing with him. What are the Primals?
¡°The Primals were powerful ancient beasts. No one knows how old they were. They have always been a mystery. No one knows how they got their power nor how they came to exist. The Beast-kins might have more knowledge about them and maybe the Fae since they too worshipped them¡­I think there might be some that still do. All that I know about them is they were extremely powerful and they protected the land, seas, mountains, skies, and more from the corruption their mortal enemies tried spreading. ¨C Eri.¡±
Who was their mortal enemies? Liam inquired.
¡°The Seven Immoral Vices. ¨C Eri.¡±
That explains why they reacted to that Incubus earlier. Liam stated. His brows started to scrunch as he sat up while a thought came to mind. Wait. If the Seven Immoral Vices are their mortal enemies then does that mean they are ancient as well?
¡°*Shakes head* No. The Seven Immoral Vices individually are not ancient. At least¡­not the current leaders. ¨C Eri.¡±
What do you mean by that? Liam asked, confused.
¡°The original Seven Immoral Vices were very powerful beings that rivaled the Primals and were thought to be indestructible. They, too, were a mystery. However, when the Era of Deities arrived, the original Seven Immoral Vices were trapped and locked away. However, even when trapped and locked away, their influence leaked out and transferred to those who were suitable to wield their power. ¨C Eri.¡±
Holy shit. Where were they trapped? Liam asked.
¡°That I do not know. Only the deity who trapped them knows. He has more knowledge of them than anyone, but we have deviated from the original topic. The beast-kins not only had to be wary of those who sided with the Seven Immoral Vices, but other races who believed the Beast-kins to be a threat. ¡°As time passed, a new era had begun. The Era of Deities. The other races started to grow stronger by worshipping deities while the beast-kins stuck with their traditions. Many beast-kins were not happy with this and believed they needed to change with the times if they were to keep their families safe. They also believed that being separated by race was something that needed to change as well. They had other ideas for change, but I forget what they were. These were known as the Revolutionaries. ¡°The Traditionalists, agreed with some of the things the Revolutionaries were saying, however, the one thing they would not agree to was the worship of anything other than the Primals. The Revolutionaries begged and pleaded since they saw the major power-ups those that sought to kill them had. However, the Traditionalists denied them. Many Beast-kin villages were slaughtered, kidnapped, and captured after a few years had passed. This made many of the Beast-kins start to resent the Traditionalists who didn¡¯t have to worry about this. ¡°After a while many of the beast-kins started to come together and build a city to better protect their loved ones. Within that city they met a couple of Deities who found the Beast-kins worthy of their blessings. The Traditionalists didn¡¯t like this and destroyed the city and the temples that were erected for their newly found Deities. This started a war. One side was the Traditionalists, that was led by the Dragon-folks and the other were the Revolutionaries, which were led by the Arkadians. ¨C Eri.¡±
Wait¡­are you saying the Arkadians is a race of Beast-kin? I thought it was just a name for the Kingdom? Liam questioned.
¡°It is the name of the Kingdom, but yes. The Arkadian Kingdom is named after the Beast-kin race of Cat-folks known as Arkadians. The war lasted for a couple of years and came to a draw. This draw led to a split amongst the Beast-kins and from that two countries were born. The Arkadian Kingdom and the Draconic Empire. ¨C Eri.¡±
Shit. Liam said, unsure what else to say to that.
¡°One thing you will find while you travel around this world is not everyone is keen on Deities. While there are some that are helpful and are genuine to mortals. There are some that are the exact opposite. Some Deities look down on mortals and treat them like tools to gain more power or ways to control over others. It really comes down to the nature of the seed they had cultivated over the years and training they did. ¨C Eri.¡±
Nature of the seed they had cultivated? Liam asked.
¡°Speaking of seeds. You should probably look at the one you received from me and pick a Field. You shouldn¡¯t have any troubles planting it now that you are away from Nalia and the other Champions. ¨C Eri.¡±
You¡¯re right. I totally forgot about that. Liam said as he pulled up his Mystical Landscape. His Seed of Arcana appeared right in front of him letting him see the multi-colored roots that grew from the violet seed. Some of the roots were thicker than the last time he had looked. A smile grew as he stared at it. That smile lasted for a minute as something caught his attention and curiosity grew in him. It was a flash of ghastly green a few feet to the left of his Seed of Arcana. At first Liam thought maybe he was just seeing things, but after a minute had passed it flashed again. The flash let Liam pin point where it was coming from and when he peered at the spot he noticed there wasn¡¯t really anything there, but dirt. When the flash happened again he noticed it was the dirt flashing. To be more precise the ghastly green flash revealed an outline of a seed. Liam tried to assess it.
¡°Seed of ?????? (Information Sealed). Progression to fully planting Seed of ????? (Information Sealed): 10%.¡±
Eri? Do you know what this is? Liam asked, curious to know if she could enlighten him on this.
¡°See what¡­Oh? What is this? ¨C Eri.¡±
I¡¯m not entirely sure. I was hoping you would tell me. Liam stated.
¡°Hm¡­Is that¡­no it can¡¯t be¡­Liam when did you get this and how? ¨C Eri.¡±
I received a notification when my Devour ability had finished processing¡­I think it was some kind of spirit. Liam started to explain. It stated I received a portion of a Seed. It wouldn¡¯t tell me what kind of seed I received, but I can¡¯t plant it yet. I have to devour more spirits to reveal it. I¡¯m currently at ten percent. Eri didn¡¯t say anything. There was a long pause before she responded again.
¡°I see. If that is the case then you should find more spirits and devour them with your ability so you can plant that seed. ¨C Eri.¡±
Do you know what kind of seed it is? Liam questioned.
¡°I have a feeling I do. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam let out a sigh. You¡¯re not going to tell me what you think it is are you?
¡°Nope. *Smiles innocently* - Eri.¡±
¡°Innocent my ass,¡± Liam mumbled.
¡°*Sticks tongue out* Don¡¯t focus on what can¡¯t be revealed now and focus on what you can. ¨C Eri.¡±
Fine. Liam responded before looking at a black seed with red stripes planted a few feet to the right of his Seed of Arcana.
¡°Would you like to open the Seed of Discord and allow a Root to grow? Yes No?¡±
Liam mentally accepted and watched as a new notification appeared. He was expecting a long list of Fields to appear for him to choose from but was confused as only one appeared.
¡°Field of Discord. Would you like to root the Field of Discord? Yes No?¡±
Hey Eri¡­why did only one Field appear? Also why does it have the same name as the Seed? Liam asked with a confused look on his face.
¡°That¡¯s simple. Just like when you opened your Seed of Arcana, you have to slowly get used to the seed before other Fields can be available. As for the name¡­I¡¯m not entirely sure. ¨C Eri.¡±
But the process to open the seed wasn¡¯t like how I opened my Seed of Arcana though. Why is that? Liam inquired.
"The Seed of Arcana is different from a seed you receive from a Deity. The process to open the Seed Of Arcana was for you to accept it through gaining enough Knowledge Theory. Once when you raise the level of your Arcane then you can get Fields. The process to open a seed given to you by a Deity is to endure the nature of the Deity that has given you that seed. That isn¡¯t the only difference though. ¡°The Seed of Arcana allows you to practice the Arcane through spells it provides once when you open it. A seed given to you through a deity doesn¡¯t have that process. Instead, it allows you to receive a field tied to the nature of the seed so you can practice the nature of the seed to get a better feel for how you would like to grow with it. Does that make sense? ¨C Eri.¡±
Kind of¡­ Liam mentally replied as he let out a sigh. He thought about what she had said and tried to summarize it in a way he could try to understand it. So, are you saying the seed you gave me is one made from your nature and is completely different from the Seed of the Arcana that I had to make myself?
¡°You could think of it that way. The abilities and power you receive from a seed given to you from a deity works more around the nature of the seed rather than ability of the field you can choose. You¡¯ll come to understand it more later. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Cryptic as ever,¡± Liam muttered to himself before mentally accepting the Field of Discord.
¡°Which Focus Point would you like to root? Field of Discord: Discord Manipulation?¡±
¡°Is there really a point to ask if there¡¯s only one to choose?¡± Liam muttered before accepting the Discord Manipulation Focus Point. Liam felt a pulse wash over him the moment he accepted. The pulse echoed in two places, his heart and mind. He felt a wave of dizziness hit him for a moment before it disappeared. He shook his head to clear his mind before seeing the black seed with red stripes glow intensely for a few seconds. After a few seconds had passed a crack appeared at the top of the seed. It was a small one with a tiny thin root poking out. Before Liam could comment on it a new notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Field of Discord from the Seed of Discord. You have received the Focus Point ¨C Discord Manipulation. Field of Discord and Focus Point ¨C Discord Manipulation has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received the ability ¨C Strife Inducement! Strife Inducement has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 0%!¡± ¡°Strife Inducement ¨C Ability to cause the target to feel confrontational. The level of Strife that is brought out within a person or creature is determined by the level of ability. Has a 5% chance of making the target turn on an ally. Ability Type ¨C Chant. Target ¨C Single. MP Cost ¨C 50. Cooldown ¨C N/A.¡±
¡°Huh, that¡¯s an interesting ability,¡± Liam stated. ¡°The chance of making a target turn on their ally can be really helpful in a group fight.¡±
¡°At higher levels you will get more effects from it. I suggest you practice it as much as you can even if there is only one target. ¨C Eri.¡±
Alright. I¡¯ll do just that¡­After my Stat Shatter Debuff wears off though. Liam commented.
¡°That might be a good idea. For now, I suggest you check out the town and see if there are any places you can practice your other stuff, like your crafting. ¨C Eri.¡±
Good idea. Liam said before looking at his internal clock. It was a few minutes pass eleven a.m. To him it felt like majority of the day had already gone by, but after seeing the time only a few hours had passed. He then stood up and stretched his arms before saying, ¡°Alright. Lets go see what this place has to offer.¡± As soon as he stepped out from the building he turned his head around to figure out which direction he was going to go, but before he could decide his body suddenly tensed. ¡°Liam?!¡± a voice called out in surprise. It was a feminine voice. Adventure 144 - You’re lying He slowly turned in the direction the voice came from and was shocked to see a female staring at him with a surprised expression over her face. She was standing in a small group of male and females who gave her with a confused look. She stood a bit shorter than him with shoulder length dirty blond hair and hazel eyes. She wore a dark brown leather tank-top fashioned shirt with matching pants and mid-thigh boots. On both of her arms were a tattoo of a bird-like creature and a wolf-like one. They reminded him of the Bartholomule tattoo Ariyana had. Fastened to her hip was a whip with a ball with several sharp looking spikes on it. ¡°Mila? Is that you?¡± Liam asked, confused. ¡°Holy crap it is you Liam!¡± Mila shouted before rushing over to him with a huge smile. As soon as she got within arms distances she opened her arms out and wrapped them around him, hugging him. Liam returned the gesture as he hugged her back. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you managed to make it here. I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to you when things got crazy. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re safe. What about your mom and sister?¡± ¡°They made it here safely too. We all actually appeared here at the same time,¡± Mila replied as she released her grip. ¡°What about you? When did you get here?¡± Before Liam could reply, a male suddenly appeared right behind Mila with a few other people and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s this Mila?¡± Liam looked at the guy. He wore some type of metal armor with a couple of runes on the shoulder pieces. He had fox-like ears poking out from his messy red hair. He stared at Liam with suspicion. Standing next to him were another male and a female who looked to be human. They both had strange dark blue rune-like tattoos that covered their tannish skin. They both had brown hair and hazel eyes. The more Liam looked at them the more he thought they could be related. The last one was a female. She, too, was a beast-kin. She had fluffy black wolf-like ears that twitched a couple of times and a tail that swished back and forth. Mila turned around and said, ¡°Oh this is my cousin Liam.¡± ¡°Your cousin?¡± The female with rune-like tattoos questioned. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re not blood related, so we¡¯re technically not cousins in that aspect,¡± Mila started to explain. ¡°Our parents were really close friends, and we grew up together like cousins. I haven¡¯t seen him in a couple of years since getting teleported here.¡± ¡°Damn, it¡¯s been that long since you last saw him? No wonder you were so excited when you recognized him,¡± the wolf looking female stated. ¡°Yeah, oh I almost forgot to introduce you to my team,¡± Mila started as she turned to look at Liam. She pointed to the female wolf-like beast-kin and introduced, ¡°This is Vera. She is a Wolf-folk Beast-kin Pugilist.¡± Vera gave him a toothy smile as she waved a hand at him. She then pointed to the male and female humans with rune like tattoos. ¡°The man with the rune tattoos is Alphonse. I call him Alphy. He is a Wind Archer. That is his twin sister Molly. She is an Aqua Healer. They are Runeborns.¡± Alphonse and Molly gave him a nod, not really showing any emotions. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he muttered, ¡°Runeborn?¡± Mila didn¡¯t hear him as she continued, ¡°And that is our leader Alv. He is a Red Fox Fox-Folk Beast-kin. He is also an Earthen Guardian.¡± Alv eyed him up and down before saying, ¡°So you¡¯re her cousin huh? What are you?¡± ¡°Nothing special,¡± Liam stated as he looked back at Mila. ¡°What race did you end up becoming?¡± ¡°Nothing really changed on my end,¡± Mila replied. ¡°However, I did get my class to evolve into a Beast Illusionist.¡± Liam¡¯s ears twitched as he gave her a curious and interested look. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Before she could answer a grumbling noise suddenly rumbled in Liam¡¯s stomach. Mila and Vera let out a laugh. ¡°Sounds like someone is hungry,¡± Vera commented. Liam blushed as he placed a hand on his stomach. ¡°Sorry, I just got done with the whole entrance process, so I haven¡¯t had the chance to eat anything yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine. We were just about to go get something to eat. Why don¡¯t you join us?¡± Mila invited. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Liam stated as he followed Mila and her team. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°So, when did you get here?¡± Mila asked as she, Liam and her team sat around a round table. ¡°Here in this city? I just arrived this morning,¡± Liam answered. ¡°No,¡± Mila shook her head. ¡°I mean here in Paracosm.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Liam said. ¡°If you mean here on the planet after the whole Tutorial Area then this morning.¡± Mila stopped herself from bringing her cup to her lips and stared at Liam. ¡°Wait¡­so you literally just got here?¡± Liam nodded. He was about to elaborate more until Alv scoffed and commented, ¡°You¡¯re lying. If you just got here fresh from the Tutorial Area then you would have gone to an area that resonates with your race.¡± ¡°That is what everyone keeps telling me,¡± Liam replied as he eyed Alv. Vera and the others looked from Alv to Liam. They looked Liam up and down but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m saying you¡¯re lying. You¡¯re not a beast-kin. You¡¯re human,¡± Alv argued. Liam let out a sigh. ¡°You know, you shouldn¡¯t judge someone so quickly. I may look human, but that doesn¡¯t mean I am just human.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mea¡­,¡± Alv started to ask until Liam took his sunglasses off. Mila and her team noticed his eyes and looked amazed. ¡°I knew it,¡± Vera suddenly stated. ¡°I had a feeling you were a Cat-folk. I thought maybe my gut was wrong since I didn¡¯t see a tail or ears.¡± Alv stared at Liam with his mouth slightly open. ¡°Wait, how is that possible?¡± Mila asked. ¡°I ran into your father and brothers and they didn¡¯t have any Beast-kin races in them.¡± ¡°You met my dad and brothers? So, they really did make it here?¡± Liam questioned, relief washing over him. ¡°Where are they?¡± Mila shook her head as she gave him an apologetic look. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Last I heard they were somewhere in this world making a name for themselves. They¡¯re pretty intense if you ask me. A lot more powerful than me, my mom, and sister. But I¡¯m curious though. How did you get a Beast-kin race when they don¡¯t have it?¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. That¡¯s a damn good question. Eri, do you have any idea?
¡°When it comes to racial mix breeds usually the first born gets the mixture of the Father and the Mother. Any children after that gets either or. I¡¯m not entirely sure why or how that happens. ¨C Eri.¡±
So, it¡¯s kind of like a matter of superior genes, huh? Liam asked.
¡°You could look at it like that. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. Maybe I just got the draw of receiving both races from my parents and they didn¡¯t,¡± Liam said, trying not to tip his hand that he found out through his Matron Goddess. ¡°Yeah that could be it. I would question if Nora is your really mother, but I wouldn¡¯t put that voodoo on you. Since your father wasn¡¯t a Beast-kin then it would have to be your bio-mom,¡± Mila suggested. ¡°What do you mean about Nora?¡± Liam questioned as his eyes suddenly narrowed at the mention of her name. ¡°That creature is here?¡± Mila nodded her head as a scowl grew. ¡°Oh yeah, she¡¯s here alright. Alive and well to boot.¡± Liam let out a scoff. He was hoping she wouldn¡¯t be here, or that she had gotten herself killed off. ¡°There is some solace though. You¡¯ll get a good laugh once when you see what race she is,¡± Mila said as she chuckled a bit trying to remove the scowl that was there. ¡°Oh? Did she become some blob creature? Or maybe a goblin of sorts?¡± Liam questioned, slightly curious. ¡°That would be hilarious if she did become something like that, but no.¡± Mila let out a hearty laugh at the thought. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you what she is now. I¡¯ll let you find out on your own.¡± Liam let out another scoff. ¡°To be honest, I hope I never see her again.¡± Alv, Vera, and the others look at Liam and Mila with confused expressions. ¡°Who is Nora?¡± Vera asked, no longer able to hold back her curiosity. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Liam and Mila turned to look at her. Mila responded, ¡°She¡¯s Liam¡¯s step-mother¡­well Ex-step-mother now.¡± Liam raised a brow at that comment. ¡°Oh? Did my dad finally come to his senses?¡± Mila nodded. ¡°Yeah, apparently she found someone new and dumped your father for him before she could even find him.¡± ¡°Fucking bitch,¡± Liam muttered with a slight bit of anger. ¡°I take it from the anger you both are exuding that you hate this person?¡± Molly inquired. ¡°Hate is putting it mildly,¡± Liam muttered low enough it could have been a growl. ¡°Let¡¯s move away from the subject then,¡± Vera suggested as she gave them a slightly concerned look. She then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What Beast-kin race are you? Your eyes say you¡¯re a Cat-folk.¡± ¡°I am a cat-folk, but I¡¯m not sure what kind I am,¡± Liam said as he averted his gaze from her. Vera eyed him for a moment and nodded. She was about to say ok, but before she could Alv jumped in. ¡°Bullshit.¡± Liam turned his attention on him. He saw the frown on his face and was about to ask something but was stopped once more. ¡°Your Character Sheet reveals what race you are. Everyone knows there is no way you couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t know what you are,¡± Alv explained. Liam raised a brow. ¡°Alv!¡± Mila and Vera shouted. ¡°What?¡± Alv questioned as he looked at them. ¡°You all know I am right.¡± ¡°Yeah, but if he doesn¡¯t want to say it then he doesn¡¯t have to. What if he has a reason to¡­¡± ¡°Alv? Can I ask you a question?¡± Liam suddenly chimed in. Alv turned his attention to him and replied, ¡°Depends. I might withhold my answer if I want to.¡± Is this prick for real? Liam thought to himself before recomposing himself. ¡°Are you the type of Beast-kin to have something against a half-breed?¡± Alv was suddenly taken a back from Liam¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m asking you this because you seem to look like you have something against me. You looked to be wary of me when Mila came running at me, but after you found out that I¡¯m a half-breed you seemed to have nothing, but open hostility towards me.¡± Alv kept his attention on Liam. He didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment before letting out a long breath of air. ¡°No. I¡¯m not like those pricks who are bias. Its just¡­¡± ¡°Its just what?¡± Liam asked. Alv looked down at the table. Liam could see the conflicting emotions flashing over his face. Mila reached out and placed a hand on Alv¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Is this because of Harro?¡± Liam looked at Mila with a confused expression. Mila looked back at him and raised a finger up. She was telling him not to say anything and just let Alv say it. Alv nodded. He then looked back at Liam and explained, ¡°We had a couple of teammates in our group. We were a team of seven. Harro was a trusted companion who I went through the Tutorial with. He¡­lied about his race and tried to keep it a secret. He was a certain type of race that we¡¯re not allowed to even talk about, and he belonged to one of the strongest Clans of that race.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. ¡°Why can¡¯t you say the name of the race? Can you say what clan it is?¡± Alv shook his head. ¡°They are one of the oldest Races here in the world,¡± Mila explained. ¡°There¡¯s a whole history about them and it isn¡¯t good. They are pretty dangerous and all the other races both fear and hate them. One thing about this world you need to know Liam is that some races shouldn¡¯t be talked about so openly and casually. You never know who is listening. Whether it is them or someone with a big grudge against them. It just brings¡­trouble.¡± Mila gave a pained expression as she looked down at the table. ¡°He was warned not to reveal what his race was, by someone from his clan who had found him. He placed some sort of seal on him,¡± Alv continued. Liam¡¯s heart suddenly pounded as he thought about the seal that was on him. ¡°It restricted a lot on what he was able to do. One of the restrictions was his ability to level up had decreased and slowed exponentially.¡± Thoughts of what Alv was saying started to swirl as he thought about the possibility of his second race being the same. He remembered Eri¡¯s warning back on the fourth floor in the Black Tutorial Dungeon when he first met her. Even though she didn¡¯t tell him what it was, the things she had said started to make him think more about it. ¡°We didn¡¯t know about it at the time because he was told to keep it a secret. However, one day after we had defeated a dungeon and leveled up, our other teammate Levit, he was an Elf, joked about how we were going to leave him in the dust if he didn¡¯t start focusing on his personal level growth. This must have freaked him out because while we were walking in town he told us what he was and why his personal level growth was so slow. Someone overheard us talking and ambushed us. We tried to fight back. We were able to kill them, but not before Harro and Levit died.¡± Liam let everything sink in. He thought about his hidden race and the possibilities of him being the same as this Harro. If that was the case, coupling with him being a Gemini¡­He shook his head. He didn¡¯t know what his race was and Alv had said that his teammate was approached and had the seal on him after the Tutorial Area. He had a seal on him before he came to the Tutorial Area. Surely his race was something else. He looked at Alv who was still staring at Liam. ¡°I think about it often. Like how he could have lied and said he was a different race. There are a few other races out there that place seals on their kin. There are a few here in the Beast-kins that do it too,¡± Alv stated. ¡°My hostility to you isn¡¯t due to some stupid reason like full breed or half breed nonsense, but rather secrets that could put any members in my team in jeopardy.¡± Liam gave him a soft smile as he looked at Alv in a new light. He could understand and respect what the man was saying. He was looking out for his team and since Liam¡¯s cousin was apart of his team he appreciated his wariness and cautious nature even more. Liam came to a decision and said in a low whisper. ¡°I will tell you, but you have to promise me you wont say anything. I promise my race isn¡¯t something dangerous and wont hurt you. It¡¯s more for my safety than anyone related to me. However, I wont say it out loud. I am going to write it down and you can read it. But do not say what it is out loud. Can you agree to that?¡± Alphonse and Molly shrugged before nodding their heads along with Vera, who looked excited, and Mila, who looked concerned. Alv stared at Liam for a brief moment. He narrowed his eyes before saying, ¡°Alright, but if I think you are a threat to the safety of my team I will have everyone walk away and leave you here. Do you agree to that?¡± Mila was about to argue, but Liam stopped her by raising a hand up and stating, ¡°A bit harsh, but I can agree to that.¡± Alv nodded. ¡°Then I agree to your terms.¡± Liam pulled out a piece of paper and started writing on it. He then passed it to Vera. Vera¡¯s ears suddenly perked up. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open as she passed it over to Molly and Alphonse who both looked at it together. Molly¡¯s expressions mirrored Vera¡¯s as she jerked her head up. Alphonse let out a low whistle before passing it over to Mila. Mila read it, scrunched her brows, and gave him a confused look. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said as she passed the paper to Alv. Alv read the two words and raised a brow before looking at Liam and asking, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes. Do you understand now?¡± Alv brought a hand to his chin and looked to be contemplating. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Can someone please tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Mila asked with an even more confused look. ¡°It does make sense and explains why you are trying to play dumb,¡± Alv finally said before looking back at Liam. ¡°Hey, am I chop liver or something?¡± Mila asked, starting to get frustrated. Vera let out a laugh before saying, ¡°Mila, hunny. I¡¯ll tell you later. All you have to know is Alv isn¡¯t going to be a dick anymore to your cousin. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Vera raised a brow as she stared at Alv. Alv frowned before slightly bowing his head a bit and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You have every right to not want that to be known if you don¡¯t want it to be. However, I must ask. Why don¡¯t you want it to be known?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen if I reveal that bit of information. I was told by my mentors not to reveal it especially if I want to travel and explore what this world has to offer,¡± Liam answered as he leaned back. Alv nodded. ¡°That makes sense. If they caught word then there is a chance you could be recruited and not have any hope of traveling.¡± ¡°So it is that bad?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Just rumors, but everyone knows that rumors are based on some form of truth,¡± Alv stated. He then gave Liam a strange look. He looked like he wanted to ask him something, but was stopping himself from asking it. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Well,¡± Alv started as he gave a sheepish look and started rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°I know that after how I treated you I have no right to ask this¡­¡± Liam raised a brow as he leaned forward and rested his hands on the table. He had a feeling he knew what he was going to ask, but still wanted to hear the question. ¡°But seeing as your cousin is in our party and it looks like you both are close. I¡¯m sure you would want to keep her safe¡­,¡± Alv continued, looking like he was having a hard time coming clean with his request. Vera let out a laugh as Molly and Alphonse shook their heads with embarrassment. ¡°Alv, if you¡¯re going to ask just do it. Beating around the bush the way you are doing it is just pathetic man,¡± Vera commented. Alv turned bright red before finally asking, ¡°If you do decide to pursue the path that race entails then do you think we can come to you with requests?¡± Mila, who was still looking lost, tilted her head as she repeated, ¡°Come to him with requests? Requests for what?¡± Liam fought to keep a straight face. ¡°Right now, I have dabbled in three areas. One of the areas I¡¯m stumbling on my own so I don¡¯t know if I will continue it or not. However, the other two I do find some interest in. I¡¯m nowhere near where I can help you out with one of them, but I do have a question for you guys?¡± Everyone looked at Liam with a curious expression. ¡°Tell me,¡± Liam started as a grin started to form. ¡°How do the potions taste out here in this world?¡± Mila¡¯s silent gag told him all he needed to know. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam sat alone at the table of the restaurant Mila had taken him to. Mila and her team had already left, claiming they needed to do some shopping before taking on a quest from the Adventurer¡¯s Association. That was before he surprised them with the flavored potions he had made back in the Tutorial Area. They hadn¡¯t believed him when he informed them that he had created potions that tasted better than the ones they were used to. He grinned widely as he watched their expressions range from shocked, amazed, and even joyous. After they discovered he wasn¡¯t lying to them they begged him to make them Average leveled Potions. He informed them that he could only make Weak and Minor leveled ones right now, but he was five levels away from being able to make Average leveled ones. They offered to help any way they could to get him to that level, even to the point where they would harvest the materials needed. After coming to an agreement on that he offered to give them all of the weak leveled ones he still had. They tried to pay him more than what they were worth, but he declined and gave them a counter price with a discount since they were looking out for his cousin. They agreed eagerly to the price and adding in some information on the Adventurer¡¯s Association he would want to know in case he decided to get an A.I.D. They had told him that if he decided to get an A.I.D. that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about revealing any information he didn¡¯t feel comfortable sharing. They were not allowed to ask what race or races he was, what kind of magic or skills he knew, if he had a Matron or Patron Deity, nor what mentors he had trained under. He did need to provide his class though. His personal level would appear on the A.I.D., so he didn¡¯t need to tell them that, but not his sub-stats. Any creature he killed would appear on the A.I.D. as well as how many dungeons he had completed would show up after each run. If he left in the middle of a dungeon run without completing it, it wouldn¡¯t update as a completed dungeon, but would be shown as an incomplete run with what floor he finished and how many were left. It also showed how many completed and failed Association Quests he had. All of this was to show how capable of an Adventurer he was when trying to accept quests from the Association or trying to get into a dungeon that was guarded. He thought about what they had told him and he was concerned about something. Hey Eri. If I did get an A.I.D., how would it look with my Stat Shatter Debuff in effect? Liam asked.
¡°It would show what your level is while having the Debuff active. If you¡¯re concerned about if it will show what your real level is and that the Debuff is placed on you then do not worry. It wont reveal that. ¨C Eri.¡±
What about when the Debuff disappears? Liam questioned.
¡°Then it will update appropriately. It would be like you had just leveled up. Nothing will trigger. No alarms no issues. So do not worry about it. I think you should get it soon though just to get it out of the way. ¨C Eri.¡±
You think so? Liam inquired with a raised brow.
¡°Yeah, the sooner the better so you don¡¯t have to do it later. Also get a C.I.D. so you can legally have access to the Crafting workshops. ¨C Eri.¡±
You need to have a Crafter¡¯s I.D. to use Crafting workshops? That¡¯s stupid. Liam scoffed.
¡°It¡¯s more for the owner of the workshop you use. You¡¯ll understand more once when you get one. They will explain it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was about to say something, but then noticed something. The room he was in at the restaurant was suddenly quiet. He looked around thinking that maybe the people that were in the room had left, but as he turned he grew both confused and concerned. There were people in the room, however they weren¡¯t moving. A few people off in the corner had their arms and hands out looking like they were having a fun animated conversation, except their limbs weren¡¯t moving. Even their mouths remains opened. It was almost like time had stopped. ¡°What the hell?¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself. ¡°This isn¡¯t hell. Not quite yet for you anyways newbie,¡± A voice suddenly whispered around him. Adventure 145 – The Man in the Shadows ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Liam shouted as he scanned the room. ¡°Relax,¡± the voice whispered stretching the word out with a bemused tone. ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt you.¡± ¡°Yeah, not going to lie. When a random voice whispers they¡¯re not here to hurt me I totally feel relaxed. Especially when said voice is nowhere to be found,¡± Liam sarcastically stated as he prepared himself for anything. ¡°Touche,¡± the voice responded. This time it wasn¡¯t a whisper and gave Liam a sense of direction where to look. Liam turned around and went wide eyed. The direction the voice came from was on the other side of the table. He was able to see a shadowy silhouette take form sitting on a chair. The figure¡¯s shadowy form started to dissipate revealing a black cloaked individual with their hood covering their face. They were leaning back with an elbow resting on the armrest of the chair and their hand under their chin. The person had a relaxed posture as they stared at Liam. Liam couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s eyes or facial features above the lips. What he was able to see was two snake bite lip piercings under the person¡¯s bottom lips. The piercings weren¡¯t hooped lip rings but black spikes. And what Liam was able to see from the jawline was this individual was a man. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Liam repeated as he stared at the male still sitting. ¡°What did you do to the people in this room?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a curious one,¡± the man stated as he gave Liam a sly smile. His voice wasn¡¯t deep or gruff. He sounded like he could be as young as Liam, early to mid-twenties. However, the man¡¯s voice had a playful tone to it. ¡°It¡¯s good to be curious and ask questions. It will keep you alive. As for your first question, you don¡¯t need to know who I am¡­for now.¡± ¡°What about my other questions?¡± Liam asked as he kept his gaze on the man. He couldn¡¯t get a good read on him. He couldn¡¯t tell what race he was or what kind of class he had, not that he would know since he was still clueless on all the classes out there. Liam could feel some sort of power within the room, but at the same time it felt like there was a void of power. This really confused him. He activated his Mana Sight to see if he could get a read on the mana he was using, but there wasn¡¯t anything there. Nothing surrounded the man, and nothing was in the air around them. What the hell? Liam thought. The hooded man tilted his head a bit before letting out a quick chuckle. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to figure it out. You¡¯re still too fresh to this world to understand how this is possible.¡± Liam was surprised at the man¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t know how he was able to tell what he was doing. ¡°You look confused. I¡¯ll give you a hint,¡± the man started as he pointed to where his eyes would be in the darkness of the hood. ¡°When you activate Mana Sight your eyes flash briefly. I was able to catch it around the rim of your glasses.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know that fact. He had never noticed when the others used Mana Sight and there was no way he¡¯d be able to see it happen on himself. However, for something so small to give away what he was trying to do was a mistake he was glad to find out now. He was also happy the man didn¡¯t take offense to his action as well. ¡°Alright, to answer another one of your questions. I am here on clan business,¡± the man started. ¡°Clan business?¡± Liam asked with a raised brow. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°What I mean by that, my dear little newbie,¡± the man started up with a teasing tone of voice. He brought a hand up with an index finger pointing at Liam while twirling it. ¡°Is I have business with you.¡± ¡°With me?¡± Liam questioned. Again, confused by what this man was saying. ¡°I don¡¯t know your clan, nor do I have anything to do with them.¡± ¡°That is where you¡¯re wrong. Well, actually, you¡¯re right that you don¡¯t know about the clan yet. But you¡¯re wrong on the part that you do have something to do with the clan,¡± the man smiled. He paused for a brief moment as he stared at Liam. He watched as Liam¡¯s face grew even more confused. ¡°God I love the confused looks newbies like you give when I do this.¡± Liam felt a bit uncomfortable as the man said this last part. The way he said it gave him a weird vibe that he didn¡¯t like. This made Liam take an involuntary step back. ¡°Uh uh,¡± the man said in a light scolding tone as he waved his index finger side to side. ¡°It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t try to move or run away¡­I mean I welcome the chase especially when a confused newbie like yourself tries and thinks they can get away, but I simply don¡¯t have enough time for that. I still have¡­¡± The man¡¯s head swayed left to right as he finished, ¡°Seven more people to find after you. There are quite the number of clans men and women arriving this time round.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Liam inquired, still not sure what this man was going on about. ¡°I mean, there are seven more people that came from different tutorials that I have to find and do to them that I¡¯m going to do to you.¡± Liam¡¯s guard instantly went up as he questioned, ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± The man dropped his hooded head to the table as he placed both hands on it. He then lifted his head back up and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting there. If you keep interrupting me then it¡¯ll take longer.¡± The man waited for Liam to respond. When Liam didn¡¯t say anything he continued, ¡°Here is what¡¯s going to happen. You¡¯re going to stay there like the good little boy I am hoping you are while I put this item on you.¡± Liam watched as the man pulled out an item from his inventory. As Liam got a good look at the object he was suddenly filled with a mixture of shock, confusion, and horror. The item looked to be a normal leather collar. However, Liam had seen a similar item like this before. It was before he came to this world. Right before his old world fell into the apocalyptic hell it had turned into. Liam¡¯s mind started to race as he started to panic internally. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the exact same item, and he still wasn¡¯t sure what it was since the ones who used it didn¡¯t tell him exactly what is was nor what it was meant to do. All he knew was his world had changed when it was used on him back then. ¡°No,¡± Liam suddenly said as he shook his head and went to take a step away. However, before he could move any farther his Danger Sense suddenly flared up underneath him. He couldn¡¯t react in time as the man swiftly chanted, ¡°Grasp them with the Tendrils you possess. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Liam felt his body suddenly freeze as shadowy black tendrils shot out from underneath him, wrap, and tighten around his arms and legs, tug down and root him in place. Pain slightly ran through his body as he watched his health drop to the halfway mark. Even though Liam felt the pain he ignored it as his mind focused more on the feeling the tendrils sent through him. A sense of panic and dread welled up within him as the texture of the shadowy appendages brought forth memories of the time back in the darkened world full of screams, cries, and whispers. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. He felt his heart begin to race as he stared at it. He knew this was bad news. Liam tried to jerk himself free from the grip of the shadowy tendrils but failed. During his panic and struggle to free himself, Liam sent his thoughts out to Eri. Eri? What¡¯s going on here? Why is this lunatic trying to use that item on me? No response came. He tried again. Nothing. Once more. Silence. What the fuck?! Liam thought to himself. Why isn¡¯t she answering? Before he could try again, he felt the world around him grow cold. Liam snapped his eyes towards the man who was sitting in the chair on the other side of the table. ¡°Tsk, Tsk, tsk,¡± the man started as he slowly stood up. ¡°I told you not to move.¡± Liam watched as the man reached his full height. This man was taller than him by two feet. Judging from the outline of the cloak his physique wasn¡¯t bulked, but lanky. Liam felt his Danger Sense cover his entire body as he watched the hooded figure slowly walk around the table with the collared item in his hand. He felt his body start to shake as he got closer and closer. ¡°Since you wanted to be a bad little newbie it looks like we¡¯ll have to do this in a more torturous way.¡± The smile the man had on earlier had disappeared and turned into an apologetic one. ¡°I held back as much as I could when I used this spell. I really did mean it when I said I wasn¡¯t here to harm you. However, you left me with no choice. All of my spells do some form of damage. So please, don¡¯t hold this against me.¡± Liam gulped as his gaze switch back and forth from the man to the item in his hand. Once when he was within arm¡¯s reach, the man brought the collar-like object up and went to place it around Liam¡¯s neck. However, before he could a sudden spark of black lightning zapped from Liam¡¯s neck right towards the object in the man¡¯s hand. ¡°What the!¡± the man suddenly exclaimed as he dropped the item. He then watched as black static electricity danced around the object, sizzling and frying it like a metal coated object that was placed in a microwave. The man then snapped his gaze on Liam while taking a step back as a powerful aura pulsed out from Liam¡¯s neck like an angry beast warning any trespassers getting too close to it. Liam froze, not sure what was going on. The man stared at Liam with his mouth wide open. After a few seconds had passed, the powerful pulse that had emerged from around Liam¡¯s neck calmed down and disappeared. ¡°Wha¡­what the hell was that?¡± Liam questioned as he stared at the hooded man. For a long moment the man didn¡¯t say or do anything. Then he straightened his body and brought a hand up to his chin and started to think. After muttering to himself for a minute he gave Liam an ominous frown. ¡°So, it is true,¡± the man started. He spoke with a threatening tone of voice that sent a chill down Liam¡¯s spine. ¡°I thought it was just the ramblings of someone who failed their task, but after what I just witnessed¡­¡± Liam kept his eyes on the man. The power Liam couldn¡¯t feel off of him suddenly appeared around him. The amount of power that suddenly appeared was suffocating. It felt like plastic wrap had suddenly wrapped around his body and face with no breathing room what so ever. The fact he was still wrapped in shadowy tendrils didn¡¯t help at all. His vision started to darken with each second that had passed as the power continued to constrict him. He started to choke as he tried to gasp for air, but failed with each attempt. What is with this power? Is this what the higher leveled people feel like? Liam thought as he fought to stay conscious. Then, as soon as the power had come, it suddenly vanished. Liam coughed as he tried to take in as much air as he could. His vision started to come back, but stars started to float around the edges of it as he tried to calm his racing heart. ¡°You¡¯re from Earth aren¡¯t you?¡± the man asked. Liam was finally able to calm himself as he heard the question asked. He was confused by it. He wasn¡¯t sure why he asked him that, let alone that he came to that conclusion just by what had happened. Regardless, Liam didn¡¯t like where this was going. Liam didn¡¯t answer him out loud. Instead, he just nodded as slowly as he could. ¡°Of course, you are,¡± the man said, matter-of-factly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what those dying old coots on your planet were thinking nor how they got their hands on these items, but it looks like the ancestors who were sent to your planet so many years ago had some sort of plan. Do you happen to know what it is?¡± Liam grew confused as he listened to this person. What is he talking about? Liam thought. Old coots? Ancestors? Plan? Items? There were more of these items back on Earth? As Liam¡¯s mind raced with the words this guy was saying, a memory flashed. He was standing in room with a bunch of men wearing suits. There were five older looking men arguing with a stern older man who kept his dark cold gaze on him. Liam couldn¡¯t remember what they were saying. He remembered staring at the man as he spoke to him. Then he was confused as he looked deeper into the man¡¯s eyes. Underneath that cold stare, Liam recognized something¡­something that clashed with what he was saying and how he staring back at Liam. The cloaked man kept his gaze on Liam. When Liam didn¡¯t respond he let out a sigh. ¡°You know, there was an order given to us to kill anyone from the clan who came in this last batch of arrivals. Only the ones from Earth though. Apparently you lot were already placed with the seal for some reason. The higher ups said something about you guys being more of a threat to the clan than any that have come before you.¡± Liam felt his blood run cold as he realized that the power that covered him earlier hadn¡¯t really disappeared. He had only dampened it. It was still there, still wrapped around him, just loosened up for him to breathe. Liam felt his Danger Sense cover his entire body once more as the hooded man stared down at Liam. Even though he knew he was trapped, he still wanted to flee as fast as he could. He could feel his instincts screaming to run, to struggle, to escape. However, it was futile. Liam knew he couldn¡¯t escape. Liam gulped as he continued to stare at him. After a moment had passed, the man¡¯s threatening frown turned into a sinister mischief grin. ¡°However, I am not going to do that.¡± This threw Liam off. ¡°Wha¡­what?¡± Liam stuttered unintelligently. ¡°I said I¡¯m not going to kill you. I¡¯m not going to report you to the clan elders either,¡± the man repeated as he released his Grasp of the Shadows spell. Liam dropped to his knees as he felt his stamina suddenly drain. He glanced at his stamina bar and saw it hadn¡¯t dropped. He just felt¡­weak. ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend that you weren¡¯t someone from Earth nor did you already have a Clan Restriction Seal placed on you. That being said, if the others find out about you then you might not be so lucky. So, if I was you¡­I¡¯d keep a lid on the whole seal thing. You understand?¡± the hooded man leaned down and got a better look at Liam. Liam nodded his head. After looking his face over he stated, ¡°I thought so. You look almost exactly like them. I¡¯ll just have them owe me for this.¡± Liam gave him a confused expression and was about to ask what he meant until he felt the air start to ripple around them. ¡°Alright, my Time Seal spell is about to wear off, so I have to go now,¡± the man stated as he grabbed the destroyed item on the floor before turning his back to Liam. Shadows slowly started to engulf him, starting with his feet. As the shadows reached his chest, he suddenly turned his head to look at Liam once more and warned, ¡°One last thing. Until you get stronger, I would advise you stay away from anyone from the clan.¡± As the shadows covered his head he started to fade away from sight. He then finished as he completely vanished and time unfroze, his words whispering in Liam¡¯s mind, ¡°That includes your brothers and father¡­Liam.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the man¡¯s words. What? My father? My brothers? I don¡¯t¡­ A notification full of texts suddenly appeared in front of Liam¡¯s face.
¡°Liam what happened? I felt an absurd amount of power surround you for a brief moment before it vani¡­Liam¡­why is your health half full? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam stood there. He didn¡¯t see the notification even though it was right in front of his face. Instead, he was trying to process everything that had just happened. As his thoughts started to swirl he felt his body begin to shake. With everything that happened in the dungeon he wasn¡¯t able to really feel it. He wasn¡¯t able to properly think about it. He was too preoccupied with trying to survive and making sure his team made it out each floor to really let it sink in. He wasn¡¯t alone in the Tutorial Area when he came across those powerful monsters. He was always thinking, always moving. However, being trapped by the same spell he used so many times and feeling that dark sinister aura that the man had constrict and suffocated him with...It was a wakeup call. This world really was different from his old one. I really am weak. Liam thought as he stared down at his hand. It was trembling. I was powerless against that guy. If he wanted to¡­he could have killed me.
¡°What are you talking about Liam? What guy? What happened? ¨C Eri.¡±
He didn¡¯t realize he had transferred his thoughts to Eri when he was thinking them. He took a deep breath and stood back up. Not here. Liam started. Let¡¯s go back to the room and I¡¯ll tell you everything that had happened. Eri noticed Liam¡¯s hand trembling. She really wanted to know what had happened outside her vision. To her, one moment Liam was sitting there, then the next he was on his knees with half of his health bar missing. She didn¡¯t like this. Not only did she not like this, she was starting to feel angry about it.
¡°Okay. ¨C Eri.¡±
Adventure 146 - Realizations and how to proceed. Liam sat on his bed hunched over with his arms resting on his knees. He had just finished retelling what had happened to Eri and was waiting for any input she had. He was staring at the floor. Eri had remained silent while he told her everything. After he finished she told him how it looked to her. So, you¡¯re saying everything I went through happened in a blink of a moment? Liam asked, cementing how serious the situation was. How though? What kind of magic can do something like that?
¡°You said he mentioned a spell called Time Seal right? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded his head in response.
¡°That spell is kind of hard to explain. It can work in two different ways depending on how the caster uses it. It can stop time around people and seal them in a space outside of this realm. It can also allow certain targets to move around freely. It is a spell that works great for assassins. It also falls under Time Magic. It¡¯s a rare type of magic that only a select few can acquire. You have to meet certain requirements to even learn it. One of them being your personal level over fifty. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he continued to stare down at the floor. So¡­you¡¯re saying that man was over level fifty? Liam asked.
¡°To be precise he was probably late fifties early sixties due to the spell he used. ¨C Eri.¡±
Jesus Christ. No wonder the power he exuded was so strong. Liam commented. Eri stared at her Champion. She noticed his arms shaking and the conflicted expression on his face. She believed he was scared. Of course he would feel scared. He was faced with a powerful person in an area where no one could have helped. Not even her. She knew he had faced powerful monsters back in the Tutorial, but their power was toned down due to the magic placed, regardless of it being a Forbidden Path. She could argue that the creatures that were summoned and the Shadow of the Deity that appeared weren¡¯t, but even when facing that power, he was able to fight back because he had a chance thanks to his Zodiac ability and the support around him. This time though was different. Having that Stat Shatter Debuff active halved his power, essentially making him a brand new arrival all over again. And the fact no one around to back him up in a Time Seal probably didn¡¯t help his nerves either. Regardless of that, this was the first time he got to see real power focused at him. Got to feel the power constrict and suffocate him. It would be enough to make people feel weak and fall into despair. She knew eventually he would come across power like that. It was inevitable in this world. Many powerful individuals flaunt their power and try to make those weaker them know it. She knew he would come to know this one day, but she didn¡¯t want him to come across it this way. Eri didn¡¯t realize it at first, but her hands were balled into a fist and shaking. At first she wasn¡¯t sure what she was feeling and why, but after letting herself think more about it she realized what it was she was feeling. It was anger. She was pissed about what had happened. It wasn¡¯t the fact that it had happened, she had some inkling someone was going to come. They would always come for their clansmen or women. She was waiting for it. No, what she was pissed about was this mysterious person had used Time Magic to seal her champion in a pocket of space where no one, not even she, was able to see what was going on. If that man had decided to go through with his elders¡¯ orders then she could have lost her champion without even knowing what had happened. And she was not okay with that. She knew what clan it was that he was from and knew they placed seals on their newly arrived or their young for certain reasons. She believed that since he had already had one on him they were only going to give him information as to what they expected of him. She didn¡¯t realize how far off the mark she was. That they weren¡¯t the ones who placed the seal that was already on him and the fact that they were aware of this happening and wanting to kill him told her there was something more going on behind the scenes. What it was though, she didn¡¯t know. For now, she needed to get Liam to get past this and start getting stronger. It had been years since she had talked to anyone besides those currently around her and she didn¡¯t know what to do. Should she be the kind of deity that was kind and speak softly? That wasn¡¯t exactly her style, but if it helped then maybe she should¡­ Hey Eri¡­ Liam started, bringing Eri out of her thoughts.
¡°Yes? ¨C Eri.¡±
The clan that guy belongs to¡­ You know what clan it is don¡¯t you?
¡°Yes. ¨C Eri.¡±
Using that man as an example, would you say that other members from that clan are much stronger than him?
¡°Yes. Very much so. - Eri.¡±
Eri was starting to grow curious but also confused on his line of thoughts with these questions. Do you think those members would have been able to handle that Forbidden Path with ease if that dungeon wasn¡¯t in the Tutorial Area?
¡°*Tilts head to the side and raises a brow* Yes. However¡­ - Eri.¡±
Eri was about to point out the difference between him and other people in this world, but was cut off as Liam asked another question. Which would you say is stronger? Those powerful clan members or¡­that shadow giant? Eri was taken back from this question. She wasn¡¯t sure what led him to ask this. She also noticed the more he asked his questions the more his body started to quiver.
¡°That shadow giant. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam suddenly gripped his hands tighter as he read her response. Eri was beginning to think the answers she was giving him was bringing his mood down, however she was surprised as she watched him throw his hands behind him on the bed, leaned back while letting out a burst of air, throw his head up and smile. So what you¡¯re saying is I have a chance to be stronger than those people in that clan right? Liam asked with a huge smile on his face. Eri was now thoroughly confused on what was going on in his head.
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­Please explain how you got to this conclusion. I think I got lost somewhere from point a to point b. I thought you lost to the fear of facing the power of that guy? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam leaned back forward and rested his arms on his legs and knees before replying, You¡¯re not wrong. I was sitting here scared like a weak pathetic person. Looking right at a person who could have killed me right there without any way to defend myself or for anyone to know what happened is pretty damn scary. Not only that, but the way those shadowy tendrils felt reminded me of when I lost myself and was almost swallowed up. I still feel scared thinking about it. I am weak. There¡¯s no arguing that.
¡°Then why¡­ - Eri.¡±
However, after thinking about the way those shadowy tendrils felt reminded me of when I was almost swallowed up by my own power. The same power you granted me, mind you. I got to thinking about that giant. Even though it cost me to be plagued with this Stat Shatter Debuff, I was able to fight against that giant. With the power that I have sealed away within me I was able to help push back that creature. So if you¡¯re telling me that those people in that clan are not stronger than something I was able to push back then that tells me that one day I can surpass those who are currently more powerful than me right now. Eri stared through her watery connection right at her Champion¡¯s face. She could see his body trembling. However, she could also see the expression on his face. It wasn¡¯t one of fear, but one of excitement. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re scared or excited. ¨C Eri.¡±
Both. Liam responded instantly as his right leg started to bounce a bit. That guy showing off his power was a real eye opener. There are a lot of powerful people out there. People powerful enough that they could kill me before I even knew what happened. However, that¡¯s only because I am weak right now, especially with this Stat Shatter Debuff active. I¡¯m not saying it would have been different if that Debuff wasn¡¯t on me. I still would have died if that man decided to kill me. However¡­
¡°However? ¨C Eri.¡±
This was an eye opener I needed. It showed me what it is I really need now more than ever now that I am here on this planet. Liam continued.
¡°What is it you believe you really need? ¨C Eri.¡±
The more Liam talked the more Eri was growing curious on where he was going with this. It surprised her the attitude he was showing. She thought surely she was going to need to give him some form of encouragement. A challenge. Liam replied. Eri saw something flash in Liam¡¯s eyes. It was too quick for her to see exactly what it was.
¡°A challenge? What do you mean? ¨C Eri.¡±
I needed a challenge to present itself to help me get a starting point. Liam started to explain. A starting point and a comparison. I thought that shadowy giant would have been the starting point, but I still don¡¯t know how exactly strong that thing is since you said it was only a small portion of its real strength. This guy showing up and flaunting his power was a great way to show me what a person around the personal level of fifty or sixty is like. I need, no¡­I want to surpass that.
¡°So, this guy scaring the shit out of you is now being turned into a challenge for you? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded. You could look at it like that. However, the challenge doesn¡¯t stop or end with him. I want to get stronger not only to surpass him, but to also send those elders of his who sent an order to kill me and the others from Earth a message.
¡°*Raises a brow with curiosity* Oh? And what message is that? ¨C Eri.¡±
As soon as she asked the question she watched that same flash from earlier happen again, but this time it stayed. It was dim and not very prominent, but she was able to see it outlined over his slit irises and pupils. It was her symbol for Chaos. That they fucked up. You don¡¯t try to kill the Champion of Chaos and think you can get away with it. Liam finished. Eri stared, dumbfounded by his proclamation. After all that had happened. After the near death experience, he had just faced. Never would she have expected to hear this weak, newly arrived person proclaim that he would make those more powerful than he realize they fucked up. Nor would she deny how excited that made her feel. There is no better way to cause chaos than to bring about mayhem onto those who looked down on a weaker person. No better way to spread her nature than to make the strong feel weak. Her excitement filled her as she started to imagine how it would go down. She was starting to lose herself in the illusion before she shook her head bringing her back to the present before her.
¡°As much as I would love to see this happen, the reality is you are nowhere near where you need to be to do that. So let¡¯s start small before you start causing the mayhem that would bring. Since you still have a couple of days before the second layer of the Stat Shatter Debuff disappears I suggest you work on your crafting and maybe work on your spells and get them to higher levels. Study up on your Knowledge Theories and see if you can gain new abilities. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam suddenly snapped out of the trance he was slowly putting himself in when he realized something. Speaking of crafting and abilities. I totally forgot that Fia, Galin, and Nabal left me something. I need to check that out.
¡°Go ahead and see what they left you. Who knows. Maybe what they left you will help progress you farther into your crafts and training. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam opened his inventory and pulled out the three bags Nabal had brought him earlier that morning before he had to run out from the Tutorial Area. He looked them over trying to decide which one to open first, but decided he¡¯ll just start from right to left. He looked into the first bag and saw the contents within. Judging by the items it had in, he knew this was from Fia. He decided to start with the note placed within. After pulling it out and reading the contents it said, ¡°Dear Liam, I know I said I¡¯d give ya something if yer ta reach level seventeen in Blacksmithin before leaving the Tutorial Area, but after all that ya went through I decided ta give ya this anyways. ¡°The first present is a book about Rune Crafting. I remember our little talk about it and decided ta give ya the beginners book Beginners Guide to Understanding Runes for ya ta start yer journey with Runes. Rune Crafting is no easy thing nor is it simple. Ya have ta learn about each rune. Ya have to understand what they are, how they work, what works with em and what doesn¡¯t. Ya¡¯ll have ta get a considerable amount of Knowledge Theory before you start crafting them on objects. This book will help ya start that. ¡°The next item is a hammer I personally made for ya. It¡¯s not top quality, but it¡¯s the best ya¡¯ll find for ya level and can last ya till ya reach at least level thirty in Blacksmithing. I placed a couple of Runes on it ta help last longer and take a load off ya stamina a bit. Ya better not sell it or I will knock yer lights out in more ways than one! ¡°The last items I placed in here are just some normal equipment for ya ta use when ya need to work on Blacksmithing. It¡¯s a pain ta rent equipment at Crafter Workshops and having ta buy it all right after the Tutorial Area will take too much of yer time trying to save up the money for it. So, ya better thank me the next time I see ya. Also, I left some bones and copper ores so ya can progress further in Bone Crafting. If I can offer some advice, try to specialize in that. You have a knack for it from what I was seein. Anyways, if yer ever lookin to learn more from me or just want ta stop and say hi then come find me. Best of luck, Fia.¡± Liam smiled after reading the letter. He felt his time learning from the feisty Dwarven woman was well spent. Even though she teased him and made fun of how he was doing things, she really did go out of her way to help and guide him. So, to say she went above and beyond with what she gave him was an understatement. The equipment she was talking about was all the things he needed for his Mobile Crafting ability to work on making a small Smithy for him. She was right about the pricing on the items too. When he was back in the Tutorial Area he checked out the pricing on the items he needed and they were not cheap even thought they were the lowest grade of items. She had gotten him a small smelter and a small forge so he could smelt ore in one and work on smithing armor, weapons, or tools in the other. Now many would argue it would be wasteful to get both when he could just use one or the other for his smithing, but he could understand why she had gotten both for him. This was so he didn¡¯t have to smelt his ore in one and accidentally drop some of that foul smelling impurities in it and have to gag the entire time he was pounding away at the ore to smith it into a weapon or such. The smell was powerful enough to distract you and you needed all the focus you could get when smithing. She had also gotten him Smithing Tongs, a Smelting Rod, Ingot Mold, Smith Gloves, Smith Apron, and an Impurity Crucible. Each of these items were of poor quality but that was alright. If he got his skill high enough in both smithing and tailoring then he could just make better versions of the items. He kept those items within the bag so he wouldn¡¯t make a mess but he pulled out the last two items to inspect them better. The first was a Blacksmith hammer. It had a short handle that was about as long as his forearm. The head piece of the hammer had a smooth black rectangular shape on one end and a point on the other end. The smooth end had a silver layer of metal added to it making it look like a cover of sorts. In the middle of the head where the handle ran through was a picture of a ferocious bear head with its mouth wide open. Its eyeballs were replaced with rune-like symbols and lines were etched around it giving it the look like it was roaring. Liam assessed this item.
¡°Fia¡¯s Student Smithing Hammer ¨C Item type ¨C Runic Tool (Blacksmithing) Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Average. Rune Quality ¨C Common. Runes ¨C 2 Durability and Stamina Reduction. + 10% to Blacksmithing. + 10% Stamina Reduction when using this hammer during a Blacksmithing crafting session.¡±
¡°Not bad, Fia,¡± Liam muttered as he smiled appreciatively. He looked around the item once more to see if he could find the runes it said it had. He couldn¡¯t feel the runes nor was he able to detect where they were. At first he thought it was the eyes on the bear, but he didn¡¯t see any glowing or feel anything from them. After a couple of minutes of not finding them he shrugged and figured once when he started his Rune Craft training then he¡¯d be able to find them. That thought brought him to the next item. The one he was most excited about. The Knowledge Theory Book. He looked at the book. It was a silver covered book with several different rune symbols in a circle around the title. He assessed it after looking at the cover.
¡°Beginner¡¯s Guide to Understanding Runes. Contains the Knowledge Theory ¨C Runes. Item type ¨C Knowledge Theory. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C This book contains the Knowledge Theory behind Runes. All Rune knowledge in this book is meant for beginners. Does not contain Advanced or Master Level Knowledge Theory on Runes, Runic Weapons, etc. Reader has the chance to gain Knowledge Theory ¨C Runic Knowledge. Reader has the chance to gain Crafting Art - Rune Crafting. Note ¨C Rune Crafting can only be obtained when reader has Knowledge Theory Runic Knowledge and has gone over the Practice guide in the book several times.¡±
Liam was excited. He wasn¡¯t excited about the book, but rather this was a new craft. He would have loved to get a book on enchanting as well, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. He¡¯ll find a way to get a book on enchanting somewhere. For now, he had a book on Runes! He put the book and the hammer away before looking into the next bag. This one was from Galin and had a note inside of it as well. The note read, ¡°Liam my boy, if you¡¯re reading this note then you have gotten out of the Tutorial Area safely. You have been both a pain and pleasure as my apprentice. I believe you carry the spirit of a true Alchemist with your curiosity, dedication, and your wanting to learn more. However, I must advise you to quit disregarding following the proper and tested paths of alchemic procedures as you grow, not that you¡¯ll listen.¡± Liam snickered at that. The man was right about that. ¡°Now that I have gotten that out of the way. I want to also say that I hope you keep that motivation to try new ways to make Alchemy items. Even though the proper and tested paths are there for us to follow, you were right that if there are easier and better ways to make items then maybe more people would come to love Alchemy. Your innovation and love of trying new things just might help those who are stuck and can¡¯t proceed farther in the craft. With that said I have left you a few things I believe will help you grow more in the Alchemy Craft. ¡°The first set of items I left you is an upgraded set to help make better potions and a way to make bigger batches, so you do not have to keep switching out the smaller vials to fill them. You should be or are getting closer to where you are able to make Average level potions. This is my congratulations present for that. You have gotten to this point quicker than most I know. ¡°The next items are a few vials of the Chemicalized Creation items I made with your help. However, these versions are weaker than the ones I gave you to use on the sixth floor. Before you get upset there is a reason for this. As a Crafter with the Field of the Craft under the Focus Point Production Craft you should have an ability called Item Understandance. ¡°This ability is quite helpful and highly underestimated. After you reach level ten you will start to see in the description of potions, venoms, chemicalized creations, and more ingredients used in the item. After you reach it to a higher level you¡¯ll be able to see exactly how to make it. Higher than that you¡¯ll be able to see alternate ingredients you can use to make a version almost similar to it. I highly recommend you start raising that ability as much as you can. ¡°Once you get that ability to level ten then you can start gathering the ingredients needed so you can start making your own Chemicalized Creations. You should be at the right level to start learning. I noticed your growing curiosity in that section of Alchemy, so I left you a Knowledge Theory book on Chemicalized Creations. In it you will be able to start learning about them as well as the beginning recipes to make small weaker versions of what you and I made together. If you decide to specialize in that then seek me out and I will help you in any way I can. ¡°Please take care. I look forward to hearing what new and interesting processes and items you make the next time we meet. Best Regards, Galin.¡± Liam looked at all the items in the bag. Just like Fia, Galin had supplied him with what he needed to make better Alchemic items. However, he skimmed over the items and went straight for the book. He pulled it out and stared at the cover. He let out a laugh as he read the name of the book. It was a red and orange covered book with several different colors looking like they were exploding from the title of the book. The title read ¡°Beginner¡¯s Guide to Things that go Boom! Adventure 147 – Nabal’s Hidden Gift After taking a few seconds to recompose himself Liam assessed the book.
¡°Beginner¡¯s Guide to Things that go Boom! Contains the Knowledge Theory ¨C Chemicalized Creations. Item type ¨C Knowledge Theory. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C This book contains the Knowledge Theory behind Chemicalized Creations. All knowledge in this book is meant for beginners learning how to make Chemicalized Creations. Does not contain Advanced or Master Level Knowledge Theory on any recipes, procedures, or ingredients for Chemicalized Creations. Reader has the chance to gain Knowledge Theory ¨C Chemicalized Creations. Reader has the chance to gain the Chemicalized Creations section in Alchemy. Note ¨C Chemicalized Creations section will only be available if reader meets requirements. Requirements ¨C Craft Alchemy. Alchemy at level 15. Alchemy section - Mana Extraction level 10.¡±
Liam smiled as he placed the book down and look at the other items inside the bag. He pulled out two vials of the Chemicalized Creations Galin was referring to in the note he left and assessed them.
¡°Weak Implosive Heatwave. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C Sucks in enemies within a 5 foot radius. Once when gravity orb hits the ground sends out a powerful wave of fire, covering all enemies within the radius. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds. Burn Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 15 seconds.*¡± ¡°Weak Magnetic Shockwave. Item type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C Pulls any enemies within a 5 foot radius towards the gravity ball in the center. After a few seconds pass, a powerful shockwave will shoot out sending arcs of lightning towards the enemies. Arcs of lightning will also bounce off from one enemy to the next for ten seconds. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds. 5% chance to paralyze enemies still alive. Lasts for 15 seconds.*¡±
As Liam assessed the items he noticed something odd about them. They had an Asterisk at the end of the description. He clicked on the one on the Weak Implosive Heatwave and watched as a new notification popped up.
¡°Ingredients used to make Weak Implosive Heatwave ¨C Weak Liquified Fire Mana Extractions, Weak Liquified Gravity Mana Extractions, Weak Liquified Arcane Mana Extractions, Purified Water, Powder of a Crushed Arcane Crystal.¡±
Liam stared at it. After looking it over he realized this was what Galin was talking about. He had forgotten about this ability since at first it didn¡¯t do much except allow him to read the description of items. To be fair he just shrugged the ability off because his assess could do the same. However, now he was seeing this ability in a new light. If he came across new alchemical items he could see what ingredients they used and when he got it high enough he¡¯d be able to see the process used to make them, making it easier for him to learn new things to make than to try and find the recipes from a random person. It had been a while since he saw what level the ability was and pulled it up to check it out.
Ability Item Understandance Ability Level 19 Skill Type Instant
Ability Description Gives you a better understanding of items that are craftable by assessing and using them. Can see ingredients used in Alchemical Items.
Liam¡¯s eyes widened. He hadn¡¯t realized he had gotten the ability to level nineteen already. Since it was close to level twenty that meant a new added effect would come with the ability. He wasn¡¯t sure what it would be, but he was hoping it would show the process each alchemical item had so he¡¯d be able to get new recipes. He placed both vials back into the bag and looked at the equipment Galin had gifted him. He had gifted him an upgraded Traveler¡¯s Potion making Kit. The items he had gifted him were at Average quality which meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to use them until he got his Potion Making at level twenty. The other items were a Beginner¡¯s Poison Creating Travel Kit which entailed a Poor Small Poison Cauldron, Crude Poison Warding Mask, and a pair of crude Alchemy gloves. The last set was one Liam didn¡¯t expect. He thought he was going to get a Beginner¡¯s Chemicalized Creation Traveler¡¯s Kit since he had gifted him a book for it, but instead it was a Beginner¡¯s Medicinal Creating Traveler¡¯s Kit. This one had a Crude Motor and Crude Pestle. ¡°If I remember correctly Medicinal Creation was the Alchemy Art of making ointments, balms, and tonics right?¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself. ¡°It might be a good idea to dabble a bit into it. I¡¯ll need to know more on why I¡¯d need to learn this when I have potions, but I guess it is always good to have variety.¡± He then looked at the last bag. This bag had majority of the stuff he had back in the Tutorial Area along with a gift Nabal left him. As he looked in the bag he didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary, until he got to the end of the list in the bag. There were three items along with a note. He pulled out the note and read it. ¡°Dear Liam, I didn¡¯t think coming to this Tutorial Area was the best use of my time. I believed it was going to be a waste. However, after taking you on as an apprentice I have found my earlier assessment to be folly. Thanks to your unique situation, I was able to learn a new way to grow and advance my skills. I believe the method you are using to learn dagger arts will be very vital to your growth. ¡°Do not stop progressing. Keep learning new Dagger Skill Arts and master them the way we have been practicing. I have left you three gifts. One is a thank you present for your help. It is the rectangular box with a four card symbol on them. I will tell you now, it is locked up and will not open up till you reach a certain level in the sub-stats Agility, Fine Motor, and Reflex. You will also need your Weapon Skill in Daggers and Throwing Weapons to be at a certain level as well. I will not tell you what those levels are in order to help you focus on leveling and honing those sub-stats without having to stop and keep checking.¡± Liam pulled out the box Nabal had mentioned in the letter. It was a tannish rectangular box with what looked like Four playing cards from his home world. Each card held a symbol on it. A Diamond, a Heart, a Club, and a Spade. It also had a weird looking lock on it. It wasn¡¯t a padded lock or a key lock, instead it had a magic circle where a normal key hole would go.¡± Knowing he couldn¡¯t open it Liam continued reading the letter. ¡°The other two gifts are connected to each other and are from me as your mentor, however you must decide on whether you want to continue being my apprentice before you put this gift on. The box will only open if you accept to continue being my apprentice. If you decide that our Mentor and Apprentice relationship has concluded then do not put my gift on and the box will not open. If do decide to continue being my apprentice then put the gift on.¡± Confused, Liam looked at the last two items to get a better look at what Nabal was saying. One was a square box a little bigger than his hand. The other was a pair of earrings. . Each earring was a small dagger. One was a red dagger with a black outlined Heart symbol placed where the blade and the hilt met while a wicked joker grin was right above it on the handle. The other had a black dagger with a red outlined Club symbol placed where the blade and the hilt met while a wicked joker grin was right above it on the handle. Liam assessed them.
¡°Earrings of the Apprentice of the Wild Card. Item type ¨C Accessory Set (Ears). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. +25 Damage when successfully landing Dagger Art techniques. +25 Damage when successfully landing dagger strikes. +15% Resistance to Illusion Magic. Item Description ¨C A pair of earrings given to the apprentice of the Wild Card. Both earrings must be worn to get full effects. Prevention Magic has been placed on items. Both Earrings will be destroyed instantly if the items are stolen or sold.¡±
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Liam stared at the earrings. He wasn¡¯t sure why he would have to wear these to accept being his apprentice. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a tradition of sorts, a passage, or what not. He looked back at the letter to see if there was any clarification. ¡°They are meant to signify that you are an apprentice of mine. It ties in with the gift in the box. You can not sell them. The moment you try they will be destroyed. I had someone put a magic spell to help identify the wearer. They will also be destroyed if anyone tries stealing them from you. Wear them with pride if you so choose. Good Luck out there and try not to die. Seek me out if you wish to learn more from me. Best Regards, Nabal.¡± ¡°I guess he won¡¯t say why it matters besides the whole box thing,¡± Liam commented as he looked back at the earrings. He then turned his gaze at the box and thought over the pros and cons. He liked Nabal. He had not only helped him grow, but also looked out for him when he didn¡¯t have to. If he had the chance he would love to learn more from him. The only cons he could think about was that he truly didn¡¯t know Nabal fully. He had heard of his clan and what they were like from Galin and wasn¡¯t sure if this was his way of trying to make him join his clan. He already had enough issues with the hooded guy from earlier that he didn¡¯t want more issues with another clan. Liam stared at the earrings once more. They looked pretty cool to him, but he wasn¡¯t sure about having dangling earrings. He also liked the effects they gave since these would up his damage when using daggers and Dagger Arts, which would help. If he did accept the meaning behind the gift Nabal had left then he would just have to get used to wearing them. After thinking it over some more, Liam came to a decision. He took them and pierced them in his earlobe. At first he thought he missed because he didn¡¯t feel any pain as he pierced the sharp ends through. Albeit, after seeing that they didn¡¯t fall to the ground when he let go he knew they were in place. After he did that he shook his head lightly to get a feel for them. He hardly noticed them when he did that, so he tried shaking his head harder. Again, he didn¡¯t feel them hit the sides of his head. ¡°Hm, good,¡± Liam muttered feeling satisfied with the gift.
¡°Are you done shaking your head? You look like a wet dog trying to dry itself off? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned at her comment. I had to see how they felt since I didn¡¯t want any distractions while I¡¯m fighting.
¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Any earrings, especially the dangling type, won¡¯t cause any distractions unless there is a spell placed on them to do so. Anyways, it looks like your mentors really came through for you. With these items you can focus and get farther in your crafting while you wait for the Stat Shatter Debuff to disappear. ¨C Eri.
Before Liam could respond the smaller square shaped box suddenly shook. The shaking was light and was for a brief moment. After it stopped a click sound escaped from the box, allowing the top to open up slightly. Liam stared at it before slowly opening the top. He raised a brow as he looked inside of it. There was a note resting on top of something. He pulled the note out and saw that underneath the note was a nice tannish cloth like material wrapping around a small object. Liam looked at the note first. ¡°Liam, you reading this note means that you did accept being my apprentice. That is good. However, it also means that you are stupid for not truly understanding what it means to be my apprentice. I will now explain what it entails. Being my apprentice doesn¡¯t mean you are just learning some Dagger Arts. It means you will be learning how to survive using the ways of the hidden, the crafty, the sly¡­and even the way of a killer. The object inside this box will allow you to enter a Hidden Association. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if your other mentors have mentioned these before, but in case they haven¡¯t; This world had two types of Associations. There are the Surface Associations, the ones you see everywhere, like the Adventurer Association. And then there is the Hidden Associations. These ones are associations hidden from those who do not belong to them. The one I am going to have you join is called the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. ¡°The Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web deals in stealing, reconnaissance, protecting, and assassinations. They have plenty of work for you to help earn money wherever you are in the world. You can also buy and sell items you do not want to sell in the regular markets. Your extra Alchemy and Blacksmithing items you are having a hard time selling could be sold there as well as finding ingredients for poisons and such, or even rarer ingredients can be found there. ¡°Using this Association will help you grow and master your techniques. You can also find new ones as well as Knowledge Theory books with manuals on almost any Weapon Arts you want to learn, not just daggers. To find this place just look for a Violin shop in any city or town. On the sign you will see a small spider at any of the corners. Go around back and look for a sign with a spider¡¯s web in the shape of a fiddle on the wall. Knock on the picture and say this phrase, ¡®Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.¡¯ It will alert someone that you are indeed there for the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web Association. When someone asks for your name, Do not give them your real name. Tell them you were sent by your mentor and let them see the earrings. They will understand who sent you there. ¡°You will be given a test to prove your capabilities and with the results you will earn your Web Name. This name is so you don¡¯t have anyone know who you truly are in case there is a bounty on you, or a mission given to kill you, no one will truly know who you are. I must also warn you. When you do go there, wear something that hides your face and do not go there in normal looking clothes. They will look down and think you are easy pickings and no apprentice of mine will be a target for that. ¡°I look forward to hearing of your work and the name the Association gives you. Good luck not to fuck that up and take care not to die.¡± Liam stared at the last part of the note with a wide open mouth expression. In a low and quiet-like volume he muttered, ¡°What the fuck?¡± Liam then looked at the cloth wrapped up inside the box. He slowly and cautiously reached for it and unwrapped it. Inside the cloth was a black pocket watch with a spider web in the shape of a fiddle. The more Liam stared at the picture on the watch the more he felt like he recognized it. ¡°Huh, that looks like the fiddle on a Recluse spider.¡±
¡°Liam¡­I know I said that your mentors really came through for you. However, I must add that out of the three, this Nabal guy really came through for you. ¨C Eri.¡±
Confused, Liam raised a brow and asked, What do you mean?
¡°What I mean is, the item you have in your hands is something that will come in handy in more ways than one. The Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web Association is a great Association to be introduced to. This is by far the best thing you could have been given. ¨C Eri.¡±
Keeping the brow raised, Liam was still confused. He thought the Knowledge Theory books were pretty damn good, but seeing Eri¡¯s reaction to this item made him really want to know more. Again, what do you mean? Please explain better why this is by far the best thing I could have gotten.
¡°At first glance you would think this Association is only meant for rogue like classes. However, that is far from the truth. Many different classes are welcomed into this Association. Charmers, Bards, even Crafters. No class is unwelcomed¡­well maybe except the paladin class and classes similar to it. You can buy rare ingredients you will need for your experiments like poison crafting and Chemicalized Creations. You can get Knowledge Theories on almost anything like the Artificer Craft. ¨C Eri.¡±
Artificer Craft? Liam interrupted. He didn¡¯t know there was a craft like this. If it was just like what he was imagining then he was getting pumped.
¡°Yes. However, it is too soon for you to be learning the Artificer craft. It is an advanced craft that ties in with a few other crafts. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned at that.
¡°The Association is also good because you can gain money and prestige from how many successful quests you complete. The amount of failed quests can also hurt you as well. So, you will have to think carefully what kind of quests you take. The quests they offer range from stealing items, knowledge, information and more. Crafting certain types of poisons, chemicalized creations, weapons, armor, healing items and more are also requested from time to time. There are other quests that will have you do reconnaissance and maybe spy on other nations for clients. They can also hand you assassination quests as well. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s body froze as he read that last part. Some of the things Eri had listed off made him think about some things he really wanted to forget about. Some of the other things he read her say made him think it would be a good idea to use this association. However, that last thing she said made some really bad memories pop up. He was about to down right decline joining this association after trying to suppress the memories that popped up, but stopped as Eri continued.
¡°Just like assassination quests though there are rare ones where you can get a request to protect the individual instead just to throw off assassination attempt and the client. The Association leaves it up to the person taking the quest and quests are up to you to pick on what you want to do. However, that is not the real reason why I think this is a great gift. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam felt better after reading what she wrote, but was also curious as to why she was really excited about this Association. Oh? What is it?
¡°The reason why I highly advise you do take Nabal up on this is because of the rule of secrecy and the fact you get a Web Name. In other words, this is the best way to spread my nature without anyone knowing it is you doing it. This Association was built to cause Chaos and I want to utilize that! ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about what she had said. It was true. If he was going to spread her nature and cause chaos throughout the world then it would be better if it was under a fake name. One that would not tie the consequences or results to him¡­if he did it right that is. After thinking it over, Liam nodded. Alright, I can see and understand why you are excited about this. However, I have a condition.
¡°What is your condition? ¨C Eri.¡±
No assassination quests¡­I don¡¯t know how I feel about killing another being. Liam responded.
¡°Then don¡¯t pick the assassination quests that require you to kill another being. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam blinked at the last message. He was a bit confused and was about to ask what she meant when she answered his thoughts.
¡°Assassination quests are not just aimed at beings. There are some to kill beasts or pets or creatures similar to that nature. ¨C Eri.¡±
Really?
¡°*Nods head* Yes. If killing another being gets your knickers in a twist then don¡¯t do it. Just accept different types of assassinations. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned at her jab, but also felt a bit relieved. If he didn¡¯t have to do that and add on more to the memories he wanted to forget then that would make him feel better. Alright, fine. I will join this association. But I think I¡¯ll wait a bit first since I have this Stat Shatter Debuff. That being said¡­what should I do first? Liam questioned as he stood up and stretched. He looked at his internal clock and noted it was only four in the afternoon. I¡¯m going to need to get some supplies if I want to work on my tailoring and I should probably make some more Health, Mana, and Stamina potions if I want to level it up to twenty.
¡°I think you should head over to the Crafters Association first and get your C.I.D. before you start making any potions. Best to get that out of the way now. After a couple of days then get you¡¯re A.I.D. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded as he thought about her suggestion. Alright, I¡¯ll go do that now. Adventure 148 – A Crafty Problem Liam wandered the city as he tried to remember where the Crafter¡¯s Association building was. He was lost in awe as he watched people of different races walking by. It wasn¡¯t the fact they were all different races and ones belonging to what he thought to be fantasy-like. He had gotten over that while in the Tutorial Area. What had his attention was the gear, clothing, and items they had. Ever since he had gotten his class, awakened his Cait Sith race, and started practicing crafting, he had started to appreciate the many designs and results people were able to make. The clothing were made from different cloths and leathers he had never seen nor heard of before. Not only that, but some clothing had thin pieces of metal-like materials mixed in to it making him believe that he could mix his blacksmithing with tailoring if he got both of them up high enough. So many new designs danced around in his mind as he walked the city. After a while Liam had finally found the place he was looking for. It was a huge two story building that stretched out as far length wise as it did width wise. It was made from both wood and metal materials. The sign hanging right above the wide double entrance doors had the words Crafters Association in the shape of different crafting tools. Liam watched as people walked in and out. Some people wore business attire, crafting uniform, and even regular clothing. A few people were bringing in barrels, boxes, and other crates like objects filled with materials, finished products, or even broken pieces. Liam walked through the door and was confused at what he saw. The room he had walked into was a medium sized reception-like room with a long receptionist desk in front of the wall opposite the front doors. Five people stood behind the desks helping other people who were lined up. Four doors were lined up on the left and right walls with people walking in and out of them. This made Liam believe they were offices, judging by the people who walked in and out of the rooms. There were two Tiger-folk men wearing professional suits standing on both sides of a door that was located on the left side of the receptionist desk. On the other side were two Lion-folk men wearing the same thing next to another door. Liam watched as people walked up to the door where the Tiger-folk men were, showed them some card and walked into the next area. People walked out from the door the Lion-folk were guarding and show them a card and a piece of paper. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on so he decided to walk up to the line and wait to speak to someone. After waiting for a few minutes, he finally arrived to the front of the line. When it was his turn he walked up to the desk where a female Cat-folk wearing a burgundy vest over a navy blue buttoned up shirt tucked into a pair of black dress pants stood. She wore a burgundy cap on her head while a few pins in the shape of different tools ran down the right side of her vest strap. She had black hair, blue eyes, and creamy white skin. She watched as Liam approached her and smiled while greeting, ¡°Good afternoon and welcome to the Crafters Association. My name is Elatrix. How may I help you today?¡± ¡°Hello Elatrix,¡± Liam greeted back. ¡°This is my first time here and I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Elatrix kept her smile as she said, ¡°Oh okay. Well first may I ask what your purpose here today is? Are you looking to purchase tools and or supplies for your craft or crafts? Are you looking to find a Mentor in a specific craft? Are you looking to find a crafter to sponsor your completed crafts? Are you looking for someone to make you a Branding Icon for works?¡± Liam was surprised by all the options she was asking him about. He didn¡¯t know this place dealt with so much stuff. All he wanted was to get his C.I.D. and go from there. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not going to lie to you. I would love to check out all those things you are asking me about, but I think I should start off with getting a Crafter¡¯s I.D. first,¡± Liam answered. Elatrix looked at Liam and tilted her head a bit with a confused look before asking, ¡°Oh? So, this is the first Crafters Association you¡¯ve ever been to? Alright we can help you get started with getting your C.I.D., but first I¡¯ll need to ask you a few questions. Have you ever crafted any items before?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Okay¡­have you crafted in a personal space or a workshop of some sorts?¡± Elatrix inquired. ¡°Uh, I guess you could call it a workshop,¡± Liam responded, a bit confused by what she was asking. ¡°Alright, next question. Has any of your completed items ever been sold?¡± Elatrix continued. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam replied nodding again. ¡°Alright¡­next,¡± Elatrix started. Her smile suddenly faded as she gave Liam a stern and strict look. ¡°You do know that it is illegal to sell any crafted item you have ever crafted in any workshop without a C.I.D. right? And if caught it is a capital offense?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No, I did not know that. I was never told any¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what everyone who is caught says. Now since you came clean and told me this I am sure the guards will go easy on your sentence. If you continue to cooperate with us I will make sure your sentence is lessened,¡± Elatrix started to say as she raised a hand up motioning for one of the guards to make their way over. Liam, confused on what was going on, looked around and stared to feel a bit irritated as he started thinking things over. Fia and Galin never said any of that to him while he was in the Tutorial Area. If this was something he needed to know then why wasn¡¯t this Association in that place and why didn¡¯t anyone tell him he couldn¡¯t sell any of his potions without a C.I.D. Galin did tell him to get his C.I.D. once when he got out into the world. If he told him he needed to get it out here and never once said he needed it in there then there was no need for it in the Tutorial Area. If that was the case then he wasn¡¯t in the wrong and didn¡¯t need to be brought to the city authorities. He noticed one of the Lion-folk men making his way over to them. He strode over with his chest out trying to look intimidating. He stood taller than Liam by a couple of feet which made Liam tilt his head up a bit. Liam stared back at the man through his sunglasses, not letting the man feel like he was intimidating him. Eri? What should I do? Liam asked as he tried to remain calm and not let his irritation get the better of him.
¡°Nothing. You haven¡¯t done anything wrong. This lady is jumping to conclusions. If she¡¯s adamite about handing you over to the authorities then you should fight her on the issue. ¨C Eri.¡±
What do you mean? Liam inquired. However, before Eri could respond Elatrix asked another question as the Lion-folk arrived behind her and looked menacingly at Liam, ¡°Now tell me where you came from and whose workshop you crafted in.¡± ¡°I came from the Tutorial Area¡­,¡± Liam responded, trying to not let his irritation show. Elatrix blinked a couple of times before asking, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Could you repeat that?¡± ¡°I said I came from the Tutorial Area,¡± Liam repeated, allowing his irritation to show. He then added, ¡°I learned how to craft there and all excess potions I made were sold there.¡± Elatrix narrowed her eyes as she caught his tone of voice. She then let out a scoff as she said, ¡°That¡¯s a very convenient ex¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± someone suddenly shouted. Liam, Elatrix and the Lion-folk guard turned to see a well-dressed Wolf-folk man walk out from an office on the left side of the room. He wore the same uniform as Elatrix minus the hat. He had slicked back copper hair and had a monocle resting on his left eye. His icy blue eyes looked like they could pierce into your soul. ¡°Elatrix¡­I asked you a question,¡± the Wolf-folk man stated as he slowly approached them. ¡°Oh, Mr. Lyca. I¡­This man has confessed that he has been crafting and selling his completed wares without a C.I.D. I was about to have Mar here escort him to the authorities after I get him to tell me where he came from so I can find the people who allowed him to do this crime,¡± Elatrix informed. She had straightened her body after seeing this man. Liam could see this man terrified her and he could somewhat understand why. The look this man gave made him feel like a predator was walking around waiting for his prey to mess up. ¡°Is that so? Has he told you where he came from?¡± Lyca asked as he turned his attention towards Liam. He looked him up and down while keeping his facial expression neutral. Liam returned the stare. ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t. He has only given me a convenient lie though sir,¡± Elatrix started. Lyca raised a brow as he looked back at her. ¡°A convenient lie?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. He told me that he just came from the Tutorial Area,¡± Elatrix stated. ¡°Of all the things he could have said. I mean how stupid or desperate can you be?¡± Liam¡¯s eye suddenly twitched. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°We all know if that was true then he would be a Beast-kin but¡­¡± ¡°I am one,¡± Liam suddenly cut her off. Elatrix, Lyca, and Mar focused their stare on him. ¡°What?¡± Elatrix asked raising a brow. Liam let out a sigh while taking his sunglasses off. He then narrowed his stare on Elatrix as he scolded, ¡°I said I am a Beast-kin. Albeit, only half of me is, but I am still one. Also, I didn¡¯t give you some convenient lie. You just assumed that I was lying without looking into it.¡± Elatrix, Lyca, and Mar stared into Liam¡¯s eyes. Mar¡¯s face turned into a scowl as Elatrix¡¯s eyes widened. Lyca looked at Liam. As he restudied Liam he asked Elatrix, ¡°Elatrix, did you ask what his name was?¡± Elatrix snapped her attention back to her boss as she responded, ¡°No¡­I haven¡¯t yet.¡± Lyca let out an irritated sigh before walking over to the desk and picking up a piece of paper and asking, ¡°What is your name sir?¡± ¡°Liam,¡± Liam answered as he glared at the three people. Lyca looked at the paper while running a finger down it. after a couple of seconds had passed he looked back at Liam and asked, ¡°Did you happen to have Lucilindiana as your Arrival Greeter this morning?¡± Liam was confused about how he could have known about that. He nodded as he responded, ¡°Yes I did, but how would you know that?¡± Ignoring Liam, Lyca handed the piece of paper to Elatrix who started looking it over, turned to Mar and said, ¡°You can go back to your post. It seems Ela here didn¡¯t do as I had asked earlier and jumped the gun¡­once again.¡± Elatrix looked like she found what her boss found as her ears suddenly straightened then swiftly looked at Liam then back at the piece of paper and once more at Liam. Liam raised a brow as he was curious about what she had read. She looked scared all of a sudden and he couldn¡¯t figure out why. Why is she so scared now? Liam thought to himself. Elatrix suddenly stiffened as her boss placed a hand on the back of her head and forced her to bow her head while doing the same. Lyca then stated, ¡°I am sorry for my employee¡¯s actions. I know this does not excuse what she has done, but I will take over the procedure now. If you could so kindly follow me to my office.¡± Still confused on what was going on, Liam said with a cautious tone as he placed his sunglasses back on, ¡°Alright.¡± Liam followed the man into the office he had walked out of. It was a normal office with a desk and a few piles of paper scattered. There were no windows, just two Yooperlite lamps, lighting up the room. Lyca closed the door before walking around the desk and sat down while pointing at the seat on the other side and saying, ¡°Please, sit.¡± Liam pulled the chair back and slowly sat down. He was about to ask the question the man ignored earlier, but before he could Lyca started, ¡°To answer your question from earlier, Lucilindiana, or Lucy, stopped by earlier and had informed me that a half-breed Beast-kin might stop by sometime soon to get a C.I.D. She said she wasn¡¯t sure if you would, but since you showed an interest in crafting that there was a possibility.¡± ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°It¡¯s part of her job. All New Arrival Greeters inform the Associations of arrivals that have expressed interest in either crafting or merchant work. The Adventurer Association is informed as well, but their rules differ from ours,¡± Lyca informed. ¡°Its part of the procedure so we don¡¯t have what happened to you happen.¡± ¡°But it did happen,¡± Liam countered. Lyca let out a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t like to make excuses, but Elatrix is a¡­special case. Even if we tell her before hand she tends to¡­assume the worst.¡± Lyca placed both elbows on the desk and rested his chin on his knuckles. ¡°She and a party member of hers bought what they were told was a potion from someone who didn¡¯t have a C.I.D. At the time they were unaware of the rules and since they were in a hurry to heal their friend they went ahead and bought it. ¡°However, what they bought wasn¡¯t a potion, but a fast acting venom. It killed them within minutes. When they reported the person who they bought the ¡®potion¡¯ from, they were already gone. I know it sounds like an excuse, but her heart is in the right place. So please don¡¯t be too mad with her.¡± Liam raised a brow as he replied, ¡°Even though you say her heart is in the right place her actions could hurt more than help. If she accused the wrong person who hasn¡¯t done anything wrong then it could end bad for her.¡± Lyca nodded. ¡°I agree with you and that is why we have the procedure of having the New Arrival Greeters inform us of potential Crafters so we can avoid that.¡± ¡°And how has that been working out for you?¡± Liam countered. ¡°With everyone else? Great. With her¡­not so well,¡± Lyca replied. ¡°So, I ask again please leave this in the past for now. I will give her an appropriate punishment for this.¡± Liam stared at the man. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could believe his words, but after seeing how scared she looked after looking at the paper this man handed her and how she stiffened, he guessed he could let it go this one time¡­for now. ¡°Fine,¡± Liam responded. Lyca smiled as he said, ¡°Thank you.¡± He then moved his hands away from his chin, pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and asked, ¡°So you want to apply for a C.I.D.? What crafts have you been trained in? Which ones are you interested in looking into? Do you have a Mentor in any crafts yet?¡± Liam noticed the business like attitude he suddenly summoned and recognized that he moved away from the topic before and was ready to get this over with. Going along with the flow, Liam answered, ¡°Yes, I ventured into three different crafts. Two of the three I worked a lot in and had found a mentor for those two. The third I am just going to work on by myself. I do have interest in a couple more.¡± ¡°Alright, what crafts were the two you found mentors in?¡± Lyca asked as he checked off a couple of boxes. ¡°Alchemy and Blacksmithing,¡± Liam answered. ¡°The one I am working on by myself is Tailoring.¡± Lyca raised a brow as he wrote down what Liam told him. ¡°Ok, which crafts are you interested in?¡± ¡°Rune Crafting and Enchanting,¡± Liam stated. Lyca looked at Liam. ¡°Alright, do you have a rough idea on which craft you will be sticking with as you grow?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked with a confused expression. ¡°I mean, you aren¡¯t going to be doing all of these crafts in the future. Many people try out a few crafts before sticking to just one. So, I am asking, do you faintly have a rough idea on which craft you are leaning towards?¡± Lyca explained. ¡°No because I don¡¯t plan on dropping any of these,¡± Liam responded. ¡°I know you recently arrived to our world, but I must give you some advice. Unless you have a Crafter type class, it is not feasible for you to dabble in all these crafts without focusing on a specific one. It will stunt your growth as an adventurer,¡± Lyca stated. ¡°Ah, I see where your concern is. You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Me ¡®dabbling¡¯ as you put it, won¡¯t hurt my growth as an adventurer,¡± Liam replied. ¡°The reason for that is because I do have a Crafter Class.¡± Lyca stared at Liam with a slight grin. ¡°Is that so? Then my apologies. You said you had two Mentors right? They were in both Blacksmithing and Alchemy I take it?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Who were your mentors while in the Tutorial Area?¡± Lyca inquired. He placed his pen down ready to write, however he dropped his pen as Liam answered, ¡°My Blacksmith mentor was Fia. Fia from the Rune Hammer Clan. And my Alchemy Mentor was Galin from the Bubbling Potion.¡± Lyca brought his gaze back up to Liam. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam raised a brow as he looked at the man. ¡°Yes. Why? Are they famous?¡± ¡°Here in the Crafting Association they are celebrities. Their work doesn¡¯t match up to a Cait Sith¡¯s craft, but they are well known in their respective crafts. They both had the same mentor. A bear-folk who¡¯s crafting techniques are almost on par with the Cait Siths. If they took an interest in you and made you their apprentice then you have a future in crafting, no questions asked,¡± Lyca explained. Liam was surprised. He knew their work was amazing. He had watched them craft in person and was amazed by what he had seen. He knew there were plenty of people also fighting for Fia¡¯s attention while he trained in her smithy, so he could believe that Fia was well known. However, hardly anyone came to see Galin. Liam remembered his first encounter with the gnome. He was complaining about people not having any interest in Alchemy. His attitude had changed though after Liam showed an interest even though he already had Alicia as one. Liam thought about the three. He hoped they were all doing well. Learning from both of his mentors was one of the few things he had enjoyed during his time in the Tutorial Area. Not only that, but poking fun, teasing, and learning with Alicia was also a blast. Liam was dragged out from his thoughts as Lyca asked, ¡°Do you wish to find a mentor in any of the two crafts you mentioned earlier? The Rune Crafting and Enchanting?¡± Liam thought about it. He could use a mentor for those two crafts, but he wasn¡¯t ready to start learning them yet. There were some things he still needed to do before he started down that road. ¡°I would like one, but I¡¯m not in a hurry yet. I would like to focus on the three I have for right now,¡± Liam stated. Lyca nodded. ¡°Good answer. For crafters it is not good to overwhelm yourself with more work than you can handle. I have one more question. Do you plan on getting a M.I.D. so you can sell your crafted wares personally or are you wanting to have others sell your completed crafted works?¡± Liam thought about it. If Mercer was here he would have him sell it, but since he wasn¡¯t he would need to figure out what to do. As much as he wanted to do it himself, he simply didn¡¯t have the time, nor the knowledge needed to run a store to do so. However, if he had someone else do it then it would be helpful, but he also needed to make sure they were trustworthy. ¡°I think I would like to have someone else sell my work, however, I would need to see how trustworthy they are before I gave them my wares,¡± Liam stated. ¡°That is fair and understandable. We have a system here that will help you with that, but we can go over that tomorrow,¡± Lyca stated as he wrote some stuff down. After he finished he looked back at Liam and informed, ¡°Alright, so here¡¯s what is going to happen now. I have all the basic stuff for now. I need to send the request for a C.I.D. card to be made along with the application to the Crafters Association Headquarters. That shouldn¡¯t take long. I should have it all ready by midday tomorrow. Come back around then and we can get everything placed on your C.I.D. then. ¡°Also, if can. Please bring anything you can use to showcase your skills on the items you will focus on making to sell. The more you have the better because it will show the person who is wanting to sell your wares that you are serious, and it won¡¯t be a once in a few weeks¡¯ thing.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. ¡°I can do that, but I thought I can¡¯t use any workshops here in town since I don¡¯t currently have a C.I.D.?¡± ¡°That will not be a problem. We have areas designated for crafters who don¡¯t have a CID and are trying to make items to showcase. They are right outside of town near the areas where ingredients naturally grow. Oh, I must say though that if you wish to make poisons then please do not contaminate the forested areas or any places with healing ingredients. There will be signs stating whether you can make poisons or not there,¡± Lyca informed. Liam nodded as he said, ¡°Alright, sounds good to me.¡± Lyca smiled as he and Liam stood up. ¡°With that I do believe we are down for today. I look forward to seeing what you bring tomorrow.¡± Liam and Lyca walked out the door of his office. Liam waved at the man as he headed for the door and walked out. Lyca stood and watched as Liam disappeared into the crowd outside. Elatrix slowly approached Lyca from the side as she too watched the man disappear. With a low and quiet volume, she asked, ¡°Is it true? What it said on the paper?¡± Not turning to look at her, Lyca replied, ¡°It is only a guess, but from what he had told me so far it is a very good possibility.¡± Elatrix¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But how is that possible?¡± Lyca shook his head as he responded, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. However, that isn¡¯t the only thing we¡¯ll need to be wary of.¡± Elatrix gave him a confused look as she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lyca let out a long breath of air before saying, ¡°His two mentors. They are the apprentices of Narad the Crafting Connoisseur.¡± Elatrix froze at the mention of the name. She then stammered, ¡°Wha¡­What? Are you sure?¡± Lyca nodded. ¡°I did hear that they both went to a Tutorial Area, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be in the same one. Nonetheless find the same apprentice. However, it only goes to show that the possibility of what Lucy has suspected to be very high. And if it turns out to be true then not only will we need to keep an eye on him, but we will also need to be sure not to offend him unless we want them to come after us.¡± Lyca turned his gaze to Elatrix and gave her a stern look as he stated with a cautious tone, ¡°Let this be a great example that you must listen and follow the procedures and not to jump to assumptions. Do you understand me?¡± Elatrix nodded vigorously. ¡°Good, now get back to work,¡± Lyca stated before looking back to the door. He then said in a low enough voice for only him to hear, ¡°Let¡¯s hope that it is only coincidence and that what she thinks is not true. There has never been a half breed of that race before and we do not know their stance on such a thing yet.¡± Adventure 149 - Strife Inducement Liam walked out from the Crafters Association building and turned right down the road. He was thinking as he made his way through the crowd, trying not to bump into anyone.
¡°What are you planning on doing right now? ¨C Eri.¡±
I need to get some supplies and ingredients to make some potions. I¡¯m a bit low for the amount I want to make. Liam replied.
¡°Oh? How many do you plan on making? And which ones do you plan on making? ¨C Eri.¡±
I plan on trying to get my Potion Making level to as close to level twenty as I can. While I¡¯m at it I want to make some Mana Extracts. I figured if I can get as many of those ready as I can then I¡¯ll be ready when I start making Chemicalized Creations. Liam replied as he looked at each building while walking.
¡°Sounds like a good plan. Do you not need any ores to make a showcase weapon or armor? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam shook his head. No. Fia gave me enough that I can make a few daggers through bone crafting. I want to eventually expand from that but I¡¯ll need to practice with some of the beginner weapons the others gave me so I can get a good idea how they feel when crafting them.
¡°Alright. Do you have a good idea where you¡¯re going to get the supplies you need? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam smiled as he searched his inventory for an item he had placed in it earlier that day. After he found it he pulled it out and looked at it. Yes. I¡¯m going to go check out the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron.
¡°Ah the one that little Tabby Cat-folk girl invited you to check out? ¨C Eri.¡±
Yeah. I figured since she stretched her hand out and advertised the store to me then I might as well check it out. Maybe they¡¯ll have some Knowledge Theory books there I¡¯ll need for the other sections. Liam replied. After that then I¡¯ll go find a place to craft and... Liam felt someone suddenly bump into him. He turned to apologize and see who he had ran into and saw the person who he had accidently bumped into was on their behind on the ground. Liam got a better look at the person and noticed it was a young male with a backpack overflowing with objects strapped to his back. He looked to be in his mid to late teens and had golden brown skin with messy black hair. He wore a black tank top with black shorts and some weird looking shoes. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Liam started as he reached a hand out to help them up. ¡°I was lost in thought and didn¡¯t see you there. Are you alright?¡± The teenaged boy glared at Liam for a moment before seeing his hand reached out. That glare turned into a soft smile as he took the hand. As Liam helped him back up he stated, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m fine. My attention wasn¡¯t on others around me as well since I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± ¡°Ah I see,¡± Liam replied as his eyes turned to the backpack the boy was carrying. ¡°That seems to be a lot you¡¯re carrying. Why isn¡¯t it in your inventory?¡± ¡°Ah that¡¯s because I was requested not to put anything in my inventory,¡± The boy started. His eyes lit up with excitement as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m trying to join this famous party called The Hammer of Judgement. One of their members said he¡¯d put in a good word for me if I run errands like gather supplies, get equipment repaired, get information on dungeons, and more. He told me I couldn¡¯t put anything in my inventory so it would build trust with him and the other members of the group.¡± Liam raised a brow as he listened to the boy. Honestly, it just sounded like they were using him as a gopher. However, he didn¡¯t know the rules parties had for new members so he couldn¡¯t judge on how they conducted things. ¡°Still, that backpack of yours looks heavy. Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to carry it all without any issues?¡± Liam questioned. The boy shrugged. ¡°My strength is decent as well as my Stamina Endurance and Body Strength. I should be alright as long as I don¡¯t bump into anyone else.¡± ¡°Hm¡­,¡± Liam muttered as he stared at the backpack. The backpack looked heavy with all the items poking out from the top and he didn¡¯t think it was fair he had to carry it all by himself. He felt bad and wondered what he could do to help him. As he was thinking he remembered one of his spells. It was Feathery Upforce. In the single digit levels it only targeted weapons, but after getting it to level ten he could use it on items other than weapons. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work on the backpack, but he figured he¡¯d give it a shot. ¡°I¡¯m going to try something out. Will you allow me to test a spell?¡± Liam asked. The boy gave him a suspicious look. Before the boy could say anything Liam raised his hands up and explained, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to take anything. I just want to see if a spell of mine will help lighten your load for you.¡± Still looking skeptical, the boy slowly nodded as he said, ¡°Alright¡­but if you try anything funny I will make you pay.¡± Liam let out a chuckle as he said, ¡°Sounds fair.¡± Liam started channeling some Gravity Mana. After he channeled the amount he felt was right, he chanted as he focused on the backpack, ¡°Heaviness is the hindrance of progression, Lightness is the push needed to soar. Lighten the load of this object, allow it hinder the user no more. Feathery Upforce.¡± Dark Purple outlined the backpack on the boy¡¯s back as soon as the chant was finished. As soon as the spell wrapped around the object, the boy suddenly leaned forward and started to fall. Liam caught him before he could fall face first and steadied his balance. ¡°Whoa there,¡± Liam said as he made sure the boy was able to rebalance himself. ¡°All good?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes widened as he turned his head to look at the backpack. ¡°Holy crap! It suddenly became light.¡± He turned his body left and right to test it out. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I used a gravity magic spell called Feathery Upforce. Normally it is used on weapons, but at level ten you can use it on other objects. However, since this isn¡¯t a weapon you wont get any effects other than making it feel lighter. It¡¯ll last for five minutes so I suggest¡­¡± ¡°What the hell is going on here?!¡± a voice suddenly shouted. Liam and the boy turned to see a man making his way towards them. The man had pointy ears sticking out his long golden hair. He also had forest green eyes, a slim physique, and sharp facial features. He had the physical traits Liam started to associate Elves with. He was taller than Liam by a few inches. He wore elegant clothing giving Liam the impression he was some noble or at least someone pretending to be since he didn¡¯t know what nobility wore here. ¡°Ah Chad,¡± the boy started. ¡°I was just on my way¡­¡± ¡°Quiet boy,¡± Chad started as he arrived to them. After he approached the two he glared down at the boy and stated, ¡°Punctuality is a quality needed if you are wanting to join us. You were supposed to meet up with us ten minutes ago. I came to look for you and what do I find?¡± Chad turned his gaze on Liam and added, ¡°You talking to some poor looking rando. Seriously, what are you wearing? I almost mistaken you for someone who just gotten out from the Tutorial Area. You look so mismatched and those dagger earrings of yours is not helping what so every. Are you trying to make people pity you or something because it¡¯s not working. Instead, it makes me want to puke.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The young man suddenly looked at Liam¡¯s earrings. He squinted his eyes to get a good look and after a second they widened in surprise. Liam was taken aback by this man¡¯s audacity. He didn¡¯t know who he was, but he already didn¡¯t like him. He took a quick look at the clothes he was wearing. He didn¡¯t wear the armor he had, but rather the casual clothes he had bought back in the Tutorial Area. He didn¡¯t think they looked so bad. Liam looked back at the man and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your issue?¡± ¡°What¡¯s my issue?" Chad asked. ¡°My issue is this boy needed to be somewhere ten minutes ago and he didn¡¯t get there. Then I go looking for him and what do I see? Him talking to you. For all I know he was trying to sell you equipment that doesn¡¯t belong to him.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­,¡± the boy started to say. ¡°Hap, I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Chad interrupted. He then glared at Liam and asked, ¡°Tell me what business you have with my pac¡­I mean my fledgling party member.¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched as he thought to himself, He was seriously going to say pack mule wasn¡¯t he? Liam took a breath in and mentally chanted, Calm the Storm. He slowly let his irritation slip away as he answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t have any intentions with this young man. I accidentally bumped into him and I saw that he was carrying a heavy backpack so I decided to cast Feathery Upforce to help lighten his load.¡± Chad scoffed. ¡°You probably did that so you could swipe something from his backpack without him knowing. You look like the type who would do something like that.¡± Liam¡¯s irritation started to swell again. ¡°I am not the type to do so,¡± Liam started. He then added with some irritation slipping out, ¡°If you¡¯re so worried about someone stealing from the young man then why won¡¯t you let him store the items within his inventory. It would help him get things done faster if he could.¡± Chad gave Liam a look of distaste as he answered, ¡°How we conduct our initiates is none of your concern. We¡¯re on the cusp of being let into a really good guild so we have to assess our applicants in ways to see if they are trustworthy.¡± ¡°Oh? Does that include treating them like pack mules or servants?¡± Liam countered. Chad raised a brow. He then rounded the question as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand how great parties work. Not like you¡¯ll ever know with the way you dress. You look like you could be as useless as a Crafter.¡± Anger swelled up within Liam with that last comment. He knew that the Crafter Class was something not everyone looked highly at thanks to Nalia¡¯s actions and comments, but he has come to love the class, even its evolution brought about something amazing. Before Liam could say anything someone called out, ¡°Hey Chad! How¡¯s it going?¡± Liam turned to see a man walking up to them with a mug full of some kind of liquid. This newcomer was a lanky man who wore clothes that looked to be almost a similar fashion to Chad¡¯s. He didn¡¯t look like he was strong, but instead had a lot of wealth due to the clothes he was wearing. So¡­this guy looks more favorable to those with money? Liam thought to himself as Chad started ranting to the man.
¡°I don¡¯t like this guy. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded as he replied, Neither do I. I want to teach him a lesson, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to get away with it.
¡°There¡¯s a way you can, and I am all for you causing a bit of¡­discord right now. I think it will be fun. *Smiles devilishly* - Eri.¡±
Liam raised a brow. He wasn¡¯t sure what she meant until he reread the last part of her sentence. It dawned on him what she wanted him to use. It was a new spell he had gotten earlier today thanks to his Seed of Discord. Strife Inducement. Liam pulled the spell back up to reread it to see how he would be able to use it.
¡°Strife Inducement ¨C Ability to cause the target to feel confrontational. The level of Strife that is brought out within a person or creature is determined by the level of ability. Has a 5% chance of making the target turn on an ally. Ability Type ¨C Chant. Target ¨C Single. MP Cost ¨C 50. Cooldown ¨C N/A.¡±
Liam frowned as he noticed something on the description. It¡¯s a chant type ability. They would know I¡¯m chanting just by hearing me say it. Liam commented.
¡°Then whisper the chant quiet enough for only you to hear it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam blinked. He didn¡¯t think it was possible. He had always believed the volume had to be loud enough for others to hear when it came to chant type abilities. If that wasn¡¯t the case then this spell will definitely be useful right now. Alright. Let¡¯s give this a go then. Liam replied back to Eri. Liam readied himself as he targeted the man Chad was speaking to. As quietly as he could he started chanting, ¡°Conflict is the start, discord is the goal. Cloud the trust with doubt and bring forth the true feelings of bitterness masked away. Influence the quarrels you have with the person in sight. Strife Inducement.¡± Both Chad and the man he was talking to were laughing as they turned to look at Liam. Liam had just finished chanting the spell right before they could see his lips stop moving. ¡°You see what I mean right? This man is a total¡­¡± Chad was starting to say until the man next to him suddenly tossed the contents of his drink right at Chad¡¯s face. Shocked, both the young man and Chad swiftly turned to look at the other man. ¡°Wha¡­what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Chad questioned with a mixture of shock and anger. ¡°You think you¡¯re so smug don¡¯t ya,¡± the man said with a sneer. ¡°Always looking down on others. Always making fun of them just because they don¡¯t have a lot of money or status.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Chad asked as his face started turning red. ¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed you flirty with my girl the other day. You¡¯d think you¡¯d be happy with the gorgeous one you already have, but noooo. You want more,¡± the man added as he continued talking. Chad¡¯s eyes narrowed at the man¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I would never go after a flea-bitten mutt girl like yours. All that hair would be a pain to clean up. I don¡¯t see how someone like you can stand it. Maybe you¡¯re just some freak with some fetish or something.¡± ¡°Excuse you!?¡± the man suddenly shouted. ¡°My gorgeous Matilda is not some flea-bitten mutt.¡± The man then suddenly pushed Chad with as much force as he had, causing the elf to fall down. Before Chad could do or say anything the other man stepped over and grabbed him by the collar and threatened, ¡°If I ever hear you say something like that again or come anywhere near her, I will have all the guards under my authority catch you and beat the ever loving piss out of ya. Do I make myself clear?¡± Chad glared at the man. He didn¡¯t say anything. The man let out a scoff before shoving Chad back down. He then muttered as he walked away, ¡°You¡¯re not worth it right now.¡± After the man disappeared into the onlooking crowd, Chad stood back up. He then glared at Liam before commanding with so much anger seething out, ¡°Let¡¯s go boy. We¡¯re leaving.¡± Confused by what had happened, the young man looked at Chad then back at Liam. He bowed to Liam and mouthed the words sorry and thank you before rushing to catch up to Chad. Laim stood there wide eyed. He didn¡¯t know what to expect when he chanted the spell, but he didn¡¯t expect something like that. Holy crap. That was awesome! Liam thought to Eri, letting some excitement leak towards her.
¡°*Smiles victoriously* I know right. I told you it would be fun. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam had to agree with her. It did feel a bit fun to watch. However, as he watched the conflict happen he had some questions about how the spell worked. Where did those thoughts come from? They seemed to real, to be planted. If that was the case then were they his real thoughts and feelings towards the man? He figured he might as well ask the one person who would know, So, did I manipulate his thoughts into believing he had some conflict with that guy or were they his real thoughts? How does that spell work?
¡°Strife Inducement is not some mind altering spell that makes people believe something that never happened. In order for it to work there has to be some level of conflict hidden within them towards someone. In this case, the man had an issue with that elf flirting with his girlfriend. Since there was some issues he already had with the elf you basically helped him confront the elf about it. You could say you gave him a form of bravery to confront the man he had some issues with that he was holding back inside of him for some reason. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he thought about what Eri was saying. What would have happened if he didn¡¯t have some issue with that Elf?
¡°Then nothing would have happened. The spell would have failed. ¨C Eri.¡±
So, you¡¯re saying it was a gamble? Liam asked.
¡°Yes. However, we live in a world where someone has some sort of issue with someone no matter where you are. What that issue is depends on the person and the level of conflict you bring out depends on your level. I must say for a level one spell that was more than what I thought would happen. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about what she had said. He was happy he didn¡¯t create some problem out of thin air. A problem created out of thin air was something that could lead innocent people to get hurt. However, if he was bringing out issues people had with others but didn¡¯t have the courage to confront then he could see it helping others. Maybe being your Champion will be a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Liam thought to himself. He then projected his thoughts as he said, Alright let¡¯s get back to what we were going to do. I need to calm myself down with some crafting before I get too trigger happy with that spell.
¡°Say what you will, but I know you want to use it again sooner than you think. *Wink* - Eri.¡±
Liam shook his head as he started walking away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam stood in front of a nice looking wooden building. It was a one story with a viewing window big enough for a few people to look inside at the wares the store had. A sign hung above the door with a picture of a cauldron. Smoke rose from the cauldron and formed the shape of a white cat¡¯s paw. The words etched above the smoke read Cat¡¯s and the words etched below the cauldron read Paw-ldron. Liam gave a slight chuckle before making his way to the door. He then muttered to himself with a smile, ¡°That is one adorable looking sign.¡± A bell chimed as he opened the door. As Liam closed the door he looked around the room. On the left side of the room along the wall were a few shelves that stood taller than Liam. A few of the shelves had random Alchemy supplies with cards standing in front of them with prices. The shelves next to them closer to the long counter that sat in front of the back wall held different colored books. A sign above the top of each shelf read, ¡°For bulk supplies please see clerk.¡± On the right side of the room were samples and pricing s of different Health, Stamina, and Mana Potions. Liam looked at some of the potions and noticed there were other types he had never seen before. Fascinated by all this, Liam was unaware that someone had approached him with a wide spread grin. He suddenly jumped as he heard an excited shout ring loudly in his ears, ¡°You really came!¡± Adventure 150 – The Cat’s Paw-ldron Liam placed a hand over his heart as he looked down to see a short Cat-folk girl with long ashy grey colored hair with lightly stripped cat ears and a matching tail swishing behind her excitedly. She had a pair of goggles resting on her forehead pushing up the bangs that slightly hung over the lens. She wore a long sleaved white shirt with a tannish green vest and brown fingerless gloves. A short skirt with light grey stockings that ran into a pair of brown ankle high boots. She had on a dark green apron with the shops logo over the middle of the apron and the name at the top. Liam gave her a smile as he said making sure he had it right, ¡°Abby, right?¡± Abby nodded her head vigorously, looking very happy Liam remembered her name. ¡°Yes! And you¡¯re Liam right?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°You got it.¡± Abby let out a short giggle. Liam noticed the few customers that were in the store turned to look at them. Abby noticed it as well then straightened her posture, grabbed the sides of her apron closer to the bottom of her skit, then curtsied, and greeted, ¡°Welcome to the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron. Your one stop shop for most Alchemy Supplies. How can I help you today?¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but smile at her display of customer service. She looked adorable the way she curtsied and her greeting reminded him of a child helping around her family¡¯s shop. She must be the poster girl for the store. ¡°Can you tell me all that you have here?¡± Liam asked as he looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t see any supplies for Poison Craft or Chemicalized Creations. So, I must assume you don¡¯t carry anything related to those sections of Alchemy.¡± Abby nodded her head. ¡°Your assumption is correct. Many of the crafting stores and Workshops have specialties and focuses. Our is on Potions, both restorative and magical, and Medicinal Creations. Poison Craft is located at a different store, same with Chemicalized Creations. Though the latter is not located within this town, but rather within the Kingdom¡¯s territory.¡± Liam raised a brow at what she had informed. If there wasn¡¯t a store that focused on Chemicalized Creations then he would have to wait a bit longer before he could start working on those. He was fine with that since he had gotten the Knowledge Theory book on it from Galin. He could just focus on gaining more knowledge on it before he started experimenting there. He didn¡¯t know much about Magic Potions, but he figured he¡¯d learn that later as well. For now, he could get some practice in on a different section of Alchemy. Medicinal Creations. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I guess for now I could use some vials for making potions and¡­,¡± Liam looked around and tried to figure out what else he needed. He noticed the Knowledge Theory books at the back corner of the store and some supplies on a table that said, ¡®Medicinal Creation Supplies.¡¯ ¡°If you have any, do you have any Knowledge Theory books on Medicinal Creations for first time creators and whatever supplies needed to make them that you can recommend,¡± Liam finished. Abby stared up at him with a smile. ¡°I can help you with that. Are you planning to craft any time soon?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes I need to make batches of Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions. I¡¯m thinking of making some Mana Extracts as well while I¡¯m at it. While that is going on I figured I could learn how to make Medicinal Creations in between.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Abby beamed. ¡°If you¡¯d like, you can use our workshop in the back.¡± Liam smiled at her. He wasn¡¯t sure why she was being so friendly or helpful, but he was grateful for it. He was about to inform her that he couldn¡¯t use their workshop until he heard a voice. ¡°Who¡¯s your friend here Abby?¡± A man asked as he approached them from behind Abby. He was a little taller than Liam and had the same racial features as Abby. He looked to be in his late forties, early fifties. He had a clean shaven face and small patches of grey hairs could be seen in his hair. His uniform was almost similar to Abby¡¯s except he wore black pants and dress shoes. Abby turned to look at the man and said with an excited voice, ¡°Uncle Farry. This is Liam. He¡¯s a fellow Cat-folk and is new to town.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Farry replied as he turned to look at Liam. He took in Liam¡¯s features and had a slightly confused look. Liam understood why he had that look and pointed to his eyes under the sunglasses. Farry quickly understood what Liam meant and gave him a smile as he nodded. ¡°My apologies.¡± Liam shook his head. He returned his smile with one of his own as he said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re not the first today.¡± Farry let out a small chuckle as he replied, ¡°I bet. Sorry to interrupt. I overheard Abby say something about using the workshop and made my way over here. Are you an experienced Alchemist?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still new to the craft. I¡¯ve only had about a month¡¯s worth of training,¡± Liam started to say. ¡°Only a month''s worth of training? That isn¡¯t much time,¡± Farry commented. ¡°I agree, which is why I was going to get some time in while I¡¯m waiting to hear back on if I can get access to the Arkadian Kingdom,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°That is a wise decision,¡± Farry nodded. ¡°So then are you going to want to use our workshop while you¡¯re here? It¡¯s open from ten a.m. to eight p.m.¡± Liam gave him a boyish grin as he explained, ¡°I was just about to tell Abby here that I won¡¯t be able to until I get my C.I.D. tomorrow.¡± Abby¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean? Why can¡¯t you use our workshop until you get your C.I.D.?¡± Farry looked at Liam with a puzzled expression as he tried to understand what was going on. He looked like he had some idea what was going on, but before he asked he explained to Abby, ¡°People without a C.I.D. can not craft in any workshop if they are looking to sell any of their extra crafted items. It¡¯s the law.¡± Abby still looked a little confused as she stated, ¡°But I only have a temporary Assistant C.I.D. not a full one and I can use the workshop.¡± Farry smiled, ¡°That is because your type of C.I.D. allows you to use the workshop to help me here at the store since you have expressed a desire to learn Alchemy.¡± Liam gave him a curious look. ¡°Something like that is possible?¡± Farry nodded. ¡°Yes, it is to help the younger generation who want to learn crafts while helping out at stores. Since they help out, the completed crafts can technically be sold, and no one wants to hoard a magnitude of crafted items over the years to collect dust. So, the Crafter¡¯s Association created this solution. However, they are limited to what they can craft. In Abby¡¯s case with Alchemy, she can only learn Extract, Distill, Potion Making, and Medicinal Creations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually a really good idea,¡± Liam stated. Farry nodded. ¡°Going back to you though. If you¡¯re still waiting for a C.I.D. but have been learning how to do Alchemy then you must be a newly integrated person to our world. Is that right?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes. I am still learning the rules to this world as I go. This is my first day here.¡± ¡°Well, I must say thank you for coming here on your first day and welcome to Cashat Post. Do you plan on making any showcase Alchemy items to show off to potential Merchants or Alchemy Stores?¡± ¡°Yes, I was planning on going to one of those assigned areas and working on some Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions. I figured I¡¯d study and learn how to make Medicinal Creations while I¡¯m at it,¡± Liam replied. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. So, you¡¯re looking for supplies and some ingredients for your stock right?¡± Farry questioned. ¡°Do you have the proper equipment to make potions? How about for the Medicinal Creations?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good on the potion making part. I received a Crude Pestle and Crude Mortar, but I¡¯m not entirely sure if that¡¯s all I need,¡± Liam stated. ¡°As for ingredients, I don¡¯t see a lot of herbs here so I¡¯m not sure what kind of ingredients you are talking about.¡± ¡°Ah the ingredients I¡¯m referring to are ones you¡¯ll need for Medicinal Creations. We don¡¯t sell a lot of herbs here because you can easily find majority out in the wild. Instead, we do carry stuff like different types of oils, beeswax, and other stuff that is harder to find out there,¡± Farry explained before raising a hand to his chin. He started muttering to himself as he let his mind start working. He then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Do you need vials, beakers, or flasks? What kind of budget do you have?¡± Liam took a look at the coins he had in his inventory and noticed he had sixty two silver coins, three hundred and eleven copper coins, and four hundred and seventy two iron coins. He still wasn¡¯t sure how the economy was here in this part of the world nor in the entire world, but he was going to have to learn quickly. ¡°The highest coins I have are in the silvers,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Not sure how the economy here is so I¡¯ll just say I have some silver coins and a lot of the lower coins to use.¡± Farry looked at Liam with a confused expression. ¡°What?¡± Liam questioned, feeling like he might have said something he shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°You said you just arrived to our world today right?¡± Farry questioned. Liam slowly nodded. ¡°How do you already have silver coins then? You have to be the richest newcomer to come out of the Tutorial Area. Do you have merchant related skills?¡± Farry inquired. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Liam shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any. My mentor helped me sell what I made will I studied under him. He gave me my portion of the profits from all the potions I made while I was in the Tutorial Area.¡± Farry stared at Liam with a shocked look on his face. ¡°If you were able to make that much just from selling potions and dungeon diving then you might have some good potions.¡± Liam remembered that the potions he made were completely different than the ones the people from this world was used to. He still thought it was a waste that the Alchemists of this world sacrificed taste over gains. For Liam he didn¡¯t care if others thought it be a cost lost by adding in some flavor to a potion that tasted like crap. He carried over knowledge from his world that he believed could be exploited here. Prices can change depending on how bad someone wanted something. And judging by the reactions he saw from his cousin Mila and her team, he knew the price of the potions would rise to a satisfying price. He smiled as a twinkle shined in his eyes. ¡°You have no idea. I¡¯ll have to show you after I make some.¡± Farry smiled as he replied, ¡°I will look forward to that. Now let me see what I can find for you. Go ahead and take a look around as I prepare a selection of items I will advise you to get.¡± Liam nodded as he said, ¡°Alright, sounds good.¡± ¡°Abby come help me please,¡± Farry stated as he turned around and walked towards the back. ¡°Yes Uncle Farry,¡± Abby said as she skipped behind him. After the two disappeared, Liam looked around and thought about what he wanted to check out. After a few seconds he walked over to the section that really pulled on to his curiosity. The Knowledge Theory section. As Liam stared at the books on the shelves he noticed they were spaced out with the covers facing out for people to get a good look at them, along with the price that was displayed under them. Liam grimaced as he saw the two top shelves held books whose costs were in the gold coin ranges. He could understand as he read some of the titles. They were for Advanced to Master level techniques and recipes. ¡°I¡¯ll get to that level one day,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he focused his attention down to the books under those ones. The Intermediate level Alchemy books ranged from the high copper coin price range to mid silver coin price range. He was almost there with his Potion Making, but was still not there. He then looked at the beginner level Knowledge Theory Alchemy books and saw there were different ones. He saw the Extract to Distill, My Potion be Still Knowledge Theory book he had been given when he first started learning and chuckled a bit. He moved on to the next ones and saw a book called Poison Begone! He was curious about what it was and took a peek into it. After reading the first page he recognized it to be a Knowledge Theory book on Antidotes against weak poisons. He didn¡¯t know if this book was in the Potion Making section or a different section of Alchemy. He decided to grab it and ask. The price was set at what he thought was a reasonable price at fifty-five copper coins. He moved on to the next one and read the title. ¡°Grind it, smush it, wet it, work it. Salves and Balms for the Beginner Medicinal Creator,¡± Liam whispered before letting out a small chuckle. The beginning part of the title reminded him of an EDM song from his world. He decided to get this book. Not because he now had the song playing in his head. It was for his progression with Alchemy. Liam was about to stop there, but a title suddenly caught the corner of his eye. He turned to see if what he saw was correct and was curious. The title was called Beating to the Rhythm. Beginner¡¯s guide to HOT Pots. ¡°What the hell is this? A cook book?¡± Liam muttered as he reached out for it. He grabbed it and was starting to pull it towards him to look at it. Then suddenly Abby appeared behind Liam and asked, ¡°Something caught your eye?¡± Liam swiftly jumped to his feet, releasing the books he had in his hands and spun around. His heart paced quickly as he looked down at Abby. He squinted his eyes as he muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re doing that, but please stop that.¡± Abby tilted her head and gave Liam an innocently confused look as she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Uh huh, sure you don¡¯t,¡± Liam commented as he went to pick up the couple of books he dropped. Abby bent down and picked up the book Liam was going to look at and read the cover. As she stood back up she asked, ¡°Are you interested in H.O.T. Pots?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Liam started as he looked at her. ¡°Are we talking food or something else?¡± Abby tilted her head and gave him a confused look. ¡°Food? There are Healing over time potions that are food?¡± Liam blinked a few times as he stared at her. ¡°H.O.T. Pots stands for Healing over time Potions?¡± Abby let out a laugh as she still gave him a confused look. ¡°Yeah, what else would it be?¡± Liam coughed, feeling a bit embarrassed as he explained, ¡°Well, back on my old world we had a food called Hot Pot. It was a bunch of food cooked over a very hot cooking pot¡­I¡¯m not entirely sure what it all had because I never got to try it, but I did want to try.¡± Abby raised a brow as she kept her head tilted. ¡°You¡¯re weird you know that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told that more than once before,¡± Liam replied, a bit confused by what she said.
¡°*Laughs out loud* I like this little girl. ¨C Eri¡±
Liam shook his head as he made the text disappear. ¡°So, this book is about a different style of potion making?¡± Liam asked. Abby nodded her head. ¡°There are three types of regular potions that do not fall in the Magic Potion section. They are Normal Potions. This entails regular one time fill amounts like Health, Mana, and Stamina. The second is Curatives. This group entails Antidotes, Curse Cures, and Disease Cures. And the last is H.O.T. Pots. Which is short for Heal Over Time Potions. They are Health Pulse, Mana Pulse, and Stamina Pulse.¡± Liam stared at her for a moment. He was never told this. He only thought that Potion Making entailed Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions. If this was the case then he still had a lot to learn with Alchemy. ¡°Thank you for explaining all that,¡± Liam said as he reached for the book. ¡°No problem, but you might want to wait before getting this book. It requires you have Mana Channeling, Mana Manipulation, and Mana Control at least at level ten to be able to make any of the H.O.T. Pots,¡± Abby suggested. ¡°Ah, no worries there. I already have them past that,¡± Liam said as he looked down at her. Abby¡¯s eyes widened as she heard Liam proclaim this. With some skepticism she said, ¡°How? You said you just came out from the Tutorial Area today so you shouldn¡¯t even have any knowledge on Mana Manipulation or Control.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say I am a quick learner,¡± Laim said, trying not to give away more.
¡°More like an experiment and hope it works type of learner. ¨C Eri.¡±
Hush you. Liam quipped back.
¡°*Chuckles* - Eri.¡±
Abby eyed him with disbelief as he made his way to the counter where Farry was standing with a few items spread out. She quickly followed him over to the counter. ¡°Uncle Farry,¡± Abby started. ¡°Did you just hear what he just said?¡± Liam turned his head to look at her. ¡°No. what did he just say?¡± Farry asked. ¡°He just told me he has his Mana Channeling, Manipulation, and Control passed level ten already,¡± Abby stated. ¡°Do you think that is possible?¡± Farry looked at Abby with a confused look before looking at Liam. ¡°Is that true?¡± Liam let out a sigh before nodding. Farry stared at him for a moment longer before looking back at Abby and scolding, ¡°Abby it is rude to call a person¡¯s skills and abilities into questions. No matter how odd it is, that is his personal information that he trusted you with.¡± He then looked back at Liam and apologized, ¡°I am sorry for my niece¡¯s loose lips.¡± Liam waved a hand as he said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. As long as she doesn¡¯t go around telling other people then I don¡¯t mind telling you. It will actually help since I didn¡¯t know you needed those skills at a certain level to make H.O.T. Pots.¡± Liam then muttered to himself, ¡°It¡¯s going to take a bit for me to get used to saying that.¡± Farry gave Liam an appreciative look. ¡°Here are the items I recommend as well as a crate of small, medium, and large vials, some flasks, and beakers. I have a small barrel of purified water. You might already have one, but I have a couple of Bunsen Burners so you can work on more than one potion at a time. Do you need another Cucurbits¡¯ and Alembics?¡± ¡°I could use a couple more to match the two Bunsen Burners you have here,¡± Liam said as he stared at the stuff on the counter. Farry nodded as he continued, ¡°Since you said you were interested in Medicinal Creations I have a mixing bowl so you can use for items that require a lot of ingredients as well as tins for you to put the completed items in. As for ingredients I have a tub of beeswax, Jalix wax, Flara Leaves, flask of CoCo oil, Denden Oil, and Sweet Narctic Oil. I¡¯d offer you a grinding Mortar and Pestle, but I don¡¯t have any ingredients you could use it on. If you can find the ingredients for it then I¡¯ll sell you one.¡± ¡°What is that used for? What ingredients are needed to use it?¡± Liam asked with some curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s used to break down things like crystals and bones into dust. It¡¯s needed for things like some Medicinal Creations, the H.O.T. Pots you¡¯re interested in making, and some Chemicalized Creations as well as poisons,¡± Farry explained. Liam looked at him and thought about what he had in his inventory. He didn¡¯t have any crystals, but he did have bones that ranged from poor to average quality. ¡°I have a stock of bones on me,¡± Liam informed. ¡°I might have enough that I could sell you some if you¡¯d like?¡± Farry gave Liam a surprised look before asking, ¡°You have a lot? If you don¡¯t then I suggest you keep them since you¡¯ll need a lot of bone dust for H.O.T. Pots.¡± Liam waved a hand out in front of him. ¡°I have a lot. The dungeon I was assigned to in the Tutorial Area was a Black Dungeon full of skeletons.¡± Both Farry and Abby stared at Liam with wide eyes. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just you don¡¯t hear a lot of people actually taking on a Black Dungeon,¡± Farry explained. ¡°What do you mean? Are Black Dungeons rare or something?¡± Liam asked. Farry nodded. ¡°It is really rare for them to appear anywhere. They are usually found around graveyards or places where a lot of death have happened, but they still don¡¯t appear as frequently as the other colored dungeons.¡± Liam was surprised by what he had said. He then had a question and asked, ¡°So then how does people normally get bones for crafting?¡± ¡°Many people get lucky when they harvest creatures they kill both in and out the dungeons,¡± Abby replied. Liam tilted his head to the side as he latched on to something the little Tabby Cat-folk girl said. ¡°What do you mean outside the dungeons? Are there monsters that roam outside of dungeons?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything do you?¡± Abby stated. Liam pressed his lips tightly not wanting to remind her that he had just come out from the Tutorial Area and was still learning about the world. Instead, he waited for someone to explain. ¡°There are plenty of dungeons out there not discovered yet. If a dungeon goes too long without anyone defeating it then it causes a Dungeon Breakthrough which allows the monsters to escape from the dungeon. It starts off small letting the weaker ones out first. After a certain amount of time passes and no one kills them off or defeats the final boss inside the dungeon then more powerful ones flow out and this keeps continuing until someone defeats the final Boss inside the dungeon,¡± Farry explained. ¡°Does the Final Boss ever come out?¡± Liam asked, interested to hear about this. ¡°No. They stay inside for who knows what reason, but there hasn¡¯t been any report of a Boss monster coming out,¡± Abby informed. ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I wonder why that is.¡± Abby shrugged before forming a scowl, stared at the counter, and she said, ¡°Who knows, but there are researchers who are looking into them with what they call Controlled Breakthroughs. They claim this helps out with resources.¡± Abby let out a scoff before adding, ¡°People¡¯s lives shouldn¡¯t be at risk for resources they don¡¯t ever see.¡± Liam caught the look she was giving. He looked at Farry for an explanation. ¡°Her parents got caught up in one of those researches. A very powerful monster came out and killed them and a bunch of others,¡± Farry explained. ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Liam started before looking at Abby and adding, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Abby shrugged and forced the frown away. She then let out a sigh and looked back at Liam and said, ¡°Anyways, the ones no one knows about will keep sending out new monsters and those monsters spread out throughout the world.¡± Liam felt bad for the girl. He didn¡¯t want to say anything that would upset her, so he was glad she changed the topic. He nodded at what she had told him and was starting to understand what Lucy meant when she mentioned that there was a port for those who were brave enough to take the sea instead of the Transportation Portals. He didn¡¯t understand what she meant at the time, but now he did. There were powerful monsters in the water. Liam reached out and ruffled Abby¡¯s hair a bit before saying, ¡°Thank you for explaining all of that.¡± Abby protested to Liam¡¯s hand suddenly messing up her hair and glared at him for a moment before replying, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he looked back at Farry. ¡°Let¡¯s go over all this and see what the damage will be especially after adding the Knowledge Theory books.¡± Farry and Abby both grew wide suspicious grins at each other before giving Laim a look that reminded him a lot like Mercer before he started his professional Merchant offers. Adventure 151 – Crafting in the dark Liam walked down the road with a head full of new alchemy ideas, a lighter wallet, and a fuller inventory. He had found out from Abby that the best place to gather the ingredients he needed for Medicinal Creations were located in the assigned crafting area located on the Southern side of the Island, the same section the Crafting Association was on. He had asked her how popular the place was and if there was competition for harvesting the ingredients he would need to find, but she shook her head and said that Medicinal Creations wasn¡¯t the most sought after section of Alchemy and many who were focused on or specialized in it were not on the island. If there were anyone looking for the ingredients then they were either just passing the time or they were hired by merchants so they could sell them to lazy Alchemists who didn¡¯t like harvesting their own ingredients. Liam chuckled at that last part. After talking with the little Tabby Cat-folk girl he had started to understand she really loved Alchemy. She also really like those who were in the craft and put in the work, not just the crafting, but the harvesting of ingredients as well. She just might grow up to be one hell of an Alchemist if she keeps it up. Liam thought to himself before stopping in front of a giant sign that stood on the edge of town. The sign was just letting people know this was the edge of town and a designated crafting and harvesting area for crafters. There was a warning that Poison Crafting and Chemicalized Creations were prohibited along with Construction Crafting that went beyond small structures that couldn¡¯t be broken down. Seeing that portion of the sign reminded him that he still hasn¡¯t worked on that craft yet. He really didn¡¯t have a need for it yet besides setting up a campsite. He looked up in to the sky and noticed the sun was starting to go down. He estimated that he still had at least less than an hour before the sun started to set. He¡¯d have to harvest as much ingredients as he could before the sun set so he could find a place to set up his mobile crafting station and a small campfire so he would have some light. He could use the stations that were set up over to the side. He said stations, but they were really tables spread out for crafts that needed them as well as a few poor looking anvils and forges. After looking at them though he decided it was best to use his Mobile Crafting ability since it would be better and he could level it up. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll need to hurry,¡± Liam muttered to himself before making his way into the forest looking area. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam walked up to a clearing in the middle of the forested area he was in. He could hear the sound of waves crashing off in the distance making him know he was close to the ocean. The sun had already set, and he was surrounded by darkness. The trees were spread out giving enough space between them to allow Liam to see the dark sky. He wasn¡¯t blind to the darkness though. His Dark Sight racial ability allowed him to see better in the darkness. The more he used it the more experience he was able to gain and level it up. The higher the level the ability got the better he was able to see in the dark. It was thanks to this ability he didn¡¯t need any lamps or fire to see ingredients on the ground as he looked for a suitable spot to make a campfire and set up his Mobile Crafting station. As he walked into this clearing he looked around and saw the ground was a mixture of grass with large patches of dirt. The crowns of the trees around him didn¡¯t cover over, but instead circled around this small clearing. He believed this spot to be perfect since he didn¡¯t want anything to catch fire nor have the smoke from the fire be blocked by branches or leaves, limiting his breathing to smoke fumes. He activated his Small Creations Knowledge to see the best place to set the fire camp and how to set one up without any issues. This got the ability to level up to level three after he got the pit dug, the wood placed, and the fire lit. After he set that up, he focused on his Mobile Crafter ability.
¡°Which would you like to use? Available Crafting Stations ¨C Alchemy (Small), Blacksmithing (Small). Unavailable Crafting Stations ¨C Tailoring (Small), Cooking (Small).¡±
Looks like I have all the required equipment for a small Blacksmithing Crafting Station like I thought. Liam thought as he read over the available list. He then noticed the new entry in the Unavailable Crafting Stations. Artem will be pleased to know about this. Liam then grew a sad smile as he continued his thoughts. If I ever see him again. He mentally clicked on the Alchemy station and watched as the familiar ethereal outline appeared before him. He moved the outline around with his vision until he found a close enough spot to the fire before the colored outline turned red. He accepted the spot and watched as a stone structure emerged from the ground and molded itself into a desk. The Alchemy equipment that had appeared last time he used the ability also appeared in place. He was curious on if he could place more equipment onto the stone desk and pulled out a stand and a Cucurbit and placed it on the surface. A new notification appeared after he placed them down.
¡°Warning! Extra equipment detected on surface of Mobile Crafter ¨C Alchemy (Small) Crafting Station. Note ¨C extra equipment are not secured to station. Can and will fall off of station if Crafter is not careful. To prevent possible equipment from breaking please level Class Ability ¨C Mobile Crafter to level 10 to add more equipment to station¡¯s safety locks.¡±
Liam stared at the red notification and read it a few times. This notification helped him understand some things about this ability. First, it confirmed that he was able to place more equipment on the crafted desk. Second, the equipment the Mobile Crafter used for the station was secured so if there was an earthquake then they wouldn¡¯t go flying. Lastly, if he leveled the ability then he could add more equipment to the station. ¡°That¡¯s all good things to know,¡± Liam muttered to himself. He then pondered, ¡°Are the secured equipment indestructible then since they are secure or is it just so they don¡¯t go sliding off the table?¡± Liam¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°It would be great if I could find someone else who had a Crafter Class as their starting class. Then maybe I could get some ideas on how to use this ability better and what the limits are.¡± Liam then shook his head as he stated, ¡°Oh well, I¡¯ll just figure it out as I go. For now, let¡¯s get to crafting.¡± Liam pulled out a few empty vials and placed them in one of the small vial racks. He then placed vials filled with different colored liquids. These ones had both the Weak and Minor Qualities of Minty Shallow Bell Extracts, Blueberry Lily Crowns Extracts, and Orange Canarina Bell Extracts he needed to make his Weak and Minor Minty Health Potions, Blueberry Mana Potions, and Orange Stamina Potions. He wanted to make a few batches of the three to showcase tomorrow, however, as he was walking earlier in the city he came across some fruits he didn¡¯t see in the Tutorial area and wanted to try them out to help grow the flavor bases of the potions. He pulled out one of each of the three fruits he wanted to try and looked at them. One was a green apple. The second was a small thing of grapes. The last was a tangerine. He knew he was sticking to a color theme by choosing these fruits for each type of potion, but that was only to see if they would work. He took out a small knife and cut the apple into small diced portions. After he did this he pulled five decent sized grapes and then peeled the tangerine. After he finished that he pulled out six flowers. The first two were the violet bell-shaped flowers known as the Shallow Bell. The next two were stems with several small white bell shaped flowers running up the stem called Lily Crowns. The last two were a red with orange stripped bell shaped flowers called the Canarina Bell. Each of these flowers held different types of restorative properties. For now, since he could only make weak and minor potions the stems were the only parts needed. The weak extracts only needed one stem to make, but the minor extracts needed two stems. He worked on plucking off the bulbs of each flower and placed the bulbs down next to the separated stems so he wouldn¡¯t forget which were which. He had done that once. He mixed two different stems without realizing it. The extract name was so convoluted that he didn¡¯t even want to remember it. The color of the extract looked like it was in constant flux that it wasn¡¯t sure what color it wanted to stay as. For fun he decided to try and make it into a potion and the results were both surprising and confusing.
¡°Minor Potion of Health or Stamina. Item Type ¨C Consumable (Potion). Item Rarity ¨C Poor. Item Quality ¨C Minor. Item Description ¨C A potion that can give either health or stamina. It¡¯s a gamble on which effect will be given. Good Luck.¡±
He remembered the look Galin gave him when he showed him the potion. He was both intrigued and disappointed Liam wasn¡¯t paying attention. Alicia had laughed so hard she was crying and made fun of him for messing an easy potion up. Galin had told him not to make the same mistake because no one would buy those types of potions and would label him as an erratic Alchemist. Suffice to say Liam didn¡¯t listen and made random types of potions similar to that one for fun. He let out a small chuckle before setting back to the task before him. He added two of the Shadow Bell Stems, a quarter of the diced apple, and some purified water. After he corked it he placed it on the Vial rack that held the empty vials. He then put two Lily Crowns stems, five grapes, and purified water into another vial. Since the grapes were a bit bigger than the blueberries he had used before he wasn¡¯t sure if five or six was a good amount. If five wasn¡¯t enough he would try six. He then corked it and placed it next to the apple Shallow Bell vial. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Lastly he then wrapped three tangerine peels onto each of the Canarina Bell stems and placed them into a vial with purified water. After corking it, he sett it next to the other two vials in the empty rack. While he waited for the extraction process to go with the three experiments he got ready to make a Minor Minty Health Potion. He grabbed two vials of Minor Minty Shallow Bell Extracts and poured them into the Cucurbit. He then poured in a small amount of purified water. After that he softly chanted as he held an open hand, palm up, in front of him, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre I set before you. Become the tool that will help in my endeavor. Light and Burn.¡± A small flame flickered alive over his palm. He moved the flame to his index finger before guiding it to the small rod that was underneath the Cucurbit called a Bunsen burner. After the flame settled above the open end of the Bunsen Burner, Liam reached for the knob on the side of the metal rod and adjusted the flame to the right size. He then waited to make sure the process would work smoothly and watched as the liquid started to bubble slowly. After confirming it was going to work as it should he readied a second set of Cucurbit, Alembic, Bunsen Burner, and a medium sized beaker. After he got everything set in the right place he grabbed two Minor Blueberry Lily Crowns Extracts and poured them into the Cucurbit. After he did that he grabbed a Minor Arcane Mana Extract from his inventory and poured it in as well. Once when the contents were poured in he added some purified water into the mix. Because this one had an extra ingredient, the Minor Arcane Mana Extract, Liam had to make sure the amount of both that ingredient and the purified water were similar so they would mix just right. Arcane Mana Extract was an ingredient he made through the process of adding his Arcane Mana and purified water. He had to make sure the right amount of Arcane Mana would mix with the water as the extraction process was going on. Just like when he made the Weak Lightning Mana Extract for the first time, he needed to make sure he had a stable amount of Arcane Mana being extracted for the type of extract he needed to make. If he didn¡¯t put enough in there was a chance the extraction would fail or turn into a Weak Arcane Mana Extract. Put too much in and the vial would be too unstable, and it would explode in his face. In the beginning it wasn¡¯t easy to make these extracts, but after some practice though he was beginning to get a better feel for the Weak and Minor ones. He¡¯d have to get used to the Average level ones when he got to that level. For now, he¡¯ll continue practicing. After he got the Bunsen burner going for this potion he watched to make sure it would process smoothly. After he confirmed there were no issues or irregularities he looked for something he could use as a seat. Off in the distance was a chopped log tall enough for him to tip it over to its side and use as a chair. He pulled it closer to the desk and sat down. He then pulled out his newly bought ¡®Grind it, Smush it, Wet it, Work it. Salves and Balms for the Beginner Medicinal Creator¡¯ Knowledge Theory Book and opened it up to start reading. The first section of the book talked about the different types of Medicinal Creation items. They were Salves, Ointments, Balms, Pills, and Tonics. It explained a little of what each item was used for. It also talked about the pros and cons of salves and why people used them when a potion could help better in certain situations. He felt the answer to that last part was very informational. While Salves healed less and weren¡¯t instantaneous versus a potion that healed more and was instantaneous, they were a heal over time effect item that covered over an open wound. Some salves could restore both health and stamina as well reduce aches and pains. And lastly, if your health isn¡¯t low enough that a health potion was worth using and your health regeneration wasn¡¯t that good, a salve could boost that HP regen and help save your potions. That alone was good enough to learn how to make these. As Liam read more into the book he noticed the section he was currently on only talked about Salves. It even gave him a few recipes for both Weak and Minor salves. Since he hasn¡¯t put in any work for Medicinal Creations before this, he focused on the weak recipes.
¡°Item ¨C Weak Healing Salve. Ingredients: 3 Shallow Bell flowers, 3 Canarina Bell flowers, 2 splashes of Weak Shallow Bell Extracts, and 2 splashes of Weak Canarina Bell Extracts. Instructions ¨C Place a Shallow Bell flower (Petals and all minus the stem) and a Canarina Bell flower (Petals and all minus the stem) into the mortar and smash with pestle until it turns into a paste. After that splash a small amount of Weak Shallow Bell Extract and a splash of Weak Canarina Bell Extract. Mix the liquid and the paste together for a minute then throw in another Shallow Bell flower and a Canarina Bell flower and smash it until it becomes another paste. Then add another splash a small amount of Weak Shallow Bell Extract and a splash of Weak Canarina Bell Extract. Mix the liquid and the paste together for another minute then throw in the last Shallow Bell flower and the last Canarina Bell flower and smash it until the consistency and texture is smooth and creamy. Effects ¨C Heals any open wound salve is spread upon. Restores 15 Health and Stamina per 10 seconds for the next minute.¡±
Liam stared at the effects the salve gave. He knew the effects weren¡¯t all that great since they were only at Weak Quality, but he wasn¡¯t expecting them to be this bad. The book was right to include the information on the pros and cons of salves and why people used them when they could just use potions instead. The two good things he could say about this weak salve though were it could heal open wounds and it restored both health and stamina instead of just one. Liam let out a sigh. He really hoped the effects got better as the quality grew. He was about to start making his first Medicinal Creation until a few echoes chimed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Knowledge Theory ¨C Medicinal Creations for Beginners! Knowledge Theory ¨C Medicinal Creations for Beginners has reached level one! Progression to level 2: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weak Apple Shallow Bell Extract has finished extracting!¡± ¡°Note ¨C Sufficient ingredients detected to further Weak Apple Shallow Bell Extract to Minor Apple Shallow Bell Extract. If you wish to continue Extraction process to try and make Minor Apple Shallow Bell Extract then do not move contents out of vial.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weak Grape Lily Crowns Extract has finished extracting!¡± ¡°Note ¨C Sufficient ingredients detected to further Weak Grape Lily Crowns Extract to Minor Grape Lily Crowns Extract. If you wish to continue Extraction process to try and make Minor Grape Lily Crowns Extract then do not move contents out of vial.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weak Tangerine Canarina Bell Extract has finished extracting!¡± ¡°Note ¨C Sufficient ingredients detected to further Weak Tangerine Canarina Bell Extract to Minor Tangerine Canarina Bell Extract. If you wish to continue Extraction process to try and make Minor Tangerine Canarina Bell then do not move contents out of vial.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he read the new notifications. He was happy that his experimenting had worked, but he noticed something odd about it. He stared at it and kept trying to think about what it was that was nagging at the back of his brain. After thinking about it for so long he finally realized what it was that was bugging him. When he first made the Minty Shallow Bell Extract, Blueberry Lily Crowns Extract, and Orange Canarina Bell Extract he had received notifications saying he had discovered a new Extraction ingredient. The fact he didn¡¯t see that pop up with these new notifications told him that the extractions were not new at all. This confused Liam. He was told that no one would waste their time looking to make flavored potions so these extract ingredients should be new. However, to see they weren¡¯t meant that there were people who made flavored potions. This contradicted everything Galin had told him back in the Tutorial Area. Did Galin lie to me? Liam thought to himself.
¡°Did Galin lie to you about what? ¨C Eri.¡±
I was told that no one made flavored potions because it¡¯s not cost efficient and that some of the ingredients are expensive. Liam stated.
¡°Pfft. That¡¯s an obvious lie. Flavored potions were always a thing before I got locked up. I don¡¯t know what happened to change that, but it sounds like something or someone is restricting flavored potions for some reason. ¨C Eri.¡±
You think so? I guess we¡¯ll find out sooner or later once when I try to sell these. Liam stated before looking over at the Minty Health Potion and Blueberry Mana Potion being made. They were both about a quarter done. Liam nodded confirming he still had time to work on something before he had to prevent the flames from burning an empty Cucurbit. He summoned his goggles over his head and pulled down on them. The shadows that wrapped around the lens slowly spread out to the sides of his head, allowing him to see through the lens. After they were placed and set he then grabbed the mortar and pestle and placed it in front of him near the ingredients he needed to make his first Salve. He opened the book and propped it in place so he could see the recipe. Liam shifted all of his attention on what he needed to do as he grabbed the violet bell shaped flower from the Shallow Bell flower pile and placed it into the mortar. He then grabbed the reddish orange bell shaped flower from the Canarina Bell flower pile and tossed it over the other flower in the mortar. Liam then grabbed the crude looking pestle with his right hand. It was a solid circular stone piece. It was small with no hand holds and wasn¡¯t decorative like the ones he saw at the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron. The length of it was slightly longer than his hand. He held the tool like he was holding a dagger with the bigger end closer to his pinky and the smaller end close to his index. He stared at it and noticed that both ends barely stuck out from his hand. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he was supposed to grip it, but he knew that if he held it this way he¡¯d barely get the bigger end of the pestle into the mortar. He readjusted the pestle allowing it to slide down his palm, a little more towards the pinky side of his hand. He then took his free hand and held the mortar in place as he pushed the pestle down on top of the flowers. He then moved it a bit before bringing it back up and pushing down on another part of the flowers he didn¡¯t smush. He continued doing this for a couple of minutes until the contents looked like they were some kind of paste. He then sat the pestle down and looked at his vial rack full of Extracts. As he stared at them he realized he didn¡¯t have any regular Weak Shallow Bell or Canarina Extracts. He only had the flavored ones. He didn¡¯t want to waste any time waiting for regular ones to process so he figured he¡¯d try the recipe out with the flavored ones and see what happened. He reached for a Weak Minty Shallow Bell Extract. He popped open the cork and tipped it over carefully not to let a lot of the contents pour out. He tapped his hand in a swift motion once when the liquid had reached the edge of the vial and pulled back so not a lot spilled out. He wasn¡¯t sure how much a splash was, but he figured it was supposed to be enough to wet it a bit. He corked the vial, placed it back in the slot it was in and repeated the process with the Weak Orange Canarina Extract. After he put the extract back, he grabbed another Shallow Bell flower and Canarina Bell flower and placed them into the mortar. He then pressed down on the flower heads as slowly as he could, trying not to send any of the liquids out from the bowl. However, he didn¡¯t need to worry as the liquid from the two extracts seeped into the paste he had made from pressing the pestle down over and over. After the flower heads had disappeared from the continuous pressing and smashing of the pestle, Liam noticed the color of the paste start to change as well as the texture of the contents. Liam grabbed one of the two Weak extracts he was using and splashed a little more of the liquid into the mortar. He repeated the process with the other one before placing the last two flower heads in. He then spent a few more minutes twisting, pressing, and smashing the contents until a notification suddenly appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have unlocked the Medicinal Creations section in Alchemy! Medicinal Creations has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 3%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have discovered a new Salve recipe!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have discovered a new Salve creation!¡± ¡°New Salve item - Weak Orange Mint Healing Salve! Item Type ¨C Medicinal (Alchemy). Item Rarity ¨C Poor. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Item Description - Heals any open wound salve is spread upon. Restores 15 health and stamina per 10 seconds for the next minute. Has an Orange Mint scent to it.¡±
Liam stared at the contents within the mortar and was amazed and shocked that it had worked. He wasn¡¯t sure what the results were going to be since he was using a different extract ingredient, but it had resulted in a new discovery. Liam smiled as he stared down at the creation. He focused so much on it he didn¡¯t notice that something was on the other side of his crafting station until a sad calm deep voice stated, ¡°I am surprised you were successful creating the salve with that poor technique you used.¡± Being taken completely off guard, Liam let out a very loud and surprised yell. Adventure 152 – Uncle Naro Liam swiftly stood up and looked at who just spoke and was shocked at what he looked at. The figure was bent over but had risen to their full height as Liam stood. He was huge, both in height and width. He towered over Liam, had messy brown hair with round brown ears poking out from his hair to the sides. The fire from the campfire flickered, showing off his emerald-green eyes. His shoulders and chest were broad with thick well-toned biceps. He didn¡¯t were a shirt which showed off his round belly. He wore tannish pants with green lines running down the sides and dirty white fur running along the belt line. His boots looked to be made from some sort of animal skin. The man crossed his arms. Liam noticed the fingerless black gloves he wore and the boned tooth necklace with many different designs made from what looked like eggshell white bones close to the middle of his neck. He couldn¡¯t tell what many of the designs were, but the one in the middle was very noticeable. It was a hammer. ¡°You know its rude to yell at someone you just met,¡± the man stated. His voice was deep and calm. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± Liam stammered. ¡°I thought I was alone out here, so I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone to com¡­¡± As Liam was saying this he realized something. He didn¡¯t see or even hear this man approach him. His Danger Sense never flared up, so he assumed he didn¡¯t mean him any harm, but the same thing had happened when that cloaked man used that Time Magic to seal him in a different space. Thinking about that, Liam wanted to make sure the same thing wasn¡¯t going on and sent his thoughts to Eri. Eri, are you still there?
¡°Yes I am. This guy is good. I didn¡¯t realize he was there until he said something. ¨C Eri.¡±
Even you didn¡¯t sense him¡­How is that possible? Liam asked.
¡°There is a way, but I¡¯m not sure if he used it. ¨C Eri.¡±
What is that wa¡­ Liam started to ask but was interrupted. ¡°I guess it is expected that I would startle you since I didn¡¯t announce my arrival,¡± the man said as he gave Liam an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you. I was wandering the area and caught a whiff of something interesting and decided to check it out. You looked so focused in your crafting I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± ¡°Was I that focused?¡± Liam questioned as he looked a little embarrassed. The man nodded. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see crafters that lost in their craft so I didn¡¯t want to interrupt you and I was going to wait off to the side until you finished, but as I watched I noticed something and couldn¡¯t help but get a closer look. As I watched I confirmed what it was I noticed.¡± ¡°Oh? What was that?¡± Liam asked. He was curious about what he saw and started to think of many different things the man was about to say, however what the man informed him made him feel a little crestfallen. ¡°Your Mortar and Pestle technique is horrible,¡± the man answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long you¡¯ve been crafting for and if you have a mentor, but whoever taught you how to use the tools really need to reevaluate their mentoring skills.¡± Liam dropped his head as he listened to the man¡¯s words. It might have been his first time using the tools and making a salve, but he had thought he was doing well when making the item. ¡°It¡¯s my first time making a salve and using these tools. My mentor hasn¡¯t shown me how to use them yet because we were only able to get to potion making, poison craft, and some mana extractions with the limited time I had in the Tutorial Area. Oh, he did show me a little bit of Chemicalized Creations, but we didn¡¯t have any time for Medicinal Creations,¡± Liam stated. The man raised a brow as he listened to Liam. ¡°You¡¯re saying you recently came out of a Tutorial Area?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes, today actually.¡± The man gave Liam a look of surprise. ¡°If you came out today then did you not stay in the area you arrived at and came here instead?¡± Liam shook his head. The man noticed something dangle from Liam¡¯s ears as Liam shook his head. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look and stared at the earrings. ¡°I know it may seem strange, but I am a half-breed Beast-kin,¡± Liam stated. He was really getting tired of having everyone doubt him. The man suddenly grew a grin as he responded, ¡°You don¡¯t say. Tell me, who is your Alchemy mentor.¡± ¡°My Alchemy mentor is Galin of the Bubbling Potion,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Please don¡¯t look down on him. If someone is to blame for poor technique it is mine and not my mentor¡¯s.¡± The man let out a deep hearty chuckle. ¡°By Usar¡¯s massive paws, life is full of wonders. Alright I won¡¯t hold your mentor responsible, but I will not allow you to continue using that horrible technique.¡± Liam raised a brow. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what this man meant. What did he mean by he wouldn¡¯t let him continue using that horrible technique. Was his technique really that bad? Very curious, Liam decided to ask, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The man let out another deep chuckle. ¡°What I mean is I am going to help you improve your mortar and pestle technique so you can make better quality Medicinal Creations that require those tools.¡± Liam was taken aback. He would welcome learning how to better his usage of the tools, but he wasn¡¯t sure why this man would even do that for a complete stranger. ¡°I¡¯m not one to turn down learning something new especially when it comes to crafting, but I have to ask¡­why?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are nor do you know who I am. You have no obligation to help me. So, I have to ask¡­why?¡± The huge man gave Liam a warm toothy grin. Liam got a good look at the man¡¯s smile and noticed his teeth were sharp. ¡°You¡¯re right. You don¡¯t know who I am. Let me correct that. After all, introductions are always a great way to make connections with new people,¡± the man started as he let out another chuckle. ¡°I am a Bear-folk Beast-Kin. You can call me Uncle Naro. You have every right to be wary and confused. However, I have a completely good reason as to why I want to help you.¡± ¡°Uncle Naro?¡± Liam repeated with a raised brow. The Bear-folk man nodded enthusiastically. ¡°But you¡¯re not my¡­,¡± Liam tried to say, but was stopped as Naro walked around and slapped his massive palm against Liam¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t get too hung up on the details. I am an uncle to all crafters. Whether it¡¯s something they picked up or have it as a class.¡± Liam felt the force of the hand cause him to stumble forward with each slap. He placed his hand on his mobile crafter station to stop him from falling over. He was about to complain, but stopped as the last part of what Naro said made him pause and think. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. You fall in the later than the former, so I feel even more like helping,¡± Naro explained. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. He wasn¡¯t sure how this giant bear of a man knew, but he knew that Liam started off as a Crafter starting class. ¡°How¡­,¡± Liam started to say until Naro pointed at Liam¡¯s Mobile Crafter Station. ¡°That¡¯s a Mobile Crafter Station. It might be small right now but there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize it,¡± Naro stated with a wide grin. ¡°As someone who has the same ability, I would be a disgrace as a Crafter for not being able to recognize it.¡± Liam suddenly felt a buzz of excitement. Here was someone who had the same ability as him. Someone who had started as a Crafter just like him. ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Liam suddenly shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever find someone who started off as a Crafter like me. What level are you? What kind of crafts do you know? What kind of class did you evolve it into?¡± Naro held a hand up to stop Liam from shooting out more questions. ¡°I can answer all you want to know, but there is something you need to do first.¡± Liam tilted his head and gave him a confused look. ¡°What do you mean. What do I need¡­¡± Naro pointed at the Alchemy Mobile Crafter Station and replied, ¡°Your potions are done. You either need to fill the cucurbits or blow out the fire on the Bunsen burners before the equipment breaks.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he swiftly turned his head to look at the finished products and the running equipment. ¡°Crap!¡± Liam shouted as he reached over and pulled the beakers full of Minor Mint Health Potion and Minor Blueberry Mana Potion away to cool down. He then replaced the beakers with empty ones and started the process over with both sets as he added the ingredients to the cucurbits. Naro watched as Liam prepared his next batch. His nose suddenly twitched as he picked up a couple of scents wafting out from the two finished products. He walked over to the area of the crafting station the two beakers sat on, bent over, and took in a big whiff. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Curious, he starred at them and assessed them as he tried to confirm what it was he was smelling. After he read the descriptions his eyes widened. He then let out a hearty laugh. Liam looked over at the man with a confused look. He was a bit worried because this man was laughing again. He wasn¡¯t sure why or how this man laughed so much. Did he find a lot of things funny? ¡°Are you alright?¡± Liam asked. Naro looked back at Liam. He gave him a smile as he said, ¡°Yes, I was just surprised about the smells coming out from theses potions. Did you really use blueberries and mint?¡± Liam gave him a skeptical look. He wasn¡¯t sure if this guy was making fun of him or if he was serious. He decided to play along and see where this led. ¡°Yeah. I made an extract called Mint Shallow Bell Extract and Blueberry Lily Crowns Extract. I also have an Orange Canarina Bell Extract.¡± Liam pointed to the vials of different colors resting on the vial rack. ¡°Really?¡± Naro asked with an impressed look. ¡°Tell me, how did you come up with such a concept?¡± ¡°The first time I drank a potion I felt like it was the most disgusting thing ever,¡± Liam started to explain as he thought about his first experience. It was his very first fight against that skeleton priest on the first floor of the Black Tutorial Dungeon. ¡°The taste was so damn disgusting that I couldn¡¯t focus. When I came across Alchemy I thought maybe with that I can find a way to change the flavor.¡± Liam let out a chuckle as he remembered Galin¡¯s expression when he said why he was interested in Alchemy. ¡°I remember when I was asked why I wanted to learn Alchemy I told my mentor and my other fellow apprentice Alicia that it was because I wanted to change the taste of potions. Alicia laughed pretty hard while Galin looked so disappointed.¡± Naro let out a really loud laugh. ¡°Of course, now it¡¯s not the only reason why I want to learn Alchemy,¡± Liam said as he looked at his alchemy station with a smile. Naro eyed Liam and took in the expression he was making. He grew a smile as he came to a decision. ¡°Let me borrow a few of those Minor Mint Shallow Bell Extracts,¡± Naro said as he put a hand out. Liam raised a brow as he asked while handing him three Minor Mint Shallow Bell Extracts, ¡°Why? What are you going to do with it?¡± Naro kept his smile as he replied, ¡°I have never seen an extract like that, and I was given a sudden bout of inspiration. After all, Mint extracts are unheard of before this.¡± Confused, Liam asked, ¡°Why are Mint extracts unheard of?¡± Liam watched as Naro turned around and placed a hand out in front of him. The ground suddenly shook as something began to rise from it. One long rectangular shape rose up. The dirty fell off as the shape started to gain features. One section of the shape was solid as the next section suddenly dent in on the surface while forming what looked like a faucet and a handle. The section after that carved itself into what looked like a fire pit with a grill over it. The last section was another solid object. After all the dirt stopped falling Liam saw the shape was actually made out of metal and wood in several different areas. Is that an outdoor kitchen? Liam thought to himself with a look of awe and wonder. ¡°That¡¯s simple. Mint ingredients are new to the world. These ingredients suddenly started popping up recently,¡± Naro explained. Liam was taken aback by this explanation. ¡°What do you mean? How is it new?¡± Naro shrugged as he started pulling out some equipment. There was a mixing bowl, a container full of leaves, a container of water, and a highly decorated¡­tea kettle. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure how it all works, but every time we get a wave of new arrivals new crafting ingredients, food items, and more manifest in new dungeons. Mint Moss, Orange spheres and blueberry clusters appeared around a year ago.¡± Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he took in what Naro said. As he watched Naro start to pull a few leaves out from the container, poured a small bit of water, poured the vials and slowly stirred the mixing bowl, Liam projected his thoughts as he asked Eri, Eri? Is what he just said true?
¡°About which part? New ingredients, food, and more appear in new dungeons each time a new wave of arrivals come? Or that those three specific items appear a year ago? ¨C Eri.¡±
Yes to both? Liam inquired.
¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the latter, but the former is half true half false. New items and such actually started appearing after a certain incident happened. It actually surprised people and caused a huge uproar. Crafters were excited because it meant that they could experiment on new things while others got to experience new sensations. ¨C Eri.¡±
That¡¯s interesting to know. Liam said to Eri before switching his conversation back to Naro. ¡°Is that why when I made these extracts I got a notification telling me that I had discovered something new?¡± Naro looked at Liam and smiled as he poured the contents into the decorative tea kettle. ¡°It warms my heart to hear newly integrated people are helping us discover new usages for ingredients. If you got a notification stating you found a new discovery then yes, it is because you were the first. If you come up with something that is new to you but doesn¡¯t say you discovered a new thing then it was already discovered by someone else.¡± Naro opened his palm then chanted, ¡°Light and Burn.¡± A flame the size of Liam¡¯s fist appeared on the massive palm of the Bear-folk. He then guided it towards the fire pit, lighting it. He then placed the tea kettle on the grill over the open flame and nodded with a look of satisfaction. ¡°So that¡¯s how it works,¡± Liam muttered. Thoughts began to swirl about the extracts he made earlier and how they didn¡¯t come up as new. He then thought about flavored potions and what Galin had said versus what Eri had told him. Liam looked at Naro and wondered if he would know what was up with all that. ¡°Hey Naro¡­,¡± Liam started. Naro lifted a finger. ¡°You can call me Uncle Naro.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Uncle Naro, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°Shoot,¡± Naro replied as he kept an eye on the tea kettle. ¡°There is something that I don¡¯t understand. My mentor told me that no one makes flavored potions because it was not very cost efficient. However, when I made an extract earlier using Apples, grapes, and tangerines there wasn¡¯t any notifications stating I found a new discovery. I was wondering if what he had told me had any merit to it?¡± Liam asked. Naro turned his face slightly to look at Liam. He let out a sigh as he stated, ¡°He told you that did he?¡± He then said in a low volume that was barely a whisper, ¡°He always was stubborn when it came to the rules.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he heard the man right and was about to ask what he had said, but stopped as Naro continued, ¡°Let me ask you this. Have you made anything using a method that wasn¡¯t the proper way? And did he say something about not going off the path that many who came before you made in just so you would be safe when crafting Alchemy?¡± Liam nodded. Galin did warn him when he had accidentally made his first liquified mana extraction. He and Alicia had gotten into an argument with him that crafting is all about learning new things and new ways to make them. At first he didn¡¯t like what they had to say, but after they had discussed it some Galin relented and even had him help make something he didn¡¯t have full knowledge of yet. ¡°Yeah, I tried testing a theory I had come up with and almost screwed it up, but succeeded at the last moment. When he saw what I had made and asked how I crafted it we got into a bit of an argument about it and he did try to lecture me about following the path that has been proven instead of straying off of it,¡± Liam stated. Naro shook his head. ¡°What was it that you made?¡± ¡°I made a Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extraction,¡± Liam replied. Naro suddenly turned his head around and looked shocked. ¡°Are you serious? You made a Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extraction while you were still in the Tutorial Area?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°But that¡¯s impossible, you¡¯d need to have Mana Manipulation, Mana Control, and Mana Channeling plus a level of at least ten in that specific mana type. Majority of that list you don¡¯t learn in the Tutorial Area,¡± Naro stated. ¡°I¡­,¡± Liam tried to find the right word for what he wanted to say. After a brief moment had passed he settled with, ¡°I¡¯m a fast learner and focused on stuff I probably shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Naro eyed him. ¡°You don¡¯t say. You said you almost screwed up crafting that extract¡­After almost screwing up crafting that item and hearing your mentor¡¯s speech, did you agree with him on any of it?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°As much as he was making a sound argument I really didn¡¯t agree with it.¡± ¡°Oh? Why not?¡± Naro asked as he studied Liam. ¡°Because crafting is meant to be free,¡± Liam replied instantly. ¡°There¡¯s no one way to make something. There has to be alternatives. Crafting is about trial and error. If you¡¯re too afraid to test new theories then you wont come up with new ways to craft or new items to make. You¡¯d just be some two bit crafter stuck on making the same thing as everyone else.¡± Naro grinned at the answer. ¡°How did your mentor take it?¡± ¡°At first he didn¡¯t agree with me. Then after Alicia took my side on the argue he listened to what we were saying. I¡¯m not entirely sure if he agrees with our side of the argument, but he did show us how to make a Chemicalized creation,¡± Liam stated. He then got really excited as he added, ¡°Which by the way does amazing things.¡± Naro let out a loud laugh. ¡°I am surprised he did something like that.¡± Liam was about to say something else, but was interrupted as a low whistle started to echo in the air. That whistle slowly grew louder and louder with each second. ¡°What is that?¡± Liam asked as he looked around. ¡°Ah that is the tea I was just making,¡± Naro answered as he turned around, grabbed the handle of the tea kettle and placed it on the counter next to the grill. ¡°Tea?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Yes, tea,¡± Naro repeated as he pulled out two cups from his inventory. He then started to pour the liquid contents from within the kettle as he continued, ¡°You see I agree with you that Crafting is meant to be free. If we were stuck on the same path as everyone else then we wouldn¡¯t get to try out new wonders like this.¡± Liam assessed the drink as Naro passed a cup to him.
¡°Minor Minty Herbal Tea. Item Type ¨C Drink (Consumable). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Minor. Effects - + 15% to Sub-stat Zen for 15 minutes. 15 HP regeneration every 15 seconds for 1 minute. (HP Regen will reset with each sip.)¡±
Liam was amazed at this. He remembered the Buff bars Artem had made, but this was a drink that gave a percent to a sub-stat and had a regen that could reapply with every sip. This was a craft he needed to look into. Liam took a sip and felt the warmth of the tea seep into him. ¡°Without your help by sharing this newly discovered extract I wouldn¡¯t have made this tea,¡± Naro commented. ¡°Its because of new discoveries and taking chances with less to no tested theories that we¡¯re able to make wonders.¡± ¡°I can agree with that,¡± Liam stated as he took another sip, closed his eyes, and thought of a good memory. It was one where he and his father had gone to his grandmother¡¯s house. She made tea for him and his father and the three would drink and enjoy the warmth it gave in appreciative silence. Nothing need to be said. They just enjoyed their company and the great tea they had in their cups. A smile grew on Liam¡¯s face as he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°You enjoyed it that much did you?¡± Naro asked. Liam kept the smile on his face as he looked down at the cup. A longing feeling filled his eyes as he responded, ¡°It reminded me of my father and grandmother.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Naro replied waiting to see if Liam would add more. ¡°He and my grandmother would always drink tea together whenever we visited her,¡± Liam explained. ¡°She offered to make me a cup after I turned ten. It was warm and peaceful. It made me forget all my worries when I sat there drinking tea in silence with the two. Nothing beat those days.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good memory to keep,¡± Naro said as he gave Liam a warm smile. A loud rumble suddenly filled the air around them. It was so loud Liam thought a beast was nearby and he scanned the area for it. Naro let out a long and hearty laugh before giving his stomach a smack and rubbing it. ¡°My bad, that is my reminder that I need to eat something.¡± Naro then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Would you like to join me? I make one hell of a feast.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly¡­,¡± Liam started to reject, but was stopped as Naro said, ¡°Nonsense. I insist you join me for dinner. My motto is food always tastes better when there¡¯s more to eat with you.¡± Liam was surprised by that motto. It was a rather well meant and inviting motto that no one could really argue with. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re going to need to eat up so you can be full and don¡¯t pass out while I teach you some things because you¡¯re too hungry to pay attention. Especially getting that mortar and pestle technique down,¡± Naro added with a wink. Liam this time laughed at what Naro said. The man did have him there. He wasn¡¯t going to say anything, but after he found out that loud rumble was his stomach, his stomach responded back with a pitiful rumble of his own. He wasn¡¯t going to tell him that though. ¡°Fine you have me there,¡± Liam stated as he took a step towards him. ¡°Do you need any help? I haven¡¯t started my cooking crafting yet, but I figured now¡¯s as good of a time as ever.¡± Naro smiled. ¡°I like that attitude. It reminds me of my other motto. Food eaten by others brings many together, but food made with others intended to be eaten together brings people even closer.¡± Liam tried to hide the smile that was growing on his face as he asked, ¡°Do you have a bunch of mottos?¡± Naro nodded. ¡°You can say that.¡± ¡°Are they all about food?¡± Liam questioned. Naro¡¯s face smiled so wide, Liam wasn¡¯t sure how it was possible. ¡°Why yes¡­yes they are,¡± Naro stated. Adventure 153 - The Magical Wonders of a Crafter’s I.D. Liam suddenly woke up as the light from outside peeked through the window suddenly shined over his eyes. He let out a yawn as he stretched his arms and legs. He then rubbed one of his eyes still full of sleep as he sat up and slowly dragged himself to let his legs dangle over the side of the bed. Even though he was so sleepy from the night before, he felt like every second was well spent. He hadn¡¯t felt that good in quite a while. As he slowly woke up, he thought about everything that happened last night. He had spent majority of the night out in the forested area of the craft and harvesting area with Uncle Naro. The giant bear-folk of a man had made one massive feast and wouldn¡¯t let Liam stop eating until he was completely full. Even though the food he made was completely different from what he was used to, he had to admit it was extremely delicious. Naro had helped him understand more about the Chef Craft as he made the food. For the longest time he thought it was called Cooking crafting, but he had found out the actual name was Chef Craft. As Naro was teaching him, he began to understand why Artem was so interested in the craft. A lot of the sections of the craft were connected. For example, two sections were intertwined depending on the types of food ingredients a Chef crater worked with. They were Food Prep and Food Handling. The Food Prep section helped a Chef prep the ingredients better before the actual cooking started. The better prepared the ingredients were the better the quality the end results became. The other section, Food Handling, could intertwine with Food Prep by cleansing the ingredients of any poisons, venoms, or other nasty ailments hidden within them depending on the ingredients being used. He didn¡¯t know this until Naro had explained, but there was a section that came with a skill that was like a variation of his Gathering Craft Focus Point ability Harvest, called Butcher. Unlike Harvest, where it collects different materials from a killed creature or harvestable ingredients, Butcher only focuses on cooking ingredients of killed creatures. The higher the level of the skill the better the meat or other cooking ingredients get. It is also used more outside of dungeons and more in businesses as well. The other section of Chef crafting that is tied into Food Prep is Mystical Seasoning. If a Chef uses the right seasoning and combination through Food Prep and cooking the food then special buffs and more will appear when eating or drinking the finished product. The other section that he learned is tied to the end results. It¡¯s called Culinary. Just like Potion Making in Alchemy, after you fully cook or finished making the food or drink then this levels up. The higher the level the better the quality. However, just like Alchemy many chefs try not to make higher end meals. They start off with smaller amounts or simple food recipes. However, unlike Alchemy, Chef crafting can be done in teams while making meals. This helps out the last Section Liam had learned about, Large Feasts. This section allows Chefs to work better with other chefs when making larger meals meant for a few to a lot of people. This also shares experience amongst all who had a part in making the meal. Albeit, the Chef only gets experience in what their portion of the work was in though. As Liam learned more of this craft and worked on what Naro had tasked him with, he grew a new appreciation for the work Artem put in to the food he had made for him and the others back in the Tutorial Area. Chef crafting was no joke and needed a lot of your focus when crafting meals. He vowed to help Artem more in this craft whenever he could if they were ever to team up again. Thanks to Naro¡¯s guidance he was able to get a few things to level up. His Chef Craft leveled up to five as the Food Prep and Culinary sections reached the same level. His Large Feast, Butcher, and Food Handling reached level two as well. He was able to get his Mystical Seasoning to level one, but the buffs he was able to produce was really low. After they had eaten, Naro stayed true to his word and taught him better techniques using his mortar and pestle. He show him how to properly hold the pestle and how to move his wrist when smashing and grinding ingredients. Thanks to that, he was able to reach level five in Medicinal Creations. Naro also gave him some pointers on Potion Making and how to better use his Extraction and Distilling so he didn¡¯t waste some of the extracts he had made. Apparently he was wasting about ten percent of his extracts when he was letting them distill into potions. Thanks to the tips and tricks he was able to reach level seventeen in Potion Making. He was also able to bring his Extraction and Distill to level twenty, bringing his Alchemy as a whole to level twenty. Those weren¡¯t the only crafts Naro gave him pointers on. He also talked to him about Tailoring and Blacksmithing. He gave him some tips on what to focus on when he worked on his Tailoring which helped him out a lot. He was able to get a better grasp on what to look for and what kind of stitching techniques he should focus on corresponding to his level and what he should practice on to get a better feel for before reaching certain levels. Thanks to that he was able to reach level seven in Tailoring as a whole and his Sewing section to level seven as well. As for Blacksmithing, Liam had told him what Fia had advised he should focus on and Naro was impressed. Liam showed him what he had been making and how his Bone Smelting technique looked. Naro showed an interest in how he made his bone ingots and explained that there were two other ways he could do it. He promised to show him those other ways another time if he was interested, but for now he gave him pointers on how he could round his current technique to pave the way for when he was ready to make better quality Bone Ingots. He had also helped him understand how to make more than just daggers. He was impressed with his idea of getting a better feel for the weapons before making them, but insisted that he still tried so he could use these earlier products as examples for what not to do. Thanks to that, Liam was able to make a couple Crude Bone Short Blades, a couple Crude Bone Spears, and even a couple Crude Bone Whips. The whips were harder since it had to be a lot more flexible than the previous weapons he had made before. However, thanks to that he was able to get a better understanding on not only the whip, but the three weapons he had made before. He was able to level up his Blacksmithing some thanks to the practice. His Bone Smelting reached level ten while his Bone Forging reached level seven. Thanks to practicing making the three new bone weapons he was able to get Swords, Spears, and Whips to level two in his Weapon Craft section in Blacksmithing. It was still a far cry from his Daggers which was at level eight in Weapon Craft, but now he wasn¡¯t a one trick weapon maker in that section. Even though he had gotten all of these levels and experiences in his crafting the one he was really excited about leveling up was his class skill Mobile Crafter. He was able to get it to level six after all the switching around and crafting he did using it. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how it leveled up and Naro wouldn¡¯t tell him, but he figured it had to be a mix of him summoning a station and how much he crafted on it while the selected station was summoned. Liam stretched one more time before letting his thoughts land on another Class skill he had received recently but hadn¡¯t used yet. He had forgotten to ask Naro about it since he was so focused on everything else the giant bear of a man was advising him on. He felt like Naro was just as excited to guide him as he was to learn what the man had to offer. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how the ability worked and due to how he had received it he had a suspicion that it might have to do with spirits or Souls due to its name. He pulled it up to get a better idea about the ability.
¡°Anima Forge. Ability type ¨C Crafting, Instant, Non-chant. MP Cost ¨C N/A. Spirit Pool Cost ¨C 25. Item Requirements ¨C Small Kiln or Small Smelter. Requirements ¨C Spirit Stat Will Sub-stat Zen level 20. Description ¨C Creates a small Anima Forge by turning a regular flame into a soul flame allowing the user to forge spirit orbs into a completed crafted weapon, armor piece, or tools into it. This ability levels up Soul Smithing in the Blacksmithing Craft.¡±
Hm. That¡¯s pretty cool. I haven¡¯t heard anything about Soul Crafting yet. I wonder if it¡¯s an Advanced type of Crafting. Liam thought as he stared at the notification.
¡°You can say that it is, but it is also a Lost Craft. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam blinked a couple of times as he stared at the text Eri had sent him. He wiped his eyes and looked back at it to make sure he wasn¡¯t still sleepy and was misreading what she had said. The text was still the same. What do you mean by a Lost Craft? Liam questioned, fully awake now.
¡°Exactly how it sounds. Your new class, the abilities it came with, and that Craft were all thought to have been lost over the years. I honestly don¡¯t know how you were able to receive the class since it belongs to a race that is no longer on this planet. ¨C Eri.¡±
How is that possible? Aren¡¯t you a goddess? How can there be something you don¡¯t know? Liam inquired with a very confused expression plastered on his face.
¡°I have my theories, but until some of things I¡¯m unsure about get revealed then I won¡¯t know. ¨C Eri.¡±
Some things you¡¯re unsure about? What are you unsure about? Liam asked. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°For now, one of the things that needs to get cleared is that Seed you have that is only ten percent processed. ¨C Eri.¡±
That Seed¡­, Liam started to think until he realized what she was talking about. It was that notification he had asked her about. The one that appeared when his Devour ability provided him when it finished processing that thing. You mean¡­
¡°*Nods* Yes. That Seed might be a clue to your recently evolved class and abilities. As of right now you have a class that no one really knows about, and I will suggest you keep it that way until we know entirely what is going on. ¨C Eri.¡±
Are you saying I shouldn¡¯t use my new Class abilities? But, there are already a couple of groups that have seen me use some of my abilities. Liam argued.
¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about those groups. They too have secrets you witnessed. Since all members of each party has seen certain secrets they carried they will keep quiet about yours. As for you not using your new class abilities, I want you to limit how, where, and when you use them. I will advise you don¡¯t use them openly. Maybe use them when no one can see you. That Spirit Weave ability of yours will come in handy when you finally start checking things out at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web and can be used in other situations, but as for the Anima Forge, you will need to be discreet when using that ability as well as with what you create. I am not entirely sure how the items you make will come out so we will have to wait until you make something with it. However, for now you must not let anyone know about your new class nor your new abilities. Do I make myself clear? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned at what he read. He did understand what she said, but trying to find secret places to use his Anima Forge ability would be kind of hard since he wasn¡¯t sure where he could use it. Some ideas did pop into his head, but he couldn¡¯t test them while inside the city. He couldn¡¯t run out to the designated crafting area yet because he needed to go to the Crafter¡¯s Association to get his C.I.D. and showcase some of his items to find a seller so he wouldn¡¯t have so much back stock and carry it all around. He looked at his internal clock after thinking about that and noticed it was close to noon. Liam stared at the time. He blinked a couple of times as he stared at it. ¡°It¡¯s already almost noon?!¡± Liam suddenly shouted.
¡°After all that work you put into crafting and the time you finally came back to the inn to sleep it doesn¡¯t surprise me that you slept this long. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam pulled up the wardrobe feature in his character profile and clicked on his casual clothes as he stood up. His pajamas puffed into a black smoke all around him and were replaced with the clothes he had picked. He then cracked his neck before heading for the door and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see how this goes.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam walked through the open double doors of the Crafter¡¯s Association building and looked around. The entrance room wasn¡¯t completely full, but still had four decently sized lines waiting to speak with the receptionists that were answering all questions asked and getting each person ready to go through the door. Before Liam could pick a line to enter, he noticed someone approaching from his right. He turned to look at who it was and recognized the black haired, blue eyed Cat-Folk girl wearing the same uniform as the other employees. Liam saw the nervousness in her facial features as she tried to put on a smile and greet him. ¡°Welcome back Mr. Liam. If you could please follow me.¡± Liam was a little confused as to why she wanted him to follow so he asked, ¡°Hello Elatrix¡­where are we going?¡± Before Elatrix turned to walk she looked back at Liam and informed, ¡°Mr. Lyca has been waiting for your arrival and has asked me to guide you to his office when you arrived.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s nice of him,¡± Liam stated as he followed her to Lyca¡¯s office in the corner of the room. Elatrix knocked on the closed door as they approached and announced, ¡°Mr. Lyca¡­Mr. Liam is here to see you.¡± Liam heard the reply through the door telling Elatrix to let him in before she opened it. The Cat-folk woman took a step in and to the side, allowing Liam to walk by her. ¡°Good afternoon Mr. Liam,¡± Lyca greeted with a wide toothy grin. He then looked at Elatrix and stated, ¡°Thank you Elatrix, go ahead and close the door and stay with us. Once when we¡¯re done in here I would like you to help Mr. Liam out with some stuff.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± Elatrix replied as she closed the door and stood against the wall next to it. ¡°Go ahead and sit down and we¡¯ll get right to it,¡± Lyca started as he slid a small box across the desk. As Liam sat down, he stared at the box. It was one of those pop off card shape boxes. After eyeing it, Liam looked back at Lyca and asked, ¡°What¡¯s in the box?¡± ¡°Go ahead and open it,¡± Lyca said as he waved a hand at the box. Liam slowly reached over and slid the top of the box off to see a thin raven black card resting on a silk cloth inside the box. ¡°It¡¯s a C.I.D.,¡± Lyca started to explain as Liam pulled the card out and looked it over. As Liam checked it out he didn¡¯t see any writing or designs on it. It was just a simple thin raven black card. He raised a brow as he looked over at Lyca. ¡°It¡¯s not completed yet. It only has your name and which location you received this card from on it,¡± Lyca continued. ¡°Once when we have completed the ritual it will have all of your craft information and will be binded to you.¡± ¡°Oh? How do you do that? Drop a small bit of my blood on it?¡± Liam asked with a small chuckle. ¡°Gods no,¡± Lyca answered as he grimaced. Liam shook his head. He was joking, but it looked like the joke went over the man¡¯s head before him. ¡°I will guide you on what to do,¡± Lyca started back up. ¡°First, pull up your Crafting Section in your Personal Sheet.¡± Liam did as he was told. ¡°Now focus on the card while you keep your Crafting section up and channel some of your mana into it,¡± Lyca informed. Liam felt his mana start to outline his body. As the mana covered his hand with the card on it he felt some of his mana cover the card as well. As soon as it did this a new notification appeared in front of him.
¡°Would you like to bind your Crafting information to Crafter¡¯s Association I.D.? Yes No?¡±
Liam raised a brow as he stared at this notification. ¡°I am going to assume the look you¡¯re giving is because you received a request to bind your Crafting information to the card appeared, correct?¡± Lyca asked. Liam nodded. ¡°Good. Go ahead and accept,¡± Lyca stated. Liam wasn¡¯t sure about binding personal information onto a card like this. He wasn¡¯t sure about the safety of something having his personal information that could be seen by anyone. ¡°How safe is this? For example, what would happen if someone stole this card and tried to impersonate me?¡± ¡°It is good to be wary, but that wont be an issue. Once you have binded the card with your information then only you can pull up what is on the card,¡± Lyca stated. Before Liam could ask him, Lyca continued to explain. ¡°These cards are sensitive to a person¡¯s mana. The mana you channeled into the card to get that notification will be the only way any information can appear on it. When you are not channeling mana into the card then it will become what you currently see. A blank black card. It¡¯s a safety mechanism we have created for a crafter¡¯s privacy. In other words, it will only react to your mana.¡± Liam was impressed with the explanation. If what he said was true, then he didn¡¯t have to worry about someone using his card to impersonate him. It also meant that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having to prove who he was when it came to anything crafting related. ¡°Go ahead and accept so I can continue to explain the functions of the card,¡± Lyca said as he watched Liam eye the card more. Liam mentally accepted and watched as the card suddenly came to life. The background of the card was still raven black, but running along the edge of the card were different symbols. Some of the symbols were grey in color while some were colored in Bronze. As he studied the symbols that were colored in Bronze, he recognized what they represented. They were a vial with smoke symbol for Alchemy, a hammer and anvil for Blacksmithing, a knife and fork crossing over each other for Chef Crafting, a wand with smoke lines swirling around it for Enchanting, and a needle and thread for Tailoring. Within the card, words started to form. They read, ¡°Name: Liam. Mentor for Craft: Blank. Crafting Businesses Associated with: Blank. Guild: Blank. Clan: Blank. Crafter¡¯s Association Card received from: Cashat Port, Arkadian Kingdom.¡± ¡°Why are Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Chef Crafting, Enchanting, and Tailoring colored in a bronze color, but the others are all grey?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Also, why is the Mentor section blank? What is the Business Associated, Guild, and Clan part about?¡± Liam heard Elatrix suddenly shuffle for a brief moment as Lyca¡¯s body suddenly jerked. ¡°Did you say you have Enchanting colored in already?¡± Lyca inquired. Liam nodded as he suddenly felt like he probably should have brought that up. ¡°Did you just recently learn it? You didn¡¯t mention you were practicing that craft already yesterday,¡± Lyca stated. Liam grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s a long story that I don¡¯t feel like going into right now. Let¡¯s just say I had an opportunity and took the chance to try it out. It¡¯s not something I have a lot of practice in yet.¡± Lyca nodded as he recomposed himself. ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t pry. To answer your first question, any craft you have practiced will appear on the card colored in based on the level you have that craft in. Has any of your mentors mentioned the levels of crafting yet?¡± ¡°Do you mean the whole Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, and Master levels?¡± Liam asked. Lyca nodded. Then informed, ¡°Yes. So, each craft you have experience in will have a color that represents the level it has reached. Bronze represents the Beginner level. Silver represents the Intermediate level. Gold for Advanced, Emerald for Expert, and Iridescent for Master.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty simple to remember,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Why does that matter though?¡± ¡°When dealing with new clients or businesses that you wish to sell your wares to, some require to know what level your craft is at before they accept. This is to show where your craft stands,¡± Lyca answered. ¡°What if they want to know more about the section of the craft instead of the craft itself?¡± Liam asked. ¡°That is simple. All you have to do is click on the symbol for the craft they are requesting. For this example, go ahead and click on Alchemy,¡± Lyca requested as he leaned over his desk to help Liam. Liam clicked on the Alchemy symbol and saw the information appear. It read, ¡°Alchemy ¨C Level 20. Alchemy Sections: Extraction ¨C Level 20. Distill ¨C Level 20. Mana Extraction ¨C Level 18. Potion Making ¨C Level 17. Medicinal Creations ¨C Level 5. Poison Craft ¨C Level 13.¡± Liam was amazed by this as he read the same information he had on his Personal Sheet. It left out the description of each section, which Liam thought was a good idea because it saved room on the card. Lyca¡¯s mouth dropped as looked at the information that was displayed. Liam caught the look on his face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lyca recomposed himself as he replied, ¡°I am sorry, but I didn¡¯t expect your level into Alchemy to be this high already. Not to mention you already have Mana Extraction and to have it at the level it is. You must have focused a lot on Alchemy while you were in the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± Liam responded, deciding to keep any information on his crafting focus to as minimum as possible. ¡°Anyways, whenever you get someone who wants to know what level your section of the craft they want to employ you for or see the capabilities of the items to make sure you¡¯re not falsely claiming you crafted something you didn¡¯t; then you show them this to calm their worries,¡± Lyca explained before sitting back. Liam nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± ¡°As for your other questions,¡± Lyca continued. ¡°They are just information you can add or change whenever you¡¯d like to show who is your backer or where you belong. Be careful inputting that information. If you lie on any of those and someone finds out then your crafting accountability will be questioned by all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Liam said. ¡°One last question, does the crafting information automatically update on its own or do I have to do something to update it?¡± ¡°Every time you access your card it will automatically update on its own. Since it is tied to you and your mana, your mana takes care of it for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty convenient,¡± Liam said. ¡°It is. Also, if you lose your C.I.D. you can just request for a replacement. However, you will need to pay a fee for that,¡± Lyca said. ¡°Sounds fair,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Now do you have any other questions about the card?¡± Lyca added. Liam shook his head. ¡°Not any at this exact moment. If I come up with any others can I come back and ask?¡± ¡°Yes you can. You are always welcome to ask anything you have questions about. That is what this Association is all for,¡± Lyca smiled. A moment after he finished he slapped his palms together and said with an excited look, ¡°Now that that is all taken care of now comes the fun part.¡± Liam raised a brow as he looked at the man. ¡°What¡¯s the fun part?¡± ¡°Branding, Touring, maybe some shopping depending on if you are in need of anything, and finally showcasing,¡± Lyca stated. Adventure 154 - Squirrel! Liam raised a brow as he stared at Lyca. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what this wolf-folk man was talking about. Branding? Did he mean like a branding iron or did he mean it in terms of creating an identity for his crafted wares? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, could you please explain what you mean by branding?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Yes I can,¡± Lyca grinned. ¡°We have a person here who will help create a symbol you can use to place on your crafted items. This way when you have businesses selling your products it will stand out from other Crafters¡¯ wares.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s just to differentiate between crafters?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Yes and No,¡± Lyca answered. ¡°It does work to show that some products are made by the same person while others are made by another, but it also helps those who prefer a certain crafter¡¯s items. Say for example, you have a certain item you have come to like, like a weapon or armor piece. It¡¯s been reliable and has kept you safe during your adventures. You like it so much you try someone else¡¯s crafted weapon or armor piece, and it doesn¡¯t live up to the one you recently had. ¡°To make sure you don¡¯t make the mistake of getting the one that you don¡¯t like and get one made by the crafter you do, you just look for their branded symbol. If you¡¯re curious as to what one looks like, here is mine.¡± Lyca pulled a long sword in a tanned leather sheath out from his inventory and handed it to Liam. A picture of a Howling Wolf¡¯s head on a shield with a sword placed behind the shield was resting along the edge of the sheath where the sword was sheathed. ¡°The Branding also comes with a name, so it makes it easier for people who are looking for specific items made by certain crafter to find. My brand name is the Howling Wolf¡¯s Safeguard,¡± Lyca informed. ¡°That is interesting,¡± Liam stated as he handed the weapon back to Lyca.
¡°You should ask if you are only limited to one Branding. ¨C Eri.¡±
Why? Liam asked as he started to look confused. Lyca noticed the look on Liam¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Liam turned his attention back to Lyca as he replied, ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah. I just have a question about something.¡± ¡°What is your question?¡± Lyca asked. ¡°Am I only limited to one Branding or can I have multiple?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°It¡¯s not recommended, but you are allowed to have as many as you¡¯d like,¡± Lyca answered. ¡°It becomes hard for some who have multiple brands to keep track of each one, but some people like to have different Brandings for each craft they do. Are you thinking about making a brand for each craft you do?¡± Liam thought about it. What he said sounded about right. Trying to remember which Branding goes to which craft would be hard to do. Not only that, but trying to come up with a Branding for each craft would be a pain as well. Why did you want to know if I could have more than one? Are you going to suggest I make one for each craft I do? Liam internally asked Eri.
¡°No. There¡¯s a different reason as to why I wanted to know. I¡¯ll tell you later, but for now try to think up two different Brandings. ¨C Eri.¡±
Okay¡­ Liam replied to Eri as he shook his head and answered Lyca, ¡°No, I was just curious. I might make two, but I still need to think about it. How long does it normally take to get a Branding made?¡± ¡°It all depends on how many they are already making, how many you want, the design and the creating of it all. It could be anywhere from a day to a week if things are looking good. If there is a back order then two to three weeks,¡± Lyca stated. ¡°You wont know until you talk to the one in charge.¡± Liam nodded as he listened to Lyca. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Lyca started before looking at Elatrix. He then ordered, ¡°Miss Elatrix, please take Mr. Liam into the next area and guide him to Milandra to have her get going on his Branding please.¡± ¡°As you wish Mr. Lyca,¡± Elatrix said as she bowed to him. Liam stood up and turned to face her and watched as she opened the door and said, ¡°If you would please follow me.¡± Before Liam followed Elatrix, he turned to look at Lyca and said, ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± Lyca gave Liam a friendly smile as he replied, ¡°It has been my pleasure.¡± Liam turned back and followed Elatrix out of the room. Once when Liam left and Elatrix closed the door, the smile on Lyca¡¯s face disappeared. He stared at the door for a brief moment before letting out a sigh. His ears twitched as a hidden door suddenly opened. Before the guest said anything, Lyca stated, ¡°Tell me, do you have a plan to determine if your guess is accurate?¡± ¡°I currently do not,¡± the female replied as she approached the right side of Lyca. ¡°Then what evidence do you have to support your suspicions?¡± Lyca asked as he continued to stare at the door. ¡°That is something you don¡¯t need to know,¡± the woman replied. ¡°You have done your job, by getting him a C.I.D. Now we need to see what he has to showcase and see how it compares to theirs. If he makes something extraordinary then it will higher the chances¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a beginner Crafter. I highly doubt he will showcase anything worth noting,¡± Lyca interrupted. ¡°That maybe be true, but from what I heard you say while looking at his Alchemy levels, his doesn¡¯t match what normal beginner crafters would look like right after the Tutorial Area,¡± the woman stated. ¡°Not only that, but who knows how they are when it comes to crafting. If he is anything like them, then there is a chance he wont follow the rules those pompous controlling crafters have implemented on up and coming crafters.¡± Lyca let out an irritated sigh. ¡°That can help, but you got the information I gave you about his two mentors right? One is all about the rules, but the other doesn¡¯t really care for them. If he has made stuff that don¡¯t follow Crafter protocol then it could be because of her influence.¡± ¡°You are right about that, but we both know that he could have been lying about who his mentors are. We have seen it before,¡± the woman argued. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. That whole fiasco almost caused us to lose not just many new crafters, but our standings with merchants and the nobles,¡± Lyca stated as he rubbed the sides of his temples. ¡°If by chance he is what you think he is, then what?¡± ¡°Then we find a way to isolate him from any potential merchants and go from there,¡± the woman responded. ¡°I take it you¡¯ll handle any issues that happen then?¡± Lyca questioned. The woman placed a hand on Lyca¡¯s shoulder as she said with a calm and reassuring tone, ¡°Rest assured. My lord has taken all precautions and will deal with any who make issues.¡± Lyca shook his head. He wasn¡¯t sure about this. He loved his job and loved meeting new and hardworking crafters, especially those who had a future in it. Their enthusiasm is what brought new life and discoveries to the crafting world. However, lately many people haven¡¯t been wanting to sign up and learn to craft or do new crafts. The reason for that is because the nobles and their political agendas. They just loved to horde the best crafters and their works making sure they don¡¯t craft for anyone else. And if those successful crafters refused then they would find ways to make sure they would never craft again. He tried his best to stop this and tried to make sure those who refused any nobles would be safe and still had a future. It was still a constant fight to this day since the nobles keep finding new ways to cause issues. The lord this woman spoke about though was an enigma. He never participated in the games the nobles played to get the best crafters, so it came to a surprise when this woman appeared and asked for when this man was going to showcase. He would have loved to decline giving any information, but he was someone even he couldn¡¯t go against. All he could do was hope for the best that nothing horrible would happen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After Liam followed Elatrix out of the room, she guided him to the door closest to them. Two muscular Lion-folk men wearing professional black suits with a white shirt under the jacket stood on each side of the door. Liam wasn¡¯t sure how they were able to wear the jackets with how big their muscles looked, but he was quite impressed with the two. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°To be able to get to the next area there is a protocol you must follow,¡± Elatrix started to explain as she stopped and pointed at the receptionist desk. ¡°First, you would get in line and speak to one of the receptionists. They will ask what your business will be. It could be anywhere from looking for new tools, getting supplies, looking to showcase your new items to spread your work out more. Anything. They will inform you where everything is located, if there is an event going on, if the merchants are in, etc.¡± Liam nodded as he watched her point to the door next to them. ¡°After you¡¯re done there, you will come to this door and show them your C.I.D. to show proof you have access to the resources we have here,¡± Elatrix continued. ¡°Go ahead and show them your C.I.D.¡± Liam pulled out his C.I.D. from his inventory and showed it to the two men. The two stoic looking Lion-folk glanced at the card, shifted their eyes to Liam, then nodded. ¡°After they grant you access you walk through,¡± Elatrix informed as the doors opened and she walked through. Liam followed suit and came to a stop after the door closed behind him. He was amazed at what was in front of him as loud chatter from people, sounds of hammers hitting ingots, sparks from contraptions, and other noises screamed inside his ears. Smells from food, fires, alchemy projects, and many others he couldn¡¯t pinpoint slammed his nose causing him to feel slightly overwhelmed. The area was wide and spread out. There were two floors that Liam could see. The bottom floor in his sight held several different Blacksmithing stores, smithies, stores full of smelted and processed ingots, and Construction Crafting stores. He also saw several different tailoring shops scattered about here and there. Liam looked up to see a second story visible from where he stood. He was able to pick out signs for Alchemy stores, herbal supply stores, Rune Crafting, Enchanting, and even a few Liam didn¡¯t recognize. What Liam was looking at was equivalent to a two story Mall, except it was for crafters. The more he stared at the wonder in front of him the more excited he started to feel. Elatrix watched with amusement as several different emotions washed over Liam¡¯s face. She waited until Liam turned his attention back to her and heard him ask, ¡°This place looks so much bigger on the inside than the outside. How?¡± Elatrix smiled as she replied with a wink, ¡°That¡¯s a secret. One you might figure out on your own, depending on the crafts you focus on.¡± Liam frowned. He didn¡¯t want to wait. He wanted to know now. ¡°If you¡¯ll follow me, I will lead you to Milandra who you can speak to about your Branding,¡± Elatrix informed as she turned around and started walking. Liam followed her. He looked around at the stores and grew excited as they walked. He saw several different types of Beast-kins talking. Some showed off their skills in the smithies they passed as they worked on well crafted and amazing weapon and armor pieces. He saw a few talking with their hands moving around like they were in a heated argument. He used his hearing to listen in on what they were doing and found out one was trying to haggle prices. One Tailoring store had clothing pieces that ranged from casual to high end outings to adventuring and crafting. Seeing the elegant works reminded him he needed to buy some new casual clothing as well as some for when he crafted so he wasn¡¯t using the same clothes over and over. ¡°Here we are,¡± Elatrix announced, bringing Liam out of his excitement. Liam turned to look at the store she had brought him to. It was a plain looking store compared to the others he had seen. There was clear glass windows from the top of his hip up above a little bit above his head to give people a clear look into the store. Resting on podiums and stands were vast designs of pictures with words. Each one was just as impressive as the last. Liam looked at the sign hanging above the door. It was a banner with the words saying, Milandra¡¯s Fantastic Branding. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty simple store name,¡± Liam commented as he stared at it. ¡°I think simple is better than overcomplicated ones,¡± a voice suddenly said. The voice sounded feminine with a slight high pitch to the tone, but at the same time it sounded a little weathered. Liam looked forward, but didn¡¯t see anything. He looked to his left then his right, but still couldn¡¯t find the owner of the voice. A coughing sound brought Liam¡¯s attention to look down. Standing in front of him was a short older looking woman with greyish white hair. She had wrinkles that rested along her cheeks. A pair of giant goggles rested on her ocean blue eyes. The size and prescription of the lenses magnified her eyes giving them a giant doe eyed look. She wore a navy blue shirt, grey pants, and a white apron. What really caught Liam¡¯s attention was the fluffy tail that stood up and rounded into a ball at the tip right behind her head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter boy? Never seen a Squirrel-folk Beast-kin before?¡± the older woman questioned with a slight amusement on her face. Liam shook his head as he answered, ¡°No ma¡¯am I haven¡¯t. I haven¡¯t had the chance to see all the Beast-kin races there are. Everything is still new to me.¡± ¡°Oh? Are we a new arrival?¡± the woman asked as she looked him up and down. ¡°Yes. I arrived yesterday,¡± Liam replied. He tried to keep his focus on her eyes, but kept getting distracted by her fluffy tail that moved left to right, right behind her head. The older woman gave him a smile as she noticed this and teased, ¡°I know my tail looks pretty fluffy, and it is trust me¡­but only one person has the right to touch it. I could make an exception for you, but I don¡¯t think you can handle my feisty side litte kitty cat.¡± She then made a motion with her right hand like she was clawing the air while making a horrible impression of a cat meowing. Liam let out a laugh, but then stopped. This short old squirrel-folk had just said kitty cat. Confused he looked at Elatrix. Before he could ask if she was talking to her. The older woman laughed while saying, ¡°I¡¯m not talking to her boy. I¡¯m talking to you.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± The older woman lifted two fingers as she replied, ¡°Two give aways. One was the way you walked. You have the grace of a Cat-folk in your steps.¡± Liam tilted his head a bit. He never thought that the way he walked was like that. He wasn¡¯t sure when that had started. ¡°What¡¯s the second?¡± ¡°The second was when you turned your head left and right to look for me. I was able to see how your eyes looked from the gap between your sunglasses. From this angle, plus how close I can look with these goggles on it would be an insult for me not to catch them.¡± ¡°Huh, well played Miss¡­,¡± Liam started to say until he realized he never got her name. ¡°Milandra. You can call me Milly though,¡± Milly winked. ¡°It is nice to meet you Milly. I am Liam,¡± Liam greeted as he smiled down at the woman. ¡°You have good manners. I like that,¡± Milly stated as she reached into her inventory and pulled something out. ¡°Good kids like you deserve a treat.¡± She then reached her hand up and opened it to reveal something that looked exactly like a pistachio nut still in its shell. ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said as he grabbed the object. ¡°It¡¯s called a Pitasho Nut. I guess it resembles something called a Pistachio nut from some strange world, but this one is different. Each nut has a different flavor hidden within. You never know what kind of flavor it will be until you open it. Go ahead and see what you got,¡± Milly insisted as she watched Liam with a warm smile. ¡°Okay,¡± Liam answered as he placed his thumbnail between the line and tried prying it. It took him a couple of seconds to open and when he did a sweet familiar scent escaped and ran up his nose. He looked down to see a small red nut resting inside the shell. ¡°Oh, looks like you found a strawberry flavored one. Good job,¡± Milly stated with some excitement. She then placed her hand up next to her mouth and leaned closer to Liam while whispering in almost a conspiracy-like tone, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else this, but those are my favorite ones.¡± Liam nodded with a small chuckle as he replied with the same volume, ¡°Your secret is safe with me.¡± Milly chuckled a bit enjoying the fact that Liam was playing along with her antics. Elatrix, shaking her head as she watched the two, let out a cough. Milly looked at her and said teasingly, ¡°I¡¯m glad there are some youngsters who like to goof around and have a sense of humor. It makes life better when I have to deal with the stick up their bums ones.¡± Elatrix was about to comment on what Milly had said, but was interrupted as Milly added, ¡°Enough of that. You¡¯re here for a Branding aren¡¯t you. Step into my shop and we¡¯ll see what we can get you.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Liam said as he followed the old squirrely woman. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two hours had passed while Liam was in Milly¡¯s shop. He had a lot of questions and she had a lot to show him. She showed him the many designs she had made in the past. During his time with the short Squirrel-folk woman, Liam had discovered that Branding was actually part of a craft. It was part of the Visual Art Craft. Its not as popular as the types of crafts he had seen back in the Tutorial Area as well as during his walk to the store, but there were still some who enjoyed it. The Visual Art craft had other things besides Branding. However, since Laim was horrible at drawing, he figured he¡¯d leave that to the ones who were better at it than him. There was one thing about Visual Arts Craft that he did find interesting and that was many who were in the craft were from the Runeborn race. Apparently there was a section called Tattooing. The Runeborn combined both this section of the craft with Rune Crafting to mark their bodies with more Runes. Milly wouldn¡¯t give me anymore details than that so he didn¡¯t press. He did think about his cousin and how she had a couple members who were Runeborns. Next time he saw them he would have to ask more. After looking at the many different artworks Liam was able to get a couple ideas he wanted to try. He talked to Milly about them and she said she would come up with some examples for him to choose from. She told him to come back another day and she would have something for him to see. As soon as he and Elatrix left the store, she started walking while muttering to herself. ¡°Where are we going now?¡± Liam asked. ¡°We took too much time in there,¡± Elatrix commented. ¡°I have never seen her act so friendly to anyone before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s usually a lot harder to deal with. For a woman her age, she acts more like a kid,¡± Elatrix stated. ¡°I think she was just lonely and was hoping someone would play along with her games,¡± Liam said. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what it seemed like to me.¡±
¡°I, for one, absolutely loved that woman. Did you see her place that ink bubble in Elatrix¡¯s pocket without her knowing? ¨C Eri.¡±
Wait that was her? I never saw her get that close. When did she do that? Liam asked trying to hold in his laughter.
¡°It was around the time Elatrix was grumbling about how long you both were taking. I think she had Illusion magic that allowed her to get away with it. It was worth it to see the look on that woman¡¯s face when she reached in to her pocket and came out with an ink covered hand. *Chuckles* - Eri.¡±
It was pretty funny. Liam agreed. He then asked Elatrix, ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. Where are we going now?¡± Elatrix turned her head as she kept walking. ¡°We¡¯re heading to the spot you will be showcasing your crafted items.¡± ¡°Oh? Does that require us to be in a rush?¡± Liam asked as he tried to keep pace with her. ¡°It does when there¡¯s a schedule to follow,¡± Elatrix said. ¡°There is more than just you who is showcasing and if we¡¯re late then it puts others behind. You might not be too worried but many of these crafters who are showcasing today have been waiting to show off their works for a while.¡± ¡°Ah I see,¡± Liam said as he looked around. They were walking away from all the stores and were making their way to a new area with stalls spread out. Each stall had a cloth over the front, hiding whatever was behind. Liam could see random people standing by the stalls or walking behind them. He was also able to see people were gathered outside the area. They were separated into small groups. A long rope was barring them from walking over to the stalls. One of the groups had people wearing fancy and expensive looking clothes, making him believe some really wealthy people were here too. ¡°What¡¯s up with the wealthy people?¡± Liam asked as they walked over to the side and headed towards a stall in the back. ¡°Those wealthy looking people are people who work for nobles or are nobles. Whenever we have new crafters showcase their items there is usually a big crowd that gathers to see them,¡± Elatrix replied. ¡°A lot of the important people on the island as well from the Arkadian Kingdom show up to see. If you catch any of their eyes then there¡¯s a chance a wealthy client will want to scout you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liam replied. ¡°What?¡± Elatrix said as she suddenly stopped and looked at him. Before Liam could respond, an annoying voice suddenly yelled out, ¡°Are you the reason we¡¯re all still waiting?¡± Adventure 155 - Showing a bit of Hubris Liam turned to see a male younger and shorter than he, walking straight towards him and Elatrix. He got a good look at the man¡¯s features, recognized exactly what kind of Beast-kin he was, and already knew he was going to be trouble. The man had short slicked brown hair with triangle shaped ears. His physique was lean which didn¡¯t help with his frilly edged long sleeve white button up shirt that was tucked into a pair of tanned leather pants and fancy looking shoes. His brown eyes looked sharp as he gave Liam a scowl. This man was definitely a Weasel-folk Beast-kin. ¡°Are you going to answer me or just stand there looking like a fool?¡± the Weasel-Folk man questioned. His voice squeaked a bit as he tried his best to look intimidating. Liam raised a brow. He really didn¡¯t want to deal with this guy. Instead, he looked to Elatrix and asked, ¡°So which one is my stall?¡± The Weasel-Folk man looked appalled as Liam ignored him. Before Elatrix could answer, the man stated, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ignore me. I demand you answer me this instant.¡± Liam took in a long breath and slowly released it. He kept his eyes on Elatrix. He really didn¡¯t want to reply to this man because he felt he was going to be one of those I am so important, so you better do as I say types. Liam didn¡¯t get along with those types of people. They just made him feel like punching them. ¡°You dare have the gall to ignore me? Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± the man questioned as he crossed his arms. Liam noticed the look Elatrix was making, indicating she wouldn¡¯t be able to intervene making Liam believed this guy could have some sort of backing. Groaning internally Liam slowly turned to look at the man and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought you were talking to Elatrix here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Miss Elatrix to you,¡± the young man retorted. ¡°Why would I be talking to someone I know, knows who I am. No, I was talking to you. Are you the reason why I have been kept waiting for my moment of praise to be given to me?¡±
¡°This guy is annoying. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam ignored Eri¡¯s comment and minimized the text as he felt his irritation start to swell as he watched the man literally placed a hand on his chest as he finished his sentence and poked his nose up in the air. This guy really thought highly of himself, and it was starting to get on Liam¡¯s nerves. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sir Welchsire,¡± Elatrix started as she bowed. Liam raised a brow as he heard Elatrix say this guy¡¯s name. Is that really his name? Who in the hell would name their child Welchsire? ¡°The reason for the holdup is because this newly admitted Crafter was with Miss Milandra. Things took a little longer than expected and¡­,¡± Elatrix continued to explain. ¡°So, it was your fault!¡± Welchsire shouted. ¡°I should have known you were at fault by the way you dress. Seriously? I don¡¯t care how new you are. Not only is it rude to hold me up on this grand day, but to be in my presence with those out dated clothes. One would think you just came from the Tutorial Area recently or something.¡± ¡°He did, sir,¡± Elatrix commented. ¡°He arrived to our world just yesterday.¡± Liam eyed Elatrix. He was starting to get annoyed with this woman giving his information out so freely. He was starting to get a little pissed off now. As he did, he felt something stir inside of him. Welchsire looked at Elatrix and let what she had said sink in. He then looked at Liam, grimaced and said, ¡°Not only do you hold me from getting the attention I deserve, be in my presence with those style of clothes, but you¡¯re also a half-breed? What has this Crafters Association come to, allowing filth to join the elite.¡± The stirring Liam had felt a moment ago suddenly washed over him. At first he felt irritated, but that irritation had formed into something else. He wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was, but the feeling caused him to slip a quiet comment out that even surprised himself, ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from a dirty Weasel.¡± Elatrix¡¯s and Welchsire¡¯s ears twitched as they heard what Liam had said.
¡°*Raises a brow as she stares at you with an amused interest.* - Eri.¡±
Before Elatrix could say anything Welchsire asked as his right eye twitched, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Could you please explain what you mean by that comment?¡± The unknown feeling grew a bit more as it let his next words slip out, ¡°Oh nothing. It¡¯s just that back on my home world, weasels were creatures that snuck around the ground and stole form others. They also carried diseases that could be transferrable. So, I thought it strange that you called me filth when you are literally a disease filled carrier.¡± Liam then brought his hand up to his mouth and gave him a mock look of shock as he added, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Since I¡¯m new here I don¡¯t really know if you truly carry any diseases. So, we can just chalk it up as me being ignorant.¡± Elatrix stared at Liam with a look of horror as Welchsire¡¯s face turned beat red. Welchsire started to fume and took a step closer to Liam. ¡°Listen here you¡­¡± As he got within five feet of Liam, his demeanor swiftly changed. His facial features, body, and tone had gone from being arrogant and angry to doubtful and timid. Liam watched as the young man started to look unsure of himself while staring at Liam. Liam noticed a small amount of trembling in the young man¡¯s arms. He decided to end this now before things got out of hand. Liam took a step closer and watched as the young man look like he wanted to shrink into himself. Liam pointed a finger and said with calm, evened, whisper, ¡°No you listen here. You came at me the wrong way. I am just here to showcase my items. I know you are too. Now before this gets blown up worse than it already is I suggest you get back to your stall and leave me the hell alone. Do I make myself clear?¡± Welchsire slowly nodded. ¡°Good¡­now get,¡± Liam stated. He then watched as the young man spun around and quickly make his way back to his stall. Liam noticed the man¡¯s demeanor change from doubtful and timid to confused as he got away. Liam felt the confusion on the young man¡¯s face was fitting because even he didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened. He did know that the feeling was still washing over him. He then noticed that mana was covering him. He wasn¡¯t sure when that had happened. He stopped channeling his mana and felt the weird feeling disappear. Liam was about to ask Eri what had happened, but then remembered Elatrix was behind him. He turned to her and was about to say something, but was stopped as Elatrix stated, ¡°What did you do? Do you not know who that was?¡± Liam raised a brow as he replied, ¡°A pompous brat?¡± ¡°No,¡± Elatrix shook her head remembering he was new to not only this world, but this island as well. She then explained, ¡°He belongs to a wealthy Noble Weasel-folk Family who have some influence in the crafting world. If he wanted to, your crafting career can be over just by those comments you made.¡± Liam let out a sigh. ¡°I may have gone overboard with what I had said, but the kid was a down right prick. If he or his family want to try and ruin my crafting career then they can try. I am not crafting for them so it shouldn¡¯t matter.¡± Elatrix was a bout to argue, but was stopped as Liam added, ¡°Also, I don¡¯t appreciate you giving out my personal information like that. If you do that again, I will go to your boss and see what he will do about it. You got it?¡± Elatrix nodded. ¡°Good, now show me where my stall is please,¡± Liam said. As Elatrix started walking again, a new notification appeared. He minimized it before looking at it, deciding he would check it out after he got to his stall. He had some questions to ask Eri anyways and figured it would be better to do it in private. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam stood inside the stall he was assigned to. A piece of white cloth hung over the front, blocking everyone from looking inside. Elatrix informed him that the showcase would be starting in about ten minutes. She then explained that he wasn¡¯t selling anything here today, but this was to form a connection with those who were interested in selling his wares. She had also told him that he shouldn¡¯t get his hopes up nor get discouraged if no one shows interest at first or offer him any chances. Apparently it was rare for freshly integrated people to catch anyone¡¯s eye with their products. After explaining all of that she excused herself and walked away. Before Liam started to unload the items he wanted to showcase, he pulled up the notification he had minimized earlier. As he read it he grew a bit confused.
¡°Congratulations! You have successfully caused a bit of chaos. You have received 2% to your Chaos Performance Gauge. Progression to Level 2: 10%!¡±
Liam stared at the notification for a brief moment. He wasn¡¯t sure what this notification was talking about. He didn¡¯t know what he did that would cause a notification like this to appear. Not only that, but for it to appear not when it reached level two, but as a percentage? That confused him even more. Hey, Eri¡­what¡¯s up with this notification? Liam asked.
¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s exactly how it looks. ¨C Eri.¡±
I mean, what did I do to cause some chaos and why did it appear showing that I gain a percentage instead of when it levels up? I haven¡¯t seen a notification that did something like this before. Liam questioned.
¡°Ah okay, I think I know where the confusion lies. Do you remember when you talked back to the Weasel-folk and made him go timid? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded. He was confused about why his demeanor had changed and then changed again after he walked away from him. He then remembered after Welchsire had walked away he noticed his mana was being channeled, which he was confused about as well. I remember that. I also just remembered that my mana was being channeled without me knowing. Why did that happen?
¡°Well, my guess is, you had gotten so irritated with the annoying kid that you subconsciously channeled your mana and activated an ability you still don¡¯t have full control of. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam tilted his head as he thought about his abilities. He couldn¡¯t figure out which one she was talking about since he had never used an ability that caused that kind of outcome. The only ability he hasn¡¯t used yet was the Anima Forge and he knew that was a crafting ability not an attack ability. This was starting to bug him. He had a good grasp on all his spells and couldn¡¯t figure out what it could be. He then replayed the scene in his head. The young man had started getting on his nerves calling him names. During that time, he remembered a strange feeling had stirred inside him and had washed over him. He couldn¡¯t think of any of his abilities that gave him that feeling. He thought about his spells again. He could narrow the list down to ones that were chant-less ones since he didn¡¯t chant anything. However, that shortened the list down quite a bit. He really didn¡¯t have many spells that were chant-less and the ones he did have never gave him that weird feeling. He thought more about the feeling. It was strange. At first he was irritated with the guy. That irritation had grown to anger, but then switched to a different feeling. That feeling triggered when Welchsire had called him a half-breed and filth. No, it wasn¡¯t just the fact that he had called him that. It was because he called the Association into question about allowing him to join. The way he said it made it seem like Liam wasn¡¯t qualified to be a Crafter and whatever Liam crafted would be worthless and trash. After crafting so much, Liam knew his worth as a crafter. It felt like the man had attacked his honor and dignity as a crafter. What a minute¡­ Liam suddenly said as something struck him. He felt that his honor and dignity was being attacked. Those two words lit his brain up as he started to think more about the two words. The two words had something in common. That one thing they had in common was Pride. If his Pride was questioned when his mana suddenly started channeling on its own then it could narrow it to an ability he had forgotten about. Hubris Aura. Liam whispered.
¡°Bingo. For some reason, you unconsciously activated it. When that Welchsire kid stepped into its range, the effects changed his entire attitude making him grow timid. Since you were able to use that and turn the situation into your favor, plus having someone witness it caused a little chaos. Thus, giving you a small percentage for it. Which by the way great job on doing that. I couldn¡¯t be more proud. That kid was really annoying me. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam shook his head as he pulled up the information on the ability.
¡°Hubris Aura ¨C Ability Type ¨C Aura. Any enemy caught within the Hubris Aura will receive additional damage when attacked or verbally attacked. When verbally attacked while in the Hubris Aura, all enemies will start to doubt themselves as well as grow timid. Spell type ¨C Aura AOE. Aura Range ¨C 20 foot radius. Spell cost ¨C Mana channeling (Non-chant).¡± ¡°Warning! Due to insufficient knowledge on and not having Field of Sins, ability is dampened from 20 foot radius to 5 foot radius!¡±
Liam stared at the description of the ability. He had thought that since he didn¡¯t have enough knowledge and didn¡¯t have the appropriate field that ability came from, then he wouldn¡¯t have been able to use it. Albeit, it looked like he could use it since it activated. That was the strange part though, the ability had activated without him willingly knowing about it. Was this because he didn¡¯t have enough knowledge of the ability or was this because of something else. Hey, Eri¡­why did the ability activate on its own? I thought I had to consciously use it¡­
¡°Hm¡­that is a good question. It might be because it is an Aura type ability. ¨C Eri.¡±
What does it being an Aura type ability have to do with anything?
¡°Aura type abilities are tricky. Some Aura abilities can activate on their own depending on certain conditions. ¨C Eri.¡±
What conditions are those? Liam questioned as he grew even more confused.
¡°Those conditions can range from the caster¡¯s emotions, being in a near death state, being surrounded by hordes of monsters¡­it can be just about anything really. It comes down to requirements, conditions, and the type of aura it is. Did anything happen when the ability triggered? ¨C Eri.¡±
I think I have an inkling of an idea, but not entirely sure. I think this Aura ability triggered when I felt like my honor and dignity as a Crafter was being attacked. Liam stated.
¡°Hm. It could be. Your pride as a crafter was targeted so the Hubris Aura activated to correct the one foolish enough to attack it. ¨C Eri.¡±
That¡¯s what I think too. It¡¯s kind of scary thinking an ability can activate like that without my acknowledgement. Liam commented.
¡°It can be since you¡¯re still new to everything. However, if you can train it right then it can be a powerful weapon. You just need to work on it more¡­However, now is not the time. You need to hurry and set your stall up. Looks like people are starting to walk around. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Damn it,¡± Liam cursed as he opened his inventory and started pulling stuff out. He started with the bone weapons he had made. He hung up the couple of Crude Bone Whips, allowing people to see how flexible he had made the bones while still being hard in certain spots. He then laid the Crude Bone Blades underneath the whips on the counter. The Crude Bone Spears rested against the corner so people could see their full height. He placed a few Iron Bone Ingots here and there to fill up some of the space. To finish this half of the counter he placed his earlier works of the Crude Bone Daggers in the front then some he had made after some practice and finally the better looking ones behind them. He wanted to show his progress from his earlier works of the weapons to the better looking Crude ones. Before he could pull out his Alchemy crafted items, the flap shuffled a bit causing him to look at the opening where Elatrix popped her head in. ¡°Are you ready yet? There are a few people standing out here wondering if you have anything to show,¡± Elatrix asked. Her eyes then settled on the weapons and widened. ¡°Oh wow. I didn¡¯t know you could make those¡­¡± ¡°I still have some items to pull out, but I can do that while they look at these,¡± Liam replied, making Elatrix look back at him. She nodded as she asked, ¡°So it¡¯s okay if I pull the cloth up?¡± ¡°Yeah, go ahead,¡± Liam answered. Elatrix pulled her head out and then yanked the cloth up and over the top of the stall, revealing the Crude Bone display. Liam went to reach his hand into his inventory, but before he put it in he stopped and was shocked to see the crowd in front of him. It wasn¡¯t one or two people that were standing around the front of his stall. After looking and counting, Liam was able to see it was close to twenty. His ears twitched as he heard a lot of voices around the area. He then realized more people had arrived after he walked passed the entrance of the area. He was brought back to his senses as a few of the people who were standing close by walked up and examined the weapons he had on display. ¡°Hm, interesting,¡± a middle aged dog-folk looking person muttered as he looked at the Crude Bone Blade. ¡°Interesting is right,¡± an older female said with her black wings switched from extending to collapsing behind her back. She was looking at the Crude Bone Whips. ¡°You don¡¯t see many Bone Crafters now a days,¡± another said. ¡°The fact he was able to make the whips shows there¡¯s some potential. I heard it is hard to make flexible types of Bone weapons,¡± a fourth said to someone. ¡°I like how he has displayed the daggers. It shows his progress over the many attempts he has made. That is a well thought out display,¡± Liam heard someone else mention. Liam felt a bit of pride start to swell inside of him as he heard the praises. ¡°Um excuse me,¡± someone said, bringing Liam out of his thoughts. Liam turned to look at who was talking to him and saw two people looking right at him. It was a male and female. Both were middle aged. The male had white hair while the female had copper hair. However, what really stood out was their ears. Their ears were recognizable, and he felt he would be an idiot to mess up their race. They were Rabbit-folks. ¡°Yes, how can I help you?¡± Liam asked as he gave them a smile. ¡°We were wondering if weapons were the only thing you were showcasing,¡± the female Rabbit-folk asked. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I was just about to pull out mor¡­,¡± Liam had started to say until someone yelled out, ¡°Seriously? Bone weapons? How crude. I guess someone this filthy would make something from disgusting materials.¡± The voice sounded disgusted and appalled. Liam turned to look at who had said that and internally groaned. It was another damn Weasel-folk Beast-kin. Adventure 156 - High tensions amongst the crowd This Weasel-folk man wasn¡¯t the same young man from earlier. He did look to have similar features to the one he had met earlier, but this one looked more like he was middle-aged. He too wore a white buttoned up long sleeved shirt with frilly edges along the wrists. He wore black leather pants and fancy and expensive looking shoes. Liam cringed internally as he saw the top buttons were opened allowing a golden necklace with a jade looking jewel attached to it to rest on some chest hair. Liam noticed some golden rings on each of the man¡¯s fingers on his right hand. Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but he figured this man could be Welchsire¡¯s father. The group of people who were standing around checking out the items Liam had already placed turned to see who was insulting him. Liam noticed some rolled their eyes while others took a few steps back away from the scene that was about to happen. Mustering enough patience he could summon, Liam asked, ¡°Now why would you say something so rude mister?¡± The Weasel-folk man slowly approached the stall. He had a look of disgust as he looked at Liam and stated, ¡°Well, for one, bone materials are just barbaric and are used by those who love making a living in the dirt. It doesn¡¯t match real materials like Crocolisk Hide, Various Beast Leathers, or even scales.¡± ¡°Here we go again,¡± Liam heard someone whisper. ¡°Another crafter is getting hazed by the Armory Fashion Emporium,¡± another whispered. ¡°If they keep doing this then we¡¯re going to lose more crafters,¡± a third whispered. ¡°Second, these items are just crude quality. Crude is the lowest quality anyone can make and since you have only these to show for your efforts then that means your quality as a crafter will be third rate at best. Probably like your mentor, if you have one.¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched at the comment. He felt that sensation from earlier start to stir again. He bit his lower lip to focus on not channeling his mana so his Hubris Aura wouldn¡¯t activate. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many years you have put into your work, but I suggest you stop while you¡¯re ahead and save everyone the agony of having your items fail them while in important situations. Also, if this garbage is the only thing you have to showcase then I suggest you stop wasting everyone¡¯s precious time here and just close shop now,¡± the pompous Weasel- folk man stated as a wicked grin formed. Liam let out a breath of air he realized he was holding in. He chanted the words Calm the Storm five times before calming his mind and body. As he did this, he noticed a few people had started to walk over. Seeing this gave Liam an idea. This man was clearly here trying to make him look like a fool. However, his jeering could be turned around in his favor. Liam let his thoughts run as he tried to think up a plan. A few came to mind. He decided to go with one that could not only turn this around for him, but also make the man look like an idiot. Liam looked back at the man before giving him a slight smile and saying, ¡°Thank you for the advice. I guess it makes me glad that I didn¡¯t focus just on one type of craft to showcase.¡± The man¡¯s face frowned as he heard Liam¡¯s response. He was about to say something, but Liam held up a hand and stated, ¡°You see, these nice folks over here¡­¡± Liam waved a hand over to the Rabbit-folks. He then noticed they took a step back looking like they didn¡¯t want any part of this. ¡°Had just inquired if these were the only items I was going to showcase. And also, thanks to you I can show them off to a few more people.¡± Confused, the weasel-folk man turned and saw a few more people had gathered around. As soon as he saw how many people had come to see what was going on he grew even more confused as to what Liam had planned. To the man, he believed belittling him and his crafting wares would be enough to make people steer clear, but Liam didn¡¯t look deterred nor panicked. Again, he was about to say something, but Liam interrupted as he announced, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to all who have only seen the small bit of Blacksmithing I have done so far. I will now pull out the Alchemy crafted items that I have to showcase.¡± Liam reached into his inventory and pulled out three tins. He spread them out and opened each tin for the people to see the contents within. After that, he reached back into to his inventory and pulled out a vial rack. The vial rack had three rows with three different colored vials on each row. The front row had a light minty green liquid in them. The second row had dark blue liquid in the vials. The last row had a light orange color to the liquid. After setting that up, he reached back in and pulled out a second vial rack. This one had medium sized flat bottom vials filled with three different colored liquids. Each one had the same colors as the ones from the smaller rounded bottom vials. He popped open a cork off of one of each colored vial to allow the scent of each potion and extract to waft out. He noticed people¡¯s faces grew confused as they watched him set up his Alchemy showcase. Their faces grew even more confused as the different scents floated around the area, filling their noses. Liam started to reach for the last two items he was going to show, but then stopped as he heard people start to buzz around excitedly. What they were saying gave Liam pause. ¡°Am I seeing and smelling what I think it is?¡± someone asked. ¡°Are those flavored potions and scented salves?¡± a female questioned with some hope in her voice. ¡°Is he an idiot or is this a message letting us know they are allowing it now?¡± another inquired. ¡°Oi, is he serious? Or is he some idiot?¡± someone whispered. Liam was confused as he looked at everyone. Their reactions were not what he was hoping for. Instead, their mummers created even more questions for him. His attention then landed on the Weasel-folk man as he let out a loud cackle. ¡°You had me worried there for a moment,¡± the man started. ¡°Not only are you some poor excuse of a crafter, but you¡¯re also a criminal now. You broke one of the many Crafter rules for potions and Alchemy related items.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what rule are you talking about? I was never told about any rules,¡± Liam stated. ¡°A likely excuse,¡± the man countered. ¡°Allow me to remind you of the rule that every Alchemy Crafter has to abide by. Unless you are the originator for flavored or scented items no Crafter is allowed to make flavored or scented Alchemic items with the intention to sell without the proper documentation showing proof they were given permission. And I doubt someone of your caliber has the connections to be allowed such accommodations.¡± Is this guy serious? Since when were their rules about what you were allowed to make? Liam thought to himself as confusion and a bit of panic started to mix inside of him. Galin never mentioned this to me when I made these potions. Why wouldn¡¯t he have said anything? With a wicked smile the man went to turn his head and said out loud, ¡°Security!¡± Liam turned to look at Elatrix. She shook her head, not looking at Liam. Liam thought more about the situation he was in. There was something in what the man had said that gnawed at the back of his mind. Galin was always someone who was a stickler for rules. Liam started thinking. He didn¡¯t look too happy at first when I said I wanted to make flavored potions. If this rule was the case then why didn¡¯t he just tell me about it? Why did he tell me in a round about way and say there weren¡¯t any known recipes? Not only that, but why was he so excited when I found a new recipe and was eager to help me sell them in the Tutorial Area? Something clicked as he began connecting the last part of what he thought with something the man had said. Unless you are the originator for the flavored or scented items¡­ Liam was about to say something, but stopped as someone called out, ¡°Isn¡¯t calling the security over something like this too much, Morshire? Have you really taken the time to assess the situation fully?¡± Liam turned to see Farry approach from the side towards Liam¡¯s stall. Next to him were both Abby and her older sister Cindy. He noticed the looks in their eyes as they stared at the Weasel-folk man. It seemed like they too didn¡¯t like this man. ¡°Calling security to arrest this man for his criminal act is not too much,¡± Morshire stated as he glared. ¡°In fact, it is a service to the Crafter¡¯s Association. This filthy half-breed has broken the rule, and we all know the consequences for that. Especially when showcasing them here.¡± Farry let out a sigh. ¡°Have you assessed the items yet to determine if there is even an originator for these items?¡± Morshire scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t need to assess the items. Everyone knows that all flavored and scented items have already been discovered.¡± Farry raised a brow as he stared at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes I am,¡± Morshire stated confidently before pointing a finger at Liam and demanding, ¡°Tell us what flavors these items contain so we can identify who it is you tried to steal from.¡± Liam took a deep breath calming his nerves. He then looked at both Morshire and Farry while announcing, ¡°Mint, Blueberry, and Orange.¡± Both men stared at Liam. The area grew quiet as everyone thought about those three ingredients. ¡°Repeat those flavors again?¡± Morshire questioned. Liam let out a sigh before repeating, ¡°Mint, Blueberry, and Orange.¡± ¡°Impossible, those flavors must be made up. I haven¡¯t heard of them before,¡± Morshire stated with a flustered expression. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Mr. Liam, I am sorry to ask, but what ingredients did those flavors come from?¡± Farry asked. ¡°Mint came from Moss Mint. The Blueberry flavor came from the Blueberry Cluster and the Orange flavor came from Orange Spheres,¡± Liam answered as he looked at Farry with a confused look. ¡°You¡¯re lying. Those ingredients do not exist. The green one is definitely from an Apple while the blue one came from grapes, and the orange colored one comes from tangerines. Do not think you can get away with this by making up¡­,¡± Morshire started to argue. ¡°Miss Elatrix,¡± Farry interrupted as he looked at her. Elatrix turned her attention over to Farry. ¡°Can you tell me if there have been any records showing proof any of those ingredients have been discovered or been used in any Alchemical crafted items?¡± Farry inquired. ¡°Ah, if you give me a moment I can request an inquiry because I do not have any knowledge on any of those materials,¡± Elatrix replied as she started to walk away. ¡°No need,¡± Morshire stated swiftly. ¡°Miss Elatrix is a member of the Crafters Association. Members who work here have extensive knowledge on all materials that been discovered as well as used in any crafting. If she says she doesn¡¯t have any knowledge on those ingredients then clearly¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re grasping straws there,¡± Liam suddenly stated, feeling his irritation start to fill. ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Morshire glared. ¡°You¡¯re excused,¡± Liam quipped before adding, ¡°If you expect someone to remember each and every material used in any given craft then you¡¯re giving them way too much credit. If I am correct there are literally thousands and thousands of materials out there. And if what I was told recently was correct then there are new ingredients popping up every now and then. It would be hard to remember everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you don¡¯t want to get in trouble,¡± Morshire commented. ¡°I¡¯m not in trouble though and I can prove it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Do you have the ingredients you stated?¡± Farry questioned. ¡°Yes. Here let me show you,¡± Liam said as he pulled out three items from his inventory. The first item was a jar full of light green moss. The second was a jar full of carefully picked blueberries while the last jar had a few unpeeled oranges resting within. ¡°You can assess these materials,¡± Liam stated. Farry, Elatrix, and Morshire approached the jars and assessed them each one. ¡°Oh wow,¡± Elatrix muttered before looking back at the potions and assessing them as well. ¡°The materials do match the description of the potions.¡± ¡°Of course, they do. I haven¡¯t lied nor done anything wrong,¡± Liam stated. ¡°To be honest, I am quite shocked that a veteran crafter like Morshire hasn¡¯t used the most important ability we crafters have.¡± Farry raised a brow as he asked, ¡°Oh and what ability is that?¡± ¡°Item Understandance,¡± Liam replied. Farry let out a chuckle as Morshire suddenly turned bright red. ¡°What? What¡¯s so funny?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I will tell you later,¡± Farry replied. ¡°This only proves he wasn¡¯t lying about the materials used. This doesn¡¯t prove that he hasn¡¯t used someone else¡¯s recipe without their consent!¡± Morshire glowered. ¡°Dude you¡¯re trying too hard,¡± Liam commented as he shook his head. His irritation was growing as his annoyance of the man kept growing. This guy was trying too hard and Liam was just done with it. ¡°I will not accept this behavior from someone as filt¡­,¡± Morshire started to say. ¡°That is quite enough!¡± a loud commanding voice yelled out. Everyone turned to see who the voice belonged to. Liam heard people let out gasps and begin to make room for three individuals to walk forward. One stood in front while the other two stood close behind the person. The one standing behind on the left was a slim female with long silky black hair tied into a bun and milky white skin that brought out her bottle green eyes. She looked slightly older than Liam. She had a tannish tank top that was tucked into a dark brown corset that covered her waist and stomach stopping under her average sized breasts. Her leather skin-tight pants hugged her waist and legs while tucked into a pair of tanned leather boots that ran up mid-calf. She had a potion belt that had four pouches that sat two in front and the other two to the side. She wore matching colored leather fingerless gloves that ran up to the middle of her forearms. On top of her head was a pair of well crafted googles. Over the left eye lens were several other lenses that grew smaller and smaller. She had an aloof look as she kept her gaze forward. Liam could smell several different herbal scents coming off of the woman¡¯s clothes making him believe she was an Alchemist. The individual on the right was a man with short black hair with specs of red mixed in. The mixture gave him a fiery look that matched the fierce expression he held on his smooth shaven face. His tanned skin made his ocean blue eyes stand out. He wore a black short sleeved shirt that hugged his well-toned biceps. His shirt slightly hung over his slightly baggy black pants. Some of the bagginess from the man¡¯s pants draped over his dirty boots that ran up to his mid-calf. A pair of black leather gloves covered his hands entirely and most of his forearms. A medium sized hammer hung on his right side. The hammer and the smell of the forge made Liam believe he was a blacksmith. The one standing in front of the other two was an older gentleman with long black hair tied into a ponytail. He had on a pair of rounded black lensed glasses covering his eyes. He wore a navy blue button up shirt, burgundy vest with intricate designs, and an opened black jacket. He also wore navy blue dress pants that covered the tanned boots over his feet. His right hand gripped a well crafted cat¡¯s head cane. Around his waist was a belt that held many different types of small tools Liam had never seen before. The one thing that really stood out amongst the three though were their ears. They had the same kind of ears as Cat-folks. Liam looked at the man and woman standing behind the older gentlemen and confirmed they were Cat-folks as the irises and pupils switched back and forth from being normal to thin slits just like his eyes did when he focused and unfocused on things. Liam heard people whisper as the three made their way closer. ¡°What are they doing here?¡± someone muttered with curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s rare for them to come to a showcasing,¡± another commented sounding awed. ¡°I wonder if there is someone who has caught their attention,¡± Liam heard another mention with some excitement laced in their voice. Morshire looked both confused and shocked as the three stopped in front of the group. ¡°It is rare for you to come out of your neck of the woods, Xander. I thought you might have croaked since I haven¡¯t heard any news of you lately. What brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯d watch your tongue if I were you, you Crapweasel,¡± the blacksmith looking Cat-folk man snapped as he narrowed his eyes on Morshire. His voiced was rough and stern. ¡°Issac,¡± the alchemist looking woman scolded. Her voice was soft yet sharp. ¡°What Amelia? You heard what this¡­,¡± Issac was about to finish until the older man in front of them put a hand up to stop the two from bickering. ¡°Now, Morshire¡­I know you and I have not been on the best of terms, but is that any way to address an old friend?¡± Xander asked. His voice was calm and collected. It didn¡¯t show any hints of annoyance or anger towards Morshire¡¯s comments. ¡°Ha, you¡¯re no friend of mine. We may be on the same Council for the Kingdom¡¯s State of Crafting Organization, but you would be a fool to think we are friends,¡± Morshire spat. ¡°For starters, your ideals when it comes to Crafters and their work are so vastly different from mine and many of the other council, I am shocked people of the association still go to you for crafting work.¡± Xander slowly shook his head as he said, ¡°If that is how you see things then I will not push it and that topic is for a different time. To answer your question, I recently met an old friend of mine and he suggested I go to see the showcase today. He never told me why, but now I feel I do.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Morshire questioned, still upset at the old man. ¡°I have a rule that we must always be up to date with all new materials discovered as well as new recipes created that are on the Exclusively Claimed to Make List,¡± Xander started. ¡°I have brought one of my highly knowledgeable and well trained Alchemists who can answer whether or not the recipes for these items have been processed to the Exclusively Claimed to Make List or not along with whether these materials have been reported as discovered yet or not.¡± Morshire suddenly grew a wicked grin. ¡°If it is you saying this then I will believe this. You have no reason to lie. Go on then. Reveal this man¡¯s crimes.¡± Xander slowly shook his head before turning to Amelia and motioned her to inspect the accused items. As she approached the items she pulled down her goggles over her eyes and pulled out a giant book from her inventory. Liam saw the cover of the book and read the title. ¡°Crafters Association¡¯s Book of Alchemy materials discovered and Flavored/Scented recipes claimed.¡± She then assessed the completed crafted items, the extracts, and the materials. After she spent some time looking everything over, she opened the book and started flipping through each page at a fast pace. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if she was really looking at each page with how fast each page was being flipped. He was about to say something until she suddenly stopped on a page and placed a finger down on a spot, midway down on the right page. Morshire¡¯s grin grew and was about to say something until Amelia announced, ¡°Material, Blueberry Cluster discovered in select Green dungeons. Materials have been reported to be used in several Food recipes. No Extract recipes reported for any Alchemy crafted items. No fully Alchemical crafted items have been reported nor claimed with this material as an ingredient.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Morshire started, but was stopped as Amelia continued. ¡°Material, Orange sphere discovered recently in select Green and Yellow dungeons. Materials have been reported to be used in several Food recipes. No Extract recipes reported for any Alchemy crafted items. No fully Alchemical crafted items have been reported nor claimed with this material as an ingredient.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­,¡± Morshire tried again. ¡°Material, Moss Mint discovered in select Black Dungeons. Materials have not been reported in any recipes known so far outside of Alchemy use. No Extract recipes reported for any Alchemy crafted items. No fully Alchemical crafted items have been reported nor claimed with this material as an ingredient.¡± ¡°Hold up,¡± Morshire shouted. ¡°Are you telling me that none of these three items have been claimed in any Alchemy crafted items? I do not believe that.¡± ¡°And yet it is the truth,¡± Xander commented. ¡°In fact, we had just updated it before walking over to the showcase.¡± ¡°Nonsense! It takes almost half a day to update a book like that,¡± Morshire argued. ¡°Not if you have the right sub-stats,¡± Amelia replied with an uninterested tone of voice. ¡°What kind of,¡± Morshire started to say until Amelia raised a hand with three fingers up. ¡°Knowledge, Mental Absorption, and Perception. I will not explain to you why or how those three make it possible because I feel that it would only hurt your narrow mind,¡± Amelia stated as she turned around and made her way back to Xander¡¯s side. Liam tried his best to suppress a chuckle. Morshire glared at Liam before looking back at the woman. He was about to yell at her, but was once again stopped as Xander lightly scolded, ¡°Amelia, that was not nice.¡± Amelia shrugged, looking like she didn¡¯t care. Morshire¡¯s face turned beat red. He looked like he was about to explode, but then let out a long irritated breath before whirling on Liam and demanding, ¡°Fine, I will acknowledge that you did not break any rules¡­However, I will demand you tell us what Dungeons you got these materials from!¡± Liam gave Morshire an incredulous look. He was appalled that this man had the gall to demand something like that from him, especially after accusing him of breaking a rule he had no knowledge about. ¡°No,¡± Liam flatly stated. A few people that were still around watching the scene happening were shocked. Liam heard a few gasps but paid them no mind. He did notice the slight grins that were barely noticeable on Farry¡¯s, Amelia¡¯s, Issac¡¯s, and Xander¡¯s faces. He heard the light snicker escape Abby¡¯s lips as Cindy, who was also trying hard to suppress a laugh, covered her little sister¡¯s mouth. ¡°What do you mean no?¡± Morshire questioned, giving Liam¡¯s a look like he had just slapped him. ¡°Do you not know who I am?¡± ¡°Aside from probably being Welchsire¡¯s relative, which by the way is a horrible name¡­ No, I do not know who you are,¡± Liam answered honestly. ¡°I literally just arrived at this world just yesterday.¡± Morshire¡¯s mouth dropped as it mixed with a look of utter shock. He then caught the last bit of what Liam had said and commented, ¡°Liar! If you had just arrived yesterday then that means you had received these materials from the Tutorial Area. There is no way that can be true. Especially since you are displaying those barbaric weapons.¡± Liam let out a sigh as Issac¡¯s left eye suddenly twitched. ¡°I know it is hard to believe and you probably will think it is even more impossible that I just came from the Tutorial Area yesterday when I pull out the last two items I was about to showcase,¡± Liam said with a tired and annoyed tone of voice. ¡°What two items do you have left?¡± Xander questioned as he grew curious. Liam looked at the old man. After studying his body posture, he figured it was alright to pull the items out and show them. Liam reached into his inventory and pulled out two medium sized flatbottom vials. One was filled with purplish-yellow liquid with small flashes of lightning appearing here and there throughout the liquid. The other was filled with clear liquid around the edges of the glass while in the middle the liquid was purple and circulating up and down in an even pattern. ¡°Is that a Liquified Lightning Mana Extract and a Liquified Gravity Mana Extract?¡± Amelia suddenly asked with a look of shock. ¡°That just further proves that what you have just told us is utter bullshit. There is no way you could have recently came out of the Tutorial Area if you are already able to make those Mana Extracts!¡± Morshire shouted. ¡°As unbelievable as it is, I can prove that he is in fact telling the truth,¡± a female suddenly said. Everyone turned to see who this newcomer was and were surprised. However, it was Morshire who gave the biggest reaction upon seeing the newcomer. ¡°Or am I someone who looks like they would bullshit you,¡± Lucy commented as she narrowed her eyes on the man. Adventure 157 - I have a place in mind Lucy strode her way right up to Morshire, stopped and looked down at the man. Liam stared at the two. He could see the weasel-folk male tense up. He wasn¡¯t sure why he would though. Just moments before she had arrived he was acting arrogant and haughty, like he was top of the world. However, right now he looked like he could start sweating buckets. ¡°M¡­m¡­Miss Lucy,¡± Morshire stammered as he felt her narrowed gaze on him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I really have no obligations to tell you that, but to save time and to help clear some of the¡­ accusations and confusion you seem to be experiencing,¡± Lucy pointedly stated. ¡°I came by to see how Mr. Liam was doing.¡± Morshire gulped. He then asked the next question that had popped into his mind after hearing that last part. ¡°Why would you need to see how this fi¡­I mean this young man is doing?¡± Lucy raised a brow as she noticed the correction. She then asked, ¡°You do know what my job is correct?¡± ¡°You mean being the l¡­,¡± Morshire started to say until Lucy raised her brow a bit more. Morshire raised his hands up as he finished, ¡°The new arrival department?¡± Lucy nodded. ¡°Correct. And do you know what one of the duties someone from that department is?¡± Morshire winced as he replied, ¡°Um, to keep an eye on new arrivals?¡± Lucy narrowed her eyes even more as she glared at the man. ¡°No. It is not to keep an eye on new arrivals. The newly integrated arrivals are not prisoners nor criminals. It is to check up on them and help with their transition into our world. Not only that, but here on Cashat Post, we also keep them updated while they wait for news on the status of their citizenship.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s exactly what they do¡­,¡± Morshire nodded as he looked a bit panicked. A sudden realization popped in his mind as he stopped mid-sentence. After rethinking about what she had just said he started to ask, ¡°Wait then does that mean¡­¡± A smile suddenly formed on Lucy¡¯s face as she finished, ¡°That I am Mr. Liam¡¯s New Arrival Agent? Yes I am. I was there when he walked through the Transportation Portal from the Tutorial Area and did his procedures. So, I can say confidently say that he is just a couple of days old in this world.¡± Morshire¡¯s eyes widened as he swiftly looked at Liam. Xander and the two next to him looked at the items on Liam¡¯s stall then back at him, assessing him in a different light. ¡°There is more that I think must be addressed to help you understand the situation you have put yourself in,¡± Lucy continued. She waited and watched as everyone looked back at her. Confusion etched each of their faces as they wondered exactly what else she had to explain. ¡°I heard you mocking the first set of crafted items he had on display as well as making comments about his Alchemic¡­endeavors,¡± Lucy continued. ¡°I believe you mentioned that if he had a mentor then they should be ashamed by his quality of work as well as his attempts of making these wonderous new discoveries, that will be recorded under his name might I add. However, I failed to hear you ask if he had any mentors and if he did who they were.¡± Liam caught her say they instead of referring to one person. He remembered his talks with this Antelope-folk woman. She had asked what he was interested in and he had mentioned he liked to craft. However, he remembered that he never mentioned his mentors to the woman. If she was bringing up mentors then he could only assume she knew who his mentors were. The one question that resided in his mind now was¡­how did she know? Morshire stared at Lucy, unsure how to proceed. He looked like he was contemplating a lot now. Liam could only guess what was running through his mind as the man slowly turned to look at Liam. Before he could ask the question Liam knew was coming, Lucy started back up. ¡°Now we all know that in the Tutorial Area people can pick up crafts they find interesting and the many people, in the limited amount of crafts allowed in that area, will teach, or educate people in the crafts. While it isn¡¯t rare for many who teach there to pick up apprentices, there are a select few who either refuse to take on an apprentice or are just there because they lost a bet.¡± Liam slightly chuckled at that last part. He remembered Nabal had told him he was only there because he had lost a bet. Hearing Lucy say that part made him believe it wasn¡¯t as rare of an occasion as he had believed it to be. ¡°That is correct,¡± Morshire slowly nodded. ¡°The latter two of what I had just said are usually those who are very well known crafters in their respective fields,¡± Lucy slowly smiled. ¡°No matter their race, their names have spread across the world. For example, the pride of our Arkadian Kingdom have a few that are really well known. The Cait Siths, Narad the Crafting Connoisseur, Lilia the Stormstrong Outfitter, and¡­¡± ¡°My Armory Fashion Emporium,¡± Morshire said with pride. Lucy lifted a brow as she said, ¡°I was going to say Raknar the Anubis of Alchemical Armaments, but for your pride we¡¯ll say your Armory Fashion Emporium.¡± Morshire narrowed his eyes at her comment but reframed himself from saying anything. ¡°Anyways, there were rumors after the current wave of new arrivals left the Tutorial Area that two well known Crafters who have never taken an apprentice were in one of the Tutorial Areas at the same time and had picked up an apprentice. One of them even had picked up two. Do you have any clue who they might be?¡± Lucy questioned as she stared at Morshire. Morshire shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have the foggiest. Who could they be?¡± Liam stared at the two. As he watched and listened, he felt like something was off. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was or could be, so he started thinking things over. This man was someone who believed himself to be a highly skilled crafter. After seeing some of the reactions of the people around, this isn¡¯t his first time causing trouble. The looks of pity and the submissive expressions and body language had told Liam some of these people kind of feared this man. If that was the case then he had some pull in the crafting world. That was proven when the Cat-folk Xander appeared, and their discussion revealed he was part of some crafting council for the kingdom. However, Xander, the two with him, and Farry had shown Liam that he didn¡¯t have as much power as he made himself out to have. To add to this factor, Lucy had arrived, and this man looked like he was ready to crumble under her gaze. This part was something that had Liam a bit stumped. It was one thing for Lucy to put this man in his place since he was causing a scene, but she wasn¡¯t a crafter. At least, not that he knew of. Lucy was part of the New Arrival Department that dealt with new arrivals to the world. There''s no way she could have more power than him. Not unless there is more to this woman than what she has shown me. Liam thought as he eyed the woman. Lucy turned to look at Liam. Liam caught the slight smile that grew on her face as she asked, ¡°Would you like to enlighten everyone who your mentors are Mr. Liam?¡± Liam thought about it. That smile she had told Liam she was trying to do something. However, no matter how hard he tried to think what it was he couldn¡¯t figure it out. This bugged him. He really didn¡¯t like not having all the facts. The only thing he knew was it had to do with his mentors. Did she know Fia and Galin? Were they on good terms or bad terms? If they were as famous as he had heard some people say then they would surely have enemies here and there. Was this her angle? Was she trying to cause ripples? If so then what pond are these ripples waving in? The Crafter¡¯s Association? Morshire? Liam noticed everyone was staring at him with curiosity and excitement as they waited for him to reveal who his mentors were. He could feel their gazes on him, and he didn¡¯t like it. As Liam continued to think this through he noticed Lucy¡¯s eyes would occasionally shift. He wasn¡¯t sure who it was they would fall on, but he knew the direction they were shifting to. It was Xander. Why would she be shifting her sight on him? Is he the pond she¡¯s trying to ripple? He wasn¡¯t sure. And since he couldn¡¯t think of the outcome he didn¡¯t want to go along with whatever plan she had going on. ¡°No,¡± Liam suddenly said. Everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. Before anyone could say anything, Liam continued, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to refuse to answer your question, however, out of respect to my mentors I do not wish to reveal who they are so lightly.¡± Lucy looked confused. ¡°How come? ¡°This is due to three facts,¡± Liam started. ¡°One, I am new here. There are things I am still learning when it comes to this world, this association, and this kingdom. As an apprentice to my mentors, it is my job not to disgrace the work they put into me. I am sure they would not want me to use their names to have some upper hand in any dealings with any merchants. ¡°Two, I do not want people to have their eyes on me because of who my mentors are, but rather the results I have put my hard work into. My mentors have trained me to be proud of the hard work I put into each crafted item. If I reveal who they are I feel that many people would only see their name or see them in my wares. ¡°And lastly¡­¡± Liam pointed to Morshire as he continued, ¡°This man has opened my eyes. His antics and troublemaking has shown me that there are some sort of politics going on that I do not want any part of. If I do reveal my mentors¡¯ names I feel that it would some how pull them into something I know I¡¯d get scolded for. I may be an overthinking, tunnel visioned fool when it comes to crafting, but I am no fool to signs of hidden agendas.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Liam then looked at everyone and bowed. Before anyone could say anything, Liam added one more thing. ¡°I apologize for the scene caused here today and to those who have come to showcase their wares. The actions caused by my ignorance today are my fault and I will rethink my actions going forward in this new world I am starting to enjoy.¡± Lucy and Morshire stood there stunned as everyone continued to stare at Liam, unsure what to do. Xander suddenly let out a laugh as everyone swiftly looked at him. ¡°I must say, I do not remember the last time I have ever met anyone who places their mentors¡¯ wellbeing before their gains,¡± Xander stated. ¡°It is refreshing to know that there are new crafters like you who would think things over before rushing to gain attention. You have nothing to apologize for young man. It is as you have said. We are here to view the crafted items you have made, not who guided you or mentored you in the craft or crafts you have chosen.¡± Liam gave the old man a smile. His attention was then shifted as Lucy let out a cough. He went to look at the woman, but instead switched his attention to Morshire as the man quickly said, ¡°You are not the only one to blame.¡± Morshire let out a cough of his own as he brought a fist close to his mouth, closed his eyes and made himself look like he was thinking something over. After a couple of nods, he opened his eyes again and stated, ¡°As an apology for my actions, I would like to offer you a deal to help you out as a newly integrated crafter in our world. Why don¡¯t you sell your flavored potions in my stores.¡± Liam raised a brow as he stared at the man. He could see Issac and Amelia frown at the man as Xander shook his head with a look of shame. ¡°Also, as an apology I would even allow your crafted wares to be placed in the front part of my stores so customers will see your items before anything else. You would also receive eighty percent of every item of yours sold,¡± Morshire offered. Some of the people standing around gasped at what Morshire was offering. Liam could hear them whispering words about how grand the offer was. Liam studied the man. Even though his tone spoke of sincerity, Liam could see the man was acting. He could see the irritation in his body language. Liam closed his eyes, took a deep breath in and then slowly let it out. He could feel his body start to relax as he replied, ¡°As grand as your offer sounds, I will have to decline. I do not think my¡­barbaric wares will match your grand, well-crafted items.¡± Liam watched as Morshire¡¯s body twitched and he struggled to keep calm. The man forced a smile on to his face as he said, ¡°Come now. I misspoke earlier about your Bone crafted weapons. They are not barbaric, but rather sophisticated.¡± You¡¯re fucking kidding me right? Now you¡¯re really overselling yourself here man. Liam thought as he internally rolled his eyes. ¡°I will be frank Mr. Morshire. I have thought over everything that has happened here and have decided that I will not make a deal with any merchants when it comes to my bone crafted weapons. For those, I will focus on trying to get better. Maybe after I pass the crude Quality layer then maybe I will revisit the showcase to show the results of my hard work.¡± ¡°And your potions and salves?¡± Morshire questioned. ¡°I already have a shop in mind I would like to sell those items at and please correct me if I am wrong,¡± Liam said. ¡°Isn¡¯t your store all about armor and tailored items? That¡¯s the feeling I get when I heard the name of your store.¡± ¡°You are mistaken Liam,¡± Farry jumped in. ¡°Mr. Morshire¡¯s Armory Fashion Emporium is more than just armor and tailored goods. They also sell potions and Medicinal Creations.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Liam responded. ¡°The name is very misleading.¡± ¡°Very,¡± Farry nodded. ¡°Um,¡± Abby suddenly chimed in. Liam looked at her and saw the curiosity in her eyes. ¡°Yes Abby?¡± ¡°You said you already have a shop in mind to sell your potions and salves,¡± Abby started. Liam nodded. ¡°If you already have a place in mind then do you have an idea on what you would like to do for the recipe of those newly discovered Alchemical goods?¡± Abby asked as she kept her eyes on Liam. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked with some confusion. ¡°I mean,¡± Abby started back up. ¡°Are you going to restrict the recipe allowing only yourself and whoever pays you for the chance to learn them or are you going to allow free access to the recipes? You have to register that in the Association before selling the newly created items, so the Association is aware, and no one gets in trouble.¡± Liam brought a hand to his chin as he thought about it. Since he found out that this man also sold potions and Medicinal Creations he really didn¡¯t want this man to gain money off of his recipes. On the other hand he wanted it to be accessible for others so people could not only learn how to make them, but to allow more people to enjoy them. He was torn on what to do. As he stood there contemplating it, he noticed Elatrix in the corner of his eye. He had almost forgotten she was there. A few questions popped up in his mind as he turned to her and asked, ¡°Elatrix¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Elatrix asked with a sudden squeak in her voice. ¡°What is the process for registering my recipes?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°You would need to write down the instructions on how to make the crafted items as well as where you found each item, and provide the materials used in the process and one completed sample of each item you wish to register as their originator,¡± Elatrix explained. ¡°We then send it to Crafters Association HQ and wait for word back that there is no other originator. The time that it takes can be anywhere from one to ten days depending on how much work they have to do.¡± ¡°Would I be able to sell any of the items while I wait for the process to complete?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Yes you can,¡± Elatrix replied. ¡°However, if HQ rejects you as the originator because someone beat you to registering the recipes then you will have to take all the items off the shelf unless the originator allows crafters to freely use said recipes.¡± That would suck if someone claims something that they didn¡¯t find first, but I guess that fits the saying the early bird gets the worm. Liam thought before saying, ¡°Thank you Elatrix. Then can you please get me all the paperwork needed to get that going?¡± Elatrix nodded before walking away. Liam turned his attention back to Abby. He then said, ¡°Once the process is complete I will answer your question. For now, how would you like to help me make more of these potions and Medicinal Creations?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Abby asked. ¡°Well, I have a lot going on so I thought maybe you could help me make more so we can sell them at the Cats Paw-ldron,¡± Liam smiled. Abby¡¯s eyes brightened as she grew a wide grin and looked at her sister and uncle. ¡°Wait, Mr. Liam, when you said you had a place in mind you meant¡­,¡± Farry started to say as he looked surprised. Liam nodded as he looked at the surprised man. ¡°Yes, I would be honored if you would sell my potions and Medicinal Creations while I am here.¡± ¡°Mr. Liam¡­,¡± Morshire interjected. ¡°If you want to sell your potions. Surely my store would be better than his. I get more customers and will be able to turn you a much better profit than¡­¡± Liam swiftly looked at Morshire. ¡°Mr. Morshire. I believe I have kindly rejected your offer earlier.¡± ¡°But¡­,¡± Morshire tried again. ¡°No means no,¡± Liam sternly said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I have to say it.¡± Morshire opened his mouth once more, but was cut off by Xander this time as he stated, ¡°Morshire, it is best to know when to stop. This young man clearly does not want to work with you. Please do not make yourself look more desperate than you already have.¡± Morshire looked at Lucy before looking back at Liam. His face then grew a dark red before he turned around and said, ¡°Fine then! I will not forget what happened here today. I just hope you don¡¯t regret your decision.¡± Liam shook his head as he watched the man walk away in a huff. ¡°Do not worry about what he said. Those are the irritations of the merchant within him since he realized he messed up a golden opportunity,¡± Xander commented. ¡°He only has himself to blame,¡± Liam stated before looking back at the older man. ¡°What do you mean by golden opportunity?¡± Xander let out a laugh. ¡°It is rare for brand new products to hit the market. Especially when it comes to flavored and scented items.¡± ¡°Why are they rare? I still don¡¯t understand that? If there are people out there with recipes of flavored potions or scented Medicinal Creations then wouldn¡¯t they be on the market?¡± Liam asked. Xander shook his head. ¡°Sadly no. When an originator is known for those kind of recipes they are quickly scouted by powerful or wealthy clans or nobles. They offer riches or other enticing things in exchange that the recipe originators are to make those items for them only.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he listened to this. ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡± Xander let out a hearty laugh. ¡°It may sound stupid, but it is a marketing tool to entice Adventurers to join them. Since no one likes the taste of a normal potion many famous adventurers agree to sign up with them just to get those rare items.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not how crafting should be. It shouldn¡¯t be used as a tool for the greedy. Crafting, Alchemy especially, should be free. Not in terms of money. A well trained crafter should be paid for the work they do, but their work should be free for all to experience not locked away for a select few.¡± Xander eyed the young man. He then looked at his two companions who were standing over by his stall, examining the items on the table. He could see their appreciation for the craftmanship on the items, even though they weren¡¯t the best they could see the hard work put into each item. ¡°You have no idea how right you are,¡± Xander said. Liam was about to ask what he meant, but was stopped as Lucy approached them. ¡°Miss Lucy,¡± Xander nodded. ¡°Good day Mr. Xander,¡± Lucy started as she returned his nod with a bow. ¡°It is a welcomed surprise to see you here. I hope you have enjoyed and appreciated the hard work each and every crafter has put into the showcased items here.¡± Xander gave the woman a smile as he responded, ¡°I have. It is good to see so many people putting in the work needed to make such wonderful items. If you will excuse me, I believe I have appreciated the sights today has offered me well enough. I have a sudden urge to go back and work on something new thanks to the bout of inspiration I recently gained.¡± Lucy bowed once more. ¡°Please be safe on your way home.¡± ¡°I will, thank you,¡± Xander commented before turning towards Amelia¡¯s and Issac¡¯s direction. ¡°Let¡¯s be off. We have work to do.¡± Amelia and Issac turned away from Liam¡¯s items and made their way towards the old man. Xander looked back at Liam. He then leaned in closer and said as quietly as he could, ¡°Be careful. Mr. Morshire is a petty man and will not take what happened today very well.¡± Liam nodded as he responded with he same volume, ¡°I appreciate the warning. Thank you.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. Keep up the good work you are doing. I look forward to what you will make in the future," Xander stated as he started to walk away. Amelia nodded as she walked away while Issac grinned widely, following close by. After the three walked away, Liam looked at Lucy who was staring at him. He didn¡¯t know what this woman¡¯s angle was. Was she someone who was trying to help him or someone who wanted to cause trouble for him. Yesterday he believed she was the former, but her actions today made him believe there just might be something more to her. Until he figured it out, he figured he¡¯d treat her as an ally until proven otherwise. ¡°Hello Mr. Liam,¡± Lucy greeted. ¡°Hello Lucy,¡± Liam replied. ¡°How can I help you today?¡± Lucy gave him a smile as she responded, ¡°I came to see how you were doing as well as to inform you that we have not received word yet from the Kingdom about your citizenship.¡± Is that really why you came seeking me out? Liam thought before saying, ¡°Thank you for letting me know that. I am doing well¡­well as I can be I guess. Yesterday and today has shown me that there is still so much to learn, but I am enjoying myself.¡± ¡°It is good to here you are enjoying yourself,¡± Lucy said. ¡°I do apologize, but I need to be on my way. I spent too much time here thanks to that¡­show. If you need anything please do not hesitate to find me and let me know.¡± ¡°I will, thank you,¡± Liam replied as he watched her walking into the sea of people that had started to move around again. Once when she fully disappeared he felt a tug on his shirt which made him turn to see an excited Abby staring up at him with wide eyes. ¡°Can we start now?¡± Abby asked. ¡°Abby,¡± Cindy scolded. ¡°Liam is a little busy at the moment. We are still here at the showcase.¡± Abby¡¯s excitement dampened a bit. Liam smiled as he watched the two. ¡°How about this,¡± he started. ¡°Once when I¡¯m done here we can work on some of the flavored potions together. For now, why don¡¯t I tell you about the materials used and how they match with certain ingredients from my home world?¡± Abby¡¯s excitement grew even more as she looked like she was about to explode. With a happy squeal, she shouted, ¡°Yes please!¡± Cindy scolded her again as Liam and Farry let out a loud laugh. Adventure 158 – You need a Gatherer? Liam spent another two hours at his stall talking to random people who had questions about his crafted items while explaining certain things to Abby. Elatrix had arrived shortly after that, giving him the paperwork he needed to fill out. After he filled everything out, he gave the paperwork, along with the requested items, to Elatrix to process. When that was done, Liam cleaned up the stall and followed Farry and his two nieces back to the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron. There he spent some time with Abby and Farry, who popped in when there weren¡¯t any customers, going over the three potions he had made. Abby was full of questions and asked as many as she could in between Liam¡¯s explanations. Liam could see how much she really enjoyed Alchemy during this q and a session. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me you made over twenty versions of the potions before you finally got it right?¡± Abby questioned. Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah, the very first one was way too minty while the one after you couldn¡¯t taste it at all. I have a notebook full of all the attempts, notes, and issues I came across while making them. Would you like to see them?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Abby shouted while nodding her head vigorously. Liam let out a small laugh as he looked in his inventory for one of the many notebooks he had filled while in the Tutorial Area. Once he found the one with the three flavored potions, he pulled it out and handed it to the overeager little girl who snatched it quickly from his hands. ¡°Abby,¡± Farry lightly scolded while holding back a small smile. ¡°You don¡¯t grab things from someone¡¯s hands like that.¡± Abby tore her excited gaze from the notebook and gave an embarrassed smile. ¡°Yes sir. Sorry Mr. Liam.¡± Liam smiled at the young Alchemist in the making. ¡°All good. Just make sure you don¡¯t rip my arms off next time. Your snatching speed caught me off guard. I almost thought my arms were going to be yanked off.¡± Liam rubbed both his arms as he gave her a faux look of hurt. Abby was about to apologize until she noticed the smile Liam tried to hide. She then lightly punched his left arm and said, ¡°Liar.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Liam laughed as he moved out of the way. ¡°Abby!¡± Cindy scolded as she entered the room from the door in the back of the room. Liam found out that that door led to the supply room as well as a small greenhouse where Abby tried to grow some of the materials needed to make potions and Medicinal Creations. As Liam spent some time with these Tabby Cat-folks, they helped educate him on some of the different types of crafts out there. When it came to crafting there were two categories. One was Production and the other was called Gathering. Production Crafts were crafts that could be made through a production method while the Gathering crafts were a craft solely focused on methods to harvest or growing. Liam was confused when he was told that the growing part of the Gathering Category should have been in the production side and wanted to ask this, but decided he would ask someone else this question later. Abby had also explained that both categories separated the crafts into types. For the Production Category the types were separated into Basic, Magical, and Advanced. For the Gathering Category the types were Basic and Advanced. The Basic types of Production crafts were Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Cooking, Construction, and Tailoring. The Magical types were Enchanting and Rune Crafting. The Advanced types were Artificer and Jewel Crafting. There were more to these types, but she couldn¡¯t remember what they were. As for the Gathering types she could only remember a few basic ones. They were Herbalism, Lumberjack, Mining, and Skinning. She had assured him there were more gathering ones like one that was related to getting the materials needed for Rune Crafting, but she couldn¡¯t remember how or what it was. What had brought this topic up was when Abby had to check on the plants she was growing in the greenhouse. Liam was interested to see them and when she showed him he recognized a few plants that were used in making potions as well as poisons. Liam was confused when he saw this, especially the plants used for poisons, but Abby had explained that these plants could be used in making antidotes against poisons as well. She then proceeded to tell him how she had to get her Herbalism to level ten in order to learn how to grow them. With a confused expression Liam had asked what she meant, and she informed him that Herbalism was more than just identifying plants. It was a gathering craft that helped someone grow herbal and poisonous plants as well as some magical plants for other types of crafting. This got Liam interested. His interest grew making him think that if he could grow the materials needed for his alchemy then he didn¡¯t need to keep buying what he couldn¡¯t find and harvest. He had asked some questions and was getting excited until he asked if he would be able to grow them in a pot and place them in his inventory and take them out periodically. However, his hopes were soon dashed as Abby informed him that he couldn¡¯t do that because they wouldn¡¯t be able to grow while in his inventory or bags. He didn¡¯t like that, but he figured when he finally settled down in a place he would try his hand out trying to grow a green thumb. Until then, the market and dungeons were his place of findings. ¡°We¡¯re getting low on some of our Medicinal Creation materials,¡± Cindy announced as she approached the three while looking at Farry. ¡°Which ones?¡± Farry asked. ¡°Slime Liquid, Small and Medium Bones, Monster Fat, Hibilikus Leaves, and a few others,¡± Cindy answered. Farry nodded. ¡°When do you think your usual Gatherer contact is available to help you gather them?¡± Cindy shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know. Last I heard they said they had a big job at one of the dungeons on the mainland. Could be a few days or a month depending on how fast they work.¡± Farry frowned as he brought a hand to his chin and looked at the table. As he looked back at Cindy he asked, ¡°Do we have enough to last until then?¡± ¡°Probably not,¡± Cindy replied. ¡°I¡¯ll head to the Adventurers Association tomorrow and see if I can find someone who is looking for some work.¡± Curious, Liam asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Cindy and Farry turned to look at Liam. ¡°We¡¯re just talking about restocking our supplies,¡± Farry informed. ¡°Instead of always buying our supplies from the merchants, we like to restock by getting the materials from the dungeons.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Liam said agreeing with the method. ¡°Why do you need to go to the Adventurers Association though? Do you need their permission to go into the dungeon?¡± Cindy shook her head. ¡°I go to the Adventurers Association for a couple of different reasons. One is for information on dungeons and the materials spotted in them. Another is to hire a Gathering Adventurer.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s a Gathering Adventurer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a specialty type of Adventurer,¡± Cindy started. She noticed the confused look in Liam¡¯s eyes and continued, ¡°When someone registers for an A.I.D. they can put down what they wish to specialize in. You can choose between Dungeon Exploration, Monster Hunting, Item Hunting, Gathering, etcetera. Placing a specialty on your A.I.D. helps not only the adventurer but the Association as well because it will determine what quests there are available related to that specialty.¡± ¡°Do you have to choose a specialty? Can you have more than one? If you pick one can you switch to a different one?¡± Liam asked. ¡°When you¡¯re new you don¡¯t have to pick one right off the bat unless you already know what you want to do,¡± Cindy explained. ¡°When you do decide you can pick more than one, but you can only have three specialties. You can always change what your specialty is whenever you want, but you need to do it at the Adventurers Association.¡± ¡°That sounds pretty cool,¡± Liam said as he nodded, digesting this information. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Oh, but you are required to pick a specialty when you reach D Rank,¡± Cindy added. Liam raised a brow. ¡°There are ranks?¡± Cindy nodded. ¡°Yes, your rank will determine what quest and dungeon difficulties you are allowed to do. The ranks are from weakest to strongest: F, E, D, C, B, A, and S.¡± ¡°Cindy is a D Ranked Monster Hunting and Dungeon Guide Adventurer,¡± Abby stated with a proud smile. Cindy blushed a little at her little sister¡¯s boasting. Liam smiled as well as he watched the two sisters. After a moment had passed he then asked, ¡°I am going to assume a Gathering Adventurer specializes in gathering materials? Why do you need a Gathering Adventurer though? Can¡¯t you just use Harvest to collect the materials you need?¡± Cindy looked at Liam and shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t have the ability so that is why I usually have an adventurer who specializes in it.¡± Liam tilted his head as he looked at the woman. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have it? You can easily get it from the Field of Crafts.¡± Cindy gave him a smile. Liam realized his questioned must have really shown exactly how new to all this he was. ¡°I never got that field because I have no passion for crafting. Since I don¡¯t craft there is no need for me to ruin my path by adding that field just for that ability,¡± Cindy explained. Liam nodded as he understood what she was saying. While he was in the Tutorial Area, Elara had explained plenty of times the importance of not getting too many fields since it could be harmful to one¡¯s growth. ¡°That¡¯s true. My bad,¡± Liam apologized. He then had an idea. ¡°If you need someone with that ability then maybe I can help. I have it.¡± Cindy stared at Liam. She then asked, ¡°Have you gotten you¡¯re A.I.D. yet?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I was planning to get one soon, so this is the perfect time to get it.¡± A sudden thought popped into Liam¡¯s mind as he remembered it took a day for his C.I.D. to arrive. ¡°Wait does it take a day or two to get an A.I.D.?¡± Cindy shook her head. ¡°No, the process to get your A.I.D. is much quicker than getting a C.I.D. or a M.I.D. If you¡¯re approved then you get it right after the paperwork and interview process.¡± Liam felt a bit relieved as he heard this. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± Cindy started, looking a bit apprehensive. ¡°What level is your harvest ability? Some of the materials require it to be a certain level in order for them to appear.¡± Liam took a moment to look at his ability. After confirming the level, he replied, ¡°Its level twenty.¡± Cindy and Farry stared at Liam with disbelief. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable. ¡°Is it too low?¡± Cindy shook her head as Farry spoke, ¡°On the contrary. Most of the materials require a level of fifteen in the harvest ability. We were just surprised because you have the ability so high for one who had just came out of the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°Why is it so high? I thought it was hard to get anything so close to the cap placed in that area,¡± Cindy questioned. ¡°Ah,¡± Liam said as he quickly understood what those looks were. ¡°I got it that high due to harvesting almost anything and everything I saw while taking on each floor of the Dungeon.¡± Cindy and Farry was about to ask something else until Abby chimed in while giving Liam a judgmental look, ¡°You¡¯re weird you know that?¡± ¡°Abby!¡± Cindy and Farry shouted as they turned their gazes upon her. ¡°What? I just think it is weird that someone would harvest anything and everything they saw,¡± Abby stated honestly. Liam let out a laugh as he said, ¡°I guess it is kind of weird.¡± Cindy gave Liam an apologetic look as she said, ¡°I am sorry.¡± Liam shook his head as he said, ¡°It''s all good. So, would I be able to help you? Maybe you can help me out with the Adventurer Association in exchange for me helping you?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Cindy asked with a surprised expression. ¡°I can pay you for harvesting the materials we need for supplies¡­¡± Liam waved a hand to stop her. ¡°You helping me out with getting my A.I.D. and explaining all I need to know will be enough. I don¡¯t need the money because I feel like the potions will get me all I need to get by.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Cindy said as she thought about it. ¡°Alright, then why don¡¯t we meet up at the Adventurer Association tomorrow around eleven?¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Liam replied as he stood up. Abby saw him stand and looked disappointed as she asked, ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°There are some things I need to do so I am going to head out now. Don¡¯t worry though I¡¯ll come back another time and we can craft some more potions and Medicinal Creations. I want to learn more about that and about Herbalism so maybe you can help me understand it better?¡± Abby pouted for a moment before finally saying, ¡°Fine.¡± She then held up the notebook Liam had handed her earlier and asked, ¡°Can I keep this here so I can study it?¡± ¡°Sure, but make sure you don¡¯t lose it,¡± Liam said as he gave her a smile. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Abby grinned as she grew happy. Liam shook his head. He then waved to everyone before saying while walking out, ¡°Have a good night everyone. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow Cindy.¡± Abby, Cindy, and Farry all waved goodbye as Liam disappeared from their sight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam appeared at the edge of the city in front of the designated crafting and harvesting area he was in the night before. He had met a Bear-folk crafter who had a similar starting class as him. It fascinated Liam that he was able to find someone who shared the same class as he did. Not only that, but the huge bear of a man was also a proficient crafter. Liam was able to tell that by how detailed and skilled the man was when he showed Liam techniques to help him improve. The instructions worked so well that Liam was able to level certain aspects of his crafts some. As Liam went to the Crafters Association, participated in the showcase and gained new information about different types of crafts from the Tabby Cat-folk family, he wondered if this man would be willing to teach him more. The man did say that if Liam was willing he would help him learn more and give him pointers on his techniques. The only two restrictions were he wasn¡¯t allowed to tell anyone about him, and he would only teach him in this area away from others. Liam wasn¡¯t sure why the man gave him those restrictions, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. Especially when there was a chance he could get the man to teach him about other crafts he was interested in learning. Liam entered the forested area as the sun started to disappear. After walking for almost an hour, he saw a faint flicker of a campfire. As Liam slowly approached the area where he saw the light, he noticed some familiar things around him. He was in the same area he was at from the night before. After finally reaching the campfire he saw the outline of the huge man. He was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed facing the fire. His broad back was facing Liam. ¡°Good evening Mr. Liam,¡± Naro greeted without looking behind him. ¡°Good evening Mr¡­,¡± Liam started as he walked to the man¡¯s right. ¡°Uncle,¡± Naro interjected. Liam shook his head as he grew a slight grin as he realized this man was determined to have him call him Uncle Naro no matter what. He noticed the tree log he had used last night was in the same spot, so he went to it and sat down. ¡°Good evening Uncle Naro,¡± Liam corrected himself. ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± Naro gave him a warm smile before pointing to his nose. ¡°You have a peculiar scent. I memorized it last night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not creepy at all,¡± Liam joked. ¡°It¡¯s both a blessing and a curse for us Beast-kins,¡± Naro laughed. After he finished laugh he stated, ¡°It makes me happy to see you have returned tonight. Tell me¡­how did your showcase go today? Did anything good happen?¡± Liam let out a sigh as he remembered the events that had happened. He then told Naro all that had happened. From meeting the trouble making old Squirrel-folk woman to the trouble caused by both Weasel-folks and even the three Cat-folks appearing. Naro watch Liam and listened to everything he had to say, not interrupting him once. After Liam finished, Naro let out a deep warm chuckle while saying, ¡°It sounds to me like you had a really fun day.¡± ¡°Some of the things I did today was fun yes, but I could do without the trouble,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Life without trouble is a life that won¡¯t learn and grow,¡± Naro stated with a smile. Liam slightly frowned as he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Speaking of learning. I learned a lot about different types of crafts as well as some rules set for crafters. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about them last night?¡± ¡°If I did then you wouldn¡¯t learn on your own,¡± Naro replied. ¡°There are some lessons that you must learn on your own. The rules placed by those who have been stuck in a rut is a lesson on what a crafter shouldn¡¯t do.¡± Liam let out a short chuckle. ¡°Those rules are utter bullshit if you ask me. I mean I can understand people getting the recognition for what they have discovered, but to restrict others from learning them feels wrong. I just learned about this rule today and it makes me feel like I need to second guess my decisions before trying to explore the unknown.¡± Naro studied Liam as he listened. ¡°Are you saying you are going to stop trying new things and follow the path those made before you?¡± Liam thought about it. Would he really do that? Would he really give up trying to learn new things just so he wouldn¡¯t get into a situation like today? After thinking about it for a few moments he turned to look at Naro and said, ¡°As much as I don¡¯t like to deal with idiots like Morshire, I really do enjoy messing with them. So, to answer your question about if I will step in line to their rules then no. I want to keep exploring new ways and learn new things.¡± Naro grinned at Liam¡¯s answer. ¡°Glad to hear it. Just so you know there are others who feel the same.¡± Liam raised a brow as he stared at the man. ¡°There are?¡± Naro nodded. ¡°Yes, quite a few actually. Myself included. Rules and restrictions only hamper a crafter¡¯s growth. That¡¯s why I like to help new crafters who want to learn and grow. My methods and techniques are out of the norm compared to traditional crafters.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Would you teach me those ways?¡± Naro let out a loud hearty laugh as he replied, ¡°Maybe one day. Until then let¡¯s start with the basics.¡± Liam frowned as he looked at Naro. A question formed as he thought about something. ¡°Quick question for you. Last night you taught me some Chef Craft stuff. I was wondering if you could tell me more about what the difference in items received between using the crafter ability Harvest and the Chef Craft ability Butcher.¡± Naro raised a brow. Curious, Naro asked, ¡°What brought this up?¡± Liam explained about what he was going to help Cindy with tomorrow. ¡°Hm, I see. That is a good sign that you are asking this. It shows you are thinking about all of your options when it comes to gathering. Yes, there are big differences on materials found between the two. However, to really see the benefits of Butcher it will require you to get it to at least level ten. If you¡¯d like I can help you since the first ten levels are easy to fly through.¡± Liam beamed with excitement after hearing Naro would be willing to help him level his Butcher ability. Before he could answer, Naro started back up again, ¡°However, I do require payment for me teaching you.¡± Liam¡¯s excitement dimmed as he eyed the man. ¡°What payment do you require?¡± Naro smiled as he responded, ¡°You must join me for a meal and help me make it.¡± Liam let out a chuckle before replying, ¡°That¡¯s something I would be happy to pay.¡± Adventure 159 – Adventurers Association Liam walked through the city as the sun slowly moved above him. He thought about the things Naro helped him with and about his gains. Thanks to Naro¡¯s teachings he was able to get his Butcher section as well as the ability from his Chef Craft to level ten. The way he explained how to hold the cleaver, what to look for, and how to use the tool helped him understand how to perfectly clear the tasks he was given. Naro had him practice on small level nine Cockatrites. These creatures were small monsters that looked a lot like chickens, but had a very distinct difference. Instead of a feathered tail, they had a snake attached growing there, head and body. Another thing working on these small chicken-like creatures helped with was his food handling section in the Chef Craft along with the ability given from that section, Cleanse Material. Cleanse Material was the ability Food Handling gave to help remove weak poisons or other nasty surprises hidden in the meat and skin of the creature being worked on. He was only able to get the ability raised to level five, but was excited when Naro informed him that if he got it to a higher level then he would be able to extract the poisons or nasty effects out and into a vial to use for alchemy. This once again made him want to help Artem out even more if they were to ever team up again so that way he could ask him to set aside anything he cleansed so he could use them for Alchemy. Another thing he was taught while butchering these creatures was the Gathering Craft Skinning. Naro had informed him that learning to skin would be essential if he wanted to learn how to cook any beast while he was in the dungeon and couldn¡¯t get out any time soon or while traveling. He thought it was a good idea, although, he didn¡¯t think that defeathering a creature like this would be considered skinning. As much as it didn¡¯t make sense to him, it really did work. He wouldn¡¯t complain about the logic since it helped him get to level five in the craft. Some other things he was able to level up in the Chef Craft was Mystical Seasoning to level three, Food Prep to level seven, and the overall Chef Craft to level ten. After some training and reaching his goal he worked on some Alchemy. Through some more teaching of the generous Naro, Liam was able to get his Medicinal Creations to level seven, and both Mana Extraction and Potion Making to level nineteen. He was almost to his goal of reaching level twenty in Potion Making. During his time waiting for potions to distill, he took some time to do something he had been neglecting for a while¡­and that was training himself with weapons he wasn¡¯t familiar with. The first weapon he practiced with was the sword. He used his Crude Bone Blade since he didn¡¯t have any weapons he could use. The weight of the weapon and how he swung was terrible. He knew it was going to be that way, but since he was used to using daggers he could understand some things about the weapon that made it much better. Those things he noticed were weight and distance. Since the weight of the weapon was heavier than his daggers, he could understand why it could do more damage. While daggers could slash and stab just like the sword, the length of the wound created by the sword was greatly better. Not only that, but the weight also helped when trying to stab or pierce in. The distance also helped with this because he wouldn¡¯t be as close if he used a dagger. Now learning these things didn¡¯t make him believe the sword was vastly superior to a dagger. No. With this knowledge he was starting to understand that each weapon had a purpose that differed from each other. While daggers were best to back stab, throw, and maneuver easier it didn¡¯t help keep distance between the user and the enemy like the sword. Nor could they do better damage than a sword, not unless the quality was different. He knew his logic and knowledge on the weapons wasn¡¯t the best and that he needed to get a better understanding on each weapon, but that was what he came to while training with the sword. Thanks to some practice he was able to get the Weapon Skill ¨C Sword and leveled it to level three. The spear was the second weapon he wanted to practice with. Like the sword he understood the weight and distance it had was greater than the previous two weapons. As he swung the weapon he kept tilting off to the side thanks to the weight. There was also a couple of times he fell down as he overswung the weapon. He had a hard time practicing it and Naro kept laughing and making fun of him saying he looked like a small child trying to learn how to walk. Thanks to his practice he was able to get it to level two. He didn¡¯t have much time to practice more but he decided to at least get his bow skill to level one. His aim was horrible and the rate at which he was able to hit the target was so poor he almost considered never using the bow ever again. He had gained a deeper respect for Mercer who used the weapon and was able to not only hit a target, but hit moving targets as well. He decided he would still practice the weapon, but during the dungeon dive with Cindy. Before leaving the inn this morning he made sure to pack potions and the weapons he was going to use were in good condition. He was going to go with his armor set he had gotten while in the Tutorial Area, but Eri had talked him into not using it. He was confused at first why she was adamant about him not using it until she gave him a good reason. She told him it would be wise to have two sets of armor. One for dungeon diving and another for when he went and started doing missions for the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. She explained if he used his current armor for both then there was a good chance someone could identify him easily. She also took this time to let him know that it was the same reason why she asked him to get two brandings. One for selling in the outside markets and the other for Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web work. Liam was surprised she had thought of all this, and he didn¡¯t even consider it. He could blame it on the fact he had forgotten about the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web, but he knew that it was just an excuse. As he walked towards the Adventurers Association and made it into the area where adventurers normally stayed at he noticed a lot of shops tailored to their needs and wants. He found a shop that sold Poor quality leather armor sets. They wouldn¡¯t sell him anything better because he didn¡¯t have an A.I.D. providing his rank. The armor set was called the Scout Leather set. The defense was a lot lower than his regular armor, but it did give a small bonus to the sub-stats perception and agility. He really didn¡¯t like that he had to hide his good armor, but he understood why she was making him do this. The only other thing that he was worried about was his Stat Shatter Debuff. It was still in the second level and halved all of his stats and sub-stats, but thankfully it was close to dropping to the first level only dropping them by a quarter. However, he still didn¡¯t like that his stats were so low because of it. He wasn¡¯t sure how bad it was going to affect his fighting style, but he¡¯ll come to understand that when they got into the dungeon. Liam was brought out of his thoughts as looked down the road and noticed a tall four story red and brown building made out of wood and metal. The length of the building looked to be almost two medium sized buildings. The design of the building was normal except it had pictures of an armored person wielding a shield, a robed figure with a wand stretched out, a leathered armored silhouette with two daggers, and lastly a robed woman with a staff and a hat with a cross on it spread out along the walls where the windows didn¡¯t occupy. Liam was astonished by the artistic designs. He was amazed by the details put into each figure as he examined each one. He then saw a sign above the opened double doors. The sign read Adventurers Association. Different types of weapons were used and made to form the word Adventurers, which made Liam think about the Crafters Association sign. That sign too had the letters in the shape of crafter tools. After admiring the sign, he noticed Cindy standing in front of a four story building next to the open doors looking around as she leaned against the wall. He quickly made his way over to her, waving a hand to get her attention. When she noticed him she returned the wave with one of her own and gave him a smile. As Liam made his way over to her he got a good look at the armor she wore. She wore a green hooded cloak that covered almost her entire body. It opened up at the bottom over her right leg allowing freedom to crouch without any issues. A brown leather belt over her waist with a sheath for a sword on her left hip and a sheath for a dagger on her right. Dark leather pants with matching boots and fingerless gloves that ran up mid forearm. As he examined her armor he noticed how worn down it was in some places showing how much she used it. There were small rips here and there and some tears. He could even see some places had some stitches where old tears once were. It gave Liam the impression she was a veteran at what she did, which made him give her a new sense of respect. Liam tried to figure out what her class was. It had a rogue ranger like feel, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure exactly what it was. Even though he couldn¡¯t figure it out he had to admit the armor looked good on her. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Cindy teased as Liam approached her. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Can¡¯t help it. First time coming to this part of the city,¡± Liam responded with a grin. ¡°A likely excuse,¡± Cindy replied before turning around and started for the open doors. ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll lead you to the receptionist who will help you get the process going.¡± As she turned around Liam noticed that the back of the cloak didn¡¯t have a hole for her tail. Instead, it looked like the cloak hid that leaving an indentation where it would be. ¡°You know its rude to check out a woman¡¯s behind,¡± Cindy stated as she gave Liam a wry smile. Liam¡¯s cheeks turned red as he turned his head to the side. ¡°Sorry, I was admiring your cloak and noticed your tail wasn¡¯t sticking out.¡± Cindy snickered a bit as she quipped, ¡°Good cover. If you¡¯re really curious about that though, I can say that this cloak came this way. I was thinking about asking a tailor to fix that for me, but for some reason they want to charge me an arm and a leg for it.¡± She shook her head as she added, ¡°I figured I¡¯d just get used to it instead.¡± ¡°Why do they want to charge so much?¡± Liam asked as they entered the building. Liam took a good look inside and was impressed with the layout. Not too far straight ahead was a long L shaped counter with several people standing behind it wearing matching uniforms. Above their heads were different symbols. To his left was an area that had tables and chairs. This area covered majority of the side of the building. People wearing the uniforms walked around with food and drinks bringing them to the people sitting down. Some of them would bring empty plates and cups to the back side of the building in an area he couldn¡¯t see. Over to Liam¡¯s right was a wall with several different billboards. People surrounded these billboards staring at papers pinned to them. Above the billboards were the same symbols that hung above the people¡¯s heads over at the L shaped counter. ¡°Who knows. Some crafters don¡¯t like to do small jobs since it doesn¡¯t pay a lot. So, they will charge more than they should. Why they feel the need to do it when there might be someone else who would be willing at a smaller fee? Your guess is as good as mine,¡± Cindy stated as she led him to the edge of the counter closest to them. No one stood in line in this part of the counter, so they were able to just walk right up. Behind the counter was a tall lanky male. He looked human since Liam wasn¡¯t able to see any notable features anywhere on him. He had short blond hair and dark green eyes. He wore the same uniform of white long-sleeve button up shirt, black bowtie, brown vest and black pants that the other people wore behind the counter. A symbol that looked like a stack of papers hung above his head. ¡°Good morning Cindy,¡± the man greeted as he looked at Cindy. He then looked at Liam and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe we have formally met yet. I am Don.¡± ¡°Hello Don. I am Liam,¡± Liam greeted back. ¡°Don here does the process for everyone who wishes to become adventurers here,¡± Cindy explained. She then looked at Don and said, ¡°He¡¯s newly integrated to our world so everything is new to him.¡± Don¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to Cindy. He then gave Liam a welcoming smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I have had someone knew to inform of everything.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Liam asked with a brow raised. ¡°It means that the only new applicants I¡¯ve had recently were ones that have lived here their entire lives that they choose to skip listening to all the details because they have family or friends who have told them everything,¡± Don explained. He then looked at Cindy and gave her a curious expression. ¡°However, you came here with Cindy and she¡¯s pretty knowledgeable on everything here. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she has taken the time to tell you all that you need to know.¡± Cindy shook her head. ¡°I have explained a bit, but I¡¯m not as rude as to do your job for you.¡± ¡°Mmhm sure,¡± Don said with a slight fake skeptical look. ¡°It is true,¡± Liam said. ¡°She gave me some descriptions about some things, but hasn¡¯t told me everything.¡± Don turned his gaze back to Liam. After studying his face, he said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll believe you.¡± He then pulled out a small book and a piece of paper. ¡°I¡¯ll go over things as you fill out the application.¡± Liam nodded as he grabbed the pen the man provided and pulled the paper closer to him. ¡°The first section is just basic information you wish to provide,¡± Don started. ¡°Your name, age, and personal level. If you belong to any clans, parties, or guilds. Your race, your Patron or Matron Deity, and if you had a mentor in any Weapon Skill training. You don¡¯t have to fill any of those last parts if you don¡¯t want to. Those parts are optional due to personal reasons, or they aren¡¯t apart of any group or have a deity. However, I will say if you join a party you will have to inform them of your level for safety reasons.¡± Liam nodded as he wrote down his name and age. He left the rest blank and looked back at the man. ¡°Since you came from the Tutorial Area recently, the next section has to do with your experience there dungeon wise. Where it asks about dungeon you put down what Tutorial Dungeon you were assigned to. The part about group is asking how many people were in your group. The amount of people that were in your group will show if you can work in groups or not. The check box asking what you prefer with the options of groups or individually is asking what you prefer to do when dungeon diving. Groups means you prefer working in groups while individually means you prefer to go solo.¡± ¡°Can I check both or is it a one or the other kind of thing?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°You can check both if you¡¯d like,¡± Don nodded. ¡°Although we here at the Adventurers Association recommend group diving, it is not forced since certain specialties are better alone than groups like the Dungeon Guide or Dungeon Exploration.¡± Liam waited for the man to elaborate more. ¡°We¡¯ll get to specialties soon,¡± Don replied as he notice Liam stare at him. Liam nodded as he wrote down the information requested and checking both Groups and Individually. ¡°The next section has two parts to it. The first has to do with what you are currently focused on. For example, weapons, magic, Fields and Focus Points. The second half has to do with future ideas on what you¡¯d like to learn if you have any ideas,¡± Don informed. ¡°This is so we can get a good idea what kind of fighter you are and what kind of roles you can fill for those looking to make groups to tackle dungeons.¡± Liam nodded his head as he understood what he was saying. This section was meant to help both him and the association. If he wanted to join or find a group then the association would have an idea what groups he could be introduced to, to help fill a role they didn¡¯t have. He wouldn¡¯t need to go around asking random people if they needed more people, the association would do that for him. Liam filled out this section placing down all the weapons he had practiced as well as majority of the Magic Fields he was working on. He left out his Field of the Shadows, Lunar, and Sin magical ability he had; not entirely sure it was a safe idea to have it known. After filling in the next part, Liam looked at the man awaiting for the next explanation. ¡°This last section has to do with interests on specialties,¡± Don began. ¡°Specialties are something we have adventurers place down to help narrow what kind of quests is best suited for them. The specialty you pick will help shape what kind of adventurer you will become or are. ¡°To list a few, there are Dungeon Exploration, Dungeon Guides, Gathering, Monster Hunting, and Treasure Seeking specialties. There are more, but these are the basic ones. You are allowed to have three specialties at a time. You won¡¯t have to worry about actually picking one till you hit D Rank. I¡¯ll go over Ranks after you get you¡¯re A.I.D.¡± Don placed a hand on the book that he had set on the counter earlier and informed, ¡°This is a handbook that goes over all the types of specialties there are and if they synergize with any other specialty. Once you have a specialty picked you can go to the billboard that matches your specialty and pick a quest amongst them.¡± Don pointed to the line of billboards many different people were standing in front of. ¡°After picking a quest you will go to a receptionist with the matching specialty symbol so they can mark you down for taking the quest. After you complete it, you will go back to the same line with the symbol and report to them. You also report to them if you failed the quest as well. Remember this, if you don¡¯t report a failed quest it can do damage in the long run. It can range from a fee, a demotion or your A.I.D being revoked. So always remember to report no matter what.¡± Liam nodded his understanding before asking, ¡°I have a question about quests and specialties. Say you grab a quest and you¡¯re in a group where no one shares the same specialty. Can they also get rewards for your completion, or would you need to find others with the same specialty?¡± ¡°That is an excellent question,¡± Don smiled. ¡°Party members in your group do not need to have the same specialty as you to participate in a quest. As for rewards for the other members you were grouped with when taking on a quest it will depend on the specialty and the contribution everyone gave. For example, if an Adventurer picked up a Monster Hunting quest and there was an adventurer who didn¡¯t pick the specialty but helped take down the monster, then they are entitled to a small portion of the reward. ¡°However, it is different if there was an adventurer doing a Gathering quest. The only way for the other members to gain any reward from that quest would be if they helped harvest or gather any of the items on the quest form. Does that make sense?¡± Liam nodded as he believed he understood what he was talking about. As he listened to the explanation, a new question formed. ¡°How is it known how much an adventurer contributed to a quest though? Is it based on an honor system or is there a way to help determine it?¡± ¡°Another excellent question,¡± Don said as he pointed to a man talking to a receptionist close by them. Liam listened as the male gave the woman a few names. She was writing them down before rolling up a piece of paper and handing it over to the man. ¡°When you take a quest up to the receptionist, they will ask if there are others in your party or if you are by yourself,¡± Don started back up. ¡°After providing the list of names, they will write it down on a copy of the quest before handing you the copy of the quest. When you go into the dungeon to take on the quest, any contributions you make will show up on the piece of paper. Yours and everyone else in your team that you said was a part of your group.¡± ¡°What if someone new joins your group before entering the dungeon? Does their contribution show up even though you never informed the receptionist beforehand?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Sadly no,¡± Don shook his head. ¡°Any contribution to a quest taken by someone who was not listed in the party will not show up. At that point you will need to make a deal or give them a portion you and the person agreed upon at the time. However, please be wary of shady deals being made. There have been several reports of people scamming others to help them finish a quest without providing any rewards for the help.¡± Liam nodded as he understood. He would need to be careful of people trying to take advantage of him. Liam looked over the section the man had explained to him. There were a lot of symbols and names under them letting him know what each symbol was. While he didn¡¯t know what majority of them were or did, he did know what the gatherer one was. He circled that one and handed the paper back to Don. Don looked it over. He had a curious expression as he went over the certain parts of the paper while also nodding approvingly on other parts, but never said anything to Liam. After looking it all over he looked back at Liam and announced, ¡°Alright, this looks in order. I will be right back and start getting your A.I.D. ready. After I come back with it I will go over a few more things.¡± ¡°Alright sounds good,¡± Liam nodded as he watched the man walk to the door close behind him and disappear. Liam looked at Cindy and was about to ask how long this would take, but before he could say anything a couple of familiar voices he hadn¡¯t heard in so long called out, ¡°No way¡­is that you Liam?!¡± Adventure 160 - Catching up with old friends and learning about Dungeons Liam turned towards the owners of the people who called out to him. His heart started beating quickly because he hadn¡¯t heard these voices in a little over two years since they disappeared. He was also surprised to hear their voices here of all places. Standing at the open doors were two males. One was a little taller than the other. He had short reddish messy hair that brought out his forest green eyes. His plain white T-shirt and tanned pants showed Liam how bulky and well-toned he had grown these past two years compared to the lanky slim young man he used to be. This man was Waylon. The second male stood a little shorter than the other but was still an inch taller than Liam. He had hazel eyes and short well-kept copper hair that reminded Liam of a crewcut. He too had a well-toned physique that told Liam he had been working out and exercising a lot during the time they hadn¡¯t see each other. His wide playful smile reminded Liam of all the times they had gotten into mischief when they were younger. This man was Knox. ¡°Waylon? Knox?¡± Liam questioned as he raised a brow while staring at them. Cindy gave Liam a curious and confused look as she looked back and forth between Liam and the two men. ¡°Holy shit! It is you!¡± Waylon shouted as he gave Liam a wide grin while quickly making his way to him with Knox close on his heels. As soon as the two were within arm¡¯s reach, they both quickly gave Liam a bear hug. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if stats had anything to do with it, but he felt like he was going to be crushed. ¡°Damn dude, you don¡¯t write or call? When did you get here?¡± Knox questioned as he released Liam from his grip. ¡°I just arrived two days ago,¡± Liam replied as he stared at the two. ¡°Arrived here at this city two days ago? We came here two days ago too. How did we miss you?¡± Waylon asked as he gave Liam a confused look. ¡°Probably because when I got here I had to deal with the New Arrival procedures,¡± Liam replied. ¡°New Arrival Pro¡­,¡± Knox started to say until something clicked. ¡°Wait, did you arrive to this city two days ago or this world two days ago?¡± ¡°Both,¡± Liam said with a smile. Waylon and Knox looked at each other before looking Liam over. They also walked around as they studied every inch of his body. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Liam asked as he felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°Checking to see why you arrived here instead of one of the Human territories,¡± Knox replied as the two men made their way back in front of Liam. ¡°Oh. You won¡¯t be able to tell that way. Here, this is the reason why,¡± Liam started to say as he pulled his sunglasses down a bit for them to look at his eyes. ¡°Whoa that¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Waylon stated. ¡°What race?¡± Knox asked as he grew curious. ¡°Cat-folk and human mix,¡± Liam stated as he placed his sunglasses back over his eyes. ¡°Damn that¡¯s pretty cool. We¡¯re only human,¡± Waylon stated. ¡°Yeah, out of all of us, I think Zo was the only one who had a different race,¡± Knox commented. ¡°Zoe¡¯s here?¡± Liam asked as he looked at them. As Liam asked this he noticed something weird pass over them. Before he could ask what that was about, Waylon chimed in, ¡°So is Levi and Wyatt.¡± ¡°Levi and Wyatt are here too?¡± Liam asked feeling a bit relieved to hear his other friends were transported to this world. ¡°Yeah, but they aren¡¯t with us right now on this island. They¡¯re in a different territory taking care of some things,¡± Knox replied. Before Liam could ask anymore questions, Cindy, who was standing there quietly and patiently, chimed in, ¡°Do you know these guys?¡± Liam, Knox, and Waylon turned to look at her. ¡°Who¡¯s this cutie?¡± Knox asked as he gave Liam a wry smile. ¡°Ah sorry Cindy,¡± Liam started, ignoring Knox¡¯s words. ¡°This is Waylon and Knox. They are my best friends from my home world Earth.¡± He then looked at the two guys and introduced, ¡°This is Cindy. She is a friend I recently made after arriving here in this city. She¡¯s helping me get my A.I.D.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you Cindy,¡± Waylon greeted. ¡°Sorry you got stuck helping this guy out,¡± Knox teased as hiked a thumb towards Liam with a playful grin on his face. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Liam questioned with a raised brow. ¡°Not much. Just that you usually get lost in your thoughts majority of the time so it¡¯s hard to tell when you¡¯re actually paying attention when someone¡¯s talking to you,¡± Knox said as he stared at Liam. Liam was about to argue until he thought about the times when he would lose himself while crafting or training. He did get stuck in his thoughts whenever he did those things, but when he¡¯s not doing any of that¡­ ¡°See you¡¯re doing it right now,¡± Knox said as he let out a laugh. Liam shook his head, not sure what to say. Cindy let out a laugh as she watched their antics play out. ¡°Anyways, what are your plans for the day?¡± Waylon asked. ¡°After I get my card I¡¯m going to help Cindy out with gathering some supplies in the dungeon,¡± Liam said. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s nice of you,¡± Knox said as he looked at him. ¡°What about you guys?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°We¡¯re waiting on a couple of people to get here before we decide on what we¡¯re doing,¡± Waylon stated. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re all done on our end,¡± Don suddenly announced as he walked back up to the counter. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re up. We¡¯ll catch up later,¡± Knox said as he and Waylon started to walk towards the area with tables and chairs. ¡°Be safe out there. Don¡¯t know what class you have, but always remember there¡¯s someone or something stronger than you,¡± Waylon called out giving them a wave. Liam nodded before turning back to the man who stood there patiently. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Liam said as he approached the counter. ¡°It¡¯s all good. It¡¯s always a good thing to talk and try to connect with other adventurers on your own. We try to help out where we can, but we like to see adventurers being proactive on their own.¡± Don smiled as he placed a thin card down on the counter. ¡°Speaking of us trying to help where we can¡­I saw you put down that you are interested in the Gatherer specialty. I saw you have both the Harvest and Butcher abilities. Both are excellent abilities to have for that specialty.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I must also say that I saw you put down an ability that can be beneficial to a few support type specialties. And I am rather impressed you have this ability,¡± Don added giving Liam an approving look. ¡°Oh? What ability and what specialties are you talking about?¡± Liam questioned as he grew curious and interested. Cindy also grew interested as she waited to hear what Don had to say. ¡°The ability is Perception of the Control Tower,¡± Don replied. ¡°To name a couple of specialties where this ability can be useful are Dungeon Guide, Dungeon Scout, and Group Comms.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Cindy¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Liam. ¡°How is that ability useful for those specialties? Also what is the Group Comms?¡± Liam asked a bit more interested in learning. ¡°As you know, Perception of the Control Tower can monitor and keep track of a party¡¯s health, mana, and stamina. It can also do the same for monsters or enemies you encounter. This ability can help a party you are in or contacted to, to help them proceed throughout a dungeon dive. As a Guide or Scout you can relay information to the party or parties, depending on the type of Dungeon you are taking on,¡± Don explained. ¡°As for Group Comms, once you have the ability at a certain level you will be able to talk to those in your party even if you are not next to them. The range allowed depends on the level of the ability as well as your Perception sub-stat. After further leveling the ability after unlocking that potential you will be able to allow those you grant, in the party you are in, to communicate with others as well. I think you can understand the importance of that for quests that require stealth or raid type dungeons.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the explanation Don had provided. He knew the ability was great, but after hearing there was even more potential to it he really wanted to level it up and learn more on what he could do with it. ¡°I can tell you more about it if you¡¯d like,¡± Cindy offered as she recognized the excitement growing on Liam¡¯s face. Liam turned to look at her. ¡°You have the ability too?¡± Cindy nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, I currently have it at level thirty-one.¡± ¡°Nice! Yes please!¡± Liam nodded vigorously. Cindy let out a laugh as Don continued, ¡°Setting that aside. Let me go over the features of your Adventurers Identification and then I¡¯ll explain the types of dungeons there are.¡± Liam turned his attention back to Don who handed him the blank white card. ¡°Before we start go ahead and channel some of your mana into it. Not a lot. Just a small amount will do,¡± Don instructed. Liam did as he said and watched as information appeared. ¡°Name: Liam. Age: 22 Rank: F. Specialty. Groups. Mentor. Weapon Skills. Fields. Abilities and Skills. Dungeons: 1. Quests: 0.¡± ¡°Now don¡¯t lose this card because it can be used for multiple of things,¡± Don started. ¡°Since its attuned to your mana only you will be able to activate it.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s like the C.I.D. in that aspect?¡± Liam asked. Don looked at him and nodded. ¡°Yes. Just like your C.I.D. it is your I.D. for adventurer stuff. Adventurer Stores, Adventurers Association quests, and more. It also keeps track of things like your specialty or specialties, how many dungeons you have taken on and completed or how many floors you did in a dungeon before giving up on the whole dungeon. ¡°Parties, Clans, or Guilds you belong to. Mentors you are under. Weapon Skills, Fields, abilities, and skills. It also keeps track of all Quests you have successfully completed or failed. If you need to show proof of any of those all you need to do is click on the subject. Go ahead and click on Dungeons.¡± Liam pressed on the word Dungeons. The information on the card changed as new information appeared. ¡°Dungeons. Dungeons completed: 1. Red ¨C 0. Blue ¨C 0. Yellow ¨C 0. Green ¨C 0. Brown - 0 Multi-colored ¨C 0. White ¨C 0. Black ¨C 1: Black Tutorial Dungeon, 6 floors ¨C Complete. Dungeons not finished ¨C 0.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Liam stated as he looked back at Don. ¡°Your starting Rank is F,¡± Don started back up. ¡°From weakest to strongest the ranks go F, E, D, C, B, A, and S. The ranks represent your strength. If you have the right stats to enter the appropriate dungeon. Compatibility. If you have the skills to do the quest. And lastly, dependability. You have a lot of successful quests completed.¡± Liam nodded as he wrote this down. ¡°Majority of the F through D rank quests can be done in the same dungeon difficulty. However, the higher ranked quests can only be done in higher difficulty dungeons,¡± Don informed. ¡°Higher difficulty dungeons?¡± Liam asked with a raised brow. ¡°I¡¯ll go over that soon enough. Another thing you must know about this card is when you grab a quest and bring it to the receptionist you must hand them your A.I.D. so they can put it on your Quest list,¡± Don continued. ¡°After you come back, whether you complete or fail, you must present your card again so they can mark it down as such. The dungeon information on the card updates by itself.¡± Liam frowned at the last part. ¡°How?¡± Don shrugged as he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. That part of the card¡¯s function is not explained to us. The only answer I can provide is what they told me. Magic.¡± Liam shook his head as he found the answer utterly useless. ¡°You can always update any personal information whenever you want by coming to this desk at any Adventurer Association,¡± Don added. ¡°Now¡­on to dungeons.¡± Liam looked back at the man as he placed his card down on the counter. ¡°There are several different types of dungeons. I¡¯m sure the Overseers explained the different colors and what they represent correct?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Ok good,¡± Don started. ¡°Now Dungeon information can be broken down into four things. Colors, Types, Rules and Requirements, and Breakthrough. For the color portion of the dungeon explanation, I¡¯ll just summarize since you were already informed. There are several different colored dungeons. Green, Blue, Brown, Red, Yellow, Black, White and Multi-colored. Each color that we know of so far represents the environments. There are some talks about the color being a way to predict the type of creatures you will encounter, but there isn¡¯t enough data to prove that theory yet. ¡°You can also tell the difficulty of the dungeon by how dark or light the dungeon is. The lighter the color the dungeon is the easier it will be. The same goes for the opposite. The darker it is the harder it will be. The only color that doesn¡¯t match this is white and I¡¯ll explain that soon.¡± Liam took out a new notebook he hadn¡¯t used yet and started writing this down. Don was surprised by this and continued with a smile, ¡°There are several different types that we know of so far. They are Free Roam, Tower, Wave, Puzzle, Raid, Jumbled, and Captured. Free Roam is a type of dungeon where anyone and everyone can enter it. The world inside that dungeon is bigger than usual dungeons. Random monsters spawn throughout the dungeon at any given time. We are still trying to understand how that happens and where they spawn from. ¡°This type of dungeon is popular because variant types of monster will also appear. We try to make sure monsters are slain weekly, so it doesn¡¯t get over populated. Many Gatherer specialized adventurers tend to go to these dungeons since materials appear on a daily basis. These dungeons also have hidden areas adventurers try to look for due to hidden treasure or loot you can get from killing the monsters hidden within. ¡°Tower type Dungeons have floors. They can range from two to twenty. You fight and kill every Elite Floor Monster and Floor Boss before being able to go to the next floor. The Boss Monster on the last floor is called the Dungeon Boss. After you kill that boss you have defeated the dungeon. You can think of the tutorial Dungeon you took on as an example for what a Tower Dungeon is like. ¡°Wave Dungeons are a type of dungeon where you have to kill several waves of monsters. Depending on the difficulty of the dungeon you could finish it quickly or be in there for a couple of days. It really depends on the dungeon. ¡°Puzzle dungeons are the type of dungeon where you have to solve problems or puzzles. Some have you kill monsters as part of the puzzle or as a penalty. These dungeons are rare, but the loot that can be obtained makes it worth it. ¡°Raid style dungeons are the type of dungeons that require multiple parties to join together to take on powerful monsters. These dungeons are usually popular with Clans and Guilds. Some use these types of dungeons to test new candidates they are scouting to see how well they mesh with their clan or guild as well how well they do in situations. ¡°A Jumbled Dungeon is the type of dungeon where it mixes either two or more types of dungeons together. You never know what you¡¯ll get until you step into it. This type of dungeon is rare to come across and are usually avoided when they appear until Dungeon Exploration Adventurers or Dungeon Scouts confirm the types that are mixed. ¡°Lastly, there are Captured Dungeons. Captured dungeons are places that people, with the right set of skills and abilities, permanently anchor to the spot they appeared and are used to live in before they disappear.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Liam asked, a bit confused. ¡°Not all dungeons remain after you successfully defeat the Dungeon Boss,¡± Don explained. ¡°There are some dungeons that appear out of nowhere at anytime. It doesn¡¯t matter where, they just appear. We call them Limited Dungeons. After you successfully complete the dungeon they will disappear. However, many years ago someone found a way to anchor them in place and make them inhabitable. It is popular amongst many well-known and powerful clans, guilds, and even Deities. The way to tell if a dungeon is a captured dungeon is its color. The original color fades to white.¡± Liam stared at the man. This bit of information was quite interesting to Liam. He really wanted to know how to do that. He was even impressed with the types of dungeons Don had to explain. However, he knew there were a couple more types he hadn¡¯t listed and asked, ¡°Are those the only types?¡± Don shook his head. ¡°No. New dungeons spawn all the time. We still haven¡¯t explored all the dungeons out there yet. These are just the ones we know about right now. When new dungeon types appear we take notes and try to figure them out before we let others know.¡± Liam nodded his head. ¡°Now, the next thing you need to know about dungeons are the rules and requirements some have,¡± Don continued. ¡°Every dungeon has rules to them. For example, there are Party Amount Restrictions, Magic Restrictions, Class Restrictions, Stats, and more. There will be a description of the restrictions placed on the information tab before you enter the dungeon letting you know what the rules are.¡± Liam¡¯s head tilted as he heard this. ¡°How can a dungeon place rules on themselves?¡± Liam asked. Don shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Like I said before we¡¯re still learning more about the dungeons and why they do what they do. Another thing you must be careful about is the last thing I need to tell you. Dungeon Breakthroughs.¡± Liam remembered Farry mentioning about them. ¡°Dungeon Breakthroughs are a phenomenon when a Dungeon suddenly lets its monsters loose into the world. We still don¡¯t have all the evidence or facts on why this happens, but so far we theorize that when a dungeon has gone too long without anyone challenging it and killing the monsters residing inside it will happen. For a short amount of time, the weakest of the monsters will exit the portal. After some time, stronger ones come out. We haven¡¯t seen a case yet where a Dungeon Boss has come out yet. The only way to stop the flow of monsters leaking out is by going inside the dungeon and successfully conquering it.¡± ¡°Is that why there¡¯s quests? So that way Dungeon Breakthroughs don¡¯t happen?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Yes,¡± Don nodded. ¡°We believe that if adventurers keep taking the dungeons on then it will keep them from allowing mayhem from happening. However, this is just speculation since we¡¯re still unsure how Dungeon Breakthroughs completely manifest.¡± Liam nodded his head understanding. ¡°And with that you have completed your application for an A.I.D.,¡± Don stated as he gave Liam a smile. ¡°Welcome to the Adventurers Association and I wish you the best of luck on your journey going forward.¡± Liam returned the smile as he replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Now, can I offer some suggestions for your first couple of Quests?¡± Don asked. ¡°Yes please,¡± Liam said as he grew excited. Adventure 161 - Dungeon Tower Liam and Cindy made their way out from the Adventurers Association not too long after Don had explained everything and given him his A.I.D. Liam was excited now since he was about to do something he had only read about in mangas and books. He was going to do quests as an adventurer. Don had suggested he take a couple quests that aligned with what he was helping Cindy with. These quests included a couple of Monster Hunting quests and a couple of gathering quests. The Monster Hunting Quests he was suggested fit well since the monsters requested to be killed had some of the materials Cindy needed. The Gatherer Quests were basic ones requesting to gather ten of Shallow Bell flowers and ten Lily Crown flowers. Don had told him there wasn¡¯t any extra reward for turning in more than the requested amount. It was allowed many years ago, however, a few people tried to exploit it and it got out of hand. Another thing he learned about quests were some of them were timed while others did not have a time limit. The quests he had taken were ones that did not have a time limit since they were low leveled and not high in demand. ¡°There are some things you will need to know once we get to the tower,¡± Cindy started as they walked. ¡°The tower is only accessible to Adventurers with an A.I.D. There are guards stationed at the entrance who check everyone for their A.I.D. before entering the tower.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Liam said as he listened. ¡°The next is there are four floors to the tower. Each level has different difficulties to the dungeons. The first floor has the weakest dungeons and the top has the strongest there are here on the island,¡± Cindy informed. ¡°To be able to attempt a dungeon on a different floor you must have the right rank for it. To prevent adventurers from entering a dungeon they shouldn¡¯t guards are stationed at the stairwell. You have to show them you¡¯re A.I.D. so they can see if you meet the criteria for the dungeons on higher floors. If you don¡¯t then you will be rejected to head up.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Liam said. ¡°Its to stop any adventurer from trying to bite off more than they can chew right?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Cindy stated, glad to see Liam understood. ¡°Luckily for us, the dungeons we are going to enter are on the first floor. Since they are easy, we should be able to not only get your quests done and collect some of the items I need, but also have a couple dungeon completions on your record.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Liam said as they turned around a corner. Cindy started talking more about the dungeons they were going to take on. Liam listened to her, but after taking a few steps his attention was suddenly averted to a notification text that had suddenly popped up.
¡°Liam! To your left! ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam quickly looked to his left and was ready for any attack that was coming his way. He didn¡¯t know who could be so bold as to attack him in broad daylight in the middle of the city, but he was ready. However, there was nothing out of the normal. Liam looked around and only saw random people either walking about or standing still talking to each other. No one was staring at him or Cindy or making their way towards him in a threatening manner. Where are they? Are they invisible? Liam questioned as he kept scanning the area. Cindy noticed Liam had stopped and looked back at him. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±
¡°What? Is who invisible? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he grew confused. Weren¡¯t you trying to warn me from an attack?
¡°What? No. I was trying to get your attention so you can see what¡¯s over to your left. ¨C Eri.¡±
To my left? Liam inquired. He looked around once more. Besides people milling about there were a couple of stores with space in between them, allowing people to walk around the buildings. Not sure what was going on with Liam, Cindy looked in the direction he was staring at. She recognized the stores he was looking at and tried to deduce which one had caught his attention. A couple of the stores weren¡¯t really noteworthy, so she took them out of the equation. One was a tool shop for different crafters. Another was a caf¨¦. The last one was one she never had an inkling to check out, but knew it was popular with those pursuing musical type classes. ¡°Are you interested in the Rhythmic Strings?¡± Cindy asked. Liam¡¯s attention was suddenly brought onto her as he asked, ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I asked if you were interested in the Rhythmic Strings?¡± Cindy repeated. ¡°It¡¯s a Violin and Fiddle shop. Bard or other music type classes check it out, but there are those who love to play them as a hobby as well.¡± Liam looked for the store she had mentioned and found it. What she had said about the store made him remember something, so he looked for the sign to see if it was what he was thinking. After focusing on the sign, his vision zoomed in. He scanned the sign from top to bottom and then saw what he was looking for. At the bottom right, almost blending in with the corner of the sign was a small spider. It was so small that if you didn¡¯t focus and know what you were looking for anyone would miss it. The Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. Liam internally thought.
¡°Yes. Now that we know there is one here in this city, and where it is, we can visit here at a later date. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded before looking at Cindy. He gave her a bashful smile and replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve always wanted to learn how to play, but never had the chance.¡± Cindy gave him a teasing grin as she stated, ¡°It is never too late to learn. But I would like to request that if you do start while you¡¯re still here on the island that you don¡¯t pollute my ears with your horrible screeching as you start learning.¡± Liam¡¯s mouth dropped. ¡°You know what. Just for that I will make sure to only practice when you¡¯re around me.¡± Cindy let out a giggle before turning around and walking away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Liam stared at the building right in front of him. It was a huge, rounded building that stood a little over four stories high. It was pitch black with four different shades of blue, green, red, and yellow spots around the building. The lighter shades were on the bottom part of the building while it grew darker with each story. Liam stared at the materials used to make it. He could see it was made out of some sort of stone, but couldn¡¯t figure out what the stone was. People walked up steps that led up to the open doors where four guards stood inspecting everyone¡¯s A.I.D. cards before allowing them access inside. Above the doors was a sign that read, ¡°Dungeon Tower.¡± Cindy looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Shall we go in?¡± Liam nodded as he followed her to the line of people. After a few minutes of waiting, Liam and Cindy finally made it to the front door. As they approached Liam got a good look at the guards standing there. All four of them were muscular looking Lion-folk males. ¡°A.I.D.¡¯s please,¡± one of the Lion-folk males requested as he and the closest one to him put their hands out. Liam and Cindy each handed them their cards and waited. The Lion-folk checking out Liam¡¯s A.I.D. looked at it then at Liam. He then looked back at the card and asked, ¡°Is this your first time here?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Are you going solo or are you with this adventurer here?¡± he inquired. Liam thought it was weird he was asking him this since Cindy never told him about being questioned. He looked at Cindy and noticed she looked confused as well. He was about to answer, but Cindy spoke up first. ¡°He is assisting me on gathering some supplies for my uncle¡¯s store. He also has some quests he will be taking on while he is here. Why, is there an issue?¡± The Lion-folk looked at Cindy. He looked her up and down before handing back the card to Liam and saying, ¡°None whatsoever. I just wanted to make sure a new adventurer isn¡¯t stupid enough to go in alone during their first time.¡± Liam took the card and placed it in his inventory. Trying to keep a neutral expression, he said, ¡°Thank you for the concern. However, after experiencing my first dungeon, I have found that going in alone would be suicide, especially when I am still so low in levels.¡± The Lion-folk nodded. ¡°Good. Good luck with your quests.¡± Liam and Cindy walked in after that, not wanting to have the guard¡¯s attention on them anymore than it was. After getting in and getting as far as they could from the entrance, Liam turned to Cindy and asked, ¡°What was that about?¡± ¡°I¡­I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± Cindy responded as she looked back at the entrance with a confused look. ¡°That has never happened before.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Liam said as he looked back at the entrance too. He didn¡¯t let his stare linger there for long as he turned to get a better look at the room. A lot of people stood around the room. They were grouped up talking to others while some were entering or exiting out of the portals that stood close by the walls. Liam looked up and noticed he could see all the way to the ceiling four stories up. As he looked up he could see people staring down or looking up at the other floors. The walls were just as pitch black as the outside in areas where the portals weren¡¯t located. Colors and pictures were painted on the walls behind the portal they portrayed. For example, behind the green portal was a forest with several short green monster-like humanoid creatures that looked a lot like goblins. There were also other beast looking creatures hiding behind bushes or in trees. Signs stood next to the portals as well. Liam wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was written on them because each time he tried to look, someone would step in the way, blocking his view. Liam noticed a couple of things about these portals. One was the shade of the colors. They were all a light shade meaning these were the weakest, that he knew of. The other was there was no Black Dungeon Portal. Curious, Liam asked Cindy, ¡°I don¡¯t see a black dungeon anywhere. Are there any on the upper floors?¡± Cindy raised a brow before shaking her head. ¡°No. There are no Black Dungeons here on the island or in this tower.¡± ¡°How come?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Black dungeons are rare. They don¡¯t normally pop up in areas like cities, towns, or any populated areas,¡± Cindy explained. ¡°Some have popped up as a limited dungeons in places like graveyards, but even those are rare.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. I had to take one on in the Tutorial Area,¡± Liam stated as he looked around once again. As he looked around again he noticed two Lion-folk men stood by the stairwell that was located on the back side of the building. As he looked at the stairwell, Liam noticed something strange move. It was a very small creature, crawling along the wall. It blended in with the wall so well he thought he was seeing things. However, after focusing on the tiny little creature he noticed the color of its skin was just as black as the walls. The creature he saw was a spider. He watched as the spider made its way towards an area where two more Lion-folk stood. This pair stood by a closed door located not too far away from the stairwell. The spider made its way down the wall and then wedged its body under the crack and behind the closed door. ¡°Where does that door lead to?¡± Liam questioned as he stared at the door. Cindy looked at where Liam had pointed. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. No one really knows. There have been plenty of guesses like a storeroom or a place where the guards sleep when they stay here to guard. However, no one has seen them open it before, so no one really knows.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Liam muttered before looking back at Cindy and asking, ¡°Okay so which one are we doing first?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to start with the Blue Dungeon over there,¡± Cindy said as she pointed to the area that held the Blue Dungeon Portal. Liam followed her over to it and got a good look at the picture behind it. Against the wall was a picture of a river running into a sea or ocean view. A cave sat on a beach next to the wide spread water. Poking out along the walls of the mouth of the cave were several circular blobs that looked a lot like Slimes. Liam looked at the sign next to the portal. It read, ¡°Seaside Cave of the Water Slimes. Dungeon Type ¨C Tower. Restrictions ¨C Party Amount allowed ¨C 7. Rules ¨C Defeat the Elite Floor Monsters and Floor boss on each floor. Floors ¨C 3.¡± Liam was surprised to see all that information written on the sign. He pointed to it as he asked, ¡°I thought this information was given when you try to enter the dungeon?¡± ¡°It is,¡± Cindy said. ¡°But since this dungeon is here in the Tower, the Adventurers Association thought it would be helpful to have that information on a sign so everyone didn¡¯t have to waste time having to keep placing a hand on the portal to find out which dungeon they would like to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It is,¡± Cindy nodded. ¡°Now lets go.¡± She then placed a hand on the portal and mentally accepted before walking through. Liam felt a sudden buzz of excitement as he stared at the portal. He was about to enter another dungeon and this time it wouldn¡¯t be like the last. This time he would get to enjoy and see exactly how it was supposed to be. He took a gulp before finally taking a step forward and through the portal. A few eyes were locked on Liam as he stepped through the portal. After he disappeared they looked at each other while standing in different sides of the room. They each nodded to each other before a couple walked out of the building. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That excitement Liam felt before stepping through the portal instantly changed as soon as he appeared on the other end. Fluids inside of him stirred within his stomach before they shot up through his throat and out of his mouth. Liam took a few seconds to let everything escape before he muttered to himself in an almost silent groan, ¡°Upchuck Roulette strikes again.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Cindy asked as she turned to look at him. Liam waved a hand as he slowly got up and cleaned his mouth off. As Liam pulled out a small water bottle to clean the taste out of his mouth, Cindy suddenly said, ¡°Oh before I forget. I have something you can use while we¡¯re collecting supplies.¡± She reached inside her inventory and pulled out a small bag. Liam looked at the bag. It was a simple tannish bag with green embroidery designs along the flap and the strap. All in all it looked almost like a bookbag with a single strap. Liam tried to assess the bag to get a better idea of it.
¡°Gatherer¡¯s Bag of Harvest. Item type ¨C Storage. Item Rarity - Common. Item Quality ¨C Poor. Enchantments ¨C 2. Enchantment Quality ¨C Poor. Enchantments ¨C Space, Crafter. Effects ¨C Harvest Transfer. Harvest Transfer ¨C Transfers any materials collected through the Crafter¡¯s ability Harvest to the Gatherer¡¯s Bag of Harvest.¡±
¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Liam stated as he looked over at Cindy. ¡°Gatherer specialty Adventurers use this bag or ones like this to help clean up clutter in their inventory,¡± Cindy informed. ¡°It also helps so you don¡¯t have to look for it all in your inventory and take it out one at a time just to put it into another bag.¡± Liam loved this idea. This was a revolutionary thing that people who hated going through their inventory just to find and transfer materials to a new bag. He wanted one for himself. No, he wanted multiple to separate materials. After thinking about it he had a question. ¡°Is there a way to make it so only certain materials can transfer to a bag like this or is it all materials collected through harvest only?¡± Liam asked. ¡°There are bags that have specific materials only, but they are costly due to the process needed to undergo just to make it specific materials only,¡± Cindy answered. Liam beamed. He now had an item he wanted to find no matter what. Cindy shook her head as she watched Liam stared at the bag with delight. ¡°I get you are excited, but don¡¯t forget that this is only a loan. If you¡¯d like I can introduce you to someone who keeps an eye out for these items.¡± Liam swiftly looked at her and nodded his head vigorously. Cindy let out a laugh. ¡°Hurry up and take it already. My arm is starting to hurt holding it out like this.¡± ¡°Ah sorry, my bad,¡± Liam said as he reached for it. After placing the bag in his inventory Cindy stretched her arms out and let out a breath of air before asking, ¡°Alright, now that that¡¯s taken care of. Are you ready to do this?¡± Adventure 162 - The Difference between Harvest and Harvest Liam turned to get a good look at his surroundings. He and Cindy were standing on the edge of a forest. A river ran out of the forest from their right into the wide open water. On the other side of the river was a small mountain with an open cave next to the river. As Liam stared at the river and cave he noticed something strange start to happen. Pools of water the size of a small dog suddenly emerged from the river. At first Liam had thought the water was just overflowing in the areas this was happening, but after the pools got further away from the river he notice they didn¡¯t spread out but collect into a blob-like form. Liam assessed one of the blobs.
¡°Small River Slime. 100/100 HP. 80/80 MP. Level 5.¡±
A River Slime huh? I haven¡¯t seen a creature¡¯s health that low since the second floor of the Black Dungeon back in the Tutorial Area. Liam thought to himself. ¡°Those are Small River Slimes,¡± Cindy informed. ¡°There are many different types of Slimes. They usually take the element of the area they inhabit. You¡¯ll be able to tell the Slime¡¯s element by the color of their gelatinous body. For example, any water type Slime will have a blue-like color like the Small River Slime.¡± Liam nodded as he looked back at Cindy. ¡°Slimes also come in different sizes,¡± Cindy continued. ¡°There are small, medium, and large size Slimes. Their size is determined by how many Slimes have come together.¡± Liam gave her a confused look. ¡°That¡¯s another thing about Slimes,¡± Cindy smiled. ¡°If a bunch of them get together they can meld into one another to make a bigger version of themselves. It can also do the opposite too. For example, if you fight a large Slime and get its health down to a certain amount it will split into six Medium Slimes. If you get a Medium Slime¡¯s health down to a certain amount it will breakdown into twelve Small Slimes. As they break down their health won¡¯t go back to full, but will be properly distributed amongst the other slimes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Liam said as he looked back at the several Small River Slimes. He counted them to see how many there were and was only able to find six. ¡°Another couple of things to note about when fighting Slimes,¡± Cindy added. ¡°As far as monsters go the smaller ones are generally weak, especially when they are by themselves. However, if there are a bunch around you will have to be careful. Depending on how many there are they can swarm you as one. You never want any kind of slime monster to get too close when they try to swarm you because they will try to cover their bodies over yours and try to drown you. So always keep an eye on your surroundings when fighting Slimes.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°What else can you tell me about them? Do they have any weaknesses, immunities, strengths?¡± ¡°While all slime have similarities like physical attacks are weak against slimes and magic is stronger; The weaknesses, immunities, and strengths to a Slime depends on the type and size of the Slime,¡± Cindy started to explain. ¡°For example, against a water type slime you will have less effect with water magical abilities while lightning and plant magical abilities will have a stronger effect against them. The size of the slime also determines how much of an effect your attacks will have on them.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Also, a thing to note since you are a crafter is the materials you can gather from them are used in crafts like Alchemy and Blacksmithing,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°Depending on the materials harvested, they can be used for physical attack absorption for armor or which even element the slime you harvested from. For Water type Slimes the alchemy materials are used in salves, balms, or ointments to help absorb poison through open wounds or prevent blood from escaping the wound to stop blood loss. It really depends on what else you mix them with. Slime Liquid is versatile in crafting.¡± Liam looked surprised. He didn¡¯t think that Slimes would be so useful like that. ¡°So magic is the best way to kill a slime?¡± Liam asked to reconfirm. ¡°Magic, Magical weapons, physical attacks could kill them it would just take longer,¡± Cindy said. ¡°Do you have any Lightning magic?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Okay, use it on those Small River Slimes, but before you do that go ahead and use Perception of the Control Tower so you can level it up,¡± Cindy instructed. Liam thought about what she had just said. He had just remembered that Perception of the Control Tower could see a person in your party¡¯s health, mana, stamina, buffs, and debuffs. After remembering that he remembered his current Debuff Stat Shatter. He then looked at Cindy and asked as quickly as he could, ¡°About that ability. Can only one person in the group have it activated at a time?¡± Cindy shook her head. ¡°No, everyone who has it in the group can use it. However, for some reason having multiple people using it in a group will hinder the experience given. I¡¯m not too sure why that happens, but I figured for now you can use it so you can level it up.¡± Liam internally sighed with relief. He didn¡¯t want to have to explain why he had gotten the debuff due to the events it was tied to. Liam then looked at her and activated the ability. He was shocked at what he saw as he looked at the stats next to her picture.
¡°Cindy. 2,323/2,323 HP. 1,910/1,910 MP. 2,010/2,010 Stam. Level ¨C 21.¡±
Liam was impressed with what he was seeing. He never had a real idea what the health, mana, and stamina pools would look like as you grew in levels, but this was really impressive to him. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Cindy questioned as she stared at Liam. ¡°Sorry, I was just impressed with your HP, MP, and Stamina bar,¡± Liam commented. ¡°Ah, well my stats are nothing to be impressed with for my level. They are relatively low compared to others who put their points into sub-stats like Vitality, any of the endurances, Knowledge, and Magic Practicality,¡± Cindy said as she gave him a slight smile. ¡°I put most of my points into the Dexterity sub-stats, Resilience, and the Recovery sub-stats.¡± ¡°Good to know,¡± Liam said. Thanks to her bringing up points, he remembered he had a lot of points he never spent. He wasn¡¯t sure where he should put them since he was still trying to figure everything out. Once his Stat Shatter Debuff disappeared he would take some time into figuring it all out. ¡°I will give you some advice though about spending points you get from leveling up,¡± Cindy started back up again, remembering he was new to it all. ¡°Don¡¯t waste points into a sub-stat you know you¡¯re going to be using a lot of. For example, if you are a speedy type of fighter then it is not good to put them in any Dexterity sub-stats since you use movements or techniques that will help raise them. ¡°Instead use them on stuff like Vitality or the Recovery sub-stats since it is harder and slower to raise them up. I learned this the hard way and have to catch up some of my other sub-stats, because I was dumb and too hard headed enough to listen to anyone¡¯s advice.¡± ¡°Duly noted. Thank you for the advice,¡± Liam said as he gave her a smile of appreciation. ¡°Alright let¡¯s get this show started shall we?¡± Liam started walking towards the river while looking for a Small River Slime to attack. He watched as they slowly moved forward towards the mouth of the cave. Their movement speed wasn¡¯t really fast from what Liam could see. Liam thought about attacking the closest one to him, however, after making a careful consideration to not attack the slime so close to the water with lightning magic, he aimed for the second closest one a bit farther from the river. Liam channeled some mana around him before he started chanting, ¡°O orb of sparks form before pure and true. Shoot fast and engulf the one in your path. Ripple through the muscles and make them lock. Electro Orb!¡± A small baseball sized electric orb manifested in front of his open palm. After he finished chanting and forming the orb, he shot it at his target. As soon as the orb struck, webs of lightning arced around the gelatinous body, causing it to stop moving and ripple all around. He took a look at the creature¡¯s stats above its head and saw it had only done seventy-five damage to it. He was confused at why he hadn¡¯t been able to kill it with one Electro Orb especially with the type advantage against it and the amount of mana he had channeled, but then thought about the one thing that could effect it. The Stat Shatter Debuff. Damn it. Liam thought as he stared at the slime that was rippling in place. I knew my stats would be affected, but I really didn¡¯t think it would be this bad. I thought since my magic levels weren¡¯t affected then it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. That¡¯s because your stats and sub-stats affect everything you do and why it is not good to receive any debuffs, Eri suddenly explained in Liam¡¯s head. This surprised Liam for a moment since he had gotten used to reading the notification texts that would appear whenever the chaotic goddess would speak to him. So, you¡¯re saying that my sub-stats affect my magic even though my magic levels weren¡¯t affected. Which one is it? Liam asked her. Also, it is good to hear your voice. Glad to see we can talk normally instead of having a notification block my view. Yeah I guess my theory was right. I can talk normally while you¡¯re in a dungeon, but not when you¡¯re out of one. Eri stated. And to answer your question, I believe it can be a combination of Magic Practicality which helps with your understanding on how and when to use a spell properly and Knowledge which helps your Magic Practicality. Both of those help you get a better understanding on how much mana to channel into a spell to how much damage you can do. I think we have had this conversation before, but your sub-stats connect to each other and can affect everything you do. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Liam nodded, starting to get a better understanding. I vaguely remember the conversation, but I guess we will need to have it again so I can understand which sub-stats are intertwined with one another and how they affect both my magic and physical skills. For now though, I need to finish this dungeon. Agreed, just know that until your Stat Shatter Debuff is gone¡­you will need to channel more than you used to to your spells. Eri informed. Got it. Liam replied back as he channeled his mana once more while chanting his Electro Orb spell. After he finished chanting he sent the electrified orb flying over at the target. After it slammed into the Small River Slime, the creature shuddered all over before deflating into a small pool of its form.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Small River Slime!¡± ¡°Warning! Due to Debuff Stat Shatter, all experience earned related to stats from killing monsters will be collected but not allocated until Debuff has disappeared!¡±
Liam frowned at the last notification, but had a feeling it would appear. Also, I will give you one more piece of advice, Eri chimed back in. Try channeling your Lightning Mana when using your Lightning Magic. It¡¯ll serve as good practice to level up your understanding on how to manipulate it and it will add a small amount of damage when using those spells. Liam mentally kicked himself for not thinking about that. With everything that had been going on he had forgotten about channeling different Mana types into spells to raise the levels. Liam looked at the remaining Small River Slimes in the area. A couple had made it into the cave, but three remained outside moving around. Liam closed his eyes as he started to channel his mana. He focused on the bits of Lightning Mana that was mixed in with his Arcane Mana. After pulling it forward to cover his hands he started the chant back up for Electro Orb. ¡°O orb of sparks form before pure and true. Shoot fast and engulf the one in your path. Ripple through the muscles and make them lock. Electro Orb!¡± As he opened his eyes he saw the small baseball sized electrified orb had grown a bit and sparked a little more than it had done before. As he studied the orb he saw some subtle changes in it. It was different than when he created it with normal Arcane Mana. It felt a bit more powerful and was filled with more¡­electricity¡­lightning? He never really studied the differences when he had done this before especially when he used his Shadow magic. He just used it and never thought about why there was a possibility of manipulating different mana and what changes they would bring to the magic they were associated with. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he came to a decision that he would have to study the changes using Mana types into spells later. For now, he¡¯ll just have to use this method. Liam looked for a target and saw there was a Small River Slime in between two others. He aimed for it and threw it. Liam and Cindy watched as the Electro Orb slammed against the Small River Slime. As it did, four sparks suddenly arced out from the middle Small River Slime and zapped the other two. Liam was surprised as he watched this. The targeted monster died instantly while the other two took small damage. About ten points of damage each to be precise. Cindy looked back at Liam and quickly asked, ¡°Did you channel Lightning Mana into that spell?¡± Liam nodded as he looked back at her. ¡°Interesting,¡± Cindy responded. ¡°Judging by your look, this is the first time you have done that right?¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to say that it wasn¡¯t his first time since he had done it with Shadow Mana, but it was his first time using it on a Lightning type magic ability. So instead of lying he just went with a half-truth. ¡°This is my first Lightning spell using Lightning mana yes.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Cindy started. ¡°Something you need to know about using different types of mana into their associated magical spells. Every mana type has a different effect when using it like this. For Lightning base abilities, as you just saw, it will create wild sparks. Depending on how much mana is channeled into the spell, your level of Magical Practicality, Knowledge, and the level of spell, it will help determine the amount of sparks that arc from landing the spell and how much damage they will do. There are more effects it can help with, but for now that is all you need to know.¡± Liam was shocked to hear this. He was starting to feel glad that Cindy was here with him since she was providing him with so much information. He looked back at the remaining two Small River Slimes and saw they were now making their way towards him. Their slow leisurely pace they had earlier was a little faster as they made their way towards him. He didn¡¯t want them to reach the riverbed, so he channeled another small amount of Lightning mana to replenish what he had used earlier and chanted his Electro Orb spell again. He did this once more after firing the spell at one of the two creatures to kill the last Small River Slime. After they had died both he and Cindy made their way across the river over to the slain monsters. As they walked he looked at his Mana Pool and noticed the amount he had was less than usual. He was at eighty-two out of one hundred and three. He thought about it and tried to think about why it had dropped more than when he regularly used the spell. The only factor he could draw upon was him channeling Lightning Mana to use on his spells. After thinking it over he thought it was appropriate that having to channel the Lightning Mana and then cast his Electro Orb since he was essentially using more mana on top the mana used to create the spell. Just another thing to consider when using different mana types. Liam thought as they reached the first slain monster. ¡°Before you harvest the Slimes make sure you loot them to collect the cores you¡¯ll need to show proof you defeated them to complete your Slime Hunting Quest,¡± Cindy explained. One of the Monster Hunting Quests Don had suggested required him to slay fifteen slimes. He was told the type of Slime didn¡¯t matter since there were different types in some of the dungeons. Liam looked at her. ¡°Slimes have cores in them?¡± He looked back at the puddles of gelatinous slime but didn¡¯t see anything in them. Cindy nodded as she explained, ¡°You can¡¯t see them when they are alive because the color of the Slime hides them, but yes. When you kill them the core is destroyed, but you can still loot them. Don¡¯t ask me how that works because no one has ever given me a straight answer about it.¡± Liam shrugged before looting the first creature.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Small Water Slime Core x 1!¡±
He went around to the other pools of slain slimes and looted them, netting him three more Small Water Slime Cores. After he finished with that he walked towards the middle of all the defeated monsters placed a hand out and chanted, ¡°Harvest.¡± He waited for the notifications to show he had harvested all the creatures within the range he was in, but nothing appeared. Confused he looked at his hand. He then saw Cindy give him a weird look. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Cindy asked. ¡°I¡¯m trying to harvest all the dead slimes,¡± Liam stated with a confused tone in his voice. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you pulling out one of the vials from the Harvest Bag I loaned you?¡± Cindy questioned. Liam was about to say something, but was stopped as he heard Eri start laughing in his mind. What¡¯s so funny? Liam asked Eri. The way you confidently tried to use Harvest in the same fashion you would when it was your class skill. Eri replied. Adding the confusion when it didn¡¯t work and your little friend there clearly thinking you are stupid. What do you mean tried to use Harvest in the same fashion I would when it was my Class skill? Liam inquired feeling a bit embarrassed. There is a difference between your old Class ability Harvest and the one you received from the Gathering Craft Focus Point. Eri started to explain. The way they operate are completely different. The one from the Focus point doesn¡¯t automatically harvest materials from harvestable objects like defeated creatures. You have to gain knowledge on the harvestable target to know what you can harvest and manually harvest them to get the materials. It is only after having the right amount of knowledge on the harvestable target would you be able to automatically harvest them. For example, take these slimes. In order to get the materials, you will need to place an empty vial into the pool of its dead body and fill it up. After you get a better understanding on how to harvest them you¡¯ll be able to hold the vial close to it and say harvest and watch the liquid enter the vial. Then when you have complete understanding on how to harvest each material from its body then you¡¯ll be able to use it like how you did when you had it as a Class Ability. Wait, but I was able to level it up before the class skill evolved. Liam started to argue. Why did it level up if they are fundamentally different? That is because they both had the same name and theoretically the same ability. Eri started. However, as a class ability it was better than just its normal version. Now that they are separated you will have to use it as it was intended as a Focus Point ability. That¡¯s stupid. Liam complained. He really didn¡¯t understand why it was so complicated, but he did understand complaining about it wouldn¡¯t get him anywhere. He looked at Cindy and thought about what he could say in order to make her not question him. After thinking about it he said, ¡°I was just trying something out. It didn¡¯t work the way I wanted to though.¡± Cindy slowly nodded as she eyed him. ¡°Were you trying to use an advanced form of the ability to help save time? Is this your first time harvesting a slime?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam said as he gave her a sheepish grin. ¡°Is that going to be a problem?" Cindy shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯ll just take a little longer, but after harvesting enough Slimes in this dungeon you should be able to get a better idea on how to harvest them which will help save us some time.¡± She then let out a sigh before adding, ¡°I guess this can also help with your training on the ability. I¡¯m going to go scout the cave to see how many slimes are in there. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Liam nodded as he pulled out the Gatherer¡¯s Bag of Harvest. Before he looked in it to grab an empty vial, Eri suddenly said, Before you start harvesting them you should take this time while she is gone to harvest something else. Harvest something else? Liam thought as he tried to think about what she meant. He looked around and realized what she was talking about as he watched the soul orbs floating not too far above the killed River Slimes. He had forgotten about collecting the souls. A thought suddenly popped in his mind as he looked to his hip. The Spectral Lantern wasn¡¯t there. He was both relieved and slightly panicked as he didn¡¯t remember where he had placed it. However, as he thought about it, it had suddenly materialized on the side of his hip. Liam blinked a couple of times as he stared at it. He wasn¡¯t sure how it manifested like it did or why it wasn¡¯t there in the first place. Seeing the confusion on Liam¡¯s face Eri explained, That item is attached to you. It wont leave your side, however, it can go incorporeal and make itself stay out of sight until you need to use it. Is that so? Liam thought as he stared at it. That¡¯s both convenient and helpful since I don¡¯t want to explain it to anyone right now. Agreed. Eri said while nodding her head. The less amount of people who know, the better right now. Without wasting time, Liam pulled the Spectral Lantern away from his hip and chanted in as low of a whisper as he could, ¡°Soul Harvest.¡± The Spectral Lantern lit up with the creepily ghastly green light that was inside. A glass section suddenly opened up on its own allowing the light to shine even brighter out from it. Liam watched the four soul orbs that were hovering around the area shudder. Then after a moment had passed the orbs shot towards the lantern in one swift movement. When the last orb entered the lantern the glass door shut. After the glass door shut, he heard footsteps coming from the mouth of the cave. He released the Spectral Lantern, allowing it to return to his hip. He tried to will it to disappear as he pulled out a vial from the Gatherer¡¯s Bag of Harvest and crouched down next to a pool of gelatinous liquid and placed the vial into it. ¡°What was that?¡± Cindy asked as she rushed out from the cave looking around. ¡°What was what?¡± Liam asked as he looked at her. Cindy looked back at him after not finding anything. ¡°I felt a strange type of magic out here. Did it come from you?¡± Liam gave her the best confused look he could muster as he replied slowly, ¡°No. I didn¡¯t feel anything out here.¡± He then raised the vial he had in the dead slime. It was completely full. ¡°I was just collecting the materials from this creature.¡± Cindy still had a look of confusion on her face, but gave up as she muttered, ¡°Maybe I was just imagining it.¡± Liam let out a sigh of relief as she re-entered the cave. He didn¡¯t know that others could feel the magic of his new Class ability when he used it. Knowing this now would help him in the future as he would need to know when and where he could use it. A notification suddenly appeared, bringing him out of his thoughts.
¡°Congratulations! You have Harvested Slime Liquid!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have a small amount of understanding on how to Harvest Slimes. Tracking of such knowledge can now be seen in a drop down window under Field of the Craft - Focus Point ¨C Gathering Craft Ability ¨C Harvest.¡±
Liam sighed. This was going to be a long day for him and not because he wasn¡¯t able to automatically harvest everything. He was beginning to understand how spoiled he was with the ability as he continued the process, getting some of the slime liquid over his fingers. Adventure 163 - Seaside Cave of the Water Slimes After Liam finished harvesting the Small River Slimes outside the cave, Cindy led him inside. She had informed him that the path inside the cave wasn¡¯t that long. It was a short walk from the mouth to the back. She had also informed him that there were six more Small River Slimes before the Floor Boss. While they were walking through the cave, Liam had asked how she was able to determine the number of monsters without getting them to come after her. Cindy had divulged to him that her class was called Echo Scout. It was an evolved class that originated from the Scout class that utilizes sound to help track, scout, or locate areas for monsters, treasures, traps, or even enemies. She then told him that she was offered the class when she had gotten her Focus Point Sound from the Advanced Field of Senses to level twenty. Liam gave her a confused look that made her laugh, so she explained a little more. When it came to the magics in the world and their Focus Points, there were ways to advance your knowledge of the desired Study or Focus. The full name for this is Advanced Field of Study. What everyone else called it was Advanced Study. There was two different versions of and ways to get Advanced Studies though. To be able to get your Field of Study to become an Advanced Field in a magic you had to one get that field as well as every Focus Point to level twenty. The other is to have a Focus Point evolve into a Field of its own after reaching level twenty and gaining a proper understanding of the Focus Point. The latter was harder than the former because not all Focus Points had an Advanced Study version. Cindy had gotten her Field of the Charmed Focus Point Senses to level twenty, and it had evolved into an Advanced Study called Advanced Field of Senses. She had picked the Focus Point Sound in that Field and raised it high enough for her class to evolve into what it was right now. There were benefits and more information when it came to getting Advanced Studies through both methods, but just like what his mentors kept saying back in the Tutorial Area, Cindy had told him he would learn more about it when the time was right. He decided not to press it and would look into it later. After defeating all the regular mobs, Cindy had told him to wait before harvesting them so they could face the Floor Boss on this floor, which she called a Pack type Floor Boss. The Floor Boss consisted of ten level seven Small River Slimes with a monster called Small Sea Slime being the actual Floor Boss. When he asked why she called the Floor Boss a Pack type Boss, she had informed him that Floor bosses had different types. They were Elemental, Environmental, Leader, Pack, Puzzle, Raid, Solo, and Swarm. Leader type bosses were bosses that had a few lower leveled minions they summoned and commanded every now and then during the fight. Elemental type bosses were bosses that surrounded themselves and use the elements around them during the fight. Environmental type bosses were bosses that used the terrain while they fought. Pack type bosses were bosses that had a certain amount of mobs around them and after defeating that mob none would be summoned or called anymore during the fight. Puzzle type Bosses were bosses where you needed to solve puzzles during the fights in order to help defeat them. You could attack them, but after a certain amount of damage they would do something that would require you to figure out ways to stop them and it would either lower their defenses or hurt them when you correctly solve the puzzles throughout the fight. Raid type bosses were the type of bosses that were extremely harder to deal with and would require multiple parties to handle them. These types of bosses had a mixture of other types thrown in to make the fights harder depending on what it was you were dealing with. Solo type bosses were easy to remember because they were bosses where it was only them. The last type of boss monster was a Swarm type where during the entire fight you¡¯d also have to deal with the swarm of mobs that kept coming until you defeated the boss monster. Liam had a few examples he could use to help him get a better understanding from his time in the Black Tutorial Dungeon. For example, the Withered Treant from the second floor was an example of an Environmental type boss. The Askith Wight Commander was a Leader type since he could keep calling more minions in after they were defeated. The Askith Pharoah Mummy Lord from the fifth floor was a Pack type boss monster since he had a group of mobs at the beginning of the fight and after they had died he wasn¡¯t able to call anymore. The Demonic Large Dybbuk was a Puzzle type boss due to having to kill each monster it possessed before you could reveal its real body. Killing and damaging the creatures it possessed had also done damage to it. Binky the Albino Crocolisk was a solo type since she was by herself. Lastly, the Hubristic Arisen Lich was a Raid boss that required multiple parties to take on. The fight also had swarm, puzzle, Leader-like aspects with even an elemental-like aspect towards the end of the fight. There were two fights he thought he could use as examples for the elemental type boss, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if they counted so he just scratched that one off. Liam was taught during his fight with the First Floor Boss that the Small Sea Slime was a stronger water type of Slime. It was slightly faster when moving and a lot more flexible when fighting. It used a single water magic spell and was able to form a single tendril as a whip when Liam had fought it making it a little more of a challenge since he had to dodge the attacks when he was trying to cast his Lightning spells. The battle lasted for at least ten minutes. Cindy had told him she wasn¡¯t going to help him fight unless it was necessary. She informed him that she was only going to act like a guide in the first couple of dungeons so he could get a good feel for dungeon diving. That and the fact she was a higher level and felt it would be bad manners for her to one shot everything and not let him gain anything. After the boss fight was done, Liam spent another ten minutes harvesting and collecting loot from the dead creatures. He had received a Crude Water Slime Wand that gave a very small bonus to water magic. When he was done they pressed on to the next floor. The time spent on the second floor was less than the first since Cindy didn¡¯t need to stop and explain everything. His understanding of harvesting Slimes grew with every defeated Slime he killed allowing him to learn that there was other materials he could harvest from them as well. The new material he was able to gleam from harvesting all the slimes was something called Slime Mucus. This material could be used in Medicinal Creations and mixed with bandages to create an absorbent pad that could collect the loss blood from the open wound and heal it at the same time. If crafted right it could also make a soothing feel that helps with pains and aches. The boss on the second floor was something called a Medium River Slime. Even though it was only level eight, it was a pain for him at first. The reason for this was when he had gotten it to half health the creature exploded into twelve smaller River slimes. A few Small River Slimes tried to over take him from behind when he wasn¡¯t paying attention at one point during the fight, but after that it was smooth sailing for him. The loot that dropped from this fight was a pair of Crude Water Slime Moccasins. They gave a small bonus to water magic as well as a small defense against water magic. The only cool thing about them were they had an effect that absorbed water and stopped any from leaking within. The third floor was different. He wasn¡¯t too sure why, but the level of the monsters had risen to level thirteen. After killing them all and harvesting the bodies, both Liam and Cindy tried to think about why their level had rose that high since it was supposed to be a weak dungeon. As they approached the Dungeon Boss Area, Cindy stopped Liam in front of the door and said, ¡°Wait before we continue, I want to discuss something with you.¡± ¡°Okay. What¡¯s up?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Judging by how high the regular creatures¡¯ levels were, there¡¯s a good chance the boss might be at least level fifteen or sixteen. If that is the case then I will be joining in the fighting because the level will be too high for you to handle on your own.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°That being said, I want you to attack from afar so you¡¯re not too close to it. Do you think you can do that?¡± Cindy asked. Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah I can do that. Do you want me to use only my lightning magic, or can I use other spells?¡± ¡°Use any spells you think will be helpful. The Slime should be a Large version so once we get it to split we¡¯ll have to focus on taking down one Medium Slime at a time. If you have anything that can help distract three slimes while I take down one then that will help to.¡± Liam thought about the spells in his repertoire. He knew he couldn¡¯t use his Shadow or Lunar Magics while Cindy was around, but he did have a couple of magical abilities he could use. ¡°Yeah I have a couple of spells that I can use,¡± Liam smiled. ¡°Okay. Good,¡± Cindy nodded before turning to the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Liam followed her inside and took a good look at the terrain. It was a cavern type area with stone walls, dirt and loose rocks scattered about the area. The ceiling was high with some stalactites hanging. Four pools of water sat at each corner of the room. Two in the back and two in the front. The water in each pool lightly swayed back and forth. As Liam scanned the area a bit more he noticed something strange stuck in the middle of the ceiling. It looked like a pool of water pressed up against the ceiling covering the base of some of the stalactites. As Liam stared at it, he noticed light ripples wave about the pool of water on the ceiling. He thought it was strange to see a floating pool of water and was about to say something, but was stopped as the door suddenly slammed behind him. Both Cindy and Liam swiftly turned to look at the closed door. ¡°I keep forgetting that happens,¡± Cindy stated as she gave Liam a light chuckle. Liam shook his head before hearing the sound of water colliding into something. He turned to see the pool of water to his right had started to stir as it began rippling quickly. Liam then watched as a massive blob start to emerge from the water. When it fully manifested on the land it stood almost as tall as he did. Liam stared at the creature with a confused expression. He had thought that since the Floor boss on the second floor was a Medium Slime that the one for this floor would have been a large. However, what was in front of him was another Medium Slime. Liam assessed it to make sure it was what he was thinking it was.
¡°Medium Sea Slime. 900/900 HP. 600/600 MP. Level ¨C 15.¡±
¡°Cindy?¡± Liam started. ¡°Why is the Dungeon Boss a Medium Sea Slime? I thought it would be a Large one.¡± As Liam said this he notice Cindy suddenly pull out her sword and scan the room on high alert. Liam looked around as well. As he did, he noticed the other pools started to ripple as well. Three more Medium Sea Slimes started to emerge from them. ¡°I think I have an idea what¡¯s going on here,¡± Cindy started as she looked at each of them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Liam asked. ¡°We have to make sure none of the four Medium Sea Slimes make it to each other. If they do then they will become a Large Sea Slime,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°I am going to take the one that¡¯s on the back right of the room. Try to keep as many of the others as you can from getting to the one I¡¯m attacking. Also, if you can please let me know when one gets close to me.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°On my mark cast your spells,¡± Cindy ordered. Before Liam could reply, he felt pressure start to form around Cindy. Liam activated his Mana Sight and watched as the color of Air Mana covered Cindy¡¯s hands and up to her shoulders. She then pointed her sword at her target and chanted, ¡°Air gather and coat my weapon of choice. Suppress and condense. Sharpen as you spin faster and faster. Launch forth and slice my target. Razor Wind!¡± Liam watched as she swung her sword in four swift clean forty-five degree angles. With each swing she made, wind, the size of her blade, manifested and flew straight for the Medium Sea Slime in the back right of the room. Within two seconds the four blades of wind slammed against it. Each blade of wind caused the creature to slide back little by little. After the fourth one slammed against it, the Medium Sea Slime suddenly flew backwards and into the wall against the back of the rocky room. ¡°Now!¡± Cindy shouted as she sprinted towards her prey. Liam turned towards the Medium Sea Slime that was in the back left of the room. He channeled his mana and pulled forth the Gravity Mana that was mixed within. After he successfully pulled enough to coat his hands and wrists he chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Liam watched as the giant blob of water start to be pushed down as an invisible force fell upon it. Without hesitating, he faced the Slime that was moving from the front left pool and started chanting while pushing the last bit of Gravity Mana he had coating his hands, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± Liam watched as a raven black and purple orb formed. After it took form he threw the orb at the ground as close as he could to him with the creature on the edge of the radius of the spell. As soon as the orb hit the ground it rose and started sucking the slime towards its center, stopping its progress to reach the other Medium Sea Slimes. After he finished the spell, Liam went to turn to look at the last Medium Sea Slime. He swiftly jumped and rolled to his right, dodging a gelatinous tendril that the creature shot out at him. Liam summoned his Throwing Dagger Scabbard over his body as he got back to his feet. He then pulled out both of his Lightning Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Daggers. He went to aim to throw one of them, but had to jump backwards to dodge another slimy tendril the creature jutted out from its body above his head. After the tendril slammed down on to the ground, it retracted it back to its body. As the tendril retracted, Liam threw both of his daggers right at the Medium Sea Slime¡¯s body. He wasn¡¯t sure if the Static Pulse effect the daggers had would work since it didn¡¯t have any limbs, but tried anyways. As soon as the blades pierced through the slime¡¯s outer layer and into the jello looking texture, Liam saw sparks arc out from the handle of the daggers. The creature still moved like nothing happened. Liam was about to click his tongue, but then he received a notification that made him stop.
¡°Lightning Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger has damaged Medium Sea Slime for 7 damage.¡± ¡°Lightning Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger has damaged Medium Sea Slime for 7 damage.¡± ¡°Effect ¨C Static Pulse has failed to cause Numbness to Medium Sea Slime.¡±
Liam was about to frown until another notification appeared.
¡°Medium Sea Slime has received 10 damage from Static Pulse. Stack ¨C 2.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Liam muttered as he stared at the notification. I thought the Static Pulse effect failed. Why would it still receive damage if it failed? Liam dodged another strike attempt from the Slime as he tried to think about what was going on. He thought about the first message about the Static Pulse failing. He remembered it said it failed to¡­ ¡°Wait so it can still receive damage even if the numbness of the effect failed?¡± Liam questioned as he pulled his daggers back with Mana Manipulation. Liam formed a smile as he said, ¡°Good to know.¡± He assessed this creature so he could keep track of its health.
¡°Medium Sea Slime. 876/900 HP. 600/600 MP. Level ¨C 15.¡±
My damage output fucking sucks thanks to the Stat Shatter Debuff, but if I keep throwing my daggers and keep that Static Pulse effect stacked at five and keep it, I¡¯ll be able to whittle its health down. Liam thought to himself. He jumped out of the way once more as he threw his daggers at the creature. He looked at the other two Medium Sea Slimes and frowned. The one in the front was stuck right where the orb was at, but the one in the back had made some progress moving. Little progress, but still progress nonetheless. He knew he was going to need to whittle this monster down and try to dodge any attacks it made while trying to recast his Gravity spell in a bit. I may have to alternate between these two front ones before I can take any out. Liam thought. A thought suddenly appeared as he started to form a plan. Maybe that can work. One way to find out. Liam pulled his daggers back from the Medium Sea Slime he was attacking using his Mana Manipulation. He then channeled his Lightning Mana as quickly as he could before having to dodge another tendril. He then gripped his daggers and tried to send some of that mana into them. He watched as some of the Lightning Mana had sparked off of the daggers and was about to give up until he noticed a small amount had actually stuck to the weapons. He threw the daggers once more at the creature while dodging to his left. A smile appeared as he received a notification.
¡°Lightning Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger has damaged Medium Sea Slime for 15 damage.¡± ¡°Lightning Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Dagger has damaged Medium Sea Slime for 13 damage.¡± ¡°Medium Sea Slime has received 32 damage from Static Pulse. Stack ¨C 5.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Liam shouted. The damage output may not have increased by a lot and it wasn¡¯t consistent, but it was a bit more than the pitiful amount he was doing earlier. As he manipulated the daggers to return to his hands he suddenly heard a loud wet explosion coming from the back of the room. He turned his attention to the source and noticed Cindy had caused the Medium Sea Slime she was fighting to explode into twelve Small Sea Slimes. He then saw as she made short work out of four of them using both her magic and her sword. He was rather impressed with her technique as she cleanly and beautifully swung her weapon through each slime. He was quickly brought out of his admiration for her sword play as his Danger Sense suddenly flared up from his front and left side. Confusion filled him as he turned to see a tendril shoot right for him from the Medium Sea Slime he was attacking and another from the Medium Sea Slime that was freed from his Gravity Well spell. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam swore as he went to jump to his right. He was able to dodge the tendril that was about to ram into his front side, however the one coming from his left was swung at him horizontally at hip level. This tendril slammed right into him and caused him to fly to his right and slide on his back. Pain erupted throughout his body as he saw his health drop down to sixty-two health points out of one hundred and thirty. A little over half of his health was gone in a single hit. ¡°Ouch,¡± Liam groaned as he tried to sit back up as quickly as he could. His sight caught something as he brought himself back up. He couldn¡¯t get a good look at what he saw because another two tendrils came right for him. He jumped to doge out of the way. He noticed there was a brief pause from their attacks as they went to retract their tendrils. As they did this he chanted his Gravity Well spell once more. As he finished the chant and formed the orb, the two Medium Sea Slimes shot another tendril each at him. He didn¡¯t waste any time as he threw the orb in between both creatures and jumped out of the way. After the orb locked itself in place, the sudden pull of gravity sucked in both creatures, preventing them from escaping and attacking. Liam took this time to drink a Poor Health and Mana Potion to regain his missing points. After he finished drinking them he turned his focus back to what it was he saw when trying to get back up. He squinted his eyes allowing his vision to zoom in at the pool of water that was stuck to the ceiling. He studied the pool of liquid and the stalactites but didn¡¯t see what caught his eye. He was about to look back down after thinking he might have imagined it from the force of the hit he took, but stopped as he noticed the object that caught his eye again within the pool of liquid between three stalactites. Liam studied it and confirmed he recognized what the object was. It was a skull that looked to be the size of his upper body. ¡°Why is there a skull in the liquid¡­,¡± Liam started to say. His eyes widened as the skull suddenly shifted to stare at him. He felt his heart drop as the jaws of the skull suddenly moved like it was trying to speak and a notification suddenly appeared. Before he could look at the notification, Liam suddenly swore out loud, ¡°What the fuck!?¡± Adventure 164 - Engulfing Sea Ooze Cindy turned around as soon as she slew the last Small Sea Slime to see what Liam was shouting about. She saw two Medium Sea Slimes being pulled together over by him. Are they merging? Cindy thought as she stared at the two. This confused her because she knew it took four Medium Slimes to make a large one. After the thought passed she noticed an orb floating between the two creatures as they tried to separate. As she stared at the raven black and purple orb she recognized what was going on. It wasn¡¯t that they were merging it was a gravity spell pulling them together. That¡¯s right! He knows Gravity Magic! Wait, if that¡¯s not the reason for his sudden shouting then¡­ Cindy thought. She then noticed he was looking up at something and pivoted her head to look at the ceiling. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw the skull push down, bringing the rest of the liquid that was sticking on the ceiling down with it. A massive squelch echoed in the room as the creature landed on the ground below. Her focus switched over to something else as she noticed bubbles start to form from the pool closest to her. Another Medium Sea Slime emerged from the pool and Cindy realized what was going on. ¡°This is a Swarm type Boss!¡± Cindy shouted. Liam was snapped out of his daze as he heard Cindy shout. A swarm type boss?! Liam thought to himself as he tried to remember what she had told him about that type of Boss. Swarm type bosses were bosses that had creatures that kept coming and coming no matter how many times you killed them. The only way to stop it all was to kill the boss in the area or room. Liam looked at the notification that had appeared when he assessed the monster earlier.
¡°Engulfing Sea Ooze. 1,000/1,000 HP. 650/650 MP. Level ¨C 17.¡±
Engulfing Sea Ooze? Liam thought as he took in the entire form of the creature that fell to the ground. The Ooze¡¯s body was completely different than the Sea Slimes. Instead of having a bubble gelatinous looking form, this creature looked like its entire body was melting while still keeping its height. Waves of the slimy watery texture raced down to the ground as a small portion raised up looking like a tidal wave. While the Sea Slime had no notable features and looked like it was a blob full of thick clouded water, the Engulfing Sea Ooze was a transparent blue color allowing you to see through it. It reminded Liam of looking through a blue tinted stained glass. Another thing Liam was able to see different between the two was the Skull that floated around the top of the raised tidal wave. Some stalactites it was holding on to while hanging on the ceiling poked out from the backside of the Ooze giving it a more dangerous look compared to the Medium Sea Slimes. Be careful of that creature Liam. Eri suddenly warned. An Engulfing Sea Ooze is a dangerous creature that will try to engulf you and dissolve you within its body. Its entire body has a coat of acid so try not to stick anything in it that you want to keep in one piece. They are a variant version of the Slime species. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he heard this. Are you serious?! He asked as he stared at the creature. Yes, not only that, but this kind of Ooze has both acid and water magic. Eri informed. What are you going to say next? That this thing can split like the slimes? Liam questioned. Thankfully no. Eri said giving Liam a bit of relief. Well, that¡¯s one bit of good news. Liam thought as he continued to watch the Ooze carefully, making sure it didn¡¯t make any sudden moves. A second later, Liam noticed the Ooze start to ripple and was getting ready to dodge any incoming attacks until four blade-length wind slashes slammed into the back of the creature, causing it to turn around. Liam didn¡¯t waste this opportunity and channeled his Lightning Mana. As he did this he heard a faint chime echo in his mind as the Lightning Mana covered a bit more of his forearms. With a grin, he focused his attention on the creature as it started to slide towards Cindy and chanted, ¡°O orb of sparks form before pure and true. Shoot fast and engulf the one in your path. Ripple through the muscles and make them lock. Electro Orb!¡± As he chanted the spell, Liam push in as much of the Lightning Mana as he could into it. As soon as he felt the limit of what he was able to give the spell, he released it and watched as it flew towards its intended target. Liam watched as the electro orb collided against the Engulfing Sea Ooze¡¯s body. As soon as it touched the back of the slimy waving liquid it sparked, and spider webbed over its body. Two random sparks arced off and hit the two Medium Sea Slimes still stuck in the Gravity Well. Liam glanced at the creature¡¯s health and frowned a bit.
¡°Engulfing Sea Ooze. 915/1,000 HP. 650/650 MP. Level ¨C 17.¡±
Cindy¡¯s magical attack had done seventy-five damage bringing its health to nine hundred and twenty-five. His attack had only done ten. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of his Debuff or if the Engulfing Sea Ooze¡¯s weakness had changed. He decided to ask to find out. ¡°Is this thing weak to Lightning Magic still or does it have a different weakness?¡± Liam shouted. Cindy jumped out of the way from a Medium Sea Slime¡¯s tendril attack. As she landed, she ran to her right and replied back in a shout, ¡°No, it still has the same weakness! However, it has a layer of defense to protect itself from magical attacks called Acid Cover. We need to break that down a bit before we can do real damage to it!¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Yeah!¡± Cindy replied as she sprinted towards the closest Medium Sea Slime and started swinging her sword through the gelatinous body. ¡°How do I know when the armor has been broken?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°When its body no longer looks like its melting. That¡¯s how you¡¯ll know!¡± Cindy answered as she jumped back to dodge another attack. ¡°Make sure when you do get that broken to not have any¡­¡± Before Liam could hear what else she had to say, he heard a hissing sound coming from the Engulfing Sea Ooze. Liam saw a small portion of its back start to swirl and steam. It was slow at first, but then started to pick up speed. Realizing the Ooze was about to do something, Liam sprinted to his left. As he did this, a thick line of liquid suddenly shot out from the spot that was swirling and landed right where he was once standing. Liam looked back at the spot and saw the area start to steam and hiss as the rocky surface began to dissolve. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam stated before he jumped three more times to his left. Three more streams of liquids aimed for the areas where he once stood allowing more liquid to melt the surface areas they landed on. ¡°Jesus fucking Christ,¡± Liam started to complain. ¡°How many times is it able to shoot that?¡± Liam watched as another swirl start to form on the creature¡¯s body. Not wanting to be in the creature¡¯s line of sight of that stream, Liam positioned him so that the two Medium Sea Slimes were between them. He thought that since those two were its minions the creature wouldn¡¯t¡­ Liam heard the Engulfing Sea Ooze fire another stream of its acidic liquid. He then saw steam start to roll off the two Medium Sea Slimes¡¯ bodies. ¡°Did it really just hit its own minions?¡± Liam questioned. Oozes view themselves as higher beings than their weaker counter parts like Slimes. Eri suddenly explained. While they were once Slimes themselves, they evolved into what they are and believe themselves to be the top of their species. They don¡¯t care what happens to their lower brethren. Liam thought about what she had just said. He didn¡¯t know how she would know what an Ooze would think, nor did he have time to question it. He did though think it was messed up for this creature to do that to its own kind. Regardless of if they evolved to something stronger. Liam watched as the Gravity Well suddenly winked out, allowing the two Medium Sea Slimes to freely move. However, before they could move out of the way, their bodies started to ripple violently. After a couple of seconds of rippling, both creatures exploded with a loud wet squelch and divided into twenty-four Small Sea Slimes. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam shouted as he started chanting his Electro Orb spell. He felt himself panic a bit and didn¡¯t pay attention to the amount of Lightning Mana he pushed into the spell. After he finished chanting he quickly fired the orb while dodging another acidic stream. He realized he didn¡¯t properly aim when he threw the orb and was worried he threw it way off the mark. However, as he rebalanced his footing he saw the Electro Orb had landed against the lower part of the Ooze. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. As it hit, Liam watched as thick sparks wrapped around the body of the Engulfing Sea Ooze causing it to make the skull, that was swimming where he believed the head section of the creature would be, to open its jaw wide. The gesture the skull was making made Liam think it looked to be in pain. Shortly after that several thick wild sparks of Lightning suddenly jumped from the Ooze and connected to several of the Small Sea Slimes that were around the body. These watery gelatinous bodies started foaming within as the lightning sparks that clashed on them started to fry them up. After the sparks disappeared, Liam noticed the Small Sea Slimes that were hit deflate as the health on the Engulfing Sea Ooze suddenly dropped.
¡°Engulfing Sea Ooze. 762/1,000 HP. 525/650 MP. Level ¨C 17.¡±
Liam looked at the Engulfing Sea Ooze and noticed something else. The waves that ran down its slimy body that gave it a melting effect had stopped. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Liam shouted with some accomplishment filling his chest. However, that feeling quickly disappeared as he heard Cindy suddenly shout at him. ¡°Kill those Small Slimes Liam!¡± Cindy shouted as she sent four Razor Wind strikes at a couple of the Small Sea Slimes that were in her sight. ¡°What?¡± Liam questioned as confusion settled. He then watched the Engulfing Sea Ooze suddenly turn around and face him. No, the creature wasn¡¯t looking at him. It was looking at the remaining seven Small Sea Slimes. Before Liam could think or say anything, the Engulfing Sea Ooze suddenly spread its entire body out like it was forming a slimy watery wall of ooze. The edges expanded far enough to block the seven Small Sea Slimes from moving around. Within a blink of an eye the Engulfing Sea Ooze rose high above the smaller creatures and, like a tidal wave, engulf the creatures into its body like a wave swallowing up a surfer. Liam grew confused as he stared at the monster. More confusion grew as he watched the creature rise a small portion up again with the skull at the top staring at Liam. Its body had once again started sliding down giving it the effect like it was melting. Not only that, but Liam noticed a change in its Health Pool.
¡°Engulfing Sea Ooze. 794/1,000 HP. 525/650 MP. Level ¨C 17.¡±
¡°What the fuck!?¡± Liam shouted. ¡°How did it heal?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was trying to tell you!¡± Cindy shouted. ¡°Once you damage it enough to cause its Acid Cover to breakdown you need to make sure it doesn¡¯t get anywhere near a slime. It engulfs them to bring its armor back and even heals itself a bit. The amount it heals depends on the size of the slime.¡± ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Liam replied as he looked back at the Engulfing Sea Ooze. He then saw the two pools in the front start to stir as a Medium Sea Slime emerged from both of them. Starting to feel a bit frustrated he asked, ¡°What do we do now? How can we prevent that from happening? These Slime keep coming back even after we kill them!¡± Cindy jumped to the side as she chanted her spell. After sending four sword length Wind slashes into a Medium Sea Slime and watching it explode into twelve smaller versions, she yelled out, ¡°Our only options are to keep attacking till that Ooze is dead or find a way to cover these pools to prevent anymore Slimes from coming out!¡± ¡°How the hell are we suppose to do that?¡± Liam grumbled as he took a second to look around. As he scanned the area he took in his surroundings. Besides the creatures that were spread out and the four pools of water, there wasn¡¯t anything that really stood out he could use to cover the pools. His Danger Sense flared up, making Liam subconsciously jump to his left to dodge. As he jumped out of the way he felt his side collide with the wall. He pressed his back up against it and saw two tendrils start to retract from where they had slammed down at. Each tendril steamed and started to melt at the tips while coming back to the main bodies. Liam found the cause of it was from the acidic liquid that was melting the ground where they had slammed onto. As Liam saw this, something caught his eye. He stared at the stalactites protruding from the Engulfing Sea Ooze¡¯s back. They weren¡¯t as long as they were when it first appeared as they slowly dissolve inside the main body. As he stared at them an idea formed. He then looked up and saw the stalactites hanging above their heads. There wasn¡¯t any that were overly huge, but they did have numbers. Enough numbers that could possibly cover whatever was underneath them. ¡°Cindy!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Kind of busy here!¡± Cindy grunted as she sliced through two Small Sea Slimes. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°The Stalactites!¡± Liam shouted as he jumped to the right then once more backwards to dodge two tendrils and a stream of acidic liquid. ¡°What?¡± Cindy replied as she gave him a confused look. ¡°We can use the stalactites above the pools to plug or cover them up!¡± Liam shouted as he ran for the other side of the room. Cindy looked up and saw what he was talking about. ¡°Good idea! I¡¯ll get this side while you get that side!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Liam responded as he ran to the other side, dodging that attacks that were sent his way while jumping over the areas the acidic liquid was still melting in. He got into a position on the left side of the room, aimed for the area above the pool on the right side of the room and chanted, ¡°Gather forth, Oh, vast Arcana. When single is ineffective, dive in with numbers! Release the pent-up anger of the mass. Arcane Swarm!¡± A dark violet sphere the size of a coin appeared. With each word that escaped out of Liam¡¯s mouth, the coin sized sphere grew larger and larger until it became the size of a beachball. The sphere then started to swirl quickly. After he finished the chant seven-coin sized spheres appeared around the edge of the swirling dark violet beachball. Lines connected with the smaller spheres before streams of arcane power swiftly shot out in different intervals straight for the stalactites. Dust and loose rubble exploded as the magical attack slammed into the area. The ceiling rumbled as stalactites of different sizes started to fall down on top of the pool. Liam grew worried as the Ooze and Slimes started to turn to look at him. He willed himself to keep going, praying the spell would hurry and finish before he had to move. His panic started to grow as he watched the liquid in the Ooze¡¯s chest area started to swirl and tendrils from the two Medium Sea Slimes began to protrude from their bodies. A large explosion erupted as the last bit of the Arcane Swarm spell pushed out the last bit of streams and destroyed a big enough chunk of stone and stalactites to fall down and cover the pool. Liam swiftly jumped out of the way to dodge the incoming attacks right as the tendrils and stream of liquid almost collided into him. After rolling he felt his head start to swirl as he noticed his Mana Pool dipped to the twenties. He quickly pulled out a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion and downed it. After finishing the contents, he channeled his Lightning Mana as quickly as he could and chanted the Electro Orb spell. He went to push the Lightning Mana he channeled into the spell hastily as he watched the creatures start their attacks once more. After finishing the chant he threw the orb at the Engulfing Sea Ooze again and jumped out of the way. After getting out of the way he once more saw the spell pack a bigger punch than his first few attempts. It once again tore the Acid Cover off of the Ooze while the wild sparks caused enough damage to explode both Medium Sea Slimes into twenty four Small Sea Slimes. Confused, he looked at his Debuff to see if it had decreased to the first level, but was disappointed as it was still in the second level. Why is it doing so much damage if my stats are still effected? Liam thought. Before he could continue his question in his mind, he heard a loud boom from the back of the room. He looked to see Cindy throwing her Razor Wind ability at the stalactites above the left backside pool. His attention was then turned towards the Ooze and the two dozen Small Sea Slimes that were scattered about. No time to be distracted. I need to get this done now. Liam thought to himself as he chanted his Arcane Swarm spell and aimed for the area above the last pool on his side. The Engulfing Sea Ooze taking the time to engulf the slimes that were close enough to it was an opportunity he wasn¡¯t going to let slip as he watched the streams swiftly fly out and collide into the ceiling. Right as the Engulfing Sea Ooze finished swallowing the slimes it was able to engulf with its body, recover itself with its Acidic Cover and reform its body to stare at Liam, the last streams from his spell finished as chunks of rocks and stalactites covered the pool. Liam jumped out of the way as a stream of acidic liquid shot out at him. As he rolled to his feet he looked to see how many slimes were left on his side. Four Small Sea Slimes moved slowly towards him. He looked at the back room and noticed Cindy was finishing off the last few Small Sea Slimes on her side. ¡°How does it look?¡± Liam asked as he dodged another stream. ¡°Is it working?¡± Cindy turned to look at one of the pools she had covered. The rocks and stalactites shuddered and shook, but nothing escaped. Liam looked at the right front pool and saw the same thing. ¡°It works!¡± Cindy yelled with a grin on her face. ¡°Good!¡± Liam replied as he dodged once more. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this asshole!¡± ¡°We need something powerful enough to destroy its¡­,¡± Cindy started to say until both she and Liam noticed an odd behavior in the Engulfing Sea Ooze. Liam watched as the Ooze disregarded him and looked at pool in the right front of the room. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he watched the chest area of the creature start to swirl. It took only a moment for him to realize what it was about to do as it shot out a stream of acidic liquid right for the barricade he had made over the pool. Steam started to flow as the liquid landed on some of the rocks and stalactites. ¡°Shit! We need to take it down now before it melts those rocks!¡± Liam shouted as he started to chant an Electro Orb spell. Cindy and he released their spells right at the creature. After their spells landed Liam grew confused as the Acid Cover was still covering the Ooze¡¯s body. ¡°What the hell?¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it packing as big as a punch as it was before?¡± ¡°Liam!¡± Cindy shouted as the Ooze turned its body and shot a stream of its liquid right at the pool by her. ¡°Do you have anything that packs a punch? Or maybe use one of your Gravity spells to slow it down?¡± Liam could use his Gravity Well spell to stop it from moving around and trying to dissolve the rocky covers they made over the pools, but without a spell that can quickly destroy that Acid Cover armor it would be just a matter of seconds before more Medium Sea Slimes could escape their prison and heal the creature. A thought suddenly popped inside Liam¡¯s head. He might not know how he was able to cause so much damage earlier and a single Gravity spell would only delay the creature, but why waste the mana in doing two things when he could use an item that could do both. Liam searched his inventory to look for an item he had received as a present. As he searched for it he felt something suddenly wrap around his right leg. He looked down to see one of the Small Sea Slimes had tried to wrap itself around his foot. He quickly yanked his foot free from the creature and ran to the right to get a bit farther away. As he ran he finished his search and found what he was looking for.
¡°Weak Magnetic Shockwave. Item type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C Pulls any enemies within a 5 foot radius towards the gravity ball in the center. After a few seconds pass, a powerful shockwave will shoot out sending arcs of lightning towards the enemies. Arcs of lightning will also bounce off from one enemy to the next for ten seconds. Gravitational Force Debuff will be applied to any enemy still alive. Lasts for 30 seconds. 5% chance to paralyze enemies still alive. Lasts for 15 seconds.*¡±
¡°This should do the trick,¡± Liam muttered as he looked back at the Engulfing Sea Ooze and yelled out, ¡°Get back Cindy!¡± Without waiting for a reply, Liam threw the vial right in front of the creature and watched as a pitch black orb the size of a basketball suddenly rise up from the ground and started to suck the Engulfing Sea Ooze and a couple of the remaining Small Sea Slimes towards it. After a few seconds passed the orb suddenly flashed and sent a shockwave of lighting out washing over all the creatures within it. After the shockwave dispersed, lighting suddenly bounced from the Engulfing Sea Ooze to the Small Sea Slimes that barely lived. It bounced over them a couple of times adding more damage to their already poor looking state. Liam looked at the Engulfing Sea Ooze¡¯s health and grinned.
¡°Engulfing Sea Ooze. 494/1,000 HP. 271/650 MP. Level ¨C 17.¡±
Not only had the creature¡¯s health dropped, but so did its Acid Cover. ¡°Let loose!¡± Liam shouted as he channeled in as much Arcane mana as he could before chanting his Arcane Swarm spell. Cindy on the other side of the room channeled in Air Mana before chanting one of her Air Magic spells. After that they let loose their attacks and kept at it. Releasing spell after spell, Liam stopped only to drink a Mana Potion before channeling and chanting another spell. They kept up the barrage as much as they could, trying to keep the Ooze from spraying any of its acidic liquid to free the Medium Sea Slimes. After the fifth volley on both sides a long awaited notification appeared in front of their view as a chime echoed in his mind.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated the Dungeon Boss, Engulfing Sea Ooze of the Seaside Cave of the Water Slimes!¡±
Adventure 165 - More Loot and knowledge to learn Liam panted as he brought his hands to his knees. Even though he didn¡¯t fight like he normally did, he still felt tired. He looked at his resources and noticed his Mana Pool and Stamina Bar were close to a quarter left. He pulled out a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion and a Weak Orange Stamina Potion and drank them. As he drank the two potions, he heard a few chimes echoing in his mind as notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Arcane Swarm has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 29%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of the Elements Focus Point ¨C Lightning has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 67%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Electro Orb has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 67%! You can now create two orbs of lighting!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your understanding on manipulating Lightning Mana has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 12%!¡±
As Liam stared at the notifications he thought about how far behind his Arcane and Lightning magic was compared to his Shadow and Gravity. While he was around others he couldn¡¯t use his Shadow or Lunar because they would raise some questions from what he was told. While his Gravity was okay to use his Lightning really needed to be worked on. The paralyzing effects it could apply was very handy when fighting monsters susceptible to it. Until he found some place he could use to train both his Shadow and Lunar magic he would have to work on raising his Lightning magic while getting his Gravity to level twenty. He was brought out of his thoughts suddenly as a new notification popped up.
¡°Completion of Dungeon ¨C Seaside Cave of the Sea Slimes has been recorded in your Adventurer¡¯s Identification card. All monsters defeated have been recorded in your Adventurer¡¯s Identification card.¡± ¡°New addition unlocked on your Adventurer¡¯s Identification card. Slayed Monsters. The Slayed Monsters feature allows you to keep track of all monsters slain while inside or outside of dungeons.¡±
¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Liam muttered to himself. He then turned to Cindy who was making her way to him. He noticed she was thinking about something, but before asking what it was that was on her mind he wanted to know more about this new feature. ¡°Hey Cindy?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Cindy replied as she was brought out of her thoughts and looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I just got a notification about unlocking a new feature on my A.I.D. called Slayed Monsters and was wondering why it just appeared now and not when I killed the first Slime back on the first floor?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah for some reason it only appears after you complete your first dungeon,¡± Cindy started. ¡°It¡¯s a feature that helps keep track all of the monsters you have killed or were a part of helping kill. In that section if you click on the monster it¡¯ll show their level and dungeon you killed them in. It also adds monsters you killed outside of dungeons as well.¡± ¡°Does it also add in the monsters from the tutorial dungeon I conquered? Since it shows in the Dungeon Section that I completed that one?¡± Liam asked curiously. Cindy shook her head. ¡°No. Since you didn¡¯t have the A.I.D. during that time it doesn¡¯t know what you fought or killed. The only reason why it shows you conquered that dungeon is because after you informed the Adventurers Association they put it on there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Liam said, sighing in relief internally. He was relieved to know that because if the association wanted to see what he had killed, he didn¡¯t want to have to explain why he had those monsters on his list. Liam looked back at Cindy who was staring back at the Engulfing Sea Ooze. He could tell there was something on her mind about it, so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Cindy questioned as she looked back at Liam. She could see he was curious about something then noticed she had a hand to her chin. ¡°Oh, I was just trying to think about why the monsters on this floor were stronger than usual. It¡¯s almost like¡­¡± Liam noticed Cindy give a look like a light bulb suddenly clicked on. ¡°Fuck me, I¡¯m such an idiot,¡± Cindy suddenly cursed. ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam questioned feeling a bit confused. ¡°Well, as I was saying, I was thinking that the levels on the first two floors weren¡¯t exactly what they were supposed to be, but the levels weren¡¯t really too high to note. Normally the first floor monsters are level three to four. The second floor monsters are usually around six to seven, but majority of them were at least a level or two higher than normal,¡± Cindy started. Liam nodded as he kept listening. ¡°The monsters¡¯ levels on this floor are supposed to be eight with the floor boss being level ten,¡± Cindy continued. ¡°After seeing the regular monsters on this floor¡¯s level being at thirteen I thought it was rather strange. Not only that, but for the Dungeon Boss to be an Engulfing Sea Ooze? That was a twist. However, I had completely forgotten something so basic.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Liam questioned as he raised a brow. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve done this dungeon a few times before. The last two floors just once, but this one I¡¯ve done at least six or seven times whenever I just want to get some slime materials and not deal with any other monsters,¡± Cindy stated. Liam looked confused at what she meant. He wasn¡¯t sure what her coming to this floor a few times had to do with the monsters¡¯ levels being a bit higher than normal. ¡°Monsters¡¯ levels raise if you go back to a floor you have done before,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°That is a thing for all dungeon types except for Free Roam and Raid type dungeons.¡± Liam raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use Tower Dungeons as an example. These types of Dungeons have this mechanism where if you and a party take on a floor that you or anyone else has completed before then the levels of the monsters will rise,¡± Cindy explained with a confused look. ¡°Didn¡¯t the overseers tell you this when you were in the Tutorial Area?¡± Liam thought about it. He tried to remember if they did and remembered they had talked about the dungeons, but couldn¡¯t remember for sure if they had. Instead, he shrugged and answered, ¡°They might have, but can you refresh my memory?¡± Cindy shook her head. ¡°Ok, so it¡¯s like this. We¡¯re going to use this dungeon for the example. Say you do this dungeon with a group of people. The level of the monsters are¡­let¡¯s say three.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°After completing the dungeon, you decide you¡¯re going to take on this dungeon again. Now the levels of the monsters are four or five. Then the next time it¡¯s six or seven,¡± Cindy said. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. ¡°Are you saying the dungeon will make the levels of the monsters higher each time I come to take it on?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Cindy nodded. ¡°The amount of levels that is risen depends on how many times you take it on, and it affects the floors not the whole thing. Coming here to this floor reminded me of that.¡± ¡°Ok, but I haven¡¯t taken this dungeon on before. Why does it still raise the levels even though this is my first time?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Same rules applies even if there is a member on the team who hasn¡¯t taken the dungeon on before,¡± Cindy started back up. ¡°The same could be said about floors. Say there is a party who takes on a Tower dungeon with seven floors. They make it to floor three and a member or two decides they don¡¯t want to continue. The members they replace them with have to have reached the same floor or higher. If someone has never taken that dungeon on before and tries to join that party, the dungeon will reject their access to that floor until they reach it.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Liam said as he tried thinking about it. ¡°Do you know why that happens?¡± Cindy shrugged as she shook her head. ¡°No clue. I know there are people researching into it. If they know they haven¡¯t told anyone.¡± ¡°Hm¡­I see,¡± Liam muttered. He looked at the creature once more and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never harvested an Ooze before. Is the process similar to a slime? Will it call upon my knowledge of harvesting Slimes or is it different?¡± Cindy gave him a smile as she replied, ¡°They are different, but there is a prerequisite when harvesting oozes. You need to have a certain amount of knowledge on harvesting slimes at least to the point where you don¡¯t need to place your hand in them anymore and just have the materials flow into vials.¡± Liam gave her a confused look. ¡°Why do you need to have that amount of knowledge on slimes if they are completely different?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because an Ooze is an evolved variant of a slime,¡± Cindy started explaining. ¡°A slime can evolve into different versions and an ooze is one of them. They are the acidic version. You never want to place a hand in them to harvest them because the acid that still remains in their body, even after the Acid Cover is broken, can cause a lot of harm.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at that. He looked back at the creature and said, ¡°Good to know.¡± ¡°Go ahead and loot the slimes outside this boss room and harvest them. You should gain enough understanding to be able to harvest this boss monster,¡± Cindy instructed. ¡°After that we¡¯ll go grab some lunch. This took a bit longer than I was hoping. After lunch we¡¯ll take on a Free Roam Dungeon.¡± She brought a hand to her chin and thought some things over. After she came to a conclusion she announced, ¡°We¡¯ll probably have to hit up some more dungeons tomorrow to gather more supplies. So today let¡¯s take it slow so you can get used to things.¡± Liam nodded as he started walking towards the open door. ¡°Alright sounds good to me.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It took another thirty minutes for Liam to collect and harvest all the slimes outside the boss¡¯s room and harvest the Engulfing Sea Ooze. The material he was able to harvest from the Engulfing Sea Ooze was completely different from the slimes. While the materials he harvested from the slimes were Slime Liquid and Slime Mucus, the Ooze provided three vials of Acidic Ooze Liquid. Cindy informed him that this material wasn¡¯t used in potions or Medicinal Creation items but rather for Poison Crafting and Chemicalized Creations. She told him he could keep it as a reward for killing his first Ooze. Speaking of killing the Ooze and a reward. When he looted the Engulfing Sea Ooze he had received two items that Cindy told him he could keep.
¡°Skull of the Engulfing Sea Ooze. Item type ¨C Material (Crafting). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor.¡± ¡°Cloak of Acidic Cover. Item type ¨C Armor (Back). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor. + 7 Armor. Effect ¨C Acidic Cover. Acidic Cover ¨C Creates a layer of translucent acid armor over the wearer¡¯s body. The acid armor does not harm the wearer nor melts any of their armor. Can absorb up to 500 physical and magical damage. Dampens Apprentice to Beginner Water type magic by 50%. Weak against Lightning and Plant type magic. Causes Acid Damage to anyone who physically touches the wearer.¡±
The armor the cloak provided wasn¡¯t as good as his old Cowl of the Haunted he used to have before it had been destroyed by the Mummy Rot the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord used on him, but it was better than nothing. The design of it was simple. It was a dark sea blue hooded cloak that felt silky and smooth. Even though the color wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d have preferred, it felt light and was easy to move around with. Liam and Cindy didn¡¯t waste time staying in the dungeon after everything was done. The moment they walked out through the portal he noticed there were less people than there were earlier. It wasn¡¯t by much, but there was more room to walk around in and he was able to see more of the room. Thanks to this he noticed a few pitch-black small creatures scurrying around the walls of the room making their way for the closed door he saw the first one entered earlier. I wonder what that¡¯s all about. Liam frowned. He decided not to give it any more attention as he tried to catch up with Cindy who wasn¡¯t wasting any time leaving the building. As they made their way down the stairs and onto the street towards the Adventurers Association building Cindy spoke up, ¡°I think we have enough Slime Liquids for now. The next dungeon we enter we¡¯ll collect some bones through killing monsters and a few other items.¡± Liam¡¯s mind suddenly swirled as he thought about harvesting bones from creatures. After learning that his old class ability Harvest before evolving spared him the time from having to do everything manually and thinking about how he had to harvest Slimes; images of him having to pull bones out from the dead creatures filled his mind. He felt a bit sick after thinking about that and asked Cindy, ¡°Am I going to have to learn how to pull bones out of creatures manually?¡± Cindy turned to look at him. She must have noticed the look of disgust on his face because she started laughing. ¡°Heavens no. There are a couple different ways of retrieving bones from killed creatures. Depending on the type of monster will determine the method. One such method is used on animal-like creatures. If you have the skill Butcher from the Chef Craft then bones will be received as materials when you separate the meat from the bones.¡± Liam felt a bit relieved to hear the first method. He had the skill and even had it at level ten. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll need to have the Gathering Craft Skinning in order to do that since Butcher requires you to have the skin off the targeted materials. At least that is what I have heard,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°However, that way is a long process since you need to skin and butcher before you get the materials. Depending on the monster killed it is possible to place the bodies in your inventory or a bag with a subspace in it suitable enough to carry it in. But larger creatures you¡¯d have to do the entire process there.¡± Liam nodded understanding what she was saying. Smaller animals were possible to take care of later while larger ones needed to be done in the dungeon. Maybe if he got the skill high enough he¡¯d be able to do it quicker, but at a measly level ten¡­it would probably take too long. Adding in the fact his Skinning ability wasn¡¯t that high too, he¡¯d need to find and pack away small creatures that he killed in the next dungeon to practice the craft. ¡°What¡¯s the other method?¡± Liam asked, hoping it wouldn¡¯t require him to just shove his hand right into the body and try to yank the bones out. He was really hoping it wouldn¡¯t come to that. ¡°It¡¯s simple really,¡± Cindy started. ¡°Especially with humanoid like creatures. You just receive it as loot.¡± Liam suddenly stopped walking. Cindy turned to look at him and noticed the look on his face. It said are you serious? ¡°It can¡¯t be that easy?¡± Liam finally said. ¡°You¡¯re right. Not all loot will give you bones so it¡¯s a gamble on if you¡¯ll get that material or not,¡± Cindy clarified with a smile. ¡°Why? Did you think it would require a different way? One more¡­bloody?¡± Liam looked abashed as he said, ¡°No¡­maybe.¡± Cindy laughed out loud as she watched Liam look embarrassed as they started walking again. ¡°Gathering bones is one of the many materials that fall in the unorthodox way of collecting. Besides the first method I mentioned, I haven¡¯t really heard of any other way.¡± Cindy suddenly looked up as a thought came to mind. ¡°Sorry, there is another, but I¡¯ve only heard rumors of it and haven¡¯t seen it myself.¡± Liam gave her a quizzical look as he inquired, ¡°What way is that?¡± ¡°There is a couple of classes that get the Harvest skill as a Class ability,¡± Cindy started. ¡°I heard that it bypasses the manual methods of the skill you gain through the Focus Point Gathering Craft and automatically gives you materials. But I haven¡¯t seen nor heard of anyone ever having that before so I¡¯m not sure if its real or just super rare to have.¡± Liam internally groaned as he listened to Cindy. If he knew about the difference between the class ability and the Focus Point skill he would have tried to make sure he wouldn¡¯t have lost it. ¡°Oh well,¡± Liam quietly muttered. ¡°No point crying over spilt milk.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Cindy asked as they slowly approached the Adventurers Association building. ¡°Nothing,¡± Liam said with a shake of his head. As they came up to the doors of the building, Liam turned his head to look right as two familiar people made their way to the doors as well. With a smile he greeted, ¡°Hey, fancy meeting you two here. What are you both up to?¡± Cindy turned to look at who he was greeting. One was a girl who stood a little shorter than Liam. She had shoulder length dirty blond hair and hazel eyes. She wore casual clothing. Next to her was a Fox-folk male with messy red hair and had deep blue eyes. He too, wore casual clothing. ¡°Liam?¡± Mila said as she got a good look at him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Yo,¡± Alv greeted with a slight smile to his stoic face. ¡°Not much just about to grab some lunch with Cindy here,¡± Liam stated as he nodded his head to her. Mila and Alv turned to look at her. Cindy looked them up and down and grew curious. She then greeted, ¡°Hello, I am Cindy.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you Cindy. I¡¯m Mila,¡± Mila greeted with a smile. ¡°Alv,¡± Alve responded as he looked at her. ¡°Are these friends of yours?¡± Cindy asked with a curious look. Liam and Mila laughed a bit. ¡°No, Mila is my cousin and Alv is a member from her group,¡± Liam explained. ¡°Oh,¡± Cindy stated as she understood why he was friendly with the girl. ¡°How do you know my cousin?¡± Mila asked with a mischievous grin. ¡°Are you perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Cindy here is helping me with understanding how dungeons work while I help by gathering materials for her and her uncle¡¯s shop,¡± Liam explained as he shook his head at Mila¡¯s misunderstanding. ¡°Oh?¡± Mila said as her grin deepened a bit while slightly chuckling. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liam sighed before reprimanding her. ¡°Don¡¯t go around making things uncomfortable for her.¡± ¡°Hey Liam,¡± Alv started as he shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s up Alv?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d have any time to make more of those potions you sold us the other day,¡± Alv stated. ¡°We tried them out while taking on a couple quests yesterday and are starting to grow low on stock. I think Alphonse or Molly might have some materials you can use, but I can ask them later.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to make more, but¡­,¡± Liam started. ¡°I do have some over at her uncle¡¯s shop. I¡¯m selling them through there right now whenever I make big batches. I don¡¯t know if they have any on the shelves yet, but maybe¡­¡± He then looked at Cindy for confirmation. Cindy understood what he was wondering. ¡°To my knowledge I think my uncle was going to stock them tonight after the store closed since he and Abby were trying to figure out where to place them. However, if you tell him that I sent you as well as Mila saying she is Liam¡¯s cousin I am sure he will sell you some today.¡± Alv nodded. ¡°That sounds good. Thank you.¡± Cindy shook her head. ¡°Not a problem.¡± Liam gave them a smile as he replied, ¡°When I have some free time I¡¯ll search for you guys and get those materials and make you some later. For now, just go with what Cindy said.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Mila nodded before looking at Cindy. ¡°Thank you for allowing my cousin to sell his wares at your uncle¡¯s shop. I don¡¯t know much about the crafter side of things, but I know there is a lot of process to go through in order to do it.¡± Cindy smiled. ¡°There is, but I¡¯m sure it will all be worth it.¡± Mila nodded once more before saying loudly. ¡°I¡¯m hungry why don¡¯t we get a table and get some food.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Liam said as they all walked in. Adventure 166 – I highly recommend you don’t Liam followed Cindy, Mila, and Alv into the Adventurers Association building. Inside the building there were a lot of people looking for quests at the billboards and more in line to speak with the receptionists. ¡°Looks pretty busy right now,¡± Alv muttered. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know if there is any room for us anywhere,¡± Mila agreed. Liam turned to look at the area with tables and saw almost all the tables were full. There were some tables that had open spaces around them, but still were occupied. As they looked to see if there were any with enough space, Liam noticed a hand rise up and wave in their direction. Liam smiled as he recognized who it belonged to. He then turned to Mila and others while saying, ¡°We might be in luck.¡± The three looked at him as he started walking. Mila, with a confused look, turned in the direction he was walking in and was surprised. She started walking with Alv and Cindy close behind her. ¡°What¡¯s up Liam?¡± Waylon greeted as Liam approached the table he and Knox were sitting at. ¡°Not much,¡± Liam responded as he gave the two men a smile. ¡°Just came by to grab some lunch with Cindy, Mila, and Alv, one of her teammates.¡± ¡°Mila?¡± Knox questioned. ¡°As in your cousin Mila?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Mila greeted with a warm smile. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Waylon yelled as both he and Knox smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you guys were here too,¡± Mila said as she walked and gave both sitting men a hug. ¡°How long have you been here on Paracosm?¡± ¡°For a couple years¡­I think,¡± Waylon said as he thought about it. ¡°Has it already been a couple of years Knox?¡± ¡°I believe so,¡± Know replied before asking, ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°Less then two more than a year and a half,¡± Mila answered. ¡°Anyways, it looks like you guys have some room. Mind if we sit with you?¡± ¡°Go right ahead,¡± Waylon stated as he gestured to the seats. ¡°We have a couple more people coming but there should be enough seats here at the table.¡± Mila grabbed the seat next to Waylon as Alv grabbed the one next to her. Liam sat next to Knox as Cindy sat next to him. Alv nodded as he looked at both men and said as he eyed them, ¡°I¡¯m Alv. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Knox,¡± Knox nodded back. ¡°Waylon,¡± Waylon replied as he gave him a short wave. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how do you know Mila?¡± Alv asked. ¡°Waylon and Knox are Liam¡¯s friends from our home world. I know them through him,¡± Mila said as she smiled. She then looked at Knox and Waylon and questioned, ¡°Are any of the others here too?¡± ¡°Levi and Wyatt?¡± Knox asked. He then nodded, ¡°Yeah but they¡¯re back in Lystia taking care of some things.¡± ¡°Lystia?¡± Liam questioned as he raised a brow. ¡°It¡¯s an Adventurer city in the Human territory,¡± Knox responded. ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool. The entire city is run by and made by adventurers. You¡¯ll have to check it out some time.¡± Liam nodded as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll add it to a list of places to see.¡± ¡°If you¡¯d like I can tell you some other places you need to check out,¡± Waylon suggested. ¡°I know a few I think you¡¯d really like.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Liam smiled as he gave a nod of appreciation. ¡°Afternoon folks,¡± a lady greeted as she arrived at the table. She wore the same uniform Liam had seen the Adventurers Association employees wore. In her hand was a small notebook that flipped open. ¡°Can I get you something to drink? Maybe something to eat as well?¡± ¡°Waylon and I are waiting on a couple more, but they might want to order something now, ¡°Knox said as he gave the woman a wide smile. Liam and the other three placed an order. Liam took the recommended sandwich Waylon insisted on him getting. It was a lemon season grilled chicken with lettuce, tomato, and a house dressing. It sounded good to him, so he got it. ¡°So, what are you guys up to today?¡± Knox asked before grabbing his cup and taking a sip as the waitress walked away. ¡°Cindy and I just got back from taking on a dungeon,¡± Liam said. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Waylon started. ¡°You were helping Cindy collect some materials right? How¡¯d it go? What dungeon did you guys take on?¡± ¡°It went¡­alright,¡± Liam replied as he looked at Cindy. ¡°We took on a Blue Dungeon called the Seaside Cave of the Sea Slimes.¡± ¡°I remember my first Slime dungeon,¡± Knox stated with a light chuckle. ¡°I take it that it went smoothly?¡± Waylon said, ignoring his friend. ¡°You could say that,¡± Liam smiled. Knox and Waylon raised a brow. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Mila questioned as she grew curious. Before Liam could dismiss it, Cindy sighed and said, ¡°I made a mistake and forgot about one of the most basic dungeon rules.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mila asked. ¡°What rule?¡± ¡°I brought him to a dungeon I had completed a few times already,¡± Cindy said looking ashamed. ¡°Oh,¡± Knox started. ¡°Well at least it was in a low leveled Slime dungeon. What¡¯s the worst that could happen? You fight more Slimes?¡± ¡°Well, it turns out that¡¯s half right,¡± Liam said as he gave Cindy a playful smile. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alv inquired, curious to know. ¡°The Dungeon Boss ended up being a Swarm type boss and it wasn¡¯t a Slime¡­,¡± Cindy started to say. ¡°It was an Engulfing Sea Ooze.¡± Alv¡¯s, Knox¡¯s, Mila¡¯s, and Waylon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Alv questioned. Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah. It was kind of fun to be honest.¡± Cindy gave Liam a look that was a mix of a frown and confusion. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been fun if we didn¡¯t figure it out as quickly as we did. It could have dropped on top of us and killed us. Or we could have died from a swarm of Slimes.¡± ¡°But we didn¡¯t though,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It was a good learning experience on my part. Definitely different than fighting skeletons and zombies.¡± ¡°What dungeons have those?¡± Mila asked as she gave Liam a confused look. ¡°You¡¯ve fought in a Black Dungeon before?¡± Knox asked Liam while raising a brow. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°That was the dungeon I was assigned to back in the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°Oof,¡± Waylon said. ¡°That must have been rough. I heard skeletons are hard to fight against.¡± ¡°They can be, but after fighting so many you start to learn what is best to use against them,¡± Liam nodded in agreement. ¡°What about you Mila?¡± Knox said, changing the topic. ¡°My team and I are taking a break from doing some quests right now,¡± Mila responded. ¡°Alv and I were doing some shopping for new armor since our last dungeon run lead to some pieces being too damaged to repair.¡± ¡°Sounds like fun,¡± Knox stated. ¡°What class did you get?¡± Waylon questioned giving her a curious look. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I¡¯m a Beast Illusionist,¡± Mila replied. ¡°Alv here, is a Stone Guardian.¡± ¡°Hm, never heard of those classes before,¡± Knox said as he looked at them with a curious look. ¡°What do they entail. I mean I can guess the illusionist part in yours and I can draw an idea from the name Stone Guardian, but what are their focuses?¡± ¡°As you can guess from the name, my class involves both Taming and Illusion magic,¡± Mila started. ¡°Of course, I had to get my Focus Points Illusion Manipulation and Beast Control to Apprentice level in order to get the class. There was also a couple of other things, but a girl needs to have her secrets.¡± Mila winked. Knox and Waylon chuckled at her. ¡°Alv here though can tell you about his,¡± Mila stated as she looked at him. Alv looked at Mila before letting out a sigh. He then responded, ¡°As you can guess, the guardian part is linked to the defender style class. The stone part is from me working on my Earth magic. When I got it at Apprentice level and got the Advanced Study of Geomancy I received this class. I¡¯ve had it for some time now. I have idea where I want to take it, but it¡¯ll take some time before I get to my next class evolution.¡± ¡°So essentially you¡¯re a tank with an earth magic focus?¡± Knox questioned as he gave Alv an approving nod. ¡°It sounds pretty tough to be honest.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Mila said as she gave Alv a pat on the back. ¡°He¡¯s one hell of a defender. It¡¯s hard for some monsters to get past his defenses, especially when he uses his earth magic.¡± Alv looked down at the table, blushing. ¡°What about you guys?¡± Mila asked, bringing the attention towards the two men. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to brag or anything, but I¡¯m a Mageblade,¡± Knox stated as he gave everyone a wide grin while bringing his right hand up and looking at his nails. Liam shook his head as he watched his old friend look like a fool. He then said with a wry smile and a mock tone of astonishment, ¡°You don¡¯t say. That¡¯s awesome! Oh no. Should I bow to your awesomeness? Or better yet, should I find a tall hill and shout, Look out world, I¡¯m friends with a Mageblade!¡± Knox shoved Liam as they both chuckled. ¡°Asshole,¡± Knox grinned. Liam laughed a bit before saying, ¡°Seriously though. What¡¯s a Mageblade?¡± ¡°A Mageblade is a class that is both weapon and magic focused,¡± Waylon started. ¡°Way to simplify it,¡± Knox stated as he gave Waylon a faux frown. ¡°It¡¯s almost exactly what he said except, you need to have any bladed weapon skill at least at level thirty. You also need to have one or more elemental type magic at Journeyman level or higher and Advanced Study in said elemental magic at Apprentice level or higher.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Liam said as he nodded his head and gave Knox an impressed look. ¡°That¡¯s not all though,¡± Knox added. ¡°You need the Mana Type Manipulation of said element or elements at least level thirty. The reason for it is because the class helps you channel the element easier through the bladed weapon you are using. For example, the weapons I generally use are swords and lances. The elements I focused on are Fire and Lightning.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± Liam stated. He then looked at Waylon, waiting for him to reveal his class. ¡°I¡¯m a Hydro Pally,¡± Waylon said as he gave Liam a smile. ¡°I thought you¡¯d go paladin since that was your class in most games we used to play,¡± Liam said. ¡°But what¡¯s with the Hydro part?¡± ¡°The Hydro part is because I use Water Magic and focused on it more than my other magics,¡± Waylon said. He then saw the look in Liam¡¯s face and swiftly said, ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡± Liam asked trying to hold back a laugh. ¡°I know that look and I have an idea what you¡¯re going to say so don¡¯t say it,¡± Waylon said as he narrowed his eyes. Everyone looked at the two with a confused look. ¡°I¡¯m lost,¡± Mila stated as she looked at the others. ¡°Do you know what he is thinking?¡± Cindy and Alv shook their heads as they look just as confused as her. As Knox looked at Liam, he understood what was going on. With a mischievous look on his face he said, ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking Liam. He does make people feel better by getting them wet.¡± ¡°Oh god damn it,¡± Waylon suddenly stated as he turned his attention onto Knox. ¡°You make my class sound so dirty.¡± Mila¡¯s and Cindy¡¯s mouths dropped as understanding what he was implying hit them. Alv swiftly brought a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. ¡°My class is a mix of three things,¡± Waylon started back up trying to change the topic. ¡°A defender type style with both healing and water magic mixed in. Some of my water magic has healing properties as well as defensive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool. I didn¡¯t know you could do something like that,¡± Liam said with a look of astonishment. ¡°You¡¯ll learn more on how to do stuff like that when you get higher in levels,¡± Waylon said. ¡°If you have any magic you like I suggest you study them and work on them. Understand how they work through practice and manipulating them. After you do that for so long you¡¯ll be able to mix magics together.¡± Liam stared at him as he listened. A sudden thought popped in his head. Without thinking he asked, ¡°What level are you?¡± ¡°Like personal or my magic and skills?¡± Waylon asked. ¡°Which ever you feel like telling me,¡± Liam said. ¡°My personal level is thirty five,¡± Waylon stated. ¡°I would be higher, but I took a break from leveling my personal level to focus more on my magic and skills. Both of those help with class evolutions.¡± ¡°Good to know,¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m at level thirty six,¡± Knox suddenly said while giving a look of accomplishment of being a higher level than his friend. Liam shook his head. ¡°What about you Liam?¡± Mila suddenly asked. ¡°What¡¯s your class?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Knox said, looking curious. ¡°I see you¡¯re using leather type armor. Are you a rogue or archer type class?¡± Liam, now feeling a bit self-conscious, thought about what he was going to say. His class had evolved from Crafter to Spirit Weaver, but he had been telling others after coming here that he was a Crafter so he wouldn¡¯t bring attention. But these were his friends and family. Alv and Cindy were people he had just recently met, but Mila trusted Alv. As for Cindy, she was helpful and didn¡¯t seem like someone who would go around blabbing about his class. Could he reveal his real class?
¡°I know you¡¯re considering it, but I highly recommend you don¡¯t. ¨C Eri.¡±
The text notification almost scared Liam. He had almost forgotten about the way Eri communicated with him when he wasn¡¯t in a dungeon. But they are my friends and family. Liam said to her. Why should I keep something like that a secret from them when they divulged not only their classes, but how they got them?
¡°Two reasons. First, you don¡¯t know who is listening in on your conversation. Second, this one is more towards your friends than your family, people change. Especially after not seeing them for a couple of years. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam knew what she was saying was true, but they didn¡¯t act any differently than the last time he saw them. He contemplated what she said. He knew what Eri had said held a lot of merit, but there was a small part of him that wanted to think that they were the same guys he was friends with before they left and came here. It might be a futile wish and he knew it was. However, he also knew Eri had been right so far about things and if she said to do something then he needed to listen. He sighed internally before saying to Eri, Alright. We¡¯ll do this your way.
¡°Good call. ¨C Eri.¡±
The others watched as a few different emotions ran over Liam¡¯s face while he sat there. They were confused why he would take so long to tell them what his class was. ¡°You alright man?¡± Waylon questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t think we asked a hard question.¡± ¡°Yeah, if you¡¯re worried because you still have a starting class then you don¡¯t have to worry about it. We just wanted to see what class you were,¡± Knox added. ¡°Knowing what class you are can help us try and see where you would fit in with our party.¡± ¡°Fit in your party?¡± Liam said as he raised a brow. ¡°Yeah. We have a good party right now,¡± Waylon said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯d want me to join your party? I¡¯m still pretty low leveled right now so wouldn¡¯t it clash with you guys and how high leveled you are?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry about stuff like that,¡± Knox said as he waved a hand. ¡°You¡¯re our friend. Gaining levels and growing is part of this world. As long as you put in the work you¡¯ll be a good addition no matter what¡­¡± ¡°I highly disagree with that,¡± a haughty and irritated voice suddenly stated, causing everyone at the table to turn and see who was speaking. Liam was confused as he stared at the familiar newcomer. It was an elf with long golden hair wearing fancy elegant clothing. He stood at the edge of the table glaring down at Liam through his Forest green eyes. He had his arms crossed. Next to him stood a teenaged boy with black hair and golden brown skin carrying a backpack full of stuff. ¡°What are you on about now Chad?¡± Waylon questioned with a raised brow. ¡°I am against having this lowly cretin in our party,¡± Chad stated, irritation laced in his tone of voice. ¡°He¡¯s not a lowly cretin Chad,¡± Knox sighed. ¡°This is our friend Liam from earth. I¡¯m sure Levi and Wyatt would agree¡­¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t,¡± Chad interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m part of this party and I also have a say in who joins it. And I say he doesn¡¯t get to join, regardless of if you have some friendship with him.¡± Mila raised a brow as she listened to the elf. She turned to look at Knox and Waylon and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s this asshat?¡± ¡°Excuse you?¡± Chad questioned as he turned to look at her. ¡°I am not an asshat. I am the healer of this party, The Hammer of Judgement. Who are you?¡± ¡°The Hammer of Judgement?¡± Mila asked the two guys as she kept a brow raised. ¡°Really? Who named the group that silly name? It doesn¡¯t sound like one you guys would have chosen.¡± Chad looked appalled at what she had just said. ¡°It is not a silly name. It is one full of pride and power. We are famous. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t heard of us.¡± ¡°Oh, I have heard of you before. I just didn¡¯t expect you guys to be it,¡± Mila stated. She looked back at Knox and Waylon waiting for them to answer her earlier question. Knox shrugged. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a hand in naming us. We left it to¡­¡± He suddenly trailed off as he looked at Liam. Liam gave him a curious look as he noticed both Knox and Waylon turned to look at him. ¡°I was the one who officially named us that. Zoe had agreed that the name was perfect so we registered it before anyone could change their mind,¡± Chad announced looking proud of himself. Liam stared at Chad. At first he was confused if he heard the name right. His second thought was it had to be a different person. However, after thinking about why his two friends had suddenly looked at him he started fitting things together. There was just one thing he wanted to see that would clear up why his two friends had tried to skirt around mentioning her name. ¡°Zo agreed to the name?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like a name she would be thrilled about.¡± ¡°I agree. With her taste in things, I would have expected her to want a name more¡­practical,¡± Mila agreed. Chad glared at Mila and Liam. With an irritated huff, he said, ¡°What would you know about Zoe? Clearly you wouldn¡¯t understand why a beautiful woman would agree to such a great name.¡± Liam looked at Mila and asked with suspicion in his tone, ¡°I think we aren¡¯t asking the real question here.¡± Liam noticed that Mila was on the same page as him as she gave him the same look he had. He then turned to look at Chad and asked, ¡°The real question is¡­,¡± As Liam started, he noticed a weird look start to form on Knox¡¯s and Waylon¡¯s faces as they looked down at the table. ¡°What is Zo to you?¡± ¡°Why are you calling her by that ridiculous name. Her name is Zoe. You know what, it¡¯s just best you don¡¯t ever say her name ever with that filthy mouth of yours,¡± Chad dissed. ¡°Your voice just ruins the sound of my beautiful girlfriend¡¯s name.¡± Figured as much. Liam thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes while looking at his two friends. Looks like she decided I wasn¡¯t worth waiting for. Adventure 167 - Me or him Liam let out a sigh. I can¡¯t really complain since it wasn¡¯t a for sure thing I would come here. However¡­ Liam looked at Chad and felt a small bit of irritation forming within the pit of his stomach. Did she really have to get with a total¡­dick like this guy? Mila was about to say something until Liam put a hand up to forestall her from saying anything. Liam then looked at Knox and Waylon who had snuck a glance at him. He noticed the look on their faces and was starting to grow a bit irritated with them. Just moments ago they were talking about seeing if he would be able to fit in with their party, but they never mentioned she was in it as well. Were they going to tell him that she was at all? Were they going to inform him that she moved on and got with this guy? Maybe they would have eventually. Especially if he went with them and met up with the others. Maybe they were hoping he would refuse to join them? Knox looked excited to have him join so it couldn¡¯t be that. Maybe they weren¡¯t going to say anything and hoped this guy would slip up? If they were hoping for that then this guy did as they wanted. Cindy and Alv eyed Liam. Alv looked like he was confused while Cindy looked like she was trying to piece a puzzle together. ¡°Liam, we¡­,¡± Waylon started to say until Liam looked at him. Waylon looked like he was struggling to find the right words. Seeing the struggle in his friend¡¯s expression, Liam decided to question, ¡°It seems like the healer of your group is against me joining your party. Does he speak for you guys?¡± Knox stiffened a bit as he heard the tone in the question. He then replied, ¡°He does not.¡± Waylon nodded, agreeing with Knox¡¯s words. ¡°You are our friend. We¡¯ve been hoping that you would appear one day and have saved an opening for you all this time.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Chad argued while narrowing his eyes at Waylon. ¡°I am,¡± Waylon stated as he looked at him. ¡°This was discussed and agreed upon before you ever joined us. You don¡¯t have the authority to overrule it. I don¡¯t know if you remember, but you are not the leader of our party.¡± Chad scoffed as his face started to redden. ¡°After I joined and before we got big enough to start recruiting, we all agreed that we would vote on if a person could join us. We have agreed on the rules and requirements a person would have to meet if they were to join us or not.¡± ¡°We did agree on putting a vote up when it came to new members joining us,¡± Knox stated, ¡°Albeit, if I recall correctly it was you who wanted to place rules and requirements on those interested in joining, not us.¡± ¡°I did so because we have to be careful who we let join,¡± Chad interjected. He then shifted his gaze on Liam while scowling, ¡°I suggested them because we can¡¯t just let anyone join us. We are famous and trying to get recruited into that guild. In order for us not to be overlooked we need to make sure we don¡¯t have anyone who will¡­make us less appealing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your problem man?¡± Knox asked as he watched Chad stare at Liam. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chad asked. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to protect¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb,¡± Knox interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re normally not this hostile. Since you got here you¡¯ve been nothing but hostile to Liam.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I caught this man trying to steal our stuff,¡± Chad said as he whipped a finger at Liam. Everyone at the table turned to look at Liam while looking confused. Waylon looked back at Chad and stated, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°How would you know? You weren¡¯t there,¡± Chad argued. ¡°Because out of everyone here, Liam is the one person who would never do something as petty or stupid as steal,¡± Knox informed. Liam felt happy his two friends were sticking up for him. However, it didn¡¯t help the guilt that had suddenly formed within him. While it was true before all the hecticness had happened back on Earth, he would never do something like steal. After the confirmed apocalypse started¡­that was a different story. One he didn¡¯t want his friends or family knowing about. Not that or¡­the other things he had no choice but do. ¡°You¡¯re blinded by your so called friendship,¡± Chad argued. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen him for how many years? People change. Just ask Gimmel here.¡± Gimmel? Liam thought, thinking the name sounded familiar for some reason. Why does that name sound so familiar? Knox and Waylon gave Chad a confused look. ¡°Who is Gimmel?¡± Waylon asked. ¡°My go¡­,¡± Chad started to say, but stopped as he coughed. ¡°A prospect I found a couple days ago. He came to me and asked if he could join our party after hearing how great we are.¡± Waylon and Knox looked at each other while making a puzzled expression. They then saw the teenaged boy who was standing next to Chad. Liam noticed their puzzled expressions turned into one that said they had just noticed the boy there for the first time. Knox tilted his head a bit before looking at Chad and asking, ¡°Why does he have a backpack full of stuff¡­wait¡­¡± Knox squinted his eyes as he looked a little closer at an item that was poking out from the backpack. ¡°Is that one of my armor pieces that I left with the blacksmith to repair?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Chad said as a smile started growing. ¡°I told him if he ran and got our stuff for us I would introduce him to you guys. He¡¯s very helpful and has already proven himself as a team player by helping us out. Unlike someone.¡± Waylon let out a sigh of irritation before looking at Chad. ¡°First off, why are you having him run our errands. The very same errands you were in charge of this trip. Second why is he carrying a bag that looks like it¡¯s about to explode? Why isn¡¯t he carrying them in his inventory? And lastly, why are you telling a teenager that you will introduce him as a prospect if he does your errands? It goes against what we were talking about earlier when it comes to new recruits.¡± ¡°I was told that by carrying this bag on my back and not place any in my inventory then it would show how trustful I can be,¡± Gimmel suddenly chimed in, giving them a big smile. Knox shook his head as Waylon let out a sigh. Before they could say anything, Chad interrupted, ¡°We¡¯re going off track here. You¡¯re forgetting that I said this guy tried stealing our stuff off of Gimmel the other day.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t stealing from him,¡± Liam finally said. ¡°I had accidentally bumped into him, saw that he was carrying a heavy load and gave him a hand.¡± ¡°So, you admit you laid your hands on our¡­,¡± Chad started to say. ¡°I didn¡¯t touch the bag,¡± Liam said as he glared at Chad. ¡°I used a spell to help lighten his load. After I did that you came up and started falsely accusing me of trying to steal.¡± ¡°A likely story,¡± Chad stated. ¡°Well, let¡¯s ask the boy then,¡± Knox suddenly suggested. ¡°He was there when it happened.¡± He then looked at Gimmel and asked, ¡°What happened? Did Liam try to steal from you or did he use¡­¡± Knox suddenly looked at Liam with a puzzled expression. ¡°What spell did you use?¡± ¡°Feathery Upforce,¡± Liam answered. ¡°It¡¯s a Gravity spell that can lighten objects making it easier to move around.¡± ¡°You know Gravity Magic?¡± Waylon asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a spell like that,¡± Knox stated looking impressed. ¡°It¡¯s a spell that while in the single digit levels can only be cast on weapons, but after I got it to level ten it mentioned it could be used on items other than weapons,¡± Liam explained. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work so I tried it since he was insistent on not putting that bag in his inventory.¡± ¡°You already have a magic passed level ten?¡± Waylon said looking astonished. ¡°I have a few spells pass level ten,¡± Liam replied. ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Knox stated with a grin. ¡°Already proving yourself to be a hard worker.¡± He then looked back at Gimmel and continued, ¡°Did he use that spell to help you?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes sir,¡± Gimmel stated. ¡°He used that Feathery Upforce spell and it did make the bag easier to move around with. However, right after he did that Mr. Chad appeared and thought he was trying to steal.¡± ¡°But he wasn¡¯t, was he?¡± Waylon asked. Gimmel shook his head. ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t.¡± Liam saw Chad slowly turn his gaze on Gimmel. He recognized the anger that was seething behind his stare even though his facial features didn¡¯t give it away. Waylon and Knox turned their attention towards Chad, who looked back at them. ¡°You jumped the gun again didn¡¯t you?¡± Waylon asked. ¡°Whatever. No matter what I say you are going to be on your friend¡¯s side,¡± Chad stated with a scowl. ¡°If it comes down to a vote you know what mine will be. I¡¯m sure Zoe will have the same vote as well.¡± Mila¡¯s brow raised. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Mila,¡± Liam quietly said to her. Mila looked at him. As she did, she noticed the look he was giving her and understood. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Chad questioned. ¡°Who are you anyways? I don¡¯t remember seeing a pitiful woman like you being so friendly with us.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my cousin and is also friends with Waylon and Knox,¡± Liam stated. Chad scoffed. He then muttered as quietly as he could, ¡°Just another piece of shit trying to get buddy buddy with their betters.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as his hands tightened into fists. Liam knew Chad said it as quietly as he could thinking that no one would have been able to hear him. However, the elf had forgotten there were races that had better hearing than the others. He looked at Alv and noticed that his eyes had narrowed. ¡°Excuse you,¡± Alv suddenly stated. His voice was deep and had a threatening tone to it. ¡°Watch what you say, you god damn elf.¡± Mila, Knox, Gimmel, and Waylon turned to look at him. ¡°What happened?¡± Waylon asked with a confused look. Before Alv and Chad could say anything, Liam informed with a calm yet eerie tone of voice, ¡°He just called Mila a piece of shit.¡± Chad looked at Liam and grew confused. ¡°Is that true Chad?¡± Waylon asked as he looked at him. Chad kept his attention on Liam, looking like he was trying to figure something out. Liam understood what he was trying to solve. Alv and Cindy were Beast-kins so it was easy to understand how they were able to hear him, but he didn¡¯t know Liam had the same racial benefits as them since he didn¡¯t have any physical features showing that he was the same as them, albeit only half. As Liam stared back at him, he recognized a feeling that was starting to grow within him. It was one thing for him to look down and talk crap about him. It was another when he did it to someone who was family to him. Liam stood up and slowly walked towards Chad. Not taking his eyes off of him. Each step he took as he got closer, Liam felt his mana start to channel. It wasn¡¯t channeling because he had called upon it, but rather it was responding to a feeling. A feeling that seemed to activate a certain spell. He forced himself to stop the spell from activating. The spell fought back from being stopped, which surprised Liam. It wanted to pour out from him as he made his way towards Chad. It wanted to cover this person and make him understand that he was the piece of shit. Chad straightened his posture and stood tall as Liam stood right in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering why I was able to hear what you said,¡± Liam started. ¡°You probably understood why not only Alv, but also Cindy was able to hear you. It¡¯s because they are Beast-kins and everyone knows that their hearing is better than most races. However, what you didn¡¯t know was I have the same racial benefits as them.¡± Chad¡¯s eyes narrowed as he heard Liam. His brain started working overtime as he tried to figure out what he meant. ¡°Are you saying you are a dir¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d watch your next words carefully,¡± Liam softly warned. He then lowered his sunglasses enough for Chad to see two slit irises and pupils staring daggers at him. For an added emphasis, he allowed his Hubris Aura to finally pulse out from him and cover Chad¡¯s entire body as he stated, ¡°I can handle people talking bad about me, but I wont stand for anyone talking shit about my family or friends.¡± Liam watched as Chad¡¯s facial expressions slightly changed as the spell washed over him. The changes weren¡¯t pronounced, but he could see a small bit of doubt and some¡­fear. However, both emotions were quickly rebuffed after a couple of seconds had passed. The mana that was channeling over Liam had retracted right as the spell was stopped. As Liam put his sunglasses back over his eyes, he noticed anger start to wash over Chad¡¯s face. ¡°You dare try to intimidate me with magic?¡± Chad glowered. ¡°You don¡¯t know your place. I am a Welkin Healer. I can easily cancel out any weak ass spell you can use.¡± Everyone at the table looked confused as they heard Chad. ¡°Did any of you feel him use a spell?¡± Knox asked. ¡°I felt him channel some mana, but I didn¡¯t feel any spells used,¡± Waylon stated. ¡°Look why don¡¯t you guys calm down. You both got off on the wrong foot. I¡¯m sure if you got to know each other better then maybe¡­.,¡± Knox started to say. ¡°Don¡¯t try and cover for this asshole,¡± Mila stated with some irritation in her voice. Knox was about to say something, but was stopped as Liam asked while keeping his gaze on Chad, ¡°Let me ask you guys something.¡± Waylon and Knox turned to look at him. ¡°If I said I wouldn¡¯t join your guys¡¯ party unless you kicked him out¡­would you guys do it?¡± Liam inquired. Knox and Waylon didn¡¯t respond. They looked like they wanted to say something, but instead remained silent. ¡°Just like I thought,¡± Liam said with some disappointment in his tone. ¡°Of course they wouldn¡¯t,¡± Chad smiled wickedly, looking like he just won a battle. ¡°Why would they toss out a damn good healer for¡­what? A rogue?¡± ¡°Not a rogue,¡± Liam snapped back. ¡°If not a rogue then what?¡± Chad questioned. ¡°I¡¯m a Crafter,¡± Liam stated. Knox and the others stared at Liam. Confusion grew on Cindy¡¯s face as she stared at him after hearing his words. No one said anything. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if it was because they didn¡¯t hear him or if they were trying to figure out what to say. After a few seconds passed, Chad let out a laugh. ¡°Of course you would be. That only increases my earlier statement. If a party had to choose between having a Healer, someone totally essential during a fight and a Crafter, someone who isn¡¯t even a combat oriented class¡­of course they¡¯d pick the healer. Too bad for you. However¡­ I can be the bigger person and allow you to join our party if you agreed to work on our equipment for free. Maybe supply us with potions since that would be the only good thing you¡¯d be worth.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. Before he could make any remarks, he finally heard Knox say something. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Liam¡­,¡± Knox started. The tone of his voice was apologetic and hesitant. ¡°We can¡¯t have someone who doesn¡¯t have a combat orient class join the party.¡± Liam turned to look at him. He could see both Knox and Waylon were avoiding looking at him. ¡°We can have you as a support member, but not as a party member who can enter dungeons,¡± Waylon clarified, still not looking at him. Liam wasn¡¯t sure how they would respond. He knew his question was out of line to begin with. To ask to choose between a friend and someone who had a class that was useful when taking on dungeons¡­it was a childish thing to ask. However, it didn¡¯t stop him from doing it. Somewhere deep within him, he felt that maybe his friends would at least say something along the lines that it didn¡¯t matter. That maybe they would say that they didn¡¯t care about his class and they would still have him regardless of what others thought. What he didn¡¯t expect was the looks they currently had. Like he was someone who couldn¡¯t experience what they did on a daily basis. Like his class was one that was totally useless. They are writing me off. Liam thought as he stared at them. They are acting like I don¡¯t have what it takes to hold my own in a fight. That if I entered a dungeon I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with them or anyone else. He knew he could hold his own in a fight. He proved that when taking on the Tutorial Dungeon with his old teammates. That thought made him think of Ariyana, Artem, Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman. If they were here and heard this¡­ Liam started to think, but then shook his head stopping the thought process. He knew they would speak up. Stop these guys from thinking he was useless. That his only worth was to tend to their equipment or be a potion producing machine for them. However, the truth was they weren¡¯t here. They were who knows where doing whatever they want. Their teaming up might have started in the Tutorial Area, but it essentially ended there as well. This was a big world. They could have formed teams and started making new connections with new people. These thoughts sunk in, making Liam see his situation in a new light. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­,¡± Liam started as he took a deep breath in, trying to hold back the emotions that started to swirl inside him. ¡°You guys are so stupid,¡± Cindy suddenly stated. ¡°Especially you Elf.¡± Everyone turned to look at her. Some had completely forgotten she was there since she had remained silent during their entire conversation. Chad narrowed his eyes. ¡°What makes you say that cat.¡± Cindy narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯d be careful what you say. Did you forget where you¡¯re at?¡± Chad looked around and suddenly remembered that there were other beast-kins around and that he was essentially in their territory. Before he could reply, Cindy started back up, ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake looking down on crafters.¡± She then looked at Liam and added, ¡°Liam, you don¡¯t need to lower yourself to being a support member to a haughty good for nothing blowhard or their party.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Mila stated as she gave Cindy a smile. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Chad questioned as his face started to redden. ¡°You heard me,¡± Cindy stated, her face hardened with resolve. She then stood up and added, ¡°Liam, you don¡¯t need their pity nor their sympathy. Go ahead and step outside, I¡¯m going to get our food to go. I¡¯ll meet you outside.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he stared at her. He was both confused and surprised by her outburst. As he started to walk away, Waylon suddenly said, ¡°Liam¡­¡± Liam turned to look at him. He could see the emotions warring inside of him as he tried to figure out what to say. ¡°Are you sure you about this?¡± Waylon finally said. Liam regarded him. He then nodded as he said, ¡°I am¡­I don¡¯t plan on being reduced to being someone¡¯s, anyone¡¯s personal product maker. Even if they are my friends.¡± Before anyone could say anything else, he made his way to the door. Gimmel watched as Liam made his way to the door. After coming to a decision, he slide the backpack off and followed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Standing far in the back of the room, a person watched as Liam walked outside. Anger stirred within this person. They clamped down on it, trying not to allow the emotion to overwhelm them. They knew that emotion would not do any good for them, especially since it was one they weren¡¯t tied to. Allowing themselves to let that emotion take control would only cause trouble to their plans and destroy all the work they had put into place after all these years. However, the feeling they felt for that brief moment had caused the storm both in their mind and blood to run wild. The urge to kill was strong. To kill the one who had committed a terrible sin. They took a deep breath in, trying to calm themselves. After a few breaths they were finally able to calm their mind and blood. It wasn¡¯t completely gone though, for this feeling that had sprouted was one that could only be remedied through the death of the sinner. But they wouldn¡¯t make a move¡­not yet at least. They had a job to do. And do it they shall without any blunder or mistakes. Their target was on the move now. Now that they were on the move, they too needed to move. To report what they had learned and make plans and adjustments to where it was needed. They will take care of that now. However, after that¡­after that they will see what they can do to correct the evil that was happening. Adventure 168 - For your safety Liam let out a long irritated breath as he leaned against the side of the building. Frustration and irritation swirled inside of him as he thought about everything that had just happened. As he leaned against the wall he started to organize his thoughts. He thought about everything that had made him frustrated. His first thoughts were about his friends hiding the news about Zoe. His frustration wasn¡¯t with how his friends tried to hide the fact that Zoe had moved on. A small part of him thought it was reasonable that she didn¡¯t wait and found someone else who made her happy. It meant he could do the same without worry. So, to say he was frustrated with his friends trying to avoid informing him of her new man was not right. It was annoying, but not frustrating. What really frustrated him about that situation was who she decided to get with. His first encounter with the asshole elf wasn¡¯t great. Not only did he try claiming that he stole or was trying to steal from him, but the way he treated Gimmel kind of pissed him off. There was also the small bit of facts that was revealed when he used Strife Inducement on the Beast-kin Chad was talking to. If Chad really did flirt or tried to get with that guy¡¯s girl then that would make him unfaithful to who he is with. Those kind of guys pissed him off. The next thing that frustrated him was that his friends confirmed that if they were in a position to have to choose between him and Chad, they would pick the asshole. Adding to that, after finding out he was a Crafter, they pretty much said they wouldn¡¯t allow him to be a part of their party; even after all that talk about saving him a spot. Then they had the gall to say they could have him be their support member, agreeing to what Chad said about having him take care of their equipment and make them potions. He knew he didn¡¯t know everything there was about classes and their roles in this world, but they knew him. They knew he wouldn¡¯t be okay with that. However, with all of that, he was mostly frustrated with himself. He acted like a child. He had the audacity to ask who they would choose if they had to. Not only that, but allowing his emotions to flare up like they did and try to threaten someone who was higher leveled than he. The interaction with him using his Hubris Aura on Chad and seeing him easily cancel it within a couple of seconds reminded him of how weak he still was. Liam let out another breath as he internally said to Eri, You were right. They really had changed after being here for a couple of years.
¡°It¡¯s no surprise really. Coming to a new world with new rules, different morals, and different ways of living¡­it changes people. They adapted to the world and thus their mindsets have changed. ¨C Eri.¡±
I can understand that¡­ Liam sighed again as he looked down at the ground. It¡¯s just frustrating to actually see it. If we were back on Earth, they wouldn¡¯t be friends with an asshole like him. Let alone choose him over their friend.
¡°It can be frustrating, but it¡¯s better that you found out now instead of during a dungeon dive. What if it came down to choosing who to save at a crucial moment? Would they choose to save you, their friend, or that healer, regardless of his shitty personality. I have seen it happen before. It¡¯s best you found out this way instead of the other. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about that and imagined how it would go if a situation like that happened. If he was back on Earth, that kind of situation would never happen. But here¡­ Liam shook his head trying not to dwell on something that wouldn¡¯t happen.
¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­I would like to know more about this Zoe person. Who is she to you? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was about to answer, but stopped as a voice suddenly brought him out of his thoughts. ¡°Um, Liam?¡± a young male muttered. Liam turned his head to see Gimmel standing right before him. Liam scrunched his brows as he stared at the teenager. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came out here because I have a question for you,¡± Gimmel said as he looked at Liam with uncertainty in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s your question?¡± Liam asked as he stared at the boy. ¡°Where did you get those earring from?¡± Gimmel asked. ¡°Did you steal them?¡± Liam was suddenly taken aback from this boy¡¯s question. Out of all the things he could ask him, that was not one he was expecting. ¡°What do you mean where did I get these earrings from?¡± Liam asked as he looked perplexed. His facial features then turned into an offended look as he replied, ¡°No I didn¡¯t steal them. What the hell is up with people accusing me of stealing?¡± Gimmel raised his hands up to show he didn¡¯t mean any harm as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean any offense by the question. I guess after seeing the earrings on you and then hearing about your class I was confused as to why you would have earrings that marked you as an apprentice of my uncle.¡± ¡°An apprentice of your unc¡­,¡± Liam started to repeat the words until the meaning of them sunk in. At first, Liam was confused as to why this teenaged boy was concerned about the earrings he wore. Then he was irritated and slightly angry when he asked if he stole them. His anger and frustration was swept away shortly after that when he explained why he was concerned. He remembered in the letter his Dagger Mentor had left for him when he was given a decision to wear them or not. A sentence in that letter had said, ¡°They are meant to signify that you are an apprentice of mine.¡± If the Earrings of the Wild Card¡¯s Apprentice was meant to mark him as his apprentice then of course there would be people who would recognize the jewelry. One such person would be a family member of his. ¡°You¡¯re related to Nabal?¡± Liam questioned as he looked the boy over again. Taking in all of his features. While Gimmel had some similar facial features as Nabal there was one that this boy didn¡¯t have that would have made Liam believe or confirm he was related to his Dagger Mentor. Markings of any of the four Suits. Gimmel nodded. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you have the same markings as he does?¡± Liam asked. Gimmel smiled as he understood what Liam was asking. ¡°Before I answer that question. Can you tell me what all he has said about the clan he and I come from?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Liam thought about it. Nabal never really spoke to him about his clan nor about the markings. It was Galin who had talked about it and even then, Galin didn¡¯t have much to say because of the secrets the Suits Clan hid. ¡°He never spoke about your clan,¡± Liam answered. ¡°One of my crafting mentors had spoken about your clan and used them as an example when informing me about clans. The amount of information he had wasn¡¯t a lot, but I remember him talking about the way to spot a member from your clan is from the markings.¡± Gimmel nodded as he regarded Liam. He then looked like he was contemplating something. He took a few seconds before nodding and saying, ¡°I believe you. To be honest, it would have been alright if he did divulge some information to you since he made you into an apprentice of his, but then again his methods of teaching have always been unorthodox. Even having you as an apprentice is going against traditions.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked, brows furrowing. ¡°In our clan, there are rules we must follow. One is when claiming an apprentice. It must be someone from the clan. Since you are not from our clan, that I know of, having you as one already goes against the rule,¡± Gimmel answered. Liam grew confused as he listened. ¡°However, if he has chosen you as one, then my only guess for that is he plans on making you a member one day. That could be the only conclusion I can think of,¡± Gimmel continued. ¡°So, if that is the case then I believe I can let you know some information. Not a lot, but enough to at least answer your question.¡± Liam nodded. He wasn¡¯t sure if Nabal really had planned on making him a clan member, but he wasn¡¯t going to turn down the information. ¡°The markings you have seen are not given when a clan member is born. They are earned. Our markings are one of pride and can only be gained through stacks of accomplishments or through major contribution to the clan,¡± Gimmel explained. ¡°The marks given to us are not random, but are tied to both our parents and their houses as well as what we specialize ourselves in with our classes.¡± Liam grew confused as he looked at Gimmel. ¡°Before you ask, no I will not elaborate on that,¡± Gimmel said as he raised a hand up. ¡°If my uncle plans on making you apart of the clan like I think he is doing, then you will learn more later.¡± Liam nodded, understanding what he was saying. Clan secrets will remain a secret until you are a clan member. Gimmel smiled, glad for Liam¡¯s understanding. A couple seconds later, that smile turned into a serious look as he continued, ¡°Now that I have explained all this, I feel that it is my duty to give you some serious advice. Possibly ones that might keep you alive.¡± Liam looked Gimmel in the eyes. He noticed all the relax and calmness in the boy fade as he listened to Gimmel¡¯s next words with full attention. ¡°As someone from the clan and having a guess at what my uncle could possibly be thinking,¡± Gimmel started. ¡°I believe, for your safety, that you should take those earrings off and forget about being his apprentice.¡± Liam was suddenly taken aback by the boy¡¯s words. With some curiosity, Liam asked, ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°Your class is not one suited for the lifestyle my uncle is trying to train you in. I am still trying to understand why he decided to have you with that class of yours,¡± Gimmel bluntly stated. ¡°A Crafter is not meant for battle. I know you are new here and have yet to understand what you are capable of, but it should be clear from the situation that had happened just moments ago. It is folly for a crafter to take part in any fighting. They are product makers, growers, and collectors not fighters. They are meant to research and make items to help others fight better and more comfortably.¡± Liam stared at the boy. He felt his body slowly tense as he listened to his words. ¡°I am not saying this out of malice nor am I looking down on you. I know plenty of crafters in my clan and have seen the wonders they are capable of,¡± Gimmel said trying to sound sympathetic. ¡°However, I know that one of those wonders they are capable of making isn¡¯t through fighting, but rather through others fighting. So, I implore you to please not dream of being capable of something you are not. Your class helps define you. And you have been defined as someone who can not fight.¡± Liam let out an irritated short chuckle. Once again someone was looking down on him and what he knew he could do. However, as he listened to this boy speak he could feel he wasn¡¯t doing this out of spite or malice. He was trying to be kind and helpful. Liam could appreciate that. However, he wasn¡¯t going to let him slide with that. ¡°I hear what you are saying, and I appreciate you trying to be kind. You are right. I am new here and I do not know how things work¡­¡± Liam started. Gimmel looked like he was starting to relax as he listened to Liam. He believed he had gotten through to him and was about to say something. ¡°However, I wont allow that kind of mindset to define me,¡± Liam stated. ¡°If this world and the inhabitants believe a Crafter can¡¯t fight side by side with others then I will show how wrong you all are.¡± Gimmel gave Liam a disappointed look as he heard what was said. He was about to start up another argument, but was stopped as three people walked out. ¡°There you are Liam,¡± Mila said. She then looked at Gimmel and asked, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liam replied as he gave her a smile. ¡°Gimmel was just giving me some friendly advice.¡± Liam then looked at Gimmel and nodded while saying, ¡°Thank you for the talk. I will take what you have said and ponder on it.¡± Liam then made his way towards Alv, Cindy, and Mila. As he walked pass the boy, Gimmel turned and tried to reach a hand out. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but stopped as he felt a sudden cold chill run down his spine. Confused by what had caused this he looked around with a perplexed expression. When he couldn¡¯t find the source he looked back at Liam, who was already out of earshot with the other three. Gimmel shook his head as slight frustration and disappointment mixed within him. Letting out an irritated breath of air, Gimmel made his way back into the building, trying hard to push the man out of his thoughts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam and Cindy stood in the portal room on the first floor of the Dungeon Tower. Mila and Alv had separated from them not too long after they left the Adventurers Association. Mila complained about Knox¡¯s and Waylon¡¯s sudden reverse attitude while making rude comments about Chad. He knew she was doing it to make him feel better about what had happened, so he let her do it. Mila told Liam to forget about what had happened and just do things his way. She expressed that she had faith in him and that if he ever wanted to join them for a dungeon run he was welcomed to. Alv also offered to give pointers on what he could do to help increase his fighting power. Liam knew they were trying to help. He knew that, but he could also see a little lack of confidence in their words. He was just grateful they were being this kind to him despite what the others had said. After they had gone their way, Cindy gave Liam his sandwich and they ate in silence while walking. They had enough time to finish their food before they arrived at the Dungeon Tower. They were standing in front of the light green portal Liam had seen earlier that day. Painted on the way behind the portal was a picture of a forest with several short green monster-like humanoid creatures that looked a lot like goblins. There were also other beast looking creatures hiding behind bushes or in trees. A sign stood near the portal that read, ¡°Goblin Forest. Dungeon Type ¨C Free Roam. Restrictions ¨C None. Rules ¨C Defeat 15 monsters and an Elite Monster in order to count as a Dungeon Complete. Current Elite Monsters roaming ¨C 15/25.¡± Liam found the information on this dungeon very intriguing. It was completely different from the sign the Seaside Cave of the Water Slimes had. For example, the Blue Dungeon was a Tower type while this Green one was a Free Roam. The restrictions for the Blue Dungeon were the amount of people in a party while the green dungeon had none. The rules for the blue dungeon were you had to defeat the E.F.M.s and Floor Boss on each floor while the green one informed how many regular and elite monsters you needed to kill. Lastly, the blue dungeon showed how many floors there were while the green showed how many elite monsters were currently roaming around. The difference between both dungeons really showed how much attention you had to give when choosing a dungeon. If you were someone who rushed through looking at the information they were given then you could screw yourself over, not knowing the requirements needed to conquer the dungeon dive. After thinking about the differences, Liam suddenly had a question. He looked at Cindy and asked, ¡°Does the sign update on its own when Elite Monsters are killed as well as when they appear?¡± Cindy looked at him and smiled. ¡°Good question. Yes, the sign regularly updates on its own when changes happen in the dungeon. And before you ask, it does not list what Elite monster was killed and which are still alive.¡± Liam blinked a couple of times as he registered that last part. ¡°Are there different types of elite monsters? They aren¡¯t the same type?¡± Cindy shook her head. ¡°No. In Free Roam dungeons, there are a variety of different monsters that roam about. In this dungeon there are goblins, rabbit, wolves, snakes, and other beast like monsters. For Elite Monsters in this dungeon specifically there are five stronger versions of some of the normal monsters. There are Hobgoblins, Dire Wolves, Spike Spined Pythons, Ironed Foot Jack Rabbits, and Vine Hawks.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he heard the names. He was getting a bit excited to see these creatures. ¡°I would like to focus on killing goblins and get a Hobgoblin killed, but we never know what we¡¯re going to run into while in there,¡± Cindy said as she looked back at the portal. ¡°Also, we never know who is already killing or fighting certain monsters. Once we get inside I¡¯ll explain some of the unspoken rules Adventurers have made so you aren¡¯t doing something you shouldn¡¯t be. Are you ready?¡± Liam nodded. He really wanted to get inside and just forget about the things that had happened earlier and he believed this dungeon would help with that. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Liam said as he followed Cindy inside. Adventure 169 - I know you can fight Liam felt his stomach lurch as he stepped through the portal. As soon as he felt the feeling he closed his eyes and willed himself as hard as he could to not succumb to the feeling of upchucking. After a few seconds had passed, he felt the sensation fade away and smiled. He then opened his eyes and took in the view in front of him. He and Cindy stood in an open circular dirt field not too far away from the edge of a sea of trees and bushes. Around the dirt area, surrounding them, were tall grass and random flowers. In the open area they were in stood groups of people milling about. Some were talking with other groups as others looked at different parts of the forest edge. Some were walking around either coming from the forest or making their way to it. As Liam looked to his left and to his right, he noticed the trees weren¡¯t close enough to prevent anyone from walking through the gaps. However, the ground around them looked too tangled for anyone to want to traverse through due to the wild bushes, jutted tree roots, and random plants. Snaking out from the circular dirt area, dirt pathways led to what Liam believed were different paths into the forest. Yooperlite stones on wooden stands rested in front of each entrance. Their usual glow wasn¡¯t apparent though due to the sun hanging up above. Liam noticed Cindy start to walk away from the groups of people in the opposite direction of the paths. Curious and confused, Liam followed her. After distancing themselves away from the Portal and the other people, Cindy stopped, turned, and looked at Liam. As Liam looked at her he noticed the calm easy going air she had for the majority of the day was now flustered. She looked irritated, annoyed, and most of all sympathetic. Before Liam could ask what was wrong, Cindy started up, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bring this up with others able to hear this, but those guys were assholes.¡± Liam stared at her as he listened. After she said those words, he knew what this was about. He began to open his mouth, but stopped as she raised a hand up and continued, ¡°I know it¡¯s not my place to say anything because I don¡¯t know them¡­hell I hardly know you.¡± Liam remained silent as he stared at her. ¡°However, from my brief interactions with you and seeing you fight. I know you can handle yourself in a fight,¡± Cindy continued. ¡°You might not be strong, and your starting class is one everyone views as a non-combat type class, but that¡¯s expected for someone who recently came out of the Tutorial Area. You don¡¯t have the levels everyone else does nor a clear fighting style cemented.¡± Cindy saw a swirl of different facial expressions pass over Liam¡¯s face. She wasn¡¯t sure what was going on in his head and didn¡¯t want him to think her words were negative. She started up again, this time trying to make her point. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, starting classes may make people believe their talents lie on a single path and many people stick to it¡­but that doesn¡¯t mean you are stuck on that single path.¡± Liam looked at her. He let her words sink in. What she was saying very much contradicted what Gimmel said to him. Thinking about those words he decided to ask a question to confirm something. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Cindy nodded. ¡°I was told just recently that your class is what defines you and that mine defined me as someone who can¡¯t fight¡­,¡± Liam started. He saw Cindy open her mouth to say something, but Liam cut her off. ¡°If I were to assume the meaning of what you just said, you wouldn¡¯t think that¡¯s true. If I am right about that, then would you say that a crafter can be a combat style class if I were to not stick to the path the others, who have had this class, did?¡± Cindy gave Liam an irritable frown as she looked away from him. ¡°I hate those types of people.¡± Liam gave her a curious look as he waited for her to elaborate. She turned her gaze back on him and responded, ¡°Many people in this world have a one track mind. Those type of people believe that there is only one way a class can go and focus on that. They look down on others who try to break the mold and do things they believe is unnecessary. Like aiming for the unknown is nothing but a dead end and a waste of time.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t believe that¡­do you?¡± Liam asked as he eyed the Cat-folk woman in front of him. Cindy shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t. My reasoning¡­if there was only one path for a class to go then why are there different evolution options and requirements for a class?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. He felt that that was an excellent argument. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who believes that as well,¡± Cindy said before letting out an irritable breath of air while grumbling, ¡°But of course those idiots don¡¯t think that way. They argue back saying class evolutions are just ways of proving you are on a true single path, that the options are just temptations to cloud your path and your resolve.¡± Cindy noticed the look that appeared on Liam¡¯s face. She then let out a scoff and said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. That line of thought is idiotic and doesn¡¯t make much sense. And yet¡­there are idiots out there that buy into that bullshit.¡± Liam really didn¡¯t know what to say to that. If what she was saying was true and people did follow that line of logic¡­a stupid line of logic¡­then it would explain why the people that he has come across has viewed the Crafter class as one that will always be a support type class. After seeing the reaction of his friends when they found out about his class, he was starting to believe it as well. Liam felt a bit irritated at realizing how close he was to resigning to the same ideology as the others. The mention of his class being a non-combat type and that he wasn¡¯t a fighter being said not once, twice, nor three times, but more that it was starting to slowly sink in to his mindset. He knew he wasn¡¯t strong as his friends currently were, but¡­ ¡°I firmly believe you shouldn¡¯t listen to them. I think, no¡­I know you can fight,¡± Cindy stated as she stared at Liam. Liam gave her a puzzled expression and was about to ask what she meant until she continued, clarifying, "I saw you hold your own while going against an Engulfing Sea Ooze and two Medium Sea Slimes,¡± Cindy suddenly stated, bringing Liam out of his thoughts. ¡°And from what I was able to see, that wasn¡¯t your true strength now was it? I believe you have more tricks up your sleeves. Now I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because you don¡¯t trust me that you didn¡¯t want to reveal them, if the timing to use whatever you have wasn¡¯t right, or maybe you didn¡¯t have the right tools¡­but I could see you weren¡¯t fighting with all you had.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Liam started to feel a bit self-conscious as he continued to listen to every word she said. It was true that he didn¡¯t use all he had at his disposal. Him not using his Shadow and Lunar Magic, and his Spirit Weave ability had some part to do with him trying not to reveal those abilities just yet. At least not while he was still so weak. The other part had to do with the fact that he really didn¡¯t know much about the monsters he was dealing with. The only thing he had ever fought against were undead type monsters. Sure, he fought against a bat, a giant crocodile, a snake, and a spider, but besides those four¡­ it really was just undead type monsters. During those fights he used his Shadow and Lunar to the best of his abilities, and they were a great part of his current fighting style. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he thought about that last part. That wasn¡¯t true. There was one bit of magic that helped him get out of sticky situations. Not just magic, but items as well. Both were tied to his class¡­his starting class. He still wasn¡¯t sure about everything with his evolved class. However, it was still in the same category as his starting class. Crafter. Using oils and his Light and Burn spell helped him burn the Askith Wight Commander alive during their duel. The same spell helped during other boss fights as well as taking out groups of monsters to help keep as many of them busy while the others took down the other monsters without worry. Not only his Light and Burn spell, but items like the Implosive Heatwave and Magnetic Shockwave were items crafted and used to help in his fights. Without helping Galin craft those he would have had an even harder time fighting. As Liam started thinking about this, he came to the realization that his Crafter class had played a part in his fights that he really didn¡¯t think about. If Light and Burn was so helpful during my fights then what about my other Craft related abilities? Could there be a possibility they could be used in fights as well? Liam thought to himself as his brain started to swirl with different possibilities. Cindy watched as the gears in Liam¡¯s mind started turning. With a cheeky smile she asked, ¡°Was I correct?¡± Liam looked at her as he was brought out of his thoughts and responded without thinking, ¡°About what?¡± ¡°That you haven¡¯t truly used everything to your disposal?¡± Cindy answered. Liam slowly grew a grin. He then nodded as he responded, ¡°I have my reason as to why I haven¡¯t used all that I have at my disposal. That is correct. One reason is because it¡¯s a secret.¡± Liam gave her a wink before continuing, ¡°The other reason is because I wasn¡¯t thinking about it as a part of my fighting style.¡± Cindy was about to say something, but was cut off as Liam continued, ¡°However, you just gave me some ideas that I need to test out. I¡¯ll need to craft some poisons and learn how to make Chemicalized Creation items, but other than that I think I may have found a way to expand my repertoire. Thank you.¡± Cindy slightly blushed and averted her gaze as Liam thanked her and gave her a wide warm smile. ¡°No need to thank me. I just didn¡¯t like how they wrote you off without seeing your capabilities,¡± Cindy softly muttered. She then shook her head and gave him an enthusiastic grin while adding, ¡°Come on. Lets go kill some monsters. Maybe you can try out what you¡¯re thinking. I, for one, would like to see what all you¡¯re capable of when you use everything you have.¡± Liam nodded as he followed Cindy back to the paths that led into the forest. Feeling better now after having this talk with her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eri smiled as she listened in on the conversation between Liam and Cindy. She was glad to see someone had taken the initiative to talk to him about the error of some people¡¯s beliefs. She did notice the turmoil in her champion¡¯s thoughts about his capabilities but decided not to say anything to him. She knew she could have said something to him. Knew she could have told him that what those idiots were saying about his class wasn¡¯t all true. However, she wanted him to come to that by himself. If she was more honest with herself, she was a bit peeved at how his friends acted. One minute they were excited that he was there and wanted him to join them then the next they were telling him he couldn¡¯t join. That kind of attitude was not acceptable to her. In her fit of annoyance she had almost tasked him to mess with them using his Strife Inducement. However, she stopped herself before actually creating the task. She was only able to stop herself because that Tabby Cat-Folk girl had intervened. Thanks to her speaking out against the three men, Eri was able to think more about Liam¡¯s situation. She was able to see the hurt his friends had made by their actions and words. After seeing that she knew that tasking him with using Strife Inducement on them wouldn¡¯t do anything, but create a short lived hollowed sense of justice. That was something she didn¡¯t want Liam to have. On one hand, she would enjoy seeing the bit of chaos it would make and he could have enjoyed it too, albeit not to the extent she would have. On the other, it would create bad habits of using it on anyone and everyone who talked to him like that. That was something she didn¡¯t want Liam to do. Having the power to cause chaos, no matter what form it was, could have some adverse effects on a person¡¯s mind. Effects that could eventually lead a person to grow mad and lose their mind entirely. The thought resurfaced memories she thought she had locked away. Guilt, sadness, and remorse started to slowly creep up her spine as a brief amount ran through her mind. Eri closed her eyes as she subconsciously wrapped her hands over her arms and slowly rubbed them. After a second had passed she recognized what was going on. A brief amount of vexation suddenly washed over herself as she clamped down on the memories and the emotions they had caused. She shook her hands and arms out, making herself believe that she could easily rid herself of the ghosts from her past. Irritation filled her as she not only realized what had happened just a moment ago, but also the fact she had almost repeated the actions of her old self. She didn¡¯t want to go back to that version of herself that made her champion do things in a way that could not only make him look stronger, but also make him go crazy. She looked back at the girl Liam was talking to and grew an appreciative smile. With a quiet volume, she muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll have to figure out a way to thank this little cat.¡± The girl was right when she said she hadn¡¯t spent a lot of time with Liam. However, within the amount she had she had already deduced he wasn¡¯t using all he had. Not only that, but she had figured out he could be doing more. Eri could hear the thoughts running through Liam¡¯s mind. He tended to project his thoughts to her without realizing it from time to time. The connection she had with him allowed him to do this. That being said, she couldn¡¯t hear all of his thoughts. There were times he subconsciously kept what he was thinking to himself. With conscious practice he¡¯ll eventually know how to keep all of his thoughts to himself and only project what he wanted. She wasn¡¯t going to tell him that though. Some of the things that ran through his head were pretty entertaining. That wasn¡¯t the only reason why she didn¡¯t want to tell him though. Her being able to hear his thoughts helped her to truly understand him. Something she wasn¡¯t able to do with her last champions and followers. It was something she wanted to do differently with him. She wanted to know how he thought, how he viewed things. From what she was already able to hear and see, he had a vastly different viewpoint on everything. Not only that, but she was able to see where and why he was so stubborn. She liked that stubborn side of him. It helped him to not conform to everything he was told. It allowed him to look at things differently and try them out despite others saying he shouldn¡¯t. Would that stubbornness of his get him into trouble¡­well more trouble? Yes, quite a lot, but that was okay. Trouble helped temper a person. It helped harden resolves where a person was waning. Not only that, but it helped a person grow. And that was something she needed her champion to do. Grow. That being said, the trouble he came across in the form of his two friends, that elf, and the little assassin-in-training had helped him think about new ways to evolve his fighting capabilities. At least it helped him think more about what he could use and do in fights. If she had to make a remark about the things he was planning on testing¡­she would say he was on an interesting track and couldn¡¯t wait to see how he implemented the ideas. Something caught her attention as she watched Liam and Cindy start to make their way towards the paths that lead to the forest. With a curious look and tone Eri muttered to herself, ¡°Speaking of trouble¡­I wonder what kind of growth you lot will bring about my champion.¡± Adventure 170 - A Goblin encounter Liam and Cindy walked down the dirt path they had chosen. They took a few minutes at the front of the sea of trees to see which paths had more people walking in and out from. According to Cindy by doing this they would be able to determine which of the several paths would have more monsters within them. Many people coming in and out of a path meant more monsters were killed and less to fight. After Cindy had watched and studied each path, she determined the one on the far right was the best one they could get. She had explained that after observing, majority of the people were heading to and from the left side. The path they were walking down had trees lining down both sides of the dirt road. The trees weren¡¯t cluttered but spaced out with enough room for two to four people to be able to stand side by side. Bushes and other plant like obstacles were scattered about, but there wasn¡¯t enough to really stop them from entering the forest if they wanted to. There was space between branches and leaves hanging above them to allow the light from the sun hanging above them to brighten up the area around them. Liam noticed dimmed Yooperlite stones on wooden stands every twenty yards. This made Liam believe that maybe it wasn¡¯t always this bright in the dungeon. As they walked down the path, Liam was curious about how this Free Roam dungeon was so different from the other dungeons. He didn¡¯t really see much of a difference, but was still curious. ¡°There are a few differences besides the obvious ones,¡± Cindy started to explain. ¡°Some of the obvious ones being there aren¡¯t a floors to conquer, no floor boss, and you can run into other parties. Unlike Tower Dungeons, there isn¡¯t a set end goal. You can fight and kill whatever fits the requirements. You don¡¯t need to fight the same monsters each time.¡± ¡°You can fight different monsters each time you¡¯re in one of these types of dungeons so you can mix it up? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Liam asked. ¡°To simplify it yes,¡± Cindy stated with a nod. ¡°Also since there is no set determined Dungeon Boss, the Elite monsters roaming about are kind of considered the Dungeon Bosses. Do not mix them up with the Elite Floor Monsters from the Tower Dungeons though. We call them Elite Monsters because that¡¯s what they are. They are Elite versions of the regular monsters here in this dungeon. They are as strong as a Floor and Dungeon Boss monster, so keep that in mind when going up against one.¡± Liam nodded, understanding what she was saying. ¡°Another difference is there are no set paths to finding monsters. Monsters will roam about and don¡¯t stay in set areas,¡± Cindy continued as she looked around. ¡°What do you mean there are no set paths? If that is true then why is there dirt pathways into here?¡± Liam asked. ¡°The dirt pathways are there to help us enter deeper into this forest. However, they aren¡¯t the only ways to get in,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°While there are monsters that appear on these paths and sometimes a dirt path can lead to an area where an Elite Monster is, that isn¡¯t the case for all monsters. The monsters and Elite Monsters you come across on these paths are usually the weakest, but like I said, the monsters roam about. They aren¡¯t confined to a single area.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the stronger monsters are off the path and hidden in the forest?¡± Liam asked. The question reminded him of when he and his old teammates took on the second floor of the Black Tutorial Dungeon. He remembered how he saw something in the fog and how it led him to a Withered Treant and all the trouble that came after that. He narrowed his eyes at Cindy and thought about if she was telling the truth or not. Cindy nodded. ¡°In the forest, in a river, in a random cave. They can be anywhere in this dungeon. The paths you saw that led us in here are just that. Paths that lead us. This entire forest and then some is the dungeon. Sure, there are barriers that prevent us from going past a certain point.¡± She raised her hand up to stop Liam. ¡°Before you ask, no I don¡¯t know how or why there is one.¡± Liam took in what she said. It didn¡¯t seem like she was lying to him, but after that incident on the second floor he was a bit wary. Thinking about that floor brought up something he really didn¡¯t think about before as he was starting to learn more about dungeons and monsters. In the last dungeon Cindy had told him about the different types of Boss monsters. He had also learned that the Tutorial Dungeon had the different types of Boss monsters. However, now that he was thinking, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that dungeon was teaching. The Tutorial Dungeons were essentially a Jumbled Dungeon in the form of a Tower Dungeon. Not counting the first floor, the second floor was an example of a Free Roam dungeon. The fourth floor was a Puzzle Type Dungeon, and the sixth floor was a Raid type Dungeon. The only types that it didn¡¯t give as an example were Wave and Captured. Sure, he could argue that the second floor was a mixture of both a Free Roam and Wave type dungeon, but that was stretching it. Liam was brought out of his thoughts as Cindy suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at him. He noticed the serious expression on her face as he stared at her. ¡°There is also one more important thing you need to be wary of in a Free Roam Dungeon,¡± Cindy started. Liam gave her his full attention as he waited to hear what she had to say. ¡°This also ties into dungeons that do not have party size restrictions,¡± Cindy continued. ¡°What you need to remember when going into these types of dungeons is there are other parties in here.¡± Confused, Liam asked, ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°There are unspoken rules when it comes to dungeons that have no party size restrictions,¡± Cindy said. ¡°One is when you come across a party fighting monsters, you do not fight the monsters they are up against unless the party that is already locked in battle requests for help. That way the party that was already fighting the monsters don¡¯t accuse you of kill steals and that you were trying to take any loot they were after.¡± Liam nodded. That sounded like a logical reason. It was a rule, albeit a very loose rule, in video games. It would make sense it would be a rule here. ¡°The other is¡­,¡± Cindy continued with a very dark expression. ¡°Do not trust any random parties unless they prove they do not have any malicious intent.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched at that. He understood what she was saying. She didn¡¯t need to spell it out for him since he had experienced it on the sixth floor of the Black Tutorial Dungeon. People will kill you in the dungeon if they wanted to try to. Liam didn¡¯t realize he grew a scowl until he noticed the look on Cindy¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you have come across someone who has tried, but I¡¯ll take that scowl as you know exactly what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Cindy stated. Liam nodded without saying anything. ¡°Good, then I don¡¯t need to explain that if someone is killed by another then no one would bat an eye unless there are party members still alive to bring it to the authorities,¡± Cindy said before looking around. Liam looked around, thinking that the reason why she had brought it up was because there might have been people with some malicious intent around. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As he looked around, Liam focused his hearing as best as he could while peering pass the outline of the trees. Liam pulled out his crude bow and grabbed an arrow with his free hand. As he scouted the area, he placed the arrow in a ready position, in case he needed to fire it. At first he didn¡¯t hear anything. No noise of low whispers, crunching boots, or anything. He couldn¡¯t see any shadows or silhouettes hiding behind the trees or ducked behind any bushes. After a few seconds had passed by without anything making itself known, Liam started to relax. However, the moment he did a couple of bushes to the right behind them started to shake and three forms rushed out of them yelling out a high pitch Warcry. Liam spun around and pulled the arrow back against the bow string. He aimed for the nearest creature that was rushing straight at him and got a good look at it. All three of these creatures stood about four feet tall and on two legs wearing nothing but a fur loincloth around their waist. They had dirty green skin and long sharp toenails and finger nails. They were bald and had black eyes. Their noses were crooked and with open mouths Liam was able to see razor sharp teeth. In each of their hands were small chipped wooden clubs. He assessed the one he was aiming at.
¡°Feeble Forest Goblin. 250/250 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 5.¡±
Liam released the arrow and watched it fly. The arrow flew fast directly at the creature¡¯s face. He was about to smile until he saw the arrow suddenly move to the right, missing the Goblin¡¯s head by a few inches. A familiar yet annoying notification appeared, almost like it was mocking him.
¡°Missed.¡±
¡°Thanks captain obvious,¡± Liam muttered in annoyance as he readied another arrow. He took in a deep breath, aimed once more, and released it. Since the Feeble Forest Goblin hadn¡¯t stopped running, it was almost within point blank range. The arrow, not having much room for error, sunk right into the goblin¡¯s forehead.
¡°Feeble Forest Goblin. 192/250 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 5.¡±
The arrow had caused some damage, but thanks to the Debuff that was still afflicting Liam coupled with the low level he had in the Weapon Skill ¨C Bow, the amount wasn¡¯t as much as it would have been normally. Liam jumped out of the way as the Feeble Forest Goblin with the arrow in its head swung its crude club vertically down. He quickly switched the bow for his crude Bone Blade, planted his feet down, took a step forward and swung his sword down in a forty-five degree angle. After slicing down, Liam kicked the creature¡¯s stomach as it turn to face him, making it fly backwards into one of the other Feeble Forest Goblins that was rushing towards Liam. Both creatures stumbled and fell down. Liam turned to find the other goblin was rushing at Cindy who was waiting patiently for it to come. Liam turned his attention back to the two who were arguing with each other as they tried to get back up. As Liam stared at the two, he decided on what he wanted to do. Liam channeled his Gravity Mana, allowing it to coat up to his mid forearms. After he channeled the mana he redirected it and chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± Liam watched as the familiar color of gravity washed over the two Feeble Forest Goblins. He noticed their shoulder shag as their arms drooped to the ground. Their makeshift weapons fell to the ground, too heavy for them to pick up. Without waiting, Liam swung his sword down and then back up. He then swung it left and then right. He kept swinging and swinging, fully knowing his form was horrible. He kept going switching from one to the other until finally he received the notifications he was waiting for.
¡°You have killed Feeble Forest Goblin.¡± ¡°You have killed Feeble Forest Goblin.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Bow has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 26%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Sword has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 2%!¡±
Liam panted a bit as he stared at the notifications. He noticed his stamina had dropped down to fifty points which explained why he felt so tired. ¡°I know I said it looked like you weren¡¯t using all that you had¡­,¡± Cindy started to say, bringing Liam¡¯s attention onto her. The Feeble Forest Goblin that had ran straight for her now laid face first into the ground, dead. ¡°But please tell me your sword and Bow skills weren¡¯t apart of the fighting style you have.¡± ¡°That obvious huh?¡± Liam asked as he took in a gulp of air. He then pulled out a Weak Orange Stamina Potion and drank it. ¡°Obvious?¡± Cindy let out a short chuckle. ¡°You looked like a child waving around a stick pretending to be a swordsman. And your accuracy with the bow¡­let¡¯s not even start there.¡± After Liam finished drinking his potion, he placed the empty vial into his inventory and said with a slight chuckle of his own, ¡°Yeah, I guess those two Weapon skills are pathetic compared to my dagger weapon skill.¡± Cindy raised a brow as she stared at him. ¡°If your dagger skills are better than those two then why are you using those weapons?¡± ¡°I wanted to try my hand with those weapons. You know try to expand on my choices of weaponry,¡± Liam replied as he felt the potion ease his pounding heart and relax his tired arms. Cindy gave him an approving nod before saying, ¡°Commendable. It¡¯s good to widen your weapon skills so you have back up weapons for different situations, but stupid to do it while it is still so low inside a dungeon.¡± Liam stared at her. ¡°If you want to up your weapon skills while in a dungeon then I¡¯d suggest you do it once they are at level ten or higher,¡± Cindy started. ¡°If you try to do it while under level ten then you¡¯ll just leave yourself wide open and could die. Especially if you come across an enemy that¡¯s smarter, faster, and stronger.¡± Liam sighed. He knew she was right. He was no longer in the Tutorial Area. This was the real world now. These dungeons didn¡¯t have any sort of protection like those ones did. Not that the dungeon he was in had any like the others. ¡°I will give you one thing though,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°It was smart to use your Gravity Magic to hinder their movements. That is what helped you take down those Goblins without any worries. For now though¡­just use your daggers. I can help train you in bows and swords when we¡¯re not in the dungeon if you¡¯d like. I¡¯m no mentor, but I can at least help you get better form in them and help you raise their levels to ten.¡± Liam gave her a smile. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that.¡± Cindy nodded. ¡°Good, now loot their bodies while I try to search for more monsters for you to fight.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Liam said as he looted the two Feeble Forest Goblins by his feet.
¡°You have received Bone x 2!¡± ¡°You have received Crude Rabbit Pelt Loincloth. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Crude. +5 defense.¡± ¡°You have received Bone x 3!¡±
Liam frowned as he looked at the second item he had received. Cindy looked back at him and noticed the frown on his face and asked, ¡°What did you get?¡± Liam looked down at the two creatures before looking at her and saying, ¡°I got one of their loincloths.¡± Cindy let out a long laugh. ¡°What?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Everyone makes that face when they receive that from these guys,¡± Cindy replied after getting her laughter under control. ¡°You can think of it as a rite of passage. Also, I highly advise you don¡¯t touch it with your bare hands when you pull it out. I highly advise even more that you hold your breath too. The smell that reeks off their cloths is so bad you¡¯d wish it was only the impurities from the smithy.¡± Liam blanched at the thought. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Deadly,¡± Cindy said with a straight face. Liam felt a shiver wash over him as he thought about it. Cindy forced herself not to laugh as she watched Liam. ¡°Alright, enough about that. I found a couple more enemies for us to kill.¡± ¡°Where at?¡± Liam asked as he looked at her. Cindy pointed to her right into the trees off the dirt path. ¡°Not too far, about North to Northwest. Looks like a couple of Swift Foot Horned Rabbits.¡± ¡°What kind of monsters are they?¡± Liam asked as he looked in the direction she had pointed. ¡°They¡¯re small furry little rabbits that have large back feet to help with their jumping. They also have a small horn on their heads they like to use when ramming into their targets,¡± Cindy explained. ¡°The lower leveled ones aren¡¯t very accurate when they jump around trying to spear their heads so you shouldn¡¯t have any issues dodging. Just know that if they hit you it will hurt like a bitch.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Anything we need from them?¡± Cindy thought about it. After thinking she nodded and answered, ¡°Yeah, their horns can be grounded and used in Medicinal Creation items just like their bones. The fur can be used for multiple items and the meat is good if you find a decent enough chef. Other than that, nothing that I can think of.¡± Liam nodded as he listened. ¡°Are they small enough to put away in my inventory or do I need to skin and butcher them while we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Probably best to stash them and work on them later. They are small enough to fit inside the inventory, but don¡¯t try to stash too many. Your inventory has a limit to what you can put in it and they do not stack,¡± Cindy explained. ¡°Good to know,¡± Liam said. ¡°Looks like Rabbit season has started.¡± Adventure 171 - I’m yelling Timber Cindy wasn¡¯t lying about the Swift Foot Horned Rabbits when she said the creature¡¯s accuracy when trying to spear their horns into people was bad. She also wasn¡¯t lying about the fact their horns would hurt if they did hit you. On all fours the creatures were about two and a half feet tall maybe less. Liam couldn¡¯t get an accurate measurement since the creatures wouldn¡¯t stop moving. The two Swift Foot Horned Rabbits Cindy was able to find were low leveled and were horrible at trying to jump right at him from a certain distance. Liam didn¡¯t need to move to be able to dodge some of their strikes, however, the couple of times Liam was within point blank of their striking zone was another story. Their horns had knocked the wind out of him a couple of times when their horns struck against his chest, knocking his health down fifteen points with each strike. Luckily for him, their horns weren¡¯t sharp enough to pierce through his armor. It just felt like being hit on bare skin really hard with a full hacky sack being thrown super-fast. After five minutes of being struck and striking back, learning their movements, and planning his next steps, Liam caught a break and lured them into headbutting into a tree where their horns had implanted into. After he got them to do that, he wasted no time in killing them. ¡°That was¡­an interesting way to take care of them,¡± Cindy stated as she watched Liam try to pull the creatures off of the tree they were stuck to. ¡°Was it that bad?¡± Liam questioned after he finally got the second one free. ¡°No. Using the terrain to your advantage is a good call,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°Its just¡­I have never heard anyone get so frustrated when fighting these creatures that they resort to curses and taunts.¡± Cindy let out a snicker. ¡°The fact that you yelled out that you were going to kill them and use their feet as lucky charms¡­I just have never heard anyone say that before.¡± Liam¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment as he looted the creatures.
¡°You have received 10 Copper Coins! ¡°You have received 9 Copper Coins!¡±
You get coins from these creatures instead of anything else? Liam thought as he looked confused at his notifications. He then looked at Cindy and said, ¡°I was just venting out my frustrations after getting hit by them so many times. You weren¡¯t joking about it hurting. Also, why do they drop coins? The Feeble Forest Goblins didn¡¯t drop coins.¡± Cindy shook her head while giving a short chuckle at the first thing Liam said. After reigning in her laughter she answered, ¡°The loot you get from creatures whether they are beast or humanoid is randomized. Again, I don¡¯t know why that is, but it is what it is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not helpful at all,¡± Liam muttered as he placed the two rabbits in his inventory. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t I know it,¡± Cindy agreed before looking around. Liam suddenly felt the air around them start to shift. He was about to ask what was going on until he saw the concentrated look on Cindy¡¯s face. He activated Mana Sight and saw a whitish green start to coat her arms. As he watched this he noticed something else start to mix with the color of Air mana. The whitish green had turned into a silverish-green. What is that? Liam thought to himself as he watched the color run up her arms to her shoulders. After the mana had finished being channeled, Cindy closed her eyes and quietly muttered to herself in a chant, ¡°Sound all around, search and return. Bring back the information I so desire. Locate any and all nearby creatures. Echolocation.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. This was a Sound Magic spell? So that Silverish Green is Sound Mana? Why didn¡¯t I notice this earlier? Was it because I was too focused on something? Before Liam could continue thinking, Cindy opened her eyes and looked at Liam. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a mixture of Feeble Forest Goblins and Swift Foot Horned Rabbits in that direction.¡± Liam watched as she pointed a finger towards the west of their location. ¡°It looks like they are fighting each other in a small clearing,¡± Cindy stated before adding, ¡°I think there might be a cave there, but I don¡¯t know if there are any monsters within it since the inside goes farther than my spell¡¯s radius. Do you want to take them on?¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Liam started as he thought about it. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea to fight those creatures without any information about that cave. From what he was told by Cindy, monsters could be lurking within the cave since they don¡¯t have a set area they stay in. However, if there were any monsters then they should have heard the fighting between the Feeble Forest Goblins and the Swift Foot Horned Rabbits. If no monsters have come out to their fighting then it could mean that the cave belonged to one of the two types of monsters and they are fighting for territory. Also, if there weren¡¯t any monsters coming out then maybe that¡¯s all there was there. However, there also might be some variables he wasn¡¯t aware of yet. After all, this type of dungeon was still new to him. He looked back at Cindy and asked, ¡°How many of each are fighting?¡± ¡°Three of each,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°Hm. If that is the case then let¡¯s go check it out and see how the fight is progressing,¡± Liam suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t want to jump in if both sides are at full health and they decide that we are worth them teaming up to take us down.¡± Cindy nodded, ¡°Good plan. Let¡¯s go.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam and Cindy stood behind a tree each, peaking their heads out to get a good look into the small clearing before them. The area wasn¡¯t big, but it could fit at least twenty people within it. The grassy dirt area where the edge of the clearing was sloped downwards at a forty-five degree angle until it reached the bottom which wasn¡¯t that far down. A small river trickled down into it and towards the cave that sat on the other side of where Liam and Cindy were. A few bushes were planted around in the clearing, but no trees grew within it. Inside this clearing, three Feeble Forest Goblins fought with three Swift Foot Horned Rabbits. The Goblins grunted and yelled at the rabbits as they splashed around trying to chase after them. The Swift Foot Horned Rabbits for their part were bouncing around and using their horns to strike at their foes. Liam assessed each creature to see where their health was at.
¡°Feeble Forest Goblin. 72/275 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 6.¡± ¡°Feeble Forest Goblin. 80/275 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 6.¡± ¡°Feeble Forest Goblin. 54/250 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 5.¡± ¡°Swift Foot Horned Rabbit. 81/230 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 5.¡± ¡°Swift Foot Horned Rabbit. 97/210 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 4.¡± ¡°Swift Foot Horned Rabbit. 72/210 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 4.¡±
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. As Liam took in each of their health he noticed how low they were. He guessed they had to have been fighting for a while since their health was so low. He looked at Cindy and guessed she had looked at their health as well since she asked as quietly as she could, ¡°What do you think? Since they are so low we can take them on, but it might be six on two if we went in. Want to wait till a couple get killed and finish the rest?¡± Liam thought about it as he looked back at the creatures. It would be smart for them to wait till a couple had died, but he wasn¡¯t sure if they would be able to collect the loot on their bodies nor be able to collect the rabbits¡¯ bodies for harvesting if they died to the goblins¡¯ hands instead of theirs. As he watched he noticed the goblins had turned and moved a bit closer to where they were hiding as the rabbits tried to spear head them and missed. Liam, instinctively moved behind the tree he was hiding behind so they wouldn¡¯t notice him. As he did he ended up staring at the tree. As he stared at the tree something popped up in his vison that hadn¡¯t popped up before.
¡°Would you like to activate skill Lumber Jack efficiency on Thick Forest Tree? Information provided on target: Perfect condition. Time to chop down ¨C 5 to 7 minutes. Activate? Yes No?¡±
Confused, Liam placed a hand on the tree and thought about why it had appeared. As he rummaged through his brain for an explanation a thought appeared. This was a skill he had received when he opened his Focus Point Gathering Craft in the Field of the Craft. This skill was tied to the Lumber Jack Gathering Craft. He hadn¡¯t worked on this craft yet which is why he was so confused about it. However, now it gave him an idea. He looked at the tree Cindy was behind and waited for the notification to appear.
¡°Would you like to activate skill Lumber Jack Efficiency on Thick Forest Tree? Information provided on target: Near Perfect condition. Time to chop down ¨C 4 to 6 minutes. Activate? Yes No?¡±
Liam looked at the tree to his left and stared at it.
¡°Would you like to activate skill Lumber Jack Efficiency on Normal Forest Tree? Information provided on target: Okay condition. Time to chop down ¨C 3 to 5 minutes. Activate? Yes No?¡±
He then quietly moved over to Cindy who was staring at him with confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam held a finger up to ask for a moment as he looked at the tree nearest to Cindy¡¯s right.
¡°Would you like to activate skill Lumber Jack Efficiency on Thick Forest Tree? Information provided on target: Poor condition. Time to chop down ¨C 45 seconds to 1 minute and 30 seconds. Activate? Yes No?¡±
That one will do. Liam thought as a plan started to formulate in his mind. In order for this plan to work he would need two things. One would be for them to gather in one spot. The other would be for them to be stuck in that spot. He didn¡¯t need to think hard about how to do both because he had just the spell for the task. Liam channeled as much Gravity Mana as he quickly could. He knew he didn¡¯t need a lot of it so once it coated his hands he stopped. He then focused on pushing all the Gravity Mana he had channeled into the spell he started chanting. ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and Keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well.¡± After he pushed all the Gravity Mana into the dark purplish orb, he stepped out from where he was standing, aimed for a spot that was close to him while still having all six creatures within radius and tossed it. Both Cindy and Liam watched the ball land, rise up and start pulling everything towards it. They both then watched as the three Feeble Forest Goblins and three Swift Foot Horned Rabbits suddenly turn to look at the foreign object. In a panic they tried to move away as they felt their bodies start to be pulled towards it, but failed as the spell had trapped them. After their bodies were jerked and pulled to the orb, Cindy said, ¡°Okay. That¡¯s one way to round them up. Now what do you plan on doin¡­¡± Her words trailed off as she watched Liam walk around the tree he was standing next to and pull out a Crude Axe. ¡°Um¡­what are you doing?¡± Liam replied while not taking his eyes off the tree, ¡°Putting a skill of mine to use.¡± Before Cindy could ask anything else, Liam started hacking the axe into the tree. She watched as his trajectory with the crude tool struck in different spots with each swing. After a few seconds had passed his aim with it had corrected itself and dug in deeper and deeper with each swing. After fifty seconds had passed, Cindy heard a loud snap. She then watched as Liam stopped swinging at the tree. As she looked at it she noticed it looked to be barely holding on as it swayed a bit. She was about to open her mouth again, but then watched as Liam walked behind the tree. He poked his head out from behind it and looked to be focusing on something. She turned to see what he was looking at and found it. He¡¯s not about to do what I think he¡¯s about to do¡­is he? Cindy thought as a slight chuckle started to form in her throat. Without needing to wait for answer, she heard Liam shout out timber as he pushed his arms against the tree and watched as it started to fall down right on top of the gathered enemies. A loud crash and squish echoed in the clearing as the tree fell right on top of the three Feeble Forest Goblins and three Swift Foot Horned Rabbits. Cindy¡¯s mouth dropped as she stared at the area where the monsters were gathered. Blood was splattered out from both sides. The lower torso of a Feeble Forest Goblin and a Swift Foot Horned Rabbit stuck out from one side of the fallen tree while a goblin arm and rabbit foot poked out with an upper torso of a goblin with blood pooling out from its mouth laid next to the tree. Six notifications suddenly appeared in front of Liam and Cindy as they stared at the scene. ¡°That went better than expected,¡± Liam slowly said as he too stared wide eyed. Cindy let out a snort. ¡°I¡¯d say. I must hand it to you. You¡¯re really using some unorthodox strategies to kill monsters. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anyone really use the terrain this effectively. Good job.¡± Liam¡¯s cheeks blushed a bit as he looked away from her. Using the terrain wasn¡¯t something he had taken into account when fighting, but with some of crafting skills it was required. A smile formed on his face as he thought about that last part. This fight had proven that he could use his craft skills regardless of whether it was Production, Gathering, or Construction. This one fight had given him the boost he needed to gain confidence that his starting class wasn¡¯t as weak as everyone had been telling him. ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said as he made his way to the creatures. After he reached the area where the creatures were crushed, he looked at the bodies and had a horrible thought. He then looked at Cindy and asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t think this through before doing this, but¡­can I still loot and used their bodies to harvest?¡± Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure if he understood the look on Cindy¡¯s face as soon as he asked it, but her words clarified his earlier thought. ¡°The ones under tree are probably not salvageable. You might be able to get loot from the upper torsos that you can see¡­¡± She then looked at the severed rabbit legs and added with a slight grimace, ¡°Except from the severed Swift Foot Horned Rabbits. The upper body can be harvested, but you wouldn¡¯t get as much if you had the entire body.¡± Liam grimaced as he listened to her. ¡°What I¡¯m hearing is, if I want to harvest the entire body don¡¯t squish them like this again¡­got it.¡± Cindy shook her head as she let out a small chuckle. She then said, ¡°Go ahead and loot what you can. I¡¯m going to search for more enemies.¡± Liam nodded as he went to the goblin that had its upper body sticking out from the fallen tree.
¡°You have received Bone x 1.¡±
Looks like the loot is reduced like this as well. Liam thought as he sighed. He then went over to the Swift Foot Horned Rabbit that had its upper torso still intact and tried loot it as well.
¡°You have received 5 Copper coins.¡±
After he looted the body he grabbed the creature and tried to pull it. He felt little resistance as he pulled as well as heard a tearing squishing noise. As he pulled it free from the tree, he saw some blood start to pool out from the severed area and fought back the bile that threatened to shoot out from his stomach. He quickly placed it into his inventory before he could see anymore and let out a sigh. He then went to one of the random rabbit legs that was sticking out and tried to loot it. Instead of seeing a notification letting him know he had received anything he received a different one in red letters.
¡°Body can not be looted!¡±
Yup. Going to have to be a lot more careful when using a strategy like this. Liam thought as he stood back up. He was about to ask if Cindy was able to find anything nearby, but stopped and was suddenly on alert as he noticed Cindy¡¯s body tense. ¡°Liam,¡± Cindy suddenly stated in a quiet and cautious tone. ¡°Yes?¡± Liam asked in the same type of manner. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I think something or someone powerful is trailing us,¡± Cindy said as she looked around. Liam pulled out his Boned Curved Daggers and scanned the area as well. He focused his hearing and sight all around as he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cindy slowly got up and walked cautiously over to Liam. She didn¡¯t take her sight off the surrounding trees as she answered, ¡°When I used my Echolocation I didn¡¯t find anything. However, after I used it again a group of unknowns suddenly appeared nearby.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he listened to her. ¡°What do you mean a group of unknowns suddenly appeared? Did they appear around the edge of your echolocation¡¯s radius?¡± ¡°No¡­,¡± Cindy stated. ¡°They appeared close to the edge of the trees. I don¡¯t see them, nor do I hear them. I¡¯m not sure how they are doing it.¡± Illusion magic. Eri suddenly stated in Liam¡¯s mind. What? Liam asked. It is a group of people. They are using Illusion magic to hide their presence. She was able to catch them in a moment after one of them made a weird motion. Eri explained. How do you know this? Can you see them? Are they hostile? Where are they? Liam questioned. I believe they are. But I¡¯m not entirely sure. Eri informed. They are behind the trees in the direction the girl is looking at. They are strong so be careful. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Liam muttered under his breath as he slowly turned around and looked at the direction Eri had stated. He then whispered to Cindy, ¡°It¡¯s a group of powerful people using Illusion Magic. They are hiding behind those trees right there.¡± Surprised, Cindy looked at Liam and asked, ¡°How do you know that?¡± Before Liam could say anything a voice called out, ¡°That¡¯s what I would like to know.¡± Adventure 172 – Sudden Assault Liam and Cindy focused on the area the voice came from. A second later, five individuals stepped out from behind the trees. Cindy¡¯s body tensed as Liam scanned them while they took in each feature of these people, his eyes narrowing on the one in the middle. The two males on the outsides wore steel plated chest armor and steel plated greaves. They didn¡¯t wear any helmets allowing their flowing blond manes to be free. The skinny tails with a pompom like look swished left to right. One held a Warhammer while the other was gripping a Battle-axe. These two were Lion-folks. The next two inside of the Lion-folks were different. On Liam¡¯s left was another male with wild looking long silver hair. He wore a tight sleeveless light brown leather shirt allowing his slim toned arms to move freely. The color and materials of his pants and boots matched his shirt. The daggers that were sheathed to his hip gave him a rogue like look which matched his Wolf-folk features. The figure standing on the right was a woman wearing a dark forest green cloak. The cloak opened up some around the chest area to reveal a chest plate that only covered her breasts and a small part of the top of her stomach. In one hand was a bow and on her back was a quiver giving her an archer or ranger look. Liam wasn¡¯t able to tell what her hair color nor the length was due to the hood being over her head hiding all that and most of her facial features except for her golden feline eyes. He didn¡¯t know which feline Beast-kin race she was; however, he knew she wasn¡¯t a Cat-folk. As impressive as those four looked, it was the one who stood in the middle that Liam was more wary of. More wary of and instantly loathed. It was a male who stood shorter than his four companions wearing much fancier armor, if Liam could call it armor. The guy just looked like a rich prick to him. He wore a clean dark violet and navy blue jacket with golden thin metal designs around his lapel, cuffs, and outer hems. The jacket was buttoned with two golden buttons around his stomach revealing a navy blue dress shirt. A dark violet handkerchief rested in the pocket of his dress shirt. A pair of clean dark leather boots hugged his legs up to his mid-calves hiding most of his tight dark leather pants. A smooth dark wooden wand with a wolf¡¯s head delicately carved at the bottom end rested on the man¡¯s hip while a singular monocle sat over his left eye. It wasn¡¯t the way the man was dressed that spurred the irritation and slight anger that was building inside of Liam. It had nothing to do with the fact he had never met the guy. He could say he was irrational for his sudden response looking at the man while he tried to reel in his baring teeth. He didn¡¯t know what it was with this race and why they always seemed to cause him some sort of issue. However, he really hasn¡¯t had any good luck meeting a Weasel-folk that didn¡¯t want to cause him trouble. ¡°Can you tell me how you knew where we were hiding?¡± the weasel-folk man questioned. ¡°I can understand why the lass was able to get a brief glimpse that we were in the area. A decent leveled Echolocation can spot certain things some Illusion spells try to hide. Couple that with her Cat-folk race traits there was always a good chance she would spot us eventually. But you¡­¡± The weasel-folk narrowed his eyes on Liam. ¡°From what we had gathered, you¡¯re still a newbie¡­a human one at that who shouldn¡¯t have any way of determining where we were. I was using a high Apprentice leveled Illusion spell.¡± ¡°What makes you think I don¡¯t have the same race traits as she does?¡± Liam asked with a sneer on his face. All five of the Beast-kins staring at Liam suddenly narrowed their eyes. The two Lion-folks and the Wolf-folk slightly bared their teeth at him. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re a dirty half-breed?¡± the Wolf-folk glowered. ¡°I don¡¯t know about dirty, but I could be one. What¡¯s it to you puppy?¡± Liam replied as he shifted his eyes at the man. The wolf-folk snarled at Liam¡¯s comment. ¡°What is it you want?¡± Cindy stated, trying to change the topic. The weasel-folk turned his gaze towards her and responded, ¡°We aren¡¯t here for you, but you being here makes it easier for the one who employed us.¡± ¡°Employed you?¡± Cindy muttered as she gave the man a puzzling look. ¡°Yes, we were employed to¡­convince your little friend here that if he knows what¡¯s good for him then he shall think better than to allow his recent discoveries to be free to the public,¡± the weasel-folk man started. ¡°Only the elite should be privy to the benefits of the better tasting and smelling items. He would find it much better to bow down and give his services to our employer.¡± ¡°And if I were to refuse?¡± Liam asked already knowing the answer. The weasel-folk gave Liam a malicious smile as he replied, ¡°We were told that if you were to refuse then we would need to teach you how exactly this world really works until you fully understand it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± Cindy shouted. ¡°You think you can just threaten him like that? If you even dare try to lay a finger on us then we will go to the authorities.¡± The four beast-kins behind the weasel-folk let out a long terrifying laugh. The sound of their laughter sent chills down Cindy¡¯s back as they made Liam even more ticked off. ¡°You can go ahead and try if you¡¯d like little kitten,¡± the Lion-folk holding the Warhammer stated. ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be wise though,¡± the weasel-folk male added as he gave her a wicked grin. ¡°You see we were also asked to pass on another message¡­You should stop supplying that sorry excuse of a store called Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron with any of the products you have recently revealed. If you do not then any and all contents you have provided that are found in the store will be purged¡­and if you think this is some kind of a joke then don¡¯t be surprised if any personnel within the store during the time of purge is treated like collateral to get the point across.¡± Liam felt his nails dig into his palms as his hands balled into fists. What the hell is wrong with these people? Liam thought to himself. Why are they going to such lengths? Do they want the rights to the things I discovered that badly? No¡­not these people¡­their¡­employer¡­Who is their employer? As Liam¡¯s mind started to buzz with the thoughts, irritation and anger started to swim throughout his body even more than when he set his eyes on the weasel-folk. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?!¡± Cindy shouted. ¡°The authorities wont stand for anyone doing such¡­¡± More laughter escaped all five of the beast-kins staring the two down. ¡°You¡¯re right. They normally wouldn¡¯t but¡­,¡± the Lion-folk with the Battleaxe started to say. ¡°That¡¯s enough Grizlo,¡± the weasel-folk snapped. Grizlo turned his attention onto the weasel-folk. His laughter turned into a sneer as he stared at the shorter man. ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from you short shit.¡± ¡°You do right now. Remember I was appointed leader for this job. Or should I tell him that you almost let your flapping gums loose?¡± the weasel-folk countered back. Grizlo glowered at him, his teeth slowly baring as a growl escaped between them. ¡°Now, now, Dirk. I¡¯m sure Grizlo didn¡¯t mean that,¡± the hooded female said, trying to calm both men down a bit. His eyes narrowed even more as his emotions slowly started to take hold of him. The more he listened to these guys the more pissed off he was feeling. Doing their job or not. These guys had the audacity to trail them here in a Free Roam Dungeon, claim they would not only beat them up, but also threatened to thrash Cindy¡¯s Uncle¡¯s store and hurt both Farry and Abbey. For what¡­for him to agree to work for their employer? For him to go against what he wants to do and give their employer the satisfaction of having him make these potions and Medicinal Creation items so he could sell to only select customers? Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. He turned to look at Cindy. He noticed two emotions strongly fighting across her face. Frustration and fear. She was frustrated that these guys threatened to hurt her uncle and little sister. She was afraid that they would come through with those threats if they didn¡¯t get what they wanted. She slowly turned to look at Liam and he noticed a couple other things mix in with the two. Was that sadness and...a pained expression? He had no clue why she had that saddened look on her face, but if that pained expression was for what he thought it was¡­then it really pissed him off. He knew all too well what that kind of expression meant¡­what it could lead to. It was one that made people think about their options. Made them think about hard choices they had to make. In this situation it wasn¡¯t hard to tell what they were. Either not get involved and allow these people to intimidate Liam into agreeing to work for their boss or¡­fight back and have her family get hurt. These thoughts created a turmoil within him as he stared into her eyes. Her confused and pleading eyes. ¡°So even in this world I can¡¯t catch a break¡­can I?¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself. His words caught the attention of everyone around them. ¡°What did you say?¡± Dirk questioned as he looked down at Liam. Liam swiftly looked back at the short man. His emotions boiled within him. He didn¡¯t realize it as he stared at the man, but mana had started to channel around his body as a certain spell started to build up. With a growl Liam replied back, ¡°You stupid fucking son of a bit¡­¡± Before Liam could finish what he was saying, he felt a powerful blow suddenly strike him across the face. Not even a second after he was struck, Liam flew backwards. He felt his body turn with the attack before skipping twice across the ground before stopping. ¡°Larix!¡± Dirk shouted. ¡°What are you¡­¡± ¡°Sinner!¡± Larix the wolf-folk roared. ¡°You fucking sinner! I can smell it! I can smell it on you!¡± ¡°What the hell?!¡± Grizlo and the other Lion-folk shouted in disbelief. Cindy stood there frozen. With wide eyes she turned to look at the wolf-folk who had suddenly appeared right next to her. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what was going on, but she knew this guy was enraged. Liam felt heat spike across his face, starting with his left cheek where he had gotten struck. Feeling disoriented, he tried to think about what had just happened. He didn¡¯t make the first move that he could think of. He was standing there, pissed off at what was going on. He had started to say something, then the next thing he knew he was flying across the clearing with pain pounding against the left side of his mouth. As he tried to reorient himself while slowly standing back up, he felt his Danger Sense flare back up. However, before he could defend himself or dodge whatever was coming at him, he felt another strike hit his left rib cage. As the powerful attack landed, Liam felt the side of his body curve with the blow before flying once more away from the attack. He felt his body roll on the ground and he used the momentum to roll onto his feet. He looked around to try and see who it was attacking him, but couldn¡¯t as his vision grew blurry and his head started to spin. The only thing he could do was hear someone roar. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you obtained that ability, but it ends here! I will right this wrong and kill you!¡± Larix roared. Liam tried to focus on where the voice was coming from. It was hard since his vision was so blurry and his head swam, but he still tried his hardest to focus. That will power of his saved him as he felt his Danger Sense light up once more all over his right side. Focusing as hard as he could he dropped to his knees right as a powerful gust of air blew over his head. ¡°You dare dodg¡­,¡± Larix shouted before letting out a painful yelp. Larix turned to see Cindy standing right behind him. A dagger dug right into Larix¡¯s back. Larix could see fear in her eyes as he snarled and glared at her. Before she could fully move out of the way, Larix reached out and gripped her wrist. As he did this, he gripped one of his daggers from his hip with his free hand and drove it right into her stomach. Cindy felt the dagger pierce her skin. The next second she felt something hot and cold rush into her. Her limbs became none responsive as whatever was coated on the guy¡¯s dagger entered her blood stream and washed over her. With a devilish grin, Larix gripped her wrist tighter and flung her to the side. She flew, stomach first, right into the side of the cave, the dagger digging deeper into her stomach. Blood spewed out from her mouth upon collision before she fell to the ground. Liam¡¯s vision had returned enough for him to see this. His eyes widened as he watched his companion fall to the ground, not moving. ¡°No!¡± Liam shouted. His attention whirled on the man as white hot rage filled him. He threw a punch, but it was useless in front of the wolf-folk as he stopped the weak punch with an open palm before driving a kick into Liam¡¯s stomach, sending flying right next to Cindy. Larix grinned savagely as he slowly strolled up to the two. ¡°Larix! What are you doing?!¡± Dirk shouted. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to attack him unless he put up a fight!¡± ¡°Oh he was going to,¡± Larix said with a vicious smile. ¡°Even if he wasn¡¯t going to right away. He was going to fight us. But it doesn¡¯t matter. He needs to be killed. He needs to die!¡± Grizlo, the other Lion-folk, and the hooded woman stared at Larix with horror. They weren¡¯t sure what to do and were confused as to what had brought this savagery out from the wolf-folk. ¡°Dude, if this is because he is a half-breed¡­,¡± Grizlo started. ¡°This isn¡¯t because of something so stupid idiot. This is something more¡­something so much more that even your feeble muscle headed brain cannot understand,¡± Larix said as he stopped right in front of Liam and Cindy. ¡°I have to right this wrong. I have to¡­¡± Before Larix could say anything else, several figures suddenly descended upon him. They had taken not only the man by surprise, but also everyone else because even with their heightened hearing and smelling, they didn¡¯t notice that they had attracted the creatures that were occupying the cave. Liam took in the sight that was happening before him. His mouth was wide open as he watched in confusion as Larix fell to the ground while a few green skinned humanoid creatures swung their clubs as hard as they could against the Wolf-folk¡¯s head and a few more rammed their sharp wooden spears into his chest. Larix roared with anger as he kicked and punched at these goblins, trying to get them off of him. He felt the power of the clubs swing down against his head and sides as a searing pain blossomed within him each time they pierced and pulled their wooden spears throughout his chest and legs. Liam took in the physical appearance of the goblins that were attacking the wolf-folk. While they looked like the Feeble Forest Goblins he had fought earlier, he noticed something strange about them. While their skin was green like the others, they had dark grey patches throughout their bodies that reminded Liam of dead skin cells. Foam frothed from their mouths as they roared and screamed. Liquid mixed with the foam and rolled down their chins and stomachs as they kept their attacks up. This behavior seemed strange as Liam watched. As he continued to examine them he noticed their bodies would sporadically twitch and tense, almost like they were fighting muscle spasms or a form of paralysis. One of the goblins suddenly stopped swinging their club and spewed liquid and chunks all over Larix¡¯s face before attacking again. Larix screamed with disgust and frustration as the liquid washed over his face. Liam assessed the closest creature.
¡°Diseased Feeble Forest Goblin. 123/520 HP. 50/80 MP. Level ¨C 10.¡±
As Liam stared at the notification he grew confused. Before he could think of anything else, something unexplainable happened. The creature¡¯s level rose, along with its stats.
¡°Diseased Feeble Forest Goblin. 110/715 HP. 50/90 MP. Level ¨C 12.¡±
¡°What the fuck?!¡± Liam exclaimed. Liam! You need to get out of there. Now! Eri suddenly shouted in Liam¡¯s mind. The sudden yelling sent a pounding inside his skull, making him wince. What the hell is going on Eri? Liam asked as he slowly stood up. I¡¯m not sure, but something is wrong with these creatures. If you don¡¯t get out of there something bad is going to happen! Eri shouted. Liam didn¡¯t need to be told twice as he reached down to try and pick Cindy up. After throwing an arm over his shoulders, he moved her away from the diseased filled monsters towards the slope he was closest to. Liam could hear Dirk starting to shout, ordering the rest of his crew to help Larix out, but before any of them could respond they heard a loud roar escape from the mouth of the cave. Liam felt the roar rattle his bones, causing the pain he was trying to suppress tense his limbs. After the roar had stopped he felt a light rumble. Then a second one. Then a third. It was footsteps. Something big was coming from the cave and it was coming fast. Without thinking, Liam moved as quickly as he could over to the rocks that were on the side of the cave mouth. He tried to use the rocks to block the view of whatever was coming out of the cave from seeing both him and Cindy. After a couple of seconds had passed a thick muscled figure, standing at least two to three feet taller than Liam, appeared behind the Diseased filled Goblins. Clear and chunky liquid drooled off this new creature, falling onto the smaller creature below it. The goblins didn¡¯t pay attention as they continued their assault on the now helpless Larix, who was thrashing his arms and legs, trying to defend himself. Without warning, the giant creature slapped the goblins swiftly and without holding back away to the left with one of its thick arms. It then grabbed Larix by one of the legs, lifted him high into the air and then slammed him down as hard as it could. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he watched this new creature continue to lift Larix up into the air and slam back into the ground, creating a bigger hole with each impact. However, what the creature was doing wasn¡¯t what had Liam¡¯s eyes so wide. It was the notification that had appeared after he assessed it.
¡°Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. 955/955 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 25.¡±
Adventure 173 - Zombified Hobgoblin and its minions Liam had a lot of questions as he stared at the status and name of the creature that was currently thrashing the man who had brashly assaulted him earlier. First was, why was there a level twenty five monster here? Sure, it was an elite monster, but from what Cindy had explained the higher leveled monsters were deeper in the forest. Even then the highest that was currently reported in this specific dungeon was at least level twelve or thirteen. Second, for a level twenty five elite monster why was its health lower than the Engulfing Sea Ooze he had fought back in the Seaside Cave of the Water Slimes Dungeon? That Ooze creature had a hundred more health points and was lower leveled than this Elite monster. And lastly¡­Zombified? As in an Undead type of monster? Liam was no expert, but he was told from multiple sources that Undead type monsters were in Black Dungeons. Last time he checked this was supposed to be a Green Dungeon. No undead type monsters should be here in this dungeon. Eri? What the hell is going on here? Liam questioned as he took in the creature. Now that Liam was getting a better look at it, he could see it had some features similar to its lesser cousin the Feeble Forest Goblin. It was bald with razor sharp teeth, and green skin. However, that is where the similarities ended. Instead of a rabbit furred loincloth this creature had some sort of cloth pants. Mixed with its green skin were dark grey patches all over the skin that was still intact. Along the right rib cage, bones protruded from torn and destroyed skin. Its eyes had some of its black color, however a silverish grey had started to coat over it. I really don¡¯t know. There shouldn¡¯t be any undead creatures in this dungeon at all. Eri stated. Not only that, but its stats are skewed, and this Hobgoblin is much taller than it should be. Almost like¡­ Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he noticed Eri had trailed off. Almost like what? A couple seconds had passed before Eri started back up. However, Liam noticed there was some concern in her voice as she stated, First things first. Liam, your friend there isn¡¯t doing so good. What do you mean? Liam asked as he looked down at Cindy. She was still passed out on his shoulder. He had almost forgotten she was there since the Hobgoblin had emerged. He wasn¡¯t sure why she was still passed out or what was going on, but then he noticed something in the corner of his eye, around the status information. She had a debuff as well as her health slowly ticking down.
¡°Cindy. 1,991/2,323 HP. 1,358/1,910 MP. 1,770/2,010 Stam. Level ¨C 21.¡± ¡°Paralytic Adder Venom. 5 minutes.¡±
Liam pulled up the information on the debuff and read it.
¡°Paralytic Adder Venom ¨C A slow poison crafted using Liquified Lightning and Venom from a Twin Fanged Adder found in a forest or grass field type dungeon. The Venom spreads through the bloodstream of the target not only poisoning them, but also paralyzing every muscle depending on the quality of the crafted poison.¡±
After Liam read the description he noticed the timer glitch. Every time it went to four minutes fifty-nine seconds it would refresh back to five minutes. Shit! Why isn¡¯t the timer going down? Liam cursed as he went to set her down against the rocks they were hiding themselves behind. After he leaned her back against the rock he noticed the dagger that was still in her stomach. Liam cursed himself for not noticing this sooner and went to pull the dagger out. However, before he could grab the hilt Eri stopped him. Wait stop! Eri shouted. Jesus fucking Christ Eri! Why are you telling me to stop? I need to pull that dagger out so she¡¯ll stop being poisoned and paralyzed. Liam panicked as he swiftly moved his hand away from the dagger. Normally I would agree with you, but if you pull that dagger out right now then she will get a Bleed debuff which will accelerate her loss of health. You¡¯re going to need to treat the wound and get it to stop with that Medicinal Creation item you have¡­ Eri started to explain. If you know that then why did you stop me? Liam asked feeling frustration start to overwhelm him. Because it will take some time and you won¡¯t be able to do that and fight off those monsters. Eri stated. This made Liam grow confused. After seeing what was going on with Cindy he had forgotten about the monsters that were on the other side of the rocks. He didn¡¯t know why he was being so forgetful. This wasn¡¯t like him. Can I fight them? With everything going on with me right now, shouldn¡¯t I get away from here? Liam questioned as he looked back at Cindy. Normally I would suggest it, but with your stats and having to carry that girl away while she¡¯s still paralyzed and unconscious there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be able to get away. Eri informed. Are you serious? Liam asked as he started working his mind. Panic started to work its way back into his thoughts as he tried to think about what he could do. I know those Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins are almost dead, but that Hobgoblin is level twenty-five. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to¡­ Liam. Eri said as calmly as she could. You have fought against Undead type monsters. You know what is strong against them. But I don¡¯t have Fire magic. I only have¡­ Liam stopped as a plan started to form in his mind. Eri didn¡¯t need him to tell her what he was thinking. This was one of those times where he projected his thoughts to her subconsciously and she was glad about it. She was glad because she could help add some things he wasn¡¯t thinking about. That¡¯s right. You have that strategy. You should have about three or four vials of that oil left. Not only that, but you have your other magic and weapons as well. Eri suggested. What about¡­ Liam started to argue. If you were around any one then I wouldn¡¯t suggest it, but you have two advantages right now. Eri started. First, those guys already ran away before those goblins could get to them and that girl is passed out. If you hide her there she should be fine. Liam risked a peek around the rock he was hiding behind and saw that she was right. The Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins, the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior and the very dead Larix were the only beings around. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. As he brought his head back behind the rock, Eri added, Second, you can lure them into the cave for an extra layer of coverage. That being said, you still aren¡¯t at the same level of fighting power you were at back at the Tutorial Area, but with your ability to adapt I believe you can survive¡­it¡¯s a very low probability, but it¡¯s better than nothing. Liam thought it over. She was right. He could use his other abilities while no one else was around. Adding the fact that the cave could hide everything from prying eyes, he could go all out. However, she was also right that he wasn¡¯t at full power yet. This damn debuff was still holding him back. He knew he only had a couple more days till it was fully gone, but that wouldn¡¯t help him at this exact moment. However, none of that mattered because if he didn¡¯t try, not only would Cindy die from the poison, but he would die too. He needed to do this. Eri could see the gears working overtime and hear the thoughts running through his mind. She knew it was a tall order for him to take on this creature right now. The only saving grace for him was how low the creature¡¯s health was compared to what it would normally be for its level. As she watched him war with himself over what he could do and couldn¡¯t do, she noticed movement slowly heading closer to where he was. Liam. Times up. You need to drink a health potion and just do what you need to do. Eri stated. Liam was about to say something else, but was cut off as Eri growled, There are a couple of Goblins making their way towards your area. You are going to be spotted soon and they won¡¯t just be going after you. Cindy will die if you don¡¯t get your head on straight. Now go! Liam was shocked. However, even though he was shocked by how Eri had just yelled at him, it was what he needed to start getting ready. As quickly as he could, Liam pulled up his inventory and pulled out a Poor Minty Health Potion and drank it. As he drank it, he opened up his wardrobe feature and switched his current armor for the armor set he wore back at the end of the Tutorial Dungeon. He felt the familiar feeling of his old armor hugging him as his body felt relief from the potion coursing through his stomach. He got a good look at the armor since it had been so long since he last wore it. It was still kind of banged up from his last boss fight, but it was still better than the armor he was wearing before. Feeling a little more confident, Liam crouched down and readied himself as his hands slowly moved towards the daggers in his Throwing Dagger Scabbard as Eri announced, There are a total of eight Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins and one Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. Four have wooden clubs while the rest have wooden spears. The weaker goblins are slowly dying to some debuff so it won¡¯t take much to kill them, however that Undead Hobgoblin will be a bit of a problem. While it is undead, it still has the defense and attacking power of his non-Undead version. You will need to come up with a good strategy to take it down. Before that though, there are two with clubs slowly heading your way. Try to get their attention along with the others and lure them into the cave. Liam nodded as he took a deep breath in. After holding it for two seconds he slowly let it roll off his lips. He could feel his tense body relax a bit. All nervousness he was feeling was still there, but he was able to push it down as he mentally forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Your best window is in five, four, three, two, one¡­now! Eri informed. As soon as he heard the now, Liam stood up, turned his body to face the creatures as he took a step out, without fully focusing on his aim, threw the first dagger with his right hand and then the second with his left. Both daggers sank right into the chests of the two Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins that were right there before him. Without wasting another second, Liam grabbed two more daggers, aimed for the next closest goblins, and threw his daggers. He didn¡¯t wait to see if they had landed. Instead, he repeated each process with the remaining Disease Feeble Goblins. After that he threw two daggers at the Hobgoblin and then ran as fast as he could right for the open cave mouth. As he turned and started to run, he could hear the gurgled yells escape the mouths of the Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins. Their wet vomit filled yells were quickly drowned out as a much louder angered roar escaped from the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. Liam risked taking a look behind him as he stepped inside the cave and instantly regretted it. As he entered the cave he felt his feet touch nothing but air and fell to the ground quickly. It didn¡¯t take long for him to hit the ground. He let out an Oof as his body slid across the dirt filled floor. After he stopped he placed his hands down and got up as fast as he could and spun around. As he turned his head he noticed the ground was much lower and didn¡¯t line up with the edge of the cave. He thought it was strange that the Hobgoblin was in here since the cave mouth wasn¡¯t tall enough for the creature to comfortably walk out of it. He was able to understand as he saw that the ground sloped down a bit, making the cave look much taller on the inside. There were four rocky pillars spread out supporting the roof of the cave. He quickly ran to the back of the cave as he heard the creatures make their way towards the cave. After he made it there he spun around and looked at the deranged monsters enter. He breathed in and out a couple of times as he waited for all the creatures to enter the room. The smaller goblins had no issue entering, but the Hobgoblin had to crouch a bit before entering. Once when all the creatures entered, Liam forgone channeling any mana and started chanting as the creature got closer and closer, ¡°Moon, beautiful and radiant. Bless up with your power to lighten up the night. Expose those which try to hide within your majestic light. Lunar Exposure!¡± As he chanted the spell he watched as a raven black orb appeared in front of his blade. The familiar pale white light that he strangely missed shone around the orb and started to change the color as the orb then grew to the size of a basketball. After the raven black color of the orb had completely changed, Liam didn¡¯t waste any time and threw it. He then turned around while closing his eyes. Shortly after that, he heard pained filled shouts escape the mouths of the monsters. He waited a second more before opening his eyes and turned to see the creatures slamming their hands against their heads where their eyes were. They stumbled around trying to reorient themselves but failed as they moved about like people being highly intoxicated for the first time. Liam watched as the eight Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins stumbled around and bump into each other in a group. Liking his luck, Liam swiftly focused on the daggers and pulled them back to him with Mana Manipulation. As the daggers returned he noticed that not all of his daggers came back. This told him that he had missed a couple of them when he tried getting their attention earlier. Pushing that out of his mind and returning to the task at hand, Liam pulled out two muddy brown oily liquid vials and sprinted towards the stumbling goblins. He popped open one of the corks and splashed the contents against as many as he could before doing the same with the other. He knew he didn¡¯t get them all, but he didn¡¯t need to. He just needed to get as much of the oily liquid on as many as he could. After he finished with that, Liam chanted as he held his right hand out, palm up, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre before you. Become the tool that will help. Light and burn!¡± A flame flickered to life on his palm. After it had fully formed, Liam threw the flame towards the closest Diseased Feeble Forest Goblin and watched as the flame lit up across the Goblin¡¯s head and spread throughout its body. Anywhere the liquid rolled down, the flame ran. The Diseased Feeble Forest Goblin let out a loud high pitch gurgled scream as it slapped itself, trying to put out the fire. However, as it squirmed around, the creature bumped into two others that were hit with the oil, lighting them up as well. Like a domino effect, each goblin that was hit with the oil caught on fire and scrambled about. The Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins that weren¡¯t hit with the oil earlier weren¡¯t safe as the goblins that were on fire either ran into them or were hit with random flying fiery liquid that was being swiped away from the panicking goblins that were on fire. Liam moved out of the way by jumping backwards towards the back of the cave away from them. He smiled as he watched the scene play out. He didn¡¯t know why, but it felt good to him to use this method. He shook his head to snap out of the mindset he was going into and bring his head back in the game. He went to reach into his inventory for another vial to use on the Hobgoblin, but then froze as he felt his Danger Sense suddenly flared up. Liam snapped his head up to see one of the flaming Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins was flying straight at him. As quickly as he could, he jumped to his left to dodge. The creature barely missed him as it crashed face first into the rocky wall behind him with a loud squish. He was about to think he was in the clear until his Danger Sense flared back up once more to see another flaming Goblin. This one was a thrown a bit higher. The angle confused Liam since it wasn¡¯t aimed for him directly, however, he came to understand why his Danger Sense had activated as the goblin crashed right into the roof of the cave, causing a medium sized boulder to fall down on top of Liam. Liam quickly jumped backwards, narrowly dodging the decent sized rock. He cautiously peeked his head out from the side of the rock to see what was going on, just in time to see the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior reach out and grab one of the goblins that was on fire by the head and aim for Liam¡¯s head. ¡°Oh shit!¡± Liam shouted before pulling his head back in time to see the goblin fly right by the area his head once was. Feeling his heart beating faster and harder, Liam grew confused. He was confused and concerned. He may have fought Undead type monsters before, but none of them, zombies that is, were smart enough to do this. Liam felt the rock in front of him rumble as something slammed right into it. His mind whirled fast as thoughts ran through his mind. However, no matter what ran through his mind. He kept coming back to two thoughts. Blurting them out loud, Liam shouted, ¡°I thought this was a Zombie?! How the hell can it use such a smart tactic?!¡± Adventure 174 - A Fight against your Willpower That¡¯s very prejudice of you. Eri stated. Not all Zombies are mindless creatures who do things without rhyme or reason. Some, mostly Elite or Boss type monsters, can still form proper strategies or have their intelligence intact. However, in this case you are right to be surprised. This creature doesn¡¯t have much intelligence or wisdom, but their fighting instincts are still there so it can still use some form of strategy. That¡¯s something I would have liked to know beforehand. Liam complained. Liam watched as another goblin caught on fire flew pass the side of the boulder he was hiding behind. This one scraped the side of the rock causing the boulder to tremble as its body spun before slamming in the wall behind him. Killing it on the spot. I can¡¯t keep hiding behind this rock. Liam thought to himself as another goblin flew by. I¡¯m going to need to restrain it if I don¡¯t want to be hit by any of those creatures, but in order to do that I¡¯ll need to stop it from throwing them. Why not try that one Gravity Spell you got recently? Eri suggested. What do you mean? What new Gravity spell? Liam asked with confusion. I don¡¯t remember getting any new Gravity magic. Not surprising. You don¡¯t usually check all your notifications when you get them. Eri stated with a hint of disappointment. You normally just check ones that catch your interest, and you skim pass the rest. It¡¯s called Gravity Force Push. I think it will be handy in this situation. Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he grumbled a bit to himself before pulling up the spell.
¡°Gravity Force Push. Lightens the weight of a single targeted object or creature the caster touches. Object or creature is then forcibly pushed away at a high speed from a sudden rush of opposing gravity. Cooldown: 1 minute. Mana Cost: 15 MP. Range: Touch. Spell Type: Chant.¡±
Liam¡¯s jaw slowly dropped as he read the spell. He didn¡¯t remember ever getting something so useful. If it was true that he really skimmed most of his notifications then he needed to stop that. Thank you for pointing this out. This just might help do the trick. Liam stated before focusing on the direction he needed to aim the boulder right in front of him. Let¡¯s try it out. Liam readied himself and placed a hand on the boulder before he started chanting, ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity. Reverse and move away from me, allowing the way to be clear. By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you. Gravity Force Push!¡± Liam watched as a faint outline of Gravity Mana covered the boulder in front of him. The boulder trembled slightly as he felt it shift its mass up off the ground a few inches. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what to do next. He wasn¡¯t sure if he needed to push it or¡­ A ripple suddenly waved over the boulder and within the next second, the object suddenly disappeared. A second later it reappeared crashing right into the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s face. Liam stood wide eyed and stunned. He had read that the object he used the spell on would be forcibly pushed away at a high speed, but he wasn¡¯t expecting it to move that quickly. If he didn¡¯t aim like he did or if the massive monster had moved away from that spot, the boulder would have missed entirely. This was a spell he would need to practice with a lot in order to get a better understanding of it. If he used it willy nilly in battle without any practice it would end up hurting him or any teammates he had instead. Liam, snap out of it! Eri suddenly shouted, bringing him out of his thoughts. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed as he mentally kicked himself for letting his thoughts get the better of him. No matter how shocked or stunned he was, he was still in the middle of a fight. And losing yourself in your thoughts could lead even the best of fighters to an early grave. Focusing more on the fight, Liam chanted, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± The shadow underneath the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior shuddered before several pitch black tendrils shot out and wrapped around its legs, stomach, arms, and forehead. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam grinned. That grin of his quickly changed to a frown as a dull pain suddenly pounded in his head. Liam looked at his stats and saw that his mana was below twenty-five percent. He cursed himself for how low he let it get while swiftly grabbing a Poor Blueberry Mana Potion and downing it as fast as he could. After he finished drinking the potion, he grabbed both of his Shadow Moon Blades from their sheathes and muttered, ¡°Spirit Weave.¡± Both of his daggers started to shine as he felt a cold sensation wash over him as a raven black shadow-like hooded cloak with pale white spots formed over Liam¡¯s arms, chest, and the top of his head. On top of the hood were two pointed spots that looked like cat ears. One was the same raven black color while the other was a pale white. A black cat-like tail formed from the back with pale white spots. A thin black mask covered his mouth and nose. After the clothing formed, Liam prepared himself to attack the creature. He took a step forward in preparation to make a sprint towards the creature. However, after a second had passed, he came to a forcible halt as he felt the cold sensation disappear as the cloak and mask vanished. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Liam shouted, panic starting to fill him. ¡°What happened?!¡± Liam looked at his parameters and was confused. He didn¡¯t see anything wrong. That was until he received a notification in red.
¡°Spirit Weave forcibly deactivated. Spirit Pool has reached 0.¡±
What the fuck? Liam thought as he checked to see if that was true. My Spirit Pool is at zero? How? Didn¡¯t it replenish like my other pools and bar? As he looked he saw that it was true. His Spirit Pool was at zero of one hundred and fifty. He stared at it with both confusion and frustration. He didn¡¯t understand why it didn¡¯t replenish at all. He hadn¡¯t been using it since his last fight back on the sixth floor of the Black Tutorial Dungeon. So why didn¡¯t it¡­ Liam pay attention! Eri shouted, bringing Liam back out of his thoughts again. Liam looked at the Elite Undead Creature and noticed it has already snapped a couple of the shadowy tendrils. It was forcibly freeing itself as it yanked as hard as it could. Liam shook his head. He would need to figure this out later. Liam focused as he started to channel as much Shadow Mana as he could. He could feel the cold sensation coat his hands and run up to his mid-forearms. After he finished this, he summoned two Shadow Hands. Without hesitation, he started chanting, ¡°Shadows coalescing, head my call and come forth. Manifest mediums that will serve to unleash your wave of power. Swarm together and into your target. Go forth and unleash your power. Shadow Swarm!¡± Five shadow orbs suddenly appeared around Liam¡¯s dagger. After he finished chanting the spell, the five orbs flew above the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior and circled around. After they stopped moving, wisps of Shadow energy escaped from each orb and snaked right towards the massive body of the creature below them. Each wisp that entered through the body exited out from the other side. Liam could see pain appeared on the monster¡¯s face as it bared its teeth and let out a powerful roar with each wisp that entered and exited. Liam didn¡¯t wait for the spell to stop as he reached into the pouch on his left for a muddy brown vial. He then raced over to the monster to get as close as he could. As he came to a stop, Liam brought his arm back and was about to throw the vial, but stopped as he felt his Danger Sense light up from his left. It was faint and not as alarming compared to when the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior was trying to attack him and he almost missed it, but thanks to his senses working over time he was able to catch it in time. Liam turned his head to see two Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins rushing towards him with wooden spears in hand. He could see parts of their skin boiled and crisped from the flames that once licked them. Some parts of the skin looked melted and tight while other parts with pockets of puss that boiled start to ooze out with each slight movement of their pissed off foaming faces. Liam grimaced as the smell reached his nose. He fought back the urge to vomit as he smoothly disappeared into a puff of smoke right as the spears were thrust into the area his chest once was. The two rage filled goblins stumbled as their weapons pierced nothing but air. However, before they could look around to see where their object of ire was, a couple of daggers sliced across the back of both of their necks. Blood and puss rolled down from their open wounds as they fell face first into the dirt filled cave floor. Both creatures¡¯ consciousness faded as the last of the health points dropped to zero. Liam grimaced as he looked at the two Crude Bone Curved Daggers in his Shadow Hands and then in his own. He then focused on his Shadow Hands to mimic his actual hands and waved them a bit to try and get the liquid, that coated the edge of the blades, off. ¡°Disgusting. I¡¯m going to have to thoroughly clean these later.¡± You can focus on that later. Right now, you have bigger problems. Eri stated. Thanks to our big friend here those were the only two goblins that were still alive since it didn¡¯t throw them. However, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that it is still alive. Liam frowned as he turned to look at the bulky creature. The last of his Shadow Swarm attack had just finished up and it looked even more angry than it did earlier as it bellowed out a vicious roar. It was thrashing its arms and legs even harder now trying to free itself and was succeeding much quicker.
¡°Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. 737/955 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 25.¡±
Liam clicked his tongue. He knew his spells were still weakened thanks to his debuff, but he was hoping that its health would have gone down a bit more than this. If I¡¯m going to survive this I¡¯m going to need to cause some damage that¡¯ll bring its health down over time. Do I have anything that¡¯ll be able to do that? Liam thought as he worked his brain on overtime. After thinking about all of his current abilities he decided on doing two things. One was an actual ability that will cause damage over time plus it would blind him while the other was an unconventional combination that he really loved to use. As he thought about the latter he remembered an item he had recently got that day. It was something new to him and he wasn¡¯t sure how well it would work, but it was still worth a try. However, in order to get it ready he needed to use his other spell and get his other method underway. Without hesitating, Liam started chanting as he focused the last bit of Shadow Mana he had left on his hands into the spell. ¡°Shadows so dark come forth, pierce through this pour creature¡¯s sight, temporary blinding it with a pain it never knew existed, Blanket of Darkness!¡± The last two remaining tendrils that were struggling to hold the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior broke free from their roots and snaked their way around the massive creature¡¯s body. The tall Hobgoblin felt its body suddenly jerk forward as its restraints released their hold from its shadow. It almost fell face first into the ground but was able to stop itself before it completely fell. However, its momentary relief for freedom was turned to frustration as the shadows suddenly wrapped themselves around the creature¡¯s eyes and head and then dug right into its eye balls. The angry monster let out a rage-filled roar as it felt the stinging sensation dig deep into its head and lost its sight. It threw its meaty hands to its eyes and tried to rake the shadows off of its face, but screamed as its clawed tipped fingers swam through the shadows like water and gouged its own face making claw like marks from its forehead to the top of its cheeks right under its eyes. It did this a few times, digging deeper and deeper in its skin. Chunks of its flesh stuck to its claw-like fingernails with each slash. A mixture of darken blood and puss pooled out from its open wounds. Liam didn¡¯t waste any time as it started self-inflicting harm to itself. He quickly looked for a vial full of one of the newest crafting materials and placed two of them into his pouch on his leg while grabbing the vial full of Snake Oil. After that, Liam threw the vial of Snake Oil at the bare chest of the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. After it shattered, Liam started chanting while opening a hand palm up in front of him, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre before you. Become the tool that will help. Light and Burn!¡± After the flame flickered to life, Liam threw it at the thrashing pissed off creature. The aim of the flame being thrown was suddenly off course as the confused panicking monster flailed its arms up and down desperately trying to free itself from the shadow on its face. The flame started to go down and was about to miss the liquid that was spreading down its chest. That was until it got a sudden updraft when the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior brought its arms up at the last second. This up draft was just enough for the flame to touch the liquid that rolled down enough around its mid stomach. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A new fiery pain erupted up the creature¡¯s stomach and across its chest causing it to howl. Spittal flew from its mouth as it started scratching at its burning chest. Blood and other liquid started to mix with the fire as its claws raked through the burning flame. Liam jumped back a bit trying to dodge some of the fiery liquid that the monster flung with each flailing arm. He didn¡¯t wait to see how well this was going and started chanting another spell. ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± The color of Gravity outlined the monster, making its movements start to slow down a bit. However, Liam didn¡¯t know if it was because this monster was a higher level, if it was because his current debuff affected his spells, or a mixture of both, but the creature¡¯s movements didn¡¯t slow down as much as the other creatures he had used this spell on before. It was noticeable, but not by much. Even though the monster was blind from his Blanket of Darkness spell and preoccupied by the flames on its chest and stomach, he was still wary of getting too close. He knew his health was a lot lower than it really was and this monster was much stronger than him, but he still didn¡¯t know how much damage it could cause if he was struck by him. Instead, Liam got close enough for his Shadow Hands to be able to strike the monster. Liam aimed his two helping hands for the monster¡¯s ankles. He was trying to attack the tendons that allowed the monster to stay standing, but missed as the monster kept moving around and thrashing. Instead, he was able to strike the sides of its feet and calves. Liam didn¡¯t stand still as he had his hands attack the creature. Instead, he moved in and out close enough to attack and to dodge random attempts the monster made to try and find Liam. As Liam did this he noticed a couple of things that flashed a couple of times in the corner of his eyes. Not wanting to be distracted Liam tried to ignore them, however, after taking a quick glance as one of the flashes grew a bit brighter, Liam felt a strong hand suddenly swipe and strike him open palmed. The massive hand was able to hit his left shoulder to mid rib cage. The force of the blow was strong enough to send him flying to the side of the cave and collide into the wall. Liam felt the wind get knocked out of him as a crimson liquid involuntarily flew out of his mouth. After crashing into the wall, Liam fell to his side on the ground. Fighting the urge to just lay there, Liam summoned every ounce of strength he had to roll to his stomach and push himself up to his feet. He watched as his vision fought between focusing and going dark. After wheezing a few times and trying to stabilize his breathing he noticed something flashing at the top left of his vision. He snuck a peek at it and noticed it was his health bar. He felt his heart sink as he read that it had dropped to less than ten percent. ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Liam stated with a pained cough. He could feel his body aching and becoming sore as he tried to quickly move his right hand to pull out a Poor Minty Health Potion. He struggled to pop open the cork and frustratingly gave up using his hands. Instead, he clenched his teeth over the cork and wrenched it free with his teeth. The movement sent a pain throughout his body, but he bared it as he chugged down the potion. He felt the warm sensation of the potion running through his system begin to ease some of the pain and soreness he was feeling as his health started to replenish. He was still feeling some pain, but it was a lot more bearable than it was just moments ago. He looked back at the monster and saw that it was still trying to pull the shadows that wrapped around its eyes off while raking at its chest and stomach with its other hand. He noticed the telltale sign of the spell starting to weaken and disappear as it started to flicker in and out. Panic started to fill Liam as he tried to think about what he could do. He looked back at the monster¡¯s health to see what it was at to help him get a better picture of how bad or well the battle was going.
¡°Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. 487/955 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 25.¡±
Its health was roughly half way gone. It wasn¡¯t great, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as what he thought it was. However, with everything he had done already and the fact there was some damage ticking over time, he needed to come up with something that can give that better damage. Liam suddenly jumped as he flailed his arms and hands around as something floated right next to his head. Liam¡¯s eyes were wide while his heartbeat pounded hard against his chest as he stared at his floating Shadow Hand. ¡°I swear I¡¯m going to die by a heart attack instead of a monster fight if I¡¯m this lost in my own head,¡± Liam cursed himself as he tried to slow his heartbeat down. He was about to move his head away, but then something flashed in his sight. Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he focused on the area where he saw the flash. It came from the pillar of rocks to his right. Two flashes swiftly appeared and disappeared. One was a few inches from where the rocky pillar connected with the ceiling while the other was a couple of feet from the floor. As his vision zoomed in on the section closer to the floor two notifications appeared.
¡°Focus Point Construction Craft Skill ¨C Destruction Points activated. Weakness in pillar has been identified!¡± ¡°Focus Point Gathering Craft Skill - Mining Strike Accuracy suggested. Activate Mining Strike Accuracy to accurately strike rocks? Yes No?¡±
Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he stared at the notification. Why did these two skills suddenly activate? Why now of all times? Also why did they appear at the same time? Was it because the pillar was both a support unit much like in a building and made of rocks instead of the construction materials found when building? Liam looked back at the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior and noticed the distance it was to the pillar. It was within distance that if the pillar were to fall it would fall right on top of it. Was that a coincidence? Whatever the case was, this was an opportunity that Liam would grasp. Liam quickly pulled out a crude pickaxe and traded it with the dagger the Shadow Hand that was floating on his right had. Not wanting to miss this chance, Liam sent the Shadow Hand up to the top where the flash quickly popped in and out. He tried to focus as well as he could while accepting the activation of his Mining Strike Accuracy skill. The first attempt missed as the Shadow Hand struck just a bit higher than he wanted to. He cursed himself as he tried again, this time hitting right below the sweet spot. The third attempt was right on the money as the tool struck right where the flash appeared. The hit sent cracks along the edges of the rocks, dislodging it from the ceiling. Liam smiled as he watched the pillar sway a bit from losing its grip. That smile quickly faded as he heard a loud angry roar coming from his left. Liam turned to see his Blanket of Darkness spell puff out of existence, allowing the monster to stare angerly at him. The flame that was once burning brightly was slowly dying out as well as blood and some other strange white liquid pooled out from the self-inflicted wounds that were made when it clawed itself. Seeing that it was getting ready to sprint towards him, Liam sprinted towards behind the rocky pillar. As he did this he manipulated the Shadow Hand to rush down and try to hit the bottom part of the pillar where the other weak point was. When the Shadow Hand reached the spot Liam had seen earlier he commanded it to strike. The tool missed the spot as the pillar swayed a bit backwards. Cursing himself again as he was running he tried once more. His nerves started to tense as he felt the ground rumble with each step the bulky creature took as it started to rush towards Liam. The second attempt missed the pillar entirely, making Liam grumble with panic as he outwardly said, ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit! Come on!¡± Liam tried once more, hoping it would work as he got right behind the pillar and started pushing with every bit of strength he had. As he pushed he heard the tool strike, but wasn¡¯t sure if it had hit where he wanted to. That worry was not necessary as he felt the rumble on the pillar vibrate and cracks start to form. Willing the pillar as hard as he could, Liam pushed it in the direction he wanted it to go. He felt his muscles strain and tighten as he pushed with all he had. With some luck he was hoping to have, the pillar started to fall in the direction of the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. Liam stepped back as quickly as he could and watched as the rocky pillar fell down right on top of the monster. A loud boom echoed in the room as the fall of the pillar caused the room to shake violently. Adding more to it, several rocks bigger than Liam suddenly broke free from the ceiling and fell right on top of massive monster. Dust and dirt filled the air, blocking Liam¡¯s vision and making him cough. He pulled down his goggles that were resting on his forehead to help clear his vision. As he waved a hand around his face to stop the dust from entering his mouth and nose, Liam peered through his squinted eyes. It took a few seconds for him to be able to see around him, but as the area started to clear up he was able to see a giant pile of rocks resting over the spot where the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior was. A meaty hand was the only thing sticking out from the pile, showing where the creature was buried at. He stared at the rubble for a few seconds, waiting for any sign of movement. When nothing happened, not even a tremble, Liam approached it cautiously. ¡°Did that work?¡± Liam questioned as he slowly made his way closer to where the hand was sticking out. ¡°I didn¡¯t receive any notification of it being defeated¡­but its health and other parameters suddenly disappeared. What the hell is going on?¡± Liam stopped by the hand and studied it. There was no sign of any movement nor signs of life from it. No matter how hard he tried to assess it, nothing popped up. After relaxing his body a bit, he quietly muttered to himself, ¡°That¡¯s so weird¡­I wonder why¡­¡± Liam watch out! Eri screamed with slight panic. However, her warning came too late as the nonresponsive hand suddenly stretched out and wrapped itself around Liam¡¯s arms and upper torso. As it did this, the rubble that was covering the massive Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior exploded outwards as the rest of its body emerged like a creature coming back to life from the dead. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he took in the wretched state of the monster he had been fighting. Parts of its body were caved in a bit showing that the boulders and pillar had crushed the areas. Its left arm was completely torn off right at the shoulder as blood and other liquid pooled out in waves. A chunk of its left rib cage was missing entirely making Liam believe it too was crushed by the weight of the rocks. The creature¡¯s right eye was caved in as a piece of rock was embedded within. More blood rushed down from the top of its head and flowed out from its mouth as it fought desperately to breath. What the fuck?! What the fuck?! How is it not dead?! Liam thought as his mind swirled with panic. He then got a good look at the status bars that reappeared above its head.
¡°Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. 89/955 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 25.¡±
Liam was about to shout a curse, but then felt the creature¡¯s hand start to tighten around his body. Liam instinctively tried to push back with as much strength as he could. He knew it was futile to get himself free this way as he felt the creature¡¯s strength winning. I need to get out of his grip! Liam screamed in his mind. But how? How can I get out when its strength is so much higher than mine? Liam! Use the Acidic Ooze Liquid! Eri yelled. Forgetting to mentally reply to her, Liam shouted out with a strain in his voice, ¡°How? My arms are completely tied up?!¡± Use your Shadow Hand Dumbass! Eri cursed. ¡°Don¡¯t call me a dumbass!¡± Liam yelled back feeling his strength starting to wane. Then start using your head better in a fight! I know you¡¯re smarter than this! Eri countered. As much as Liam hated that what she said was right, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel that the situation didn¡¯t really call for name calling. ¡°Fine. Fuck!¡± Liam shouted as he tried to multitask his thoughts on manipulating one of the Shadow Hands to try and stab the creature¡¯s hand and the other to reach inside the pouch on his right leg to grab the vial. The Shadow Hand that was attacking the monster¡¯s hand scraped, stabbed, and slashed as fast as it could while the other tried to grab the right vial. After a few attempts, the Shadow Hand rummaging through his potion pouch on the side of his leg had finally grabbed the right one. Liam was about to mentally command his hand to throw it at the monster¡¯s face when it let out a violent and loud roar. The pressure that followed up with the Warcry caused the vial to slip right out from the Shadow Hand¡¯s grip and fall. Luckily for Liam though, the vial fell and shattered right on the wrist of the creature. The monster let out a furious and painful roar as it swung its arm back and then threw Liam to the back of the room. Liam, for the second time in this fight, slammed against the wall feeling the pain pulse through his body. Blood once more spewed out from his mouth before he fell onto his side. Liam tried to roll over to his stomach, but felt sharp pains race through him with the movement. He could see the flashing red light pulsing in the top left side of his vision, but ignored it as he willed himself to get back up. As he was making his way back to his feet, Liam could hear the load screams coming from the tall bulky creature right before he felt the rumbling of the ground as it started to sprint its way towards him. At least it tried to sprint. Instead, it was a heavy footed fast limping walk. Liam could feel it. They were both on their last legs. They both knew that whoever could deal the final blow would come out of this. The only difference was their strength. The Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior was stronger and could end Liam¡¯s life with just a simple flick of its chunky finger while Liam would either need a few more strikes or a really good critical hit with a couple of normal strikes. Liam could feel liquid run down the side of his mouth as he fully stood back up and stared at the monster with a painful fury that started to course through his veins. Both of his Shadow Hands were gone now. He didn¡¯t know when they had disappeared, but if he had to make a guess it must have happened right when he slammed against the wall. Liam kept his eyes on the hulking creature that looked bigger to him right now. Whispers started to tickle his ears and the edge of his mind. They were telling him that he was weak. That he didn¡¯t have what it takes to survive. That no matter how hard he tried his starting class didn¡¯t belong on the battlefield. Liam took in a deep breath. At first he thought that maybe he received the debuff Whispers from the Beyond, but as he stared at the limping creature making its way to him, he knew it wasn¡¯t that. The whispers were created from the fear that was growing inside him. The fear that generated from how low his health was due to how weak he was. That and what he was feeling emanating from the desperate and fury filled monster glaring down at him. Liam could feel the monster¡¯s fearsome presence as if it was an aura trying to push him into despair. His bones ached and pain wracked his body, but he knew he needed to push himself more. He knew he had to will himself to move. This last attempt on his part wasn¡¯t a battle of who had the better strength. It was a battle against his willpower. The willpower to move himself towards the creature. The willpower to not back down from something much stronger than himself. The willpower to prove that even in his weakened state, he could still survive and grow much stronger. Liam took in a deep breath and slowly released it as he repeated the words he grew so familiar with during his time back in the Black Tutorial Dungeon. Calm the Storm. As he said this once in his mind, he felt his body grow lighter. The second time he repeated the words as he released another round of taking in air, he felt the pain numb. The third time repeating his actions and words, he felt something strange. He felt his mind become tranquil and something within started to stir. It started at the center of his body and then pulsed out throughout his veins. His bones and muscles hummed as this sensation touched them as well. He remembered this had happened once before. Back during the second trial on the fourth floor. He didn¡¯t fight it, but instead allowed his body to move on its one as he took a step forward. He didn¡¯t run nor rush towards his opponent. Instead, he calmly walked as he gripped the hilts of his daggers on his hips and slowly unsheathed them. He could hear faint sounds in the back of his mind as he grabbed his daggers. He couldn¡¯t tell what the sounds were or if they were saying anything. Instead, he could feel the same resolve he was feeling down to his core. During this time a glow was happening inside the lenses of his goggles. Not wanting to lose focus on what he needed to do, Liam pushed the thought of it to the back of his mind and continued his pace. The Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior raised its only arm up into the air as it steadily reached within striking distance, but Liam didn¡¯t flinch. He kept walking towards the creature as if he was taking a nice stroll. Without much as a warning, the monster slammed its massive hand down right on top of Liam and caused a loud boom in the room as it struck the ground. Dust and dirt pushed out and up into the air as this happened, making the creature grin savagely. The creature lifted its hand up to see the dismembered body of the foe that had caused so much damage and pain to it and then frowned. All that was in the spot its hand was once covering was dirt and dust. However, something else was mixed within the dust and dirt. It was black smoke. Confused it looked at the palm of its hand to see if the enemy was stuck there. As it looked and saw nothing but dust, a sudden wave of danger ran down the monster¡¯s spine. But, before the monster could move, a pulse of pain exploded into the back of its right leg. Then another pulsed right into the right side of its lower back. A searing hot sensation swam from its leg and lower back as it felt like some was slicing through the areas the pulsing pain had appeared. Quickly this continued right up to the base of its neck where some planted their feet to stabilize itself. Before it knew what was going on, pain erupted right into the back of its skull, bringing nothing but a cold sensation and darkness along with it as all motor functions ceased to exist.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Elite monster Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior!¡±
Adventure 175 - Emergency Medical Treatment Liam pulled both of his Shadow Moon Blade out of the back of the skull of the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. As soon as he got the notification and felt the massive creature start to fall forward, Liam turned and walked down the back of the creature, carefully balancing himself and using the angle the body gave as it fell face first in the dirt. Right as he got to the bottom of the creature¡¯s spine, he jumped off to his right. As soon as Liam¡¯s feet touched the dirt, he felt the sensation that drove his body suddenly vanish. Every muscle and bone in his body suddenly screamed as he felt whatever was helping him keep standing just disappear. He quickly dropped to his knees as he put his arms and hands out to stop him from completely crashing into the dust and dirt. His lungs burned ferociously as he tried gasping for any air he could to try and cool them down. His arms and legs twitched and tensed as he felt his body shake. His vision blurred a bit as he felt sweat roll down his forehead and arms. Chimes started to echo in his mind as notifications popped up one after the other. Too overwhelmed with his current predicament, Liam minimized them to check out later. ¡°What¡­the¡­fuck,¡± Liam said between gulps. ¡°Is¡­going¡­on?!¡± I¡­I am actually surprised. Eri said as she tried to organize her thoughts. I had some belief that you could somehow pull something out your ass at the last second, but¡­a Battle Zen wasn¡¯t what I was expecting. ¡°A¡­what¡­,¡± Liam gasped tried to endure the pain that was ricocheting throughout his body. ¡°Why¡­does it¡­feel like¡­I¡­just ran¡­a¡­mara¡­thon?¡± Subjectively and a bit literally¡­you did. Eri replied. She then quickly added, Drink a Stamina Potion. What you¡¯re feeling has to do with what you did and the fact that your stamina is almost zero. Liam shifted his focus to his health, mana, and stamina bars. All three were extremely low. His mana wasn¡¯t as bad as the other two, but they were all pretty low. As he looked at his bars he also got a good look at Cindy¡¯s and felt his heart sink.
¡°Cindy. 191/2,323 HP. 1,358/1,910 MP. 1,770/2,010 Stam. Level ¨C 21.¡±
Liam frantically reached to open the pouch on his leg and pulled out a potion. When he noticed it wasn¡¯t a health potion he reached back and pulled out another. Again, it wasn¡¯t a health potion. He kept doing this until there wasn¡¯t any more potions he could grab. He felt his heart pound harder as he let out a hard liquid coughed. He grabbed one of the Poor Orange Stamina Potions that laid on the ground beside him and tore it open before forcing it down his throat. He dropped the vial after he finished the last drop and felt his strength slowly return. The aches and pains in his tired body that would normally disperse dampened enough that he didn¡¯t feel like his body was so fragile anymore, but everything still hurt. He quickly opened his inventory and searched for his health potions. After taking a few seconds he came to a stop and let out a curse. He only had one Poor Minty Health Potion left. This complicated things. He took another peek at his health bar and saw it had raised by two points during the time he rummaged for a health potion and drank that stamina one. He grimaced as he thought over what he could do. He knew he couldn¡¯t drink it because he needed it to raise Cindy¡¯s health after pulling that dagger out. If he made her drink it then he would have to be careful not to get hit by any monsters. After getting hit by that Zombified Hobgoblin Zombie he got an idea on how easy it would be for a random monster to kill him. Especially if he came across any more anomalies like the ones he had just fought against. ¡°No¡­Cindy is a priority. If she wakes up any time soon, I can just ask her for one,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he got back to his feet. He took a step forward and felt pain run up his left leg. He gritted his teeth, trying to push past the pain and limped his way out the cave. He found Cindy still in the same spot he had left her, resting against the boulder. He let out a sigh of relief before making his way over to her. As gently and slowly as he could, he placed her on her back. He inspected the area where the dagger was sunk into and thought about what he needed to do. As he thought about this he realized he had no clue what to do. He had never used any first aid like items here in this world. The way things worked here were completely different than how it would work back in his home world. As these thought started to cause a stir of panic within him, he heard a gentle voice speak. The sound of her voice was cool, calm, and collective. It helped ease Liam¡¯s mind as she instructed, Don¡¯t panic Liam. I¡¯ll guide you through this. Take a deep breath in, let it out slowly, and calm your thoughts. Liam closed his eyes and did as he was instructed. He could feel his nerves start to calm. Again. Eri said. Liam took another breath in, held it for a brief moment, and released it. Have you calmed down? Eri asked. Liam nodded his head. Ok, you¡¯ll need to remain calm as you do this. I will instruct you how to do this step by step. Eri started. First, you will need to pull out the following Medicinal Creation items that girl gave you earlier. The items you¡¯ll need are the Poor Cloth Bandage Wraps, Poor Water Slime Cotton balls, Weak Antiseptic Ooze liquid, and Weak Hydro Goo Salve. Liam opened his eyes and searched for each item Eri listed. After locating each item and placing them close by, Liam waited to hear for the next step. Ok, you see where the dagger is located? Eri questioned as Liam looked. It was located on the right side of her stomach right next to where her belly button would be. The cloth-like shirt she was wearing hide the exact location the dagger was pierced through. You¡¯re going to have to carefully tear the spot where the dagger is. The tear needs to be big enough for you to be able to see the entire wound. Be careful not to pull the dagger out nor touch the dagger. Eri instructed. Liam gulped as he looked at the spot. He felt bad for ruining her shirt, but he knew if he didn¡¯t do this then she would be dead soon. Liam gripped the handle of one of his Crude Bone Curved daggers that he didn¡¯t use in the recent fight and slowly cut a square like hole from her shirt. He then took the dagger and carefully cut a line from where side of the edge of the dagger inside her was then down to the free end of the cut piece of shirt. After he did that, he placed both the cut cloth and his dagger down and waited for the next set of instructions. Next switch out of the current armor set you have on and replace it with that weaker set. Also make sure your gloves are off. Eri stated as she waited for Liam to do as he was told. Next you¡¯re going to need to pour a little bit of that Weak Antiseptic Ooze Liquid over your hands. You don¡¯t need a lot just enough to lightly coat your hands with. After that shake your hands away from her so you don¡¯t get any on her. Liam looked skeptical as he listened but did as he was told. He felt a slight tingle as the liquid touched his bare hands. Doing this will kill any lingering diseases that might have come in contact with you or the items you have. The acid from the Ooze liquid mixed with other ingredients are great to use when doing this. Next you will need to pour just a small amount around the wound where the blade is sticking out from. Again, this will help kill any ailments that are hanging around the area of the cut. Liam placed down the vial of Weak Antiseptic Ooze Liquid and waved his hands away from Cindy to dry any excess liquid that was hanging around. He then grabbed the vial again and focused as hard as he could while slowly tipping the vial over the wound. He moved as slowly and cautiously as he could, trying not to touch the hilt of the dagger, but still trying to get it as close to the wound as he could. As soon as he saw a trickle of the liquid start to flow out, he slowly moved it around the outline of the blade. Liam saw Cindy¡¯s body react slightly as soon as the liquid touched her skin, making him almost instinctively flinch. Luckily, Liam didn¡¯t react how his body wanted to and kept at the task. Good job. Now comes the hard part. Eri started. You¡¯re going to need to open the lids that contains the Poor Water Slime Cotton balls and the Weak Hydro Goo Salve. Keep them both close by. Once you¡¯re ready, you¡¯re going to need to pull that dagger out as clean and straight as you can. You might feel some resistance so don¡¯t freak out. However, you can¡¯t stop the moment you start because it¡¯ll cause some damage and we want to keep it at a minimal since the Bleed Debuff will accelerate her health dropping. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. After you get that dagger out, you are going to grab two of the Water Slime Cotton balls and place them over the entire wound. The Water Slime Cotton balls will both keep the blood that will flow out from spreading as well as siphon as much of the venom that is coursing through her blood around the wound. This will dampen how much damage the venom is causing to her health pool. Liam felt the pressure start to push down on him as he tried to take in every instruction and explanation Eri was giving him. The more he listened the more he was glad he wasn¡¯t back on Earth. If this was going on back there, he wouldn¡¯t have all these convenient medical supplies. He also wouldn''t be the one doing this too. He was also thinking about how grateful he was having Artem on his team back in the Tutorial Area. Even though the big guy had Healing Magic, Liam would catch him studying up on first aid and the items people used when treating wounds when they were out of mana and mana potions. He never studied it because he believed he wouldn¡¯t need to with the caring half-orc around. Now he was kicking himself for thinking that way. Keep in mind that you are going to have to switch the cotton balls until you can¡¯t siphon anymore venom out of her. Eri started back up. It may take a few cotton balls so be ready for when you¡¯ll need to switch them out so no blood that carries heavy amounts of venom touches any of her skin. I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯ll need to switch. After that is done you will need to spread a generous amount of that Weak Hydro Goo Salve. It¡¯ll cover the wound and keep it as clean as it can until she gets it checked by a healer. It will also counteract against the damage over time effect the bleeding and the remaining venom still in her system does. You got all that? ¡°Not entirely, but I have faith you¡¯ll straighten me out before I make a mistake,¡± Liam whispered as he stared down at Cindy. Damn straight I will. Eri said with a slight smile. That smile then faded as she added with a serious tone in her voice, Try to focus as hard as you can on the task. Don¡¯t think about anything else except for what I told you and anything I say. Ok? Got it. Liam thought as he took a deep breath in and slowly let it roll off his lips, trying to calm himself down even more. He did this a couple more times as he slowly moved his hand closer to the hilt. The more his hand got closer the more his nerves started to tense again. No matter how he acted, what he thought or said¡­he was scared. He was scared that he might screw up and end up either hurting her more or worse¡­kill her. You won¡¯t kill her. Not with me here to guide you. Now quit overthinking things and focus. Eri stated. Liam was able to hear some urgency in her voice this time as she spoke. It became clear as she continued, Her health is still dropping. We don¡¯t want it to drop pass a certain point or it will be too late. I don¡¯t want you to use that last Health Potion you have until after we¡¯re done with this. So, you need to get your head in the game. Liam didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he took in another deep breath. As he released it, his left hand reached for the handle of the dagger as his right hand moved to grab a couple of the cotton balls. With as clean of a motion as he could he gripped the handle and pulled as swiftly as he could while moving the cotton balls to replace the spot the weapon was embedded. He felt the dagger try to resist the pull but didn¡¯t stop as he applied a little more strength to his movement. The slight adjustment almost caused an issue as he didn¡¯t account for the resistance while moving his right hand with the two cotton balls. His hand almost received a cut as it barely missed from the tip of the blade in time. Liam felt his heart sink as Cindy¡¯s stomach suddenly arched up as the blade slipped out. Her sudden jerk caused his right hand to start to move back out of the way as her pained filled groan sent a chill right down Liam¡¯s spine as he feared that he had messed up. However, before he could let the sudden scare distract him, Eri shouted, Focus and get those cotton balls over the wound! Snapping back and casting away the negative thoughts, Liam threw the dagger to side, away from Cindy, as he moved his right hand back over the wound in time as blood started to gush out. The Water Slime Cotton balls did as Eri had said as Liam watched a crimson mixed with dark purple liquid start to fill the see through light blue bubble like cotton balls. Liam was impressed with the material. Even though it was called a cotton ball, it did not look like any cotton ball Liam had ever seen before. The only thing that made Liam think it was a cotton ball was the shape and the feel of it. Even though the object looked like a bubble like liquid, it felt just like a cotton ball. The best part about the object too was you couldn¡¯t feel the liquid at all. He didn¡¯t know how it was made, but the watery substance was encased inside the cotton-like bubble. Thanks to how see through it looked, Liam was able to see all the venom mixed blood that was being siphoned inside. Get ready to switch with new ones. Eri announced, bringing Liam¡¯s thoughts back to the task at hand. Now! Liam quickly switch the venom mixed blood filled cotton balls with fresh ones with his left hand. He quickly threw the used objects to the side before moving his free hand over to the container. Readying himself for the next switch. Get ready. Eri said, making sure Liam was focused. Now! Once again, Liam swapped cotton balls. This happened a couple more times making Liam grow more concerned with each switch. The consistency of the dark colors didn¡¯t change with each swap of new cotton balls. Liam peeked at Cindy¡¯s stats as he switched once more. Her health was now entering the thirties. Fear and panic was starting to creep up his spine as he switched once more. Negative thoughts started to form in his mind as her health continued to drop. With each new switch more thoughts and fear formed within him. After the seventh switch, Liam felt some relief as the color had started to brighten up. His fear and negative thoughts were also dispelled as Eri announce, One more switch should do it. After you switch with the final round of Cotton balls, take your index, and middle finger and scrap a generous amount of that Weak Hydro Goo Salve. Make sure you get enough to cover the entire wound in one go. It doesn¡¯t matter if you use too much. You can correct it after you spread the salve. Feeling better about the whole ordeal, Liam nodded as he placed the final round of Crude Slime Cotton balls. He then scooped up a healthy amount of the salve and placed it near the wound, readying himself for this next part. Now. Eri said with some relief. Liam threw the Crude Slime Cotton balls to the side while running the Weak Hydro Goo Salve over the entire wound and then some. Liam let out a long breath as he looked at her health pool. It had just hit ten health points and suddenly stopped as the salve started working its magic. He could feel his heart beating fast and hard against his chest as he felt the tension and adrenaline in his bones release. ¡°You know what¡­I think this was much harder and scarier than facing that Zombified Hobgoblin,¡± Liam muttered as he felt a couple of sweat drops roll down his forehead. I bet. Eri replied with pride. Regardless of how scared you were¡­You did a good job. ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam smiled. You¡¯re not done yet though. Eri stated. You now need to wrap that wound with the bandage and force her to drink that Health Potion. Liam let out another burst of air before forcing himself to finish the task at hand. It took Liam a little over ten minutes to get everything finished. After he was done, he cleaned up the mess he had made. While cleaning up, Liam decided to place the cotton balls filled with the venom mixed blood into a container so he could study it later. He also found the cursed dagger that caused it all and placed it into his inventory. As he was cleaning, he was reminded that he needed to collect the souls of the monsters he had killed that were still inside the cave and collect the loot from the Elite Monster. He limped inside and did that. The loot he received left him confused.
¡°Medium Bones x 4. Item type ¨C Crafting Material (Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Construction, Enchanting, Rune Crafting.)¡± ¡°Hobgoblin Thwacking Mace. Item type ¨C Weapon (Mace). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor. + 10% damage against Goblin type species.¡± ¡°Vial of Rageful Rabies Venom. Item Type ¨C Crafting Material (Alchemy).¡±
Liam¡¯s mouth slowly opened and turned into a mix of confusion and disgust. He blinked a couple of times as he read the last item, making sure what he read was right. ¡°Rageful Rabies Venom? The fuck?!¡± Liam cursed as he realized he was in fact reading that right. It¡¯s a nasty venom that causes a Disease Debuff. Eri stated. The venom makes the target go into a berserker rage all while taking damage from the Rabies that flow through its veins. It¡¯ll make the target a bit stronger, but it¡¯ll make them lose almost all of their intelligence and wisdom. The worst part about this venom is the only ways to get rid of this venom is to either have someone who has an Expert level Cure ability or death. ¡°You¡¯re saying that it¡¯s at the level of Mummy Rot?¡± Liam questioned. You could say that. Eri answered. However, there is an issue about this venom¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± Liam asked. The issue about this venom is that only a select few monsters can produce this. Eri said. That being said, for you to get this as loot from this Zombified Hobgoblin means it was either poisoned by a creature that can produce this or it was injected by someone who used the venom in a poison craft. Judging by what happened to this creature, I¡¯d say it was the former and not the latter. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. Confused, Liam asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Well, I say it has to be the former because the venom has a unique trait when used in its natural state. Eri started. That unique trait is if someone or something dies while having this venom, in its natural state, in their system¡­they are turned into an Undead type of creature¡­ Liam felt his heart sink as his thoughts started to race. He stared at the remains of the Hobgoblin as he took in Eri¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re saying that this creature was injected with the pure form of the venom and then died and became an undead?¡± A sudden nagging feeling crept up in the back of Liam¡¯s mind as he slowly turned to look at the Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins. ¡°Eri¡­by any chance do you think that these¡­¡± Yes. Eri answered, not needing to know where his line of thoughts were heading towards. I would highly suggest you pile them all together and burn their corpses as soon as possible before they fully turn. ¡°Why do I need to do that? Won¡¯t their bodies disappear since they were defeated?¡± Liam questioned. In normal cases, yes. However, like I said, they have the Rageful Rabies Venom coursing through their bodies. They did experience a death, but that¡¯s only their first death. The venom is slowly turning their bodies as we speak and soon they will reawaken into mindless zombies. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam groaned as he tried to move as fast as he could to bring all the Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins into a pile. After the last one was brought over, he pulled out his last vial of Snake Oil and poured it over the bodies. He then channeled some Arcane Mana and poured that mana into his Light and Burn spell, making the flame hotter than normal before throwing it over the bodies. Not wanting to inhale any of the smoke or burning body smell, Liam made his way out of the cave. He let out a few coughs which caused sharp pains to rummage his body, reminded him he was still sore and hurt. After he finished coughing and wiped away the tears from his eyes, he looked forward and froze. Adventure 176 - Could be more going on Liam stared at the spot where Larix, the Wolf-folk¡¯s, body was laying at. Except, instead of seeing a Wolf-folk, something else was laying there. The position of the body was the same as Larix¡¯s. His right arm barely hanging on by the elbow, the left leg twisted in an unnatural way while a bone protruded from the right knee, and parts of the rest of his body was caved in. There was no fur anywhere on the body. The color of his skin was now a deep crimson red. His wolf ears were gone and were replaced with two red horns protruding from his head, parting most of his long messy white hair. His body was toned and showed off more muscle than he originally had while he had a wolf-folk body. Two fangs stuck out from his bottom lip. ¡°Eri¡­what the hell is going on here?¡± Liam asked as he kept his eyes on the person laying there. It took Eri a bit to reply. Liam felt like she was trying to piece things together as he waited for a response. After a few moments she finally said, That could explain why that happened¡­ ¡°What can explain what?¡± Liam questioned, feeling very confused. What you¡¯re seeing before you is a Demon-kin race known as an Oni. Eri started to explain. I¡¯m not entirely sure what happened or why it¡¯s here. I have some theories though. ¡°What theories?¡± Liam inquired. It was probably using some sort of Illusion spell to disguise itself. Eri continued. Since he ended up dying, the spell deactivated. As to why he is here, I¡¯m not sure, but I think I know why he attacked you so suddenly and viciously. ¡°Why?¡± Liam asked. I believe he is a follower of one of the Seven Immoral Vices. Eri stated. Liam was about to ask why she thought that until a memory resurfaced. It was the memory of what had happened on his first day here on the island. When that Incubus saw him and instantly grew feral and wanted to kill him regardless of his safety. This Oni must have gone mad right when his Hubris Aura ignited. He must have felt it and went berserk at the sight of him using it. Liam nodded his head as he thought about it. Coming to that conclusion though only created more questions. Why was he disguising himself as a Beast-kin? Why was he pretending to be a mercenary for hire? Did those other Beast-kins know what he was? Were they also in disguise? The questions piled on with each new one that formed. However, Liam knew this wasn¡¯t the time to be trying to get answers right now. He needed to get out of here before those guys came back or anyone else stumbled on to their location. Liam went to turn away from the dead guy, but stopped as he saw something flash at the corner of his eye. At first Liam thought it was either his or Cindy¡¯s stat bars, but then noticed it was right next to the dead body. Liam slowly approached the body to get a better look. Next to the body was a small pouch. Confused, Liam asked, ¡°What is that Eri?¡± Looks like it¡¯s a Space Pouch. Eri replied. ¡°A Space Pouch?¡± Liam repeated, still confused. Yes. A Space Pouch is a bag with inventory like features. You can store items in it. He must have had it on his hip when he died. Normally anything in someone¡¯s inventory would be lost forever. Eri explained. She then smiled as she added, Its you¡¯re lucky day. Since he had this on his hip, any and all salvageable items he was wearing went straight into it. Grab it and we¡¯ll look over the contents later. For now, you need to get out of there before anyone shows up. Liam didn¡¯t hesitate as he grabbed the pouch and threw it into his inventory. He then tried to hustle over to Cindy. As soon as he got to her, he picked her up and pulled her over his back as gently as he could. He felt a sharp pain run up his left leg as he felt the pressure of Cindy on his back come down on him. He gritted his teeth and tried to push his thoughts away from the pain. He then thought about his Veil of Shadow ability and tried activating it. He felt the cold sensation he normally felt when the shadows surrounded him and tried to see if it covered Cindy as well. He believed it would work, but he wasn¡¯t sure. He wasn¡¯t going to keep it activated if it only cloaked himself. He thought about the looks he would see if he walked around with his ability only cloaking him and not her. He imagined looks of confusion or shock as an unconscious girl floated around. To confirm if it worked he asked Eri. Eri confirmed that it did work, but she also agreed that people would give those looks he was thinking about if they saw a floating girl. He didn¡¯t know why, but hearing Eri agree with his thoughts made him smile a bit. Without needing to be around anymore and not wanting any trouble to come find them, Liam started for the portal. It took Liam a lot longer getting to the portal than he wanted. Not only did he have to walk slowly so not to have his Veil of Shadow spell disappear, he also had to carry Cindy on his back while she was passed out. Adding to the fact that he was still hurt and having to limp his way, the rest of his body was aching and hurting. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why the pain and soreness was still there even after drinking a couple of Poor Orange Stamina Potions. He could only surmise that he had overworked his body enough for the pain, ache, and soreness to remain. He believed that he was right about this because he could feel his fatigue rise. He fought to keep his eyes open as he pushed through the forest and carefully through the sea of people that were entering and exiting the entrance he was at. Once when he made it to the portal he thought about what would happen when they got out. He wasn¡¯t sure if his ability would disappear once they made it to the other side, but he would be ready to reactivate it if it did. He placed a hand on the portal and waited for the prompt to appear.
¡°Would you and your party like to leave the Goblin Forest? Yes No?¡±
Liam mentally clicked on yes and was getting ready to walk through when another notification appeared. This one was in red.
¡°Warning! You and your team have not completed the amount needed to count as a cleared dungeon run. 19/25 Monsters. 1/1 Elite Monsters. If you leave the dungeon the amount will reset. Do you still wish to leave the Goblin Forest? Yes No?¡±
Liam, feeling frustrated, stared at the notification. If those guys didn¡¯t appear and they didn¡¯t run into the anomalies of this dungeon, they would have easily cleared this dungeon run. However, thanks to all that had happened, they were only six regular monsters shy of meeting the criteria. With an irritated scowl, Liam accepted. After the notification disappeared, he walked through the portal with Cindy still on his back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The cave was quiet. The only thing making any noise inside was the sound of the fire burning the bodies. Smoke slowly wafted out the open mouth of the cave, allowing the room to not be filled with it. The bodies in the fire crisped as their flesh melted away allowing the fire to dance over the muscles and organs hidden underneath the fleshy armor. The chances of an undead awakening diminished with each second until finally there was no hope for it to happen. As the fire continued to burn away at these bodies, the massive body of the undead creature that had been killed laid there. Its remaining eye staring at the burning pyre. Without warning or prompting, the still eyeball suddenly shuddered. It shook once more, then twice. After the fourth time, it suddenly popped out of its socket. The optic nerve still attached to the eyeball stopped it from going too far away and allowed it to dangle next to its fleshy cheek. After a few seconds had passed, a thin long leg slowly reached out of the socket of the creature. The leg moved around the outside of the socket almost like it was testing something out. After nothing happened, a second, third, and fourth thin legs of different lengths reached out and hooked around the edge of the socket, digging into the soft tissues of the creature¡¯s face, using the skull as a means to pull itself outwards. The creature that escaped out from the socket wasn¡¯t that big, it was slightly bigger and longer than the size of the monster¡¯s eyeball that it was hiding in. It had eight legs in total and a hairy bulbous abdomen that curved a bit. Laying back on the abdomen was a thin upper body. Arms rested across the chest and stomach while covering the head of the creature that rested on top. After fully emerging, the head of this new creature leaned forward while stretching out its arms. Its arms were long and thin and bent like a praying mantis¡¯ scythe-like arms. The only difference between this creature¡¯s arms and a praying mantis¡¯ is instead of having scythe-like arms, this creature¡¯s arms were much like its legs. They were smooth and pole like that separated into two claw like hands closer to the top end. Liquid from hiding and resting inside of the creature¡¯s head rolled down this creature¡¯s body, the liquid coated it so much it slicked back the hair and other things hiding on its body. It shook the liquid off like a dog, allowing the hair to freely move about while several spikes that ran down the back of its neck and body curved upwards. It opened its two big eyes that rested on its head before allowing several smaller eyes to blink open. Its mandibles opened and closed as it scanned its surroundings. Its head twitched as several popping sounds mixed with high pitched screams escaped the burning pyre not too far away from it. Several different emotions ran through its small mind as it watched its newly born siblings dying a burning gruesome death before they could even hatch from the sacs that hid within the taller creatures¡¯ bodies. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Not wanting to dwell on the issues the feelings were starting to make it feel, it turned around to take in the remains of the creature it had just escaped from. It was in terrible shape. This creature was relieved that its fate wasn¡¯t like its sibling that was behind the other eyeball. However, it wasn¡¯t sure if any of its other siblings had survived judging from the shape this creature was in. Wanting to see if any of its kind had survived, it let out a high pitched scream that only its kind could hear. It waited a few seconds to see if anything would respond. After nothing responded it decided it would not wait any longer. While sadness and anger did fill it when it saw the scene before it, a different one was starting to overwhelm it. Hunger. It was hungry and its meal was waiting to be devoured. It wasted no time before starting to dig in to the deceased monster laying in front of it. It would feast. It would feast and grow. While doing both it would also fulfill the purpose it was given. For these creatures were the first that would fall to their purpose. The other monsters that lurked around the area would eventually fall and become nourishment for the many more to come. Then after that¡­it will return to the one it felt was calling it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam fought back the bile that swirled inside of his stomach. He fought the urge to fall to his knees and just allow the liquid to project out of his mouth. Cindy, however, had no way to fight those urges as liquid shot out from her mouth. Liam was lucky that majority of the vomit missed his back and head as her head was pointed towards the portal. As lucky as he was though, there was still a small amount that rolled down her cheek and ended up on his back. Liam shuddered at the feeling. He knew he couldn¡¯t complain since she was passed out, but that still didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t grumble about it. He rechecked with Eri to make sure the Veil of Shadow was still activated around Cindy and was pleased that her sudden jerky movements from throwing up didn¡¯t deactivate it. After Liam repositioned Cindy on his back, he slowly made his way out from the Dungeon Tower and towards the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron. As he walked, thoughts about the group of Beast-kins that ambushed them replayed in his mind. He didn¡¯t know how long they had been waiting to ambush them. He didn¡¯t know when they planned on doing it or where they were this entire time. If they had been trailing him and waiting for him to enter that dungeon then did they wait while he was in the Blue Dungeon? Did they follow him to the Advertures Association and watch everything that went down? That Weasel-folk, Dirk, seemed to have some information on him since he knew he was new. However, his reaction to when he found out about him being a half-breed told Liam he didn¡¯t know everything. If his employer was the one who supplied the information then they should have known if it was someone from the showcase. If they weren¡¯t from the showcase then he was even more confused. The group knew where and who he was supplying the potions and other items made from those materials. Remembering the threats they made about destroying their store made him mad back then; thinking about them now made him even more pissed. Destroying the livelihood of innocent people just to get what they wanted was a coward¡¯s thing to do. It was cowardly and childish. He needed to know who their employer was even more. If they were threatening those who he was growing to like and respect then he needed to make sure they understood that it wouldn¡¯t end well. Liam shook his head, trying to stop his mind from going back down that path he was trying to get away from. A small bit of him felt like he was being stupid. He knew people who sent out thugs to intimidate or threaten others to get their way from back on Earth. Things either escalated quickly or the people would fold. Either case, it wasn¡¯t pretty in the end. He needed to get information. He needed to find a place where he could get that information and he had a vague idea where he could get that. However, before he went there he needed to figure out why his Spirit Pool wasn¡¯t replenishing. He stopped his thoughts as he turned a corner and saw the building he was making his way to. The Cats Paw-ldron looked to be intact. Nothing seemed out of sorts from the outside and it made him feel relieved. Before he entered the building, Liam deactivated his Veil of Shadows. The bell above the door announced his arrival to the occupants of the store. Luckily for him no one was in there except for Abby and Farry who were behind the counter. They both turned and were about to greet who had entered but stopped as they took Liam and Cindy in. Abby¡¯s eyes widened as Liam recognized worry and fright fill them. Farry, for his part, kept a calm tone as he looked at Abby and instructed, ¡°Lock the door and turn the sign over saying we¡¯re closed.¡± Abby swiftly looked at her uncle. She was about to say something, but stopped as she recognized something on her uncle¡¯s face. Instead, she nodded and made her way over to the door. ¡°Hurry back here,¡± Farry instructed as he waved a hand towards Liam and walked towards the door in the back of the building. Liam limped as quickly as he could over to it. Not saying a word as Abby started to look frantic while walking passed them and staring at the two. Farry brought Liam over to an area where a single bed was at and helped him lay Cindy down on it. Abby walked in shortly after as the two men made sure Cindy was comfortable. Liam saw a painful worried expression on Farry¡¯s face as he looked his niece over. He then saw it harden before looking at Liam and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Liam told him about the events inside the Goblin Forest. He left out the part of Larix¡¯s Illusion spell deactivating revealing he was a Demon-kin. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should talk about the Zombified Hobgoblin, so he just told him about the Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins. Farry listened to Liam and didn¡¯t say a word as his expression stayed neutral with everything that was said. Abby, on the other hand, grew mortified and scared as she switched from looking at Liam to Cindy and back to Liam. After Liam finished telling them of what had happened, Farry let out a long held breath of air he was holding as he closed his eyes. He then opened them and looked at Cindy with a thankful look as he said, ¡°Thank you for doing what you could for my niece. It must have been scary and tough for you guys, but I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t leave her for dead or let her die.¡± Liam felt his body start to relax as he listened to Farry. He wasn¡¯t sure how the man would react. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would be blamed or hated. However, that feeling was soon replaced as Farry switched his soft thankful expression on Cindy to a harden serious one towards Liam. ¡°I want you to understand that what I¡¯m about to say is due to emotions running high, but I don¡¯t think you should stick around here for long. I thought it strange to receive a cease and desist letter on any items made by you from an unknown sender.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam asked, feeling his heart tighten as he took on Farry¡¯s gaze. ¡°I thought it to be a childish threat from someone who wanted to have the items you made for their use only,¡± Farry continued. ¡°However, after seeing my niece in this condition and hearing what you went through¡­It only further shows that it is not a threat without consequences. I don¡¯t want any harm¡­anymore harm done to those I love.¡± Liam stared at the man. His eyes, as hard and resolved as they looked, looked like they belonged to one who was backed into a corner. Liam could understand them. If push came to shove this man would do what he needed to in order to make sure his loved ones were safe. ¡°I am sorry, but if protecting these girls from any more harm means that I need to have you stop selling and making any of those potions and Medicinal Creation items here, then this is where we stop,¡± Farry stated. ¡°All stock is on the table in the front of the shop. Come back in a few days and I¡¯ll have the money from the ones that were sold already for you.¡± Liam¡¯s heart sank as he heard this. He looked at Abby who turned her head away from Liam as tears started to run down her face. Liam¡¯s body slumped a bit. This was familiar to him. Familiar in a way he thought he wouldn¡¯t ever have to see or be in, however, life had a way to test him. This situation, the events that happened, the words being said. Even though they were in a different place and said differently, he knew this situation very well. The only difference was, he was a different person. He had learned from his previous experience and wouldn¡¯t act the way he did last time. He understood what Farry was saying. He wouldn¡¯t fight him or tell him that it would be alright. That he would figure something out. He hardly knew this family and they hardly knew him. It wasn¡¯t right to have all this trouble knocking on their door. Things might have turned out okay this time, but what about the next? Cindy almost lost her life, and he couldn¡¯t blame it on the monsters. If there were more followers of the Seven Immoral Vices around then there was a chance they could do a lot more damage just to get at him. Liam took a gulp before accepting the reality going on in front of him. He felt frustrated, mad even¡­but he couldn¡¯t blame this man for wanting to protect his nieces. Nor could he blame them for cutting their ties with him. Liam took a deep breath in and slowly let it out as he thought, Its probably for the best. He then looked at the man and said with as much resolve as he could, ¡°I understand.¡± He knew he was kidding himself as he heard his voice. He could hear the sadness that lingered in it. He was just thankful that Farry didn¡¯t call him out on it. Liam turned around and made his way towards the store area of the building. He didn¡¯t waste time as he quickly took all of the items he had produced and placed them inside his inventory. After he was done with that he unlocked the door and quietly walked out. Liam walked quietly as he made his way to the inn he was staying at. The sun was almost down by the time he had arrived at the building. He heard the whispers that circled around him as he walked. He knew that he probably looked like a mess, but he didn¡¯t care. He just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep. However, just like his luck had been all day, after entering the inn he made his way to the stairs but was stopped before he could go up. ¡°Um, sir¡­,¡± a voice called out to him. Liam slowly turned and looked at the owner of the voice and saw it was a female receptionist. ¡°Yes?¡± Liam replied back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you cant go up there unless you are a guest here or know a guest,¡± she stated as she stared at him. Liam raised a brow as he slowly made his way over to her. After getting to the desk he said with an irritated tone, ¡°I am a guest here. I have room two zero three on the second floor. It should be under Liam.¡± Looking a bit skeptical, the lady looked over her papers. After finding what she needed, she looked back at him with a confused expression as she informed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that room is no longer available and has been locked.¡± Liam was taken aback by this. What does she mean? No longer available and locked? He looked at her like she had just told the worst joke ever and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We were informed earlier that the person, you, had died in an accident in the dungeon,¡± the lady explained. ¡°In that sense the person who had paid for the remaining days for the room had was paid back the money used. That room is no longer available for you to use.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam muttered as his mind started to whirl. Died in an accident? Paid back the money used for the room to the person who paid? How? Why? Who would go around telling people this? Why would they¡­ Liam thought as he was starting sink in his own mind. Liam. This inn is no longer safe. I can¡¯t see who, but there is someone coming or nearby and they don¡¯t feel like a friendly person. Eri suddenly warned. You need to leave now! Feeling the urgency in Eri¡¯s words, Liam looked back at the woman and said, ¡°Thank you and I am sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. Liam didn¡¯t wait to hear what the woman had to say, instead he made his way as quickly as he could for the door. After exiting the building, Liam made a sharp turn towards the side of the building. Whatever it was Eri had sense, Liam was now able to feel it. It was a powerful aura that locked onto him. There were too many people walking about on the street, making it hard for him to try and pinpoint where it was coming from. He knew he wasn¡¯t fast enough to get away from whoever that aura belonged to so he decided he wasn¡¯t going to try and sprint as fast as he could. Instead, he would use the only method he could use to get away. As soon as he reached the corner of the building, he turned into the alley and used Veil of Shadow. As soon as he felt that his whole body was covered in shadows, he slowly moved out of the alleyway and into the streets. He didn¡¯t want to wait and hide using that ability since he wasn¡¯t sure how powerful the person or people were. He didn¡¯t know if they had a way to peer through his stealth ability and didn¡¯t want to find out. After making his way as far as he could from the area, he felt the aura had vanished. He believed he had gotten away, but didn¡¯t deactivate the ability. Instead, he kept it up as he thought about the only place he could go to. Even though he was exhausted and tired as all hell, Liam pushed on. It took him another hour and a half to make it to the area he used to meet up with someone he was gradually becoming friendly with. Someone he was starting to feel like was another mentor to him. Someone, who was insistent on his behalf, that he called uncle. After seeing the make shift outdoor cooking area, Liam felt relief flood him as he finally made it next to the fire. Naro must have sensed him coming because he was already looking in the direction that he was coming from. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you feel the need to try and stealth your way over here, but you should know you are always welco¡­,¡± Naro started to say until Liam deactivated his Veil of Shadow and he got a good look at him. Naro¡¯s eyes widened as he looked worried and concerned. Liam wasn¡¯t sure why, but as soon as he saw the man, he felt all the tension and adrenaline that had kept him moving suddenly vanish. Before he or Liam could say anything, Liam felt himself lose control of his legs as he started to fall over while his eyes closed, losing all consciousness. Adventure 177 - Every right to be angry Liam felt his consciousness slowly return as a wonderful smell entered his nose. As he opened his eyes he blinked them to try and make the blurriness his vision was seeing go away. After four blinks he was able to see a beautiful night sky full of stars. Leaves and branches swayed a bit as a gentle breeze allowed them to dance about. The slight rumble in his stomach told him the enticing aroma was making him hungry. His body ached all over as he tried to move his arms and legs. He slowly positioned his arms to help him get into a sitting position. A sharp pain ran along the bottom of his stomach and down his arms letting him understand that he was right in his assessment before that he did overdo it with his body. Liam scrunched his brows as he tried to remember what had happened. ¡°I see you¡¯re waking up,¡± a deep calm voice greeted. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard trying to get up. You¡¯ve over worked yourself and are covered in wounds.¡± Liam looked confused before realizing his shirt was off and he had a bandage wrapped around his stomach and arms. What the hell? Liam thought as he stared at the items. As he looked at them he realized he wasn¡¯t laying down on the ground, but rather on a cot fit to his size. He then looked at Naro who sat down next to him giving him a serious yet concerned expression. Liam felt his throat was dry, but still asked with a slight hoarse voice, ¡°How long was I out for?¡± ¡°Drink this,¡± Naro said as he reached for a cup and then poured what smelled like hot green tea. Liam repositioned himself to fully sit up as he slowly and cautiously moved his legs over the cot. The pain wasn¡¯t as bad as when he was hospitalized back in the Tutorial Area, but he still felt a bit sore. After Naro handed him the cup, Liam gave the man a nod of appreciation and slowly sipped the warm liquid. He could feel the warmth spread throughout his body, easing the soreness and achiness his body was feeling. It didn¡¯t take it all away, but it was soothing them like a nice warm massage loosening the tension in his muscles. ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said as he felt his voice return to normal. Naro shook his head. ¡°No need to thank me. Good tea can sooth an overworked body.¡± Liam took another sip, appreciating the effects it was doing on his body as well as the wonderful taste. ¡°You gave me quite the scare when you suddenly appeared in front of me looking the way you did. Adding to the fact you suddenly passed out¡­,¡± Naro started cautiously and worriedly. ¡°What happened?¡± Liam stared at the ground trying to organize his thoughts. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he should tell the man. He felt nothing but appreciation and respect towards the bear of a man. During these past couple of days this guy did nothing but help him without asking for anything but helping him cook and eat with him. Back on Earth this would be suspicious, but here in this world¡­Liam wasn¡¯t sure if it was a natural thing or not. As he thought about what he should say, a notification suddenly appeared helping him with his choice. ¡°You can trust him. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam raised a brow as he stared at the text. He then sent his thoughts to her asking, Are you sure? ¡°Yes. This man was worried and took excellent care for you when you passed out. I watched him and saw the concern he has for you is genuine. You can tell him everything that had happened¡­Minus your abilities. Leave those out. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about this. Hearing his Matron goddess, who told him never to reveal too much, telling him he can trust this man was odd. However, at this point he knew that she had a better read on people than he did, so he trusted her judgment of the man. If he was being honest, he was glad that she trusted him. It told him that his judgement of people wasn¡¯t completely gone. Liam let out a long sigh as he mentally closed the notification and then told Naro everything that happened that day. He started with having lunch and the events at the Adventurers Association, the ambush in the Goblin Forest Dungeon, his fight with the Zombified Hobgoblin and its minions, what happened at the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron, the bit at the inn, and ended with him arriving here. The only thing he left out was his and Eri¡¯s assumption that Larix was a follower of the Seven Immoral Vices. If he voiced that then he would have had to explain why he thinks that which would mean he would have to reveal more about his secrets. He trusted the man, but he didn¡¯t know how much he could trust him with. Naro waited patiently as he listened to Liam. His facial expressions never changed as he recounted the day¡¯s events. After Liam was done, Naro gave Liam a sympathetic look as he said, ¡°It sounds like to me you had one hell of a day.¡± Liam let out a half scoff. ¡°You can say that.¡± ¡°Still though¡­,¡± Naro started as he looked at the fire and started thinking. ¡°That¡¯s a lot to have happen in just a couple of days. Its one thing to run into your old friends and they act that way¡­it¡¯s another to be ambushed and have to fight a monster that should never have made an appearance. The appearance of a demon-kin using Illusion magic to disguise themselves as a Beast-kin doesn¡¯t bow well, but that¡¯s a completely different topic as to why he was doing this.¡± Liam slowly nodded. ¡°Is this normal? I feel like it¡¯s too much all at once.¡± Naro eyed Liam. He looked him up and down and took him in. He could see the young man slowly grip his cup of tea as his face looked pained. With as gentle of a voice as he could he said, ¡°It¡¯s not normal. Nowhere near it. I haven¡¯t met anyone who¡­¡± Naro stopped suddenly as memories flashed by him. Liam glanced at him when he noticed the sudden pause. However, before he could ask, Naro continued, ¡°I haven¡¯t met anyone recently who has gone through so much so soon. They usually are when they are deep into the craziness of the world when they get stronger and higher in levels.¡± Liam caught the sudden change in wordage. Curiosity grew within him as he wanted to know why he changed his sentence but decided not to pry. If this man wanted to tell him he would have¡­maybe. ¡°The real question though isn¡¯t if this is normal,¡± Naro started back up. ¡°The real question is how are you holding up? Having to go through all that plus your friends¡­How does it all make you feel?¡± Liam stared at the man as he took the question to heart. Annoyed? Of course. Irritated? Very much so. He would be lying if he said it didn¡¯t bother him at all. He organized his thoughts on the matter and tried to come up with a proper answer. He took in a deep breath and shakily let it out as he responded, ¡°When it comes to the monster fight¡­I¡¯m not sure how I feel? Shocked, surprised, scared? Happy to make it out alive? I really don¡¯t know at this moment. As for how Farry and Abby reacted? I can understand their response. The last couple of years back on my home world weren¡¯t the best. Things went to hell and the way people treated others as well as family and friends¡­let¡¯s just say I can understand that the man did what he had to in order to protect his family.¡± Naro watched Liam. He noticed the forced smile that formed on his face as he finished his last sentence. He could see hurt and understanding hiding behind the young man¡¯s eyes. Naro then noticed a shift happen in Liam¡¯s demeanor. He could see his hands then start to tighten on the mug as a scowl suddenly formed as he growled, ¡°However, the way my friends looked as if they were writing off my potential to join them in fighting stung to all hell. Also, the way they basically stated, even if they didn¡¯t say it themselves, that an asshole like that fucking elf had more value than me pisses me off.¡± Naro could hear the venom drip from Liam¡¯s words. ¡°Then to be ambushed and attacked so abruptly by those guys,¡± Liam continued. His scowl turned into a snarl. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything to defend myself nor protect Cindy. Leaving out the fact they were so much more powerful than I¡­I know that its ridiculous to think I could stand up against them, but I still cant help how powerless I felt as I got my ass handed to me and the look on Cindy¡¯s face when that man stuck that dagger into her and then threw her like a ragdoll!¡± Liam gripped his right hand into a fist and punched down onto the cot as hard as he could. He regretted it as pain ran up his arm, but he bit down and continued, ¡°That one sided beatdown felt like it was salt in the wound! That what my friends were saying about me being powerless in a fight just because my starting class is considered a non-combat one was proved! Like the amount of effort, I¡¯m putting forth into making a battle style unique to me is all for naught!¡± ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Naro said as he turned his body to face Liam. ¡°I understand your frustration, but you need to calm yourself.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Liam asked as he turned his head to look at Naro. ¡°Why do I need to calm myself? I¡¯m pissed! I¡¯m pissed that no matter what I do, problems arise! Those thugs hired by God knows who, threatened and hurt those who I was starting to think of as friends, who in turn had to cut ties with me to protect themselves! And let¡¯s not start with those who were my friends at one point! They acted like no matter what happened I would always be a part of their fucking team, but the moment that they found out that I was a stupid Crafter I was instantly cast aside. Not to add that jack ass of an Elf had the audacity to try and lower my worth to a mere manufacturer to take care of their equipment for them¡­¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Liam, stop!¡± Naro roared loudly. Liam stopped his tirade as he huffed and panted. He looked at the huge man expecting to see a frustrated look upon his facial features. Instead, he noticed a sad and understanding expression. This made Liam feel his frustration start to wane. He didn¡¯t know where this outburst came from. He knew he was frustrated with everything that had happened today, but he didn¡¯t realize how angry he was about it all. How angry he was at his old friends. Naro studied Liam. He watched as the hateful and scary look that was starting to cloud his eyes was starting to calm down as he breathed heavily. Naro was surprised when the anger and sudden outburst came forth. He could feel the young man had some turmoil brewing inside of him, but he didn¡¯t realize how close the fuse was to igniting. Thankfully, he was able to blow out the lit fuse before it could start to lessen. However, he could still see that the fuse was still in danger of being lit again. He needed to calm him down enough that he didn¡¯t relight it. ¡°When I say you need to calm yourself down I am not telling you that your feelings on the matter are wrong,¡± Naro started up. ¡°You have every right to be angry. However, you can¡¯t let that anger control your motives, to cloud your judgement on the situation. You were ambushed by people who were sent to make you become someone¡¯s puppet. You had a life and death situation with a monster that was created for some unknown reason. You had friends basically change their opinion of your capabilities and agreed with the insult that the self-righteous Elf made. However, you can¡¯t let the anger of all of that lead you to conclusions or you will miss the important things.¡± Liam stared at the man. Everything that the bear of a man stated was true. He was mad at it all. He wanted to just let his anger take over and just do something. However, Naro was right. He couldn¡¯t let his anger take hold of him. He wasn¡¯t sure how he had let it start to in the first place. One minute he was talking calmly and the next¡­ he had just let it all out. That brief moment when he was talking calmly though, it had felt like something was whispering in his ear that he should allow all that was pent up to release. ¡°You¡¯re¡­right,¡± Liam finally said as he looked ashamed. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be angry at the things that make you mad, but you need to understand this,¡± Naro said calmly. ¡°Anger is always more harmful than the insult that caused it.¡± Liam looked to the ground as he let out a sigh, feeling his body relax the tension that had built up. Naro smiled as he watched Liam. He was glad he was getting through to the man. He didn¡¯t want to see him go down a path that could end up harming him. Whether he allowed that anger to cloud him or resign to a fate that he didn¡¯t want. Neither of those two outcomes were good for him. He knew what needed to be said to help him understand that he wasn¡¯t without hope and that the words those people said weren¡¯t true. ¡°Like I was saying earlier, you can¡¯t let anger lead you to conclusions or you will miss the important things,¡± Naro started as he grew a warm playful smile. ¡°Like the fact that getting the Crafter class does not mean you¡¯re not fit to be a combatant. There are ways to get a combatant class regardless of the starting class you start with.¡± Liam raised a brow as he tilted his head a bit to the side. ¡°What do you mean? I was told that your starting class is what defines you. Is that not true?¡± Naro let out a hardy laugh. ¡°Who in Usar¡¯s mighty den said those outdated beliefs? Was it that Elf?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No. It was the teenaged boy who was trying to join their group called Gimmel?¡± Naro gave Liam a shocked expression. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Confused, Liam asked, ¡°Do you know the boy?¡± Naro let out another laugh as he said, ¡°No, but the name is common in a certain region I know. Look, there are people who believe that rubbish. However, that isn¡¯t true at all. There are plenty of ways to evolve a class than to just follow a simple path carved out. I mean there are people who had the Crafter class as a starter class, and they accepted what they believed was their fate and just focused on nothing but crafting. But that¡¯s not the case for those who believed they could do more. Like myself for example.¡± Naro noticed the look of interest that filled Liam. Good. Go back to that curious young lad I met a couple days ago. It¡¯s your curious nature that will lead you to a path you and others wouldn¡¯t ever expect. ¡°What¡¯s that look for boy? Are you curious as to what your Uncle Naro¡¯s class is?¡± Naro teased. ¡°Yes!¡± Liam swiftly replied, no hesitation whatsoever. Naro smiled mischievously before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you another time.¡± ¡°What!¡± Liam complained looking disappointed. Before he could say anything else, a loud rumble echoed from his stomach. His cheeks flushed as he looked embarrassed. Naro let out a loud chuckle as he slapped his knee. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re starving. I¡¯m sure after all that you¡¯ve been through today you must be hungry. Just lay down for a bit and I¡¯ll whip up a nice feast.¡± Liam reached a hand out as he said, ¡°Are you sure? I can hel¡­¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Naro replied, cutting him off as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it, you just relax.¡± Liam stared at the man. After taking a second, he let out a sigh and said with a slight smile, ¡°Fine. Let me know if you do need some help though.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Naro waved as he walked over to the outdoor kitchen he had up. Liam laid back down on the cot and stared up at the sky. The smile that was just on his face slipped as he allowed his thoughts to wander. Naro was right. He shouldn¡¯t let anger take hold of him, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t get angry. Anger could be used as fuel to help him focus on what he wanted to do. Get stronger. A sudden thought popped up at that. He had notifications he needed to check out from earlier.
¡°Congratulations! Gathering Craft ¨C Lumberjack has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Gathering Craft Skill ¨C Lumberjack Efficiency has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gathering Craft ¨C Mining has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 24%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Gathering Craft Skill ¨C Mining Strike Accuracy has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 24%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Production Craft Ability ¨C Light and Burn has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 14%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Construction Craft has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Construction Craft Skill ¨C Destruction Points has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Gravity has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Gravity Ability ¨C Gravitational Force Increase has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Lunar) Ability ¨C Lunar Exposure has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%! Area revealed has increased from 10ft to 20ft. + 10% chance to cause Blind Debuff for 5 minutes.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received a new Focus Point Utility (Lunar) Ability! Lunar Reflector!¡± ¡°Lunar Reflector ¨C Creates a small Lunar orb that floats around caster. Uses a charge to reflect magical attacks. Has 3 charges of use before winking out of existence. Costs ¨C 15 MP. Target ¨C Self. Spell Type ¨C Chant.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Shadow) has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Shadow) Ability ¨C Shadow Step has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 64%! User can now Blink to a target¡¯s shadow within 12ft instead of 6ft.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Shadow Control Ability ¨C Shadow Swarm has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) Ability ¨C Blanket of Darkness has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 10%! Damage output has increased. Spell duration has increased to 45 seconds.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received a new Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) ability! Shade¡¯s Corruption!¡± ¡°Shade¡¯s Corruption ¨C Cause a puff of Shade Smoke to erupt from a target¡¯s shadow making them breath it in. Shade Smoke will cause damage every 5 seconds for 2 minutes. 5% chance to cause a Confusion Debuff that will make the target hear whispers. Whispers will distract the target. Confusion Debuff lasts until spell disappears. Costs ¨C 10 MP. Target ¨C Single. Spell Type ¨C Chant.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he read each notification. He might not be able to raise his sub-stats right now, but what he was able to raise was still amazing. He was able to not only raise a couple abilities and focus points he hadn¡¯t worked on before, but he also was able to get a few he usually used to a new threshold and gained two new abilities to add to his fighting capabilities. The Lunar Reflector ability looked like it could be helpful in a pinch. How much damage it could reflect would need to be tested out, but it was definitely something he would need to level as much as he could as fast as he could. The same could be said about that new Shadow Affliction spell. To be able to cause confusion on a target could not only help him kill a target easier and quicker, but if it was used on a stronger target¡­that would definitely save him in a pinch. Speaking of Affliction spells. Liam thought as he looked at the notifications about his Lunar abilities. He still needed to unlock an Affliction ability from his Lunar Focus Point. The last time he tried it said he didn¡¯t have sufficient knowledge. He would need to see if that was still the case. As great as all this was he still felt like it would have been great to see his stats grow. He couldn¡¯t wait for his Stat Shatter Debuff to finally disappear. Almost like something or someone was reading his thoughts, the last notification appeared.
¡°Stat Shatter has decreased from Level 2 to Level 1. Stats partially sealed have gone from 50% to 25%. Time for Stat Shatter to completely disappear: 2 days 23 hours 31 minutes 54 seconds.¡±
Adventure 178 - Let’s make a Deal Liam stared at the notification. Excitement and happiness started to fill him as he was glad that it had finally decreased. However, those feelings were pushed away as memories of the ambush and the fight flashed before his eyes. His lip slightly curved into a scowl as he thought, Is this notification mocking me? After all that earlier. All those gains I just received¡­it still wants to remind me that I¡¯m not at a hundred percent yet¡­ Liam let out a long breath and closed his eyes. As he released the air held, he relaxed his body and tried to push the anger that was starting to cloud his judgement. Naro was right. He shouldn¡¯t let anger lead him around. Instead, he needed to look at the important things. First, as much as he hated this debuff, it had showed him areas he needed to improve. Not only that, but it also allowed him to see potential in some of the things he didn¡¯t know he had that he could use in a fight. He was also able to learn and gain new skills and abilities. Another thing, he was able to see how others really looked at him without him wanting to rush and prove them wrong. He couldn¡¯t say that if he didn¡¯t have this debuff that he would have challenged someone out of irritation just to prove them wrong, but since he had the debuff it made him think more and not resort to any methods that could have proven more harmful than helpful. Liam shook his head. He could totally see himself challenging that elf to a fight or one of his friends just to try and change their perspective on his capabilities. Instead, he now has a chance to better himself and hone what he has to, to fine tune his fighting style, skills, and abilities so when the time came, he wouldn¡¯t need to prove himself. He would instead show how wrong they were. Liam nodded. That¡¯s what he needed to do. He didn¡¯t need to prove himself to those who looked down on him. Instead, he needed to focus and work hard to fight beside those who accept him. His mind wandered onto the first few who did that. He wondered how each of them were doing. If they were doing well and doing what they said they wanted to do. The goals and dreams they had talked about around the firepit in the cave they had defeated Binky, the Albino Crocolisk, in replayed in his mind. Liam let out a chuckle as he thought about the name while a smile formed on his face. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Naro asked as he walked up to Liam with a bowl in both hands. Liam sat up and reached for the bowl of what looked like some sort of steaming soup. After bringing it closer to him, Liam looked at the man while he sat down and said, ¡°I was just thinking about the people who I had teamed up with back in the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°Oh? Were they good company?¡± Naro asked as he eyed Liam with a smile. ¡°They each had their quirks, but yes,¡± Liam started as he looked down at the food. He could see some vegetables and some sort of meat in the broth. ¡°They were great company. I think you would have liked them. Especially Artem.¡± ¡°Oh? Who is this Artem and why would you think I would like him specifically?¡± Naro questioned. Liam went into a tale about each of his old teammates. He told Naro about what they were like, what races they ended up getting, and the way they had spent time together. Liam ate his food while Naro asked questions. They laughed at the antics Liam spoke about, enjoying the memories. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if it was the food or talking about his old teammates, but he felt good recounting the memories he made with them. He also realized how much he missed having people who didn¡¯t look down on him. He knew if they were here they would tell him to quit overthinking things. Especially Avery and Mercer. Blair would wait till she couldn¡¯t anymore. Roman would say something stupid and then get hit by Ariyana while Artem would offer some advice. Liam looked down at his empty bowl with a sadden expression. He really wished they had all ended up at the same location. Maybe if they did they would tell him what he needed to hear or tell his old friends how stupid they were. He didn¡¯t know how they would have reacted to all this, and he never would. Naro caught the look Liam had. He could understand what the young man was thinking. Long ago he went through the same thing. Not to the same extent, but his team had separated a few times over the years, and he missed them. He would never admit it to them, but he knew the joy and happiness a person could have when being around those he trusted. ¡°You know,¡± Naro started as he stared at him. ¡°You could always seek them out and try to form a team again.¡± Liam looked at Naro. A look of hope filled him before he let it go. Liam shook his head as he said, ¡°No. They are off doing their own thing. I shouldn¡¯t try and look for them just because of some memories we had made. For all I know that¡¯s just what they are. Good memories of a time we shared back in the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most idiotic thing I have ever heard,¡± Naro suddenly stated with a loud laugh. Liam frowned at his words. ¡°What do you mean idiotic?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, if you made such great memories and you trust them so much then that¡¯s even more reason why you should search them out. You shouldn¡¯t let something as stupid as for all you know stop you. I mean the exact opposite can be said as well. For all you know they might be trying to find you and the others to continue the fun times you had.¡± Liam stared at Naro, that feeling he had just moments ago came back. It wasn¡¯t as strong as it was earlier, but it was there. ¡°Let me tell you a secret about this world that many come to find out when it is too late,¡± Naro started back up. Liam stared at him hanging on his words. ¡°Finding those you can make memories with, no matter if they are good or bad, are hard to come by. If they have your back no matter what happens then they are worth seeking out and keeping around. The world is full of bullshit. Don¡¯t let speculations stop you from seeking them out. The worst thing that can happen is they don¡¯t want to be around you anymore. The best outcome, you see the world and make new friends.¡± Liam took in what he was saying. He was right. He wasn¡¯t entirely certain that they would want to team up again, but that also meant he wasn¡¯t entirely sure they didn¡¯t. There was always a chance when it came to someone else. Exploring the world was something he wanted to do as well. So why not take a chance. Liam nodded as he agreed with Naro. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liam said as a small smile formed. ¡°Thank you.¡± Naro stood up and grabbed the bowl from Liam¡¯s hands as he gave him a warm smile. ¡°There is no need to thank me. The words I passed to you were said to me by someone who I deeply respect.¡± Curious, Liam asked as Naro moved the dishes to the small sink attached to his outdoor kitchen set, ¡°Oh? Who is that person?¡± Naro let out a small chuckle as he grabbed the warm kettle and pour some tea into two cups. He grabbed them both after setting the kettle down and walked back to his seat. After handing Liam a cup, he replied, ¡°He¡¯s a man who helped me see past my worries. You see, like you, I worried that my path was set in stone. The friends I believed I had left me without a single word. This man saw potential in me and helped me push past the stereotyping many had labeled me as. Thanks to his advice and suggestions not only did I excel at crafting, but I found things that I could tie my crafting to.¡± Liam saw Naro look up at the sky. His eyes looked like they were focused on something distant. Maybe something that brought both joy and pain because his face looked pained at first before turning into a soft smile. ¡°Thanks to his encouragement, not only was I able to find a path that I am proud to have walked on,¡± Naro continued. ¡°But I was able to seek out and confront those friends to find out why they had left me behind. Granted the answers I had received weren¡¯t what I was hoping for, but I didn¡¯t regret it. As I traveled with that man I had met others he invited to the team, and they accepted me and the path I had chosen to walk. Gradually and through the many adventures I had with them I grew to not only trust them¡­but create a bond past friendship. They had become a family to me. People who I would lay my life down to not only protect¡­¡± He then looked at Liam and added, ¡°But also protect and help those they called family as well.¡± Liam stared at Naro. His words this time round stirred inside him. He had thought that he and his old friends were like that. However, the events today had proven that wasn¡¯t entirely true. Their time here before he had arrived and the time he had spent on Earth after they left changed both them and he. If that was the case then it was probably best that he had run into the two here now instead of later. He wouldn¡¯t speak for the other two friends because they were their own people, but at least now he had an idea of how they could react. Instead of trying to seek them out he wanted to look for the ones who had accepted him at the beginning with no prior history. They had proven themselves to him and he hoped he had proven himself to them. ¡°You know, you telling me about your old teammates reminds me of them,¡± Naro started back up. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Well, besides the fact that it sounds like your old teammates sound so close. I guess it¡¯s the fact that you all were different races,¡± Naro said. Liam raised a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Naro laughed. ¡°I guess my wording wasn¡¯t right. What I¡¯m talking about is your team is full of races that no one would ever see in the same team. You said there was a Half Orc, a Kitsune, a Dragon-kin, a Nature Fae, a Crimson Elf, a Tiefling, and you, a Half Human, Half Beast-kin.¡± Liam nodded, not sure what he was trying to say. ¡°Well for starters, Tieflings are part of the Demon-kin race,¡± Naro started to explain. ¡°They aren¡¯t as bad as the other races in the Demon-kin line, but you still wouldn¡¯t find one in a team with a Nature Fae or any Beast-kins. Next you have a Half Orc, regardless of being half or full Orc, they are usually shunned from most races except for Demon-kins or Demi-humans who look similar to them. Next is the Dragon-kin. While they are technically a Beast-kin, their race is as prideful as the Crimson Elves and are usually never seen with their ¡®Lesser¡¯ race cousins. Kitsunes tend to be too hard headed at times and mischievous, so most groups tend to avoid them entirely. The Crimson Elves¡­They are something else. They tend to be as secretive as they are proud. You don¡¯t usually see them in a group that isn¡¯t of their own race. You don¡¯t even see them with the other kind of Elves.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. He knew he was ignorant of the world, but he didn¡¯t really know how absurdly ignorant he was. He then thought back at Adva¡¯s and Phorge¡¯s reactions when they came out of the fourth floor. They had been surprised when they had seen them. Maybe that¡¯s why they were shocked. Adding in me being a Cait Sith, I guess our group really did look strange. Liam thought. He then looked at Naro and asked, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that a group like ours is an oddity?¡± Naro nodded. ¡°Really its unheard of to many. If those of the same races as your old teammates saw this then they would either scoff and look down on each of you as if you¡¯re some bug or they would try and convince you to separate.¡± Liam frowned. ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°And I agree,¡± Naro smiled. ¡°However, every now and then you¡¯ll find a group who doesn¡¯t care. Like the team I¡¯m from. We¡¯re all from different races and we couldn¡¯t care less what others think. We even have a party name, one where the naysayers are afraid whenever they hear it.¡± This caught Liam¡¯s attention. Filled with curiosity, Liam quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s your party name?¡± Naro gave Liam a wry smile as he asked, ¡°Caught your interest didn¡¯t I?¡± He then made a faux look of contemplation as he brought a hand to his chin and closed his eyes. ¡°Hm¡­I¡¯m not sure if I should tell you.¡± ¡°Aw come on. Tell me please,¡± Liam asked as curiosity kept growing in him. Naro smiled again as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal. If you agree to a few things and complete what I ask of you I will tell you. But only when you have completed them.¡± Liam frowned as he eyed the bear of a man. He didn¡¯t feel anything nefarious from the man¡¯s words, but even he knew that sometimes the ones who were friendly could be snakes. ¡°Let me hear the terms first before I give you an answer,¡± Liam said cautiously. Naro let out a loud hearty laugh. ¡°You¡¯re cautious. Good. Never agree to anything right off the bat. Always get the terms and think it over before answering. The terms aren¡¯t too bad though. I¡¯ve grown to like you. You¡¯re a hard worker when it comes to crafting, so I want to take you as an apprentice.¡± Liam looked at the man. The term wasn¡¯t anything too bad, but he already had two mentors. Galin for Alchemy and Fia for Blacksmithing. He didn¡¯t want to betray them by having someone else teaching in those. Sure, there were other crafts he wanted to learn, but he wasn¡¯t sure if this man knew them let alone would train him in those. He could have him teach him more in the Chef Craft, but it wasn¡¯t something he was going to fully pursue. He felt the craft was more a hobby and a way to relax. Sure, he had some ideas of how he could use the Butcher section as well as the skill that came with it and the Food Handling section seemed like it could help gather materials for Poison crafting, but that¡¯s where his interest in the craft ended. Liam let out a sigh. ¡°You have helped me shore up some of my mistakes in both Alchemy and Blacksmithing during these past couple of days and I¡¯m grateful. However, I will have to humbly refuse asking you to teach me in those out of respect for my mentors that I already have in those crafts. I do not want to betray their trust. I must also decline asking you to be my mentor in the Chef craft because I feel that it is something I am slowly growing as a hobby than a pursuit. If anything, I would like to ask you to take in a friend of mine in that craft instead.¡± Naro raised a brow at Liam¡¯s response. A wide and amused grin grew as he laughed once more. ¡°Your loyalty to your Crafting Mentors, who are nowhere near you, is really admirable. Adding to the fact that you are trying to create an in for a friend you are not entirely sure will rejoin you is also a great thing. However, you are misunderstanding. No, I wasn¡¯t talking about mentoring you in those three crafts.¡± Liam raised a brow. If he wasn¡¯t talking about those crafts then does he mean¡­ ¡°I noticed you have a Knowledge Theory book called Beginner¡¯s Guide to Understanding Runes and I remember you once saying that you had the Enchanting Craft,¡± Naro started back up. ¡°I would like to mentor you in both. I would also like to help you with understanding how to utilize your crafting skills and abilities in battle. I believe since I, too, started with the Crafter starting class that I should be adequate enough to mentor you there.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. It was true he had that book, and he had the Enchanting Craft thanks to Fia having him place the enchants onto his daggers. He was really interested in learning both and the prospect of learning more about what he could do with his crafting skills and abilities was really tempting. However, the look in Naro¡¯s face told him there was more. ¡°Ah, I want to clarify something really fast. Becoming my apprentice in these aspects are not part of the terms I wish to give,¡± Naro said. ¡°You can think of them as an added bonus. The terms I would like to give you are you come with me when I leave this place after I finish my business here. Where we go when we leave will be wherever your friends are. I want you to find them and see if they want to join you as a party once more.¡± Liam stared at him once more. The terms weren¡¯t bad, but they seemed a bit odd just to learn the name of a party. Why go to such lengths to learn something so simple. Not entirely sure Liam sent a thought to the one person he felt he could trust for advice. What do you think Eri? Does it seem fishy? ¡°It does sound fishy¡­but I think you have more to gain accepting than refusing. Worst case scenario he has some evil ulterior motive which I will be able to see and warn you before he could do anything. Best case¡­he¡¯s sincere and really wants to help you. I say accept. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam thought about it. He mulled it over for a while before finally deciding. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll accept your terms. What business do you need to conclude? Is it something I can help with?¡± Naro shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s something my leader had asked me to look into and it is probably best you don¡¯t help. Too much bullshit politics are involved.¡± Liam was repulsed at the thought of politics, even if this was a different world, he felt like he wanted no part of it. He then nodded and said, ¡°Alright. Then I will focus on somethings I need to take care of myself and try to get it done before you are ready to set out.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Naro said before reaching into his inventory and pulling out a book. ¡°For now, before I teach you anything, I want you to study up on the Knowledge Theory on both Rune Crafting and Enchanting.¡± Liam grabbed the book and read the title, ¡°The Ins and outs of Enchanting.¡±
¡°The Ins and Outs of Enchanting. Contains Knowledge Theory ¨C Enchanting. Item Type ¨C Knowledge Theory. Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C This book contains the beginning Knowledge Theory of Enchanting. Does not contain Advanced or Master Level Knowledge Theory on Enchanting. Reader has the chance to gain the Knowledge Theory ¨C Magical Enchants. Note ¨C Book contains list of materials to use when practicing low level enchants.¡±
¡°I would like you to gain as much Knowledge Theory as you can these next couple of days so make sure you read both books. Also¡­,¡± Naro started. ¡°With everything that has gone on around you. You should probably get a room at a random inn and switch to a new each night. Do not use those inns to sleep in though. You¡¯ll be using this campsite as a base of operations for now and use a pseudo-name when checking in.¡± Confused, Liam asked, ¡°Why do I need to get a room if I¡¯m not going to sleep in it?¡± Naro raised a brow as he looked at him. Then with a straight face he replied, ¡°So you can shower. I hope you don¡¯t think that there are ways to shower out here in the forest. At least you do not have the means to have a way yet. Once when you have formed a proper party I will bring you to a very special place where you can get the chance to gain an item that will be very beneficial to you.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes lit up at that. ¡°What item is that?¡± Naro laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you right now. I will only tell you after you get your other teammates.¡± Liam pouted as he said, ¡°Fine.¡± He then looked at the book in his hands and added, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll do some reading before I get some more sleep.¡± ¡°That is a good idea,¡± Naro said as he got up. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some cleaning then we can go over some things I want you to practice.¡± Liam nodded as he smiled before opening the book and started reading. Naro took a quick peek at Liam and watched as he dove right into the book he had given him. One of the things he really liked about the young man was his willingness to learn. He looked forward to what he would make and experience as he grew. The thought slowed turned the smile he had on his face into a deep frown as it brought him back to the conversation he had with him. He turned his face away so Liam wouldn¡¯t see it. The things he experienced back to back earlier were not normal. The ambush caused by some Beast-kin Noble, if it was one of those assholes, was normal. But having to defend himself against a Demon-kin who was disguising himself as a Beast-kin, and an Oni to boot¡­That was where things started to go past the line of normalcy. He knew the boy wouldn¡¯t understand or know the implications that meant, but there was a high chance that guy was one of those crazy cultist nutjobs. A follower of the Seven Immoral Vices. Like ants, if there was one then there were surely more. However, that would imply that someone has been hiding them. Naro had a feeling who they were hired by, but he needed to be sure. He also needed to make sure that those with him weren¡¯t also Followers in disguise as well. If they were, then who has been letting them slip pass security. He knew Fred wouldn¡¯t let a single one of those guys in due to his insane hatred for what they had done to his family. That should be the case for all of the Beast-kins. However, he knew that some people were blinded by greed, lust, and other motives. The list of those who could be up to something was long. However, now he had a new lead to go by. That undead creature appearing in a Green Dungeon. There were cases of it happening before, although exceptionally rare. There were methods in doing so. One would be a concoction being made, but the knowledge to be able to do it was exceeding rare to make them. The materials equally so. Another would be certain monsters finding their way into the dungeon. Many don¡¯t know this, but just like how adventurers can go into a dungeon, monsters or creatures can as well. He didn¡¯t know how it was possible, but there have been reports of it happening. If that was what happened then the next question would be which monster was it. Each monster that could produce that venom was different. They had different purposes for using it as well. One purpose was it helped weaken their prey so they could drain them of their blood to use as a food source and ways to grow stronger. The monster who uses this method doesn¡¯t really care for the creature reawakening as undead and just leaves them. Another uses this method to try and create territory in the dungeon. By making undead monsters through their venom they can get minions who can protect them as they grow in power and claim their spot in the dungeon. This generally changes the nature of the dungeon and will make it a multi-color dungeon. However, since the green dungeon has remained a green dungeon this monster was unlikely. The last monster he could think of was one he didn¡¯t want to consider. The monster was a Hive type monster where it had one King or Queen that would use its lower minions to spread out and spread their poison onto other creatures. It was one that used its venom to plant eggs into other monsters to use as a breeding ground. Those monsters unfortunately carrying the venom and died would turn into Undead monsters. After the eggs hatched the monsters would feed on the creature from the inside till it reached the outside. However, not all monsters would be used as food. Some of the turned Undead would be used as puppets for special creatures that could control the Undead¡¯s brain. It was truly a horrific sight. He would have to wait and hear if anyone has spotted any undead creatures in different dungeons. The flaw in thinking it was this monster though was it would require a Black Dungeon to be active. Not only that, but a Break would have had to occur to let the minions roam about to enter the dungeons. Since there has been no reports of either of the two then he had to write this one off. Naro let out a sigh. His leader was right on the money that something strange was happening around here. How or where he gets his information from was still a mystery to this day. It was one of the reasons why he trusted him. The information he got and focused on was never wrong¡­At least it hasn¡¯t been wrong for quite a while now. Whatever new changes this new wave of Arrivals brought with them¡­it doesn¡¯t look like it will be trivial at all. Naro thought as he let out a sigh. Oh well, I¡¯ll get back to work on it after I make a visit to an old friend and take care of something else. For if there is something I hate more than politics it¡¯s when my apprentices are targeted and treated like playthings. Adventure 179 - Devour Liam slowly opened his eyes as the sound of birds chirping entered his ears. In a daze, he stared up at a dark blue ceiling that felt both familiar and unfamiliar to him. He blinked a few times to clear up the haze that was clouding his mind. As he tried to remember where he was he slowly pushed himself up and looked around at his surroundings. It took him a couple of minutes as he looked around inside the tent he was in. After realizing where he was, all the memories came back. Before he went to bed, Naro helped him set up his tent and place the cot he gave him inside it. Liam stretched his body to test the soreness and was glad to feel it had all gone away. After he was done he noticed a note pinned next to the door of the tent. As he went to grab it he noticed a container resting on the ground. Curious, Liam grabbed both and sat back down on the cot. The note read, ¡°Liam, I¡¯m heading out to take care of some things. I made some breakfast and placed it in the container. Make sure you eat it all. After you finish, go ahead and take off the bandages. Your wounds should be healed. After you finish that do some stretches. You might not feel any aches or soreness, but it is still good to stretch. I¡¯ll be back later tonight so make sure you don¡¯t get into any trouble today. Sincerely, Uncle Naro.¡± Liam shook his head as he looked down at the container. He opened it to see steam slowly rising from scrambled eggs, two strips of bacon, and diced up chunks of what he believed was cockatrice meat. He was amazed at what he was seeing. He didn¡¯t know how long it had been sitting in the container, but there was no sign of the food contents cooling down or heating up. It looked like it remained at the same temperature. ¡°God I wish we had magical items like this back on Earth,¡± Liam quietly whispered before pulling out a fork from his inventory. He grabbed a healthy portion of eggs and took a bite and tasted some seasoning had never had before. He felt the warmth of the food and the taste fill him. After he swallowed, a notification suddenly appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Food Buff ¨C Inspirational Reach. +15% to Mind Stat Intelligence Sub-stats: Knowledge and Mental Absorption. Time till Buff disappears: 2 Hours.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows rose as he stared at the notification. He wasn¡¯t expecting a buff like this from eating food. He wasn¡¯t sure how this happened, but he guessed it had to do with the Mystical Seasoning section from the Chef Craft. The more time he spent with Naro the more he was astounded by what the Chef Craft was capable of. Even though he didn¡¯t want to pursue this craft to reach its heightened glory, he believed he shouldn¡¯t slack on it. He could at least get it high enough to make certain buffs to help him out whenever he couldn¡¯t get his hands on someone else¡¯s food that could make these Buffs. After he took another bite he noticed the timer reset. So, it refreshes as long as I keep eating it? Maybe I should save some for later to keep refreshing this buff after it disappears? Liam thought as he took another bite. He then saw a new notification appear and read it.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam swallowed his bite and responded to the text. Why not?
¡°Two reasons. First it is rude to not fully eat the food that was made for you. And secondly, the timer to keep the food fresh on the container will run out within the next ten minutes. The freshness of the food will deteriorate and so will the buff that comes with it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned at that. Of course, there would be checks and balances to something that could be so useful. He shook his head before taking another bite and responded, That¡¯s stupid. But oh well. You¡¯re right that it would be rude to Naro if I didn¡¯t fully eat this. I have to ask though, why this buff?
¡°That kind of buff helps with absorbing new Knowledge when you¡¯re reading Knowledge Theory books. It helps as well as trying to gain new abilities and skills or when practicing current ones you have. It helps stimulate the mind to be inspired to learn more. He probably did this to help you out with those two Knowledge Theory books you were reading. The one he gave you and the one your Blacksmithing Mentor gave. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded as he understood what she was saying. Naro made sure this buff was added to the food to help him get farther in his studies. He then thought about what else she was saying. If it helped with gaining new abilities and skills as well as practicing current ones then maybe there was a possibility that it could¡­ Hey Eri. You said it affects abilities and skills as well right? Then could it help me gain enough knowledge to gain an ability from a Focus Point I haven¡¯t unlocked yet? Liam inquired.
¡°Oh? I think the buff is already working its part if you¡¯re asking that question. Yes it can help in that regard. Do you have one in mind? ¨C Eri.¡±
Yes. Liam started. My Affliction Focus Point in my Field of the Lunar. I wasn¡¯t able to unlock it because my knowledge on Lunar Magic was too low. I know my Knowledge Theory ¨C Basking in the Lunar is almost at fifteen. I was thinking that maybe I could take advantage of this buff to reach to fifteen and that it could help me unlock it.
¡°Hm¡­That¡¯s not a bad idea. In that case I think you should wait till the buff is almost gone before trying to attempt it. Try to focus on raising your Knowledge Theories on not only Magical Enchants and Runic Knowledge, but start on the Chemicalized Creations and raise your Lurking in the Shadows as well. Your aim should be level five in the crafting ones then get both your Shadow and Lunar to fifteen since they both are close. You should be able to gain something from each of them if you study as hard as you can. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded in agreement with her advice. He would need to try and to gain as much as he could with the time he had. He was able to get both the Knowledge Theories Runic Knowledge and Magical Enchant to level two last night before he couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open any more. With this buff, getting them to level five shouldn¡¯t be too hard. He wanted to use the buff to help him out with the skills and abilities he had gotten from his new class, but he needed to find a secluded place to practice them. Going into a dungeon by himself would probably be the best place to do that. A sudden thought popped into his mind as he thought about his new class. Hey Eri. I have a question that I think you might be able to help me with. Liam started.
¡°What¡¯s up? ¨C Eri.¡±
During my fight with the Zombified Hobgoblin, I tried to use Spirit Weave and it deactivated due to my Spirit Pool reaching zero. Liam explained as he looked at his Spirit Pool to make sure it was still unreplenished. It was still sitting at zero. I thought it would replenish on its own like my health, mana, and stamina, but it didn¡¯t. Do you know why?
¡°That¡¯s interesting. If it hasn¡¯t replenished nor showing any signs of replenishing then there could only be one reason as to why that could be the case. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam waited for a few seconds for Eri to elaborate, but she didn¡¯t say anything. After realizing she wasn¡¯t going to say anything more, Liam prodded. Which would be?
¡°Hm? Oh, sorry. I thought you would have realized the answer. The reason why it isn¡¯t replenishing is probably because you don¡¯t have a Spirit Recovery Sub-stat. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam stopped eating for a moment as he stared at what Eri had said. He brought up his Sub-stats and looked them over. He went directly towards the Recovery Sub-stats in his Spirit Stat section and noticed she was right. However, he did have something new in that Attribute section.
¡°Spirit Stat: Unknown (Locked).¡±
Not this bullshit again. Liam thought as he stared at it.
¡°I can¡¯t fully remember, but didn¡¯t you receive a notification stating that the reason why it is Locked and Unknown is because you didn¡¯t fully meet the requirements? Maybe that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t get a Recovery Sub-stat for it even though you received that Pool? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned. Yeah I remember that. How is that possible though. Why did I receive something like a Spirit Pool, but not a way to replenish it? It seems kind of counterintuitive don¡¯t you think?
¡°It does feel that way, but who said you didn¡¯t have a way to replenish it? Maybe the normal way isn¡¯t available to you, but there could be a different one. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he read what Eri said. What do you mean? Do you know of a way?
¡°I don¡¯t fully know, but think about it this way. What are the ways to refill your Health, Mana, and Stamina? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about it. As he mulled over the question he replied, well there are spells for Health and Mana that I know of. Not sure if there are for Stamina, but I wouldn¡¯t put it past magic.
¡°What else? ¨C Eri.¡±
What do you mean what else? Liam asked as he thought about it. As soon as he asked this an answer appeared. Do you mean potions? Are there potions to replenish a Spirit Pool?
¡°If a Spirit Pool is like your Health, Mana, and Stamina bars, then there should be a potion that can be made in order to replenish a Spirit Pool. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he thought about it. Eri was right. His Spirit Pool was a resource to him just like his other ones. So, if there are potions for Health, Mana, and Stamina¡­then there sure as hell should be one for a Spirit Pool. The thought of one being a possibility made him excited. Eri, do you know how to make a Spirit Potion? Liam asked as excitement started to leak into his thoughts to her.
¡°Unfortunately, I do not. I haven¡¯t heard of one ever being made. ¨C Eri.¡±
The excitement Liam was feeling suddenly wavered as he read her message. It had almost completely diminished until he read the next message.
¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t one. You¡¯ll just have to experiment till you can figure out the recipe. It might also be tied to the whole Soul Crafting we were talking about the other day. ¨C Eri.¡±
That¡¯s right! Liam exclaimed. He remembered the conversation he and Eri was having the other day about the Lost Craft, Soul Crafting. He had Anima Forge that would help him forge Spirit orbs into a completed crafted weapon, armor piece, or tool. Maybe if he used that ability he could learn how to make potions that could help replenish his Spirit Pool. As he thought about it his excitement dimmed again. In order to use that ability, he would need his Spirit Pool to be replenished. Damn it. Liam started back up as he wracked his brain. There has to be a way in order to replenish my Spirit Pool that doesn¡¯t require me to use any Spirit Pool points. Potions would require me to consume it after it was made, but other than that¡­
¡°Liam that¡¯s it! ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he looked confused. What¡¯s it?
¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure if it will work, but there is a chance you might have a way to replenish your Spirit Pool for now. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam felt a bit hopeful as he read the message. He didn¡¯t want to get too hopeful, but he couldn¡¯t help himself as he asked, Tell me. If there is a chance then I will try it. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Well, when you talked about how you need to consume a potion, I thought about an ability that you have that is kind of similar to consuming¡­ - Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes slowly widened as he thought about what she was saying. You¡¯re talking about my Devour ability from my Secondary Class Shadow of the Devourer¡­but isn¡¯t that sealed?
¡°Your class is, but you have access to the ability. What makes me think that it might work is the fact that the first thing you Devoured was a Spirit type creature. So maybe if you devour one of the Spirit Orbs you have then maybe you can replenish some or all of your Spirit Pool? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought back on the notification he had received when the ability had finished processing what it had devoured. As he thought about that, a question formed. If I am able to use the ability on any of the spirit orbs I have wont it take a while for it to process? That one monster took quite a while just to process.
¡°It could or it could go by quickly. That monster it had first devoured was a pretty high leveled monster, plus the ability was level one when it was used. It is no longer that low of a level anymore though. After it had finished didn¡¯t it reach level ten? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam perked at that. He had forgotten that as it processed the creature it had devoured it leveled as well. Back then he wasn¡¯t sure what the ability was due to some anomaly obscuring the name, but after it had devoured that creature it fixed that as well as gave him a Hidden Class evolution, which fixed majority of his problems. He pulled up the ability to see what changes it had brought since he didn¡¯t remember what they were.
¡°Devour. Level 10. Ability type ¨C Instant. Description ¨C Caster¡¯s shadow expands and completely encases a creature. While encased inside the caster¡¯s shadow the creature within is processed and devoured. After the creature is fully processed and devoured by caster¡¯s shadow, caster¡¯s resources will be replenished. Replenished resources are determined by level of creature¡¯s soul orb. +5% to gain skills, abilities, stats, Fields, and/or a Seed related to creature being devoured. Caster cannot use Devour again while Devour ability is processing creature caught. Time to fully process and devour creature caught is determined by level of creature¡¯s soul. Level 10 ¨C upgrades ¨C Can use Devour ability two times before having to wait for ability to finish processing. Processing has increased by 10%. Chances to gain skills, abilities, stats, Field, and/or a Seed related to creature being devoured has increased another 5%.¡±
Liam stared at the description of the ability. While it did have a form of checks and balances, albeit little as it seemed, the ability seemed to be a bit overpowered. His first thought after reading it was that it didn¡¯t say anything about the ability not being able to be stopped by any specific level or if it could be cancelled. He was no expert on these things, but he believed there should be a way for something to either cancel the ability or the ability to not be able to devour certain leveled creatures. However, since it did not say anything in that regard he wasn¡¯t sure. He needed to test this out, but he wasn¡¯t sure what he could do since it would reveal something that no one should know about. The next thought he had was on the gains. To be able to have a chance to gain new skills, abilities, and more was just an insane thing. He wouldn¡¯t need to train and study Knowledge Theory like crazy just to gain them. He could use this ability as many times as he could and just have the chance to get them. Liam shook his head at the thought. That benefit was a trap. If he didn¡¯t study or train then anything he gained would only be a hinderance since he wouldn¡¯t know how to properly use it. Using the Hubris Aura as an example, the ability was useful, but since he didn¡¯t have the proper Field nor the proper understanding of it, it just activated whenever it wanted and has caused more harm than good so far.
¡°It truly is a terrifying ability. ¨C Eri.¡±
Huh? Liam muttered as he stared at her message. What do you mean?
¡°You¡¯ll find out as you grow it. For now, I think we might have a lead on how to replenish your Spirit Pool. ¨C Eri.¡±
We do? Liam asked as he reread the description. After reaching a certain part of the text he realized what she was talking about. After the creature is fully processed and devoured by caster¡¯s shadow, caster¡¯s resources will be replenished. Do you really think this will apply to my Spirit Pool as well?
¡°I think so, but I¡¯m not entirely sure. Also, if it does I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ll get or how long it will take since we don¡¯t have any prior experience with it. I say try it on one of the weakest soul orbs you have and see what happens. ¨C Eri.¡±
How do I do that? Liam questioned as he stared blankly at the message. I only have experience harvesting them. I have never tried pulling one out before.
¡°Try to make your lantern reappear. After that think about what soul orb you want and will it to come out. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam did as he was instructed after placing the container with what was left of the food in it right next to him on the cot. He thought about his Spectral Lantern and willed it to appear. It did so after a few seconds. He then tried to think about his weakest Soul Orbs that were inside until he realized he didn¡¯t know what his weakest Soul Orb was. Um, Eri¡­ Liam started. I realize that I might be a bit late asking this, but what would be my weakest Soul Orb? I don¡¯t think I have ever had the chance to figure that out before.
¡°That¡¯s true. We have never talked about it before. It¡¯s not common knowledge since the materials aren¡¯t really used by almost all the classes that are known. Hm¡­I guess if there were any who would know that are still around would be Necromancers, but they rarely use them since the knowledge is usually used to advance to a Lich type class. However, Liches are no longer around except as Dungeon Bosses, but even they are super rare. There were other¡­ ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was surprised at what he had read. He didn¡¯t know that Necromancers could evolve into a Lich class nor that they only appeared as Dungeon Bosses now. The only Lich he had ever come across was that Hubristic Arisen Lich back on the sixth floor of the Black Tutorial Dungeon. I don¡¯t understand. Liam started. What do you mean Liches are no longer around except as Dungeon Bosses? If they are a class evolution for Necromancers then wouldn¡¯t they still be around? Also what do you mean there were other?
¡°An excellent question. You see, Liches are a Hidden Class evolution. Just like how your current class, Hidden Class Evolutions have certain requirements that need to be met. For a Necromancer to become a Lich they are required to have two things happen that need to be met. One is they need to be blessed by a certain type of Deity. The other is¡­death. ¨C Eri.¡±
Death? Liam questioned with some confusion. He also noticed Eri had ignored his other question.
¡°Yes. They need to die and be reawakened as an Arisen. So, I guess you can say they need to have a Race Change. A Race Change from a Living Being into a Sentient Undead one. However, the Arisen are no longer a part of this world that I know of. Like many old races, they disappeared many years ago. That¡¯s why you only see them as Dungeon Bosses. Albeit, like I said they are super rare in those. ¨C Eri.¡±
So, you¡¯re saying that the Arisen were a race that was once a part of this world? Liam asked.
¡°Yes. However, we can save the history lesson for another time. If I were to make a guess as to what could be the weakest Soul Orbs you have try to compare the ones from the Small River Slimes and the Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins you killed yesterday. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam grabbed the Spectral Lantern and pulled it out in front of him. There wasn¡¯t a lot of space inside the tent, but there was still enough room for him to stretch his arm out like that and still have a bit of space. He stared at the lantern and focused on it. He focused his mind on the two Soul Orbs he wanted and tried to will them out. At first nothing happened. He focused even harder and tried pushing his will on the object just as hard. Still nothing happened. He tried once more, even harder. He thought that maybe he was trying too hard, before the lantern started to glow inside. The light wasn¡¯t as bright as it always was when he was harvesting Soul orbs, but it still gave that eerie green color. As Liam stared at the light he noticed something else. It was rotating. No, not rotating. There were two lights swirling around inside. Before he could comment on it, the door on the other side of the lantern swung open and allowed the two Soul Orbs to float out and right in front of him. The door to the Spectral Lantern closed and he allowed it to slowly return to his hip and disappear. He assessed both Soul Orbs to get a better idea of them.
¡°Minor Soul Orb of Diseased Feeble Forest Goblin. Item type ¨C Crafting Material (Spirit). Description ¨C This Soul Orb was harvested from a Diseased Feeble Forest Goblin. Due to the level of the creature was when harvested, the Soul Orb harvested reached the second tier of level ¨C Minor.¡± ¡°Flawed Soul Orb of Small River Slime. Item Type ¨C Crafting Material (Spirit). Description ¨C This Soul Orb was harvested from a Small River Slime. Due to how low the level of the creature was when harvested, the Soul Orb harvested could only reach the lowest tier of level ¨C Flawed.¡±
Hm, so if I go by the description provided to me from assessing them, the lowest¡­tiered level¡­ Liam thought to himself. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was the correct way to say it. Of Soul Orbs would be Flawed and the next tiered level would be Minor. He wasn¡¯t sure what determined the result of the tiered level of the Soul Orb, but he could guess it might have to with creature¡¯s level. He didn¡¯t want to assume so he decided to hear Eri¡¯s thoughts on it. Eri, what determines the tiered level of the Soul Orb? I want to guess, judging by the description, that it is the monster¡¯s level, but what do you think?
¡°I think that might be an accurate guess. The only way for us to truly know is to test it out on monsters whose souls you harvest. But again, that is for another time. Since your Devour ability can be used twice. Use it on both of those Soul Orbs. ¨C Eri.¡±
Alright. Alright. I get it. I¡¯ll do it now. Liam stated as he focused on the two Soul Orbs. As he focused on them he thought about how this ability worked. After a few seconds had passed he realized he didn¡¯t know how to activate the ability. Normally when it came to his abilities, he had a vague idea on how it worked. When it came to chanting type abilities, the chants filled his mind. When it came to instant skills or abilities he would think the name or think about the movements, but with this ability¡­nothing came to mind. Frowning, Liam asked Eri, Do you know how to activate this ability? I¡¯m not getting any hints or ideas on how to.
¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not getting any hints or ideas? ¨C Eri.¡±
Well normally I would have an idea or hint to how an ability I¡¯m about to use works. Liam started. Since this isn¡¯t a chant type ability there¡¯s no chant. It¡¯s supposed to be an instant type of ability, but I¡¯m not getting any idea how to use it.
¡°*Frowns* That¡¯s strange. You¡¯ve used it before right? How did you activate it then? ¨C Eri.¡±
He had used it once before back when¡­ As he tried to think about when he used the ability he realized that he couldn¡¯t remember when he had used it. I don¡¯t remember. Liam replied as he started to feel a bit worried.
¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t remember? You had to have used it since you had devoured a creature. You even received the level ups for processing the creature your ability was devouring. ¨C Eri.¡±
That¡¯s just it. Liam started up as frustration started to fill him. I have no memory of ever using it.
¡°Do you remember what the notification said about the name of the creature was that you had devoured? ¨C Eri."
Liam tried thinking about what monster the notification had said. He vaguely remembered it. I could be wrong but I think it was some Spirit¡­Wraith¡­ I remember the words Prideful being there¡­
¡°Spirit of the Prideful Wraith? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam snapped his fingers as he replied, Yeah. I think that was the one.
¡°Hm¡­I don¡¯t remember seeing one of those appearing in any of the floors after you and I had met. Did you meet any Spirits on any of the lower floors? - Eri."
Liam thought about the floors prior to the fourth. The third floor had a spider, a snake, and a bat. The second had a Withered Treant and some undead plant guy named Atlas I think. The first had an undead priest.
¡°It wouldn¡¯t be any of those from the second floor and the third. However, that undead priest¡­It could have manifested from that creature. Wraiths are a form of spirit that have a chance to manifest from Undead Priests if they harbor enough dark energies when they are risen. Do you remember seeing any ghostly cloaked figures with the cloaks looking like they were made from blackish ghastly green smoke? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about the description Eri had provided. He replayed each time he had fought the Undead Priest. He had fought him several times to get new armor pieces, but he didn¡¯t remember ever seeing¡­ Wait¡­ Liam muttered as a memory appeared.
¡°What is it? Do you remember something? ¨C Eri.¡±
He did come across a creature like that on the first floor. I did come across that creature. It was when I fought the Undead Priest for the very first time to get my starter class. After I defeated the boss monster I remember getting the notification that my starter class was being unlocked. Liam explained as his mind started to remember every detail of what had happened on that day. Shortly after that, the Spirit had appeared and engulfed me before I could do anything. I remember being so exhausted from the fight that I couldn¡¯t run or dodge it. I also remember pain¡­so much pain. My muscles tightened so bad that I could feel my bones vibrating. My health and stamina plummeted quickly. I don¡¯t think I had any more potions left nor could I have checked since it took my all to try and fight the pain. I don¡¯t remember much after that though since I lost consciousness.
¡°*Look of shock and surprise* Oh my¡­I¡­I don¡¯t know what to say to that¡­I have never heard of any situations like that ever happening before. However, I think we now know why you don¡¯t remember ever using the ability. ¨C Eri.¡±
What do you mean? Liam questioned as he scrunched his brows.
¡°What I mean is, it must have activated on its own to devour that Spirit of the Prideful Wraith when it tried to engulf you. Something you need to know about Instant type abilities is some activate based off of your Will. Willpower is associated with emotions. Your emotions while trying to fight back the pain must have translated to your Will to survive. In turn it activated the ability. If you add in the fact that the creature tried to engulf you, your thoughts on that must have instinctively triggered the ability since that word is just another word for Devour. If we go off that then the answer to how you activate your ability is based on your Willpower. Focus your Will on what you want to do. Try it out. ¨C Eri.¡±
Not entirely sure what she meant; Liam decided to try it out anyways. He focused on the two Soul Orbs still floating in front of him. He focused as hard as he could, trying to push his will into his thoughts as the single word repeated in his head. He thought about wanting to devour the Soul Orbs. How he needed to Devour them and replenish his Spirit Pool. Devour. Devour. Devour. Devour. The first few times nothing notable happened. Feeling both frustrated and a bit angry, he was going to give up and try to come up with a new strategy when he felt something hidden deep within him stir. It was subtle at first. It started around the core of his very being. Like something that was in a slumber that was slowly starting to wake up. As this feeling started to grow he grew alarmed. A cold sensation started to slowly wash up from his feet. As soon as the feeling started to creep up, whispers started to tickle the edge of his mind. They were quiet and he wasn¡¯t able to make out what they were saying. Not sure what was going on, Liam decided he was going to stop and ask Eri. However, the sensation didn¡¯t stop as the feeling within him started to swim through his veins. He could hear the word he was repeating in his mind still repeating and went to stop saying it within his mind and realized he wasn¡¯t the one repeating it. The voice in his mind sounded like his, but as it kept repeating over and over, it started to change. While keeping the same sound, an ethereal primal tone started mixing within the voice. As the single word repeated the word over and over, he noticed the edge of his vision start to darken. No, saying it had darkened wasn¡¯t correct. He was still able to see things. The colors, however, had started to invert instead. Liam tried to move his hands to his head but didn¡¯t move. Panic started to fill Liam¡¯s mind as he realized he wasn¡¯t in control of his body any more. His voice, his body, his vision, he had no control over them.
¡°Liam, calm down. I know that you¡¯re panicking right now, but don¡¯t worry. Your ability is activated and doing what it was supposed to. Just let it finish. ¨C Eri.¡±
Don¡¯t panic? How the hell am I not supposed to panic when my body is not listening to anything I am trying to tell it to do! Liam thought as he tried to scream it at Eri. However, he felt that his thoughts didn¡¯t reach her, and he even felt they were drowned out from the single word being repeated over and over with the whispers that were escalating in volume. Resigning himself to just let it keep going, Liam listened to the voice. At first it had sounded desperate, but as it kept repeating over and over, that desperation had turned to annoyance. Then it had turned to frustration. Now it sounded pissed. Heat started to mix with the cold sensation that had now reached his chest. A crimson color started to cover the two Soul Orbs while his entire vision was being inverted. He then felt his hands start to rise from his sides. They had stopped as his elbows bent and rested but his ribcage. Then something appeared in the corner of his eyes. The thing he saw was slowly creeping down his biceps, keeping at the same pace as the sensation he was feeling covering his body. As the things he saw made it to his forearms, Liam was able to get a better view of what it was. They looked like shadowy raven black smoky tendrils. They snaked and wrapped around his forearms, making their way to the palm of his hands that he now had open and facing up. The tendrils started to split down the middle a bit and opened up, starting from the tips. Black liquid ran down what Liam was able to recognize as razor sharp fangs. Some of that liquid fell off what Liam believed were their chins and disappeared into a puff of smoke. These tendrils had mouths. As they rose vertically like snakes eyeing their prey, they bared their teeth and growled. Liam watched as the two toothy tendrils slowly swayed left, right, left, right. Then without warning they struck, with their mouths wide open and snatched the two Soul Orbs in their mouths and swallowed. As soon as the Soul Orbs disappeared within their mouths, the voice, the whispers, his inverted vision, the sensation that covered almost his entire body¡­ all of it puffed out into a pile of smoke and wafted away into nothingness. Adventure 180 – You need to Study more Liam stood frozen. Confused, relieved, and slightly tired. He could feel his chest rise and fall with each breath he took in. He wasn¡¯t out of breath, but his breathing was a bit labored. Not paying attention to anything around him, his thoughts swirled on everything that had just happened. The sensation that had stirred within him was no longer there. He knew that it was still there, yet he couldn¡¯t feel it anymore. It was like it had fallen back into a slumber and masked its presence once more. The tendrils that had wrapped around his body were no longer in sight either. His vision had also returned to normal. He slowly tried to move his right hand over his right eye to test if he had control over his body again and was relieved that it moved just like he wanted it to. The feeling of not having any control over his body movements jarred him. It made him feel weak. He hated it. Wha¡­What the fuck happened? Liam asked, still feeling confused and slightly scared.
¡°You used your ability. That¡¯s what happened. ¨C Eri.¡±
No shit, but¡­Is that going to happen each time I use it? Liam asked as he moved his right hand away and looked at it.
¡°I¡¯m not sure. That ability is unknown to me. I have never seen this ability before, nor do I know how it works. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned at what Eri was saying. He was about to complain until another text notification popped up.
¡°However, I can tell you my thoughts on what I saw. ¨C Eri.¡±
Curious, Liam nodded. Even if she didn¡¯t know about the ability in full detail, Liam knew Eri¡¯s hunches on things were spot on. If she was able to spot something that would make her confident to offer suggestions about it then he would pay attention to it.
¡°From what I know about Instant abilities, they are generally not that slow to activate. However, I must also add they are not extremely fast either. When you used this ability it looked like it was slow to form and took its time to do what it was supposed to do. I noticed the look of panic that had formed on your face. Your thoughts were a jumbled mess as well. When the ability was manifesting, you had no control over your body right? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded as he thought about it. I had no control over myself. My body moved on its own. Not only that, but¡­whispers entered my mind and a voice repeated over and over when I stopped saying the name of the ability.
¡°Whispers and a voice? *Brings a hand to chin and contemplates* That is very concerning indeed. No wonder you were panicking. However, it helps add to my theory. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. What theory?
¡°My theory is the ability wanted to show you how it worked. It probably took its time so you can get a feeling for it. The voice you heard was probably keeping the ability activated. How or why it did that I¡¯m not entirely sure. ¨C Eri.¡±
Is that normal? Liam questioned.
¡°Not usually, but there have been cases for class abilities doing it. As for the whispers¡­I really don¡¯t have anything for that¡­however¡­it might¡­ - Eri.¡±
What? What are you thinking? Liam inquired. He really hated when she did this.
¡°I was just thinking. If you heard whispers while the ability was slowly activating then it might be tied to a certain type of magic that you have. One that invokes whispers if you use it too much. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he understood what she was saying. You mean my Shadow magic.
¡°*Nods* Yes. Tell me did you get any notifications about getting that Debuff? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam took a look. He didn¡¯t receive any notifications after or while the ability was in use. In fact, he didn¡¯t receive any notifications at all. Liam scrunched his brows as he frown. No. I haven¡¯t received any notifications at all.
¡°Hm¡­maybe my theory on that was wrong then. You would only hear the whispers once you hit the minimum threshold of receiving that debuff. So, if you didn¡¯t then I wonder what it is tied to then¡­wait¡­you said you didn¡¯t receive any notifications? Not even after the ability was used? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was about to respond, but then stopped as two notifications suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
¡°Devour has been used on Flawed Spirit Orb of the Small River Slime. Time to process Flawed Soul Orb: 2 minutes 30 seconds.¡± ¡°Devour has been used on Minor Spirit Orb of Diseased Feeble Forest Goblin. Time to Process Minor Soul Orb: 4 hours 57 minutes 30 seconds.¡±
¡°Huh. A delayed notification? That¡¯s unusual. However, now we have a general estimation on how long a Flawed and Minor Soul Orb takes. Since we were talking for about two and a half minutes, we can say that the Flawed one will take five minutes to be fully processed while the Minor will take around five hours. The difference between the two won¡¯t help with figuring out higher leveled Soul Orbs, but at least we know about these two. We¡¯ll have to wait for them to process fully to get a better idea on what happens afterwards. After that you¡¯ll need to use the ability again so you can get better acquainted with it. For now, let¡¯s focus on other things before it gets too late. Finish your breakfast. By the time you¡¯re done with that the Flawed Soul Orb should be done. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam looked down at the container sitting next to him. He really didn¡¯t have an appetite after what he had just went through. The thought of that cold sensation coursing through his body and the image of the shadowy tendrils with their mouth splitting open, revealing those fangs¡­a shiver ran down his spine just thinking about it. Liam shook his head, pushing away the shiver. No. I need to not get weirded out by my ability. Instead, I need to steel myself and get used to it. He then reached for the container and continued eating his food. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to testing it again if he had to go through all of that. He didn¡¯t have much left to eat, but he decided to take his time chewing and swallowing. After he was finally finished with the food, the notification he was waiting for appeared.
¡°Secondary Class ¨C Shadow of the Devourer ability Devour has finished processing Flawed Soul Orb of the Small River Slime.¡± ¡°No Health has been replenished.¡± ¡°No Mana has been replenished.¡± ¡°No stamina has been replenished.¡± ¡°10 Spirit Points has been replenished.¡±
Liam was both relieved and excited to see the final notification. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would ever be able to get his Spirit Pool replenished, but after seeing this, he was happy to finally have a way to do it for the time being. That feeling subsided as he realized what he was going to have to do next.
¡°Now that we have a sure way of replenishing your Spirit Pool. Pull out another Flawed Soul Orb and Devour it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam grimaced at the text. He then did as she said before he could talk himself out of it. He pulled out his Spectral Lantern, willed a Flawed Soul Orb of the Small River Slime out of it, released his lantern, and stared at it. He could feel his heart beat speed up slightly as he thought about what was going to happen next. As he thought about it, he told himself about how this was necessary. He needed to do this to not only replenish his resource, but to also get used to the ability. He took in a couple of breaths before slowly releasing them, trying to slow his pacing heart. After it had started to calm down, he stared at the Soul Orb and whispered a single word, ¡°Devour.¡± He embraced himself for that stirring deep inside him, the rush of whatever it was that coursed through his veins, the whispers, and that voice that sounded like yet didn¡¯t like his own. However, none of that came. Instead, his vision inverted from the corners of his eyes as that familiar cold sensation slithered up his legs. The feeling didn¡¯t take as long like it did last time, but it wasn¡¯t swift either. To Liam it felt like the ability was still letting him feel how it work, but at a much different pace and not as an intense level as last time. He moved his head to look down to see the shadow under him covering his legs and slowly making its way up to his stomach. After it had reached his chest, he moved his right hand out, palm up. The shadows that was covering him started to condense into a tendril like form as it began to circulate down around his right arm. After reaching his wrist, like last time, the tendril formed a fanged mouth and stared at the Soul Orb before widening its mouth and striking the object. In the blink of an eye, it swallowed the Soul Orb and disappeared. Liam stared blankly at the spot where the Soul Orb once floated. His vision, back to normal.
¡°Devour has been used on Flawed Spirit Orb of the Small River Slime. Time to process Flawed Soul Orb: 5 minutes.¡±
¡°Interesting. How did that feel this time? ¨C Eri.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Not¡­Not as bad as last time. Liam stated. Although, I don¡¯t know if I was imagining it or not, but I think it was still holding itself back from how fast as it could normally go.
¡°Oh? What makes you say that? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam stared at his right hand that was still stretched out, palm up. He tilted it and looked like he was studying it. I¡¯m not entirely sure. Liam began as he narrowed his eyes. I just¡­feel like it is. Strange.
¡°Very much so. However, now that we know its not going to be like the other time each time you use it. We can use this method to replenish your Spirit Pool. You will need to stock up on low tiered level Soul Orbs for now, but I must also advise you about something very important. ¨C Eri.¡±
What¡¯s that? Liam questioned as he scrunched his brows.
¡°Like almost all of your abilities you must be careful when and where you use it. Especially this one. It¡¯s an overpowered ability and can cause a lot of alarms if the wrong people see it. I am also convinced that you shouldn¡¯t use it when even those you trust are around. ¨C Eri.¡±
Confused about that last part, Liam questioned. What do you mean? I mean, I can understand not using it around my family and people like Naro and Nabal since they don¡¯t know everything, but to also not use it around Avery, Blair, Mercer, and the others? They know almost everything about me.
¡°This ability¡­if they see it and grow afraid of it. That fear can make people do things not even you could predict. I¡¯m just saying, be careful when using it around them if you choose to. I will be able to tell if they are up to something that can be harmful to you, but it¡¯s ultimately up to you in the end. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam understood what she was saying. You can trust people, however¡­in front of something terrifying, you never know what a person can or will do. Especially if the source of what¡¯s terrifying you is someone you claim to trust. I¡¯ll use this ability to my discretion. Liam said with a sigh.
¡°*Smiles* Good. Now you better get to the matter at hand now. You have a buff that¡¯s slowly going away. I suggest you devour a Flawed Soul Orb as you work on raising your Knowledge Theories. After your done with all that I have an idea on what you should do today. But let¡¯s take things one step at a time. ¨C Eri.¡±
Sounds like a plan. Liam responded as he nodded. He then pulled out a few books from his inventory and started reading. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eri stared at Liam through her bowl of water. She was happy they were able to solve the issue he was having with his Spirit Pool. That resource was something very important that he needed to have in order to grow. Even if the current method used to replenish it was one that she didn¡¯t know was possible. Out of all the Deities out there, she was really the only one who knew how and why it was so important that he had a way to replenish it. While she did say that Liches and Necromancers used Spirits and could possibly have a way to make the potions, they didn¡¯t have a Spirit Pool. Their potions and the way they utilized spirits were completely fundamentally different from how he used them. Eri brought a hand to her lips as she bit down on one of her nails. Her facial expression turmoiled between confusion, worry, and hope. She didn¡¯t know how to feel about the possibility of what was going on with her Champion. The ability to use spirits and have a Spirit Pool belonged to a race that disappeared many, many, many years ago. They disappeared around the same time the Arisen, Angelics, and other races did. Ones that were lost to the archives of time. Ones that researchers of present day are calling the Lost Races. However, she had inspected her Champion¡¯s personal character sheet and in his race category there was no sign of that race there. Then why? Why was he able to gain a class related to that race? Was it because of that terrifying ability? Eri shook her head. No. That ability was terrifying, yes. To be able to gain new abilities, skills, stats, Fields, and/or Seeds was not only unheard of, but the very reason why Geminis were being hunted down. After watching it in action, hearing her Champion go through it, and reading the description herself. She knew why none of the Deities could figure out who would have it manifest in. That ability, she theorized belonged to a certain race. A certain terrifying race. However, being able to gain that hidden Class Evolution wasn¡¯t solely because of that ability. No, she had a theory that the ability helped with unlocking that hidden secret inside of him. However, now she had to solve the mystery of where that secret came from. If he did have anything tied to that race, then him being the perfect pick to be her Champion was something not even her sister could have known about. And if that was the case then what about the other Champions recently picked for the others? Were they the same? Eri felt a shiver run down her spine. How crazy would that be if each of them held a secret like that. If that was the case then was it pure coincidence or was it¡­ Eri took her nail away from her lips as she stared at Liam. Excitement bubbled up within her as she grinned. ¡°They might be the key to finding them,¡± Eri whispered softly. Before she could continue that line of thought, she felt little hints of her nature stir inside her. That grin she had on her face widened a bit more. ¡°Looks like the tasks I assigned to my newly appointed Apostles are being handled like I requested of them. Looks like I was right to believe in my Champion. Oh, how I look forward to what else I can have them do.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Almost two hours had passed by while Liam worked diligently on his Knowledge Theories. He was able to get his Knowledge Theories in Magical Enchants, Runic Knowledge, and Chemicalized Creations to level five. He was also able to get Medicinal Creations for Beginners to level six. With the remaining time he had he got Lurking in the Shadows to level fifteen and had just enough time to get Basking in the Lunar to the same level with just ten minutes left on the buff. He wanted to push his Knowledge Theories in the four crafting books a bit farther since he was losing himself in them, but Eri had to intervene and remind him about the time limit. Especially when it came to the Chemicalized Creations. He found the topic very fascinating. The different things he could make with this section amazed him. While learning about it he found how versatile this section of Alchemy was. He could see connections to the other sections like Poison Crafts that could be very helpful. Even Potion Making could be used to mix with it. Although it wouldn¡¯t do damage, he thought of ways he could turn potions into an exploding mist to make it easier to heal a group of people instead of having to take time to use magic. Although he needed to get a better understanding on how it worked, he was still excited to learn it. Periodically during his study session, Liam stopped to use his Devour Ability on almost all of the Flawed Soul Orbs he had. He didn¡¯t have many to begin with. The ones he was able to harvest were the ones at the beginning of the Blue Dungeon and when Cindy wasn¡¯t close by on the final floor when he had to go back and harvest the materials of the Small River Slimes. As he did this he realized he still had that bag Cindy lent him while he was helping her collect materials. He knew he needed to return it, but he didn¡¯t want to go there so soon. He decided he¡¯d wait another day or two before returning the bag when things cool down there. However, now he was about to do something he had been waiting for a while to do. He was going to attempt to unlock his Affliction Focus Point on his Field of the Lunar. Liam brought up his Mystical Landscape menu and took a look at it. The screen was zoomed in to get a clearer picture of the dark violet seed. The seed was cracked opened with several different colored roots growing from within the darkened center of the seed. Each root was thicker than the last time he saw it. Even the grey one that represented his Construction Craft Focus Point. Since he had started working on that one, the root had grown in length and size. It wasn¡¯t as much as the other two grey roots that represented his other Focus Points from the Field of the Craft, but it did grow some. Glad to see some progress there. Liam smiled. That smile quickly disappeared as his facial expression turned into one of confusion and curiosity as he noticed something. Within the darkened center of the Seed of the Arcana, a small violet color dimly flashed. The color of the flash was almost similar to the shell of the seed and Liam could have passed it off as something tied to it, but his gut was telling him this was different. The flash was lighter in color, and it didn¡¯t give off the same feeling as the seed when he stared at it. He tried to see if he could bring up any information as he stared into the darkened center, but all that appeared was a notification that said...
¡°Seed of the Arcana. Fields of Study rooted from the seed: Arcane, Craft, Elements, Lunar, Shadow. Focus Points unlocked: 12.¡±
Liam was confused as it didn¡¯t reveal anything that he didn¡¯t already know. He continued to stare at it, waiting to see if something different would appear. After a few seconds had passed and the flash never came back, Liam decided to forget about it. However, as he was about to look elsewhere, the color dimly lit back up for a couple of seconds. Before it could disappear again, Liam assessed it and got a different notification.
¡°Potential Field hidden within the Seed of the Arcana: Field of Sins. Potential Focus Point of Field of Sins: Pride.¡± ¡°Warning! Field of Sins and Focus Point Pride is unavailable to be unlocked. Not enough Knowledge Theory to allow access to Field and Focus Point.¡±
Liam tilted his head as he stared at the two notifications. The whole Mystical Landscape and everything tied to it like the Seeds, Fields of Studies, and Focus Points were still a complete mystery to him. Instead of trying to make sense of it he decided to ask someone who had better knowledge of it all. Hey Eri? What¡¯s up with this?
¡°*Sighs* You really need to hit up the Library as soon so you can to study up on things like the Mystical Landscapes and Seeds. Then maybe you would understand that what you¡¯re looking at is something that would never happen. ¨C Eri.¡±
That¡¯s kind of rude. You of all people should know how busy I¡¯ve been. Liam thought as he shook his head. If this is something that would never happen then why is it happening?
¡°If I were to make an educated guess then it¡¯s happening because you obtained an ability that is tied to a Field of Study, but don¡¯t actually have that Field of Study. Since you don¡¯t have the Field but have the ability then it remains hidden within your Seed of the Arcana. Although, for it to pulse like that within the vast expanse of your Void of the Arcana is¡­interesting. Also, the wording in the notification, Potential Field hidden? That is also a peculiarity. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam grew confused as he read Eri¡¯s text. He looked back at the notification and then back at the notification text from Eri. Something she said didn¡¯t match up with what the notification said. Vast expanse of my Void of the Arcana? You mean my Seed of the Arcana right?
¡°*Sighs heavily* This is why you need to spend some time in the library or maybe visit a Mage College so you can study up on the topic of Seeds. I¡¯ll give you a brief explanation, but that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to tell you. No. I meant what I said. The Void of the Arcana is that darkened center you see. It is apart of your Seed of the Arcana, but at the same time it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s, like the name implies, a vast empty space you can¡¯t even begin to understand. It is also where your Fields and more comes from, but never has there been a situation where you can see something from within it like now. That¡¯s what makes your situation an oddity. ¨C Eri.¡±
Are you serious? Huh. Liam said, unsure what else to say. He was about to ask something else, but was cut off as another line of text appeared from Eri¡¯s text notification.
¡°That is all I am going to say on the topic for now. For more information, please expand your knowledge on it. Once you have more knowledge on Seeds and such we can talk more about it. However, you have something more important to do right? Your Buff timer is almost gone. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam looked at the timer on his buff and let out a curse. It had just hit three minutes and was counting down. Shit! Thank you Eri. Liam switched his focus as he closed out the notifications he didn¡¯t need. He looked for the roots that had a pale white color and focused on them while waiting for the notification he wanted to appear.
¡°Field of the Lunar. 1 Focus Point available. Would you like to root Field of the Lunar Focus Point: Affliction? Yes No?¡±
Liam mentally accepted and waited for the response he was hoping for.
¡°Affliction (Lunar). Ability available to learn: Epidermis Luminescence. Accept ability? Yes No?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Liam suddenly shouted. ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± Liam quickly accepted the ability and watched as a very small and slim root grow from the main root that represented his Field of the Lunar.
¡°Congratulations! You have received Affliction (Lunar) Focus Point ability - Epidermis Luminescence! Epidermis Luminescence. Description - this ability causes a pale white light to flash every 5 seconds in a single spot. Spot is randomized between legs, arms, chest/back. Each time the light flashes it causes a sharp pain and damage. Duration of spell: 1 minute. Costs 15 MP. target ¨C Single. Spell type: Chant.¡±
Liam stared at the description. The description was interesting. If he read the description right, the ability would appear randomly on the body of the target. He had no control over where it would appear though. Maybe at a higher level he would be able to pinpoint where it would strike? That would be something he would need to check once he got it there. However, he could already see the benefits of the spell. If it appeared on the target¡¯s leg or arm then there was a chance that the target could hesitate to strike or chase depending on the level of the pain. If a stronger target was after him and it struck at a leg then he would be able to get away as long as the pain it caused was enough to stop them in their tracks. Liam was happy with this ability, however he needed to try it out to see how it worked exactly. He would need to test it regularly then see how it worked when he manipulated his Lunar Mana and placed it into the spell.
¡°That¡¯s not a bad Lunar ability to get. If you can get it high enough, you¡¯ll be able to get it appear on the target¡¯s eyes, causing them to go blind while in battle, giving you an advantage. ¨C Eri.¡±
That was all it took for Liam. That message was he needed to know to want to prioritize the ability¡¯s level growth.
¡°*Laughs* I can see it on your face. You want to grind that ability. I don¡¯t want to burst your bubble, but you¡¯re going to need to be careful while doing it. Your resistance for the Debuff Lunar magic creates is still too low. If you¡¯re fine working on that while using this ability that¡¯s fine, but you have more important things to do today before you start that kind of training. ¨C Eri.¡±
Oh? Like what? Liam questioned, frowning at his Matron turning him down the chance to train.
¡°Well, first off. You need to shower¡­No Champion of mine is going to go around smelling like a pile of impurities that were smelted off ores in some backwater smithy. You need to get a room somewhere to do that. Then after that its time you made a visit to a place we¡¯ve been putting off. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned at her words and sniffed himself after reading the comment about a shower. She wasn¡¯t wrong that he needed one, but she wasn¡¯t right about the comparison she made. He then grew curious about the last part of what she had said and asked, What place is that?
¡°*Smiles evilly* The Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. ¨C Eri.¡±
Adventure 181 - The Fiddler’s Web Liam¡¯s eyes widened. Like most things lately, he had forgotten about that place. It was the place Nabal had told him to look for to help grow and master techniques. He could also buy or sell materials as well as products there as well. An association like this one could have things he couldn¡¯t find in the markets or at the Crafters Association on this island. ¡°Maybe I can get some materials to make Chemicalized Creations?¡± Liam quietly muttered as he started thinking about a list of things he wanted to get.
¡°Hold your horses there. I don''t think you''ll be able to purchase anything right off the bat. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned as he questioned, Why not?
¡°Because you¡¯ll need to pass a test and gain a Web Name before they accept you into their Association. Without passing the test you won¡¯t have access to any of the resources they have. Unless they allow you to be able to. Just don''t get your hopes up in case they don''t allow you. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s frown deepened as he grumbled. That¡¯s stupid. What kind of test would I need to do, do you know?
¡°*Shakes head* No. Each branch is different so the test here will be different than if you take one in a different one. So be ready when you go. ¨C Eri.¡±
Okay. Liam responded as he started closing his notifications. He was about to close out the Mystical Landscape menu, but then stopped as a thought popped in his mind. He shifted the view he had on his Seed of the Arcana to the left and brought up the mysterious ghastly green seed. He remembered that the seed stated that it needed to progress in order to plant. The method he needed to do was Devour more souls. Since he was using the ability to devour Flawed Soul Orbs that should have counted in raising his progression right? He had devoured and processed ten Flawed Soul Orbs during his Knowledge Theory study session. If the Soul Orbs devoured and process did work, then he needed to know how much it helped progress him. He assessed the mysterious seed and waited for the notification to appear.
¡°Seed of ?????? (Information Sealed). Progression to fully planting Seed of ????? (Information Sealed): 10.5%.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he stared at the progression. It had only raised by point five which meant that each Soul Orb he had devoured and processed gained him a worth of point zero five. ¡°The amount I gain from devouring these Flawed Soul Orbs isn¡¯t a lot. If I continue using only Flawed Soul Orbs I would need about¡­,¡± Liam muttered to himself before trying to do the math. After wracking his brain on it he finished, ¡°One thousand seven hundred and ninety. That¡¯s a lot of Flawed Soul Orbs.¡±
¡°That¡¯s also if the amount of progression you gain doesn¡¯t change as you devour more of the same tiered level Soul Orbs. ¨C Eri.¡±
What do you mean? Liam questioned as he stared at the text. Would the value I gain diminish the more Flawed Soul Orbs I devour?
¡°*Shrugs* I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m saying it¡¯s a possibility. We won¡¯t know till we get to that point. For now, we know that devouring Flawed Soul Orbs gives you this much each time. You¡¯re going to have to see how much that Minor Soul Orb gives and when you get higher tiered level Soul Orbs you¡¯ll have to test them out as well. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded in agreement with her. Alright. We¡¯ll just have to wait and see how it goes. I would like to get this done as soon as possible, but I guess I¡¯ll just have to go at it slowly. Liam closed out his Mystical Landscape and then asked, What should I do now?
¡°Do your stretches then pack up and find a place to take a shower. After that head to the Fidler¡¯s Spider Web. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam stood up and looked around. Alright sounds like a plan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam stood against the wall in an alleyway between a couple of buildings staring at the building across the street. It was a plain building with a green door, a Window large enough for people to peer inside and a sign with a Violin on it was the words Rhythmic Strings. Groups of people walked by him, but none noticed he was there since his Veil of Shadows was activated, shrouding him in shadows. Usually, the ability would make him look like a shadow on a wall or on the ground depending on where he stood or his environment. However, he didn¡¯t need to worry since there alleyway was full of shadows thanks to the buildings. As he stared at the building, he tried to remember what he was supposed to do in order to get inside the Association. He faintly remembered the note from Nabal saying something about a picture of a web. However, he couldn¡¯t remember exactly where it was supposed to be.
¡°You have to go around to the back of the building. ¨C Eri.¡±
Are you sure? Liam asked as he tried to remember if that was true.
¡°Yes. You have to go around the back and find a sign with a picture of a spider web on it. You then knock and say Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly. Also remember not to give them your name. If those earrings are supposed to work like they are supposed to just show them one. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded, trusting her on this. He then slowly stepped out of the shadow while keeping his ability activated. He was able to make his way through the sea of people and across the road. He looked left and then right before entering the alleyway that brought his towards the back of the building. After he reached the end of the alleyway, he looked around to see if there was any openings, windows, or holes for people to look through. To his amazement, the positioning of the buildings made it so the alleyway looped around with the other buildings surrounding it blocking the view from prying eyes. As he turned down the way and started looking for the sign. After a few minutes had passed and he couldn¡¯t find it, he asked Eri, Are you sure this is the right place? I don¡¯t see that sign anywhere.
¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not looking for it right. Do you think it would be in plain sight for just anyone to find? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. I didn¡¯t think it would, but I don¡¯t understand what you mean by I¡¯m not looking for it right?
¡°*Rolls eyes* I meant what I meant. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam frowned and raised a brow as he stared at the text, still not sure what he need to do in order to find the sign.
¡°*Sighs disappointedly* I¡¯ll give you a hint. If you want something to hide in plain sight, what would you use? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about what she said. There were plenty of ways to hide something in plain sight. However, all the methods he could think of were from his home world. This wasn¡¯t his home world. This world had many different ways to hide things. Things like¡­ Liam took a deep breath in and closed his eyes as the answer dawned on him. The answer was magic. You¡¯d use some kind of magic to hide things. And what did magic need in order to stay active? Mana. And what was the best way to find mana? I have to use Mana Sight, don¡¯t I? Liam asked as he realized how stupid he was. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Mhm. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam activated his Mana Sight and started looking at the wall as he opened his eyes. It didn¡¯t take long to find what he was looking for. Sitting in the middle of the building about chest height, from where he stood, was a realistically and carefully drawn spider web the size of his chest. A blackish purple color with white specks that pulsed lightly around the outside of the webbing. The color of this unknown mana spread out about arms lengths on both sides as well as above the picture. Liam wasn¡¯t sure why, but the white specks reminded him of stars that shined in the night sky. The way they twinkled in and out all through the strings made Liam feel amazed and curious. He had never seen any mana do that before. Liam went to reach out and touch it, but stopped as Eri sent a message.
¡°Before you look for the sign, you need to change into your armor set and activate your Spirit Weave ability to help hide your facial features. ¨C Eri.¡±
That¡¯s right. I remember you saying that you wanted me to use this armor set for this place. Liam said as he did as she said while deactivating his Veil of Shadows. After he activated his Spirit Weave ability on his twin daggers, he felt the shadowy cloak against his arms, back, chest and the top of his head. He then felt the mask that covered his mouth and nose form. He then reached for his goggles and pulled then down over his eyes and asked, How¡¯s this?
¡°That should do for now. Now knock on the middle of that web and say what I told ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam reached out and knocked on the middle of the spider web. He then leaned in as close as he could and said in a whisper, ¡°Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.¡± After he said this, the mana filled web picture on the back of the wall hummed. Starting from the middle where Liam had knocked and whispered to, the web strings vibrated. The white specks that filled the blackish purple mana around the picture suddenly pulsed in his Mana sight. To Liam¡¯s amazement he watched the star-like specks start to swirl around the web. He then watched as they started making their way towards the edges of the web until the closest one touched it. As soon as the specks made contact, the edges of the spider web started to swirl as well. This didn¡¯t stop here as the white specks continued to make its way towards the center of the web, spinning the entire picture in a slow like motion. The blackish purple color of the mana then glowed along the outline of the spinning strings. As soon as the outline of the center webbing gained the same hue as the outer parts, Liam watched the web start to warp. The edges of the webbing expanded out about an arms length while the center started to shift downward at an angle. To Liam it looked like someone clicked on the center of the web and dragged it down to the ground. After it touched down, the entire picture stopped expanding, and the web strings stopped spinning. Um Eri? What am I supposed to do now? Liam questioned as he started at the phenomenon before him.
¡°Go down the stairs. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam stared blankly at the text notification Eri had sent. He the looked around then back at the wall. What stairs?
¡°The stairs that are right in front of you. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam stared at the wall once more. No matter where he looked, he didn¡¯t see any stairs. It was just a messed up looking spider web. He leaned in forward to try and get a better look and noticed something strange. As he leaned forward the angle and view of the spider web had changed. What looked like a warped web from his perspective had slowly changed to look like a normal one as he angled his eyes to look down at a forty five degree angle. He straightened his posture and saw it had returned back to the warped web again. ¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered as he reached forward to try and touch the wall. As soon as his hand reached the edge of the wall, he felt nothing but air. ¡°What? What the hell?¡±
¡°Trippy isn¡¯t it? This magic is a spell that creates an entrance to a subspace. It¡¯s a highly advanced type of magic and I won¡¯t go into the details right now since it¡¯s currently out of your reach right now. For now just go down the steps and enter the room at the bottom of the web. Ah, the web strings are the steps so use them to judge where to step down. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was amazed by this. He didn¡¯t know what to expect when he was told to find the web and say that phrase. He had imagined a door with a peephole that someone would look out of, but this¡­this had exceeded his expectations. He took the first step inside the strange staircase. His depth perception was working overtime as he stepped inside. The web he now stood on felt solid. It different feel like it was loose or rope like, but rather like it was strong like concrete. He slowly took his time making his way down. With each step he took he started to feel slightly dizzy, lightheaded, and even his stomach felt like it was starting to feel squeamish. It took him a good minute before he finally reached the bottom. He felt out of breath and wanted to vomit, but forced himself to stop as he stared at a door that stood in front of him. The door was black with the symbol of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider in white that rested in the center top section of the door. He turned around to look up at where he started and noticed the length he had walked was farther than he felt it was. He could see the alleyway he came from in a small square section. Everything in here felt off to him. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just like portals, you¡¯ll get used to this eventually. The more times you visit the more you¡¯ll build up a resistance. ¨C Eri.¡±
Portals? Liam thought as he started to straighten his posture. The more he thought about it the more he felt that what he was feeling was just like when he stepped through a portal. The only difference was¡­ An chime suddenly echoed in his mind as a notification suddenly appeared.
¡°Warning! Mind Attribute Fortitude Sub-stat Mental Resilience can not level up until Debuff Stat Shatter has disappeared!¡±
Liam stared at the notification mouth agape. He knew that his sub-stats wouldn¡¯t level up until that stupid Debuff went away, but he also knew that the Mental Resilience Sub-stat worked differently than almost all the other sub-stats. Just like Ailment Resistance, Mental Resilience leveled up when his highest one reached a higher level. To his knowledge he only had three that were tied for the highest. They were Divine Eye, Whispers from the Beyond, and Teleportation sickness. Since he knew that Divine Eye and Whispers from the Beyond had nothing to do with this place, that left Teleportation Sickness. If that was the case then his earlier feeling might be on the mark. However, that was something he¡¯d have to figure out later since the door in front of him was starting to slowly open. Liam straightened his posture and was ready to meet with whoever was at the door, but then grew confused as no one stepped out. Instead, the door was opened to a room.
¡°Hurry up and get in there. This area is growing unstable. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam could feel Eri was right. The area around him started to ripple as the mana started to disperse. Without waiting a second longer, Liam stepped inside. The size of the room wasn¡¯t really big, but at the same time it wasn¡¯t really small. It looked like the size of a normal reception room. The flooring looked like it was made from a red colored wood while the walls were black. Yooperlite stones were spaced out throughout the walls, but the lighting coming from them was dim giving the room a certain creepy vibe. Along the wall on Liam¡¯s left were four doors. Five more doors lined up the wall on Liam¡¯s right. A couch rested up against the wall near the door Liam was standing in front of. Directly in front of him near the wall on the other side of the room was a wooden L shaped desk that stood up to Liam¡¯s chest and two more doors. A figure leaned over the desk with their elbow on the desk and their head against their hand. They looked bored as they used their free hand writing on a piece of paper. From what Liam was able to see, they had some slick black long sleeved shirt and sleeveless vest. On their shoulders were the skulls of some weird looking creature Liam couldn¡¯t identify. They had short spiky blond hair. Over their face was a blackish green gas mask that covered their mouth and nose. The two filter cartridge canister sections of the mask were shaped into the skulls of a fanged beast. The top and bottom fangs were still intact. Even the color of the two skulls matched the gas mask. Not too sure what to do, Liam approached the desk. He waited for the person to stop doing what they were doing, but when it looked like they weren¡¯t going to address him, he made a coughing noise to get their attention. The person stopped writing and slowly looked up to stare at Liam. Their venomous green eyes thinned and locked onto Liam¡¯s eyes. The way he stared at him gave him the impression he was staring into a reptile¡¯s eyes and not a normal human¡¯s. ¡°How can I help you?¡± the male questioned as he held his gaze on to him. Liam felt the stare was sizing him up. Not in a way that told him he was trying to get a good read on him, but rather in a predatory way. Like if Liam responded in a way the man didn¡¯t like, he would be struck down no questions asked. Liam gulped. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he should say. The only reason why he even came here was because both his mentor and Eri suggested he should. He thought about what he should say. Deciding on what he would go with he finally replied, ¡°My mentor suggested that I should come here and join.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± the man drew out. ¡°Pray tell, who is your master.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t give him his name. Just show him your earrings. ¨C Eri.¡±
Mentally closing out the notification text, Liam brushed his left hand over his ear, pulling the hood back and pushed his earlobe up enough for the man to see the dagger earring hanging from his ear. The reptilian eyed man shifted his eyes on the dagger earring. He narrowed his eyes after a few second before widening them and standing up. Liam noticed his pupils and irises returned to normal. ¡°So that crazy ass found himself an apprentice huh?¡± the man stated before laughing. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day he would have one that wasn¡¯t his nephew. Tell me. Is the Wild Card around?¡± Liam looked confused as he heard the name. The Wild Card? Does he mean Nabal? That¡¯s a weird name. Liam thought about it and figured he¡¯d ask Nabal the next time he saw him why he was called that. ¡°No, we were separated after I left the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°Ah a new arrival huh?¡± the man stated. He then put a hand out and responded, ¡°I¡¯m Tranquil Noxitanous. I specialize in poisons and assassinations. If you¡¯re ever looking to learn how to make a damn good toxin, venom, or any type of poison or if you just want to be supplied any I¡¯m the guy.¡± Liam returned the gesture by reaching a hand of his own and shaking it. As he shook the man¡¯s hand he noticed the man had on a very peculiar type of glove. It was a black leather glove with lines of green and purple that spun parallel to each other like a DNA strand. ¡°It''s good to meet you, Tranquil Noxitanous. If what I was told was right, I do not have a name yet,¡± Liam responded. ¡°You can call me Noxi for now. You don¡¯t have a Web name yet? A newbie huh?¡± Noxi stated as he grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t get many of those. Well, we can change that soon enough, but first you¡¯ll need to go through a few tests to see if you are up to our standards.¡± ¡°What kind of tests are they?¡± Liam questioned, curious to know what he would have to do. ¡°I can¡¯t divulge too much,¡± Noxi started. ¡°But I can tell you that¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you Noxi,¡± an alluring voice stated. Liam and Noxi turned to see a beautiful young woman wearing a skin tight white pants with shades of light to dark pink running down from the top of her pants to mid-thigh. She wore a white twist front cut out crop halter top with pink orchid flowers resting fully bloomed right where her nipples would be. Covering her mouth and nose was white and pink half mask that resembled the bottom half of some insect creature with mandibles that crossed over where her mouth would be. Liam looked into her mesmerizing deep sea blue eyes and was almost completely sucked in to them. Her eyes made him feel relaxed and that he just wanted to please her in any way he could. Before he ended up doing something he would regret, he felt an elbow suddenly nudge right into him from the side making him snap out of whatever trance he was in. He turned to look in the direction the elbow came from and realized Noxi was now by his side. ¡°Be careful around her. She¡¯ll lure you into that trap she calls a body and then kill you before you even realize what had happened,¡± Noxi suddenly warned. ¡°Take my advice. The more beautiful they are, the more dangerous. Especially a man eater like her.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s just rude coming from the one touch wonder,¡± the woman stated as she sashayed over to them. ¡°Let me warn you young man. Don¡¯t ever let him touch you or you¡¯ll die without even a second for the notification to tell you what poisoned you.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. Just from that little bit of information that was given from both of these two, Liam was able to find out exactly how dangerous this place really was. Before the two could continue their arguing, a powerful pressure suddenly washed down on them. Liam could feel his skin start to crawl and itch as a new person opened a door behind the desk and entered the room. In a commanding yet gentle voice this new person stated, ¡°Stop your bickering this instant. We have a new applicant and you¡¯re setting a bad example.¡± Adventure 182 - Lady Arachne The intense pressure Liam had felt suddenly disappeared as Liam fixed his attention on the newcomer who had entered the room from the door on the left behind the desk. Liam wasn¡¯t able to gleam much details on this newcomer besides that she wasn¡¯t very tall and she gave a very refined aura as she looked outwards towards them. Her head and half of her chest was visible from where Liam stood. The amount that he was able to see was that she had slicked back long hair that fell down her back. Streaks of red were mixed with black. Over her forehead, eyes, and nose was a black mask that resembled a spider¡¯s head. The fangs of the spider curved down and rested next to the corners of her ruby red thin lips. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if the eye holes of the mask were covered since all he could see through them were pitch blackness, but at the same time he wasn¡¯t able to see any lenses or covers. A shiver ran down his spine as he thought about the possibility of that being her actual eye color. Her shoulders and the parts of her arms he was able to see were bare, besides a thin strap that ran over her shoulders on both sides of the base of her neck. The lack of clothing here showed off how pale her skin was. Even though her skin looked pale, it wasn¡¯t a sickly pale color. Instead, to Liam it looked like her skin was blessed and kissed by the moon. It gave her an otherworldly beauty to her. Is that her natural skin color or is that makeup? Liam thought as he kept his gaze on her. Liam was brought out of his thoughts as he noticed the demeanor of the two beside him suddenly change as they swiftly moved to stand side by side each other away from Liam and then bowed to the lady and said in unison, ¡°Lady Arachne.¡± This, Lady Arachne, didn¡¯t say anything as they bowed and greeted her. Instead, she slowly and graciously walked around the desk and towards them. Liam could hear the sound of a light tapping with each step she took. After she made her way from behind the desk and stood in front of the man and woman, Liam was able to see her in full detail. She stood much shorter than the two and was barely shorter than he was. She was slim with slight curves that her black silky high slit spaghetti strap dress helped bring out. Liam was amazed by the design of her dress as he got a good look at it. White spider web design running down the dress with star-like specks in between each web string. The dress opened up at the top of the right thigh revealing a gladiator style laced Stiletto boot that ran up to her knee. Covering up her hands and running up to her elbows, that were clasped together around her stomach, were a delicate and silky pair of black gloves made from a material Liam was unsure of. She looked beautiful to Liam. Especially since her dress, shoes, and gloves really complimented her moon kissed skin tone. As he admired her beauty, he noticed something about her dress. What he originally thought was thin spaghetti straps were actually not straps, but were actually thin short spider legs that were used as straps. Another two longer spider legs wrapped around from her back, curving and resting underneath her B or C cup breasts, acting like support. Another pair of smooth black spider legs wrapped around her waist like a belt. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if they were a part of the dress like some fashion statement or if they were real and a part of her due to how realistic they looked. They didn¡¯t twitch or move, but you never know with how things have been so far in this world. She slightly bowed her head to them and said with a clam and serene voice, ¡°Tranquil Noxitanous. Tantalizing Orchid. I believe I have spoken to you both plenty of times about proper etiquette when we have possible candidates.¡± Both Noxi and the pink clothes woman tensed at this woman¡¯s words. ¡°We apologize Lady Arachne,¡± they swiftly replied while continuing to bow. Lady Arachne slowly turned her gaze from one to the other before looking past them and straight at Liam. As her gaze fell upon him, he felt a shiver run down his spine. She took a step forward without saying anything. Both Noxi and the pink clothed woman cautiously and slowly parted to give the woman some room between them. Lady Arachne stopped after taking a couple of steps in front of them. With an elegant and graceful motion, she moved her hands away and twitched them in a manner that told the two that they could be at ease before resting back into the position she had them before. Noxi and Tantalizing Orchid straightened their posture and took a few steps away. After they stopped moving, they joined the lady in looking straight at Liam. Liam felt uncomfortable as they stared at him. He wasn¡¯t sure what they were planning or what would happen next, so he waited. After a few seconds of silence, Lady Arachne finally broke the silence as she asked with a skeptical tone, ¡°Is it true? Are you truly an apprentice of the Wild Card?¡± Liam stared at her. As calmly as he could he replied, ¡°Yes I am.¡± Lady Arachne tilted her head, looking like she was contemplating something. He was about to say something else, but then stopped as he felt his skin start to form goosebumps as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Not soon after that, his Danger Sense suddenly flared up around the middle of his right rib cage. As swiftly as he could, Liam pulled his dagger out of his sheath to deflect the strike that came as soon as he got it into place. Liam felt the force of the blow push into him. Instead of trying to stand his ground, Liam used the momentum to spin him around. As he spun around, he brought his hand with his dagger up to the height of Lady Arachne¡¯s head. However, he didn¡¯t commit with the attack as he felt his Danger Sense flare up once more around where his wrist was. He released his grip on the weapon and with as much speed and strength as he could call upon, he stomped his foot down and spun around in the opposite direction while pulling out two of his throwing daggers and spinning them up towards her chin. With ease and grace, all three daggers were suddenly and forcefully slapped away with the spider legs that were resting under her breasts. However, these daggers weren¡¯t meant to attack her. They were just a distraction. Without flinching or moving an inch, Lady Arachne focused the legs she used to deflect the weapons towards Liam, however she stopped as she realized he wasn¡¯t in front of her anymore. She felt the tip of a dagger close to the back of her neck and nodded. She knew what he had just done and was slightly impressed he had the courage to try it. Not many would dare get behind one of her kind unless they had a plan that would successfully get pass her defenses. She thought that he had one, but after hearing the change in his breathing and feeling the angle of the dagger, she now knew he didn¡¯t know anything about her race and his move was one made with naivety. She knew his focus wasn¡¯t on where he should strike, but rather on the eight spider legs that were attached to her back. She saw the look he gave her earlier when he was checking her out and thought that maybe he knew about them. However, now she understood she was wrong and that look he had earlier was one of contemplation instead of one of knowing. Understanding that he was someone who truly lack knowledge on the many races that existed in this world and what she would need him to start learning if he passed the other tests, she slowly raised her hands up and ended her very first test of him. Liam slowly turned his wide eyes from the eight smooth black widow-like spider legs that protruded from the back of her dress to her raised normal hands. He realized that his sudden surprise from seeing these legs caused him to lose focus on the person and could have gotten him killed for that mistake. ¡°I give,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°I will not attack you so please come back around.¡± Slowly and cautiously, Liam gave her a wide berth and walked around to face her. He gave her enough distance that he believed would be out of the spider legs¡¯ reach, but not too far that would cause disrespect. ¡°You adapt as you learn,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°That¡¯s good. You have no worries about me attacking you again. You can think of it as your first test¡­¡± She then wrapped her right arm right above where two of her other legs had rested along her stomach like a belt while bringing her left hand up and tapped her cheek. ¡°As well as a personal test to see if you really were trained by that man.¡± Confused, Liam asked, ¡°What do you mean by if I really were trained by that man?¡± A small smile appeared on her face as she answered, ¡°You see there are many people who are members in our Association. They are trained in certain ways and have certain specialties. However, not many focus on the basic weapon arts. They don¡¯t rely on refining their basics to a point where it could be considered mastered.¡± Liam stared at her. He wasn¡¯t sure where she was going with this but didn¡¯t say anything and continued to listen. ¡°The Wild Card is one who many consider to be¡­obsessed with mastering everything. Especially the basics,¡± she continued. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t fully mastered the most basic dagger weapon art, Back Stab. However, I can see how defined the technique is when you used it on me. The movements you made while executing it. The opportunity you took when given the right moment to use it. To get to that the level when used would need someone well versed in the Weapon Art and the only one I know that well verse in the basics is none other than the Wild Card himself.¡± Liam was amazed by the feedback. He was happy to hear how respected his Dagger Mentor was. However, after hearing her speak about this he knew he still had a long ways to go before he could use it on anyone who was higher level than he. If she was able to see his movements and give that kind of feedback then that only means she had no problem stopping him whenever she felt like it. ¡°I appreciate the words of praise, but I know I still have a long ways to go before I can consider it very effective,¡± Liam stated. ¡°After listening to you I can tell that at any part of that exchange you could have killed me without any chance of me knowing what happened.¡± Lady Arachne smiled approvingly. ¡°Humility and understanding you have a long ways to go. Those are two other traits that tell me you really are that man¡¯s apprentice. Please, let me see the earrings.¡± Liam complied as he cupped both of his ears to allow the dagger earrings to be seen. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Lady Arachne took a couple of steps closer to him and leaned in to get a better look at the accessories. She assessed them and read the description, giving her even more proof that this young man wasn¡¯t lying. Lady Arachne nodded as she straightened her posture. She then said with an approving tone of voice, ¡°Those are the real deal alright. How exciting that the first ever apprentice to the Wild Card is applying to our branch. This is truly a great day. Pray tell, is your master here in the city?¡± Liam gave her a confused look before shaking his head. ¡°No, he and I were separated when I came out from the Tutorial Area. I don¡¯t know where he is exactly.¡± Lady Arachne pouted as she listened to Liam. That pout then changed to a confused then to a curious one as she asked, ¡°If you¡¯re here after coming out of the Tutorial Area then that means you¡¯re a Beast-kin.¡± She didn¡¯t say it as a question, but rather in a way where she was trying to understand something. ¡°Judging by the ears from your hood and the tail you must be a Cat-folk.¡± Liam watched as an excited smile formed from her lips as she clapped her hands and exclaimed, ¡°This makes it even better. To think he would have a Beast-kin become his apprentice instead of a regular human. I can¡¯t wait to see the looks on those haughty humans¡¯ faces much less the other Web Leaders when they come to hear about this. Now we have something over them.¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to correct her on what she was muttering to herself. They might have respect for his Mentor, but he didn¡¯t know anything about them nor they of him. From what both Nabal and Eri had said about not giving away his name, he had some suspicions that he shouldn¡¯t give away too much information about himself. So, he would let her believe what she saw. ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m sorry if I sound rude asking this, but who exactly are you?¡± Liam asked as curiosity filled him. Lady Arachne turned her focus back on him as she muttered, ¡°Huh? Oh! I am sorry. I am the Web Leader of this branch of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. My Web Name is Lady Arachne.¡± She gave Liam a graceful curtsey as she fully introduced herself. ¡°Second leg of this Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web branch and poison specialist, Tranquil Noxitanous,¡± Noxi introduced as he bowed. ¡°Tantalizing Orchid. Fifth Leg of this branch and Seduction and Information Gathering Specialist. While we¡¯re within the Association you can call me Orchid,¡± Tantalizing Orchid curtseyed. Liam returned her curtsey with a slight bow of his own as he said, ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± As he straightened his posture he asked, ¡°Um, second and fifth leg?¡± The three people gave Liam a confused look. ¡°Did the Wild Card not explain everything about the Association?¡± Lady Arachne inquired. ¡°Kind of. He explained a little bit about this Association in a letter he left me, but didn¡¯t fully tell me everything,¡± Liam stated. ¡°He explained that the Association deals with stealing, reconnaissance, protecting, and assassinations. That there was plenty of work that could help me hone my skills and abilities and that I could sell and buy materials or items that would not make it to normal market places. He also said that after I take a test I would gain a Web Name?¡± Lady Arachne nodded as she listened. ¡°Okay so you have less than basic knowledge. Alright, let¡¯s start there. First of all, when you hear someone say they are a certain number leg they are talking about what their rank is for the branch they are working at. For example, I am the Web Leader here at this branch making me first leg.¡± Liam nodded as he understood what she was saying. ¡°There are a total of eight legs and each leg has a certain specialty in the Association,¡± Lady Arachne continued. ¡°We do have a market place here. It is located through one of the doors here. The person running it is the Third Leg who specializes in Sabotages, especially if it involves Merchantry. Our fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth are currently on missions elsewhere at the moment.¡± ¡°You have a market in one of the rooms here?¡± Liam asked with a raised brow. He then looked around the room they stood in. The doors weren¡¯t spread out far between each other. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was messing with him or if there was something else going on. So instead of making guesses he decided to ask, ¡°How? Is it small? It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯d have enough room for one let alone for many other things.¡± Orchid let out a snicker while Noxi shook his head. Lady Arachne gave Liam a patient smile as she said, ¡°You truly are new to our world. I¡¯m surprised you actually made it down here seeing how fresh you are. You do not have to worry about size being an issue. The area we are in is what many like to call a sub-space created through the wonderful works of crafting and magic. Since your mind is fresh and so young to the magic I will not divulge the process further. Just know each door will lead you to an area that belies what you see on this side of the door.¡± Liam frowned. This was the second time someone refused to tell him what type of magic was involved. However, he did get something new to fuel his curiosity and that was she said crafting was tied into it. A goofy grin slowly formed under his mask. If crafting was involved then he would learn what this was eventually. Lady Arachne stared at him and must have noticed he was grinning since she asked, ¡°Do you find something amusing?¡± Liam snapped out of his thoughts and felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Since I¡¯ve come to this world I have come to find out that I have a passion for crafting. Since you mentioned crafting was involved in creating this sub-space I kind of got lost in my thoughts thinking about what aspect of crafting was involved.¡± Noxi and Lady Arachne looked surprised at Liam¡¯s explanation. ¡°Oh, you like to craft? What craft are you currently focusing on?¡± Lady Arachne questioned. ¡°My highest Production Crafts currently is Alchemy, but my Blacksmithing isn¡¯t that far behind. I have dabbled in Tailoring, but haven¡¯t made that much progress. I¡¯m learning the Chef Craft as well, but more as a hobby. I have also started learning Rune Crafting and Enchanting, but I¡¯ve only started learning the Knowledge Theories,¡± Liam informed. Lady Arachne, Noxi, and Orchid looked shocked at what he had just said. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Liam asked, ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°No. Not at all,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°I think we were just surprised to hear that the Wild Card¡¯s apprentice has taken on so much so early. Especially the Rune Crafting and Enchanting part. Those require specific magical training that takes new arrivals a while to get under control like Mana Manipulation and Mana Control.¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I have been practicing that for a good while now,¡± Liam stated as he focused on the daggers that were both on the floor and in the wall behind him. He willed his mana over to them and pulled all three over. As they approached him he swiftly grabbed his Lunar Blade with his left hand while catching his two throwing daggers with his right. A soft smile grew on Lady Arachne¡¯s face as she stated, ¡°Looks like you have been practicing the basics. It¡¯s not the best, but it does look like you¡¯re getting a good handle on it. I believe soon you won¡¯t have to worry about having to catch them with your hands.¡± Liam nodded. Appreciating the praise as he sheathed them. As he sheathed the daggers a couple of chime sounds suddenly echoed in his mind. He swiftly minimized the notifications as they appeared, telling himself he¡¯ll need to check it out once he left. ¡°I am quite excited to see how you will do in the tests you have to do in order to gain a Web name even more now. Can I safely assume you use certain Alchemy aspects in your arsenal?¡± Lady Arachne asked as she took on a thinking posture. Liam rubbed the back of his head as he said, a little embarrassed, ¡°I have used a few items recently. I am slowly coming to understand the perks of using certain Alchemy aspects in battle. Especially the Chemicalized Creation section of Alchemy.¡± ¡°Good to know,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°We have a couple of Alchemy rooms you can use to help you practice or prepare. We even have a room for both Poison Crafting and Chemicalized Creations. Of course, there¡¯s a fee you have to pay after becoming an official member, but it is free while you prepare for your tests.¡± Feeling a bit excited hearing about the Alchemy room, Liam was about to ask to use them immediately. However, he stopped himself as at the word tests. He still needed to do these tests, but he had no clue what they entailed. ¡°What are the tests I need to do?¡± ¡°You already did one with me,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°The others are different. One will test your ability to steal, survive, and killing. The last test is a field mission, and the results will in turn help determine what your Web Name will be. Each Test is not set. You can take them when you feel ready. However, you can not take the Field Mission test until you have taken the others. The first few tests are there for us to get a better understanding of your capabilities so we can determine what field mission we can give you.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Sounds understandable.¡± ¡°That being said, would you like to take one of them now or would you like to wait?¡± Lady Arachne questioned. Liam was about to respond to wanting to take one now but stopped as Eri chimed in.
¡°Do not take one right now. You need to replenish your Spirit Pool before it reaches zero again. Instead, take some time to get some materials then use the Alchemy room to make some items to help you out. I have some ideas you might like, but you need to get some materials first. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought over what Eri had said. He took a good look at his Spirit Pool and noticed it was at fifty out of two hundred. This confused him. He could have sworn it was at one hundred and fifty before he came in. There was some things he needed to confirm after he left. Leaving those thoughts to the side he had to agree with Eri. He needed to get more Flawed Soul Orbs. Also, the prospects of making something Eri thought he would need caught his interest. He looked at Lady Arachne and said, ¡°I think it would be wise to prepare myself for these tests. And since I have no clue what each one will have me do I believe I need to go out and get some materials in order to make some items that could possibly help my chances of success.¡± Lady Arachne smiled at his answer. ¡°That is an acceptable answer. An acceptable answer that helped you pass a test.¡± Liam raised a brow looking a bit confused. ¡°One of the tests is split into two separate tests. That is survivability,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°The first part of the test is to see if an applicant is one who rushes or will take the time to prepare for the unknown. You would not believe how many choose to rush into a mission without actually taking the time to prepare for chances they did not see coming. Being unprepared leads them to being captured by enemies or our competition, or it can lead them to their deaths. So, hearing you say that you want to take some time to make some items to help your chances of success has already brought you success to one of the tests.¡± Liam was shocked to hear that. He had thought about just trying to get it done but was already leaning on asking to use the rooms to make some items. When Eri had sent him the message he was glad that she had suggested what he was already thinking, but also reminded him about his Spirit Pool. Thanks to Eri¡¯s suggestion and advice it did help him to make this decision and in turn it was the right choice. ¡°Go on and get what you need. We will be here waiting for you,¡± Lady Arachne stated as she pointed to the door behind him. Liam bowed and turned away from the three. He saw the door he had entered opened up and the view he had seen when he reached this door had returned. He mentally prepared himself for that vertigo-like feeling he had gotten last time and left the room. After the door closed behind him, Lady Arachne turned to Noxi and Orchid and asked, ¡°Thoughts?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a weird one that¡¯s for sure,¡± Orchid stated. ¡°Who in their right mind would focus on so many crafts so early?¡± ¡°Someone who is curious and has a passion for them maybe?¡± Noxi suggested. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve had someone solely focused on crafts while working for the Association. Some of those people turn out to be great assassins or saboteurs in the end.¡± ¡°That is true,¡± Orchid nodded. ¡°However, those are the type that aren¡¯t really profound in combat when they end up in sticky situations. And from what I saw during the mock fight with Lady Arachne, he looks to have some combat abilities. Not the greatest, but that might be due to his low level and proficiencies.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°I held back as much as I could at the beginning to see how well his reflexes were and I wasn¡¯t disappointed. I think he might have the Danger Sense skill which is a must. However, the way he reacted was definitely not the way I thought he would. Many would try to dodge and then back away. Instead, he used the momentum from the blow, created a diversion with those three daggers, and snuck behind me. Not only that but once he was behind me he understood that he made a mistake.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised he was able to even get behind you,¡± Noxi stated as he looked at the woman. ¡°Even though he did use the Weapon Art ability Back Stab it didn¡¯t look like he was using the proper way.¡± Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°I agree. And I think that is because he wasn¡¯t using it as an actual skill. It looked and felt like he was using it from muscle memory.¡± Noxi and Orchid stared at her. ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Orchid asked. ¡°I am not sure,¡± Lady Arachne replied. ¡°However, it is the Wild Card we are talking about. The methods and ways he uses dagger techniques is unorthodox. So, if his apprentice is using a method that we can not truly comprehend yet then it just might be a possibility.¡± ¡°It seems like he had found an apprentice that is as much of an oddity like himself,¡± Orchid commented. ¡°Or a curious little cat that doesn¡¯t truly understand what they¡¯re getting themselves into,¡± Lady Arachne stated. Orchid and Noxi locked eyes with each other. The look in their eyes let them both know they were thinking the same thing. Lady Arachne turned to look at the door and thought, I look forward to seeing what you are capably of little kitten. Adventure 183 - Preparing for the Unknown Liam stepped out into the alleyway and instantly felt the waves of dizziness and nausea hit him. He felt his Spirit Weave ability deactivate as he took a few breathes in to try and calm himself down before anything decided to rush up. After a few seconds had passed and nothing came up, Liam straightened his posture and looked around. The alleyway was empty, and the sun looked like it hadn¡¯t moved that much while he was in there. Before doing anything else, he used his Veil of Shadows ability to cloak himself. Alright, let¡¯s see what those notifications were about. Liam thought as he brought up his notifications.
¡°Secondary Class ¨C Shadow of the Devourer ability Devour has finished processing Minor Soul Orb of the Diseased Feeble Forest Goblin.¡± ¡°No Health has been replenished.¡± ¡°No Mana has been replenished.¡± ¡°No stamina has been replenished.¡± ¡°50 Spirit Points has been replenished.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have increased your Health Pool by 10 HP!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have increased your Spirit Pool by 50!¡±
Huh, so it not only replenished some of my Spirit Pool, but it also increased it? It also increased my Health Pool. I wonder why it increased in both. I¡¯m guessing the HP increase is what I was able to process from the Soul Orb, but my Spirit Pool? I don¡¯t think that goblin had any spirit pool. So if that¡¯s the case then¡­ Liam thought until Eri chimed in. ¡°You¡¯re right in that the creature didn¡¯t have a Spirit Pool. I don¡¯t think your increase in Spirit Pool size is related to the creature, but rather on you devouring souls. If I¡¯m right about this, then the more Soul Orbs you devour the more chances you will gain in increasing your Spirit pool. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam was amazed by this discovery as he pulled up his Character Sheet.
¡°Personal Character Sheet. General Information. Name: Liam. Age: 22. Race: Cait Sith/Sealed. Bloodline: ??????. Zodiac: Gemini. Main Class: Spirit Weaver. Secondary Class: Shadow of the Devourer (Sealed). Health Pool: 497/497 (663/663 Sealed). Mana Pool: 462/462 (617/617 Sealed). Stamina Bar: 532/532 (698/698 Sealed). Spirit Pool: 35/200. Level 5 (7 Sealed).¡±
It looked like the added ten points to his health went straight towards the Sealed part which did bring his current health up by seven. His Spirit Pool did raise up by fifty as well. As Liam stared at his resource bars, he felt relieved. They were almost back to their original numbers. He just needed to be patient for a couple more days. He nodded before closing out his Personal Character Sheet and asked, So what¡¯s the plan now? You said you have some ideas that I might like? What are they? ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon in that tower I want you to take on. In it you¡¯ll gather both Soul orbs and replenish your Spirit Pool as well as harvest some poisons and other materials you might be able to use in order to make your very first Chemicalized Creation. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam¡¯s attention was fully focused on that last sentence as excitement filled his eyes. ¡°*Laughs* Excited much? I knew you would be. *Turns serious* Also we need to talk about these tests that you will have to take. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam waited to see what she wanted to say about that as he started to slowly move out from the back alley of the building. He knew where he needed to go, so he figured he¡¯d start making his way there. ¡°These tests aren¡¯t going to be easy. So much so that I think you are going to need to use your Shadow Magic to help you out. Your Veil of Shadows, and Shadow Step are going to be your main uses during the stealing and survival tests. The killing one I¡¯m not too sure what will be the best to use until we see what they plan on having you kill. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam nodded as he agreed with her. I thought you didn¡¯t want me using my Shadow Magic. At least not until I can get strong enough to protect myself. In normal cases I would tell you not to. Eri replied. However, the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web will more than likely have you take the tests in one of those rooms which means, at most, only those three will be there. Also, since they do not know your actual name nor what you really look like then it will be harder for them to know who you are. Liam nodded, understanding what she was saying. However, he still had some questions. What about my Lunar magic? Do you think I should use that at all? ¡°*Shakes head* As much as I think it could help you, I don¡¯t want you to use them. Its best to have an ace up your sleeve in case something happens, and you need to escape from them trying to kill you for some reason. Also, your Hubristic Aura, and Strife Inducement is a no go during the test as well as the abilities you have while in that Spirit Weave form. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam frowned. Do you think they would try? I wouldn¡¯t think they would do that to an applicant especially one that is Nabal¡¯s apprentice. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the power of money. If a job appears to assassinate you someone would be more than willing to take it. especially since you¡¯re not a fully pledged member of that Association yet. As for the apprentice part. You never know who might hold a grudge against him. For now, let¡¯s gather as much material as you can and try to adopt a fighting style that best suits all of your abilities and not just the ones you like. ¨C Eri.¡± Okay, okay. Liam responded. He then thought to himself, What¡¯s wrong with advancing the things that I like? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s always a situation perfect for all of my current abilities. ¡°And that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to work on. We¡¯re going to test out all your abilities that you have and see how they work in the dungeon I want you to go into. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam started making his way up the steps that lead to the Dungeon Tower. As he approached the guards who were checking each adventurer, Liam thought about how he was going to get in. When he came out the day before, the guards were preoccupied with something, and he used that distraction to slip by. He didn¡¯t want to release his Veil of Shadows and do things the normal way due everything that had happened yesterday. Since he was told back at the inn that they were informed he was dead, he wanted to keep that until he understood what was going on. He decided he was going to try and slip in while standing in someone¡¯s shadow. Since he kind of cast a light shadow still he could blend in with someone else¡¯s shadow and sneak in that way. He made his way towards the person next in line. This man stood six and a half feet tall and was very broad. Liam figured he would be the best candidate to try this out and was not disappointed. Although he did notice a guard frown as he passed by them and looked confused a bit. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he believed that if he had tried to walk in without doing it this way the guard would have noticed him, and he would have been caught. He really needed to level this ability up more. After he had gotten far enough away from the entrance, Liam stepped away from the man he was using and looked around. The area wasn¡¯t overly crowded. There were a lot of people walking around, but not enough that it would create a problem for him to move around while in stealth. Ok. Which one am I aiming for? Liam asked as he looked at the portals around the walls of the building. ¡°You¡¯re aiming for that Yellow Dungeon to your right. The one in between the Blue and Green ones. ¨C Eri.¡± Liam looked at where she was telling him and saw it. No one was around the portal as he made his way towards it. He took a good look at the painting on the wall to get a better idea of what he was going up against and scrunched his brows. The picture showed a cave system that showed three different creatures residing in them. They were yellow scaled snakes with a weird black zig zagging line running down their back, a group of orangish yellow Praying mantis¡¯ with curved spikes running down their scythe-like claws, and a weird looking bug that kind of resembled a mixture of a beetle and a cockroach to Liam. As he approached the portal, he looked at the sign and saw it read, ¡°The Crackling Cave. Dungeon Type ¨C Tower. Restrictions ¨C Party Amount allowed ¨C 7. Rules ¨C Defeat the Elite Floor Monsters and Floor boss on each floor. Floors ¨C 3.¡± Another Tower type dungeon huh? Liam thought after reading the sign. He then shrugged and thought, Works out fine for me. I can use everything I have without holding back. He then placed a hand on the portal and waited for the notification to appear to allow him to enter the dungeon. After it did he mentally accept it and walked through the portal. As soon as Liam stepped through the other side of the portal, he placed his hands behind his head and blew out big amounts of air trying not to let the nauseating feeling win the battle. It took him a few seconds to feel better before he deactivated his Veil of Shadows and looked around the room. The area he stood in was a rocky surfaced circular room. It wasn¡¯t big. It was wide enough for a group of seven people to stand in without feeling clumped together. The ceiling was a few feet high up, telling Liam that if someone wielded weapons like spears, War hammers, Battle axes, or the like wouldn¡¯t have a hard time swinging them. As scanned the small rocky area, a chime sound echoed in his mind bringing a notification along with it.
¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Shadow) ability ¨C Veil of Shadows has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 0%!¡±
Liam smiled a bit as he closed the notification. I was just telling myself I wanted to level this ability up. Looks like it agreed with me. He then said out loud to Eri, ¡°Ok so what are these monsters? What should I know about them and what do they have that you feel I need to get for materials?¡± The monsters in here are all Lightning based creatures. Eri started. After you had gotten that dagger that Oni used on Cindy, I was thinking about the venom on it. Did he get it from the market? Did he already have it? Or were there creatures in one of these dungeons that had the monsters? Well, after you left the Goblin Forest Dungeon I saw the picture on the wall behind this dungeon and recognized one of the monsters. It was the Twin Fanged Adder. ¡°The same creature in the description of the venom on that dagger?¡± Liam asked as he pursed his lips and frown. ¡°But why would that snake be in here? I thought you said this dungeon was filled with Lightning based creatures?¡± I did. Eri answered. The Twin Fanged Adder has lightning abilities. There is a weak amount of it in their venom to begin with. The poison used on that dagger is a concoction where the crafter used Liquified Lightning Mana to draw out more of that lighting in the venom. If we can collect some of that venom and you make some Liquified Lightning Mana then you can craft some of that venom. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t know that by mixing certain Liquified Mana into certain venoms that it could bring out or add to the effects that laid inside the venom. That was something he wanted to learn more about. However, that¡¯s not all I was thinking about you doing with that venom. Eri suddenly added. Curious and excited, Liam asked, ¡°What do you mean? Is there more to the venom?¡± Making the venom will be the first step in what I was thinking about having you make. Eri stated. Starting to feel a bit annoyed with Eri leading him by the nose, Liam questioned, ¡°Well? Are you just going to dangle that carrot in front of me or are you going to give it to me?¡± Eri let out a short laugh before saying, I know how much you¡¯ve been wanting to start learning how to make Chemicalized Creations and I thought about a good first creation to make. It is a creation that involves this venom, a bit of Liquified Lightning Mana and Liquified Air Mana. Let was starting to get excited as he read this, but then deflated as he stated, ¡°I can¡¯t make Liquified Air Mana. I don¡¯t have any levels in Air Mana Manipulation.¡± You¡¯re right about that. But you won¡¯t need to have any as long as you have a place where you can buy them. I think that market place would have some in stock since Liquified Mana is a needed material for Chemicalized Creations. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be able to use their market place?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d allow me access to it since I¡¯m not a fully-fledged member.¡± You would normally think that. Eri replied. But I believe that if they are allowing you access to the alchemy rooms then you should have access to the market place in their Association. The reasoning behind that is since there are plenty of item creations that require materials that are not around the area. ¡°Ok so besides those snakes, what about the other creatures?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I noticed there were two bug type monsters. A praying mantis one and a¡­beetle? Or maybe it was a cockroach?¡± It¡¯s not a cockroach I can assure you that. Eri corrected as she shivered. Those things are tough as hell thanks to the armor they carry around. Stronger than even the Long Horned Shock Beetles you will fight in this dungeon. ¡°Good to know,¡± Liam smiled suppressing the snicker that was starting to form after hearing the disgust in her voice at the mention of cockroaches. ¡°And the praying mantis creatures?¡± Static Clawed Mantis. They are nasty creatures that run Lightning based attacks through their scythe-like claws. Eri explained. We¡¯ll talk more about them when you have to fight them. For now, I want you to look over current abilities. We need to know what you¡¯re not using. Don¡¯t worry about your Class Abilities or any on the non-combat ability section. Go ahead and pay attention to your Crafting ones though. Also, to save time instead of going to each Field and clicking on the focus Point there is a tab in your Personal Character Sheet that give you a list of everything you have in order of Magic and Focus Point. Liam was amazed about that. He found the tab she was talking about and clicked on it. A list of all his abilities appeared and he read them, skipping over both the Class and Crafting abilities.
¡°Current List of Abilities and Skills. Arcane ¨C Arcane Shot - Level - 10. Arcane Swarm - Level - 11. ¡°Crafting ¨C Focus Point ¨C Construction ¨C Destruction Points ¨C Level ¨C 1. Small Creation Knowledge ¨C Level ¨C 3. ¡°Focus Point ¨C Gathering Craft ¨C Harvest ¨C Level 20. Mining Strike Accuracy ¨C Level ¨C 2. Lumber Jack Efficiency ¨C Level 2. ¡°Focus Point ¨C Production Craft ¨C Light and Burn ¨C Level ¨C 19. Temp Check ¨C Level 18. Item Understandance ¨C Level ¨C 19. Crafter¡¯s Endurance Improved (Weak) ¨C Level ¨C 18. ¡°Chef Craft Abilities ¨C Cleave ¨C Level ¨C 10. Cleanse Material ¨C 5. ¡°Elements ¨C Focus Point ¨C Gravity ¨C Gravitational Force Increase - Level - 19. Feathery Upforce - Level - 10. Gravity Well - Level - 15. Gravity Force Push - Level - 1. ¡°Focus Point ¨C Lightning ¨C Static Grasp - Level - 9. Electro Orb - Level - 10. ¡°Lunar ¨C Focus Point ¨C Utility ¨C Lunar Exposure - Level - 10. Lunar Hand - Level - 10. Lunar Reflector - Level - 1. ¡°Focus Point ¨C Lunar Control ¨C Lunar Orb - Level - 10. Lunar Swarm - Level - 5. ¡°Focus Point ¨C Affliction ¨C Epidermis Luminescence - Level - 1. ¡°Shadow ¨C Focus Point ¨C Utility ¨C Veil of Shadows - Level - 11. Shadow Hand - Level - 18. Shadow Step - Level - 10. ¡°Focus Point ¨CShadow Control ¨C Shadow Orb - Level - 10. Shadow Swarm - Level - 6. Grasp of the Shadow - Level - 13. ¡°Focus Point ¨C Affliction ¨C Blanket of Darkness - Level - 10. Shade¡¯s Corruption - Level 1.
Liam knew he was growing a steady list of abilities, but he didn¡¯t really realize how much he had. He tried to be more organized with stuff like this, however, after leaving the Tutorial Area he really hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it all. He berated himself mentally over that. He needed to be more organized and aware of this. Now that he found out about this tab in the Personal Character Sheet, it made it much easier to see everything. The only thing it did not have was the progression numbers that would appear if he looked at them personally from each Field and Focus Point separately. This tab is perfect for if you want to view everything you have without having to go through each section one at a time. That and it also helps clutter it up by not including that annoying Progression section you see at the end of each ability. Now that we have everything up. Let¡¯s get a good look at what you have. Eri started as she looked over the list. Liam waited and listened as Eri mumbled to herself while she looked over the list. Arcane abilities are still around level ten, not good, but not bad at the same time. Should really work on that. Construction Craft abilities aren¡¯t really a major concern right now. Production Craft abilities are pretty high which is due to his crafting sessions as well as his usage of the Light and Burn spell during some of his battles. Harvest is only high since it was originally a class ability before that one evolved. Most of his Gravity spells are at a decent level for his level which shows how often he uses them. The same could be said about almost all of his Shadow spells as well. His Lunar spells are still around level ten minus a couple, but that can¡¯t be helped since it¡¯s dangerous to continuously use especially right after using Shadow magic. He really needs to focus on a few things more than others. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if Eri was pleased with his current levels of his abilities or unhappy. She was right about the Lunar comment. Sure, the same could be said about his Shadow magic, but he had to rely on those a lot and the side effects weren¡¯t as bad as the Lunar ones were. If he had to choose between having whispers go on in his mind versus being blind for a certain amount of time, then he¡¯d go with the whispers. Liam quietly chuckled to himself. He knew he was downplaying the side effects. The side effects from using both could be much worse than that, however he was trying to justify to himself why he used one over the over more. Okay. Eri started up again. I¡¯m sure you can tell by just looking at it, but you can see what abilities you tend to lean on more. The crafting ones are explainable since you use them for crafting. Harvest is only as high as it is because you used to have it as a Class ability but now you have to basically start over with the basics, however, that is now considered a skill than an ability. The same can be said about Cleave, but I¡¯ll get back to that one in a moment. Hearing that made Liam believe that he was in for a lecture now. And sure enough, he was right as Eri started back up. In your Elements section, your Focus Point in Gravity is higher than your Lightning. While the applications of Gravity is great and comes in handy you are going to have to focus more on Lightning instead since the side effects of it can help just as much. Eri stated. Confused by what she meant Liam asked, ¡°What do you mean? Why focus more on Lightning? Is it because it is behind on levels compared to my Gravity Magic?¡± There is that, but it¡¯s something more fundamental. Eri replied. It is because Gravity Magic is slow to level up. While the growth you have preformed in getting it this far is commendable, the fact is once when you get it to level twenty it will be harder to keep that pace in level growth due to the cool down each ability has. I¡¯m not telling you, you should stop using it. I am saying that if you want that effect that will give you some added time in slowing down your opponents, then Lightning magic is the way to go. The stun and paralyzing benefits it creates when you land a hit with it can create those moments you¡¯ll need to land heavier blows, more attacks, or chant a spell. Now, I know you¡¯ve been fighting a lot of Undead type monsters and creatures like Skeletons are not the best to use Lightning magic on. However, you are no longer just fighting those type of monsters. You need to get your Lightning magic up to gain better abilities in that aspect to help you out while in the middle of fights. Liam nodded, understanding what she was saying. He was told a few times by several people that Gravity magic was slow to level. If he needed to create a way to help him battle, especially while he was fighting on his own, then this was a good step towards that. Now as for your Lunar and Shadow magics. Eri continued. It¡¯s clearly obvious which one of the two you have been leaning towards. Liam looked sheepish as he scratched the back of his head. While Shadow magic has been beneficial to you in fights, and is tied to one of your racial benefits, you need to start working on your Lunar. Eri suggested. Granted, I think the two newest abilities you had recently received can be a good combo and I think you should practice them while we¡¯re here to raise their levels. Liam thought about the ones she was referring to. He had received three new abilities. One from his Shadow and two from his Lunar. If he had to think about which ones she was talking about it had to be from his Affliction Focus Points from both types of magic. One targeted a spot on the skin while the other entered the target¡¯s body and had a chance to create a debuff that affected the mind. However, both types of magic were opposites of each other and gave additional damage when some of the magic of one was still lingering on the target¡¯s body when the other is used. Now if they were both active at the same time then the damage would bounce off each other creating nothing but critical damage with each moment passing. ¡°What about the other spell I got in Lunar? The one that shields damage,¡± Liam asked. That one is a good one for you to practice as well. Eri stated. As it grows so does the amount it protects you from. However, much like the other Lunar spells, you¡¯ll have to limit how many times you cast it. Until that Stat Shatter Debuff goes away, you won¡¯t be able to raise your resilience and resistances since they are your top in both sub-stats. Liam nodded. As he nodded, a sudden thought popped into his mind. ¡°Wait, why are we talking about my abilities? I thought I needed to gather materials so I can prepare for those tests?¡± Liam could hear Eri sigh. I¡¯ll chop that question up to you being enthusiastic and excited to start crafting something you¡¯ve been wanting to for a few days now. You need to work on your battle tactics. Your last fight was a good example of where you stand. And before you blame it on the Debuff, you need to realize that there are plenty of other Debuffs out there that can make or break a fight. So, you need to form proper strategies and techniques that will help raise your survivability when in that situation. Knowing all your skills and abilities, finding combinations that work well is key to surviving impossible situations. You¡¯ve been coasting on your Lucky Break sub-stat quite a lot and we need to fix that before your luck runs out in a fight. Liam opened his mouth to argue, but then stopped himself. She was right. That last fight was a close call in more ways than one. He almost died due to a skill or ability of his he had never used before activating on its own. That being said, I must admit that your creativity using certain abilities of yours to use in ways that it shouldn¡¯t is applaudable, but only a little. Eri stated. Using oil on a target or more then using Light and Burn to catch them on fire is an excellent example. Also, your use of the environment when you fell a tree to take out a group of monsters was good too. Even using Destruction Points and Mining Accuracy to bring down that pillar of stone on top of that Zombified Hobgoblin. While you used them in ways to help turn around a battle, you are not properly utilizing them. Spontaneous and untested ideas will get you killed if you try something out on targets much stronger than you. So, I want you to use this dungeon to test abilities and skills together. For example, you have a crafting skill that I think might pair well with your Dagger Weapon Arts. Liam¡¯s ears perked at that. With much curiosity he asked, ¡°Oh? What crafting skill is that?¡± Cleave. Eri said with a smile. ¡°Cleave?¡± Liam asked. He did want to test the skill out to see if it would work, but to tie it in with his Dagger Weapon Arts? He wasn¡¯t sure how he would do that. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to use it to chop off arms, legs, or necks. So why tie them in with those skills?¡± You¡¯re right. Eri started. While it is still a low level, using Cleave with a Dagger Weapon Art on something like an arm leg or a neck will prove to be impossible, that isn¡¯t the only thing you can use it on. Liam looked confused as he tried to think about what she was hinting at. After a few seconds an idea had slowly appeared. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was what she was talking about, but still decided to voice it. ¡°Fingers and wrists?¡± Yes. Eri replied, happy he was using his brain. Although, wrists might be a little hard until you get it level twenty, but things like fingers, or small joints depending on the creature. Since your seal prevents you from using Weapon Arts the normal way, you have the ability to adjust and aim at different areas while using your muscle memory. And since Cleave isn¡¯t a combat ability, but a Crafting one¡­ ¡°Then it can help sharpen my blades to be able to make those attacks a bit stronger,¡± Liam slowly muttered as the thought of how it would work came into view. Precisely. Eri agreed. ¡°Not only that, but it can also help to weaken and cripple my target while in battle,¡± Liam continued as he grew excited. ¡°It might just work. We need to test this out!¡± You will soon enough. Eri said as she tried to calm him down. She let out a chuckle at the expression he made. He reminded her of a child that found an interesting and fun toy. My hopes with this is, if this works then there are other Crafting abilities I want you to acquire soon to see if they will work outside their intended purposes. ¡°Other crafting abilities? Like what?¡± Liam questioned. Eri sighed as she muttered, Maybe I should have kept that last part to myself. We¡¯ll talk more about that later. For now, let¡¯s head in and do what you need to do. Also don¡¯t forget to replenish your Spirit Pool. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Liam shouted, feeling excited about what he was about to do. Adventure 184 - Testing things out Liam slowly walked through the tunnel. After leaving the entrance, he had cast Veil of Shadows so he could not only work on leveling up the ability, but also not alert any creatures he came across. He wanted to scout the monsters he was going to fight and have some time to think of how he would approach his fights. This was something Eri insisted he started doing. The space inside the tunnel was generous. The width of the tunnel was wide enough for several people to move freely side by side and still have enough room to swing their weapons. The height of the tunnel was also high enough for anyone to swing a pole arm type weapon and not worry about hitting the ceiling. The rocky walls and the flooring looked to have been smoothed out. Not a single loose stone could be seen. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find his first target. Coiled up in the middle of the pathway with a head looking from left to right was a dark yellow scaled snake with full black eyes. A black line zig zagged down its back like a lightning bolt. As he stared at it he noticed it wasn¡¯t as small as he originally thought it would be. It wasn¡¯t huge like the Spider Tailed Horned Viper, but it wasn¡¯t small like its counterpart back on Earth. He couldn¡¯t tell how long the snake was thanks to how it was curled, but he was able to see its body was as wide as a medium sized dog. Its head looked like it would have no problem swallowing his arms whole. This was proven when it opened its jaws to let out a wide yawn. As Liam stared at this snake¡¯s yawn he saw two sharp curved fangs protrude from the top of its mouth. Little sparks flashed several times along the two fangs before it closed its mouth. Liam assessed the creature where he stood through his goggles.
¡°Twin Fanged Adder. 140/140 HP. 50/50 MP. Level 5.¡±
Looks like it is by itself. Eri stated. Since you have one by itself you should test out the two new Affliction spells to test them out. I know I shouldn¡¯t have to say this, but just in case, for obvious reasons, don¡¯t use any Lightning based spells in this dungeon. Liam rolled his eyes. I know I haven¡¯t been the smartest lately, but even I know I shouldn¡¯t waste my time using those. But thank you anyways. Liam then slowly positioned himself in the middle of the tunnel pathway and readied himself. He made sure there was a decent gap between them in case the snake decided to strike right away. He didn¡¯t want to get bitten and have that venom flowing through him. Don¡¯t channel any Shadow Mana. See how the damage works using the spell regularly. Eri started to say. Most battles won¡¯t give you any time to channel specific mana, so you have to get used to not doing that. Now go ahead and chant your first one. After you get that off your Veil of Shadows will disappear. Make sure you jump right into chanting your next spell. You¡¯ll have a short window between using both spells and once the snake sees you, it will rush towards you. Make sure you don¡¯t falter and mess up on the chant. Liam nodded. He slowly let out the air he had taken in and calmed his nerves down a bit before starting his chant in as quiet of a whisper as he could, ¡°Hidden beneath and lying in wait, the unseen¡¯s poison is never delivered late. Bellow out in a puff of smoke and slip into the stream. Corrupt the body, Corrupt the mind. Deliver the fear you wish to create. Shade¡¯s Corruption.¡± As soon as Liam finished the chant, he felt the shadows that were covering him suddenly disperse as a puff of black smoke suddenly shot out from underneath the snake and cover it. After a couple of seconds had passed, the Adder flung its body out from the black smoke, making it waft out and disperse. As it landed, the long scaly body curled and coiled as its head looked around for its target. Liam started to get ready to chant his next spell as soon as it locked eyes with him. The creature¡¯s mouth opened and let out an electrified hiss as it reared its head back. As soon as Liam opened his mouth and started chanting, the snake lunged forward. ¡°Radiant and majestic, we admire you in the night. Deadly and poisonous, many don¡¯t know your terrible might. Caress my target with your light like a gentle kiss. Remind them why you¡¯re as dangerous as the abyss. Epidermis Luminescence.¡± Liam watched as the distance between him, and the Twin Fanged Adder¡¯s jaws swiftly decreased. He didn¡¯t think he would be able to finish the chant in time, but believed in Eri¡¯s judgement and kept going. The monster¡¯s jaws were almost in striking distance as he finished the chant. As soon as the last word escaped his lips, Liam watched the flashing fangs disappear as it snapped its mouth closed and twitched its neck in a violent manner to the left. During that motion, Liam saw a swiftly pale white flash around the neck of the monster. He also noticed a small amount of black smoke escaped the snake¡¯s nostrils as the flash happened. Liam turned his body to the side and jumped out of the way right in time to dodge the rest of the snake¡¯s long body that slid across the ground. Liam jumped back a couple more times to create some distance between them before he looked at the Twin Fanged Adder¡¯s health.
¡°Twin Fanged Adder. 122/140 HP. 50/50 MP. Level 5.¡±
¡°Not bad. Almost twenty health points knocked off,¡± Liam stated, as he watched the neck of the snake flash again. With the flash came a sudden jerk of its neck as another puff of black smoke escaped the creature¡¯s nostrils.
¡°Twin Fanged Adder. 97/140 HP. 50/50 MP. Level 5.¡±
¡°Alright, so about eighteen to twenty five points of damage over time,¡± Liam muttered as he watched the snake struggle with the pain that hit it with each flash of light around its neck and puff of black smoke escaping through its nose. ¡°That¡¯s not bad, but I¡¯m not entirely sure if that is giving me an accurate amount. It also doesn¡¯t help that this creature is only level five. I¡¯ll have to test it out on more creatures as well to see how the damage is when used separately.¡± Liam watched as the Twin Fanged Adder jumped forward as quickly as it could, aiming for his head, after it was hit with another flash of pale light around its neck and a puff of black smoke escaped out from its nostrils. He grabbed two of his curved bone daggers enchanted with Shadow mana and rolled his upper body while side stepping under the snake¡¯s body to the other side. Liam dug his daggers right into its underbelly and held his arms in place the best he could as it flew to where his head once was. Blood escaped from the two long gashes the daggers left and slowly pooled underneath it as it landed on the ground. Liam stared at the monster and made his decision. He didn¡¯t want to prolong the battle longer than he needed to and swiftly rushed towards the creature. The Twin Fanged Adder coiled its bleeding body as close as it could, while hissing at Liam. Right as Liam reached within striking distance, the monster opened its jaws and lunged forward in a strike, right for his chest. Liam slammed his feet down to try and stop his movement. He failed to stop right on the spot, feeling his feet sliding. Cursing himself mentally, he leaned his upper body back a bit while twisting his hips to the right. He positioned both arms as far right as he could while switching his grip on the daggers, making the blades face up. He watched as the wide open jaws get closer and closer with each second that had passed and waited for the right moment. As soon as he determined it was right, he released his upper body and spun as hard as he could to the left. His daggers swiftly moved with the momentum of his arms and upper body and dug right into the snake¡¯s eye and head. The force used into the blow was enough for him to push the rest of his body right out of the way of the jaws that were snapping shut. Liam felt the Twin Fanged Adder¡¯s head tilt to the right with the force of the blow colliding into it. Still holding tight to the daggers, Liam suddenly felt his body jerk with the momentum of the snake¡¯s head. He ended up right on top of the creature as soon as it fell to the ground. Not wanting it to counter or create some kind of advantage, Liam yanked the daggers out and stabbed down as fast and hard as he could. He kept going until he heard a chime echo in his mind and saw a notification suddenly appear.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Twin Fanged Adder ¨C Level 5!¡±
Liam smiled as he felt his heart race a bit. He took in a few breaths as he stared down at the slain snake and smiled. The way he ended the fight wasn¡¯t how he had planned it, but it worked out well for him. Especially the part where he used the Crescent Spin Nabal had him practice so much back in the Tutorial Area. He hadn¡¯t planned on trying the Weapon Art out on this creature. However, when he lost his grip on the ground and was about to be bitten by the Twin Fanged Adder, he thought it would be a good way to get out of danger. The results weren¡¯t exactly how he imagined they would be. He believed with the momentum and force caused from the spin and his daggers slamming into the creature, it would cause the trajectory of the monster¡¯s head to shift. He also believed that he would be able to pull the daggers right out with ease. He didn¡¯t expect to be moved out of the way as well as the daggers digging in to deep and being pulled with the monster. He thought about how he used the move. Sure, the way he used it and the timing of when he had used it was on a theoretical level, but he had practiced the move plenty of times before. He tried to remember how the movements felt during the fight and compare it to when he had practiced the move. The only thing he could narrow down that was different and could explain why he ended up the way he did was because of the angle he executed the attack. Nabal had him practice the move using different angles, but he had never practiced it in the way he had just used it. In fact, he had never used it before in a fight until now. He felt that Nabal would be proud of him finally using the Weapon Art and told himself he would need to use it more to get used to it in a fight. He could write this up as an experience he needed to get used to. He nodded and felt the test was satisfactory. He wouldn¡¯t write it off as a completely successful test run with that single move though. He felt his left arm tingle as it felt a bit numb. Even though he did get the jaws to miss his chest, one of the fangs ended up scrapping the bottom of his elbow causing a little of the poison to take effect. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He stared at the debuff that had appeared and shook his head.
¡°You have been poisoned with Static Adder Venom. Slight numbing around the area the venom has entered. You will receive 5 damage every 10 seconds until venom has been removed or venom disappears. Time until Venom disperses: 30 seconds!¡±
At least the venom isn¡¯t that potent. Liam thought to himself as he placed a hand over the wound behind his left elbow. He looked back at the snake to get a better look at it. Now that he was this close he could see that it was six feet long. Liam shook his head as he let out a small chuckle and thought, Fat and long. He heard a couple of chimes echoing in his mind and was waiting for the notifications to follow until he heard something else. He quickly minimized the notifications and activated his Veil of Shadows while stepping away from the killed monster. After making his way to the side of the tunnel, he focused his hearing to get a better idea of what the sound was. Light steps tapped on the smooth stoned ground down the tunnel as light scrapping sounds mixed with the steps. A chittering noise echoed softly in the air as a form appeared from around a corner not too far away from Liam¡¯s position. It was a Praying Mantis that stood almost as tall as Liam. Majority of its body was a burnt yellow with some tan mixed in around its abdomen. The only differences this creature had from the ones he remembered from back on Earth, besides its height, was instead of having regular front arms they were replaced with serrated scythe like weapons and faint sparks of lightning arched down both them and around its antennae. Liam assessed the creature.
¡°Static Clawed Mantis. 135/135 HP. 80/80 MP. Level ¨C 5.¡±
This creature was alone. From where he was standing he couldn¡¯t hear any other creatures close by or around. He watched as its head tilted and twitched to look around the area. From its head¡¯s movements, Liam believed the creature couldn¡¯t see him nor knew that he was close by him. How is your arm doing Liam? Eri suddenly asked. Liam turned his attention to it and tried to move it. The numbing sensation that tickled his elbow had diminished a bit. He looked at the timer of the Debuff and noticed it was less than ten seconds before it would go away. It feels a bit weird, but it should be gone in a few seconds. Okay. For this fight, I want you to not use anything but Cleave and your Weapon Arts. Eri started. This should be good practice for when you have to fight monsters while having low mana and no mana potions. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he listened. He agreed with her advice, but there was something he wanted to make sure of. Doesn¡¯t Cleave use Crafting Magic to coat the weapon to help its sharpness and precision when I strike? Yes it does, but the amount of mana used is insignificant. Eri replied. It only takes a single mana point when you actually strike. That single mana point would quickly replenish after its used, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Fair enough. Liam said. So, I can¡¯t use Shadow step either to get me close enough to strike? No. You have to get used to not always using that. Eri instructed. Alright fine. Liam stated as he slowly started moving towards the creature. We¡¯ll do this your way then. Liam moved as cautiously as he could, shortening the distance between him and the creature all while trying to make sure his Veil of Shadows didn¡¯t disappear. When you attack, make sure you aim for the creature¡¯s joints. Eri informed. If this works you¡¯ll have a better time successfully using the attacks there instead of trying to Cleave through the Abdomen or through its claws or any other meaty parts of its body. Got it. Liam replied as he looked around for a part to test this combination on. He didn¡¯t want to appear right in front of the Praying Mantis in case it had some sort of amazing reflexes that allowed it to swing its long serrated scythe-like arms quicker than he could strike. He decided to go for one of the leg to reduce some of its mobility. After picking its back leg on the left side, Liam made his way closer to it. As he got closer, he tightened his grip on the talon curved daggers and prepared to strike. Also, I must tell you that when you attack up close like this, you must do so quickly. Eri suddenly stated as the Praying Mantis¡¯ head swiveled around and stared at the spot Liam stood at. The Lightning that flashes around its antenna helps it find stealth covered creatures and it will find you if you don¡¯t move quickly. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam shouted as he felt his Veil of Shadows disperse while he watched the Scythe-like claws slice through the air right for his neck. As the claws penetrated his neck, a puff of black smoke suddenly replaced his body. Liam reappeared on the other side of the Praying Mantis. He positioned himself to use his Crescent Spin Dagger Weapon Art skill. He thought about using the Cleave ability. He wasn¡¯t sure if the mana had coated one or both of his daggers, but he didn¡¯t worry about that. Instead, he focused on the feeling he got as his sight narrowed as it locked on to a joint on the creature¡¯s leg. The joint he was staring at rested against the top part of its abdomen. Not wanting to waste time, Liam swung both of his daggers up at a ninety degree angle right for the joint he wanted to cleave. However, he felt some resistance right as he struck the joint of the creature¡¯s leg. Instead of the leg coming right off, it only created a scratch. Liam clicked his tongue as he jumped back a few times to not only dodge another strike from the creature, but to also create some distance between them. I thought I said not to use anything but Cleave and Your Dagger Weapon Arts? Eri scolded. I panicked. Liam replied with a frown. Also, why would you tell me something as important as that right as I¡¯m about to attack? I could have lost my head. Eri gave a small evil chuckle. That¡¯s simple. To make you panic. I find that the best way to train is through some chaos. When a fight becomes a bit chaotic it helps you think better on the spot. It tests how focus you can get in a fight and that focus helps you resolve yourself committing to an attack even if your life is on the line. Liam shook his head as he stared at the Static Clawed Mantis. It crossed its scythe-like claws across its chest. Lightning started to spark violently between the two. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on but had a sudden feeling he needed to dodge. Deciding to follow the feeling, he jumped to his left right as the creature slashed its claws outwards from its body sending two flashes of Lightning right towards the spot Liam was once standing. ¡°Okay. I guess that¡¯s a thing,¡± Liam commented as he saw the creature get ready to do the same thing again. He then cures, ¡°Fuck me.¡± Liam started sprinting to his left as the creature fired out a couple more flashes of Lightning. After the flashes were shot out, Liam redirected himself towards the monster. He watched as the creature prepared to do the same attack once again. Right as the Mantis fired out another round of Lightning, Liam stomped down with his left foot and pushed against the ground to spin his body around and out of the way of the attack. He tried to activate Cleave once more and felt his sight locate several different joints that were closest to him within striking distance. He focused his attention right on the joint where the monster¡¯s scythe-like claw and arm connected. Feeling like he could do it, Liam swung both daggers right for it. He cursed himself as the attack failed and only produce a couple of scratches. He was about to jump out of the way to try again, but as his knees started to bend, a wave of sparks suddenly discharged off the creature and struck Liam. Liam felt his body tense as the Lightning coursed through him. He panicked a bit mentally as he felt his muscles spasmed a bit. His face turned into a snarl as he watched the Static Clawed Mantis raise one of its claws up in the air and struck down. Liam bit his cheek as he willed himself as hard as he could to push himself to move. It wasn¡¯t much, but Liam was able to move his legs just enough to barely dodge the strike. His body suddenly fell backwards towards the ground right as the tip of the claw hit the ground. After Liam¡¯s body hit the ground, he felt the spasms disappear allowing him to move freely again. This was good because he instantly started rolling away from the creature as it tried to stab him like a person stabbing a cocktail weeny with a toothpick. After feeling like he was far enough, Liam pushed himself up off the ground as quickly as he could and faced the creature once more. Feeling frustrated, Liam questioned, Why isn¡¯t this working? I can feel the eyesight of the skill work, but it doesn¡¯t feel like its connecting with my daggers. I¡¯m not entirely sure¡­Wait¡­ Eri started as she tried thinking about something. Did you say daggers? Yeah¡­Liam answered, unsure why she would ask that. That might be the issue. Your Cleave ability, at least at the level it currently is at, can only be used with one sharp object not two. Liam jumped and rolled out of the way of a Lightning blast. As he came up he asked, Are you sure? Yes. Eri started back up. Think about it. All the times you have used it before, was it with one or two knives? Just on¡­ah okay. I¡¯m an idiot. Liam chided himself. You can be yes. Eri agreed without missing a beat. Hey! Liam shouted back at her. Eri chuckled before getting back on track and suggesting. When you activate the ability try focusing on one of your daggers instead of two. Liam let out a sigh as he jumped again to dodge another flash. Alright. Here we go. He then sprinted forward. As he ran forward he redirected himself to an angle to his left. As soon as he got within arms reach, the Static Clawed Mantis tried slashing at Liam in a downward forty-five degree angle. Liam planted his left foot down and juked to his right, bringing him in close enough to the monster¡¯s left arm. He activated the Cleave ability and felt his vision narrow in as the joints became focused. As he focused on the joint where the claw and arm connected, he focused on his right dagger. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was working and didn¡¯t have enough time to check, afraid it would take away the window he had created himself. Without any hesitation, Liam swung his right arm up, slicing the dagger right through the joint of the Static Clawed Mantis claw and arm. Liam watched as the dagger cut right through it without any resistance. Blood pooling out from where the lost limb was once at. The Static Clawed Mantis let out a loud screech as flashes of Lightning started sparking around its body. It staggered backwards as Liam felt the sparks lick his skin once again. Liam felt his muscles once again tighten and spasm. However, this time he didn¡¯t complain. He just stared at the creature with a wicked smile. It worked! Liam yelled in his thoughts. I was able to cleave right through the joint! Great! Eri cheered. Now do it again. Keep doing it till its dead. Liam let out a yell as he felt the effects of the lightning disperse. He then continued the fight. He attacked the joints of the Mantis¡¯ legs. He was a bit overconfident as he tried to go for two joints. He was successful but was once again struck by that lightning spark the monster produced each time he was close to it. It took him around four minutes, practicing his cleave ability with Crescent Spin and Back Stab. He found that trying to use the combination on the creature¡¯s neck was still out of his ability to pull off, but by the time the creature finally died, he was able to Cleave the other claw and all of its legs but one.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated Static Clawed Mantis Level ¨C 5!¡±
Liam placed his hands on his knees as he tried gulping for air. He had pushed himself throughout that fight trying not to get struck by that nasty spark it kept producing and was able to dodge it a couple of times at the end. He pulled out a Weak Orange Stamina Potion and drank it. He felt his body start to relax and grow less tired as the potion swam through his system. Great job. Eri congratulated. This is a good step on increasing what you can do. Now that we know it is possible, throughout this dungeon whenever you come across these creatures I want you to fight it using only Cleave and your Weapon Arts. If you had any Weapon Arts that weren¡¯t in Daggers I¡¯d have you practice those as well, but since you only trained with a Mentor in Daggers this will have to do for now. ¡°Seriously?¡± Liam asked as he stretched his arms out. Yes. You need to discipline yourself and train more than just your magical abilities. Eri stated. The monsters in here aren¡¯t terribly strong, so you may want to practice other weapons too. Once you get them to level ten maybe we can find a way for you to learn the Weapon Arts for them. However, don¡¯t waste too much time on that venture. Our true goal is to gain materials. Practice is just a bonus for you. Liam shook his head. I never took you for someone to push another to train. You¡¯re my Champion. Your skills and abilities are lacking quite a lot right now. Eri bluntly stated. Not only that, but there are plenty of dangers out there in this world. You need to get as strong as you can as fast as you can so you can properly defend yourself. Liam looked at the monsters that laid on the ground dead. What Eri was telling him was right. He couldn¡¯t argue with her. Even though he was restricting himself in this fight, he couldn¡¯t deny that he wasn¡¯t have a tough time. And this was a weak monster compared to the many more out there. Liam nodded. You¡¯re right. I have a long ways to go if I want to be able to do what I want to. First I need to get the materials for the items I need to make, train as much as I can while doing that and then pass the tests. Those are my current short term goals. Glad to see you understand. Eri smiled. Speaking of materials. Harvest their Soul Orbs, devour both to replenish more of your Spirit pool, then skin and harvest these creatures. After that find your next opponent. Ma¡¯am yes ma¡¯am. Liam said with a sarcastic salute. Adventure 185 - A Nasty Combination As Liam proceeded throughout the first floor of the Crackling Cave Dungeon, he ended coming across a few more Twin Fanged Adders and Static Clawed Mantises. As he fought the Twin Fanged Adders he tested both Shade¡¯s Corruption and Epidermis Luminescence separately and together to see how the damage being done were different than when using both together. On a couple of them he used them together and found that the amount of damage caused was differentiated greatly. First when he used the abilities separately, the damage was lessened quite a lot. Thanks to the snakes he fought being different in levels by one, he was able to determine that the amount of damage he was causing differed due to both the creature¡¯s level and the level of the spell. He knew that these wouldn¡¯t cause massive damage due to them being Affliction type spells. Affliction spells were damage over time type spells. Or D.O.T.¡¯s as he knew them as. They weren¡¯t meant for causing powerful damage right at the beginning like most spells were able to do. They were used to help bring down the opponent¡¯s health during battles. They were more useful in fights that were battles of attrition or those with massive amounts of health. He did learn though that with the right combination of Afflictions, the damage would increase. For example, when he used both Lunar and Shadow Affliction spells together. He had a theory he wanted to test out, but he figured he would try it out on the boss instead of the normal monsters he was fighting against. Thanks to his practice he was able to level both abilities to level four. Also, during his fights against the Twin Fanged Adders, he decided to rotate through the weapons he had. Leaving out the Bow, he used and leveled his Weapon Skills in the whip, sword, and spear. He felt embarrassed when he used those weapons due to him either missing so much or flailing around like a newborn learning how to walk. However, after being able to level them up a few times he was starting to feel a little more confident when using them. His Weapon Skill in Swords had reached level five, the Spear to level four, and the Whip to level five. He decided he would take more time in learning these weapons each time he came across the Twin Fanged Adders. His fight against the Static Clawed Mantises went completely different though. He used his daggers since he had the Weapon Arts for those. Thanks to Eri¡¯s instructions and stern disciplining, he was able to feel a lot more comfortable using them in battles. He was able to understand the feeling he felt when using both the Weapon Art skills and cleave together and found a couple of interesting discoveries. His first discovery was when he decided to use Mana Sight during one of his fights against the Static Clawed Mantises. He saw that when he used Cleave, the dagger that was able to strike was covered in a grey-like color mana. He remembered in his Mystical Landscape that the grey-like color was similar to the roots that represented his Field of the Craft. The next thing he discovered was when he tried to cleave one of the creature¡¯s limbs. The monster moved his arm out of the way right as Liam was about to cleave through the joint. The joint ended up closer to his other dagger. Liam was about to curse internally when he noticed the grey-like colored mana shift from one dagger to the other and cleaved right through the joint. This discovery completely baffled him that he stopped mid fight confused on how he was able to do that. Eri had yelled at him for being an idiot for stopping in the middle of the fight, which he completely agreed with. It was a good way to get yourself killed. After that fight had happened, he explained to Eri why he had stopped. While she agreed that it was a good discovery to find, she still scolded him for stopping during the middle of a fight for something like that. After she scolded him, they went over theories on what the discovery meant. For now, the only thing they could come up with was the Cleave ability was able to shift to the weapon closest to the area that was about to be struck at when dual wielding. It wasn¡¯t the best theory, but it was the only they could think of for the moment. They both agreed it was something they would need to look into more. The last discovery they had made while using this training against the Static Clawed Mantises was when he had received a notification stating that his Butcher Section in the Chef Craft had leveled up. Apparently using the ability in battle to Cleave through the creatures¡¯ joints was being translated to him butchering them and rewarded him in leveling that up. Speaking of Butchering, after defeating each monster he looted them and harvested what he could. The loot wasn¡¯t great. He got a bone here and there and some coins. He skinned the snakes which helped level his Skinning to level six. The snake skin he received from them wasn¡¯t in the best condition, but it was something he could use to help with his Tailoring Craft regardless of the condition. He drained as much of the venom in them as he could. They didn¡¯t have much in them so by the time he finished harvesting the venom out of the last snake he had defeated on this floor, he had almost a full medium sized vial of the contents. He also took the time to sperate the meat from the bones and used his Food Handling ability called Cleanse Material to clean the meat of any venom he wasn¡¯t able to drain. He was able to level both that Section of his Chef Craft and the ability by one getting it to level six. The materials he had received from the Mantises were completely different. While the materials he had gotten from the Twin Fanged Adders helped in both his Alchemy and Chef Crafts, the Static Clawed Mantises gave Blacksmithing materials. The claws that weren¡¯t badly damaged during battle were materials called Serrated Static Claws which could be used for making weapons. The other material he was able to harvest from them was something called a Static Mantis Carapace. This material was excellent for armor. If used by a Blacksmith who really understood the material, and what they were making, they would be able to make armor that had some resistance to Lightning or could bring out an effect that could stun opponents when they were close enough. All in all, he was happy with the results so far. However, he was now standing on the edge of the first floor boss¡¯s room. The room had rounded out into a dome-like shape giving more room. The stoned ground, walls, and ceiling were still smoothed so nothing had really changed. The boss monster wasn¡¯t able to sense or see that he was there thanks to his Veil of Shadows. In the middle of the room was a snake coiled up with its head resting on its body facing the entrance of the room. Its body looked to be slightly bigger in length and width than the Twin Fanged Adders he had been fighting. It had pale yellow skin with tan spot markings throughout its body. Its tongue flickered out every few seconds. Every other time the tongue slipped out, sparks bounced off the tongue and onto the ground around it. He stared at the monster and assessed it.
¡°Static Fanged Macrovipera. 190/190 HP. 95/95 MP. Level ¨C 6.¡±
Hm. It¡¯s a different type of snake monster that¡¯s only a level higher than the normal ones. Its health is only slightly higher, and it looks like the Lightning it uses extends to its tongue as well. Liam analyzed to himself. It would be best to fight a bit farther away and try to restrict is movements. However, I¡¯m not sure what restrictions Eri is going to give me this time. Listening in on Liam¡¯s thoughts, Eri chimed in, When it comes to Boss type monsters I am not going to heavily restrict what you should do. I know that you have something you want to test out so I will give you some free reign on what you want to do. I will suggest that you not use your Gravity magic in this fight though. I know what you want to try out with one of those spells, but I don¡¯t think this monster will be the best test subject for that. Liam frowned at that. He didn¡¯t like how there were times she could read him like a book. He really needed to stop being predictable. Alright. Then I¡¯ll try some other things out instead. He replied to her as he switched his daggers for his Crude Bone Whip. Since he didn¡¯t want to get too close to the creature he decided that the reach of this weapon would be a better choice. After formulating a plan, he cautiously stepped into the room. After taking a couple of steps in he started chanting his first spell as quietly as he could, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± As soon as he finished the chant, the shadows underneath the Static Fanged Macrovipera rippled then sprang up and wrapped their cold touch around different areas of its body. Each shadow that wrapped around the snake¡¯s body tightened and pulled down as hard as they could, stopping the creature from moving. The Static Fanged Macrovipera locked its black eyes onto Liam as his Veil of Shadows deactivated and opened its jaws and let out a menacing electrified hiss. Sparks of lightning shot out from its two fangs and tongue, crashing into the ground around its body. Liam didn¡¯t waste time and chanted his next spell as quickly as he could while the snake opened its mouth again revealing its fangs starting to glow. ¡°Hidden beneath and lying in wait, the unseen¡¯s poison is never delivered late. Bellow out in a puff of smoke and slip into the stream. Corrupt the body, Corrupt the mind. Deliver the fear you wish to create. Shade¡¯s Corruption.¡± The shadow underneath the snake suddenly exploded into a cloud of black smoke, covering the whole body of the snake. Liam watched as the smoke around the creature¡¯s mouth was sucked in. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! After the cloud of black smoke around its entire body disappeared, Liam saw that the glowing fangs suddenly dimmed, and it had snapped shut its mouth. Probably to prevent any more smoke from entering through. However, it was too late for it. The snake had breathed in enough of the smoke for the spell to take effect. This was proven when the snake coughed, and a puff of black smoke had escaped its mouth. Continuing his experiment, Liam went on to the next spell. ¡°Shadows so dark come forth, pierce through this pour creature¡¯s sight, temporary blinding it with a pain it never knew existed, Blanket of Darkness!¡± Liam watched as a single line of shadow slithered its way towards the Static Fanged Macrovipera¡¯s head and wrapped around its eyes. The pissed off creature let a pained hiss as the shadows around its eyes pierced them. Sparks of lightning once again shot out in random directions, this time they had reached out a bit farther than the previous times it had happened. Finishing up his plan, Liam chanted the last spell to this combo he wanted to test. ¡°Radiant and majestic, we admire you in the night. Deadly and poisonous, many don¡¯t know your terrible might. Caress my target with your light like a gentle kiss. Remind them why you¡¯re as dangerous as the abyss. Epidermis Luminescence.¡± After Liam had finished chanting he watched the snake¡¯s body. The last few times he used this spell, it had appeared around the snake¡¯s neck and close to the tail. This time he saw the middle section of the snake¡¯s body flash a pale white light, causing it to jerk violently. After he saw what he wanted, he switched his attention to its health pool.
¡°Static Fanged Macrovipera. 138/190 HP. 82/95 MP. Level ¨C 6.¡±
Liam smiled as he stared at it. The amount of damage being caused increased significantly thanks to having all three of his Affliction spells in action. The critical damage added to each hit was great due to having both Lunar and Shadow spells colliding. He knew his Blanket of Darkness spell was probably doing more damage than the other two, but that was only because it was higher than his other two spells. If he was able to get them to catch up then not only would they be doing damage, but he would also be able to cause the creature to flinch from the pain of Epidermis Luminescence, but also blind them from his Blanket of Darkness. If he was able to get that Confusion Debuff to land from his Shade¡¯s Corruption, then that would also be great. Using Grasp of the Shadow wasn¡¯t a part of the combination he had originally planned, but after seeing it in action with everything else he felt this whole combination was just nasty. Movement restrictions, Blind, and damage over time, that could create a deadly combination. Confusion added to that would help distract the creature while it was already blind and taking damage within. This kind of combination would be invaluable when fighting solo creatures especially if they were a lot stronger than he was. It would also serve as a great way to keep single targets out of the way during battles when fighting multiple others. If he were to get his Affliction spells to become an area of effect type spell instead of single target then the combination would be even more invaluable. ¡°Now that I have this creature trapped like this, its time to add in more damage with my whip,¡± Liam muttered as he sprinted off to the side away from the monster¡¯s mouth. When he reached striking distance of his whip, Liam moved his right arm back then swiftly flung the tip towards the monster and cracked it back as fast as he could. He could hear the crisp cracking sound it made as he wrenched his right arm back as hard as he could. He frowned though as he realized that he had misjudged the distanced and missed. Liam clicked his tongue and took a couple steps forward and tried again. This time he saw the tip strike the snake¡¯s skin. He went to strike again, but then stopped and jumped back as he noticed in the corner of his eye the snake whip his head around and face the area where Liam was standing at and shot a bolt of lightning right at him. ¡°Kind of like those damn mantises,¡± Liam muttered as he ran around the creature and struck it again with the crude bone weapon. Liam continued this a few more times. He moved around to dodge the attacks the snake made, guessing where he was made by his own attacks. The Static Fanged Macrovipera¡¯s health continued to tick down with each attack made from his whip and the Affliction spells tearing it up from within. He felt good with this method of attack. He didn¡¯t think it would be possible with how most of his spells worked. If he had something to compare it with, it would be using his Gravity Well spell and then pouring oil on the creature and then using his Light and Burn spell to catch his enemy on fire. The only difference was he needed to have plenty of oil on him to keep using that tactic. While effective as it was, it heavily required him to have the resources in stock to pull it off. His current combo attack did require a resource, but he could replenish that over time. Now that he thought about it. If he added the oil and Light and Burn combo to his Affliction combo, then that would add even more damage to it. That would help out even more during long battles. He noticed the boss monster was almost dead and went to land the final hit, however as he cracked the whip, he didn¡¯t realize the Static Fanged Macrovipera had opened its mouth and charged an electrical attack along its fangs. It fired the spell it had readied right as the tip of the bone whip struck it . Liam tried to get out of the way, but failed as the Lightning strike hit him. Liam felt his muscle tightened as he tried to move. The spasms that coursed through his body made him realized he was paralyzed from that last ditch attack. He cursed himself as he waited for the Debuff to disappear. Even though he wasn¡¯t happy with getting hit at the end, he was happy that he had dodged all the previous attacks the snake had tried to land while blinded. This Debuff was stronger than when he was hit with the Twin Fanged Adder¡¯s venom. It also helped cement that this combination was great since he was able to restrict the monster from moving and blinded it from seeing exactly where he was.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated 1st floor boss of the Crackling Cave Static Fanged Macrovipera ¨C Level 6!¡±
Liam smiled as he felt the debuff disappear. His smile had grown a bit more as a few chimes echoed in his mind and new notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Lunar) ability ¨C Epidermis Luminescence has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 2%! ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) ability ¨C Shade¡¯s Corruption has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Whip has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Paralyze has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!¡±
That was another thing about this dungeon. Even though he hated getting hit by the lightning attacks and received the Paralyze Debuff several times, he was slowly getting his resistance up from them. Even his Venom Aliment Resistance was getting a work out from each time the Twin Fanged Adders scratched or bit him. However, the results for that one would become apparent because it was his highest level Ailment Resistance, and the Stat Shatter prevented it from leveling up due to its effect. He knew that because the last snake that had poisoned him he had received a red notification about it. Not bad. Eri stated. You could have ended the fight quicker if you used your long ranged magical abilities, but I applaud you on taking the time to work on your Whip Weapon Skill. It was also smart of you to not get in close. You¡¯re using your head more. Good job. ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam smiled as he looked at the snake. He watched as two portals appeared in the back of the room. One leading out of the dungeon and the other to the next floor. The combination you used was a great idea as well. Eri continued. Restricting your enemies¡¯ movements, blinding it, and then pumping it with Affliction spells is a great strategy and combination. However, there are some flaws in executing this combination. Liam was ready for this. She did this with most of his fights so far in this dungeon. She would compliment him then address the pros and cons of the strategy. He wasn¡¯t complaining about it. The things she pointed out were helping him. They would also help shape how he fought in future battles. The sooner he kicked bad habits the better. This combination relies on a few things in order for you to pull it off. Eri continued. If you¡¯re alone then it requires your target to be alone as well. If you were in a group it could be used easily, but that also leads me to my next point. Right now, it¡¯s only a single targeted combination. If your Shade¡¯s Corruption and Epidermis Luminescence were to be able to target multiple targets then it could be better. Next is, if your target is a lot faster than you then you won¡¯t be able to restrict their movements. They would be able get away before the shadows gripped them. The same with Shade¡¯s Corruption. The black smoke that explodes out from underneath them requires them to enter through the mouth or the nose which means the smoke could be avoided by just moving really fast before taking it in. Your Epidermis Luminescence also has some cons. If you use it on a monster that has a high pain tolerance then the fact that it causes pain wherever it appears could be nullified. Both those spells also require that your targets need to breathe, have a nose or even flesh. I¡¯m not too sure your Lunar Affliction spell can work on bones until we test that, but for now we will treat it as it needs to have flesh and can feel pain. The last thing is, your spells are too low level to keep up with Blanket of Darkness. So, you¡¯ll need to work on leveling them up as fast as you can. Liam smiled as he listened. Besides the facts she stated about the cons, he was on the same mind set. He also agreed that he would need to test Epidermis Luminescence on bone type creatures. Liam nodded. ¡°Alright. Anything else that needs to be noted?¡± Not at this exact moment. Eri stated. For now, loot the boss then harvest what you can and get to the next floor. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Liam replied as he looted the body of the Static Fanged Macrovipera.
¡°You have received Static Macrovipera Chest Piece!¡± ¡°Static Macrovipera Chest piece has been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°You have received Vial of Snake Oil x 1!¡± ¡°Vial of Snake Oil has been sent to your Inventory.¡± ¡°You have received 10 copper coins!¡± ¡°10 Copper coins has been sent to your Inventory.¡±
Liam closed out his notifications and then pulled out the armor piece he received. It was a short sleeved shirt covered in the Static Fanged Macrovipera¡¯s scaled skin. It felt smooth to the touch. He then assessed the item.
¡°Static Macrovipera Chest Piece. Item type ¨C Armor (Chest). Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Rarity ¨C Poor. + 5 Defense. + 5% Lightning Resistance. + 5% Paralyze Resistance.¡±
¡°Not bad,¡± Liam muttered as he put it away. After he put the item away, he looked at the dead snake in front of him. As much as he liked harvesting for materials, he really didn¡¯t like the butchering and the skinning. The blood he had to wash off each time was tedious to him. He then shook his head and thought to himself, Oh well. Nothing to it but to do it. Adventure 186 - Orchid Mantis The fights against the monsters on the second floor of the dungeon started getting faster as Liam corrected the mistakes Eri pointed out after each one. He was starting to get a good grasp on his capabilities and the combos he wanted to try out. The regular monsters on this floor were the same as the ones on the last. The only difference was these ones were a level or two stronger. This helped Liam out as he started to get a feel for his Cleave ability being used with his Weapon Skills. The stronger the mantises were the more he really had to focus on where he was striking. More than a few times he found out that if he struck at a bad angle the weapon wouldn¡¯t cut through all the way. This was really testing his focus and perception. Not only that, but his Affliction combination was slightly weaker on the one or two level differences compared to the monsters on the last floor. He was happy when he came to the Elite Floor Monster room and saw the same creature he had fought as a boss on the last floor. Thanks to it showing up as an E.F.M. he was able to retest the strategy he used on it. This time he was more aware of the lightning that it shot and ended up dodging all of its attempts. By the time he reached the second floor boss room, he was able to level his Cleave and Veil of Shadow by one level each. His Epidermis Luminescence, Shade¡¯s Corruption, and Weapon skills in his whip, sword, and spear leveled by two. His understanding on harvesting the Twin Fanged Adders and the Static Clawed Mantises had also grown a bit as well. When he drained the Adders of their venom he was able to a bit more from them. Instead of a medium sized vial, he was able to get a medium and a half of a small vial of the venom. The skin he was able to skin of the snakes had also improved a bit as well. They still came out crude, but there were less damages shown when he skinned them. The meat he butchered from them also looked better as well. He was also able to level his Cleanse Material again when he cleaned the meat from the venom he wasn¡¯t able to fully extract from them too, bringing both the section and the skill from it up a level. The materials he was able to harvest from the Static Clawed Mantises were also looking better. He made less mistakes when he harvested each part as well gaining a bit more parts than he had gotten on the last floor. The Soul Orbs were still Flawed, though. That wasn¡¯t due to him, but rather the level of the creatures he Soul Harvested. In between his fights he had used Devour to replenish his Spirit Pool. This had gotten his to fill it up all the way. And thanks to using it so many times he was able to gain a boon in the form of ten health and ten spirit pool increases. He stood waiting at the edge of the second floor boss room and peered inside. He didn¡¯t immediately enter, but assessed what was inside as he waited for his stamina to completely replenish. The room inside was about as big as the boss room on the first floor and looked exactly like it as well. The area was spacious and for good reason. Inside the room, spread about were three Static Clawed Mantises and a mantis that was a different color than the rest. This mantis had a white hue with some yellow mixed in around the head. Its legs and abdomen was a darkish pink. Around the area where the abdomen and the thorax thin petal like objects opened and closed giving it a flower like look. He assessed the creature to get a better idea of what he was up against.
¡°Electro Orchid Mantis. 200/200 HP. 120/120 MP. Level ¨C 7.¡±
An Electro Orchid Mantis? Liam thought. This creature kind of reminds me of Tantalizing Orchid at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. Is her race based on this creature or only her looks? That creature is a Lightning and Plant type bug creature. Eri informed. It has the same lightning spells as the other mantises in the room plus plant spells. They are a bit tougher than the Static Clawed Mantises and a bit more dangerous because they like to root their prey in place before paralyzing them. Liam nodded as he continued to listen to Eri¡¯s explanation of the creature. Another thing you need to know about this specific creature is they are very territorial, especially around the same gender as it. Eri said. They do not like the same gender being around them nor around the opposite sex they keep around them. They don¡¯t like the same gender as they are because they view the ones they keep near as both mates and food. So, because I¡¯m a guy it¡¯s going to be very aggressive towards me? Liam questioned with a confused look on his face. That seems kind of like the norm for monsters doesn¡¯t it? Also, they eat their kind? For monsters that is the case yes. Eri started back up sounding a bit amused. They would be aggressive towards you, but not for the reason you think. Seeing as you are not the same gender as it is, it will view you as nourishment. Liam blinked a few times as he proceeded to process what she just said. After taking a few seconds he finally said, That¡¯s a female mantis isn¡¯t it? Yup. Eri replied with a slight chuckle. Makes sense. I should have grasped that when you said she eats her own kind. Liam responded with a quiet sigh. Female Mantises were known to eat their mates back on Earth. Okay so my opponents are three Static Clawed Mantises and one Electro Orchid Mantis. All of them can use Lightning magic while the main boss can also use Plant magic. The roots can be tricky, but so can the Paralyzing effect caused from getting hit by the lightning. Hm. Liam thought over his options. As he thought about the possibilities that could occur, he also thought about his previous fights with the Static Clawed Mantises. He hadn¡¯t fought multiple at once before, so he wasn¡¯t sure how well he¡¯d do. He also weighed in what was more of the threat. The small group of mantises or the boss. While all of them together was a pain, he would need to prioritize which he needed to immobilize and take out first. He felt confident that he could take on the small group of Static Claws, but not if he had to worry about the Electro Orchid. He nodded as he came up with a plan he thought was best. He would immobilize the Electro Orchid first then focus on taking out the small group. He had a plan he wanted to try out. It was something he did while fighting against the horde of Undead after he had just evolved his starting class. If he could use his Shadow Step in tangent with his Back Stab and Crescent Spin then he would be able to gain another tactic he could add to his fighting style. Feeling ready and having a plan he got ready to step inside. As he began making his way in, he switched his Haunted Bone Chest Armor, for the most recent chest piece he received back on the first floor of this dungeon. The Static Macrovipera Chest Piece. The defense of the armor was weaker than his Haunted Bone armor, but he believed that the plus five percent to both Lightning and Paralyze resistances would help him in the long run in this fight to come. After he stepped inside, he made his way as far to the left side of the room as he could while still being within distance of the Electro Orchid Mantis while keeping as much distance as possible from the Static Clawed Mantises. Once he got into place he started whispering his chant. ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± As soon as Liam finished the chant he felt the shadows that covered him reveal his location to the inhabitants of the boss room. All four monster¡¯s heads swivel and locked their giant eyes right on Liam. The Electro Orchid Mantis let out a predatory shrill and went to turn its body while spreading its arms out. However, before she could make a move, the shadow beneath her started to ripple for sending out tendrils towards her abdomen, neck, thorax, legs, and her claw like arms. As soon as they tightened and yanked down, rooting her in place, she let out a panicked scream. This scream caused the threw Static Clawed Mantises to stop their approach towards Liam to look at her. Liam smiled. He saw this opportunity and took it as he rushed towards the closest Static Clawed Mantis. As soon as he reached striking distance, his vision narrowed and zoomed for the joint that connected its left scythe-like claw and arm together. The grey-like Crafting Mana he was starting to familiarize himself with, covered his right Bone Talon Throwing Dagger. He repositioned it in his hand to make sure the curve of the blade was pointing up right before he swung his right arm up, slicing right through the joint with ease. He felt the familiar Lightning Mana flare up around this Static Clawed Mantis and right before it let out the discharge, Liam Shadow Stepped away from this creature to reappear behind the one that was in the back. Without any hesitation, Liam Cleaved through the back right leg of this creature. He Shadow Stepped once more before this Static Clawed Mantis could release the static discharge on him. He reappeared on the right side of the third Static Clawed Mantis and Cleaved through the joint of its arm, severing it entirely. He repeated this strategy of using Cleave to slice off a body part of each creature and Shadow Step to get out before they could paralyze him in place. It didn¡¯t take long as he was trying to go for speed in this fight against the three Static Clawed Mantises. His strategy was to take out the three before taking on the Electro Orchid Mantis. He wanted to test his precision while fighting at a faster pace than he did in the ones before this room. He was successful in majority of his attempts. The times he wasn¡¯t successful were when the creatures made sudden movements right before he struck. After he cleaved through the last arm of the last Static Clawed Mantis, Liam turned to look Electro Orchid Mantis. The female pink and white mantis looked angry. She jerked her body as hard as she could trying to free herself from her bindings. Liam was a bit cautious with this creature. He knew what to expect from the Static Clawed Mantises, but with the Electro Orchid Mantis¡­he only had what Eri told him. This creature could use both Lightning and Plant magic. How she would use it was the mystery. The only he could do now that he was in the fight was continue with his strategy while adapting where he needed to. He rushed in as fast and cautiously as he could. He wanted to take out any potential threats this monster had as fast as possible. The quicker the arms were taken out the easier the fight would be. As soon as he was within attack range, Liam activated his Cleave ability and went to strike for the joint that connect the right arm from the main body. However, right as Liam went to strike, a vine suddenly shot out from the ceiling, right for Liam. Cursing, Liam used Shadow Step to appear on the other side of the monster. As he reappeared, he noticed the flower pedals around the abdomen and thorax flatten as static electricity suddenly bounced over the monster¡¯s body. Liam jumped backwards to dodge the familiar defensive pattern the normal mob variants used. Liam frowned after he created some distance from the monster. He was staring at the left side of the Monster and saw something that completely confused him. The discharge that usually followed and shot out never came. Instead, the lightning looked to be coursing down from her antenna to her abdomen. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on but considered that whatever she was doing was completely different than what he was used to. Not wanting to chance anything close by, Liam aimed and threw his throwing daggers. Both Bone Talon daggers hooked right into the middle of the abdomen. Right after they dug in, Liam used his Mana Manipulation to pull them back to him. He threw them once more after they reached his hands. He decided to get in as much damage as he could this way while the creature was still trapped where she was. He wasn¡¯t sure what she was planning to do since static arcs continued to course down her body. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. He did feel something akin to a charge up but couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly was being charged. If it was a Lightning strike then he would be able to dodge it using his Shadow Step, but if it was something else then¡­Instead of trying to come up with endless possibilities, Liam continued his onslaught of throwing his daggers into the creature¡¯s abdomen. He watched as he threw the daggers each time. He was aiming for the same spot with each throw but wasn¡¯t successful each time. There were a couple of times he noticed one or both of the daggers hit the petals that had flattened and bounced right off of them like they were hardened metal or stone rocks. The reason for him wanting to strike around the same area with these daggers was because of their special nature. The throwing daggers he was using were the Gravity enchanted ones. They had an effect called Weight Increase. With each successful strike on the target the area he struck would start to feel heavier. The same area being struck could also gain stacks, increasing the weight even more. The stacks only grew to eight though. So, while he was getting in some random areas and increasing the weight of the monster¡¯s abdomen, he wanted to get the stack even more. He had thought about using this on the creature¡¯s arms, but he wasn¡¯t sure how well it would work. So far the effects only became apparent if the attacks caused damage. If he wasn¡¯t able to cause any damage then the effect wouldn¡¯t activate. Instead of trying to cause damage around the thin arms that would need even more strength to create some damage, Liam decided to go for an area he knew he would be able to hit, the abdomen. As Liam fought this Mantis, he learned something new. That new thing was creatures with multiple types of Magic could use them at the same time. As he attacked from afar, he wasn¡¯t doing so while staying in the same place. He was moving around dodging the vines and loose stones falling from above him. He found it strange this creature was able to use her plant magic while having a steady stream of Lightning coursing over her body. He didn¡¯t think it would be possible to do that, but then again he was still learning the possibilities of magic. After a few seconds had passed Liam took a quick glance at the monster¡¯s health to see where it was currently at.
¡°Electro Orchid Mantis. 143/200 HP. 91/120 MP. Level ¨C 7.¡±
Going through with this tactic was slowly bringing the Boss¡¯s health down. He knew it wasn¡¯t going to drop quickly nor were his attacks powerful. So, seeing that the amount he had chipped away was around fifty-seven points within the time he had, he felt it was adequate. It was something he was going to have to figure out later on, but for now this was fine. Liam jumped out of the way of another vine and rocks and then realized he was standing in front of the creature. As soon as his feet touched down, he felt a sudden shift change in the air around the Electro Orchid Mantis. The Lightning that was coursing down its body had stopped flowing. As the last bit of electricity disappeared around the petals, they started to quiver. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was about to happen and was ready for anything. He didn¡¯t want to start running in case the attack this monster was about to unleash was one that jumped around all over the place. So instead, Liam planted his feet firmly on the ground and waited. Not too long after that, the petals suddenly started glowing and snapped open. As soon as all the petals were spread out in a blooming position, a very bright and blinding light engulfed the entire room. Liam instinctively closed his eyes as he brought his hands up in the air to try and lessen the brightness. A noise entered his ears that sounded like something heavy was being dragged. He waited for a couple of seconds before slowly peeking an eye open to see if the light had disappeared and what that noise was. As soon as he did, he reactively jumped to his right to dodge a scythe-like claw that was coming down upon his head. Liam blinked a few times. After seeing that bright flash he came to understand what the Electro Orchid Mantis was doing this entire time. It was gathering and charging Lightning in it¡¯s petals. The stored up Lightning would fuel the petals so once when they opened they would create a solar flash like effect to blind the creature¡¯s target. It was an ingenious tactic in Liam¡¯s opinion. It probably would have worked too if he didn¡¯t have his Umbral Goggles on. As soon as the light had expanded from the Monster¡¯s petals, he could feel the cold sensation the shadows that drifted off from his goggles had suddenly moved over his eyes, probably to help stop any blinding effects the attack could have made. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure because he did close his eyes when the light flashed and didn¡¯t see what the goggles did entirely. That and he still had a couple of spots that floated in his eye sight. The kind of spots that appeared if you looked at a bright light for too long and lingered for a bit. Thinking about what the goggles might have done made Liam add it to a list of things he still wanted to test out. Albeit that would have to wait for another time. Liam leaned backwards far enough to dodge a swift horizontal strike from the Electro Orchid Mantis. He threw his hands out behind him and pushed himself back up. He then jumped backwards just enough to dodge a vertical strike from the mantis¡¯ other claw. The creature didn¡¯t let up on the attacks as it kept attacking with both scythe-like claws in a vertical and horizontal like fashion. Liam kept up with the monster¡¯s speed, agility, and dexterity as he ducked and dodged, trying to get a good feel for the creature¡¯s capabilities. As he did this, he kept an eye out for openings. There were a couple that he was able to spot. He didn¡¯t know if they were intentional or not though. Wanting to test it out, Liam lowered his center of gravity by bending his knees and hunching his upper body down low enough to dodge a horizontal strike. After he felt the air above him move with the weapon-like claw and saw it pull the other one above her head, Liam pushed forward off his feet and struck the middle of the creature¡¯s thorax. He didn¡¯t stop there. As he attacked this area, he positioned his angle of movement to his right. As his daggers struck the area he hit, he activated his Cleave ability and aimed for the leg joint attached closest to him and dug one of his daggers right through it. As the dagger connected with the joint, Liam could feel some resistance. This monster¡¯s body was stronger than the Static Clawed Mantises that he had been practicing on. However, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to stop his attack from going through. The Electro Orchid Mantis let out a shrill of pain as its mandibles chittered. She twisted her upper body and went to strike him, but as the claws struck down, Liam¡¯s body had dispersed into a puff of black smoke. Liam reappeared on the other side of the monster and quickly cleaved through another leg, causing the monster to scream once more it looked off balanced. Liam quickly jumped backwards as a coat of lightning sparked out from her antennas and down her body. After Liam landed he grew a smile as he looked at the monster¡¯s health.
¡°Electro Orchid Mantis. 99/200 HP. 81/120 MP. Level ¨C 7.¡±
¡°Almost there,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he prepared to rush in again. As Liam leaned forward he felt something suddenly wrap around his legs, stopping his forward momentum. Liam let out a curse as he looked down to see vines wrapped around his legs from underneath him. He shifted his sight back on the monster and prepared himself for an attack but frowned as he saw the female Mantis wasn¡¯t heading towards him. Instead, she was slowly making her way towards one of the dismembered Static Clawed Mantis. ¡°What the hell is she doing?¡± Liam questioned as he stared at her. She¡¯s going to try and heal herself. Eri stated. ¡°Heal herself?¡± Liam asked as he scrunched his brows. ¡°What do you me¡­¡± Before he could finish asking and Eri could answer, the Electro Orchid Mantis had reached the torn body of one of the Static Clawed Mantises. She reached her scythe-like claws out, stabbed down into the body with both, picked it up towards her head, opened her mandibles, and took a healthy bite into it. ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s what you meant,¡± Liam said as he felt his stomach swirl a bit. He then saw the monster¡¯s health gain a few points seconds after chewing.
¡°Electro Orchid Mantis. 105/200 HP. 81/120 MP. Level ¨C 7.¡±
¡°Shit,¡± Liam cursed as he pointed one of his daggers towards the creature and chanted, ¡°Radiant and majestic, we admire you in the night. Deadly and poisonous, many don¡¯t know your terrible might. Caress my target with your light like a gentle kiss. Remind them why you¡¯re as dangerous as the abyss. Epidermis Luminescence.¡± The Electro Orchid Mantis let out a painful shrill as a flash of pale white light appeared around the bottom of her thorax near her abdomen. Small torn off chunks of Static Clawed Mantis spewed out of her mouth. She turned her head and gave what Liam could only interpret was an angry glare before she took another bite into her meal. Liam looked at her health and saw that the damage caused from his Lunar affliction spell didn¡¯t stop her from healing. Instead, the healing she got from eating her subordinate was barely healing over the amount of damage that was being done. ¡°Okay since that is not going to be enough to stop you,¡± Liam started to say as he readied himself to chant again, ¡°Let¡¯s add on the damage.¡± ¡°Hidden beneath and lying in wait, the unseen¡¯s poison is never delivered late. Bellow out in a puff of smoke and slip into the stream. Corrupt the body, Corrupt the mind. Deliver the fear you wish to create. Shade¡¯s Corruption.¡± Liam watched as the female mantis opened its mouth to get another bite. As it did so, a puff of thick black smoke suddenly shot up and around the creature. Even though Liam couldn¡¯t see the creature while it was within the hazy of black smoke, he knew it had inhaled enough for it to take effect. Next to the Electro Orchid Mantis¡¯ level were two Debuff icons. One was an arm with a shining bracelet over it representing the Epidermis Luminescence. The other was a puff of black smoke with red eyes peering through the middle of the smoke. A smile grew on his face as he watched the health that the female mantis had regained started to drop. It raised a bit for a second but only to drop even more. It looked like no matter how much she tried to eat to regain her health back it wasn¡¯t enough to keep up with the two affliction spells not only damaging her, but fighting each other. As the smoke finally dispersed the Electro Orchid Mantis let out a pained filled angry scream while throwing its arms out to the side. It then whirled its head to face Liam and started making her way towards him with fervor. With one leg in the front and another in the back gone, she stumbled as she tried making her way over. Getting even more upset, she slammed her right scythe-like arm into the ground and pulled herself forward. She then slammed her other arm down and did the same after pulling herself forward giving her a little more speed. Liam tried to move out of the way just to fail. He looked down and then remembered he was rooted in place. He looked around to see if there were any shadows close by and saw that one of the rocks that had fallen created a big enough shadow that he could use Shadow Step. He went to use, but felt it fail as the shadows refused to take him in. Confused, a red notification appeared to give him an answer.
¡°Shadow Step has Failed. Cannot use Shadow Step when rooted in place. Ability level isn¡¯t high enough to be able to get out of enemy snares, traps, or bindings!¡±
¡°Are you serious?!¡± Liam shouted before looked straight at the creature hastily and painstakingly making her way for him. Every few seconds she would flinch as a pale white light flashed and a puff of black smoke escaped from her mouth. Liam worked his brain to try and figure out what he could do. He looked at her health and thought maybe the two spells would finish her off before she reached him, but the timer on them both were almost up, and she still had about fifty health left. By the time they wore off she would have at least twenty or thirty health left. He needed to do something that would finish her off before she reached him. He worked his brain to try and figure out what he could do. He could use a spell to bind her, but then he would need to try and get free from the roots that bound him in place. He didn¡¯t know how long this spell would last nor if he would have enough time to cut himself free from then. If that was the case then he would need to use an ability to attack her. One that would either pack a powerful punch and finish her off or one that would do damage while knocking her back some so he could throw some dagger to finish her off. As he went through his list of abilities in his mind, one popped up. There was one he wanted to test out with his daggers. He had used it once, but it was with an object that was bigger and closer to him. A crazed filled grin appeared on his face as he realized he would be gambling with this. He was trying hard not to pull off moves that had no testing data yet in sticky situations like this, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. There was a thrill to doing things this way. Not only that, but he kind of liked the idea of him being able to pull something out of his ass at the last second and this gamble would definitely be one of those. Not wanting to hesitate, Liam pulled out his Moon Shadow Dagger and pointed it right at the monster¡¯s face as she frenziedly clawed her way towards Liam. He took in a deep breath and slowly released it. As soon as he felt like he calmed himself enough, he started chanting. ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity.¡± Liam felt the mana start to cover over him as the Electro Orchid Mantis slammed another one of her scythe-like arms down and pulled herself closer. She was starting to get dangerously close. ¡°Reverse and move away from me.¡± He then felt the mana start to wave off of him and cover the dagger. Another Scythe-like arm slammed down, her mandibles clanking louder as she sounded like she was cursing him in her own language. ¡°Allowing the way to be clear.¡± The other weapon-like arm slammed down just inches away from him now. ¡°By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you.¡± She pulled herself right in front of Liam, her eyes full of hatred and anger as she lifted her arm up in the air, mouth wide open with a loud shrilling war cry. ¡°Gravity Force Push!¡± Liam finished as he readjusted the aim of the dagger at the last second and watched it fire at full force right through the Boss¡¯ open mouth and exiting out through her skull. Liam watched, waiting for any signs that she was still alive. He pulled out one of his throwing dagger and tensed as the scythe-like arm started to move. However, instead of it falling down over his head, it fell to the creature¡¯s side bringing along the whole body with it. A chime sound echoed in his mind as a notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated 2nd floor boss of the Crackling Cave Electro Orchid Mantis ¨C Level 7!¡±
Adventure 187 - Hard shell Vs Hard head Liam left out a long winded breath of air as he felt his body relax while the vines that were wrapped around his legs released him. The test he had just did turned out much better than he had hoped for. The last time he used this ability was when he faced the Zombified Hobgoblin and the object he used was the boulder he was hiding behind. Comparing that object to the dagger he used this time he was able to gain some better understanding of the ability and its current capabilities. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make notes about the differences and the discoveries I made between both times later,¡± Liam muttered to himself, trying to stop himself from diving in too deep in his thoughts over the matter. He recalled his dagger using his Mana Manipulation and sheathed it before looking at the Electro Orchid Mantis. Blood pooled out from both the open mouth and the back of her head. The impact the dagger had made from his Gravity Force Push was terrifying. The other terrifying thing about it was it needed precise aiming. If the aim was off it could miss the target completely and could possibly hit a teammate or areas he shouldn¡¯t hit. Before he went to loot her, he pulled out his Spectral Lantern and activated his Soul Harvest ability. After he collected the Soul Orbs of his fallen prey a few chimes suddenly echoed in his mind, bringing with them a few notifications.
¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Gravity ability ¨C Gravity Force Push has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Lunar) has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 12%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Lunar) ability ¨C Epidermis Luminescence has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 12%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Shadow) ability ¨C Shadow Step has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 24%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) ability ¨C Shade¡¯s Corruption has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 12%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skills ¨C Throwing Weapons has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 9%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Chef Craft has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 17%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Chef Craft Section - Butcher has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 17%!¡± ¡°Congratulations Chef Craft Butcher ability ¨C Cleave has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 17%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Main Class: Spirit Weaver class ability Soul Harvest has reached level 21! Progression to level 22: 6%!¡±
Liam smiled as he read each notification. His two affliction spells were slowly growing more and more. Even his class ability, Soul Harvest, finally grew a level. Even after he had harvested so many soul orbs, it finally leveled showing that levels after twenty were going to be harder to raise going forward. He closed his notifications and refocused on the boss monster¡¯s corpse. He placed a hand over her and waited for the loot notifications to appear.
¡°You have received War Scythe of the Electro Orchid Mantis.¡± ¡°War Scythe of the Electro Orchid Mantis has been sent to your inventory.¡± ¡°You have received 25 copper coins.¡± ¡°25 Copper Coins have been sent to your inventory.¡±
Liam pulled out the new weapon he had received to inspect it. As it appeared in his hands he noticed the weight and the design of it. The snath or handle of the weapon was made out of thick tannish brown vines that were tightly woven together all the way up to the top connecting to the serrated blade that curved outwards. Above the blade part was a hard carapace shell with several Orchid flower buds running along the top. After looking over the design of the weapon he assessed it.
¡°War Scythe of the Electro Orchid Mantis. Item Type ¨C Weapon (Scythe). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Poor. + 10 damage. + 5% to Lightning Magic. + 5% to Plant Magic. Effect ¨C Solar Flash. Solar Flare ¨C By feeding Lighting Mana into the Orchid buds, the flowers will bloom and create a blinding effect. Excess Lightning Mana that does not feed into the Orchid buds will transfer to the blade, creating a chance to paralyze the enemy when striking.¡± ¡°Warning! User must be able to manipulate Lightning Mana in order to utilize Solar Flash!¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He now knew what that creature was doing when the static electricity was coursing down her body and towards the flower petals. It was a move called Solar Flash. That could be a great addition to some tactics if used properly. Now he had another weapon he need to learn and practice wielding. He placed the weapon back into his inventory and looked down, back at the boss monster. He let out a sigh before he got to the task before him. Harvesting this creature and the other two that weren¡¯t eaten. It didn¡¯t take long for Liam to harvest the two Static Clawed Mantises since he had some practice. He thought it would be the same with the Electro Orchid Mantis, however, she proved to be a bit more of a challenge. Especially when it came to the petals. He was only able to harvest two of the petals and that was after he had accidentally damaged the others trying to figure out how to properly do it. The claws on the monster was a bit tough as well, but he was able to do it after being careful and meticulous. After all that was done he ended up with new materials to practice with in his Blacksmithing and Tailoring.
¡°Orchid Mantis Petal. Item type ¨C Crafting Material (Blacksmithing, Tailoring). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Crude. Description ¨C A solid material when not coursing with any form of elemental type mana. If elemental mana is channeled into the material, material will soften. Materials has absorption properties which allows it to absorb a certain amount of mana or magical attacks. Absorption depends on quality of the material.¡± ¡°Orchid Mantis Serrated Claw. Item Type ¨C Crafting Material (Blacksmithing). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Crude. Description ¨C Serrated claw from an Orchid Mantis.¡±
The Orchid Mantis Petal was something he found to be interesting. The absorption property it held in it had many different possibilities. He wanted to get more, but he also didn¡¯t want to waste any more time than he had already. He still had another floor to clear out. After he finished his business in this room, he made his way to the portal that lead to the final floor and prepared himself. The final floor was just like the last two he had taken on. The Elite Floor Monsters were both the Static Fanged Macrovipera and the Electro Orchid Mantis. Their levels were higher by one this time around, but Liam was able to defeat them again. This time Liam learned from his mistake against the Electro Orchid Mantis and made sure he didn¡¯t cut it close. The loot the Static Fanged Macrovipera was the same as the floor boss dropped. So now he had two of the Static Macrovipera Chest Pieces. The item the Electro Orchid Mantis dropped on this floor was different. It was a pair of bracers called Orchid Vine Bracers that when he first took them out were two Orchid flowers. However once you placed them on your wrists, vines would grow out from the bottom and wrapped around his forearms. They had a similar function to his Askith Pharaoh Hand Wraps where he could shoot out vines from them that could wrap around objects or targets. He kind of forgot about that feature with his own equipment. However, with these items he needed to have Plant Magic to at least level ten. He figured he would give them to a certain plant mage he knew of. The other differences on this floor he noticed though were the number of normal monsters that roamed the tunnels. Instead of one monster separated, they were starting to travel in groups. Thanks to the amount of monsters increasing, he was able to get more Twin Fanged Adder Venom and other crafting materials. He was also able to try out his newest weapon, the War Scythe, on majority of the enemies to get a better feel for it. He was able to level it up to five while getting his two affliction spells up another level, almost reaching level ten. After a long hour making his way to the final boss room, Liam found himself standing and staring into the room from the open doorway. His body was covered in shadows thanks to his Veil of Shadows. The room this time was much bigger than the last two boss rooms on the previous floors. The ceiling walls and floor weren¡¯t as smoothed out like the others were either. Jagged and misshapen rocks cluttered the room in an odd way. As he stared at the boss monster he understood why. Standing the middle of the room on all six legs was a giant burnt yellow with Black stripes beetle that looked to be seven feet tall and 10 feet long. Long whip like antennas stretched and reached just a bit farther than its whole body. If the size of this bug didn¡¯t give Liam pause, the lightning that sparked along its antennas and off its wings every time it opened them did. He assessed it to get a better understanding of what he was dealing with.
¡°Longhorn Static Whip Beetle. 350/350 HP. 120/120 MP. Level 10.¡±
¡°Static Whip?¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself. ¡°Why the hell is it¡­¡± Suddenly, one of the creature¡¯s long antennas snapped forward, cracking like a whip right into a decent sized boulder not too far away from it. As soon as the tip of the antenna crashed into the stone, a thunder like bang echoed throughout the room, causing Liam to cover his ears. A couple seconds later he refocused on the rock that was struck and saw a decent size was destroyed off of it. ¡°Note to self, do not get whipped by that antenna¡­or the other,¡± Liam stated as he started formulating a plan. He took in what he was watching and thought about what he could do, what he needed to avoid, and what abilities could be used. The mouth looked to be two strong solid mandibles. He had to make sure they were even there because when he first looked the creature¡¯s face just looked like two eyes and no mouth at all due to the shape and how close they were when closed. Once when they opened to make a weird noise, Liam added a couple possible attacks to this fight. However, he would need to make sure it was open for that spell to work. He couldn¡¯t use Grasp of the Shadows right off the bat in case the monster decided not to open its jaws so now he needed to create a new opening. The body looked sturdy and hard, which told Liam that he would need powerful impact attacks if he wanted to do damage around those areas. The legs looked like they would be easy to cleave, but after the resistance he felt when trying to sever the Electro Orchid¡¯s legs, he needed to be prepared that it could happen here as well. The only real threat Liam was able to see was the lightning that sparked around the creature as well as those long whip-like antennas. He needed to avoid those at all costs. After looking around the room he figured out a way he could start this fight. It would not only allow him to make the first move, but it would also give him the few seconds he needed to start the next spell or two afterwards. Feeling confident in this plan he had made, Liam slowly approached a boulder that came up to his neck, close to him. As he approached it, he placed a hand on it and started to whisper a chant. ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity. Reverse and move away from me, allowing the way to be clear. By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you. Gravity Force Push!¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Liam felt the mana that had coated him wash over the stone rock in front of him. His stealth cover had lifted, but to his luck the boss monster didn¡¯t notice him. That was until the rock suddenly raised off the ground and float for a second before flying at a high speed right for the giant beetle¡¯s face. Liam began his next chant as he watched the object slam right into the sturdy face of the Longhorn Beetle. The impact not only caused damage, but it also pushed and lifted the front end of the creature up into the air. It let out a loud screech of pain and surprise as its body involuntarily moved from the attack. As the creature did this, Liam had finished the chant to his next spell causing a thick cloud of black smoke to explode out from underneath it and race to cover its whole body. Liam didn¡¯t waste any time and continued with his next spell. ¡°Radiant and majestic, we admire you in the night. Deadly and poisonous, many don¡¯t know your terrible might. Caress my target with your light like a gentle kiss. Remind them why you¡¯re as dangerous as the abyss. Epidermis Luminescence.¡± Liam watched as a flash of pale light illuminated a spot on the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle¡¯s body. He was about to start up another chant until he felt his Danger Sense flare up along the front end of his body. Abandoning the chant, he was about to say, Liam jump to his left right in time to dodge a long whip-like antenna that had cracked down where he once stood. A loud boom shortly followed as the antenna shot back behind the beetle. The smoke that had covered its body disappeared as its massive front end came back down. Liam could see its massive black eyeball lock on to him the moment it landed. It didn¡¯t waste any time as it whipped both of its antennas right for Liam once again. Liam jumped twice to his left and heard two more cracks of thunder as a flash of lightning sparked with each hit against the ground he was once at. Liam didn¡¯t stop after jumping away. He started running forward, trying to get away from the front end of the monster. He wasn¡¯t sure how flexible the antennas were or if it could whip them in any direction other than in front of it. As he ran, he watched as the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle¡¯s health started to drop from both afflictions running its course through it. It wasn¡¯t doing a lot of damage, but the amount it was doing was still helping him in the end. The giant bug turned its body trying to keep up with Liam but failed to match his speed. Liam took note of that. If this creature couldn¡¯t keep up with his speed then it could be his biggest asset in this fight. The Longhorn Static Beetle continued to move its body to try and keep him in its sight. Liam believed he was far enough ahead and changed directions, running straight towards the back leg. He believed his speed was going to get him there before the boss monster could do anything, but then watched as it opened its wings, fluttered them as quickly as it could and shot out sparks of lightning that flew out and bounced a few times across the ground right for Liam. Liam cursed as he activated Shadow Step right in time to dodge the incoming attack. He reappeared on the other side of the monster, right within striking distance. Liam positioned his body as fast as he could before activating his Cleave ability and executing the Crescent Moon dagger skill. Liam felt his body move with the motions as his body spun. However, right as his dagger was about to strike, he felt a strong resistance that stopped the movement of his hand and suddenly bounced back, causing his body to stop its forward momentum. ¡°What the hell?! Liam yelled as he jumped backwards away from the creature before another arc of lightning sparked out from its wings. He looked down at his daggers and felt a slight tingle vibrate from his grip. He figured the monster would be harder to cleave through than the regular monsters, but he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get as much resistance as he just did. If the joints around the legs were this hard to cut through, then was that the same for the antennas? Liam thought. I¡¯m hoping that¡¯s not the case, but in order for me to see, I¡¯m going to need to distract it somehow. As Liam sprinted in between the rocks on the ground to keep out of the line of attack from the monster¡¯s antennas, he tried to think of things he could use to distract. Most of his abilities required a chant, but he couldn¡¯t keep moving as fast as he could while chanting and keeping an eye out for the fallen or destroyed rocks scattered around the room. Maybe I can blind it? Liam considered. He then shook his head as he thought about the two spells he had that could blind the creature. They too required him to chant in order to use them. He could try and hide behind one of the bigger rocks, but then he would be a sitting duck. After remembering seeing the creature break a rock easily with a powerful crack of its whip-like antenna, Liam knew it was a bad idea. If only I had an ability that I could just charge instead of chant¡­ Liam was thinking. As he was thinking this he realized he did have something that could be used like that. He quickly changed his daggers for the War Scythe he had received back on the second floor and felt the sudden weight change. He had to grip the weapon a little harder, so he didn¡¯t drop it. Not wanting to hesitate, Liam focused on channeling his Lightning Mana. As he started the process, he felt the mana course along his hands. Instead of it remaining around his hands, he felt it being sucked into the scythe. Liam activated his Mana Sight and saw the Lightning Mana, that was trying to coat his hands, course onto the scythe and up towards the blade then into the first Orchid bud. The Bud glowed that familiar color that represented Lightning Mana. After a certain amount of it had filled the bud, the mana then shifted to the next one. As this was going on, Liam also tried to focus on not tripping over or running into any loose rocks or boulders. He was also trying to maintain his current running speed, making sure not to slow down even the tiniest of bit. He also had to dodge the random arcs of Lightning the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle shot out from its wings. He could feel the stress accumulate as he continued to do this. Both his mana and stamina bars drained at a significant pace. As these two resource bars were falling, Liam felt both a headache and his muscles start to tighten. He pushed himself to the best of his abilities and was finally rewarded as the final Orchid bud glowed. A notification suddenly appear in front of him, almost causing him to trip.
¡°Solar Flash is fully charged. Would you like to activate Solar Flash? Yes No?¡±
Now that he had gotten this far, it was time for him to do the most dangerous part. Get in close enough for this ability to have a better effect without getting killed by those antennas or hit by those Lightning attacks. Liam came to a stop and took this brief moment to catch his breath. He was waiting for the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle to fully turn its body in his direction before he rushed in. When the head of the creature was almost lined up with him, Liam sprinted forward. His Danger Sense flare up as soon as the giant beetle had righted itself to face Liam. A second after he felt the sensation, Liam pushed off his back right foot to jump diagonally to his left. As soon as his body got out of the way, the creature¡¯s left antenna cracked forward bringing forth the tip of the antenna coursing with Lighting down right where he had pushed off from. A loud thunderous boom echoed the room as the ground beneath rumbled a bit. Liam wasn¡¯t out of the clear yet as his Danger Sense was still flared up. As soon as his left foot touched down, Liam bent his knee and then pushed his body to the right while hunching his upper body a bit. He did this to dodge the antenna that was making its way back to the beetle¡¯s body. A second attack from the monster¡¯s right antenna struck down where Liam had pushed off from. Liam held his weapon tightly against his body as he dodged both strikes. However, after he landed this second time, Liam skidded to a halt since he was within the distance he wanted to be. He then pushed the war scythe out far enough away from his body while making sure the Orchid buds were facing the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle and mentally accepted the notification and swiftly closed his eyes. As soon as he closed his eyes he felt something light lick his skin and press against his equipment. Then as quickly as the sensation touched him, it dispersed. It was so sudden that Liam wasn¡¯t sure if anything had happened. As he pondered this, a confirmation in the form of a loud screech washed over him, causing him to open his eyes to see what was going on. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle thrash about violently as it waved its head around. Liam jumped up in the air as one of its antennas swept across the ground. He barely dodged it as the motion was swift and clean. The loose stones that were scattered around him were caught up and flew towards the other side of the room. After he touched down, he had to jump again as the antenna was violently brought back. As he was in the air his attention was snapped towards a flash that sparked over the monster¡¯s back, where its wings were. Mana Sight still activated, Liam saw Lightning Mana start to channel and build up. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen, but he had a hunch it wasn¡¯t going to good. His other issue was the antennas it was swinging wildly. Each swing swept away more rocks around it. He wanted to reach the giant boulders that were farther back, but with the speed of each movement of its head and the mana charging up, he believed he wouldn¡¯t make it in time. Instead, he decided to try something else out. As soon as he touched down, he jumped up as high as he could while recalling his war scythe to his inventory and reaching an arm out above his head. He focused on a thick hanging rock on the ceiling and willed the bandage wraps he had on his hands and forearms and shot a stream up to wrap around it. As it wound around it tightly, he focused on pulling himself up into the air as close to the ceiling he could get. He was happy with this decision because the moment he reached the top he watched as the boss monster stopped thrashing its head around and let out a mighty war cry-like screech, spreading its wings out. The Lighting Mana it had channeled had reached full capacity as it exploded out in a wave that sparked across the ground all around it and towards the walls. He noticed that the rocks big enough for him to hide behind and still intact cut the wave of lightning off. Behind the rocks no signs of lightning existed. So those rocks are there for that reason. Liam thought to himself as he pulled out a Minor Blueberry Mana Potion and a Minor Orange Stamina Potion and rank them. As his resources replenished he took a look at the creature¡¯s health and was slightly disappointed.
¡°Longhorn Static Whip Beetle. 243/350 HP. 97/120 MP. Level 10.¡±
The only damage he had been able to cause was from his two affliction spells and his Gravity Force Push. While his two affliction spells were great to tick away as much health as they could while he fought, they weren¡¯t permanent spells. The timer was almost gone. He organized his thoughts as he tried to prioritize what he needed to do. He needed to do more damage, take off those antennas and disrupt the lightning attacks caused by its wings. He had spells that could do that, but he didn¡¯t have time to cast them. He needed to find a way to¡­ He blinked a few times before he realized where he was. He also remembered that he had blinded the creature as well, so it didn¡¯t have any idea where he was unless it looked up. A wicked grin formed on his face as he formulated another plan. He looked at his Mana Bar and noticed it was almost full again. It would have to do. Without any hesitation, Liam started chanting. ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± The shadow underneath the giant beetle started to quiver before tendrils sprang out and wrapped themselves around the creature¡¯s body, neck, the two antennas, and even around the wings preventing them from opening up. As the tendril pulled down, the two antennas were pulled over the beetle¡¯s head and under its head, making an arched look side by side from the head to the ground. He didn¡¯t stop there as he went right into the next chant. ¡°Radiant and majestic, we admire you in the night. Deadly and poisonous, many don¡¯t know your terrible might. Caress my target with your light like a gentle kiss. Remind them why you¡¯re as dangerous as the abyss. Epidermis Luminescence.¡± A pale white light flashed around the creature¡¯s neck as it let out a painful shriek. The timer that was about to hit zero refilled. Once more, Liam went straight into the next chant. ¡°Shadows so dark come forth, pierce through this pour creature¡¯s sight, temporary blinding it with a pain it never knew existed, Blanket of Darkness!¡± Another tendril of shadow snaked out from underneath it and made its way over to the creature¡¯s big black eyes. After wrapping around them, they stabbed right into them, causing another painful yell, making the creature jerk its body violently. He didn¡¯t stop there as he prepared the next chant. ¡°Hidden beneath and lying in wait, the unseen¡¯s poison is never delivered late. Bellow out in a puff of smoke and slip into the stream. Corrupt the body, Corrupt the mind. Deliver the fear you wish to create. Shade¡¯s Corruption.¡± A puff of black smoke exploded from underneath the creature. The Shade¡¯s Corruption timer that had just disappeared reappeared with the timer full again. Liam took a look at his Mana Bar and saw it had dropped under half. Not wanting to risk it in case he needed to use this combination again, he pulled out a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion and drank it, emptying all of his mana potion stock. After he replenished the amount of mana the potion gave him, he grabbed his Moon blade dagger out from its sheath and waited for the smoke to disappear. Once it did he pointed it right for the middle of its back, closer to the head where the antennas were at. Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it so he could steady his aim, Liam started up another chant for a spell that had just gotten off of cooldown. ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity. Reverse and move away from me, allowing the way to be clear. By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you. Gravity Force Push!¡± He felt the mana wash over him and cover his weapon. After it had fully covered it, he felt the spell start to activate. He released his grip off of it as soon as he felt the push appear and watched as it flew towards its intended target. An even louder pain cry escaped from the monster¡¯s mandibles as the dagger crashed hard right into its hard shell. The spot where it had pierced was a bit off from where he had aimed, but it was still close to it. blood started to trickle out from the cracked shell, letting Liam know he had finally struck deep into it. He prepared himself for this next part. He pulled himself upwards and planted his feet onto the ceiling. He then looked for the spot he wanted to land and repositioned his body. After he prepared himself, he took in a deep breath and slowly released it before he pushed himself off the ceiling and mentally released his hold on the rock. This allowed him to fly right for the back nearest to the creature¡¯s head. As he quickly approached, Liam pulled out his War Scythe and lifted it over his head. Right before he reached his landing destination, he flung his arms over his head as hard as he could, causing his body to spin with it. He spun once, twice, and upon the third time, he felt the blades hook under the antennas and slide against the blades towards the handle. As he finished the spin and landed both feet onto the back of the creature, Liam activated Cleave and jerked his arms as hard as he could, severing the antennas from the creature¡¯s head. Not wanting to find out if the creature could still send any sparks of Lightning across its body, Liam swiftly put his weapon into his inventory, gripped his dagger, twisted it, wretched it free, then jumped off the monsters back. As he landed on the ground he felt his knees buckle under him and rolled across the ground. He breathed heavily as he pushed himself to his feet and stared at the creature¡¯s health.
¡°Longhorn Static Whip Beetle. 56/350 HP. 15/120 MP. Level 10.¡±
Liam let out a mixture between a surprised chuckle and a cough as he felt exhilaration from what he had just done. He knew that one wrong movement could have ended badly for him. He would say he did that perfectly, but he would be lying to himself. He had taken damage from the landing he made from the height he fell from. He could feel the tension in his legs as they felt strained and tight. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Liam involuntarily stated as he continued to cough a few times. ¡°Holy shit! I had hoped that would worked, but holy shit!¡± The giant beetle let out a cry of anger and pain in response to Liam¡¯s words. This brought Liam¡¯s attention towards the creature again making him remember the battle wasn¡¯t finished. He sheathed his Moon Blade and pulled out his War Scythe again. He could feel his forearms tighten as the heaviness settled. He knew he was going to be tired after this, but he didn¡¯t care. He was having fun. He slowly walked over to the trapped creature and said as he twisted his body to his right, bringing his weapon up horizontally, ¡°Thanks for the learning experience. However, its time you died.¡± He then swung the curved blade right into the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle¡¯s left eye. He pulled it out and slammed it again into the eye, over and over until the creature¡¯s health dropped and the familiar sound in his mind echoed and the notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have defeated the Dungeon Boss of the Crackling Cave Longhorn Static Whip Beetle level ¨C 10!¡±
Adventure 188 - A Forge made from the Soul
¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Gravity ability Gravity Force Push has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 16%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Afflictions (Lunar) has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Lunar) ability ¨C Epidermis Luminescence has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Damage Output has increased, Timer has increased!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Utility (Shadow) ability Shadow Step has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 3%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Affliction (Shadow) ability Shade¡¯s Corruption has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! Damage Output has increased, Timer has increased, 5% chance to cause Confusion Debuff has increased to 7%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Dagger has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Scythe has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Control over Lightning Mana has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 31%!¡±
Liam pulled the blade of his war scythe out from the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle¡¯s eye socket, dropped that end on the ground and then leaned against the handle while trying to keep himself standing. He breathed heavily as he stared at the giant corpse. The shadows that were gripping it tightly dispersed as his affliction spells deactivated. He could feel the muscles in his arm bulge as he tried to straighten his posture and intake as much air as he could. Sweat rolled down his face as he lifted an arm up and wiped his forehead clean. ¡°I can definitely understand why you need a certain amount of strength to wield a weapon like this,¡± Liam muttered to himself between breaths. ¡°The amount of stamina it consumes is no joke.¡± Either way, I must commend you and congratulate you on that impressive move you pulled there at the end. Eri stated with a hint of awe in her voice. The way you swung your new weapon and activated Cleave at the right moment was impressive. A bit reckless, but impressive, nonetheless. ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam replied as he felt his heartbeat start to calm down. ¡°I know it was a gamble there because I wasn¡¯t sure how bad the fall damage was going to be, but I¡¯m glad it didn¡¯t hurt as much as it would have back in my old world. Having stats can really save your ass at times.¡± And that is why people work hard on raising them. Eri agreed. For moments like this where a stat being at a certain level can really come in handy. Now enough with this. See what you got and harvest this creature. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Liam said as he reached out and touched the monster¡¯s corpse.
¡°You have received Static Shell Greaves.¡± ¡°Static Shell Greaves has been placed into your inventory.¡± ¡°You have received 50 Copper coins.¡± ¡°50 Copper Coins has been placed into your inventory.¡±
Liam pulled out the equipment piece he received and stared at them. They were smooth burnt yellow with black stripes leg armor. He knocked on them to see how sturdy they were and the feeling his knuckles felt as he tapped the equipment reminded him of how sturdy the giant beetle¡¯s shell was. They weren¡¯t too impressive, but sometimes equipment didn¡¯t need to be in order to protect you. He assessed them to get a better look.
¡°Static Shell Greaves. Item Type ¨C Armor (Legs). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Crude. + 5 Defense. + 5 % resistance to Lightning Magic. Effect ¨C Static Pulse. Static Pulse ¨C Channel Lightning Mana into the Greaves. After enough Lightning Mana has been stored into the equipment, wearer can release a small static pulse of Lightning around them. Distance 5ft.¡± ¡°Warning! User must be able to manipulate Lighting Mana in order to utilize Static Pulse!¡±
Liam nodded after reading the information on them. As he placed them back into his inventory he muttered, ¡°The defense isn¡¯t much, but that Static Pulse effect is pretty good. Especially for a Crude item.¡± He then stared at the boss monster¡¯s corpse, pulled out a knife and started to harvest the monster. It took Liam some time to harvest the Soul Orb of the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle. Thanks to its level instead of it being a Flawed Soul Orb, it ended up being a Minor Soul Orb. After that he went and tried to harvest as much as he could from the Longhorn Static Whip Beetle. However, due to never harvesting one before, many of the materials he attempted to harvest were not suitable for crafting. The long whip-like antennas that he had cleaved during his fight and the perfectly intact eye he hadn¡¯t stabbed repeatedly with his war scythe were the only ones in almost near perfect condition. He was able to gain some parts of the creature¡¯s shell, but the size of each one varied and cracks were visible on majority of them. Due to that, Liam let out a sigh and just resigned his luck on it. He accepted that he needed to find smaller variants of the creatures to practice on, along with trying to find a book on harvesting the species. As he stared at the broken pieces of Beetle shell, Liam asked himself, ¡°Is it possible to even make armor out of this stuff? I mean I know how the ingots work as well as bones, but is it the same process or is there some trick to it?¡± I wouldn¡¯t say there¡¯s a trick to it. Eri suddenly chimed in. It¡¯s more about experience. Once you get certain sections of Blacksmith like Weapon Craft, Armor Craft, or even Bone Forging as well as Blacksmithing as a whole up to level thirty then you¡¯re able to start adding more components. Since you¡¯re still in the Bronze or Beginner stages from level one to twenty nine, you¡¯re essentially just learning how to make stuff and trying to get a better understanding of how you can work with materials. After entering the Silver Stage of the Craft a new section will appear in your Blacksmith. This new section you should allow you to begin a more creative venture for your crafted items. Adding things like this beetle shell to strengthen your armor or mixing the Bone crafted armor with tailored made or plated metal pieces. The possibilities are endless. Keep in mind though, as you start to do this, the quality of the smithed items you make will go down until you raise that new section up high enough. So, when you make your first item with components on it do not be discouraged. It¡¯s all a part of the learning and experience you¡¯ll need to grow. Liam was genuinely surprised. He knew that crafting wasn¡¯t simple. While there had been some simplicity at the beginning, he was starting to see that much like anything the basics will always seem that way. After mastering the basics that¡¯s when things start to get complicated. Speaking of Blacksmithing. Eri started back up. Don¡¯t leave this place just yet. I think this would be the best place to try something new. Liam tilted his head with a confused expression on his face. ¡°Try what out?¡± A class ability of yours that we haven¡¯t had the chance to test out yet. Eri replied. Anima Forge. ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t we have to go back and prepare for those tests?¡± Liam questioned sounding a bit unsure. Yes I am sure. Eri started. You don¡¯t get many chances to be alone in an area where no one would enter. So, take this opportunity to test the ability out. You never know when you¡¯re going to get another chance. Liam thought about it. He knew she was right. If he let this chance go he didn¡¯t know when it would appear again. He pulled up the description of the ability and read it.
¡°Anima Forge. Ability type ¨C Crafting, Instant, Non-chant. MP Cost ¨C N/A. Spirit Pool Cost ¨C 25. Item Requirements ¨C Small Kiln or Small Smelter. Requirements ¨C Spirit Stat Will Sub-stat Zen level 20. Description ¨C Creates a small Anima Forge by turning a regular flame into a soul flame allowing the user to forge spirit orbs into a completed crafted weapon, armor piece, or tools into it. This ability levels up Soul Smithing in the Blacksmithing Craft.¡±
Much like his Spirit Weave Class ability, this one didn¡¯t require any Mana. Instead, it required using his spirit pool. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he would be able to activate this ability since all it said was creates a small Anima Forge by turning a regular flame into a Soul Flame. ¡°Do I just summon a flame and does that turn into a Soul Flame?¡± Liam muttered to himself as he thought about it. He shook his head. ¡°No that would be impractical wouldn¡¯t it? If I was able to just make a flame then what would I do with it after that? Hold on to it? Would it transform into a forge just from that?¡± He was stumped on what he needed to. After giving it some thought he decided to give that a try to see what would happen. He decided he would use Light and Burn to create a small flame and experiment with that. He reached his hand out, palm up, and chanted, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre before you. Become the tool that will help. Light and burn!¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. A small flame flickered to life and danced an inch above his palm. After it stabilized, he focused on the flame and said with as much focus as he had, ¡°Anima Forge.¡± As Liam focused his attention on the flame he felt an ethereal sensation stir within his chest. He wasn¡¯t sure if what he was feeling was correct, but it felt like something light and wispy had passed through his chest and started to circle up to his shoulder then down the arm that was stretched out. An eerie ghastly green light fazed in and out of his sight as it slowly circled up his forearm. At first he wasn¡¯t able to see it, but as it slowly crept towards his hand, the phenomenon slowly came into view. It looked like a ghastly green mist smoke was trailing along his arm. With wide eyes, Liam watched as the ghastly green smoke ran along his palm under the flame. It then started circling around until his entire hand was thick with the smoke. Shortly after that, while still circling around, the smoke rose like a miniature tornado. The size of the funnel expanded as the smoke started to swirl around the flame that was dancing on his palm. After the ghastly green smoke tornado grew taller than the flame, it then thinned out and engulfed the flame. However, as it did this, Liam watched as the flame was suddenly snuffed out like wind blowing out a candle. This also caused the ghastly green smoke to suddenly disperse. The ethereal sensation Liam had felt when he tried to activate this ability had also stopped, making Liam believe the ability had failed. Even though his little experiment had failed he didn¡¯t get nothing out of it. A couple of chime sounds echoed in his mind while two notifications suddenly appeared.
¡°Class Ability Anima Forge has failed! Equipment was not found and proportions of flame to Spirit Pool resources did not match properly!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Requirements have been met! You have received Non-Combat ability ¨C Phantom Sight! Phantom Sight has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 0%!¡±
¡°Equipment was not found and the Proportions of flame to Spirit Pool Resources did not match?¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°I figured the first part of the message was what I originally thought it would be like. However, what the hell does that last part mean? Also, Phantom Sight? What the hell is that?¡± He then pulled up the ability to read the description.
¡°Phantom Sight. Description ¨C Allows user to see Phantom, Spectral, Spirit, Ghost type creature when it disappears from plain sight. Can see through any solid object a Spirit type creature inhabits in order to discern if a spirit type creature is attached to it. Bonus Effect requirements met: Spirit Pool, Spirit type Class. Bonus Effect: Allows user to see Spirit type abilities easier when caster is using them or if a creature is using them against the caster.¡±
Liam was confused by the wording of this description. The description of the ability wasn¡¯t what confused him though. It was worded as if this wasn¡¯t an ability that was strictly for his kind of class. The Bonus effect gave the feeling that it was tailored for his type of class, but the first part made it seemed like anyone was able to gain this ability. ¡°Hey Eri?¡± Liam started. ¡°This Phantom Sight. It kind of sounds like anyone could gain this ability. That¡¯s not the case right?¡± That is the case. Eri replied. Although it is rare, there are ghost or spirit type monsters in dungeons. Some people with very high Perception have a chance to gain it, but generally Priest, Paladin, or classes similar to that usually gain them. They get this abilities because they have a higher chance to gain abilities in order to help their teams out during fights that have ghosts, wraiths, or the like. Most classes don¡¯t focus on gaining abilities that can help defeat spirits since the chances of coming across them are rare. That and majority of the people don¡¯t like going into Black Dungeons where they reside. If memory serves me right, the Sojourner Race are the only ones who focus on those types of Dungeons since they have a motto that the Dead should remain dead. Their Deity, Arlen, heavily requires his subjects to gain the abilities needed to fight Undead, Spirit creatures, and even the Demon-kins since he believes they are foul spawns that plaque the world. My advice, if you come across someone who says they are a Sojourner do not talk to them. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked as curiosity filled him. Their race is a highly religious one. Eri continued. They will not stop at just killing Undead, Spirits, and Demons. The race of people are highly fanatical and want to convert everyone. They do not like taking no for an answer too. There has been a time where wars were waged because they wanted a whole race to be converted and that race refused. It was¡­messy. Many Deities had to step in to stop it because it was getting out of hand. Liam¡¯s face contorted into a disdainful look. ¡°That sounds intense. Yeah I don¡¯t want to get mixed up with them if that¡¯s how they are.¡± Would be wise, but let¡¯s refocus on what just happened. Eri nodded in agreement. Tell me. Why did you try to activate the ability with just a flame out and not your portable forge? ¡°Since I¡¯m not one hundred percent sure how the ability activates I wanted to test if all I needed was a flame,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t work, but I at least wanted to say I tried.¡± Fair enough. Eri said. I won¡¯t undermine you testing it that way since you were able to gain a new ability from your little experiment. Albeit, I do believe you need a forge with a fire already going in order for it to work. Let¡¯s try that out and see if it works. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said as he pulled up his Mobile Crafter ability.
¡°Mobile Crafter. Which would you like to use? Available Crafting Stations ¨C Alchemy (Small), Blacksmithing (Small), Cooking (Small). Unavailable Crafting Stations ¨C Tailoring (Small).¡±
He mentally clicked on Blacksmithing (Small) and took a couple steps back as the ground around him started to rumble. The ground shifted and stirred as stones began to push up and form into a small domed forge with a chimney. A second area had formed into a flatter version of the domed forged as an anvil appeared in between the two. A small area close by the flattened forge had pushed down making a small pit. Liam¡¯s face scrunched as he thought about what would normally go in that pit close by what he called the Smelter. Okay. Go ahead and light the forge with your Light and Burn spell. Eri instructed. After you get the fire stoked activate your new Phantom Sight ability and try to use your Anima Forge ability. ¡°Oddly specific instructions,¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself before doing as she said. He chanted his Light and Burn spell while channeling some mana into it to get the flame hot and big enough to be placed inside the Mobile Crafter Forge. After he placed the flame, he waited a few seconds before readjusting his goggles that rested over his eyes, activated Phantom Sight, placed both arms out towards the flame inside the small forge, and said, ¡°Anima Forge.¡± Like earlier, Liam felt an ethereal sensation stir within him before it passed through his chest. Instead of the light ghastly feeling running towards one shoulder, Liam felt a wispy light touch split into two directions. They gently and slowly ran up to both shoulders before circling around and down his arms. As soon as the ghastly green smoke made it to his biceps, Liam was able to see the thickness of the smoke was thinner than it was when it ran down only one arm. He also noticed something else as the smoke crept slowly to his hands. Within the ghastly green smoke, transparent outlines of an arm looked to be rising and sinking. Liam couldn¡¯t put it into words what exactly it was he was seeing, but he felt a bit unsettled. The images only appeared where the lines of smoke touched. The areas the smoke didn¡¯t touch nothing happened. He shook his head and concentrated on the task before him. He watched as the ghastly green smoke continued to his hands. He almost flinched as he saw transparent outlines of parts of hands rose and sunk. Trying hard not to react to it he then watched as the ghastly smoke began to waterfall of his hands and into the forge. As the lines of smoke entered the forge they started to swirl around the burning flame livening inside. The swirling smoke started at the top and slowly made their way down to the bottom. As Liam watched this he saw wild parts of the flame escape from the body and fly right into the smoke. The flame that came out from the other side of the thin line of smoke had changed color for a brief moment before returning to its orangish red and disappearing. Liam was curious about that. That one independent flame¡¯s color had changed to match the smoke entirely. He tried to look around inside to see if it would happen again and watched as several other flames that had broken off from the main body either passed through the ghastly green smoke or between the lines. He noticed a difference between the two. The ones that had passed through the smoke did what he had witnessed with the first independent flame. The ones that didn¡¯t pass through the smoke, but instead in-between the lines remained the same color. He found this discovery to be very intriguing. He then waited to see what would happen next. However, as he waited nothing changed. He frowned at this. He didn¡¯t know what to expect when he was told to try this ability out, but he was hoping for something like his many other skills. He was hoping for an understanding to appear in his mind like many of his abilities he received did. As he continued to wait he came to the decision that this ability wasn¡¯t going to give him the answer. Instead, it wanted him to figure it out on his own. ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to play then I guess I¡¯ll bite,¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself as he smile and began to think about what to do. He worked on a lot of different ideas on what he was supposed to do, but each one felt like they were missing something. As he continued to think he watched the smoke swirling around the main body of the flame while little bits separated from it and passed through the smoke. As he watched this, he began thinking to himself, The color of those flames passing through the smoke is probably the outcome I¡¯m wanting to happen. If that¡¯s the case then how would I get the flame to¡­ His thoughts on the question slowly died out as words from the notification he received earlier on his first attempt replayed in his mind. Proportions of flame to Spirit Pool resources did not match properly. What did that notification mean? Liam began to think. Why would I receive a notification saying something like that? Think. What happened during the last attempt? Liam replayed the scene of the thick smoke turning into a tornado on his palm while swirling around the small flame. He then remembered seeing the smoke engulf the flame and¡­snuffed it out? Did it snuff the flame out? Liam thought. If that is the case then why did it? He thought about the notification and the scene where the smoke and flame both disappeared. He felt like he was on the cusp of something but still wasn¡¯t there. If the notification was a clue to it then maybe it was trying to tell me there was too much smoke and the amount that had covered it was too much for the small flame? Liam nodded his head. Yeah. Yeah, I think that was it. But if that was the case for that flame, then what is going on here? The flame is bigger than the one earlier so wouldn¡¯t it¡­ Liam¡¯s line of thought caused him to grow curious about something as he watched a random small flame that had separated pass through the thin line of smoke. He leaned his body forward enough to get a better look at the bottom of the fire. A smile formed at what he just saw. The smoke that was spiraling down was entering the flame at the bottom and was feeding into it. The color of the bottom section of that flame was a ghastly green. However, only the bottom of the flame was that color while the rest of the flame was an orangish red. So that¡¯s what it meant when it said the proportions of the flame and the Spirit Pool resources didn¡¯t match properly. Liam thought as an understanding washed over him. The piece he was trying to figure out had finally clicked. I had poured too much of the spirit smoke over that little flame which caused both to puff out. This time I¡¯m not pouring in enough to match the flame. If that¡¯s the case then I need to feed it more. Liam focused on the ghastly green smoke. He tried willing it grown. To thicken the lines more than what was pouring out. At first nothing happened. After a few seconds had passed, he felt the sensation grow a bit heavier. He then watched as the thin smoke that was circling around his arms grow before entering the forge. A satisfactory smile grew on his face as he watched the thicker lines of spirit smoke swirl down around the flame. He waited for a few more seconds before witnessing the color of the entire flame begin to change. The orangish red color began to turn. The middle of the flame lightened up until it turned into an ethereal white. The red outlines that covered the outside of the flame darkened to a blue then to a green before matching the same color of ghastly green that the smoke had. After the last bit of flame had finished its transformation, the ghastly green smoke suddenly puffed out leaving behind a flame that gave Liam both an eerie and warm feeling. A couple of chime sounds entered Liam¡¯s mind as notifications appeared.
¡°Congratulations! Main Class Spirit Weaver ability - Anima Forge has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Requirements have been met for a new section of Blacksmithing! Soul Craft has been unlocked! Sub-section of Soul Craft ¨C Core Creation has been unlocked.¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received a Soul Craft ability Soul Flame! Soul Flame has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 0%!¡±
Adventure 189 - Soul Core Creation Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the notifications that had appeared. At first he was trying to process what he was reading. After he had fully activated his Anima Forge it unlocked Soul Craft and Core Creation. He didn¡¯t know what that meant. What were cores and what did they have to do with Soul Crafting? Not only that, but he gained a new ability called Soul Flame. After taking a few seconds to reorganize his thoughts, he opened the description for each new thing he had received in order to better understand it.
¡°Soul Craft. Description ¨C The Craft of turning Soul Orbs and the creatures the Soul Orbs came from into power. By crafting suitable vessels to harness the power of Soul Orbs, the Crafter can then add then to finished weapons or armor. The Crafter can also use the vessels created from Soul Crafting into other crafting fields. Examples: Alchemy, Enchanting, Rune Crafting, and more.¡± ¡°Core Creation. Soul Craft Sub-section. Description ¨C The Craft of creating a vessel known as a Soul Core Orb by taking a Soul Orb, that will represent the main component, and forging the required amount of Soul Orbs of the same species into it to not only enhance the attributes the main component will give, but to also solidify and make the Soul Core accessible for other crafting uses. Attributes that are given to Soul Core Orb depend on chosen Soul Orb to be used as main focus, Tier level of Soul Orb of main component as well as Soul Orbs used to process Soul Core. Requirements to craft a Soul Core: Anima Forge, Soul Orbs, Spirit Pool.¡± ¡°Soul Flame. Description ¨C This ability allows the caster to pour some Soul Power into a flame turning it into a Soul Flame. The power of a Soul Flame is so hot it can burn the soul. Soul Flames cannot melt metal or other non-spirit crafted physical objects. The Soul Flame only affects Soul created or crafted objects. Duration of spell: N/A. Costs: Size of the flame determines the amount of Spirit Pool resources is used. Target: Single Flame. Spell Type: Channeled, Non-chant.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he read the last ability. The description was interesting, to say the least. However, it left him with many questions. The flame couldn¡¯t melt metal or other non-spirit crafted physical objects? But it was so hot it could burn the soul? Not only that but his Anima Forge ability required a Soul Flame. Did that mean he¡¯d need to use this ability each time just to activate the Anima Forge? And what was up with the Core Creation? Judging by the wording it seemed like he needed to use Soul Orbs. The fact it didn¡¯t fully tell him exactly how many soul orbs he needed to use for the craft left him feeling unsure. Not only that, but the fact it stated the attributes of the item being dependent on the Tier level of the Soul Orb made him feel like this craft was a complete gamble. He would definitely need to run some tests to see if there are patterns, but the materials needed to run those tests relied on his Soul Orb stock. He had plenty he could probably use at the moment, but majority of those Flawed Soul Orbs were needed to replenish his Spirit Pool resource. Liam let out a sigh. Even though he was happy to gain a new craft he could mess around with and learn, there were still so many questions that needed to be answered. So many tests and not enough time nor materials. He mentally told himself he would need to go material hunting soon so he could stock up even more on Soul Orbs, but for now he wanted to see how this Core Creation worked. He stared at the eerie ghastly green flame that flickered around inside the newly created Anima Forge. The flame, creepy as it was, made Liam feel drawn to it. He didn¡¯t know why he felt that way, but the more he stared at it the more he felt mesmerized. It was like the flame was calling to him. As a few seconds passed by, he realized he felt something else. He felt it was familiar to him. Not in a way that he had seen it before. Rather like it was a part of him. He shook his head trying not to be too distracted by the unknowns of this flame. ¡°I wonder how this would work,¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself as he took a thinking pose. ¡°Am I supposed to just throw a Soul Orb inside? Or am I just supposed to say Core Creation and it would just pop up a screen?¡± Liam let out a small chuckle as he added, ¡°As if it would be that eas¡­¡± A notification window suddenly popped up in front of him.
¡°Soul Core Creation. Please pick the main component you wish to use in order to craft a Soul Core Orb.¡±
A list of all his Soul Orbs suddenly appeared in front of him. The list was organized in alphabetical order as well as Tier Level. The amount of Soul Orbs he had for each creature he had harvested shown off to the right of each listed Soul Orb. As he searched his list of Soul Orbs he realized he had a lot of Minor Soul Orbs and Common Soul Orbs. He recognized the names of these specific Soul Orbs as the ones he had received from his fight against the Lich on the sixth floor of that dungeon back in the Tutorial Area. As he thought about that, he looked for the Soul Orb he had harvested. When he used his Class Ability Soul Harvest as an execute ability, he didn¡¯t really look at the notification he had received on the Tier Level of the Soul Orb. When he finally found it at the bottom of the list Liam¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Brilliant Soul Orb of the Hubristic Arisen Lich x 1.¡±
Liam was both confused and shocked as he stared at this. He remembered during the fight the Lich¡¯s stats had read he was level twenty seven and next to it were the words partially sealed. And from his understanding the level it had displayed during his fight should have made the Soul Orb into a Common Soul Orb Tier level. However, if the Soul Orb¡¯s Tier level wasn¡¯t affected by the partial seal and was reflecting his real level, then that meant this Soul Orb was of very high quality. But how high of a Tier Level was Brilliant? From what he could understand level one to nine creatures had Flawed Tiered Soul Orbs. Levels ten to nineteen were Minor Tiered Soul Orbs. Lastly, twenty to twenty nine were Common. Were levels thirty to thirty nine Brilliant Tier? He wasn¡¯t sure. Since he never saw the Lich¡¯s real level he didn¡¯t have any proof that this was right. The only thing he could do was find monsters of that level and harvest their Soul Orbs to see. Liam shook his head. He was getting distracted from the task at hand. He scrolled back to the beginning of the list, but then stopped as he got to the Common Soul Orbs. Since he was going to try and make a Soul Core Orb he decided to run a couple of experiments to see what he was able to do and not able to do. He mentally chose the Common Soul Orb of the Mummy Guard and waited to see what happened. As he suspected a red notification appeared.
¡°Material chosen for Main Component, Common Soul Orb of the Mummy Guard, rejected. Level in Core Creation and Soul Craft has not met the requirements. Soul Power needed to craft item exceeds what Crafter has.¡±
¡°Okay. Just like any other crafting, I need to level it up in order to be able to use better materials,¡± Liam said as he nodded and closed the notification. He then scrolled down and looked at the Flawed Soul Orbs to see what he could work with. From his time here in this dungeon he had collected a lot of Twin Fanged Adder Soul Orbs and Static Clawed Mantis Soul Orbs. If he was going to experiment with any of them it would have to be one of those. He debated over which one he was going to try his experiment on, but then landed his eyes on the Electro Orchid Mantis Soul Orb. He only had two of these, but something made him consider trying one of these out. It was something in the description of the craft had said. The Craft of creating a vessel known as a Soul Core Orb by taking a Soul Orb, that will represent the main component, and forging the required amount of Soul Orbs of the same species¡­ The part saying ¡®of the same species¡¯ had Liam curious about wanting to test a theory. If the end results depend on the Tier level of the Soul Orb then would it also rely on the Species of the Soul Orb as well? He had plenty of Static Clawed Mantis Soul Orbs, but if he had to compare those with the Electro Orchid Mantis then he would have to say that the Electro Orchid Mantis was better. Wanting to test this theory out he picked the Flawed Soul Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis. He was happy to see that no red notification appear, but instead a new one.
¡°Main Component chosen: Flawed Soul Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis. Materials Required: 10 Mantis type Soul Orbs. Materials Available: Flawed Soul Orb of the Static Clawed Mantis x 25, Flawed Soul Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis x 1.¡± ¡°Please select 10 Soul Orbs you wish to use in crafting the Soul Core Orb.¡±
Liam smiled as he stared at the two notifications. As he looked at the two selections he noticed something next to both of the selections. Next to the Flawed Soul Orbs of the Static Clawed Mantis were words in light green that said Compatible. Next to the Flawed Soul Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis were words in dark green that read Very Compatible. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Liam stared at both of the colored words. If his guess was correct, the colors represented the level of compatibility of the Soul Orbs to the Main component, but that was obvious. The thing he wanted to figure out was why it was needed. While he understood that the Static Clawed Mantis Soul Orbs could work and the Electro Orchid Mantis was similar to the main component, he didn¡¯t understand why the colors and the words compatible or very compatible needed to be there. ¡°Maybe it there for me to know what could be used?¡± Liam quietly muttered as he thought about it. He then shook his head and added, ¡°No, if that was the case then the other Soul Orbs would have been listed in Materials Available. Since they didn¡¯t appear and only these two did then it has to do with the materials that can be used.¡± Figuring he would need to test this out more after gathering more Flawed Soul Orbs and leveling this craft, he decided to continue with the craft by clicking ten Flawed Soul Orbs of the Static Clawed Mantis. A new notification appeared after he clicked the last Flawed Soul Orb.
¡°Soul Core Creation: Main Component ¨C Flawed Soul Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis. Materials selected to forge: Flawed Soul Orb of Static Clawed Mantis x 10. Soul Power needed to craft: 10 S.P. Chances to increase Attributes of final Product: 10%. Would you like to start the process to craft Soul Core Orb? Yes No?¡±
Liam stared at the part of the notification that talked about the chance to increase the attributes. If what he was thinking was right then he might have found his first clue to what the whole compatibility meant. Wanting to test the theory he was forming; he mentally clicked No and was brought back to the notification that asked to select ten Soul Orbs to use. This time he selected the last Flawed Soul Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis and nine Flawed Soul Orbs of the Static Clawed Mantis. When the next notification appeared, a smile grew on his face.
¡°Soul Core Creation: Main Component ¨C Flawed Soul Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis. Materials selected to forge: Flawed Soul Orb of Static Clawed Mantis x 10. Soul Power needed to craft: 10 S.P. Chances to increase Attributes of final Product: 20%. Would you like to start the process to craft Soul Core Orb? Yes No?¡±
Even though it only increased by ten percent, he felt he made a good discovery. That one change in materials increased his chances of increasing the attributes of the final product. That mean the compatibilities had a purpose besides being available materials. If his math added up then the Compatible Soul Orbs increased his chances by around one percent while Very Compatible Soul Orbs raised it around ten. He said around because if it was exact then it should have been nineteen instead of twenty, so this told him it rounded it. Feeling happy with this new discovery, Liam decided to go through with his choice and prepared himself as he mentally accepted. As soon as he accepted, he felt his Spectral Lantern suddenly materialize. It shook against his leg as an eerie ghastly green light lit up inside it. Before he could reach for it, the glass door swung open allowing a Soul Orb to float out and around him before making its way right above the middle of the Soul flame inside the Anima Forge. Ten more Soul Orbs escaped from the Spectral Lantern before the door closed. Each of the Soul Orbs made their way in front of him, before going inside the Anima Forge. Each new Soul Orb that had entered the forge didn¡¯t enter the flame like the main component. Instead, they floated and slowly spun around the main component above the flame. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what he needed to do, but as he stared at them the familiar sensation he felt when he tried to activate his Anima Forge had stirred back up. Liam activated Phantom Sight and watched as the ghastly green smoke made its way in a thin line down his arms and to his hands. This time however, the smoke didn¡¯t move towards the flame or any predestined areas. Instead, it rolled off the palms of his hands and slowly disappeared like fog dispersing. He watched as the smoke rolled off his hands before looking into the Anima Forge once more. He was confused on how to proceed from here. The only thing he could think about doing was make his Soul Power enter the opening the forge, but nothing after that. This was starting to frustrate him. He hated not knowing things and this was taking a wild guess since he couldn¡¯t get any information on the craft. The other thing that was fueling his irritation and frustration was the fact that the black smoke, he called his Soul Power, wasn¡¯t doing anything except rolling off of him. It¡¯s like it has no guidance or path to follow. Liam thought to himself. If that is the case then guide it. Eri suddenly stated. Eri¡¯s words gave him pause. He didn¡¯t even realize she hadn¡¯t said anything for a while until now. However, what she said made him think about something. Was it possible to guide his Soul Power? He knew he could influence the amount thanks to his attempt to make the Anima Forge, but was it really possible to guide the ghastly green smoke like he was manipulating his mana¡­ This last thought process made him rethink about what he was doing. He was doing a craft that required him to use his Spirit Pool. If he were to think about how he used Mana Manipulation alongside Mana Control to help with his Blacksmithing and Alchemy then what made this any different? The answer would be he wasn¡¯t using any mana. He was using his Spirit Pool. That was difference. However, he had performed something akin to Mana Channeling earlier to create a Soul Flame. So, if he needed to control or manipulate his Soul Power to help in the process to make a Soul Core Orb then what did he need to use that was similar to what he did earlier and to channel mana? What was the single similar thing? He needed to will himself to do it. Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure if that was the right answer, but he figured he had nothing to lose, but Spirit Pool resources and time. He decided he would try the exercise he did when he first learned how to learn channel, control, and manipulate his mana. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, slowly released it, and focused. He tried to focus on the sensation he felt that came from his chest. After a few seconds had passed he didn¡¯t feel or see anything. He was about to give up on this approach and try another route, until a flicker of ghastly green light caught his attention. Liam tilted his head down to get a better look at his chest. Another flicker appeared the disappeared around the outside of his chest. Then another. The pace of the flicker started to quicken until a steady thin flow of ethereal green smoke came into view. Liam then watched as the thin amount of green smoke followed the same path as what he had seen with his eyes opened. He didn¡¯t see any issues, so he tried to focus on channeling his Soul Power to thicken. As the green smoke started to thicken he stared at it and tried to will it to move. Nothing happen. He focused even harder the second time and felt something within him shudder. He then watched a ripple waved through the smoke that had escaped from his chest and throughout the trails of smoke that ran along his arms. He felt something click within him as the smoke that waterfalled off his palms suddenly rose up and turned towards his face. Two chimes suddenly echoed in Liam¡¯s mind causing him to open his eyes to see a couple of notifications had appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have gained the Non-Combat ability ¨C Spirit Channeling! Spirit Channeling has reached Level 1! Progression 2: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have gained the Non-combat ability ¨C Spirit Control! Spirit Control has reached Level 1! Progression to level 2: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have gained the Non-combat ability ¨C Spirit Manipulation! Spirit Control has reached Level 1! Progression to level 2: 0%!¡±
Liam felt victorious internally but didn¡¯t let it be shown outside as he closed the notifications. He then shifted his focus back on the two Soul Power smoke streams in front of him. Liam tilted his head as he stared at the two streams of smoke. They didn¡¯t move. He tried to will them towards the open area of the forge and smiled. The two ends of the streams turned around and slowly snaked through the air and into the burning forge. He focused on the two and tried to manipulate them to not enter the Soul Flame. Instead, he tried to guide them to a Soul Orb that had floated right by the tips of the smoke streams. Liam was shocked to see the line of Soul Orbs that were floating suddenly stop moving as the smoke started to wash over them. The two Soul Orbs took in the Soul Power smoke almost like they were being filled. As he watched this he noticed the color of the orbs start to darken and grow cloudy. Once they had gotten to a specific dark shade of green he noticed they had started to shake a bit. He didn¡¯t like the way they were shaking and took it as a sign he needed to stop. He then controlled the two streams to move to the next two Soul Orbs. He continued to do this over and over until he had filled all of the outer Soul Orbs. After he finished that he moved both streams towards the Soul Orb that was in the middle of the other ones as the Main Component. He tried to fill it but watched as it rejected the Soul Power he was trying to feed it. He was confused as to why this was happening, but stopped since he didn¡¯t want to waste anymore soul Power. Since that wasn¡¯t working he instead tried to focus on grabbing the Soul Orb without filling it and to his surprise it actually worked. What surprised him even more was when he went to grab the Soul Orb with his Soul Power, thin lines of the smoke he had filled it with shot out and connected to the other Soul Orbs. Not sure what to do next, Liam decided to try and lower it into the Soul Flame to see what would happen. As soon as he brought it into the middle of the flame he watched as a reaction started to happen. The Soul Orb acting as the main component looked like it had started to heat up as a bright ghastly green color started to encase the Soul Orb. It didn¡¯t stop there, the heat and color that was caused by the flame worked its way through the connections the main component had made to the ten other Soul Orbs. Once when the heat travelled and transferred to them, Liam noticed a new reaction. They were starting to boil. However, it wasn¡¯t the Soul Orbs themselves weren¡¯t the ones that were boiling. It was the contents inside of them that was. The cloudy dark ghastly green inside the Soul Orbs started bubbling and hissing. Steam started to exit out of the Soul Orbs, slowly turning the smoke inside into a liquid substance. After everything inside the ten Soul Orbs had liquified they then started making their way through the connections like they were tubes straight for the main component. As soon as the last liquid had escaped each of the Ten Soul Orbs that floated around the flame, they started to shatter. The connection tubes that were connecting them to the main component had also started to shatter like broken glass until the last drop had reached and filled the Main component. As soon as the last drop had entered the Soul Orb within the flame, Liam watched the Soul Flame suddenly burn brighter and hotter. He had to squint through his goggles to see what was going on inside the flame while trying not to let go of the Soul Orb with his Soul Power. As he stared into the flame he watched the liquid inside start to spin swiftly. As the Soul Orb spun he watched as the translucent outer later started to solidify and harden. He didn¡¯t know how that was happening and was both confused and intrigued by this. However, he didn¡¯t lose his focus on what was going on in front of him. He continued to focus on the Soul Orb that was solidifying in front of him. After the last part of the liquid inside had solidified, he felt it start to spin inside the green smoke that was holding it. He felt it try to break free as it spun like a washing machine on the spin cycle, making him focus his control on holding it tighter. After a few seconds had passed, he felt the orb start to slow down. After it finished slowly down he heard a couple of chimes echo in his mind and a couple of notifications appeared with it. Before he read the notification he pulled the final product out from the forge and set it down on the anvil. He then turned his attention towards the notifications.
¡°Congratulations! You have successfully crafted Soul Core Orb ¨C Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis!¡± ¡°Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis ¨C Filled. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Flawed. Description ¨C An orb filled with the soul of an Electro Orchid Mantis. Usages: Soul Bind this Orb into a weapon or object to give it a + 10% to all Lightning based Magics, + 5 % to all Plant based Magics, + 5% to attacks.¡°
Adventure 190 - Back to the Web Liam felt ecstatic as he stared at the two notifications before him. He had crafted his very first Soul Craft item. He didn¡¯t know what to expect when he attempted this, but everything that had happened during the whole process was both exciting and adrenaline pumping. He had entered an unknown territory that he couldn¡¯t get much information on. He didn¡¯t know if he would have been able to use the Anima Forge let alone actually create it. Albeit, it looked like taking that first step into creating it was what he needed to get access to the, what Eri had called, Lost Art. From creating his first Anima Forge to crafting his first Soul Core Orb, he was basically taking a crack at it in the dark. However, thanks to his curiosity and Eri¡¯s insistence on him trying it out, he was able to gain new Non-Combat abilities that were new and enticing to him. These new abilities made him believe they were needed for the craft, but as he used them to create his first Soul Craft item, he came to realize they were also needed for him to grow his current Main Class Spirit Weaver. When he attempted to try and recreate how he had achieved Mana Channeling, Mana Control, and Mana Manipulation with his Soul Power, he realized there were similarities between them. While Mana Channeling, Control, and Manipulation both increased the potency of the Mana he wanted to use and help guide it do what he wanted, he felt that the Spirit version of the three would help with both his Crafting and his other abilities like Soul Harvest and Spirit Weave. Even though he felt that was right, he knew he would need to test it out. However, with his current Spirit Pool size as well as his method of replenishing it, he would need to be more frugal with his tests. This was just another reason he felt he really needed to learn how to make potions specifically for this. However, that line of worry would have to be saved for another day. He closed down the two notifications and was about to address something he found curious about the Soul Core Orb he had just made. Before he could though, a few more chimes echoed in his mind bringing notifications with them.
¡°Congratulations! Soul Craft has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 21%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability ¨C Phantom Sight has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 24%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability ¨C Spirit Channeling has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 34%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability ¨C Spirit Control has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 34%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability ¨C Spirit Manipulation has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 34%!¡±
Liam closed his notifications after reading them. He was happy that his new abilities were growing, but there was an important matter he wanted to look at first before he thought about anything else. He looked down at the Soul Core Orb that rested on the anvil. The size of it was almost close to that of a baseball. It had a glossy sheen over its rounded form almost like a marble. His concerns weren¡¯t about the size of the item nor the sheen of it though. His concerns were more on the description it gave.
¡°Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis ¨C Filled. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Flawed. Description ¨C An orb filled with the soul of an Electro Orchid Mantis. Usages: Soul Bind this Orb into a weapon or object to give it a + 10% to all Lightning based Magics, + 5 % to all Plant based Magics, + 5% to attacks.¡±
Disregarding the Usages section and everything after that. Liam felt like he had read something very similar to this, but he couldn¡¯t remember where. He closed his eyes and tried thinking about why it sounded familiar as well as where and when he had seen it. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Liam started muttering to himself. ¡°I haven¡¯t done much fighting since I¡¯ve been on this island and the loot I¡¯ve received from the monsters I did fight didn¡¯t drop anything like this. If that¡¯s the case then it must have been when I was still in the Tutorial Area. But where?¡± Liam tried to remember each and every fight he had while he was taking on the Black Dungeon in the Tutorial Area. He took out the normal mobs he had fought since most of the loot they dropped weren¡¯t like the boss monsters¡¯ loot. He thought about each Boss and E.F.M. monster and tried to remember what they each had dropped. Again, nothing they had dropped rung a bell to him. Liam scowled. This was bugging him now. he clearly remembered obtaining an item that had similar text, but for the life of him he couldn¡¯t remember. He had thought about the monsters from floor one, two, three, five, and six. He skipped over floor four because it was a trial floor for Eris and he didn¡¯t fight any boss monsters. He did have to fight that wave of monsters as a trial with the final wave being¡­ ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Liam stopped his thoughts. He focused his mind on the fourth challenge he had to do. The one where he recognized the set up as an old mobile game called Plants versus Zombies. The last creature he had to defeat to win the challenge was Atlas the Grave Keeper. He remembered he had received two items from that challenge. One was Atlas Chest Bones, that he was saving for creating Bone Armor, while the other was¡­ ¡°The Orb of the Grave Keeper,¡± Liam whispered as it clicked. Liam opened up his inventory and searched through the open slots then through the nags he had in there. He realized he was coming dangerously close to being full as he searched. He needed to either sell or figure out how to get bigger bags. After searching through everything he finally came across the item he was searching for. After pulling it out he assessed it.
¡°Orb of the Grave Keeper ¨C Filled. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Common. Description ¨C An orb filled with the soul of Atlas the Grave Keeper. Usage - Soul Bind this Orb into an armor piece, or object to give it a + 15% defense against all Undead attacks, + 10% defense against all Plant and Earth based Magics.¡±
Liam remembered last time he received this item it didn¡¯t have the information that came after usage. It had said unknown to him. He wondered if after getting the Soul Craft and crafting his first Soul Core Orb if that had unlocked the information that was once unknown. What¡¯s that? Eri questioned. ¡°It¡¯s something I had gotten as a reward after I passed your fourth challenge on the fourth floor,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I believe it¡¯s a Soul Core Orb. It¡¯s called Orb of the Grave Keeper.¡¯ That¡¯s interesting. Eri stated. I didn¡¯t know you received this as a reward. But what makes you think it¡¯s a Soul Core Orb? ¡°The information it shows almost matches the same information as the Orb of the Electro Orchid Mantis,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Both descriptions state that it is an orb filled with the soul of. Also, the Usage on both say Soul Bind this orb. The only differences I¡¯ve seen is what soul the orbs are filled with; the attributes and one says weapon while the other says armor piece.¡± That is very interesting. Eri muttered in an almost quiet voice. Liam felt like she was thinking something over, so he took the time to go back to his thoughts. As he talked to Eri about the two items he remembered why this had piqued his curiosity. It was because when he had received this item he had compared it to something else as well. Liam opened his inventory after setting the Orb of the Grave Keeper next to his other Soul Core Orb. He looked for the item and pulled it out after finding it. This one was the same size as the other two orbs, but instead of having a solid center it was completely empty. He assessed it as he sat it down next to the other two baseball sized orbs.
¡°Orb of the Withered ¨C Unfilled. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Minor.¡±
Coming out of her thoughts, Eri quickly asked, What¡¯s this one? It almost looks like the other two, but completely empty. ¡°It¡¯s something I had received when I harvested a Withered Treant back on the second floor of the Black Tutorial Dungeon,¡± Liam replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t give me much of a descript¡­¡± Liam swiftly stopped as a new notification suddenly appeared.
¡°Information Unlocked.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Orb of the Withered ¨C Unfilled. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Minor. Description ¨C An orb that was once filled with the Soul of a Withered Treant. Due to unknown reasons, the soul that once resided inside has disappeared. Since Vessel is still intact it can be refilled again.¡± ¡°Warning! Crafter does not meet the requirements to refill Unfilled Soul Core Orb ¨C Orb of the Withered! Requirements needed to refill Soul Core Orb ¨C Orb of the Withered: Any Withered type Soul Orb at Minor Tier level. Core Creation at minimum level 10. Soul Craft Sub-Section Core Replenishment.¡±
Liam stared at the notification updates. He had never received something like this before. This only further made him believe the theory he had earlier was right. Because he was able to get Soul Craft and made his first Soul Core Orb, all hidden, locked, or unknown information was now being revealed. That is some very interesting notifications. Eri stated with a lot of interest. If I could make a guess right now¡­that might be the next Sub-Section to your Soul Craft. ¡°You think so too, huh,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°Will be interesting if I could get that, but I¡¯ve never seen any other creatures with the name Withered in them besides that Treant. Are they rare? Also, what could cause a Soul Core Orb to empty but still remain intact?¡± Withered type creatures are kind of rare. Eri stated. Uncommon more than rare. It all depends on the dungeon and the location of the dungeon. As for the empty Soul Core Orb, I have never heard of someone receiving it as a harvested material. That is very interesting. Liam frowned at her words. He made a mental note that if he ever came across a dungeon with Withered type monsters he would have to farm the dungeon a few times to stock up on their Soul Orbs. He made an adage to that mental note that he would have to farm a few dungeons to stock up on their Soul Orbs. Not only did he need them for his Core Creation, but he also needed them to replenish his Spirit Pool. Thinking about his Spirit Pool, Liam took a look at it to see where he was with it. He grimaced as he saw he was sitting at one hundred and thirty five. He let out a sigh. He needed to replenish it before he left the dungeon. He looked back down at the three Soul Core Orbs then at his Anima Forge. Regardless of if he used so much Soul Power, he was happy with the results. ¡°Alright, I guess I can take this time to replenish my stock of Health and Mana Potions while I wait for my Spirit Pool to replenish,¡± Liam stated as he put three baseball sized orbs away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam had spent an hour replenishing his Spirit Pool. During that time, he had made five Minor Minty Health Potions, five Minor Apple Health Potions, and ten Minor Grape Mana Potions. He finished those a little earlier than he had thought it would take not because he ran out of materials, but because he had reached a goal he had wanted to meet for quite a while. His Potion Making Section in Alchemy had finally reached level twenty. That wasn¡¯t the only thing he had leveled in Alchemy during his crafting session. His Mana Extraction had reached level twenty as well while his Alchemy as a whole reached level twenty one thanks to both Extraction and Distill reaching the same level. His Alchemy craft and sections in the craft weren¡¯t the only things that had levels too. His Main Class ability Mobile Crafter had leveled twice reaching level eight thanks to his crafting with Anima Forge and Alchemy. Even his Secondary Class ability Devour had gained a level, reaching level eleven, after all the times he used it. He had also gained an extra forty points to his Spirit Pool making it reach two hundred and fifty. It wasn¡¯t in one go though. It came in groups of ten thanks to four of the Soul Orbs he had devoured. He wasn¡¯t sure how or why he was able to increase his Spirit Pool size by using his Devour ability nor why it wasn¡¯t consistent when it did increase, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. Instead, he took it as a good sign since he didn¡¯t have a real way to do it like how his Vitality increased his health. During the remainder of the time, he had left waiting for his Spirit Pool to replenish, Liam took out two of his Knowledge Theory Books and went over them. The two books he read were his Toxicology Knowledge Theory Book and his Beginner¡¯s Guide to things that go Boom! He was able to get his Toxicology Knowledge Theory up a level making it level twelve, and his Beginner¡¯s Guide to things that go Boom up two levels leaving it at level seven. He was looking into both because he wanted to come up with some ideas on what he wanted to craft when he got back to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. He was going to use their Alchemy room to try and craft some items and wanted to see which methods would be great to use. While poisons were great when coating on his blades, he felt like there was more he could do. Going over his Toxicology book, he remembered Alice had informed him when she first taught him about poisons that there were different types and applications. As he read the book he realized that some of the methods were still beyond his reach, but he still felt like there was a method out there he could use. Maybe if he found the right one he could mix it with his Chemicalized Creation items. After thinking it over and over with the time he had left, he couldn¡¯t find a method that really stuck out to him. He figured once he started his crafting session he would come up with something, until then he could only wrack his brain. After he was finished with replenishing his Spirit Pool, he cleaned up, activated his Veil of Shadows and exited out from the dungeon. After he reappeared in the Dungeon Tower, he received a notification that his kills and completion of the dungeon was recorded in his A.I.D. He then made his way to the entrance of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web after that. After he activated the entrance and made his way down the crazy abstract staircase, he deactivated his Veil of Shadows and activated his Spirit Weave, taking the form he had when he first came here. After confirming he was good and disguised, he opened the door and took a good look around. To his surprise, Noxi, Orchid, and Lady Arachne were standing around by the desk that sat close to the wall opposite of where he stood. They looked like they were talking about something but had stopped the moment he entered the room. All three turned to look at him and smiled. ¡°Looks like the little kitten has come back much sooner than I had expected,¡± Lady Arachne teased as she stared at him. ¡°Are you done preparing and ready to start your testing?¡± Liam frowned after hearing what she had called him. Not allowing his dislike of the nickname she called him, Liam said with an even tone, ¡°Not quite yet. I would like to inquire if I can use your crafting room, but before that I was wondering if I can take a look at the market place you mentioned before to see if you have some¡­unique materials in stock?¡± Lady Arachne and Noxi raised a brow, looking interested in his request while Orchid held back a snicker. Liam was a little confused by their reaction but waited for answer. ¡°Normally we do not allow applicants to browse the wares meant for members,¡± Lady Arachne started. Her face was schooled and didn¡¯t give Liam any hint of what she was thinking. That was until a curious grin slowly formed. ¡°However, you are the Wild Card¡¯s apprentice. With a feat like that, I believe allowing you to make some purchases to help your crafting can be given. Oh, but please do not believe it is because I think you deserve the right to. It is more of a courtesy and respect to him. That and I am quite curious what you think you need to make in order to pass.¡± Liam felt some relief within after listening to her. He tried his best not to let it show with his body language or in his voice as he stated, ¡°Thank you for giving me your permission to use your market place. I hope that¡­¡± ¡°Ah I must inform you on something though,¡± Lady Arachne interrupted. ¡°I will be accompanying you and stopping you from purchasing certain materials.¡± Liam¡¯s body tensed a bit. He wasn¡¯t sure what she was going to stop him from buying, but he was hoping it wasn¡¯t anything he actually needed. His concerns were quickly dispelled as she continued, ¡°Can¡¯t have you buying high grade materials for high level crafting. You simply are not ready for those types of crafts yet so I can¡¯t have those materials wasted. Also, I will be prohibiting you from buying finished crafted items. You are only allowed to purchase materials and maybe a Knowledge Theory book or two if you meet the requirements to learn them as well have an actual use for what you intend to craft. Those are the terms I wish to place. Do you agree to them?¡± If Liam was being honest, the terms were not bad at all. He didn¡¯t have any intention of buying what he could not use at the moment. He would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t want to purchase some fully crafted items. However, he had no intention of buying those items for the test. He wanted to pass the tests with what he made and not what others created. ¡°I feel those terms are quite fine,¡± Liam replied. "I accept them.¡± Lady Arachne grinned. ¡°Good. Now that you have agreed. Shall we proceed?¡± Without waiting for an answer, Lady Arachne turned and made her way to a door to her right. After she approached the door, she reached a hand out and turned the knob. Liam slowly walked towards her and watched as the door opened. Inside the doorway was a dark background with a light purple mist floating down mixed with some white sparkles here and there. He tried to peer past it, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. Liam was curious how these doors worked. He didn¡¯t hear her say anything that indicated the doors were voice activated. He did remember her saying there was some sort of space magic behind them, but besides the entrance, he really didn¡¯t know how each room worked. He looked at her. She gave him another smile as she insisted, ¡°After you little kitten.¡± Liam internally frowned once more at the teasing name. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was dead set on calling that or if she was making fun of him. But he figured if she was teasing him then he shouldn¡¯t react to it. This way she would stop. However, if she wasn¡¯t teasing him then he needed to say something about it. He sighed internally as he thought, Let¡¯s just hope she really is teasing me and she¡¯s not going to give that as his Web Name. He then took a step through the door and braced himself for the worst. Liam closed his eyes as he stepped through the purple mist he was surprised. To his surprise it had felt like he just walked through a beaded curtain. The purple mist and black background with white sparkles had run over his body and rolled off of him like they had no force or gravity to them. After the beady feeling had washed over his body, the sound of flapping, feet scuffing against dirt and stone, and voices suddenly entered his ears. He slowly opened his eyes and was caught off guard as he took in the scene before him. He didn¡¯t know how it was possible or if what he was seeing was entirely accurate, but he believed he was no longer standing in a room, but rather outside in a forested area. Several people wearing masks and cloaks rushed about all around him. They carried crates, bags, items of different shapes, sizes, and colors. They carried these item to and away from several tables that were spread about with what looked like designated people ordering them around. Liam took a good look around and noticed he was standing in a clearing surrounded by thin eggshell white barked trees marking where the clearing started and ended. Birds that looked exactly like different species of owls flew around in the sky above head or rested on the branches of the tall trees. The size of these trees were impressive, albeit, the height of these trees paled in comparison to the one that stood not too far away from where he stood. A giant eerily white tree standing three story high and as thick as a house stood tall and proud. Liam looked up at the top to see the crown of the tree had white as crystal snow leaves covering the top. The full moon that looked down and shined brightly with its majestic brilliance illuminated the giant tree in a way that Liam could only call magical and breathtaking. As Liam took in the snowy tree in front of him he noticed the branches that sprouted underneath the crown of tree were bare of any leaves. Instead, thick spiderwebs woven in intricate and sturdy rope like designs were spread out from branch to branch, holding wares of different kinds. As Liam brought his eyes down the trunk he noticed there were windows carved in different sections with light shining from within. At the base of the trunk was a carved out entrance with carefully crafted designs running along the archway big enough for someone like Naro to be able to walk through with ease. Liam was entirely baffled by all of what he saw. He couldn¡¯t tell if he was hallucinating or dreaming. Taking in by all of this he had forgotten that he was accompanied by Lady Arachne. She took a few steps ahead of him and spun around, allowing her dress to twirl with her movements, and stopped to give him a wide knowing grin and said, ¡°Welcome to our Marketplace. Also known as the Dark Nest.¡± Adventure 191 - The Dark Nest ¡°Where the hell are we?¡± Liam questioned as he looked around once more. ¡°I thought we were entering a room, but it looks more like we went outside. However, it doesn¡¯t feel like we¡¯re in Cashat Port.¡± ¡°You are correct on the fact we are not in Cashat Port, but as for your other assumptions¡­you¡¯re wrong,¡± Lady Arachne replied. ¡°We are in a room and still in the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. Albeit, this room was designed with an outdoor theme to allow these magnificent creatures to thrive and spread their wings.¡± ¡°These creatures?¡± Liam repeated as he looked at the various different owls that either flew around or were perched on branches. ¡°Huh, the more I see here in this place the more impressive it is. So, we¡¯re truly not outside?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lady Arachne shook her head. ¡°This is a sub-space inside the association that allows these creatures to come and go as they please or on association business. Thus, we call it the Dark Nest.¡± ¡°The Dark Nest?¡± Liam responded as he looked at her. ¡°For some reason I was expecting something more spider related theme.¡± Liam let out a slight chuckle. ¡°Maybe something like the Dark Web.¡± ¡°One would normally think that would be the case, but it isn¡¯t,¡± A voice stated as a deep laugh echoed. Liam turned his head to see a portly person wearing a white and gold hooded robe slowly making their way towards them. Gripped in their right hand was a snowy white cane with an owl head at the top. As soon as they arrived, they pulled their hood down to see a very carefully designed white mask with a golden outline and a sharp taloned beak around where the tip of the nose and ran over the mouth would be. This mask covered their entire face. Golden hair ran down to the person¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Little Kitten,¡± Lady Arachne started as she reached a hand out towards the new person. ¡°This is Silent Saboteur. He is the Third Leg to our branch here.¡± ¡°Little Kitten? Now that¡¯s an unusual Web Name here,¡± Silent Saboteur stated as he looked at Liam. She then turned to look at the portly man and introduced, ¡°That isn¡¯t his Web Name. Since he is still an applicant and has no Web Name yet I decided to call him that until he passes and is assigned one.¡± She paused before giving Liam a teasing smile and added, ¡°Although the more I call him it the more I want to give it to him.¡± Liam groaned internally. He was thankful for finally learning why she was calling that, but that last comment made him hope she was joking. Silent Saboteur looked at Lady Arachne then at Liam before looking back at her and responding, ¡°Still an applicant? Why is he here then? I thought the rules clearly stated that new applicants are not allowed access to the Dark Nest until they pass the tests. That rule is supposed to protect our secrets in case they fail so they do not pass on what they have seen to other Associations like ours.¡± Lady Arachne waved a hand trying to dispel his worries. ¡°That would normally be the case, however I have fully confidence he will pass the tests.¡± Starting to feel a bit flustered, the man retorted, ¡°And what grounds do you have to back up that confidence?¡± Lady Arachne stared at Silent Saboteur and smiled wickedly as she replied, ¡°He is the apprentice of the Wild Card.¡± Silent Saboteur let out a chocking sound in shock as he tried to speak and looked at Liam. It took him a few seconds, but he was finally able to say clearly, ¡°Are you serious? That man took on an apprentice? Where¡¯s the proof?¡± Lady Arachne turned her focus on Liam and nodded at him in a way that said go ahead and show him. Going along with her. Liam cupped his ears out, allowing the earrings to be seen clearer. Silent Saboteur stared at them. After a few seconds of silence, he let out a belly shaking laughter. ¡°You really are that stiff bastard¡¯s apprentice. I can now understand why Lady Arachne is bending the rules a bit. Although I don¡¯t know what you could need from here to take your tests. I would assume that even though she is allowing you access that she has placed some restrictions on what you¡¯re allowed to purchase.¡± ¡°That is right,¡± Lady Arachne chimed in. ¡°He is not allowed to buy fully crafted items and certain high leveled materials. He is only allowed materials needed for what he wishes to craft and maybe a Knowledge Theory book in the craft if his level is suitable for it.¡± ¡°Hm, materials suitable for the level of craft as well as Knowledge Theory books huh,¡± Silent Saboteur muttered. ¡°It would make sense that he would be restricted to fully crafted items here since they can be of higher level and the higher end materials would be a waste since he wouldn¡¯t be able to get proper use of them. Hm¡­What kind of materials are you thinking about? Also, what crafts are you thinking about making for your tests and their levels?¡± Liam hesitated. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should reveal what he had in mind, but he also knew if he didn¡¯t clarify then there could be a chance he would miss out on stuff he didn¡¯t know he needed.
¡°Go ahead and say what you need. You won¡¯t get anywhere if you remain too secretive here. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded. He was glad Eri was thinking the same thing as he was. He then looked at Silent Saboteur and stated, ¡°I have my Alchemy at level twenty one. I was thinking about making some poisons and some Chemicalized Creations. My Poison Craft is currently at level thirteen while my Chemicalized Creations is at level one. I just recently unlocked that one after getting my knowledge theory up a bit. As for materials I¡¯m currently looking for, all I know so far is I need is Liquified Air Mana.¡± ¡°Not bad. Decent levels but not as high as I thought they would be around his age¡­,¡± Silent Saboteur started mumbling until he noticed the slightly surprised look on the part of Lady Arachne¡¯s face that was out in the open. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong Lady Arachne?¡± ¡°Little Kitten¡­didn¡¯t you just recently arrive here on this planet not too long ago?¡± Lady Arachne questioned. This question made Silent Saboteur grow curious as well. If what she was asking was true then the speed of leveling the craft was actually more than good. He knew that new Arrivals didn¡¯t focus a lot on crafts unless that¡¯s what they wanted to do instead of growing in power. However, this guy was an apprentice to The Wild Card. He should have spent more time focusing on his fighting techniques instead of crafting. ¡°Yes that¡¯s about right. About three or four days ago I think? Since I¡¯ve come here I¡¯ve been so busy I haven¡¯t really been keeping track,¡± Liam stated as he gave Lady Arachne a quizzical look. ¡°And what about your other crafts? What levels are they?¡± Lady Arachne asked. ¡°Other crafts?¡± Silent Saboteur inquired, getting even more interested in the topic. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Liam replied, ¡°My Blacksmithing is currently at level seventeen. I haven¡¯t raised the level by much since I¡¯ve come here. I¡¯ve been focused trying to raise my Bone Smelting and Forging Sub-Sections levels to catch up. One is currently at level twelve while the other is level eight. My Tailoring isn¡¯t as high but that¡¯s at level seven I think. My Chef Craft is currently at twelve and I have Enchanting at two while just recently getting my Rune Craft to level one thanks to a Knowledge Theory book. But that¡¯s all so far for my Production Crafts¡­.¡± Liam noticed the stares he was getting from both the portly man and the short woman. While he knew Lady Arachne¡¯s mouth had dropped thanks to her mask, he felt like Silent Saboteur¡¯s was as well. ¡°You¡¯re kidding right?¡± Silent Saboteur questioned with disbelief. ¡°If you¡¯re a recent arrival there¡¯s no way you could have so many crafts unlocked, let alone Enchanting and Rune Crafting. Both of those require¡­¡± He stopped and thought back to the one material Liam had stated he knew he needed. ¡°Wait it makes sense that you have the required abilities if you¡¯re asking for that material since you¡¯d need those abilities to properly use them, but having those abilities and knowing you just recently arrived to our world¡­that¡¯s unheard of. Not impossible, but so rare I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d actually meet someone who could. By Tyton¡¯s left wing, what kind of an apprentice did that man find?¡± Liam wasn¡¯t sure what to say or if he should reply at all. Instead, he just responded with, ¡°Someone who finds an interest to crafting?¡± ¡°Someone who is also a Cat-folk Beast-kin,¡± Lady Arachne added with a carefully and quiet undertone as her eyes shifted to Silent Saboteur. Silent Saboteur¡¯s eyes glanced and locked with hers for a brief moment. Liam felt like something passed between them but decided not to pry. Instead, he waited for the man to say something. ¡°I understand. If that¡¯s the case then it might not be too unheard of,¡± the portly man said with some sort of understanding. ¡°But to think that man took on an apprentice who has an interest in crafting and is a Cat-Folk, nonetheless. I am now looking forward to what kind of chaos you bring with you now.¡± Liam let out a nervous chuckle at the last part of the man¡¯s words. He then thought to himself. You have no idea what kind of chaos has already followed me. Silent Saboteur then suddenly clapped his meaty hands together before rubbing them and saying, ¡°Alright. Enough about this. You¡¯re here to make some purchases, right? Let me just grab all the materials I believe you could use that match the restrictions placed.¡± He then slipped his index finger and thumb under his mask and let out two sharp quick whistles. As if a starting gun had fired, several owls suddenly turned their heads and flew off their perches. As they flew all over the tree grabbing things here and there, Silent Saboteur pulled out three big tables and sat them side by side. After he sat them down, the owls flew one by one and gently placed each item they held in their claws on each table. Liam was impressed with the performance that was taking place. He couldn¡¯t understand how they knew what to grab and how they were able to place it so gently on the table with the speed of their flying. It took them a little over a minute to finish. After the last item was placed on the last table, Liam glanced over them. He was both impressed by the selection, but also confused. There was only one of each item. With a curious tone of voice Liam asked, ¡°Is there only one of each in stock for these items? Or is this just to show what you have that I can purchase?" Silent Saboteur nodded at Liam. ¡°An excellent question. Many assume right off the bat, but your second guess is correct. It would be pointless of me to bring everything of each item when there is a chance you will not buy it. I have a list of stock for each item I have and even when and where I restock them. Not only will this save time for both parties, but it also lessens the stress of having to grab each item on my little cuties.¡± ¡°Your little¡­cuties? The owls?¡± Liam questioned as he raised a brow. ¡°Correct. The hassle and stress of having to carry every item takes a toll on their legs, talons, and wings,¡± Silent Saboteur replied. ¡°As their Tamer, I do not want to burden them to the point they wish to rebel or want to leave me.¡± ¡°Tamer? You¡¯re a tamer?¡± Liam asked, understanding why they listened to him. ¡°Yes and no,¡± the portly man continued. ¡°Some of them I have tamed, but the rest are under a contract with my greatest tamed beast, the Giant Lunar Tyto Alba. I call her Allie.¡± Before Liam could ask what that was, he heard the leaves on the crown of the giant tree that towered over them start to rustle. He looked up and felt his mouth drop as his eyes widened. A giant shadow emerged from the top of the tree with the light of the moon as its background. He then watched as wings suddenly expanded from its sides, making Liam believe that the size he thought the creature was, was truly much bigger than he had thought. The wings of the creature flapped once, the twice, then again. They kept flapping until the body of the creature was able to rise up into the air. After it was completely away from the crown of the tree, it started flying through the air. Liam was amazed after it had left the cover of the moon and had the night sky as its background. It looked majestic as its entire body glowed like a shooting star. White wisps, of what Liam thought as smoke, trailed behind for a brief moment before dispersing. Liam watched this giant bird fly about for a few seconds before it came to a stop midair, looking down at them. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°Shit, this doesn¡¯t look good. Liam be careful! ¨C Eri.¡±
Confused by this sudden message from Eri, Liam was about to respond until a loud high-pitched scream filled the air. The noise was so loud it caused Liam to cover his highly sensitive ears so he wouldn¡¯t go deaf. He then felt his Danger Sense flare up all over his body as he looked up and watched the massive moon-lit bird divebomb right for him. Panic started to fill Liam as he tried to think about how to get away from the bird. He didn¡¯t think that running away would work. The only two places he could run towards were the giant tree house or the door that led out of here and both of those were too far away for him to get to them without getting caught. As his brain started working overtime, Liam felt something vibrating crazily against both of his hips. He looked down to see it was his Moon Blade and Shadow Blade daggers. Not sure why they were vibrating like this, he gripped their handles and pulled them out. As if they were guiding him, Liam put his arms out and crossed the two daggers. As soon as he did that, two loud roars echoed out in response to the giant bird¡¯s attack. These two roars made Silent Saboteur and Lady Arachne look around to try and find the source of the mysterious noises. They then turned their attention onto Liam and watched as the giant shooting star that was barreling towards Liam suddenly stop right in front of him with its wings spread out wide to stop its momentum. The force of the gust that came from the sudden stop hit the ground making the items and the tables flip over. Liam felt his knees buckle a bit as his feet slid back a couple of feet but forced himself to remain standing. The area he stood in wasn¡¯t the only place that was affected. The draft that followed the gust of wind expanded and washed over everyone that was around. Silent Saboteur and Lady Arachne moved their arms they held up to block the wind and stood wide eyed as the massive white as snow owl gently touched down and stared at Liam. The giant bird stood a fifteen feet tall and ten foot width. The creature had golden feathers that circled around its head and white feathers that lightly illuminated with the color of the moon. The sight of the creature was breath taking to Liam and if it hadn¡¯t tried to attack him he probably would have taken more time to appreciate the majesty of its appearance. Instead, Liam quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on here Silent Saboteur? Why did it try and attack me?¡± ¡°I¡­I honestly don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t give it any commands to do so. Nor have I seen her randomly attack someone like this. I am so sorry,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but it looks like what ever made those other noises made her come back to her senses.¡± Do you have any clue what happened Eri? Liam asked as he felt his heart beat thump against his chest.
¡°I have an idea, but we¡¯ll talk more about that later. For now, try and use this as leverage for getting a better deal on the materials you want to buy. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was flabbergasted by Eri¡¯s words. He tried hard not to let the laughter he had going on mentally come out. He had to give it to his Goddess. She saw an opportunity and wanted to grasp it. He too wouldn¡¯t let this slide; however, he knew he needed to wait for the right moment to use this. He looked at the giant white owl that looked very similar to a barn owl and watched as it turned her head almost all the way down. It kind of looked like she was staring at him until he noticed it wasn¡¯t him but his two daggers. Liam looked at them as well. He didn¡¯t know they could or would react that way. He was glad that they did because they had saved his life by doing so, but that only gave him questions he wanted answered. For now, though, he¡¯ll focus on the task at hand and try to get this trip over with. He sheathed his daggers and looked back at Silent Saboteur who was turning the tables back over and slowly picking up each item. Liam made his way over there and helped him. He looked at each item he picked up before placing it on the table. Most of the things he saw he didn¡¯t even know existed while there were others he knew did. He was glad to see there were different types of Liquified Mana. He figured if there were some Liquified Lightning Mana then he should get some of that as well because it would bring down some of his crafting time not having to make those. As he continued to look at each item he picked up, he stopped as one caught his attention. It was a Knowledge Theory book called, Handbook on Powdered Poisons. Before he placed it on the table he decided to skim through it really fast. As he did he came to a stop as he saw something that caught his eye. He read over the first three paragraphs and slowly grew a smile. An idea came to mind bringing him back to a problem he was having when trying to come up with a way to mix both poisons and Chemicalized Creations. After seeing this topic in this book, he believed he might have stumbled upon a possible solution he could use. After he set the book down he noticed that Silent Saboteur and Lady Arachne were staring at him. They had already finished picking up and were waiting for him. He then looked back at the table and scanned each item that he didn¡¯t get to see when he was helping pick them up and made mental notes on stuff he believed he could use. As he was scanning them he stopped and shook his head. Thoughts of that book came back. If he was able to get that book then he would need to know the materials needed to make what he had in mind. Besides the Liquified Lightning and Air Mana Extracts, he needed to know if he was allowed to purchase that book and then see what materials he needed from that. But first, there were some other things he needed to have clarified. Before Silent Saboteur and Lady Arachne could say anything, Liam turned to look at the short woman and asked, ¡°I know I should have asked this sooner, but how big are the crafting rooms? Also, do I need to supply my own equipment or is the equipment stocked? Lastly, can I lock the door to the Crafting Room I am using, or can anyone walk in while I am crafting? Taken aback by the sudden questions, Lady Arachne stared at him. She wasn¡¯t expecting these questions so soon. A small smile formed on her face. It made her happy to know he took the initiative now instead of later when they had already left the Dark Nest. ¡°The Crafting Room you decide to use depends on the Craft you wish to perform. Blacksmithing requires a much bigger room compared to say Potion Making or Tailoring,¡± Lady Arachne started up. ¡°As for the equipment, the rooms are stocked with each type of equipment needed for the craft being done. There are at least three sets of each piece of equipment per person who enters the room.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched at that. ¡°Three sets of equipment per person that enters the room?¡± Lady Arachne nodded her head. ¡°Yes, the crafting rooms in the association are designed for the needs of the amount of people who enter at the same time. Since you will be crafting by yourself then you only have three sets of each equipment needed for that craft. As for the next question you do not have to worry about anyone walking in while you are crafting. The room you enter will be accessible only to you. ¡°The crafting rooms separate into different sub-spaces, so no one distracts you while crafting and causes any accidents. Unless something happens like a craft suddenly explodes during the process. Then we as the officials will be given access to enter to assess if you do not need any medical treatment as well as the damage caused to the room.¡± Liam nodded, understanding what she was saying. ¡°Also, I will add that each room will have a ventilation system designed for the type of crafting room you are using so you do not need to worry about,¡± Lady Arachne added. ¡°If you are using the Alchemy rooms the vials used while in there will be charged. The room takes notes on those items. You do not need to worry about cleaning the equipment when finished unless you need to use the equipment again right away. There is a self-cleaning magic placed in the rooms.¡± Liam was surprised by this. He didn¡¯t know that there was such a spell. He would need to look into that. With those questions answered he was ready to ask the next important one. He looked at her once more and asked, ¡°Am I allowed to purchase that Knowledge Theory Book Handbook on Powdered Poisons?¡± Lady Arachne tilted her head in surprise. She was unaware of that book. She was also curious as to why he wanted that. Out of all the poisons one could make, powdered poisons had a unique list of purposes. She tried to think about how he would use it, but then stopped herself. As intrigued and curious as she was, she felt she would wait to see what he had in store. ¡°Everything that is on these tables should meet what you¡¯re allowed to buy,¡± Lady Arachne answered. ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam said. ¡°Do you guys mind if I look it over to see what materials I will need to make such poisons?¡± Lady Arachne and Silent Saboteur shook their heads. ¡°By all means take your time and do what you need,¡± Lady Arachne said. Liam nodded as he turned and grabbed the book. He took a minute reading over the process on how to make the one he had seen and was curious about as well as the list of materials he needed. It didn¡¯t look like he needed to get much. The process required a crafted poison, bones, mana extracts, and sea or ocean water. While he needed to get sea or Ocean water, he needed to craft a few vials of the poison he wanted to use in this little experiment. Since that was the case, he now knew everything he would need to make what he had planned. Closing the book, Liam looked at Silent Saboteur and asked, ¡°How many Blister Hogweeds and Stinger Nettles do you have in stock?¡± Silent Saboteur was about to answer until a thought crossed Liam¡¯s mind and he raised a hand up. ¡°Sorry.¡± Liam apologized before looking at Lady Arachne and asking, ¡°I know you said that I am not allowed to purchase fully crafted items, but does that include all Extracts? I know they are considered a fully crafted item, but they are also considered materials. I am asking this because earlier when I said I needed Liquified Air Mana you didn¡¯t object to it and that is an Extract.¡± Lady Arachne was impressed. She normally didn¡¯t get anyone who would ask so many questions. Normally they would assume and proceed. She was starting to see why the Wild Card chose him. Questions were essential for not only survival, but also success in any mission given. If one didn¡¯t question they could miss opportunities they could have used. She brought a hand to her chin and tapped a finger lightly against her chin to look like she was thinking it over. She already had the answer, but she didn¡¯t want to give it to him so quickly. After faking her deliberation, she replied, ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Liam nodded before looking back to Silent Saboteur. ¡°Okay, scratch that first request. Instead, how much Weak Blister Hogweed Extracts and Weak Stinger Nettle Extracts do you have in stock?¡± ¡°Small, Medium, or Large Vials?¡± Silent Saboteur inquired. Liam thought it over. While having it in larger Vials might save him money in the long run, the Small Vials were already perfect measurements. It would also help him on knowing exactly how much he had left. ¡°Small,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Hm,¡± Silent Saboteur started as he pulled out some sort of notebook. After a few seconds had passed he said, ¡°Eighty five Small Vialed Weak Blister Hogweed Extracts and sixty seven Small Vialed Weak Stinger Nettle Extracts. Since they are small and on the weak they do not cost a lot. Each vial goes for ten Copper Coins a Vial.¡± Liam thought about the amount he would need to buy. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure since this would be his first time making this poison. He came to the decision that he would buy what he hoped was a little more than he needed. If he had any leftover then he could use them for other Poison Crafting sessions. ¡°Can I get forty five of each,¡± Liam asked. ¡°Also, can I get twenty Small Vialed Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extracts, ten Small Vialed Weak Liquified Air Mana Extracts, and forty Small Vialed Weak Arcane Mana Extracts?¡± Silent Saboteur gave Liam an appraising look. He understood why the young man was ordering a little more than what was probably needed for his crafting sessions and approved of it. When it came to crafting you never know when it could fail. If a crafting session failed then you needed extra supplies in stock, so you didn¡¯t need to go buy more. However, something he found intriguing was the young man wasn¡¯t asking for prices. That kind of move could spell dangerous in a market place one had never visited before. It could say a lot about the person who did that. One, they were a haughty arrogant brat that thinks someone else would foot the bill. Two, they were going to wait till after the total was told and begin to haggle or bargain. Three, they were merchants themselves and were either feeling out prices in the area or had a scheme to scam you. The first and second part of the third option were two ways to get him to sick his owls on them. He hated arrogant people who didn¡¯t understand how money worked. He also hated scammers. He was a scammer himself depending on the merchant, country, or marketplace. He was only that way during his specific missions though. What better way to sabotage a city¡¯s or country¡¯s economy than to scam them. However, none of the three options he listed were what this¡­Little Kitten was doing. No, he knew why this young man wasn¡¯t asking for prices. He was just waiting to see when he would make his move. ¡°We have those amounts in stock for each,¡± Silent Saboteur informed. ¡°The prices on those go as follows: Weak Liquified Arcane Mana Extract for twenty Copper Coins, Weak Liquified Lighting Mana Extract for thirty five Copper Coins, and Weak Liquified Air Mana Extract for fifty six Copper Coins.¡± Liam nodded. He tried to remember if he needed anything more for the second phase of his experiment. He had some Weak Liquified Gravity Mana Extracts already made from the other night when he was bored so he felt like he didn¡¯t need to buy anymore. He could use some Weak Liquified Fire Mana Extracts though. ¡°Also, can I get twenty five Small Vialed Weak Liquified Fire Mana Extracts and some containers of Ocean or Sea Water to finish it off?¡± Liam asked. Without hesitation, Silent Saboteur replied, ¡°Unfortunately we only have twenty of those. A shipment had just left to be transported to another location right before you got here. So, I am sorry about that. As for the Ocean water or Sea water, if you¡¯re making anything that requires those as ingredients then the crafting room will provide that.¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take the rest you have in stock then.¡± ¡°Alright, those go for around forty Copper Coins,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. He then started calculating everything and finished, ¡°Adding in the Knowledge Theory Handbook on Powdered Poisons for one Silver and ten Copper Coins, the total comes to¡­thirty eight Silver and seventy Copper Coins.¡± The portly man then looked at Liam, waiting for the response. He felt this was going to be the right time for him to make the move he was anticipating for. However, he was both taken aback and confused as he watched the young man suddenly take out the money and went to hand it over to him. Silent Saboteur looked at the coins and then at Liam. He was thoroughly unsure of what game he was playing at. He had thought the young man would play the card he had about his tamed creature almost attacking him, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Is everything alright? Is this not enough?¡± Liam asked with some confusion of his own in his voice. ¡°No¡­well, kind of,¡± the man replied as he grabbed the coins from Liam. He sent a mental note to the owls above on what all to get before stating, ¡°I was convinced you would try to bargain me for a lower price due to the incident from earlier.¡± Owls started flying down, bringing with them each item Liam had purchased. As Liam started putting each item into one of the bags inside of his inventory, he gave the man a smile and replied, ¡°Ah that.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®Ah that¡¯?¡± Silent Saboteur questioned. ¡°You could have saved some coins or haggled me to get more materials. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± After he finished storing away his materials, Liam looked at the man and answered, ¡°I was thinking about doing that. It was tempting to do as well.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you? I don¡¯t understand,¡± the portly man inquired. He was really intrigued by Liam¡¯s decision and really wanted to know. ¡°The timing wasn¡¯t right,¡± Liam flatly said. ¡°The¡­timing wasn¡¯t right?¡± Silent Saboteur repeated. He was thoroughly confused by this. He was even more confused as he watched Liam start to turn and walk away. ¡°Yeah the timing wasn¡¯t right,¡± Liam repeated again as he made his way to the door that led back to the main room. ¡°While it would be great to save some coin on these materials, I feel that it wouldn¡¯t have been worth using that on them. These are only weak quality materials.¡± Silent Saboteur pondered on what he was saying. After a few seconds had passed it suddenly clicked. However, before he could say anything, Liam added right before walking through the door, ¡°If I¡¯m going to use something like that to save on coins, I should probably do it on an order that¡¯ll cost me a lot more than a few silver.¡± Adventure 192 - Failure when least expected Lady Arachne and Silent Saboteur stared at the door Liam had just walked through. For a few seconds neither of them had moved nor said anything, only stared. Silent Saboteur was the first to break the silence as he let out a loud belly shaking laugh. Lady Arachne shook her head before turning to look at the man. ¡°I like that guy,¡± Silent Saboteur stated as he turned to the smaller woman. ¡°He knows when to hold onto something good and not blow it on something so small.¡± ¡°He is indeed an interesting one, ¡°Lady Arachne agreed. ¡°I thought for sure he would have used it for this order purchase.¡± ¡°So did I,¡± the portly man agreed. ¡°I can see why Wild Card chose him. He¡¯s got a good head on that shoulders of his. Would be a shame to see our competitors snatch him up.¡± Lady Arachne nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re not going to let them.¡± Silent Saboteur stared at the woman. If his mask wasn¡¯t on she would have seen the brow raised in question. She knew it was there. To further the conversation she elaborated, ¡°Essentially he¡¯s already passed. Him being the apprentice of that man guaranteed it. We both know the contributions he¡¯s made to the association. It would be foolhardy to think he chose someone not fit to join.¡± ¡°I can agree to that,¡± Silent Saboteur nodded. ¡°So, then¡­the tests¡­¡± ¡°Are to see what he¡¯s currently capable of,¡± Lady Arachne clarified. ¡°That¡­and to decide on his Web Name. As much as I am fond of setting it to Little Kitten since I know it bugs him.¡± She let out a short chuckle. ¡°He thinks he¡¯s doing a good job hiding it, yet he doesn¡¯t realize the quick tightening of his hands he makes every time I call him it¡­Anyways, its unprofessional to have that as a Web Name.¡± ¡°To think I¡¯d see the day that man gets himself an apprentice and one of our race to boot,¡± Silent Saboteur stated as he looked back at the door. As he stared at the door he made a decision. He made a mental command to one of his tamed owls and waited as it brought down an item. Lady Arachne turned her focus on the item that was brought down and then gave the man a quizzical look. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Kassan¡¯s Intermediate Crafter¡¯s Bag,¡± Silent Saboteur replied. ¡°Give this to him.¡± Lady Arachne looked surprised as she looked from the bag to him. ¡°Are you sure? Anything Kassan related is really hard to come by. I didn¡¯t think any of his lower quality stuff still existed.¡± ¡°There are still some of his old makings floating around in the world. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s stopped making things just because he finally found his passion in a specific craft,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. ¡°And yes. I am sure. He deserves it for pulling a move like that on me. Took me by surprise and everything. Must have a friend or a relative who has excellent merchant skills to think about that in that way.¡± ¡°Okay. If you insist,¡± Lady Arachne said as she grabbed the bag and started walking towards the door. ¡°Also,¡± Silent Saboteur called out. Lady Arachne turned to look at him, stopping right in front of the door. ¡°Let me know when he does his tests. I want to see what he cooks up using those materials,¡± the tall, rounded man stated. Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°Will do. I¡¯ll send Noxi in after you before we begin.¡± ¡°Sending a snake to an owl nest huh? That¡¯s cold,¡± Silent Saboteur laughed as Lady Arachne shook her head before turning back and walking through the door. Silent Saboteur slowly stopped laughing. He let out a sigh before turning to look at his giant tamed creature, Allie. The giant Lunar Tyto Alba cocked her head in a way owls can do as she stared back at her master. In a quiet and questioning tone of voice, Silent Saboteur asked, ¡°Now what happened that could get you so riled up like that?¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After Liam had walked through the door, his sight was flooded with text notifications from Eri just laughing. After he mentally closed it for the fifth time, she finally calmed down.
¡°Did you see the look on their faces as you left that room? ¨C Eri.¡±
You know I couldn¡¯t see it. Liam stated as the door shut behind him. He then walked to the right of the door to wait for Lady Arachne. Even though he left before her he still needed her to guide on getting to one of the crafting rooms.
¡°Well, the look they had was priceless. I think you left quite the impression. I must say though, as much as I love the small amount of chaos you create by doing that you give me whiplash from time to time. I don¡¯t know where that brazen attitude of yours appears from time to time, but damn does it feel good to see my nature spread through those you affect with those moments. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he read that message. He wasn¡¯t sure what she meant by giving her whiplash. If she was referring to how he decided to handle that situation then he really didn¡¯t see the issue. He was aware that from time to time he would act arrogantly, but that usually happened when he was completely certain that the situation was in his favor. That or if he was completely pissed about the situation. He remembered when he was younger that his demeanor would change slightly when he was mad. He was told when his father brought him to a therapist, or what he and his brothers used to call a ¡®talking doctor¡¯, was a byproduct of him holding his anger in for so long.
¡°Also, I know I said to try and leverage that situation to help save you on the cost of the materials, but I think your decision on the matter was wise. You are going to need some supplies for future experiments and equipment, and they are not going to be cheap in the slightest. Especially when you enter the gold coin range. So good job. I¡¯m proud of you. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam shrugged. He was about to respond to her, but then noticed Noxi and Orchid had started walking towards him. He fixed his attention on them. ¡°You alright?¡± Orchid questioned. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Liam asked. ¡°You just look like you swallowed something sour,¡± Noxi replied. He then looked at the door and added, ¡°Where¡¯s Lady Arachne?¡± Liam was about to answer, but before he could, the door opened back up and Lady Arachne walked out, materializing from the black, purple, and star speckled background. The three turned their attention to her. Lady Arachne was surprised at seeing them all over at the door after closing. She looked at each of them before asking, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Noxi and Orchid were about to reply until they noticed something in her arms. Both had looks of confusion. ¡°What is that?¡± Orchid inquired as she pointed to the bag. Liam didn¡¯t notice the bag until she had mentioned it and looked at it himself. It looked like a hiking backpack that had several different zippers for each section of it. The top back one was for the main compartment of the backpack with two more in front of it. There were two more on the sides and two in the very front. Each section was a different color switching between venom green, poison purple, raven black, and even crimson red. Lady Arachne smiled at Orchid before turning to Liam and informing, ¡°Silent Saboteur wishes to express his gratitude for amusing him and exceeding his expectations by offering you this inventory bag.¡± Noxi and Orchid let out a choked gasp as they looked at Liam with surprised expressions. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Noxi questioned. ¡°That stickler is giving him an item for free?¡± Orchid added. She then assessed the bag and was taken back even more. She looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What did you do? This is a Kasson crafted item.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he heard the name. He found it familiar and tried to remember where he had heard it before. Liam¡¯s eyes rose as he remembered. It was his old goggles. The ones that had broken on the sixth floor. He really liked those goggles. He then looked back at the bag and assessed it himself.
¡°Kassan¡¯s Intermediate Crafter¡¯s Bag. Item Type ¨C Inventory (Bag). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Above Average. Description ¨C An Intermediate level bag made by Kasson for crafters. Can store and sort materials and crafting equipment. One section is designated for tools and equipment, one for creatures waited to be harvested, and the other five for materials by craft. If Crafter does not have five different crafts then when one section has been filled the materials for that will fill the next bag.¡±
¡°Wow, first a Beginner¡¯s item now an Intermediate,¡± Liam commented as he received the item from Lady Arachne. ¡°I wonder what else he made. Can you tell Silent Saboteur thank yo¡­¡± Liam stopped talking as he looked at Lady Arachne and noticed all three of them were staring at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you just say first a Beginner¡¯s item?¡± Noxi questioned. Liam slowly nodded before slowly replying dragging out the word, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What was the item and where did you get it?¡± Noxi asked, curiosity filling him up. ¡°I got it in the Tutorial Area,¡± Liam answered. ¡°It was called Kassan¡¯s Beginner¡¯s Goggles.¡± The three looked even more shocked as Lady Arachne¡¯s and Orchid¡¯s mouths dropped while Noxi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Do you still have them?¡± Noxi inquired as he grabbed Liam¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Please tell me you still have them.¡± Confused as to why they were reacting this way, Liam was brought back to an unanswered question he had forgotten to clarity on. Hey Eri¡­I know we¡¯ve been busy with everything and I forgot to ask, but what happened to my goggles? Liam asked.
¡°During the chaos of the fight against those creatures, that Jude guy went to grab you and his fingers caught the straps of your goggles and accidentally broke them. I had one of your old teammates pick them up before they carried you out from the dungeon. I think they might still have them. ¨C Eri.¡±
Huh. So that¡¯s what happened to them. Hopefully they still have them. I really liked those goggles. Liam thought back to her before responding, ¡°I don¡¯t have them on me. Due to some¡­circumstances, they are currently with one of my old teammates.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Noxi nodded. ¡°Hopefully they didn¡¯t sell them, and you can get them back.¡± This comment made Liam curious. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Noxi looked surprised again as he stared at Liam, ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know? Kasson is one of the best crafters out there. There are only a handful of Crafters who have ever made it to Iridescent or Master level in a few crafts. Anything they make, whether it is an item from their beginner days to now, is worth a lot of money. Crafters or even Collectors would kill or even sell an organ from their family members if they were asked for just to gain one of their items.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Deadly,¡± Noxi stated bluntly. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t flaunt this around other crafters or collectors unless you want a target on your back.¡± ¡°Noted,¡± Liam stated as he placed the item in his inventory. He then looked at Lady Arachne and was about to ask her about getting a crafting room until he noticed her staring at him with a particular look. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she started while dragging the word out. ¡°I¡¯m just curious¡­How did you come across those goggles? The Kasson ones.¡± ¡°I got it with my starter pack,¡± Liam replied. ¡°It was literally one of the first items I received. They were really good goggles. They helped me out with many crafts and even in fights.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Lady Arachne muttered. She seemed to be thinking something over, but reframed herself from speaking more on the topic. Not wanting to waste any more time, Liam asked, ¡°So about that Crafting room? I would like to get started so I can do my tests afterwards.¡± ¡°Ah, right,¡± Lady Arachne started back up, looking like she was taken out of whatever thoughts she had going on. ¡°All you have to do is pick a door, grab the handle, and think Crafting Room.¡± ¡°Seems simple enough,¡± Liam stated as he walked over to the door he was closest to. He grabbed the knob and thought, Crafting Room. As soon as he thought that, he felt something swiftly wash over him. He was taken a back from this. Even though he had only felt this once and it had been a while, it was something he couldn¡¯t forget. After all it was right after he woke up and arrived in this brand new world. Before he could comment on it, a notification appeared in front of him.
¡°Member analyzed! Crafting Rooms Available to use are based on what Member has unlocked. Please select the amount of and which Crafting Room you would like to use. Amount: Single, Double, Triple. Type: Alchemy (Potion Making, Poison Craft, Medicinal Creation, Chemicalized Creations, Magic Potions), Blacksmithing, Chef, Enchanting, Rune Craft, Tailoring.¡±
Liam turned to look at Lady Arachne and asked, ¡°What does this Select the amount of mean?¡± ¡°That option allows you to pick more than one room, so you don¡¯t have to walk out then back in then back out to go back to the room you originally had at first,¡± Lady Arachne informed. ¡°The area will manifest one, two or three rooms and create the crafting area in a way that doesn¡¯t clash with each other, but still gives you what you need.¡± ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± Liam nodded as he understood before looking back at the notification. He then made his selection. The notification disappeared only to be replaced with a new one.
¡°You have selected: Double, Alchemy (Poison Craft), and Alchemy (Chemicalized Creations). Would you like to proceed with this selection? Yes No?¡±
Liam mentally accepted. After this notification disappeared, he felt the doorknob loosen before opening up. The area inside the door was similar to the one that led to the Dark Nest. He looked at the three that were around him and informed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m finished and ready to take on the tests.¡± Lady Arachne and the other two nodded in understanding. ¡°Good luck,¡± Orchid said with a smile. ¡°Try not to blow yourself up or poison yourself to the point of no return,¡± Noxi teased. ¡°I look forward to seeing what you make,¡± Lady Arachne finished up. Liam nodded once more before walking through the door. After he entered through the door, it slowly closed behind him. The mood shifted as soon as the door closed. The facial expressions they each wore changed into serious ones as they stared at the door. ¡°So...what do you think?¡± Noxi asked as his eyes shifted over to Lady Arachne. ¡°About him receiving those goggles?¡± Lady Arachne questioned. ¡°I think our suspicions were on the mark.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Orchid chimed in. ¡°There never were any clear specifications on receiving that item after appearing in the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°There were never any set in stone or said out loud,¡± Noxi clarified. ¡°He might have said so himself, but¡­¡± ¡°But a pattern has been becoming clearer each time it happens,¡± Lady Arachne continued. ¡°What¡¯s the pattern? I, myself, have never heard of one,¡± Orchid stated. Noxi let out a snort. ¡°That¡¯s weird to hear. Isn¡¯t Intelligence gathering one of your specialties?¡± ¡°Oh, bite me snake boy,¡± Orchid snapped as she glared at him. Noxi was about to strike back with a comment about how she would probably like being the one being bitten for once, but was stopped as Lady Arachne raised a hand and frowned at him. ¡°Enough,¡± Lady Arachne started. She turned her gaze back at Orchid and continued, ¡°There have been two key factors that have led to a pattern that has been noticeable so far. One is you have a knack and love for crafting. It doesn¡¯t matter if you hadn¡¯t realized it before coming to this world. And the other is race based.¡± ¡°Race based?¡± Orchid questioned, still not understanding what the shorter woman was getting at. ¡°Each person that has received a Beginner¡¯s Kasson item has had the same race. They each shared very same race that Kasson is.¡± Orchid¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait you¡¯re telling me¡­¡± Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°If the patterns hold true then¡­we might have our very first member that belongs to the Cait Sith Beast-Folk race.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam appeared on the other side of the door and scanned the area immediately. After experiencing the sight of the Dark Web, he wasn¡¯t completely sure if the crafting rooms he requested would be as exotic or grand as that. He didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard if it was, but as soon as he looked around, he felt¡­underwhelmed. The area he had walked into was a normal plain room with two doors spread out. Each door had a sign placed in the middle of it to help him understand which room was which. To his left was the Poison Craft room while to his right was the Chemicalized Creation room. Regardless of whether this room looked plain compared to the Dark Nest, Liam was actually pretty excited. He had a place where he could craft without worrying about prying eyes. Not only that, but he was going to craft his very first Chemicalized Creation by himself.
¡°Before you get lost in your crafting, go ahead and cancel Spirit Weave. Since no one will be coming here you are going to need to not only conserve on what amount of Spirit Pool you have left, but also refill it while you can. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded as he cancelled his ability. It wasn¡¯t as low as it was last time he was here thanks to his Spirit Pool growing, but being able to not waste it was helpful. ¡°Okay,¡± Liam started as he made his way to the door on his left. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯re working with.¡± After he opened the door he walked in. The room was spacious. Safety equipment were hung along the wall right by him. They ranged from full to half masks, gloves that covered the hands only to the hands and up to the elbows, and finished with aprons of different sizes. As Liam scanned the safety equipment something caught his eye at the end of the row. He made his way over to and saw it was a light green button with a small sign with instructions on it right above the button. The sign read, ¡°Air Purification. Press this button after you complete each Poison craft session to purify the air. Please wait ten minutes after each Air Purification usage to allow the magic to refill.¡± Liam was impressed with that. This button and the magic that it provided was highly thought of for a room like this. He looked around the walls close to the ceiling and noticed there were a few ventilation systems covered by metal blinds. He believed that they would probably opened each time he pushed this button to allow any poisonous vapors that didn¡¯t get purified to escape. He then looked around the room to get a better feel for the area he was going to use. He noticed there were few desks that stood up to his stomach spread out. In three different areas of the room sat cauldrons. Each cauldron had a different set up compared to the other. One was a bit small and sat on a desk while another was a medium size one that hung over a fire pit. Hanging above that cauldron was something that resembled a range hood. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if it was there because of the smoke that would accompany the fire that would be lit or a mixture of that and the poisonous vapor. The last one was another medium sized cauldron that rested on a metal grate over a fire pit. A range hood like ventilation system did hang above this one as well, but it wasn¡¯t as close as the one cauldron due to the equipment that hung between the cauldron and the range hood. Several different tubes were connected to a cover that looked like it could be pulled down over the cauldron. The tubes twirled around and away from the cover and stretched to several different spots that looked like they would connect to some containers on a couple of desks. Liam was very interested in what kind of Poison Craft required that set up. He had an idea on what it could be and if he was right he wasn¡¯t anywhere near ready to make those poisons yet. They would be helpful in the future, but as it stood right now he needed to level up this section of Alchemy and study up on how to craft those vapor made poisons. Off to one side of the room were cabinets and shelves that held vials and containers of different sizes as well as the racks to hold them. Some of the shelves also held tools like ladles, test tubes, pestles and mortars, and other equipment. There was also three rows in a cabinet dedicated to vials of Weak, Minor, and even Average Toxin Cleanse. Close by that wall were barrels of different types of liquids. A sign hung above each barrel, letting Liam know what was in each one. He was actually quite surprised by how many different liquids there were. He didn¡¯t know that some of these liquids were actually materials that could be used. Liam shifted his attention back to the cabinets and shelves. For this first poison he needed to make, the small cauldron, some vial holders, and a few empty small vials were all he needed. He went and grabbed all he needed and started to prep. Liam placed a few small vials of each extract he had on different vial racks. He had one vial rack that contained empty small vials which he corrected by taking out a medium sized vials of Twin Fanged Adder Venom and filled each empty vial one by one. After he set up his station around the small cauldron, Liam made sure to devour a couple of Soul Orbs to start replenishing his Spirit Pool. After that he made his way over to the safety equipment. He grabbed a half mask since he wanted to wear his Umbral Goggles to help him craft, a pair of gloves that covered his hands and up to his elbows, and an apron. After he placed all the safety equipment on, he walked over to the Cabinet full of Toxin Cleanse, grabbed two vials of the Average quality and attached them into the two holes on the filtration system of the mask. After he was set to go, Liam made his way over to the cauldron and looked inside. Clear Purified Water filled it about three quarters of the way. He then asked Eri, ¡°Alright so let me make sure I have the process down right. To make this poison the process is exactly similar to when I made my first poison, right? After I blend the extracts together perfectly, I need to add the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extract in order to bring the venomous effects of the Twin Fanged Adder poison out. If I can not do that then it will revert to a regular Corrosive Toxin?¡±
¡°Correct. If you can not draw out the true effects of the venom then it will just remain as a regular Weak Corrosive Toxin. However, the beauty of this is even if you fail in your attempts you can keep trying to attempt it until you are successful. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Why would it revert to a regular corrosive toxin instead of the type of poison we are aiming to make it?¡± Liam asked.
¡°Each poison, venom, and toxin has special properties that are sealed when you craft the poison. I guess sealed isn¡¯t the right term to use. Hm, think of it as the properties become dormant due to the process and other materials used to make the crafted poison usable. By adding in the proper materials after crafting the poison, you can awaken those dormant properties. Doing this will increase their effects, making the poisons even deadlier than the basic crafted ones or the raw version. Not only that but with materials that are compatible with the poisons you can evolve them making them into something new. But that is more of an advanced technique. This poison I¡¯m having you make will help you practice for those advanced poisons. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Liam stated. He didn¡¯t completely understand everything that Eri had been saying, but he had some ideas. He just couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the fact that the properties in poisons were sealed due to the crafting process. If he could he wanted to try experimenting on ways to bypass that and just be able to have all the effects awake after the basic processing. However, that would be a later project. Right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand. He remembered his first time creating a Weak Corrosive Toxin. He was surprised by how the materials tried fighting back while trying to devour each other. After practicing it over and over after that he was able to get a better feel for it. However, the poison he used for those crafted poisons were just plain Weak Snake Venom. He was no expert when it came to differentiating between poisons, but he did have a gut feeling that this venom was a bit stronger than the other he was used to. He wanted to have complete focus on this because he felt that if he allowed his focus to sway even just a bit then the process would fail. Liam grabbed two vials of Weak Stinger Nettle Extracts, one vial of Weak Blister Hogweed Extract, and two vials of Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom. As he pour each vial into the cauldron, he activated his Mana Sight. He saw the three colors that were swimming inside the cauldron and recognized the sickly green that represented the Blistering Hogweed Extract and the darker green that was the Stinger Nettle Extract. The last color was a harsh yellowish dark purple. This one was the Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom. As he stared at the last color he was surprised to see it wasn¡¯t as active as the Weak Snake Venom he was used to. Instead, this one was calm and tranquil. If he wasn¡¯t the one who had collected the material he would have thought it was something else. He started channeling his mana into the cauldron as he stirred the contents inside. He focused it into the Weak Stinger Nettle Extract and blended them together. Since he had practiced making poisons this was now easier than his first time. After his mana and the Weak Stinger Nettle Extract were connected, he switched the direction of the spoon he was using to stir the Weak Stinger Nettle Extract and Mana blend right into the Weak Blistering Hogweed Extract. He felt the Blistering Hogweed Extract try to escape the blended section he was trying to mix into it. The Blistering Hogweed Extract didn¡¯t stand a chance as his mana blended the two extracts together. He felt that this was going smoothly and was about to start mixing the Twin Fanged Adder Venom until he felt something was off. The once calm and tranquil venom had suddenly come alive. Almost like a snake waiting for its prey to grow tired or weaken, the venom spread out and attacked the mana blended extracts in a quick and overwhelming strike, swallowing it all at once and then suddenly disappeared making the once colorful liquid filled cauldron clear once again. Liam¡¯s mouth dropped as he stared at the cauldron. Before he could process anything a red notification suddenly appear, giving him bad news.
¡°Poison Crafting session failed.¡±
Adventure 193 - Try Again ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam stated as he stared at the notification. He looked back down at the cauldron. He couldn¡¯t find any traces of the materials he had poured in there. It was almost like they cancelled each other out and destroyed each other.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have mentioned that if you weren¡¯t paying enough attention on the Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom then it would strike and try to swallow up the other two mana controlled extracts. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam read the text notification Eri had sent him, and he did feel a bit frustrated with the late heads up. However, after seeing it for the first time he couldn¡¯t be too upset with her. Even with a warning he wouldn¡¯t have been ready for that. If it was like how the Weak Snake Venom was with his previous poison crafting sessions then it would have been easy to counteract it. But this Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom struck from both sides. Not only that, but it acted like it was submissive. There was no trace of it showing any hostility or signs of it wanting to fight back. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. He thought over what had happened and corrected his thoughts on that last part. There was a sign. It was only for a brief moment, but on both ends the edges slunk back just a bit before it struck. The way it did it reminded him of how a snake would coil back before attacking its prey. ¡°Even if I noticed that¡­attacking from both sides is just plain dirty,¡± Liam muttered to himself. He then asked Eri, ¡°What was up with that? It was docile while I was channeling my mana into the other two Extracts. But right after I connected my mana and blended those two together it revealed its fangs and attacked. Weak Snake Venom doesn¡¯t do that so why did this type of venom do it?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the difference between the two venoms. The Weak Snake Venom is a normal venom with no special properties hidden within it. The Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom has special properties hidden within it. The special properties that reside in the venom react violently when mana infused Extracts come in contact with it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam raised a brow as he asked, ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±
¡°Remember when I told you that poisons have properties that are sealed or become dormant during the poison crafting process? Well, it¡¯s the mana infused Extracts that make them like that. The mana that infuses with the extracts acts like a sleeper agent that covers the venom entirely. After the blended mana infused extracts covers the venom it blends in with the venom, weakening the properties to the point they start to go into a slumber like state. Think of it like sedating a violent animal. The mana infused extracts is the sedating drug. When that violent animal is hit with the drug it seeps into it relaxing it and making it dormant. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Hm, that¡¯s an interesting way to put it¡­but why though? Why go through the process to sedate the properties of the venom?¡± Liam asked still not fully understanding.
¡°It¡¯s so you can blend the mixture together easier. The special properties in these venoms feel threatened by the mana infused extracts which results in what you just experienced. You can¡¯t craft the venom into a fully crafted poison if it overwhelms and overpowers the other materials to the point it cancels the entire session out. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Okay, but then why is there a process afterwards to add the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana to the mix? If this process is to sedate the properties then won¡¯t adding the final ingredient reawaken it?¡± Liam questioned.
¡°That is exactly the point. Because you sedate the properties of the venom during the first crafting session the crafted poison will register itself as a Weak Corrosive Toxin. That is only because the Twin Fanged Adder Venom is not active. However, because you were able to blend the mana infused extracts into the Twin Fanged Adder Venom you would then create a cage of sorts around the areas where the properties are located. With that cage in place the reawakened properties won¡¯t be able to rampage as hard or take over the whole crafted poison. The awakened properties can then remain active without the worry of the whole crafted poison being overwhelmed. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam blinked a few times as he read Eri¡¯s message. The way she explained the process was starting to make sense. Another thing that this was starting to make Liam understand was this was the next step in crafting poisons. Understanding the properties within each venom, what materials can sedate them, and reawaken them was something he needed to add to his research list.
¡°Another thing to note is just adding the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extract won¡¯t do anything. Because of the infused mana extracts have blended into and around the venom, it also creates a shell that stops any outside influences from trying to reawaken the venom¡¯s properties. Which means you are going to need to work the Lightning Mana Extract into the crafted poison, guiding it to each area the properties lay and infuse just enough of that mana extract into them without overdoing it. ¨C Eri.¡±
An excited grin started growing on Liam¡¯s face as he read this next part. This whole process was complicated and delicate, but it also felt like a challenge. If there was one thing Liam was starting to enjoy with the crafting of this world it was the challenge the crafts provided. He might have failed with this first attempt, but he wasn¡¯t going to let the score remain zero and one. He will raise the zero that represented his success higher than the one that represented the materials win. ¡°No ingredients are going to get the best of me,¡± Liam muttered into his mask. He then grabbed the cauldron and brought it over to the washing station that was tucked in a corner of the room. As he emptied the cauldron and cleaned it he reused his Devour ability to start the next batch of Soul Orbs becoming points to refill his Spirit Pool. After he was finished with that and refilling the cauldron with Purified Water, he readied himself with his next attempt. He closed his eyes before taking in a deep breath. He felt his body relax as he slowly let the air roll off his lips and through the filtration system of the mask he wore. He peered through the goggles that covered his eyes and focused all his attention on the task he was about to undergo. As he prepared for his second attempt he thought about what he had felt, experienced and saw during his first attempt. He worked his memory hard trying to think about all the little things he saw but wrote off. The way the venom had attacked from both sides was problematic. It was even worse that the venom struck the moment he had blended the two extracts together. The properties in the venom were smart he concluded. They played dead and waited while he tried to blend the other ingredients together. He determined that he needed to be smarter. Not only did he need to be smarter, but he also needed to be quicker. He needed to react and counter the venom when it struck. During his time cleaning the cauldron he came up with a strategy that he hoped would work. He would need to have his reflexes on point, or this would fall apart like the first attempt. Feeling ready to try again, Liam started the process. Everything was going smoothly as he added the ingredients into the cauldron. As he slowly stirred he activated his Mana Sight and channeled his mana into the cauldron. He was quick to successfully infuse his mana in to the Weak Stinger Nettle Extract and started to blend it into the Weak Blistering Hogweed Extract. As he did this he kept an eye on the Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom. Right as he finished blending the two together he noticed the edges of both sides of the Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom coil back. This was his time to counter. He focused his will into the mana he channeled into the mana infused extracts. He forced the blend to extend into a point and tried to spear it into the Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom to the left side. He watched it pierce right into it and start to spread through the area. A grin started to form as he watched this, but that grin quickly faded as the other side of the mana infused extracts were overtaken by the venom. The venom quickly tore through the mana defenses and took control of the blend. This resulted in the side that was pierced to weaken and disappear. The colors that represented each materials then started to disappear, causing this session of Poison Crafting to fail once more. ¡°Damn it!¡± Liam swore as he let go of the wooden spoon. He stared at the cauldron with slight frustration. However, he didn¡¯t let it get to him. He made some progress and learned a couple of things. He grabbed the cauldron and made his way back to the cleaning station. As he started cleaning the cauldron he went over what he saw and felt. Like last time, the venom had waited to strike the moment his mana had completely blended the two extracts together. What he did differently this time was he had tried to attack the left side of the venom by piercing right into it. He believed that if he tried to push the mana infused extracts into the middle he would be able to spread it out through the middle. He wanted to attack from within like an infection, but that plan was easily stopped because of the right side that had completely destroyed the mana-like barrier that was wrapped around the blended extracts. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Since all of his focus was on the side of the materials he was using to attack, he couldn¡¯t focus on the other side. The stage he was at with his Mana Control and Manipulation during crafting was where he had to use his hands to guide the mana. He was only able to use one to guide the mana due to the other stirring the spoon. As he sat the cauldron down and started to refill it he muttered to himself, ¡°If I had another hand then this issue won¡¯t be a problem. But it¡¯s not like I could¡­¡± His rambling had struck an idea in his mind. He didn¡¯t need to grow an extra hand. He could just create one. He had almost forgotten the spell since he had been focused on using his other ones. Without any hesitation, Liam created a Shadow Hand. After the familiar raven black hand manifested he handed it the spoon. He then focused his mind on having it stir the water inside the cauldron. He tested different speeds before trying to keep a single pace. He then moved his hands around the cauldron to make sure he could have his Shadow Hand keep the current speed stirring while he was focused on other things. Everything looked like it would work without any issues. Feeling a bit more confident, Liam kept his Shadow Hand going as he grabbed the ingredients. He added them and restarted the process for the third time. Everything looked to be going smoothly as he poured his mana into the cauldron. He channeled and manipulated it to grab hold of the Weak Stinger Nettle Extract. After he was successful he then continued to the next step. As he started to blend the two extracts together with his mana, Liam kept his eyes on both sides. He was waiting for when the Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom decided to strike. Right on cue, he watched both sides start to coil inwards before striking. Right as the venom attacked, Liam pour all of his will into controlling, manipulating, and guiding the mana infused extracts. He swung both hands outwards causing the mana infused extracts to counter the attack. From Liam¡¯s sight it looked like the Weak Twin Fanged Adder Venom had formed snake like mouths when it tried to attack. He watched as the mana infused extracts had shot forward right towards the open mouths. However, before the venom snake-like mouth snapped shut, the mana fused extracts on both sides expanded, stopping the snakeheads from clapping down. Liam could feel the force and resistance as they did this. He could also feel the Venom fight harder, trying to pierce through the mana defense like structure that was coating the edges of the blended extracts. ¡°Ho¡­so far so good,¡± Liam muttered, feeling a bit excited. ¡°Now what do I do from here?¡± Liam tried hard to think about what he needed to do. As he was thinking he could feel the venom trying to push harder. Trying not to let it win, Liam thought even more about what to do. As he tried thinking about all the things he could do, he felt his thoughts returning to something Eri had mentioned. Because of the infused mana extracts have blended into and around the venom, it also creates a shell that stops any outside influences from trying to reawaken the venom¡¯s properties. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was her way of dropping a hint or if what she was telling him earlier was pure coincidence. Either way this was a great learning experience for him. He focused on the mana infused extracts and tried guiding them to outline the edges of the Weak Twin Fanged Venom. At first nothing happened. However, after he forced his will into the mana he was channeling, he felt the extracts slowly start to move. The blended color of the mana infused extracts snaked along the outside of the venom. He was moving slowly so he wouldn¡¯t catch the attention of the venom since it was fully focused on trying to clamp down where the mouth like area was at. He was making great progress and was almost able to connect both sides until he felt something strange. At first he wasn¡¯t sure what it was. Nothing had looked out of place. The venom hadn¡¯t broken through. The snake-like mouths that the venom had formed was still¡­They were gone. The two areas the venom had formed snake like mouths were now just smoothed out blob shapes. Slightly panicking internally, Liam moved his sight to where the outline was almost complete. The last bit of venom that didn¡¯t have any mana outlining it was starting to push up. It looked like a pillar was rising from beneath with the way it was going. Not wanting to fail a third time, Liam focused on the speed of the mana outlining the edges of the venom. He willed it to move faster and not let it grow any more than it had. As he did this he could feel his muscles start to tighten a bit while sweat began to roll down his forehead. He didn¡¯t let it bother him. Instead, he focused all of his attention on connecting the two areas to stop the venom from destroying what he had almost completed. Bit by bit, Liam raced the mana up the geyser-like venom. The harder he forced his will into the mana the faster it ran. A snake like mouth started to form at the top right as his mana reached the neck. The venom tried to move the head down to strike and free itself, however that small bit of time it wasted to turn the head was all he needed to finish connecting it all. Liam could feel the panic and frustration the venom was exuding inside the mana-like shell he had made. He pushed down the pillar section, making the entire thing to even out. Liam let out a gasp as he felt his body tighten even more. This sudden tightening had happened right as the venom rammed a small section of it against the mana shell. It did this a few times, trying to find a weakness it could use to break free. Liam didn¡¯t like this. He didn¡¯t look, but he was sure his stamina was starting to get dangerously close to emptying. He needed to finish this as quickly as he could. If he didn¡¯t then all this work he had put into this would be for naught. Feeling out the mana he used to create this shell like prison, Liam focused on the areas that held the extracts and started to push them into the trapped venom. The venom recoiled as the mana infused extracts tried getting closer. Not liking how it was going, Liam shaped certain areas of the mana infused extracts into needle-like structures and then pierced them into the venom. After they had dug deep into the venom, Liam pumped the blended extract mixture into the venom much like a dropper pumping liquids into another liquid. The colors then started blending together making a light violet color with mixtures of dark and sickly green here and there. As Liam watched this he felt the properties of the venom start to weaken. The more the three blended the less the venom fought back. The analogy Eri had used earlier felt right as he watched and felt what was going on in front of him. The rampaging properties of the Twin Fanged Adder Venom were becoming sedated. After a few seconds had passed and the last of the colors had mixed together. A notification had appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have crafted Weak Corrosive Toxin! Item Type ¨C Crafted Poison (Finished, Unfinished). Item rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Weak.*¡±
Breathing a bit hard, Liam stared at the notification. Excitement, joy, and a victorious feeling all started to well up inside of him. Before he could turn all of those feelings into words a new notification popped up in front of him. It was Eri¡¯s text notifications.
¡°Congratulations on pulling through all of that. Before you do anything though, I suggest you put a lid on the cauldron, press that Air Purification button and drink a Stamina Potion. You¡¯re pretty low right now and are probably feeling it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam smiled at the notification. He was about to let out a chuckle but instead a choked cough slipped out. After he was finished coughing, he had his Shadow Hand shake the spoon over the cauldron before sending it to put it into the cleaning station¡¯s sink. He then had it grab a lid big enough to place it over the cauldron before sending it off to push that button. As soon as it pushed the button, Liam watched the blinds on each ventilation system open up. A light breeze blew over him and throughout the room. It was gentle and felt refreshing. After a few seconds had passed the blinds closed up, stopping the breeze completely. He then took off the gloves before the mask that covered his nose and mouth. He then pulled his goggles off of his head and placed them on the desk surface. He looked at his shaking arms and noticed they were drenched in sweat. He had his Shadow Hand grab a towel off of a rack by the cleaning station and used it to wipe off the sweat on his face and arms. He then pulled out a Minor Orange Stamina Potion and drank it. As he drank the potion he sent a thought over to Eri. Hey Eri. Why does it say finished and unfinished in the Item Type section?
¡°It says that because it is both a finished and unfinished product. If your goal was to only make a Weak Corrosive Toxin then it¡¯s been reached. However, since our goal is the step beyond that it is considered an unfinished product. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Liam stated as he placed the empty vial back into his inventory. ¡°I must say though. That was a bit more complicated than I thought it would be. If you hadn¡¯t said anything about a shell I probably would have failed again.¡±
¡°I, too, must admit that I thought you would have failed. I didn¡¯t think you would have caught on to that. Also, great job on coming up with using your Shadow Hand to stir so you can use both hands to control and manipulate your mana through the process. You¡¯re finally using that spell the way it was intended for. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Wait, you knew that was what I was supposed to do?¡± Liam started. ¡°Also, what do you mean I finally used my Shadow Hand the way it was intended for? Are you saying I¡¯ve been using my Shadow Hand wrong?¡±
¡°First, I am not your Alchemy Mentor. While I did suggest you make this poison, I wasn¡¯t going to fully explain how you are supposed to make it. I wanted you to learn how to make it on your own. And yes, the Shadow Hand is a Utility type spell that is meant to help with crafting. All mana created Hand spells are meant to assist with crafting processes that require you to use more than just your two regular hands. The way you have been using it is interesting. So interesting that I hadn¡¯t even considered it. While it is not wrong, it just wasn¡¯t meant to be used in that manner. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam felt a bit flustered as he read her message. He could understand that she wanted him to learn at his pace and that she wasn¡¯t his Alchemy Mentor. She had no obligation to explain or guide through the process, but he was working with limited materials. What would have happened if he didn¡¯t succeed? Liam let out a frustrated sigh. This wasn¡¯t the first time she acted like this. Since he was still new to being a Champion of a goddess, he really didn¡¯t know what they could and couldn¡¯t do. For now, he would just chalk it up as it being her nature. She was the goddess of chaos after all and the way she has been acting has been a bit chaotic. ¡°So, I¡¯ll take it that you won¡¯t explain how to do this next part then?¡± Liam asked, feeling like he knew the answer.
¡°In a sense I did. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he tried to process what she said. As he figured, she didn¡¯t tell him, but her message indicated that she already had in her own way. She did? When? Liam thought as he thought about what she had said. As he tried to think about it, he scrolled up on her text notifications to see when and what it was she said. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find what he was looking for. He reread the text she had sent him earlier.
¡°Another thing to note is just adding the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extract won¡¯t do anything. Because of the infused mana extracts have blended into and around the venom, it also creates a shell that stops any outside influences from trying to reawaken the venom¡¯s properties. Which means you are going to need to work the Lightning Mana Extract into the crafted poison, guiding it to each area the properties lay and infuse just enough of that mana extract into them without overdoing it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam let out a small chuckle. The way she explained it reminded him of when he tried to smelt his first bone ingot. He needed to find a way to fill the bone with mana and in order for him to do that he needed to get pass the mana-like barrier the bone had coating it. The only difference between this time and that is the mana he had to use was an elemental extract. That and he didn¡¯t know exactly how much he needed to use in order for this to work. He would need to take it slow and hope he didn¡¯t fail. Without hesitation he grabbed his safety equipment and got ready. He wouldn¡¯t fail. Instead, he would learn and grow from it. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start up the next step,¡± Liam stated with a grin spread wide under his mask. Adventure 194 – From liquid to dust Liam placed his safety equipment back on as he made his way over to the cauldron. He opened the lid and peered inside. The crafted poison that rested inside didn¡¯t look any different than the ones he had crafted previously. He wondered if it would look any different once he succeeded in this next step. He thought about the clues Eri had dropped in that message. From what he had gathered, just adding the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana wouldn¡¯t do anything. His guess was the crafted poison would push it out and away from it. If that was the case then he was going to need to control and manipulate it in a way that it could penetrate inside the crafted poison. The only problem was elemental type mana was harder to control when trying to force it to penetrate mana created defenses while crafting. He didn¡¯t have any experience with it, but he remember reading about it. The passage had spoken about how Crafters tried to steer clear from trying to manipulate and control mana types they had no experience with. It strained them and drained their stamina quicker than normal. This problem though wasn¡¯t an issue for Liam this time. The reason for that is, he had some experience with channeling, controlling, and manipulating Lightning Mana. Since this wasn¡¯t an issue for him, he prepared to control the liquified ingredient by channeling his Lightning Mana. After he finished channeling the mana to coat his hands, Liam used his Shadow Hand to grab a small vial of Weak Liquified Lightning Mana and slowly poured it into the cauldron. As Liam watched the contents pool in, he confirmed that his theory on what would happen after adding it was correct. As the ingredient mixed into the crafted poison, it was instantly pushed out towards the edges of the cauldron. Liam studied the edges of the crafted poison where the Liquified Lightning Mana Extract sat. It wasn¡¯t a lot. The amount that was poured out from the vial outlined only a quarter of the crafted poison edge. He then channeled his Lightning Mana into the cauldron to grasp the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extract. He used one hand to move it around because of the amount of the extract there was and the little movement he was using. He tried probing, feeling the outside of the mana defense the crafted poison had. No matter where he moved the extract it felt like the mana-like barrier followed it. Liam nodded as he made a mental note of this. After that he had the Shadow Hand pour in another small vial of the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extract. However, instead of dropping in the middle or closer to the amount he already had, he dropped it almost cattycorner from it. Liam focused his free hand on this ingredient. He know controlled and manipulated two separate amounts of the extracts. Since the mana-like barrier followed the first contents he figured he¡¯d see if it could do it from both ends. He used his right hand to control one collection of extract to lightly attack the side it was on. After he felt the mana-like barrier start to form where he first attacked, he used his left hand to manipulate this small batch of extract to attack from the opposite side. To Liam¡¯s surprise he felt the mana-like barrier that had formed to defend against the first attack start to weaken a bit as a second mana-like barrier formed right where the second attack came from. He noted the power behind the defenses and concluded that if he split another vial between both sides he would be able to pierce it and get through the defenses. He instructed his Shadow Hand to do just that. He watched as the contents were split between both sides and easily mix with both extracts. The small amount added was just enough for Liam to manipulate both sides to pierce through the mana-like barrier and seep into the crafted poison. As the small amount of mana started to creep inside, Liam felt the mana-like barrier try to cut off the invading mana extracts. He swiftly channeled more of his mana to widen the openings he created as well as fortify them from being closed shut. After doing so, he focused his attention on where inside the crafted poison he needed to guide the Liquified Lightning Mana Extract too. Unlike when he blended the two extracts and the venom together, the Liquified Lightning Mana Extract didn¡¯t spread and mix with the crafted poison. Instead, it felt like the crafted poison was refusing to accept it. In order for him to even move the mana through the crafted poison he had to form it into a line. He chuckled a bit internally because the way it was moving reminded him of a snake swimming through water. He then watched as the two long line of Liquified Lightning mixed with his own slithered around, searching. As he searched inside he realized he couldn¡¯t see any signs of where the slumbering properties were. In fact, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was he was looking for. When he crafted this poison he was only focused on sedating the properties. He didn¡¯t bother trying to see what they looked like. So now he had to play hide and go seek using his controlled and manipulated Lightning Mana within this poisonous wetland. As he moved his mana inside and around the edges he determined there probably wasn¡¯t anything around there that would react. He then start to slowly spread it in more. He was about to curse because he still count find what he was looking for until something caught both of his eyes. Two flashes quickly blinked on both sides. Liam stopped moving his mana and slowly came back to the areas he had seen the flashes. As soon as he got there he noticed a faint outline of a circle that had blended in with the crafted poison. Liam focused his mana on those two spots and watched as a surge of life flashed into existence within both circles. He then witnessed a few more circles faintly made their presences known. He went to move his mana to the closest circles but then frown as the two circles he had activated fell silent once more. The circles that had made themselves known faded again. Liam frown as he watched this. He moved his mana back over the circles and watched them hum back to life. He moved away again and watched it disappear once more. After moving it back over them he contemplated what he was supposed to do. He had gathered that he needed to use the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extract he was currently manipulating with his own Lightning Mana to awaken the properties. These circles he had found must be the sedated properties he needed to reawaken. By having manipulated the liquified mana with his own to go over the two circles they had reawakened, but the moment he moved them away to go to the next set of circles they fell back asleep. If he needed to move the mana from one circle to the next without letting it slumber would mean there is something he was missing. How could he move the mana from one circle to the next without losing it? He moved his mana back and forth over the circle to see if there was something he was missing. He zoomed in to get a better look at it. Once his sight had pulled in the circle closer, he noticed that the mana he was moving wasn¡¯t just moving over it. Instead, it was filling the circle through a small hole on one side while exiting another hole on the other. He then noticed the placement of the entrance and exit of the holes. The exit was pointed towards the next circle. He was starting to understand what he needed to do. He needed to guide the mana from circle to circle without letting any of the mana leave the circle. Now this led to his next question. How could he do that? He knew by moving his hand the mana inside the circle would leave it. He needed to figure out a way to place his mana there while guiding some of it to the next destination. He looked at his hands then at his fingers. He let out a sigh as he let his mind wander a bit. ¡°If only I could move the mana with more than just my hands then maybe¡­¡± He muttered to himself as he placed his thumb and index finger over the circle, like he was trying to keep the mana there in place. He then slowly moved his index finger in a manner like the mana was gum and he was trying to stretch it out. To his surprise, his mana followed the path his fingers took. To his utter astonishment the circles where his thumbs hovered over, acting like they were pressing down at, his mana had remained to keep the circle awake. ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple?¡± Liam questioned, feeling flabbergasted. He moved the mana he had control over with his index fingers as slowly as he could to both circles that were close by. As soon as they reached the circle, they awakened, sending out a faint hum of activity throughout the crafted poison. The next set of circles appeared as well. Liam felt a rush of excitement as he clenched his hands together in victory. However, as soon as he did this the mana that had filled the four circles disappeared, leaving him to start over once more. ¡°So, it¡¯s going to be like that huh?¡± Liam muttered as he restarted the process once more. After Liam connected the two circles together with the thread of his Lightning Mana mixed with the Weak Liquified Lightning Mana Extract, he contemplated how to proceed. He needed to move to the next circles. Could he continue to move his index finger out more? No. He didn¡¯t know how many circles he needed to connect and while this was a small cauldron it was still bigger than the size of his hands. Deciding to take a chance on a hunch, Liam slowly moved his thumbs along the path he made with his index fingers. As they moved away from the first circle, he inwards let out a sigh of relief. The first circles didn¡¯t disappear. After they reached the second set of circles, Liam proceeded to the third set. Feeling confident and happy with the process he continued to make his way from circle to circle. After the fifth set was connect he noticed the lines he was making from circle to circle were in a zig zag like pattern. It was almost like they represented lightning bolts. The other thing he noticed was the circles were getting him closer and closer to the center of the cauldron. This observation was made clear when the final circle for both sides was exactly the middle of the crafted poison. After he connected the two lines together he looked closer to the circle in the middle. Unlike the circles he was working through to get here, this one was bigger. Not only that, but instead of having an entrance and an exit, this circle had eight openings. Six more circles were suddenly made faintly visible as he moved his thumbs to this main circle. Each new circle was close to an opening of the center circle. Liam thought about what it meant. If this wasn¡¯t the end then he would need to continue on a new set path. He picked the closest openings to where he had moved his thumbs and fingers from and started doing what he did to get there. This felt a lot like connecting the dots or filling in the lines. After he made it to the last circle of this new path he was stumped. He wasn¡¯t sure if he needed to find new circles close by or make his way back to the center and start again with a new path. It was frustrating having to start over again after getting this far, but he decided to try and make his way back to the center through the path he had created. To his relief, the circles remained awake. After getting back to the center he manipulated the mana to the next openings. As he started the next paths he noticed there was some resistance as he made his way to the next couple of circles. It wasn¡¯t strong, but it was still noticeable. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. As he continued the process he thought over why he was feeling the weak resistance. The only thing he could come up with was that it was the crafted poison trying to stop the properties of the Twin Fanged Adder Venom from reawakening. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was correct, but he decided to not dwell on it too much. For now, he wanted to finish this crafting process before his mana ran out. It didn¡¯t take him long to get to the last circle from the last path. As soon as the mana connected, the crafted poison had both a physical and magical reaction. Liam stopped channeling his mana and watched as the lines and circles lit up with the familiar color of Lightning mana. Both the mana made lines and the circles started sparking outwards like wild sparks. The poison inside the cauldron started bubbling boiling causing some poisonous fumes to rise. A few sparks pierced through the surface of the liquid and spider webbed across it before diving back into the liquid around the edges of the cauldron. After twenty seconds of this happening, the liquid contents started to calm down. A few random sparks appeared here and there, but aside from that nothing else had really changed. A notification suddenly appeared shortly after that that.
¡°Congratulations! You have made Weak Paralytic Adder Venom!¡± ¡°Weak Paralytic Adder Venom. Item Type ¨C Poison (Alchemical). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description - A weak slow poison crafted using Liquified Lightning and Venom from a Twin Fanged Adder found in a forest or grass field type dungeon. The Venom spreads through the bloodstream of the target not only poisoning them, but also paralyzing every muscle depending on the quality of the crafted poison.¡±
Liam felt excited upon receiving the notification. He had done it! While the process was interesting, it was still a pain to understand doing it without any research. But then again doing some crafting and learning as you go held some sense of accomplishment. He knew he shouldn¡¯t do it much when he was low on materials, but he felt the risks here weren¡¯t as drastic as say making the unawaken version of this poison.
¡°Congratulations on successfully crafting the Weak Paralytic Adder Venom. Before you start celebrating and try to move on to the next step, I suggest you try making more of this poison so you can have a stock of it. Also keep replenishing your Spirit Pool as well. You want it to be at full when you leave here. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam waved his head back and forth as he contemplated Eri¡¯s message. He wanted to celebrate a bit since he was successful, but she was right about making more. While the cauldron held a decent amount of the crafted poison, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have more. It was also a good idea for him to get back into it before he forgot everything he had learned. After agreeing to her suggestion, Liam spent more time making more batches of Weak Corrosive Toxins and turning them into Weak Paralytic Adder Venom. He had failed a couple of times during the first process, but in the end he was able to make twenty seven small vials and three medium sized vials of the venom mixture. He felt that would be enough for now. Thanks to his successful crafting sessions his Poison Craft section of the Alchemy craft had raised a couple of levels.
¡°Congratulations! Alchemy section Poison Craft has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Alchemy section Poison Craft has reached level 15! Progression to level 15: 51%!¡±
That wasn¡¯t the only thing that had raised either. His ability to manipulate Lightning Mana had also raised a level.
¡°Congratulations! Your control over Lightning Mana has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 10%!¡±
Seeing his control over Lightning Mana was a nice bonus after using it so much during these crafting sessions. As he read these notifications he had his Shadow Hand push the Air Purification button to clear out the lingering poisonous fumes in the air. As that was going on he closed his notifications and moved everything to the cleaning station. Even though he was told there was a magic placed in here that would clean everything after he left he felt that it would create bad habits in the future. Plus, as he was cleaning he was able to think and make mental notes of the things he had learned and what he needed to improve on. After he finished cleaning everything and putting them back in their rightful place, Liam walked over to a cabinet and grabbed a Mortar and Pestle. He set the equipment on a desk over by the medium sized cauldron that was hanging over a fire pit. He then moved all of his materials he had by the small cauldron over to this new station. After moving everything over to this area of the room, he grabbed a chair, pulled it up to the desk so he could sit comfortably, grabbed his newly acquired Handbook on Powdered Poisons from his inventory and set it down. He then pulled out a cloth from his inventory, placed it on the desk, and pulled out a small pile of small bones that were the size of his hand. After doing that, Liam started flipping through the book to the page where he saw the steps on how to make beginner powdered poisons. Once he found the page, he grabbed one of the bones and snapped it in half. The thickness of these Crude Small Bones weren¡¯t that much. Compared to most of the bones he had harvested, these ones were thin. He believed them to be perfect for what he wanted to use them for since it was a pain to break bones down. After he finished breaking the bones down small enough to fit inside the mortar, Liam grabbed two and placed them in. He then grabbed the pestle and started grinding them into dust. As he started grinding each bone into dust, he went over the steps he needed to take to make this newly crafted poison. ¡°Step one¡­crush and grind eight small bones. Once you have grinded these eight bones into dust separate them from the rest of the crushed bones needed,¡± Liam muttered to himself. He thought about the amount he had already turned into powdered dust. He had just finished his second full small bone. He made a mental note to remember how many he worked on as he continued to read, ¡°Step two, fill a small sized cauldron about three quarters full with either Sea or Ocean Water. These types of water will help form crystals when you start to evaporate the liquids inside.¡± Liam continued to read and crush the bones into dust. He made sure to put the amount he needed for the first part off to the side in a small container before continuing to finish the rest off. After crushing all the bones and repeatedly reading the process over and over, Liam began his crafting session. He placed his safety equipment and even replaced the vials in the filtration system since they were running low. When he was ready he filled the cauldron with sea water up to the three quarters mark. After that he placed a few logs in the fire pit underneath the cauldron and used his Light and Burn spell to light it. While he waited for the water to start boiling, he rearranged his materials in the order he felt he needed them to be in to help the process to run smoothly. He even had his Shadow Hand grab a new wooden spoon and hold on to it. After the water had started to lightly boil he began his crafting session. Liam poured in two small vials of the Weak Paralytic Adder Venom, two small vials of Weak Liquified Arcane Mana Extracts, and a quarter of the crushed bones from the pile he separated earlier. As he poured in the materials, he had his Shadow hand slowly stir. He wasn¡¯t sure how it would go, but it seemed like there weren¡¯t any note worthy issues. Liam activated his Mana Sight and watched as the Weak Liquified Arcane Mana Extracts seeped into the powdered bones that was swirling inside the water and venom mixture. Liam was shocked as he witnessed the next thing that happened. After the Arcane Mana extracts fully covered the bone particles, the droplets of Weak Paralytic Adder Venom, that was starting to be watered down by the sea water, looked like they were being guided and sucked into the bone particles. As this happened the color of the sea water had slightly changed. Instead of a clear light blue, a hint of watered down purple was starting to be noticeable. He then poured in another two of the crafted poison and extract while adding in some more bone dust. He continued this until the water had completely changed into the same color as the Weak Paralytic Venom. The only thing that was notable was the floating bone dust particles that didn¡¯t disappear even though it was in a liquid. After he blended the materials together, Liam checked the temperature of the liquid. He used his ability Temp Check to make sure it was at the right temperature the instructions advised him it should be at. After readjusting the heat of the flame, he watched as the liquid boiled. He had his Shadow Hand stir occasionally as he waited. This part of the crafting was the boring part to him since he needed to wait for the liquid to evaporate and create crystals that would cover the sides of the cauldron. If he had to be honest, from what he read, the entire session was going to be boring. As he read the instructions earlier, he felt that the process wasn¡¯t that hard. It didn¡¯t require him to use any fancy techniques nor was there a challenge to it. There was a warning in one of the steps telling him not to use any Mana Manipulation, control or channeling. Apparently if he did try to use it to help speed the process of getting the crafted poison and the bone particles to stick together then it would create negative effects. Some that were listed, but not limited to, were the two materials not combining, clash between the mana and the poison, complete failure of the whole process, and more. After a while, the water had finally evaporated, leaving behind dark greenish purple crystals covering the inside and bottom of the cauldron. The size of the crystals reminded him of what salt crystals looked like when they formed. He blew out the flame that was still burning underneath the cauldron and waited for it to cool down. As he waited he placed the wooden spoon in the cleaning station sink and had his Shadow hand grab two scrapers. After the cauldron reached a temperature that allowed him to touch the cauldron without any worry of the heat burning his gloves, Liam started scraping the sides and bottom of the cauldron with one of his hands and his Shadow Hand. Liam had to admit, having his Shadow Hand helping him out with craft was both helpful and neat to him. He wouldn¡¯t have thought about using it this way¡­well he probably could have eventually, but he was under the impression it was a spell to help him fight or use to help him fight. That was why he had used them in his fights the way he did. After he finished scrapping off all of the crystals, he created a second Shadow Hand and had both of them grab the lip of the cauldron. He cupped his gloved covered hands creating a funnel over a container and had his two spell created hands pick up and pour the contents out into the decent sized container. After the last of the crystals fell into the container, he moved the cauldron over to the sink. He then dusted his hands off to the side before grabbing the mortar and pestle. This next and final step was as simple as the whole process. All he had to do was pour a small amount of bone dust, add in a small spoon full of the poison crafted crystals, and mix them together by grinding them. After the crystals had fully broken down and mixed with the bone dust, Liam added in another small amount of poison crafted crystals. Periodically he added a pinch of bone dust, so the poison crafted poison didn¡¯t over power the mixture. He really didn¡¯t need to use more bone dust since it was already added to the mixture when he cooked the ingredients together earlier. However, that was only if he wanted to use this as just a powdered poison. That wasn¡¯t what he was going for. He had an idea after seeing the title of the chapter and thought that it was perfect for what he was going to do after this. The name of the chapter that had caught his attention and made him want to get this book was called, How to make Powder Poisons for Chemicalized Creation Purposes. According to the book, if all you wanted to make the poisoned powder usable for a Chemicalized Creation Crafting session then you need to add a bit more bone dust to help it mix well with the ingredients used for the next craft. After a minute had passed, Liam received a notification.
¡°Congratulations! You have crafted Weak Powdered Paralytic Adder Venom.¡± ¡°Weak Powdered Paralytic Adder Venom. Item Type ¨C Crafted Powdered Poison (Finished, Unfinished). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C a powdered poison with the properties of a Paralytic Adder Venom. However, instead of a liquid form this powdered form will cause irritation to the skin without the paralyzing effects. However, if the powdered poison touches open wounds, eye balls, or enters through a mouth, nose, or ears then a burning effect with be felt as the paralytic and poison effects activate.¡±
As Liam read the description he was entirely sure which was worse. Being cut with the liquid version of the poison and have the effects activate or the powdered version causing a burning feeling on open wounds, eyeballs or any place that it enters. Both were bad, but he was leaning more towards the powdered version being worse.
¡°Nice job! You are slowly becoming better at this crafting thing. The more you learn, the wider your options become. This powdered form can be very helpful to you for any situation. I would advice you to make some without the intention of using it as a material for that Chemicalized Creation project you¡¯re about to try soon. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°I was just thinking about that,¡± Liam said with a smile under his mask. ¡°How much of this do you think I should make?¡±
¡°Seeing as you have plenty of materials to work with¡­I¡¯d say use this batch to make for Chemicalized Creation purposes. Make a secondary batch so you can just use it for other situations. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded. He agreed with her on this. He could start up another batch and while that was cooking and evaporating, turning the contents into crystals, then he could make more of this powdered ingredient for the next and final step he had planned. He didn¡¯t want to waste too much time crafting since he still needed to take those tests. That being said, he got up, cleaned the cauldron he used earlier and readied himself to finish his work in the Poison Crafting room. Adventure 195 - Taming Two Mana Types It had taken Liam some time to make another batch of Weak Powdered Paralytic Adder Venom. When he entered the Poison Crafting Room it was almost four in the afternoon. It was now almost five. During that time, he had finished making the batch of Powdered Venom for his next project, placed them in two medium sized containers the size of a coin jar, and also decided to make Weak Liquified Shadow Mana Extract and Weak Liquified Lunar Extracts. He didn¡¯t have a lot of time, so he decided to make seven small vials of each. After he placed the powdered venom that wasn¡¯t going to be used in this next step in containers and away into his inventory, he cleaned the place up. He didn¡¯t want to leave the place in a pigsty even though they said it was alright, something inside of him wouldn¡¯t let him do it. Once the equipment was cleaned, the air in the room purified, and everything put back in its place, Liam proceeded to the next room. He kept his Shadow Hands active in case he still needed their help for the next part. As he opened the door and stepped in, Liam took a good look and was shocked. The room he walked into looked almost exactly like a mixture of a chemistry class and a laboratory. A few long desks were spread out throughout the room. Sitting along the walls were glass cabinets filled with equipment. Compared to the Poison Craft room, this one had a lot more of them. As Liam looked at each one he understood. There were more equipment varying in different shapes and sizes. There were some that he recognized, while there were more he didn¡¯t. The ones he recognized were Cucurbits, Alembics, beakers, graduated Cylinders, Vials, Funnels, Mortar and Pestles, and Bunsen burners. There was one that looked a lot like a Distilling Flask, something that looks a lot like a dropper, bowls, and long graduated tubes with spigot or a valve like attachment, and more. Liam knew this room was going to be a lot different compared to what he was used to, but he never expected it to be this different. Even Galin¡¯s equipment couldn¡¯t compare to some of these tools. Although, he had a sneaking suspicion that Galin didn¡¯t have all of his equipment when he went to the Tutorial Area. After Liam got a good look around at everything, he made his way to a desk that was slightly bigger than the others. He figured he would need more space not just for the equipment, but for the materials he was going to use as well. As he looked for his Beginner¡¯s guide to things that go Boom!, Liam had his Shadow Hands go and grab a couple of vial rack holders. After pulling it out, Liam searched for the page that contained pictures of each piece of equipment he needed as well as the set up. The set up, like most of the Alchemy crafting stations, was completely different. The level of Potion Making he had been at only needed a Cucurbit, an Alembic, a Bunsen burner, and a beaker or container for the contents to fall into. You didn¡¯t need to worry about using any form of Mana Control either since there wasn¡¯t a need for it. You could set it up and let it do its own thing while you worked on something else. Poison crafting at the beginning needed a cauldron and a stirring spoon. While the equipment was less and a bit bulkier than the Potion Making equipment, the process to craft it was a step up and required more of your focus as well as three mana skills. Mana Channeling, Mana Control, and Mana Manipulation. You needed those in order to make sure the extracts and poisons you were mixing blended perfectly together. One slip up and the whole process could fail, destroying all the materials in the process. Chemical Creations on the other hand¡­that was a craft that was a step up even more than the other two. As Liam had studied up on Chemicalized Creation, he started to understand why it was something you couldn¡¯t start learning until you reached a certain level in the Mana Skills as well as practicing the other two sections. While there was no risk with Potion making and the risk of Poison Crafting was getting poisoned by the materials if you weren¡¯t careful as well as destroying the materials; the risk wasn¡¯t entirely life threatening. The risk of crafting Chemicalized Creations was a different story. If you didn¡¯t pay attention to the different Mana Type Extracts, one wrong move and the entire session could blow up in your face. While the lower quality materials wouldn¡¯t cause much harm, maybe you¡¯ll get hit by the shattering glass, the higher quality materials cause more damage. From rooms to buildings, the explosions caused can kill you on the spot if you¡¯re not careful. Everything you do from the start of your Alchemy crafting sessions; they were all practice getting you ready for Chemicalized Creations. Now the same could be said for the Magic Potion section of Alchemy, but Liam hasn¡¯t done any research into it yet to really know if that is the case. After taking a few minutes making sure the equipment was in the proper place, Liam took a step back and marveled at the set up. Clamped with just the right amount of pressure were two round bottom flasks with a glass side arm angled at a fifteen degree angle. Both of these were right above a Bunsen Burner sitting as far away from each other as possible. He learned that these round bottom flasks with side arms were indeed called Distilling Flasks. Connected to each side arm was a rubber tube that was stretched far enough to keep straight right towards a small flat bottom flask. The hoses were placed into a hole on each side of the stopper that plugged the flat bottom flask. In the middle of the two hoses sticking out from the stopper was a thin metal straw. There was a single hole for metal straws in the stoppers for the Distilling Flasks, but the purpose for those were different than for the one on the flat bottom flask. The purpose of the metal straws for the Distilling Flasks was to allow pressure that would build up while the mana extracts boiled to slowly escape so the glass flasks don¡¯t strain from the pressure. The purpose for the other metal straw was to allow the powdered mixture to enter while the two extracts start to mix in the flat bottom flask. While it is customary to use regular bone powder when you make your first Chemicalized Creation, Liam didn¡¯t want to wait. He had some faith that the powdered poison he had made would work the same. That was the reason why he mixed extra bone powder when he crushed the poison powder with crushed bone powder. It was so the extracts and the poisoned powder would blend without any issue. Liam grabbed two small vials of Weak Liquified Gravity Mana Extracts and poured them into one of the distilling flasks. After he did that, he grabbed two small Weak Liquified Air Mana Extracts and poured them in the other distilling flask. After that he plugged both of them with the stoppers he had prepared. He made sure everything was plugged in tight and there weren¡¯t any holes where there shouldn¡¯t be. Once he confirmed everything was just right he chanted his Light and Burn spell twice, placed them on the Bunsen Burners, checked the temperature of the flames, and adjusted them to the right temperature. He then watched and waited for the liquid in both distilling flasks to start boiling. This part of the process was delicate. He needed to make sure the flames were hot enough to make the mana liquid extracts boil, but he also needed to make sure they didn¡¯t boil too fast. The reason for that was because when the Liquified Mana Extract boiled, the vapors that escape from the liquid becomes pure concentrated mana that isn¡¯t in liquid form anymore. At the same time, the condensation created from the boiling liquid inside the distilling flask that forms at the entrance of the side arm mixes with the concentrated mana and recreates a distilled form of the Liquified Mana. If the Liquified Mana Extracts were to boil too fast then majority of the vapors of pure concentrated mana would exit the distilling flask through the metal straw. While some of it escaping was needed, if majority of the purely concentrated mana escaped then it would make the finishing product a dud. He needed both the purely concentrated mana and the recreated liquified mana extract made from the condensation to evenly push through the side arms, down the rubber tubes, and into the flat bottom flask. He needed both to slowly enter that flask and slowly fill. After the flask was filled with a certain amount of both forms from each distilling flask, he would add the powdered poison. The bone dust mixed in the powdered poison would swirl and stabilize all four just enough for them to not overwhelm the other and cause an unstable reaction. Without the properties of the bone dust, the mana would wage war against each other and trigger the effects that they were creating inside which would then push the runes placed on the flask pass the point of no return, breaking the flask entirely. Liam watched as the liquids in both distilling flasks start to boil. The bubbles that formed at the bottom of the flasks were tiny and slow to move to the top. Liam activated his Mana Sight to see if he could notice anything else. As he peered through his shadowy goggles, he noticed something very interesting. Each bubble that broke the surface and popped turned into a wisp of mana that danced inside the flask. The heat that filled the glass container made the vaporized mana swirl and twirl as they made their way to the top. After reaching the top of the flask, the amount that didn¡¯t enter the metal straw and escape out, circled like a draft had spun it around. It then slowly drifted down back and forth before entering the side arm where it started to build up into the tube. Liam noticed the purely concentrated mana just sit there. The amount building up looked like it was stuck. He watched as it moved forward, but then backwards. He was confused as to why this was happening. Did he need to channel some mana and give it a push? No, he remembered reading in the book that during this part of the process he shouldn¡¯t channel any of his mana. The warning left stated that if one were to channel any of their mana to help guide the concentrated mana or recreated liquified mana then it would contaminate the materials. It would add in an element that could cause the ingredients that entered the flat bottom flask to either react negatively or weaken the ingredients thus making the whole thing a complete failure. He needed the purely concentrated mana and the liquified mana to move on their own through the tubes. However, watching the concentrated mana just move back and forth like that as if something was breathing through the tube made him wonder what he should do. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. His worries were dispelled not too long after that as the heat filled the flask creating condensation in certain areas. One of those areas was the top entrance of the side arm. A glob of liquified mana quickly formed along the entrance of the side arm, pushing a small amount of purely concentrated mana forward. As if that¡¯s what it was waiting for, both the glob of liquified mana and the pocket of purely concentrated mana started making their way down the tubes, towards the flat bottom flask. Once they made it to the end of the tube, both forms of mana dropped inside towards the bottom. The purely concentrated mana from both sides hit the bottom first. However, the liquified form that was attached to the vaporized mana swiftly switched places. This made it so the liquid was touching the bottom while the vapors were right above the liquid. The next notable thing Liam noticed was the purely concentrated mana didn¡¯t remove itself from the top of the liquified mana. Instead, they looked like they were glued to each other. Liam theorized that the time these two forms spent rolling through the tubes created an inseparable connection. If this theory was correct, then he could understand why there would be a volatile reaction when all the different mana types finally connected. The liquified mana was one thing, but the vapor of the purely concentrated mana that had created a connection with its liquid counterpart would not like anything else to get in between them. Liam nodded as he started to understand the purpose of the bone dust that needed to be mixed in with it. While bones were known to have a magic absorption property in its raw or whole form, the dust version had similar properties but just weaker. Since the dust was able to move freely it could spread out and attach itself in areas where the reactions were the strongest. It would absorb just enough of that instability and keep it in check, at least until the flask shattered. Once the flask shattered then the dust would not be able to keep things in check since it would swirl and bring along with it the instability throughout the entire mixture, thus allowing the effects and properties to do its job. Liam continued to watch as more liquid and vapors began filling the flat bottom flask. He need to keep an eye out for the moment the two different types of mana touched. Once they did he needed to add a very small amount of the powdered poison to start creating that stability. He also needed to watch the amount he poured in. If he poured in too much then it would make the whole thing too stable. If it was too stable then when he wanted to use the item nothing would happen. However, if he added too little then the instability would create a reaction he didn¡¯t want to happen. Since this was his first time doing this the only thing he could do was remember what he saw when Galin had made one of these in front of him back in the Tutorial Area as well as trust his judgement on the amount. Liam was brought out of his thoughts as he noticed the two sides were starting to get closer to each other. He had one of his Shadow Hands grab a funnel and attached it to the metal straw. He then grabbed a spoon and scooped out a small amount of the powdered poison and readied himself. He waited as the two different mana types in their two different forms slowly approached each other. With every drop that entered the flat bottom flask, the more they were pushed closer to each other. They were starting to get dangerously closer after a few seconds had passed, but Liam didn¡¯t want to drop it in too soon. He didn¡¯t know if there would be any adverse effects if it was put in too soon. He only knew about the ones if it was poured in too late. He focused his attention on them both, waiting for a sign. It didn¡¯t take long for him to notice it when it happened. Almost like a spark, Liam noticed the two forms of the two different manas suddenly clash as they bled into each other. It was faint, but he felt the manas start to charge up. Liam lightly shook the spoon to allow a very small amount of the powder to fall through the funnel and down into the mixture. The small amount fell through the vapors first before entering the liquid. Liam shook his head. That observation wasn¡¯t entirely accurate. The small amount of the powdered ingredient had split. A small portion remained in the vapor of the purely concentrated mana while the other fell through and dispersed into the liquid. Liam was both amazed and in awe as he watched this happen. The charge he felt running through the different forms of mana had settled down, but that wasn¡¯t what he was amazed about. It was how the powdered ingredient split itself. The powdered poison floated throughout the vapor of the purely concentrated mana while the plain bone dust floated inside the liquified mana. Liam was amazed by this because he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how this part was going to happen. While he needed the poison powder to mix with this, he knew that if it mixed with the liquid part of the creation then it would just dissolve. There wouldn¡¯t have been any reason to turn it into a powder if it was just going to dissolve in the liquid. However, he now had an answer as to if that would happen. The poison powder remained in its powdered form and floated throughout the vapor section of the experiment. As Liam marveled at this he didn¡¯t realize that the flask was starting to grow and mix with more of the incoming vapors and liquid at a faster pace. The heat from the fire underneath the distilling flasks had continued its job in earnest after getting into the groove. The amount of powdered poison he had mixed in had stabilized a decent amount of the concoction, but since more had entered and filled there wasn¡¯t enough of it to help keep it in check. Liam snapped out of his thoughts and felt that charge he felt earlier. After seeing that the flask was half full and still filling in with more, Liam poured in the rest of the powdered poison he had left in the spoon. He watched as the powdered mixture split again and was excited to see it stabilize it once more, however, it didn¡¯t stabilize at all. The amount of powdered poison he added wasn¡¯t enough to keep everything in check. He scooped a bit more of the powdered mixture and slowly poured another small amount. It didn¡¯t help at all. The amount of liquid and vapor pouring in was too much for the powdered mixture to spread out and try to stabilize it. He needed to add more. As he thought that something inside the flask started to happen. The flask started to vibrate as the liquid and vapor began to swirl inside. Liam felt his blood run cold. He remembered reading that if this started to happen then he needed to channel his mana into both mana types and try to freeze them in place and add in as much of the powdered mixture as he needed to. Freezing it in place would help the powdered mixture to spread out and stabilize the areas that had begun to react badly. Liam placed the spoon inside the container of the Powdered Poison and placed his hands around the outside of the flat bottom flask. Before he started channeling his mana into it he saw more vapor and liquid mana roll inside the flask. Cursing himself mentally, Liam blew out the flames under the Distilling Flasks to stop any more from rolling into the flat bottom flask. After cutting off the source of the extra mana forms, Liam started channeling his mana and poured it into the flask. He tried to grasp the two different mana types and freeze them in place, however the moment his mana went to grasp them, they both slipped right through. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Liam muttered to himself as he tried again. Once more the two different mana types slipped right through. That wasn¡¯t entirely accurate. It felt like he was able to grasp one, but the other slipped by. During the next attempt the same thing happened except he was able to grasp the opposite mana type while the other slipped by and pushed the one he had gripped out of his control. ¡°Seriously? What the hell!?¡± Liam shouted as frustration started to build inside him. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how or why this was happening. Taking a deep breath in and trying to calm his mind, Liam tried to swiftly think things over. He was able to grasp one type of mana, but not the other. When he tried to grasp the other one, the one he was able to grasp would slip out. This was a mystery to him. Normally when he tried to manipulate a mana type he was able to grasp it easily. ¡°But that was because I was manipulating one type of mana not trying to manipulate and grasp two at the same time,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he felt like he was on to something. ¡°If that is the case then do I need to try and channel two different types of mana at once? But how can I do that? Can I do that?¡± Liam knew the answer was yes. He vaguely remembered it, but he was able to channel, control, and manipulate Shadow and Lunar at the same time during his fight against that giant shadow man. But he wasn¡¯t in control of himself when he did it. Could he do it as he was right now? Laim looked at the flask that was continuing to become unstable. He needed to do it. If he didn¡¯t then this flask was going to explode, and he didn¡¯t need a mixture of glass, gravity, air, and poisoned powder exploding in his face. Liam looked at his hands and tried to concentrate. First he knew he didn¡¯t have any control over Air Mana so he couldn¡¯t use that. He would need to use his Arcane Mana for that one. So, if he was using his Arcane Mana for the Air Mana part he would then need to channel Gravity mana for the other since he did have levels in control over that mana type. Liam tried to focus as hard as he could as he started channeling mana all around him. He could see the gravity mana mixed with his arcane. He tried to focus on the Gravity Mana portion, but as he did this, both hands started to coat with it. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam cursed as he stopped himself. He then tried again and focused even harder. Once more, Gravity Mana started coating his hands. ¡°Are you serious right now?!¡± Laim roared feeling irritated as he looked back at the flask. The contents inside the flask was starting to pick up speed. The faster it got the more the flask vibrated. He felt that if he didn¡¯t get this down soon, it was going to explode. He attempted once more. As both his hands started coating with Gravity Mana Liam let out a frustrated grunt as he pushed his will to stop the gravity mana that was coating his right hand. To his surprise the gravity mana that was coating that had stopped. Pushing his will even more, the small amount of Gravity Mana that had coated his hand shrunk away and made its way over to his other hand, giving it a thicker coat than usual. Replacing the Gravity Mana on his free hand was now his Arcane Mana. Just like the Gravity mana on his left hand, the Arcane Mana looked a bit thicker than usual. Not wanting to waste any time on that mystery, Liam turned his attention back to the flask and manipulated both mana types into the container. As Liam pushed both mana types he felt a heavy strain. It felt like to Liam that they were trying to resist his will and control. Not wanting to deal with that, Liam used brute force to demand obedience on the two mana types he was manipulating. He then focused on them to grasp the two mana types causing chaos inside the flask. The Gravity Mana he channeled easily connected with the rampaging Gravity Mana while his Arcane Mana tried to grip the Air Mana. At first the Air Mana slipped through his grip making him feel like maybe this idea wasn¡¯t what he was supposed to do. However, after trying three more times after that, the Air Mana started to connect with his Arcane Mana. After the fifth try he was able to freeze it in place, but he felt a strong resistance. Almost like it was fighting with everything it had to get free. Letting out a breath of air, Liam felt triumphant. At least for a split moment before he realized he needed to pour in the Powdered Poison. He mentally sent a command to one of his Shadow Hands. Luckily for him they moved normally. They quickly poured in four scoops of the powdered poison as fast as they could. Liam watched as the powdered mixture started to sperate and find all the areas it needed to go to, to stabilize the creation. As the powdered mixture was doing its thing, Liam felt his control over the Air Mana start to slip. He grunted as he tried to focus his mana to hold on a bit longer. However, a powerful thump crashed inside his head causing him to lose control over his Gravity and Arcane Mana allowing the Air Mana and Gravity Mana to swirl once more. Liam placed a hand over his temple as his head started to pound. He watched in frustration as the contents swirled faster and faster. He braced himself for the flask to explode. However, the container never broke. To Liam¡¯s surprise the swirling slowed down to a stop. Confused about what happened, Liam stared at it. A second later, he placed both hands on his head as a chime sound echoed and a notification appeared.
¡°Congratulations! You have created Weak Poisoned Null Zone!¡±
Adventure 196 - Dual Mana Control As much as Liam wanted to celebrate his achievement of pulling through with making his first Chemicalized Creation item without it exploding in his face, the pain pounding against his skull was too much. He looked at his resources and noticed his mana bar was dangerously low. He pulled out a Minor Blueberry Mana Potion and drank it. He closed his eyes and waited for his mana bar to replenish. He realized he still had his Mana Sight activated and turned it off. After the pounding inside his skull had disappeared, he opened his eyes and read the description of the concoction he had just made.
¡°Weak Poisoned Null Zone. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C A powerful gust of Air create a circulating wall around a ten foot radius with flakes of Weak Powdered Paralytic Adder Venom floating within it. An Orb of Gravity appears and tries to suck enemies trapped within the ten foot radius of swirling air and dust. After a few seconds pass a pulse from both the gravity and air will clash bringing the flakes of powdered poison towards the enemies trapped right before a Null Zone is created, for a short time. All air within this Null zone is sucked out making it hard to breath while all things within that ten foot radius can not move. This allows the poison to spread and seep into the targets.*¡±
A grin slowly spread on Liam¡¯s face as he read the description. He was hoping for something along the lines of air mana projecting the Weak Powdered Paralytic Adder Venom all over the target. However, this right here was so much better. If he understood the description right, it created a wall of air that swirled around while trapping the targets inside with an orb of gravity. The two would clash and create something similar to an air pocket that sucks out all the air, making the target not only not able to breath, but it would also constrict the target or targets in place stopping them from moving. The powdered poison that hit their eyes, entered their mouths noses or any open wounds would have the poison seep in, fester and spread. The targets wouldn¡¯t be able to cleanse it while all this was happening and would take damage the entire time. Liam noticed there wasn¡¯t any time limit mentioned. He would have to test this out during his tests to see how long the length of the Null Zone was. That¡¯s only if one of the tests called for it. If none of them did, then he would have to test it out in a dungeon. As Liam was thinking about all of this, he was suddenly brought back to the present as a few more chimes and notifications made themselves known.
¡°Congratulations! Chemicalized Creations has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 13%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your control over Arcane Mana has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 34%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your control over Gravity Mana has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 24%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Sight has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: 5%! Your sensitivity to mana has increased due to your constant use of this ability. Thanks to that, wisps of mana will manifest briefly in your sight even when ability is not in use..¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Channeling has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: 5%! The amount of Mana you can channel without any adverse effects has increased.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Control has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: 5%! Your control over mana has increased.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Mana Manipulation has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: 5%! Your manipulation over objects filled with mana has increased. The size and weight of the objects have increased.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Due to your increased control over mana you have received Non-combat ability Dual Mana Control. Dual Mana Control has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Dual Mana Control has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 15%!¡± ¡°Dual Mana Control. Description ¨C Ability to control two different types of mana at the same time. Control over two different types of mana is still weak at lower levels and drains your Mana Pool faster while trying to control the two.¡±
¡°Dual Mana Control?¡± Liam questioned as he stared at the notification. ¡°So, what I was able to do to try and stop the Weak Poison Null Zone from going haywire was that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a good thing that your Mana Control was on the verge of reaching level twenty and you were able to get that in time. If not for that then that flask would have exploded. Also, what the hell were you doing? You know you¡¯re not supposed to lose focus during a crafting session. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam winced as he read her message. He really couldn¡¯t argue with that. He had allowed himself to lose focus after watching the powdered mixture split. He should have kept a better eye on the process instead of doing that. ¡°I really don¡¯t have an argument for that,¡± Liam started. ¡°I lost focus and was amazed at the way the Weak Powdered Paralytic Adder Venom split between the concentrated mana vapors and the liquified mana. Once I realized what I was doing it was too late.¡±
¡°Hm. Well, even though you did lose your focus, you did end up correcting it and stabilized it enough that it stopped from blowing up. You even learned something that will help you out with this section of Alchemy and help advance your magic. You, once again, have advanced a bit farther than you should for one who have recently arrived in this world. So, let¡¯s chalk it up as a learning experience. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded as he read the message. He was happy to move pass this, but there was something that Eri said that caught his attention. ¡°What do you mean that I learned something that will help me out with this section of Alchemy and help advance my magic? Are you talking about the Dual Mana Control?¡±
¡°Yes! Dual Mana Control is the next step in Mana Control. Just like the name implies, it helps you control two different types of Mana at the same time. This ability helps when making or trying to stabilize Chemical Creation items you are crafting. Not only that, but it will help you out once you get Mana Manipulation to a certain level and receive a certain Non-Combat ability that needs you to control two different mana types. You aren¡¯t anywhere near that level of magical ability yet, so I won¡¯t be going into more details about it, but I will tell you the name of the ability and allow your imagination to run wild with it. The ability is called Mana Convergence. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°Mana Convergence?¡± Liam muttered as he tried thinking about it. He knew that convergence was something when two or more things come together to form a new thing. If that still applied in this world, then would Mana Convergence be something where you mixed two different manas together to create something new? Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he thought more about it. If that was true, then it would make sense to have an ability that would help you learn to control two different mana types. By learning to control two different mana types you¡¯d be able to understand how they work, how to connect them together, and how to make something new from them. Liam stopped himself right there. The line of thought he was going down felt correct, but at the same time he felt like there was something he was missing. He was about to dive deep into thinking more about it but stopped as a new thought produced itself from the back of his mind. ¡°Wait¡­If Dual Mana Control is something I needed to have for crafting Chemicalized Creations then why didn¡¯t you stop me? Also, why didn¡¯t it say anything about it in the Beginner¡¯s Guide to Things that go Boom?¡±
¡°About that¡­With the way you tend to go head first in your crafting sessions and somehow come out successful¡­Couple that with your intense focus when you craft, I thought you wouldn¡¯t need it. If you hadn¡¯t lost focus on the task at hand and would have focused more on the crafting you probably would have been fine and wouldn¡¯t have needed the ability. As for your last question. Normally you would have, and your mentor explain and guide you through this before attempting this craft section. There was no warning because your mentor was supposed to give you that warning. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam shook his head. He didn¡¯t know exactly how he felt about that. He was glad to hear that she believed he would have been fine without the ability, but at the same time he messed up and failed to meet that expectation of hers. If he didn¡¯t get awestruck on the powdered mixture then he might have been fine. On the flip side though, because he messed up he was able to push his Mana Control to level twenty and receive an ability that he should have before doing this craft. That being said, he was fifty-fifty on the whole thing. Liam shook his head. He made it through his first Chemicalized Creation crafting session without it blowing up in his face. Instead of debating on what had happened, he should hop back into it and do it again¡­this time without the possibility of the flask exploding. Liam looked at his internal clock and noted that it wasn¡¯t as late as he originally thought it was. He wanted to have enough time to get some more crafting done before doing the tests since he didn¡¯t know how long the tests would take. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Alright. I have enough to make a couple more of these. I should probably do that before I finish up in here,¡± Liam stated. An idea formed in his mind as he thought about his materials. ¡°I wonder if I could use that as well¡­¡± Before diving right back to it and finishing up the rest of the materials he had left in the distilling flasks, Liam went over all possible combinations he could make. As he let his thoughts run wild he didn¡¯t notice the mad scientist chuckle he had going on. He didn¡¯t, but Eri did. Not wanting to have her champion lose his train of thoughts, she just shook her head as she watched and listened to him. His thoughts and ideas on what he wanted to use had merits. Merits that could, no would cause a stir and chaos. While that was what she wanted, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was such a good idea to allow someone, who could use both Shadow and Lunar Magic, in any Chemicalized Creation experiment. While she had witnessed him use the two in their mana form at the same time, it was quite different if he tried to attempt them in an Alchemy crafting session so soon. He wasn¡¯t ready to combine the two yet. It would be a powerful combination, yes; however, it would also destroy not only the room he was in if he made a fatal mistake, but it would literally vaporize him. Killing him right on the spot before he could restabilize it. She would have to shut that down before he attempted it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A while had passed and Liam not only made a few more Weak Poisoned Null Zone creations, but he also made a few with some of his other materials. To Eri¡¯s relief, Liam hadn¡¯t attempted to mix his Shadow and Lunar Extracts together. There was a few times she thought she would need to step in and stop him from trying it, but thankfully he thought carefully about it before stopping himself. It was a rollercoaster though since he had thought about it a few times. She had never met a more indecisive crafter in her entire life before. She felt tired and drained just from watching him battle his curiosity and his common sense over the matter so many times. Even though she was tired from that, she was pretty impressed with what he ended up making. Combining his Shadow Extracts with other Mana type Extracts as well as his Lunar created some very interesting combinations. Her two favorites so far were the combination of Shadow, Fire, and the Powdered Poison as one as well as the Lunar and Lightning. The effects they created were both deadly and nasty. Liam stared at the finished items he had made. He was quite happy with his experiments and the way they turned out. He was able to make a couple Implosive Heatwaves and Magnetic Shockwaves that Galin had given him as a present, but after that he experimented with some other materials he had. The results did not disappoint.
¡°Weak Poisoned Shadow Ash. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C An explosive of Shadow and Ash will cover a radius of ten feet. Anything caught within the radius will be covered in a dark cloud of burning ash. Effects caused by the dark cloud depend on if target inhales as well as is covered by the substance.¡± ¡°Weak Crushing Dark Fog. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C A thick dark fog rises up before pushing down on any targets within a ten foot radius. All targets within the fog had gravity weigh down on them, hindering their movements while inside the fog. If targets inhale the fog they will receive the Whispers from Beyond Debuff as well as an affliction that creates damage to the mind. Damage starts off small but increases the more they inhale and the longer they remain inside the fog.¡± ¡°Weak Crackling Lunar Flash. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C a Lunar orb forms upon impact. The Lunar Orb will flash sending out an arc of Lightning that will both strike anyone within the radius as well as blind anyone who sees each flash. Each strike of Lightning that successfully hits a target will cause both Lightning damage as well as a Lunar affliction upon the area impacted.¡± ¡°Weak Lunate Sickle Air Blast. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Weak. Description ¨C An Air orb forms upon impact. After orb is made a pulse will escape from it sending out a blast of Lunar Sickle strikes within a ten foot radius. Any target hit by these attacks will take both Air and Lunar damage. If the target is hit with enough strikes they will receive a Stellar Affliction from Within Debuff.¡±
These items weren¡¯t the only things he received after the crafting sessions. He was able to gain some levels in the craft as well as levels in other areas due to a few of the crafting sessions trying to go a bit haywire here and there. Unlike the first time, it wasn¡¯t because he lost focus. It was due to his Shadow and Lunar Mana not wanting to play nice with the other mana types.
¡°Congratulations! Chemicalized Creations has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Chemicalized Creations has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Chemicalized Creations has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your control over Arcane Mana has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 23%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your control over Gravity Mana has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 13%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your control over Lightning Mana has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 3%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your control over Lunar Mana has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 14%! Your Control over Lunar Mana has increased to the point it is easier to control.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your control over Shadow Mana has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Dual Mana Control has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Non-Combat ability Dual Mana Control has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 19%!¡±
All in all the results were fruitful in both crafting and ability leveling. This made Liam happy, but it didn¡¯t distract him from what he needed to do next. After cleaning up the crafting room, Liam reactivated his Spirit Weave ability to get his disguise on. After he rechecked that all his stuff was in his inventory and his ability was working, he made his way over to the door, opened it, and walked through. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Liam reappeared on the other side, he took in his surroundings. He was surprised to see that besides Lady Arachne, Noxi, and Orchid there were two more people standing by the desk. From what he was able to see, both looked to be around his age. One was a male wearing leather armor, a bestial designed mask that covered his mouth and nose, and a bandana that wrapped around his forehead. The bandana made his short dark brown hair stick up in a spiky hairstyle which blended his dog-like ears with it. The other was a female. She wore a short cloth-like skirt with shorts sticking out over her knees, a chain-mail like vest, and a bird-like mask that cover only her forehead eyes and nose. Her outfit looked a lot like a close ranged fighter which Liam assumed was the type of class she held due to the gauntlets that covered her hands and forearms. Her golden blond hair, that was tied back in a ponytail, matched the wings that rested against her back. All five people turned to look at him as soon as the door closed. Liam felt a bit uncomfortable as the two new people stared at him. For some reason he felt like the male was not happy he was there. Not wanting to continue feeling this way, Liam waved a hand and greeted, ¡°Hello.¡± The winged girl gave him a short nod while the dog eared male continued to stare at him. It was Lady Arachne who responded, breaking the silent response the other two gave him. ¡°Are you finally done Little Kitten?¡± Lady Arachne questioned. Liam noticed the two newcomers¡¯ faces turned quizzical and questioning as they heard what Lady Arachne call him. They looked like they were trying to see if they had heard her right. After a second of confirming in their minds, they reacted. The winged girl brought a hand to her face and turned it away from him, trying to suppress a giggle while the dog eared male let out a loud laugh. ¡°Is that really your Web Name?¡± the dog eared male questioned as he tried to stop laughing. Liam frowned as he stated, ¡°No. It¡¯s just something she¡¯s calling me until I get a name.¡± Liam¡¯s words caused another reaction from both of the newcomers. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if it was a mixture of annoyance and confusion or just confusion. It was confirmed which of the two it was when the winged woman replied first. ¡°You dare not call the first leg by her Web Name?¡± she stated. ¡°A bit disrespectful aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What do you mean by until you get your name?¡± the dog eared male asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just use one of the facilities only members are allowed to use?¡± Ignoring the winged female, Liam looked at the male and replied, ¡°Its exactly as it sounds. As for the other question, from what I was told, even if I¡¯m not a member yet I am allowed to use the crafting room to prepare.¡± Liam noticed the feathers on the winged female bristle a bit as she realized he decided not to comment on what she said. She was about to say something as the male was about to ask a question, but both were stopped as Lady Arachne butted in. ¡°This Little Kitten is still getting used to how things work here,¡± Lady Arachne started to explain as she looked at the winged female. ¡°As a newly integrated arrival, he is still in the dark on how associations like ours work. So, I ask you give him some slack Echo Talon.¡± She then looked at the male and added, ¡°We gave him permission to use the Crafting Room to prepare for his tests, Silent Paw.¡± Echo Talon and Silent Paw turned their attention back to Lady Arachne and were shocked at the tone she gave them. For those who didn¡¯t know her they would have believed the tone she used was a calm one that asked for understanding. However, those that knew her knew it wasn¡¯t. Even Liam could feel the hidden message in her tone. You both are overstepping and asking questions you shouldn¡¯t. That¡¯s what Liam took from her tone. ¡°I am sorry,¡± both Echo Talon and Silent Paw responded quickly while bowing their heads. A smile formed on Lady Arachne¡¯s face as she looked at the two. ¡°No need to apologize. While his arrangements seem strange, I promise no rules were bent or broken for a promising prospect, who is about to become a member of our little family. So, I ask, once when he is settled and if you happen to have overlapping missions together in the future, that you please show him the ropes¡­as his seniors.¡± Both of their bodies tensed at her words. They weren¡¯t stupid and caught certain words that were meant to stick out. However, they didn¡¯t hesitate to voice their agreement of the request. ¡°Good,¡± Lady Arachne stated before looking at Liam. ¡°Now I take it you are ready to proceed with the testing?¡± Confused and unsure what was going on, Liam decided not to question it. Instead, he answered as he nodded, ¡°Yes. I feel that I am as ready as I¡¯ll ever been.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Lady Arachne smiled as she lightly clapped her hands. She looked at Noxi and instructed, ¡°Tranquil Orchid and I will lead him to the first testing room. Please finish receiving the contents of the mission Echo Talon and Silent Paw have brought and set them up with their next mission. After that please inform Silent Saboteur that Little Kitten¡¯s tests will begin shortly and meet us in the testing room.¡± Noxi flinched at the mention of him grabbing Silent Saboteur. However, he didn¡¯t protest and instead replied, ¡°As you wish Lady Arachne.¡± Lady Arachne and Orchid then started moving to the door on the opposite wall of where Liam stood. ¡°Come with us Little Kitten,¡± Lady Arachne beckoned as she opened a door and walked through it. Liam looked at the two people who remained by the desk and said, ¡°It was nice meeting you.¡± Both Echo Talon and Silent Paw replied with likewise and a nod of their own as they watched him walk through the door. After Liam disappeared through the door and the two were left alone with alone with Noxi, Silent Paw swiftly questioned, ¡°So who is he really?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noxi asked. ¡°We aren¡¯t stupid,¡± Echo Talon chimed in. ¡°Promising prospect? Getting permission to use the Crafting Room to prepare for a test? We both know that isn¡¯t normal. Those words and that treatment are only given to those who became an apprentice to notable members of the Web.¡± ¡°Not only that, but asking us to show him the ropes if our missions overlap? Come on now. We¡¯re not stupid,¡± Silent Paw added. ¡°I mean you¡¯re kind of dense at times, but you even caught the tone in her voice earlier,¡± Echo Talon commented. Silent Paw glared at her. He was about to retort but stopped as Noxi let out a sigh. ¡°I was hoping you didn¡¯t catch that,¡± Noxi started. He contemplated what exactly he should say and decided, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you guys a lot, but it is true he is a newly integrated arrival to our world. That and¡­he¡¯s the apprentice of The Wild Card.¡± Echo Talon and Silent Paw both paled at the last part of what Noxi stated. They both knew and have met the man. His work was famous amongst the members of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. Not just his work, but also his training and habits. If someone was able to become his apprentice, even they knew he wouldn¡¯t be normal. ¡°Well shit,¡± Silent Paw stated as Echo Talon nodded in agreement to the statement. Adventure 197 - Let the testing Commence As Liam entered the room, he noticed how plain it was compared to the others he had been in so far. The walls and floors were all one color, black. Scattered across the floor were a few boxes of different sizes. From what Liam could see he believed it was a forty by twenty room. Along one wall was a door and a glass window big enough for a group of people to see into the room. The only lighting came from four Yooperlite stones that were placed on both sides of the window while the other two were spread out on the other wall. The lighting was dim and didn¡¯t illuminate the room that much. A thin wall sprouted out a couple of feet from the walls around each corner of the room allowing the corners to be much darker than usual. A pedestal sat on the other side of the long room with nothing on it. Liam was curious as to what the purpose of this room was used for, but figured he¡¯d find out soon. He saw Lady Arachne and Tranquil Orchid waiting around a box that came up to his hips in the middle of the room. As he approached it they both looked at him. ¡°We¡¯ll start here shortly after Tranquil Noxitanous and Silent Saboteur get here,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°But as we wait there are a few things I need to go over with you.¡± Curious, Liam slowly nodded ready to hear whatever she had to say. ¡°You are a newly integrated arrival into our world,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°We know you are nowhere near the level where majority of the new applicants should be at. However, we also do not expect you to be able to fully pass the tests. These tests were not designed to be beaten. They are designed to test you and see where your capabilities lie.¡± Liam was a bit confused now. If these tests were designed to not be fully beaten then what was he supposed to do to pass? And what did she mean by where my capabilities lie? ¡°The look on your face says you are still confused about something,¡± Lady Arachne started back up. ¡°That is understandable. I am pleased you haven¡¯t interrupted me so far. You¡¯re probably thinking about if the tests were not designed to be beaten then how are you supposed to pass? If you are thinking this then you are already on the right track. These tests are designed to test several things.¡± Lady Arachne brought up a finger as she said, ¡°Adaptability and flexibility.¡± A second finger was raised. ¡°Technique and abilities.¡± A third rose. ¡°Areas you shine best and Areas you don¡¯t. A fourth. ¡°And finally, if any of the previous things we have spotted are good enough for you to be an actual member.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched at that last part. ¡°Let me explain the part I know you¡¯re confused about,¡± Lady Arachne started to explain. ¡°Everyone has talents in certain areas. While people have talent that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it aligns with what we do here. You can be an amazing crafter, but the things you excel at in the craft are items not really useful to missions or jobs. Or say you have talent in stealth techniques or magic, but cave under pressure. That could tell us that if you mess up or get caught there is a chance you will talk when you should keep your mouth shut. We pay attention to everything you do during your tests and take in both the positives and negatives. Does that make sense?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Good,¡± Lady Arachne smiled. ¡°These tests will not be easy. I won¡¯t go into full details of each test right now, but they will be given right before you start each one. I will also add that there will be chances you can or will get hurt. If we think the test is too much or your life is in immediate danger we will stop the test right then and there.¡± Her face then suddenly grew stern and strict as she stared at Liam. He could feel the authority and power she held as she continued, ¡°Also, if we believe even for a second that you are not a fit for the Association then we will kill you to keep our secrets safe. Regardless of who your mentor is. I tell you this because even though I have stated we do not expect you to fully pass a test we still want you to take these tests seriously and give it all that you have.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°If I may ask¡­¡± Liam waited for a nod of acknowledgement before continuing. ¡°In that list of things, you spoke about. You mentioned areas I shine and don¡¯t shine at. What are those areas?¡± ¡°An excellent thing to ask,¡± Lady Arachne smiled approvingly. ¡°The areas that I was referring to are things you specialize in. Things like Illusion Magic, Seduction Arts, Crafting, Poisons, and more. These specialties will help determine the type of categories you will fall under and help filter the missions you take. I won¡¯t get into the full details, but the mission categories are Artisanal Crafts, Espionage, Information Gathering, Sabotage, Smuggling, Stealing, Protection, or Assassination.¡± ¡°Alright. I think I¡¯m getting a good idea on how this works,¡± Liam stated as he thought over everything she said. While there were somethings he needed more clarity on, he figured he¡¯d ask that later. ¡°Are you sure you understood everything?¡± a deep voice questioned. The three turned to look at the door to find Noxi and Silent Saboteur walking towards them. ¡°Not everything,¡± Liam admitted truthfully. ¡°Just enough. I figured I¡¯d ask more later after everything is done.¡± ¡°Quite the confidence you have. Do you think you¡¯ve already passed?¡± Silent Saboteur inquired with a bit of teasing. Liam shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t like to make assumptions, but I figured that if I¡¯m getting this amount of information before taking the test then I at least have a good shot.¡± Silent Saboteur, Noxi, and Orchid were about to make a comment, but stopped as Liam continued, ¡°However, I won¡¯t know until I take the tests. I need to have some level of confidence or else I¡¯ll fail before I start. Right?¡± The others were pleased with his response. The comment they each were about to make never came. Instead, they each turned to look at Lady Arachne as if to ask, are we going to begin? Lady Arachne took the hint and smiled. She then looked at Liam and informed, ¡°Your first test is the Steal Test.¡± ¡°Steal Test?¡± Liam repeated. Lady Arachne nodded before she started walking over to the pedestal that sat close to the back wall. As she was walking, she pulled out an object and explained, ¡°Your goal is to try and steal this item.¡± Liam got a good look at the object. It was a small box with a magical lock on it. He tried to assess it, but nothing came up. After the short woman placed the box down, she turned around and made her way back towards the others. Everyone except Liam started to move. Liam looked around the room. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he knew there was going to be more than just stealing the item. He shortly got his answer as Noxi separated from the others and moved to get in between him and the pedestal. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll have to try and do it while fighting Tranquil Noxitanous,¡± Lady Arachne stated as she opened the door that led into the room with the glass window. Silent Saboteur and Tantalizing Orchid followed her in and closed the door behind them. After they made their way towards the window, Lady Arachne pressed down on something and he was able to hear her voice. ¡°You have a minute to make a plan of attack. The test ends if either you touch the item or if Tranquil Noxitanous creates a situation where you cannot proceed,¡± Lady Arachne announced. ¡°Good luck.¡± Liam looked around the room. He could understand why he was given some time to create a plan. If this was a mission he would have already scouted the area and known who his possible enemies were. He thought about the information he had on the man. He didn¡¯t have much, but the comments Orchid had made the first time he met him as well as the introduction he had given him when the short woman was explaining some things. He was a poison specialist. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if that meant he had some Poison Magic or if he crafted poisons himself. Either way he knew confronting or going head on wouldn¡¯t be the best choice. He did know that this man was strong. When he introduced himself, he said he was the Second Leg of this location. If Lady Arachne was the one in charge and was the first, that means he was second in command here. You weren¡¯t second in command if you couldn¡¯t handle yourself. Liam looked around the room and tried to see what he could do. There were boxes spread out that he could probably use to his advantage. He also had his Gravity Magic he could try to use to hinder the man¡¯s movement. Liam shook his head at the thought. While his Gravity Magic was useful in all of his previous fights, he didn¡¯t think it would be in this test. He didn¡¯t know exactly how strong the man was, but he had to be strong enough that his low leveled Gravity spells wouldn¡¯t do much but hold him down for a brief moment. If that was the case then he needed a different approach. Stealth would probably be a better idea. He could use his Veil of Shadows spell and try to sneak pass him. However, the spell had an issue. He looked at the four Yooperlite stones and then around the room. While the spell covered him in shadows and hid his form, he didn¡¯t have it high enough to completely make him invisible. Whether it be against the wall or on the ground, he still casted a faint shadow that could be spotted if someone looked hard enough. The man probably had a way to detect him too, but he wouldn¡¯t know until it happened. And if he used it out in the open then he would know he was using stealth. If he was going to use the spell and take that route then he needed a way to confuse the man. As Liam looked around he noticed the corner of the room and saw the walls that stood out near them. Inside the pocketed area of the corner that was both out of Noxi¡¯s sight and full of shadows thanks to the dimly lit room, was possibilities. ¡°Test will start in ten seconds,¡± Lady Arachne announced. Liam turned his full body to face the side of the room opposite of Noxi. He then slowly made his way towards it as he heard Lady Arachne countdown. He knew his plan was too simplistic, but it was the only one he could think of for now. He didn¡¯t know what the man had instore for him, but if he found himself in a sticky situation he had two other things up his sleeves. One was something he really wanted to try out while the other was something that always helped him get out of sticky situations. ¡°Five¡­four¡­,¡± Lady Arachne said as she watched Liam slowly walking towards the other side of the room. She was both curious and excited to see what this young man would do. She already approved his actions to not stay close by Noxi and move away from him. However, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he had planned. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got Little Kitten. Lady Arachne thought to herself as she finished counting down. ¡°Two¡­one¡­Start.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sun had finally finished setting over the island, bringing along the blanket of darkness. Light started brightening the city as people walked about taking care of the business they had before they could retire for the day. In the middle of the city stood a tall building that was always busy. It never closed down and always had people coming and going. People switched shifts often to make sure everyone¡¯s sense stayed sharp. With the nature of this building and what its purpose was, the employees needed to be ready for anything. The Portal Tree was just that important to the residents. Not just the island, but also the kingdom too. Those that worked there seemed to be strict and harsh at times, but it was their job to make sure those who meant harm to their kingdom didn¡¯t step forth onto their territory. One such person that worked there had it rougher than the others. He was the man in charge of the security after all. His responsibility was much heavier than the others. If even one troublemaker made it pass them then problems they weren¡¯t aware of could cause irreparable damage. Ever since that Immoral Vice Incubus Demon-kin follower appeared a few days ago, Fred had started getting uneasy feelings around the building. It had been a few years since the last time any of their kind had tried to sneak onto the island. His uneasy feeling only increased when he heard about an incident inside the Green Dungeon. He sent a team inside to the location he was informed about and the reports that came back made him pissed. The information he was given that made him send a team in was that a few people had died due to a weird monster being a much higher level than it should have been. The anonymous information giver had described the people they claimed to see dead, and a couple of the people described made his heart sink. One was a reputable young woman he respected for helping her uncle out and the other was a newly integrated arrival. He didn¡¯t know the young man that well since he was new, but he was happy to see a new face wanting to enter their kingdom and possibly getting to know his roots. However, after his team came back they reported that only one body was found. The body didn¡¯t match any of the listed people to boot. Instead, it was a foul demon-kin. An Oni that was believed could have been a worshipper of one of the Seven Immoral Vices too, nonetheless. He didn¡¯t know how or when this member of that race had slipped in, but he took it as a slap in the face that this person made it into the town without anyone knowing. After he found that out, he doubled down on security in the building and made sure guards, who specialized in finding Demon-kins out, were stationed with every Greeter. He had also petitioned to the mayor of the city that others who had this ability to patrol the city to see if they could find any that had slipped by like that damn Oni. To his frustration and irritation, the mayor had declined. The reason given was some bullshit about how it could cause a commotion with the locals. ¡°What the hell is that useless man thinking,¡± Fred cursed under his breath as he walked down a hall. Even though his main focus was on what had happened and wanting to make sure no more of those vile followers plagued the city, he had a job to do. He was currently on his way to a certain room that held a very peculiar group of individuals. While he had seen weird group compositions, he had yet to hear about a group that consisted of these race members. Normally they wouldn¡¯t team up together. Well except for two out of the three. They could be seen together since their races came from the same empire. One similar to his own, but with different beliefs. But for them to come here? He couldn¡¯t blame the guards that were there when they arrived. ¡°Seriously, first demon-kins and now people from that Empire grouped up with a member from the Blood Thirst Plains. What the hell is happening here,¡± Fred muttered as he stopped in front of the door. He then quickly added, ¡°Oh well. Hopefully they aren¡¯t here to cause problems. Let¡¯s see why they came here before casting any suspicions.¡± As he opened the door and walked in he heard someone stated out loud, ¡°Damn, talk about a bear of a man.¡± Fred ignored the comment. Comments like that were normal for those who had never seen a Bear-Folk Beast-kin before. He determined it came from the young man who sat in the middle of his two companions on the other side of a metal table. He was short and looked like he could be a feisty troublemaker. Fred was about to say something, but stopped as he watched the female that sat to the shorter man¡¯s left slap a hand across the back of his head. ¡°Ow! What the fuck was that for?¡± the short of the three protested. ¡°For being a rude idiot,¡± the woman answered. She was lanky and had scales disappear from her body after the slap. Fred then saw the other man, who was much taller than the other two and wider let out a sigh. This man looked Fred in the eyes and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My teammate here tends to speak before he thinks. I promise he didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡± Fred was shocked. His shock didn¡¯t come from what this man said, but rather that a person, from a race that was known for their ferocity and hardheaded ways of never apologizing to races outside their own, was apologizing in place of a teammate. He knew this group was going to be strange, but he didn¡¯t expect that. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I get that kind of reaction from many who have never seen my race before,¡± Fred stated as he approached the table. He pulled out a seat and sat down. ¡°I apologize for my employees bringing you here, but after a couple of recent incidents, we have to be a little stricter with strange people. I hope you understand that you are not in trouble we just want to make sure you aren¡¯t here to cause any.¡± ¡°That is fine. We are willing to cooperate,¡± the female stated. ¡°What would you like to know?¡± Once more Fred was taken aback. The Orc looking man and his apologies were one thing, but a prideful Dragon-kin to be humble enough to not cause a scene¡­this group was definitely strange. The only one who acted according to their race was the short foxlike male. ¡°We want to know the purpose of your visit, if you require entry into the kingdom, and how long you plan on being here,¡± Fred listed off. ¡°Is that really all you need to know?¡± the foxlike male stated. ¡°If so then this will go quicker than we thought.¡± Both the Orc looking man and the Dragon-kin female let out sighs as the guards in the room stared at the fox. Before the shorter male and Fred could say anything, the Dragon-kin female responded, ¡°If the rules and wait time for entry into the kingdom are the same for the Draconic Empire then we do not require entry. For the length of our visit, it relies on why we are here.¡± ¡°And what is your purpose?¡± Fred asked, curiosity growing. ¡°We are here to find someone we believe is here on this island,¡± the Orcish male answered with a smug smile. ¡°Who?¡± Fred inquired. That smile he was seeing on the Orcish man made him feel uncomfortable and was worried that these people could possibly be here to kidnap someone. He thought about the possible people that could have made deals with members of these races and possibly were running from them. He realized his list was too long to consider who it could possibly be. ¡°Our overthinking,¡± the Dragon-kin woman started with a grin. ¡°Overworked,¡± the Orcish male added while keeping his smile. ¡°And sometimes idiotic teammate,¡± the fox finished up, matching a smirk with his two companions. Adventure 198 - Trying to sneak past a Snake Liam had reached the other side of the room as soon as Lady Arachne reached zero and said start. He then spun around and looked at Noxi who had kept his eyes on him the entire time. Liam had noticed the man didn¡¯t move an inch. He wasn¡¯t too close to the pedestal, but at the same time he wasn¡¯t too far. When Liam got close enough he would have to get a better idea how far he was in case he needed to use the item he had. He took in a deep breath, chanted the words Calm the Storm within his mind, and slowly let the breath out. As soon as he felt his body start to relax he turned to the corner of the room to his left and slowly walked towards it, allowing the thin wall that came out from the wall closest to it to block any prying eyes. As soon as he entered the dark area, he activated his Veil of Shadows. He felt the coldness that came with the shadows washing over him, completely covering him from head to toe. He waited a few seconds before slowly walking out from the cover of the darken corner and the thin wall. He slowly moved his arms in a wave to see if the man was able to see him. He knew Noxi was higher in level, skills, and abilities so he had believed the man would be able to see through his stealth. However, the man didn¡¯t react. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was pretending to not see him or if he really couldn¡¯t. Unsure of which it was, Liam decided to approach this as if the man could see him but was pretending so he could set up a surprise attack. He slowly moved towards the nearest box. As Liam reached this metal box, he crouched down and studied Noxi before deciding to move again. Liam noticed the man was scanning the room. He looked almost like he was¡­unsure of where Liam was at. This made Liam believe that he was setting him up. Maybe by acting like this he believed Liam would make a mistake and try rushing. If Liam was an amateur and never had experience in these kind of situations before then he probably would do that. Memories flashed through Liam¡¯s mind as he stood there. When Earth started going to shit, there were times he had to sneak into places to steal food for him and others. Of course, back then he didn¡¯t have magical abilities like he did now, but he had to learn how to get pass people without them knowing he was there. He wasn¡¯t proud of what he had to do, but it was literally do that or starve. I should have made items I could throw to create diversions. Liam internally kicked himself. No use worrying about that now. He was about to start to make his way to the next box, but as he placed a hand down on the edge of the box, he felt his fingers slip through what he thought a side would be. Confused, he slowly looked at the side of the box and noticed there was no side. Not only that, but there were small round objects inside of it. As slowly and carefully as he could, Liam grabbed a couple of the round objects and pulled them out to get a better look at them. They had a bit of weight to them and felt smooth. When he got a better look at them he realized they were metal balls. He looked at the other metal boxes and realized they too had a side opened facing different directions. He didn¡¯t notice that earlier and wondered if they opened because the test had started. He shook his head. Trying to think about that right now would only waste time. A smile formed on Liam¡¯s face as he looked back at the metal balls in his hands and added a new part to his strategy. He could use these to create diversions as he proceeded to the pedestal. He had an ability he was going to use thanks to the bonuses he gets from using this form through Spirit Weave, but he wanted to save that for the right moment. Not only that, but one of his most recent creations could be used here as well, but like that ability, he needed to save it for the right moment. Liam got to his knees and crouched as low as he could. He counted how many metal balls were in the crate and thought about the best way to do this. He couldn¡¯t use all of them since it would eventually reveal where he was if he stayed in one spot too long. He couldn¡¯t carry all of them with him either in case they clinked together as he walked and revealed his location. Liam looked at Noxi once more and watched as the man turned his head towards the wall to his left. The one closest to Liam. Feeling like this was the best time, Liam aimed for a box that was a bit farther up, but closer to the wall opposite of him. The path was clear without any obstacles. As slowly and cautiously as he could, Liam rolled the metal ball. To Liam¡¯s surprise, as the ball rolled across the ground no noise was made. This both made Liam happy and a little worried. He thought the ball would have made at slight a bit of noise since the ground wasn¡¯t exactly soft and the ball felt like it was made out of metal. A new thought suddenly popped into his mind as he watched the silent ball roll. What if there was some noise cancellation magic on the ball? Was there such a magic? Will the ball make any noise if it hit the metal crate he aimed for? These thoughts started running through his mind as he started thinking of another strategy in case this one failed. However, his worries were for naught. As soon as the metal ball lightly collided against the wall of the metal box, a sudden hollow ping echoed. Liam was happy the ball made a noise, but then tensed as Noxi spun his attention right towards the location and chanted, ¡°Venom Shot.¡± A dark purplish green orb the size of a baseball shot from his right hand and flew towards the crate. As soon as the venomous orb slammed against it, Liam heard the sound of hissing and bubbling. He saw a white puff of smoke rise up as the metal box started to melt. Liam gulped as he thought, Note to self¡­don¡¯t get hit by that poison. He looked back at Noxi once more and saw he was trying hard to scan for him around the area the poison had struck. Taking this as a good time to move, Liam slowly made his way a bit farther up and to the right. As soon as he made it to the next box, He dropped down and rolled a metal ball towards the closest box behind the one Noxi had struck. As soon as the metal ball hit the metal side of the box, Noxi quickly reacted with another Venom Shot. Liam made his move towards the next box closest to him. This one was almost touching the wall. As soon as he made it, he tried to feel around the box for the hole. He mentally cursed himself as he realized there wasn¡¯t one. Of course, not all the boxes would have a hole with distracting metal balls in them. Because that wouldn¡¯t be fair. Liam mocked internally. Before he tried to move again, he heard Noxi say something. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that this is a first for me. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re doing it, but I will find you,¡± Noxi stated. Then, almost as if he decided on something, he reached an arm out, palm up, and said, ¡°Anemone¡­help me find him.¡± Confused on what the masked man was doing, Liam continued to stare at him. A second later, a flash of light poured out from within the sleeve of his outreached hand. After the flash disappeared, the sleeve suddenly bulged as if something big had filled it. Another second later and a black scaled head with neon green eyes peeked out from the end of the sleeve. A tongue flickered out and bounced up and down a few times before slipping back into its mouth. As the tongue did this, the head continued to escape the sleeve as the neck and the rest of its body slithered out. It had black and dark purple scales, neon green spikes that curved and ran down its back and no legs. The size of this snake¡¯s body confused Liam. It was not only really long, but also wide enough that it could eat a small to medium sized dog. How was he able to hide that snake and why didn¡¯t the sleeve of his shirt burst? Liam asked himself as he looked perplexed. He assessed it to get a better idea of what this snake was.
¡°Spiked Noxious Pit Viper. 25,234/25,234 HP. 19,788/19,788 MP. Level ¨C 59. Tamed Beast.¡±
First off, fuck that health and mana. Secondly, a level fifty-nine fucking tamed beast? Liam swore mentally. Even though Liam was both irritated and a bit frightened at looking at the creature¡¯s health and mana, he was happy to get one of his questions answered. If it was a tamed beast then he was hiding the creature by way of tattoo. He remembered that¡¯s how Ariyana was able to travel with Barty the Albino Crocolisk. The only way she was able to hide that creature, after taming it, was thanks to an ability the field of magic gave her. That ability turned her tamed creature into a tattoo on her body that she could use to summon and hide the creature. He wanted to think about his other concern, but moved on as he watched the snake peek its head up and look around the area. The creature had moved a bit aways from its tamer and now more in the middle of the front area of the room. Noxi was scanning and looking in the opposite direction of his snake companion, using the advantage he just created to keep an eye out for any signs of movement. Liam¡¯s body tensed up a bit as the snake¡¯s gaze stopped in the direction of where Liam was at and thought the snake was able to see him. His body quickly relaxed as the creature¡¯s eyes moved on. After a couple of seconds had passed and they weren¡¯t able to find any hints, Noxi ordered, ¡°Anemone, it seems that the little kitten can hide really well. I think we should try and flush it out. What do you think?¡± Liam cringed at the unwanted nickname Lady Arachne had used earlier. That cringe turned into concern as he watched the head of the snake bob in a manner that looked like it was agreeing with him. He then felt his blood freeze as a small portion of its body swelled up and slowly worked its way towards its mouth. Liam activated his Mana Sight and saw a bright purplish green color not outlining the entire snake, but rather the area that was swollen. The light followed the bulge of the body as well as it slowly worked its way up. As soon as it reached its head, the snake opened its mouth and spewed out a fog of purplish green smoke. The fog rushed out and worked its way around the boxes and crates around it in the open areas. At first the thick fog rolled across the floor, however after a small bit of time it had started to rise. Luckily for Liam the fog wasn¡¯t near him. He was to the far right and a bit ahead of the area of where the fog had rolled out and rose from. However, that small bit of relief had disappeared as soon as he noticed a bit of the fog start to slowly creep its way behind the snake. Shit! I need to get that snake to stop spewing that fog. Liam internally panicked. He then debated on what he needed to do before finally deciding to use his other plans. It¡¯s a bit early to use them, but it looks like I don¡¯t have any choice. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Any bets on how this will go?¡± Orchid asked as she stared out into the test room. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. All three watched as Liam walked over to the back of the room and turned around to look at Noxi. They were both excited to see what this apprentice of the Wild Card would show them, but also didn¡¯t want to have too high of expectations. While it was exciting to have such a promising applicant, they knew he was too under leveled and unknowledgeable of this world. Most of the new applicants¡¯ levels that took these tests were mid to late twenties. Those were the weaker ones. Having one who was either around or below ten was never heard of. That¡¯s why he piqued their interest. It wasn¡¯t just the fact he was able to become an apprentice of the Wild Card, but also the fact that he was told to join right after leaving the Tutorial Area. They wanted to know what he saw in him. Silent Saboteur let out a short chuckle. ¡°Are you sure you want to make a bet against me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Orchid asked with a frown. ¡°What it means is, don¡¯t you still owe me for the last bet you lost against me?¡± Silent Saboteur clarified. Orchid was about to comment back, but stopped as Lady Arachne stated with both curiosity and slight, ¡°What is he doing?¡± Both Orchid and Silent Saboteur looked at her before looking back out the window. They had just caught him walking behind the thin wall over by the corner. A second had passed before Silent Saboteur guessed, ¡°Do you think he is going with the stealth approach? While it would be the best route to go, he must know it is futile against his opponent.¡± ¡°You say that while forgetting how new he is here. I think he doesn¡¯t really know what all of our races are yet?¡± Tantalizing Orchid commented. Then with a scoff she added, ¡°It¡¯s not like our races are well know as it is since we¡¯re looked down upon as lesser much like the half-breeds.¡± Lady Arachne ignored Orchid¡¯s last comment. While she was right about many of the Beast-kins weren¡¯t fans of what they were, it was also true that many only knew of the well popular Beast-kin races. But that didn¡¯t matter here. What mattered was ability, skill, technique, and knowledge. She knew he wasn¡¯t aware he would have to go up against them during these tests, but he should have at least studied up on the races of their kind. If he didn¡¯t then he was about to be in for a big surprise. Not many strategies would work against Noxi thanks to his race. While a head on attack would be futile, so would trying to use any type of Stealth. Noxi¡¯s race was a Snake-folk Beast-kin. Many believed the Snake-folks were a sub-species of the Dargon-kins. No one currently alive knows for sure. His race has two very unique racial trait unlike most other Beast-kins. One is the fact they can create poison within themselves, making their blood poisonous or even their bite, if they focused and cultivated it well over the years. The other is they can switch their vision to infrared whenever they wanted to. That was why he was the best choice to run this test. He would be able to see anyone using stealth since they couldn¡¯t hide their body heat. ¡°Hm¡­Is Noxi alright?¡± Silent Saboteur suddenly asked sounding confused. His sudden question brought Lady Arachne out of her thoughts. She turned her attention onto her second in command and noticed he looked¡­confused. This made her confused. The way he was looking around the room made it seemed like he wasn¡¯t able to see where the young man was at. ¡°Can he not see the boy?¡± Orchid questioned as she looked at her two companions. ¡°That¡¯s a dumb question,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°Clearly he would be able to.¡± ¡°So then is he acting like he can¡¯t see him?¡± Orchid asked, still not sure if the man was able to. ¡°I have not known Tranquil Noxitanous to act or pretend when it comes to this test before,¡± Silent Saboteur commented. ¡°I would not expect him to start now regardless of the applicants age.¡± The portly man was right. Lady Arachne knew Noxi hated acting when it came to tests. Many who tried the stealth route in this test always ended up getting shot with¡­ A sudden ping echoed from the box closest to the window. Lady Arachne watched as Noxi threw a Venom Shot in the direction where the sound came from. Shortly after that happened, another sound echoed from a metal box close to it. Lady Arachne let out a disappointed sigh as Noxi shot out another Venom Shot. ¡°See, there was no way he was pretending. He was probably waiting for the right moment to strike.¡± As she turned to look at the other two, she noticed Silent Saboteur raise a hand to the bottom of his mask almost like he was thinking of something he couldn¡¯t quite grasp. Before she could ask what was on his mind, he stated, ¡°I¡¯ll agree that he wasn¡¯t pretending, but I¡¯ll have to disagree with the second part. I don¡¯t think he was waiting for the right moment to strike.¡± Lady Arachne raised a brow as she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The speed of Noxi¡¯s chanting and spell work is miles higher than this young man¡¯s reflexes should be. There is absolutely no way he would be able to dodge or miss the attack,¡± Silent Saboteur said in a matter of fact way. Lady Arachne nodded her head in agreement. ¡°So, knowing that¡­I am quite puzzled,¡± Silent Saboteur started back up again. His curiosity in his voice. He had both women wanting to know what it was he was puzzled about. He didn¡¯t keep them waiting as he asked, ¡°I mean¡­if he was waiting to strike then he would have landed his Venom Shot on the boy already and the test would be over...right?¡± Both women swiftly turned their attention back into the room. They looked at the two areas where Noxi¡¯s Venom Shot had landed and started melting the area around it. Besides the boxes and the flooring, they didn¡¯t see anything else. They didn¡¯t see anyone there. Lady Arachne¡¯s eyes widened as she realized what this meant. However, she quickly squashed the thought. Before she could voice a different opinion Orchid said, ¡°Maybe he did get hit and backed off to try and mediate the damage caused?¡± ¡°I would normally agree with you, but he is too under leveled to be able to get out of the way and only take a small bit of damage,¡± Silent Saboteur argued. He then pointed a finger at Noxi and added, ¡°Besides, he still looks like he¡¯s unsure where the boy is to me.¡± Frowning, both women looked back at Noxi and saw the man turn his head from side to side looking like he was still trying to find the young man. This greatly confused Lady Arachne, she couldn¡¯t understand why Noxi was acting like he couldn¡¯t find him. Now that she thought about it she couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact location of the little kitten herself. He was a low level with barely any experience in this world. He was as fresh out of the Tutorial Area as most of the recent arrivals so his level in any kind of stealth should be under twenty. That meant it would be easy to spot the glaring issues any higher leveled person could see. Her confusion grew even more as she and the others heard Noxi say this next part. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that this is a first for me. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re doing it, but I will find you.¡± Everyone then watched as he reached an arm out, palm up, and added, ¡°Anemone¡­help me find him.¡± ¡°Is he really going to use Anemone?¡± Orchid questioned with some shock in her voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit much for a test?¡± Silent Saboteur asked, sounding a little concerned. Lady Arachne stared at Noxi as the tamed snake started to slither out from the sleeve of his shirt. She had to agree with the pudgy man. Having that snake come out was a bit overkill. Albeit, if the snake used any of her abilities. Maybe he really couldn¡¯t find the little kitten? Is that why he asked for his snake to come out? She then noticed the man¡¯s body language as she looked back at him. She could tell he was feeling irritated. If he was irritated then he was irritated about one thing. And that was the fact he really couldn¡¯t find the young man. His next words proved what she thought was right. While most wouldn¡¯t be able to tell, she was able to. She was able to hear the irritation in his voice as he asked the snake, ¡°Anemone, it seems that the little kitten can hide really well. I think we should try and flush it out. What do you think?¡± The three then watched as the snake began channeling her mana to charge up an attack. As the snake was pushing up the fog it was creating inside of its belly, Lady Arachne¡¯s attention was brought to an area of the room where a faint flash flickered in and out. It happened so fast she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if something had happened. She then turned her focus back on the snake as a fog of poison rolled out of her mouth and onto the ground. She then heard Silent Saboteur state, ¡°Get the antidote and anti-poison gear ready. The moment that fog hits the young man we need to rush out there and get him to drink it, so he doesn¡¯t die right then and there.¡± Orchid didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she made her way to the back of the room where a cabinet was and started grabbing everything they needed. Lady Arachne didn¡¯t take her eyes off of the room. She watched as the fog pushed out forward until it couldn¡¯t anymore. Majority of the front room was covered in it like an early foggy morning as the poisonous cloud started to rise. Orchid had made her way back and started handing out the supplies she was asked to grab. Lady Arachne received the items but didn¡¯t do anything with them. She wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but the area where the fog had covered didn¡¯t have any movement. This didn¡¯t escape Silent Saboteur either as he commented, ¡°I don¡¯t see him. Do you?¡± ¡°No, I¡­,¡± Lady Arachne started to say, but stopped as something brought her attention back to that one spot she thought a flash of dim light had appear at. A surprised yet excited expression grew on here face as a dark silhouette had faintly appeared against the wall on the other side of the room. While like the flickering flash, the shadow shaped figure against the wall had disappeared as quickly as it came. What came next made everyone in the room confused, excited, and then puzzled as to how this young man had something not many in the world had. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam prepared himself mentally as he readied himself to use an ability he hadn¡¯t in a few days. He noticed the poisonous fog start to slowly make its way closer to his area, but then pushed the thought away. He then turned his focus onto the area of where Noxi stood. Not wanting to channel any Shadow Mana to help give the spell a boost as well as possibly giving his location away, Liam activated it ability. A raven black and wispy silhouette suddenly emerged from behind Noxi. Caught off guard, both Noxi and Anemone swiftly turned around and attacked the figure. Anemone, who was a bit farther away from her master and the intruder, coiled back and used the moment of the lunge to throw her body as close to them as possible. Noxi¡¯s reaction led him to use Venom Shot once more. The orb of concentrated poison landed true against the dark silhouette. The second after that the snake was seen flying forward to strike the person¡¯s throat. However, as soon as her fangs and body reached the figure, nothing happened. The snake phased through the entire body, leaving behind a trail of black smoke. Noxi was worried at first, but then grew confused as he noticed the figure wasn¡¯t in pain from the attack. The liquid that started to roll off the attacker¡¯s body while bubbling and hissing. The worry that Noxi had quickly turned to confusion as he watched this new person not react at all. As he studied the body he quickly understood why he wasn¡¯t able to locate the young man. However, he discovered it a second too late as a sudden crash of glass came from above. Right above his head. As he looked up, he watched a tidal wave of thick raven black smoke rushed down right on top of him. To add to the black smoke, Noxi also felt a sudden pressure push down on him. Both he and his snake looked at each right before their sight went dark. Liam knew his combination of using Shadow Double and Weak Crushing Dark Fog would give him a few seconds to move. While one of the effects that Weak Crushing Dark Fog gave, the Whispers from Beyond, wouldn¡¯t activate since the man was wearing a gas mask, he knew it would be helpful just for the fog that could be used as a smoke screen alone. As soon as the thick fog covered the entire ten foot radius around both Noxi and his snake, Liam sprinted as fast as he could towards the pedestal. The moment he entered a sprint, he felt the shadows that were hugging him dissipate. He wanted to get to the pedestal as fast as he could. However, after taking four really big steps he his Danger Sense suddenly flare up all over his left side. Liam noticed a metal box right by his right foot. This one didn¡¯t have any openings that he could see. Thinking this would work, Liam lifted his right foot up and pressed it against the side of the metal box, hoping it would not move due to the momentum and his weight being carried. Thanking Eri, Liam came to an abrupt halt as his knee bent. As soon as he felt he was ready, Liam pressed out with his foot. This caused him to stop going forward and instead go backwards. He did this just in time right as a Venom Shot landed right where the box he used as knockback board was. He then noticed the black fog start to lift and disappear. Revealing the whereabouts of the two opponents. To Liam¡¯s major surprise, Anemone was already in the air flying right towards him. Behind her was Noxi readying another Venom Shot. Internally panicking, Liam used Shadow step to dodge both incoming attacks. Noxi and the snake were both confused as the orb of poison and the snake flew right through Liam causing his body to explode into a puff of black smoke. As Noxi stared confusedly, he felt a sudden presence appear right behind him. He pulled out a bone metal sword with dark green bone spikes in small sections of the blade portion from his inventory and swung it around. Each section that a bone spike suddenly stretched out, elongating the blade, and swiped the area that he felt Liam¡¯s presence was at. However, the blade had struck nothing but air as it whipped around like a snake. He had thought the young man would have tried attacking his back or tried to run towards the pedestal. Instead, Liam had crouched down as soon as he appeared behind Noxi. As soon as the boned whip-like sword fully passed over his head, Liam pushed off the ground and ran towards the pedestal. After taking a few steps, he pushed his lower half forward and leaned back as far as he could so he could slide across the floor. The blade swung over his body the moment he had gotten parallel with the floor. Once more, after the blade finished sailing across the air above him, Liam pushed himself back up. He was making guesses at this point of where and when Noxi would strike as he jumped to his left then right as the blade struck each spot he once was at. Noxi did this once more before Liam was a couple feet away from the pedestal. However, as soon as he was almost in arms reach of the pedestal, he felt his Danger sense not only flare up along his back, but also along his entire right side. It was Anemone. Liam used Shadow Step as soon as he could right for the spot behind the snake, causing both the snake and the blade to strike nothing but black smoke. Cursing himself, Noxi turned his focus back on Liam and was about to strike once more, but then stopped. Liam¡¯s hand had touched the box on the pedestal. ¡°Test finished,¡± Lady Arachne suddenly called out. A mixture of surprise and excitement filled her. Adventure 199 - Shocked and Discussing Changes The lighting in the room suddenly brightened right as Lady Arachne spoke. A gust of wind filled the room as it was being sucked out at the same time. Liam felt what was going on was similar to when he pushed the air purification button in the Poison Crafting room. As the room was being purified from the lingering poison from both the snake and Noxi, Liam got a better look at the room he stood in. He was surprised at what he saw. Along the side of the walls were small hidden entrances that blended with the wall and sat next to the metal boxes that were positioned around them. On further inspection some of those boxes had open sides that lead into the hidden entrances. He also noticed cloths that blended in with the walls hanging by the front of the room. He looked up and noticed handles that were scattered throughout the ceiling. Liam was both amazed and surprised he hadn¡¯t noticed all these routes he could have taken, but missed. He had a plan he came up with and decided on that. However, after seeing all of these other things he could have made better use of the environment. For example, when Noxi brought out his snake, he could have rolled a metal ball into the hidden entrance making both the snake and Noxi believe he had gone in there. Liam let out a sigh. Even though he missed all these other routes, he was still happy with how things ended. He just hoped the others were impressed with his performance. Anemone slithered her way up Noxi¡¯s arm and shoulder getting comfortable as she stared at Liam. Lady Arachne, Tantalizing Orchid, and Silent Saboteur slowly made their way out of the viewing room and over to the three. Liam could feel a tense atmosphere as the three arrived to them. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he knew something must have happened and waited for someone to speak. To his surprise it was Silent Saboteur who spoke first. ¡°Tell me right now,¡± Silent Saboteur started with a hint of urgency and skepticism in his voice. ¡°Was that a Chemical Creation that had Shadow Mana Extract in it?¡± It took a second for Liam to think about what it was he was asking, until he realized he was talking about the Weak Crushing Dark Fog he used to try and suppress both Noxi¡¯s and his snake¡¯s movement as well as their sight. He didn¡¯t know how well the gravity effect worked, but the fog aspect worked great until he started moving and had the Veil of Shadows dispersed. He needed to ask Noxi if it worked at all on him. Before he could respond to Silent Saboteur¡¯s question, Noxi inquired, ¡°Was that a Crushing Dark Fog Chemicalized Creation item?¡± Liam nodded to both men ¡°It was a weak version of it yes.¡± He was about to say more but both men cut him off. ¡°You know you¡¯re not allowed to use premade alchemical creations for this test right?¡± Noxi asked. ¡°Where did you get that Chemicalized Creation item from?¡± Silent Saboteur questioned. ¡°I¡­,¡± Liam tried to say. ¡°I¡¯m kind of curious as well,¡± Orchid chimed in. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t find an item like that in any of the markets here in this town. I thought Silent would be the only one who would have them in stock.¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± Liam tried again. ¡°I have to admit though the timing and placement was perfect,¡± Silent Saboteur complimented. ¡°It was,¡± Noxi agreed. ¡°Also, how did you get past my infrared vision? Was it an ability or skill?¡± ¡°Okay that¡¯s enough,¡± Lady Arachne cut in, stopping the others from bombarding him with questions. ¡°First and fore most, that item was well in his rights to use. He didn¡¯t break any rules since he made it himself.¡± Liam raised a brow as he stared at the short woman. The other three looked confused as they heard what she said. Noxi and Silent Saboteur brought a hand to their chin and started thinking while Orchid looked even more lost. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orchid questioned. ¡°If you¡¯re implying that he made the item then where did he get the Liquified Shadow Mana Extract? Last time I checked, we haven¡¯t gotten any in recently and the last batch we did have was sent out to another branch six months ago.¡± Liam was intrigued by this information. ¡°While it is true that we haven¡¯t had any in for quite some time,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°Getting a supply of that specific Liquified Mana Extract in isn¡¯t the only way that he could have secured it.¡± Before Orchid could argue, Silent Saboteur looked like a sudden thought came to mind. He looked at Liam before asking, ¡°Are you implying that he made the extract himself? If he did then that would mean¡­¡± Lady Arachne grew a wicked smile. She didn¡¯t reply to Silent Saboteur¡¯s comments, but instead asked Liam, ¡°You have the Field of Shadows, don¡¯t you?¡± All three other members turned their focus on Liam. Liam felt a bit uncomfortable as he internally asked Eri, I know you said using my Shadow Magic would be fine here, but are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to reveal that bit of information?
¡°I think it should be fine. While having Field of Shadows is rare it isn¡¯t unheard of. In fact, it further sells you since many don¡¯t have it and want it. In this type of Association, your worth will rise even more. ¨C Eri.¡±
¡°I can understand that, but if they try to ask how I got it I can¡¯t really say I got it thanks to one of my racial benefits. Hell, I still don¡¯t know what my other race is that I got it from. Liam argued.
¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about revealing that part of information. In fact, if asked just say you got it as a reward during the Tutorial Dungeon. I am one hundred percent certain they think you¡¯re a full blooded Beast-kin. So long as you don¡¯t reveal any particular information you can get away without them knowing the full details. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam couldn¡¯t argue with that logic. Lady Arachne had been calling him Little Kitten all this time so far. Maybe he could get away with just telling half-truths. Saying it was a dropped reward technically wouldn¡¯t be lying since it was revealed on the fourth floor. Deciding to go with that, Liam nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Orchid shouted with a shocked expression. ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for right now,¡± Lady Arachne stated suddenly cut Orchid off as she gave her a look. ¡°We¡¯re still in the middle of testing right now.¡± She then looked at Liam and instructed, ¡°Can you please walk out of this room and wait in a crafting room. We¡¯ll need about thirty minutes to prepare the next test.¡± Liam stared at Lady Arachne. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but he figured he could use the wait time to replenish his Spirit Pool. Before he turned, he nodded and said, ¡°Sure. Should I come back in here after the thirty minutes?¡± ¡°No, we will meet you in the entrance room,¡± Lady Arachne informed. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam stated as he headed for the door. ¡°Oh, and Little Kitten,¡± Lady Arachne shouted right before he walked through the open door. Liam turned to look at her. ¡°Great job on this first test,¡± the short woman congratulated. Liam nodded his thanks and disappeared with the door closing behind him. Noxi, Orchid, and Silent Saboteur turned their eyes towards Lady Arachne as soon as the door shut. She could see the questions burning in their eyes as they waited for her to speak. She couldn¡¯t blame them. Even she had some burning in the back of her mind. This was a new development none of them could have expected. ¡°Thoughts?¡± Lady Arachne subtly asked, knowing well that a flood of them were about to come out. As predicted, all three let out their thoughts on the matter. Lady Arachne let them ramble for a bit, trying to get a question out over the other. After a few seconds had passed, she clapped her hands together to get them to stop. She then looked at them each one by one and stated, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. We¡¯ll start with a few questions then move on to deciding the next test.¡± The others didn¡¯t look happy, but they agreed with what she had said. Lady Arachne pointed to Orchid, allowing her to speak first since she looked like she was about to burst. ¡°Do you think he was telling the truth?¡± Orchid inquired. Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°Yes. I genuinely think he has the Field of Shadows.¡± She then looked at Noxi and asked, ¡°Your question.¡± ¡°Do you think he has any ties to any of those three species of that race?¡± Noxi asked, genuinely concerned. That was a good question. When it came to Shadow Magic or the Field of Shadows it was widely known that a certain race and the species of that race inherently received it as a racial benefit. On the other hand, though, while Shadow Magic was rare and known as that race¡¯s specialty, it wasn¡¯t unheard of for people outside of that race to get it. Especially if they had a high affinity for it. However, from what she knew of the young man she didn¡¯t believe he had ties to them. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Lady Arachne shook her head. ¡°No. I do not think so.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Noxi started to argue. ¡°The way he was able to blink out of the way before I or my Anemone could hit him plus that Double he made out of pure Shadows¡­His control over his Shadow Magic was smooth. It could easily be explained if he was a member of any of those three.¡± ¡°I wholeheartedly agree with your points Noxi,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°However, you are forgetting something very important¡­He¡¯s a Cat-folk Beast-kin.¡± This made Noxi stop the next thing he was about to say. Instead, he thought about it. That race was known for its interspecies marriages. The argument she was making was very weak if that was her reasoning for not thinking he could be at least half of one of those three monsters. He was going to argue that, but was stopped as the woman added, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but if he is what Silent Saboteur and I really think he is then there is no way he could have ties to those three clans. That specific Cat-folk race wouldn¡¯t permit an interspecies marriage with any one that isn¡¯t from their own race.¡± Noxi was confused by what she said. Orchid too had the same look as Noxi. He tried to think about what she meant. In the Cat-folk race there were many different species, but not many were very strict about their race getting with anyone outside their own. One such was the royals, the Arkadians. But he didn¡¯t think the young man would have ties to them. If he did he wouldn¡¯t be waiting here. That only left¡­ Noxi looked at Lady Arachne and asked, ¡°Do you truly think he is one of them? A Cait Sith?¡± ¡°It is only a guess from what we have observed so far and from the hints he has¡­unknowingly given,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°We believe we are a hundred percent certain he is a full blooded Cat-folk and the species is a Cait Sith. He has displayed an excellent example of crafting so far with that one item alone, however¡­after that display I have some reserves. We all know the Cait Sith do not like to fight. They¡¯d rather hide away and craft till the end of their life. We are going to have to see how his next couple of tests go.¡± The other three nodded their heads. They too were excited to see what else he had in store for them. This first test was full of surprises right from the beginning. Who would have thought this young man would pull out something like Shadow Magic right from the get-go. If he had more surprises for them like this, then maybe viewing him as some low leveled person wasn¡¯t the right way to go about these tests. Lady Arachne turned to Silent Saboteur and asked, ¡°Any questions from you?¡± ¡°I have a lot, but if I¡¯m only allowed one for now then it¡¯ll have to be¡­,¡± Silent Saboteur started. ¡°When did you realize he had that field?¡± Noxi and Orchid focused on the woman as they too were curious about that. ¡°It was right before he made the Double created out of shadows,¡± Lady Arachne answered. ¡°At first, when we realized he was going the stealth route, I was a little disappointed. However, I thought it was strange that he didn¡¯t come out from that corner. You thought it was strange too didn¡¯t Noxi. That¡¯s why you tried scanning the area to see if you could find him right?¡± Noxi nodded. ¡°Knowing where all the secret pathways were as well as the tools placed all over the room, I tried to see if maybe he had chosen one of those routes. However¡­¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t find him,¡± Lady Arachne interjected. She then corrected herself by saying, ¡°That¡¯s not right. You couldn¡¯t see where he was.¡± Noxi nodded. ¡°My racial benefit, Infrared Vision, allows me to locate people even in the dark through their body heat. When I tried looking, I couldn¡¯t find a single trace.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Orchid asked. ¡°There is a Stealth ability you get through Shadow Magic,¡± Silent Saboteur started as he thought it over. ¡°If my memory is correct, the ability wraps you in shadows. I think I heard that the shadows that wrap around you are so cold it drops your body heat?¡± Lady Arachne shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not correct. It¡¯s kind of hard to understand, but essentially, Shadows is considered absent of both light and heat. You do feel a coldness when they wrap around you, but its not because of the shadows themselves but rather where they take you.¡± Confused Noxi asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lady Arachne looked at the others and gave them a smile. She was about to say something, but stopped and frowned as she felt something quiver beneath her feet. A pair of pointy legs tapped on her legs and feet, communicating something to her. After understanding what was being said to her she stated, ¡°I can¡¯t divulge more than I¡¯m allowed to. However, what I can say is that there was a moment right before he used his Shadow Double where his shadowy silhouette appeared briefly against the wall. That¡¯s how I knew he had the Field of Shadows.¡± Silent Saboteur stared at her for a long moment. He knew there was more there than what she was saying. Even though he wasn¡¯t the second in command, he was the longest person to have worked with her. He knew she carried secrets. Secrets that could easily swallow not just her whole, but this entire Association Branch if she or everyone else wasn¡¯t careful. His owls and even Ally warned him each time she was in the Dark Nest that she carried something dangerous somewhere on her. However, no matter what they did to try and understand or find it, they couldn¡¯t. Noxi and Orchid were confused as they looked at each other. That was a first for them. never have they heard their current leader say there was something she wasn¡¯t allowed to divulge. If that was the case then they knew it had to come from someone who was in a higher position than she was. Thinking that made it easier for them to not want to press it further. ¡°Okay so what now?¡± Orchid asked. ¡°Now?¡± Lady Arachne repeated. ¡°Now, we talk over what we have seen and prepare the next test.¡± She then looked at Noxi and asked, ¡°What notes do you have since you were the test administrator.¡± Noxi nodded as he replayed everything in his mind. ¡°First, that stealth ability of his. It can be very useful to him since he could get past even my vision. I¡¯m not entirely familiar with it, but if he can be seen as a shadow on the wall then that could be a problem in well-lit areas.¡± Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°What else? How was that item he created?¡± ¡°That Chemicalized Creation, Crushing Dark Fog¡­,¡± Noxi continued. ¡°Even though it was weak, and the nasty side effect was useless against me, it was still a good idea to use. The gravity held both me and Anemone in place for a brief moment, which was probably part of his plan. Even if it¡¯s a brief moment, that¡¯s all it takes for a mission to succeed or fail. Adding in that a dark fog blanketed over us to block our sight worked well until he started moving quickly. If he didn¡¯t sprint like that I wouldn¡¯t have found him. I must say that I¡¯m impressed he is already able to make Chemicalized Creations so early after leaving the Tutorial Area. He has promise in the crafting aspect.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Lady Arachne nodded before looking at Silent Saboteur. ¡°Your thoughts on the item?¡± ¡°My assessment is similar to Noxi¡¯s,¡± the portly man stated. ¡°While I didn¡¯t expect him to be able to make it, it was a pleasant surprise and caught me off guard. The timing and the placement where he threw it was perfect as well. Its almost like he has had experience throwing Alchemy crafted items in a fight.¡± Lady Arachne looked at Orchid. ¡°Any thoughts or questions of you own?¡± Orchid looked at Noxi and asked, ¡°What happened towards the end there? There were a couple of moments when I thought you would have struck him. The same with Anemone. He¡¯s way too low leveled to have reflexes good enough to dodge both of your attacks.¡± Silent Saboteur nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m curious as well.¡± ¡°Well¡­,¡± Noxi started as he thought about it. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to say about that. I was shocked as well when it happened. But when I watched my sword come down on him as well as when Anemone should have bitten into him, it was like his body was made of smoke. As soon as the smoke took form he wasn¡¯t there anymore. I¡¯ve never seen or had a situation like that happen before.¡± ¡°That would be Shadow Step,¡± Lady Arachne answered before she felt those damn spidery legs scrap her legs. The three looked at her. ¡°So, it¡¯s another Shadow ability?¡± Noxi asked. ¡°I guess that would make sense and why I haven¡¯t seen or come up against it before. I haven¡¯t really had to go up against anyone with Shadow Magic.¡± Silent Saboteur stared at Lady Arachne some more before looking back at Noxi and asking, ¡°How would you rate that in terms of survivability?¡± ¡°In terms of survivability? It should help get him out of almost any situation,¡± Noxi replied. ¡°Almost?¡± Orchid asked. ¡°Every ability that helps you in the way it does should have drawbacks. Especially in the lower level range,¡± Noxi stated. He then looked at the others and added, ¡°I am entirely certain he¡¯ll use it in the next test. I propose we figure out ways to bring those limitations to light and see what he does to counter it.¡± The others nodded as they agreed to the suggestion. Not too soon after that they went into a full blown discussion about the changes they needed to make in order to better test this new applicant in the next test. As they discussed the new changes for the next test, Lady Arachne had a single thought that kept popping up in the back of her mind. Did you know about this Wild Card? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After thirty minutes had passed by Liam reactivated his Spirit Weave ability to bring back the look he got when using this ability. He had spent this time replenishing his Spirit Pool and crafted a few small vials of flammable oil. He was getting pretty low in his stock and needed to replenish that as well. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had time to try and craft anything else, so he didn¡¯t chance it. The oils were pretty quick since they didn¡¯t need any actual focus and he could get a few going at the same time. He also spent the time thinking about how he performed in the last test. He still wasn¡¯t sure how the snake and Noxi was able to find his exact location after he had used Weak Crushing Dark Fog, but it wasn¡¯t too big of a surprise to him. He knew the man probably had a way, but not knowing what it was bugged him. He made a mental note to ask the man after all of this was done. The other thing he went over was his close encounters. Noxi¡¯s bone whip sword intrigued Liam. He wanted to know more about it. That kind of weapon had only shown up in a few novels, Mangas, and video games in his past so to see it in person and almost get struck by it¡­it kind of made him excited. Not in a weird way, but more in a crafter¡¯s curiosity kind of way. Going back to the close encounters. He knew he was lucky his Shadow Step ability getting off cooldown when it did, saved his ass. Thanks to him using it though it had leveled up to level thirteen after the test. He was probably going to have to rely on it again for the next couple of tests, but he knew they were probably going to expect him to. He was going to need to get creative with it now. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Liam mentally prepared himself before walking through the door. After he stepped through he saw Noxi waiting for him next to an open door. Confused to see only the man, Liam asked, ¡°Where is everyone else?¡± Even though Liam couldn¡¯t see the facial expression the man had, he had a feeling he was amused with the question. ¡°They are awaiting for you to start your next test,¡± the gas masked male replied. He then gestured towards the door and asked, ¡°Are you ready?¡± Liam, still a bit confused by what he meant, let out a breath and nodded. Noxi didn¡¯t wait as he stepped through the door. Liam followed closely by. After Liam entered this door and into the next, he was amazed to see the scenery before him. This room was filled with trees. The very same trees that he had seen in the Dark Nest Marketplace area. He looked over at Noxi and asked, ¡°Is this¡­¡± Before he could finish, Noxi stated, ¡°No. This isn¡¯t the Dark Nest, but a testing room designed to test your ability to survive. These trees are similar to the ones planted in that area, but it is not the same place.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°In this area Lady Arachne, Silent Saboteur, and Tantalizing Orchid are hiding and waiting,¡± Noxi instructed. ¡°They are waiting for you to enter this forest so they can try and attack or trap you. Your goal is to survive and get past the traps or ambushes they have ready for you. You are not allowed to attack or fight back. You use your abilities or skills to defend yourself, but you are not allowed to stay and fight.¡± Liam was taken aback by what the man said. He didn¡¯t know what to expect for this next test, but this wasn¡¯t it. ¡°It is their goal to hold you in place for a certain amount of time as well as stop you from advancing and reaching the other side of the forest,¡± Noxi added. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± ¡°On a scale from one to ten¡­how fucked am I?¡± Liam asked. Noxi¡¯s body trembled a bit as he let a slight chuckle escape. ¡°If they were to use their abilities to try and kill you¡­the scale would heavily be tipped on the you¡¯re fucked side. However, their goal isn¡¯t to harm you, but to stop you. So, if I were to redo that scale with that bit of adjustment¡­I¡¯d still say you¡¯re fucked.¡± Liam gulped as he stared at the man and said while dragging out the word, ¡°Great.¡± Adventure 200 - The Shadow under the Moon ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Noxi started back up. ¡°However, this kind of fucked leaves you alive and can help you learn so don¡¯t get too discouraged.¡± Liam let out a sigh as he stared at the forest full of eggshell white barked trees, he tried thinking about his options. Could he use Veil of Shadows, slowly making his way through the forest, and in turn hopefully bypass everyone and everything they set up? No. For several reasons, he didn¡¯t think that would be a good idea. For one, the forest was well illuminated thanks to the full moon above it. The light cast down was bright enough that the trees were able to cast shadows. With how low his ability was, even with the bonus he got with all Shadow magic in this form, he would still cast a shadow they could see move about over the ground. It would be a dead giveaway if they knew where to look. If he didn¡¯t use it in the last test then he could have had a chance to use it, but his luck would have caught up to him eventually. Another reason why he didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to use it was the fact of how fast he was able to move while being covered in the shadows. His movement speed had increased when it hit level ten, but he still had to move slower than compared to a jog, sprint, or run. Coupling with what Noxi had stated earlier, he felt like if he spent too much time trying to get to a certain point then he would fail just from being too cautious. He wanted to verify that theory, so he asked, ¡°Am I being timed?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Noxi vaguely started to explain. ¡°As a whole you are not being timed. However, you will be timed when confronted with certain situations. Take too long to get out or away, then the test will stop right then and there.¡± Liam nodded. While it wasn¡¯t exactly what he had thought, it still lined up with his guesses. So, sneaking through this entire test wouldn¡¯t be the best idea, especially in areas where an ambush or trap could happen. He looked back at the forest in front of him and took in everything he could see. He took in the placements, the amount of leaves each crown had, places where the moonlight shone more. He knew things could change the farther he went in, but making notes on what he was able to see now could help him later. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re ready and we will start this test,¡± Noxi announced. Liam nodded as he continued to think. He didn¡¯t want to sprint as fast as he could because he didn¡¯t know how far the test went. Were there sections that indicated how far one made it? Was the forest full of traps and ambushes that appeared one right after the other? Or was everything spaced out to create some kind of psychological attack making the one taking it overthink and in turn make mistakes as they went? That last thought made him realize that if that was true then the test had already begun. He shouldn¡¯t waste any more time trying to think about the unknown and the what ifs. Instead, he¡¯d had to take this head on and adapt as he went. That¡¯s how he survived back on Earth after everything fell to shit. Making a decision on how he would approach this, Liam stretched his arms and legs a bit before looking at Noxi and nodding he was ready. To Liam¡¯s confusion, Noxi started walking a bit behind him. He wasn¡¯t sure, but it felt that he was around twenty feet away from him. As soon as he stopped and turned around, Liam felt both a powerful pressure emanating from the man and his Danger Sense flaring up all around him. Liam activated Mana Sight to see what was going on. His eyes widened as the color of Air mana mixed with what he was starting to associate as Poison Mana not only outlined his body but started to pulse outwards away from his body. Liam took a few steps back and was about to ask what the hell was going on, but stopped as Noxi opened his mouth, ¡°I forgot to mention exactly how we were going to measure what accounts for the right amount of time being stuck in a certain area for too long was.¡± Liam continued to stare at the man. He didn¡¯t like where this was going, but he should have expected something along the lines this would happen. ¡°While this isn¡¯t my most powerful spell, it will still do a lot of damage to someone of your level and lack of resistance,¡± Noxi informed. ¡°We will have the antidote ready in case you do get engulfed by this, but I insist you try not to. Once I activate this spell that will be the moment this test begins. Take a few steps forward so you don¡¯t disqualify right at the start.¡± Liam made his way right to the edge of the tree line and turned to look at Noxi. With a nod of approval, Noxi said, ¡°That¡¯s good right there.¡± Then with what Liam could associate with a smug expression, Noxi added, ¡°Rolling Smog of the Phantasmal Frog.¡± As soon as he finished saying that, Liam watched as he lifted both hands up into the air and a fog of purplish-green fog rushed up into the air. After it reached a certain height, it started to come down at a slow speed like a mist showering down. Before it could even hit the ground, Liam turned and started his way through the forest. He sprinted as fast as he could to gain some distance from the incoming threat. He didn¡¯t know exactly how fast that mist would move as soon as it hit the ground and he didn¡¯t want to find out. However, he knew he needed to have an accurate estimate so he wouldn¡¯t waste energy from moving way too fast or get caught from moving too slow. As he maneuvered in between the trees, he stole glances over his shoulder to try and find signs of the mist making its way. He didn¡¯t see any signs of the mist and his Danger Sense, while still there, had dimmed down some. It wasn¡¯t flaring up like it had earlier, but it still lingered letting him know the dangers behind him were still there. Thanks to this, Liam was able to get a better feeling on how this ability worked. While he had it warn him plenty of times in the past, it had never stayed active like this before. He felt like he could use it to gauge how quickly the mist was approaching him. This was a nice development for him. However, now he wanted to know if it would warn him about other dangers while it still warned him about the one behind him. Since it had dimmed along the entirety of his back his nerves had started to relax a bit as he slowed down to a light jog. Since he had a nice way to tell when it was getting closer he didn¡¯t want to empty his stamina pool so soon. That had swiftly disappeared as a high pitch scree echoed above him. Liam looked up to see a white owl with a golden line outlining its face staring down at him. At first he didn¡¯t see it because the color of its feathers and body had blended into the trunk of the tree well.
¡°Lunar Tyto Alba. 5,350/5,350 HP. 4,210/4,210 MP. Level ¨C 17. Tamed Beast.¡±
Shit. Liam thought as he heard several other calls echoing back from different areas of the forest. The owl he had passed opened its wings and flew above his head, almost like it was marking his location. This proved to be bad because not too long after it did this, a few others had joined it. While Liam wasn¡¯t sure exactly what they were going to do, he didn¡¯t have a good feeling about them joining together either. He needed to figure out how to lose them. As he ran he looked around and tried to think about what he could do to lose their trail. He couldn¡¯t really use any spells due to him having to chant. They could probably easily dodge them. He couldn¡¯t really hide either since all there was around him were trees. Trees and the shadows they created from the bright moon above them. That¡¯s when he got an idea. While he wrote off the ability being too risky, he might be able to use it to throw the owls¡¯ trail off. He looked around for areas that had clumps of dark areas. If he timed things right he could try and use his Veil of Shadows and then Shadow step to an area that was as close to the edge of his radius as he could to try and throw them off. After that he had to hope they would either move away or stay in that one spot trying to find him. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Deciding to go with this strategy, Liam sprinted for a clump of trees that had their branches and leaves so intertwined that it created a nice dark blanket below them. The flock of owls had to try slow down before making a U-turn. This small bit of time allowed Liam to reach the area he aimed for before they could start making their way towards him. From their perspective they watched him enter the area and as he passed a thick trunk slight bigger than him, and not reappear. They flew over to the trunk and flew around it to see nothing. He had completely disappeared from their sight. Not liking the fact that they had lost sight of him, each owl that had joined the flock spread out and hovered in every area of the darkened blanket created by the crowns above. After they got into place, their feathers started to lightly glow. After a few seconds had passed, a pale white light suddenly flashed out from their bodies. This sudden burst of light illuminated the dark blanket, revealing any and all hidden things. After the flash of moon light dimmed and vanished, each owl searched and scanned for their targeted prey. To their annoyance and irritation, he was nowhere in sight. Getting angry, the parliament of owls split and flew as fast as they could, taking the search back up. Liam felt his heart pound loudly against his chest. After he used Veil of Shadows, he made his way as close to the edge of the darken area of the trees he used as cover to hide his shadowy figure. As soon as he reached the edge the owls had already reached the air above him and spread. He thought their behavior odd and didn¡¯t want to stick around to see what they would do. He aimed for a tree not too far away from him and used Shadow Step to hide in the shadow it had cast. His Veil of Shadows had dispersed the moment he appeared there, but to his surprise it wasn¡¯t because he used Shadow Step. Instead, it was because of the illuminated flash of pale white light that had come from the area he escaped from. Luckily for him it only revealed his location due to the ability they had used and not because he was in the area or line of sight. Thanks to the tree he hid behind he was able to use Veil of Shadows once more to hide himself. And to his luck the moment he disappeared into the shadows a few owls had passed over head. That was Lunar Exposure wasn¡¯t it?! They can use Lunar Magic?¡± Are you serious?! Liam internally swore. I¡¯m glad I got out of there as soon as I could. That would have been bad if I had gotten caught in that. Liam changed his direction back towards the way he was originally running and looked around. He pulled his goggles down over his eyes to help shield them in case they decided to use that ability again. While the owls had left in search of him that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t any around or any he wouldn¡¯t run into. It just meant that he now had to be careful going forward. He now had a decision he had to make. Stay hidden with Veil of Shadows and move from shadow to shadow as fast as he can without breaking the ability or try to run as fast as he can while keeping an eye out for those owls. Unfortunately for him, a decision was forcibly against his will. Liam¡¯s ears twitched as he heard a deep voice say, ¡°Lunar Exposure.¡± A bright pale white light suddenly exploded right above his head a few feet away from him. The sudden brightness caused Liam to shut his eyes as fast as he could while bringing his arms and hands up. Luck for him his goggles help darken the effects making the blind debuff less than it would have been if he wasn¡¯t wearing them. Unfortunately for him though, the Lunar magic spell dispelled his Veil of Shadows. ¡°I must admit that your quick decision to get out of that area right before my little owls used their ability was smart on your part,¡± Silent Saboteur commented. ¡°It is quite a shame that you didn¡¯t get your stealth ability up in time before I saw you.¡± He then gave Liam an amused and slightly surprised expression under his mask as he notice him turn his attention towards the man who was standing up on a branch of a tree not too far away from him. ¡°Able to lessen the Blind Debuff huh? I must say that you have piqued my interest more times than I have ever had it within a single night. That is quite something. However, this is where the test will end.¡± Liam noticed the parliament of owls that had flown off returned and hovered around Silent Saboteur. Each of them stared at Liam with an irritated look in their eyes as they flapped their wings to keep themselves in the same spot. In total there were seven of the birds. Even if there were less of them Liam knew he was still kind of screwed. He assessed each one to get a good feel for them.
¡°Lunar Tyto Alba. 5,350/5,350 HP. 4,111/4,210 MP. Level ¨C 17. Tamed Beast.¡± ¡°Lunar Tyto Alba. 4,270/4,270 HP. 3,233/3,407 MP. Level ¨C 15. Tamed Beast.¡± ¡°Lunar Tyto Alba. 5,350/5,350 HP. 4,101/4,210 MP. Level ¨C 17. Tamed Beast.¡± ¡°Lunar Tyto Alba. 4,270/4,270 HP. 3,233/3,407 MP. Level ¨C 15. Tamed Beast.¡± ¡°Lunar Tyto Alba. 5,350/5,350 HP. 4,210/4,210 MP. Level ¨C 17. Tamed Beast.¡± ¡°Lunar Tyto Alba. 4,720/4,720 HP. 3,660/3,760 MP. Level ¨C 16. Tamed Beast.¡± ¡°Lunar Tyto Alba. 4,720/4,720 HP. 3,660/3,760 MP. Level ¨C 16. Tamed Beast.¡±
They are generally around the same level. However¡­ Liam started to think. He wasn¡¯t sure why their levels were so low. They were higher than him, but also seemed too weak to really be of use to Silent Saboteur. Maybe there was a reason as to why they were so low, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to think about that. Instead, he needed to figure out a way to get out of this mess. As he thought about his options his mind kept going back to their levels. While they were higher than his they were still within range of him being able to use certain things. Was this a trap? It could be, but what else could he do. He knew trying to use a spell would be a bad idea since they were fast and could easily get away before he finished a chant. Instead, he needed to use another tactic. First though he needed to round them up. As slowly as he could he stepped around the tree. Feeling a bit amused that the young man wasn¡¯t showing any signs of giving up, he allowed him to try whatever he had planned out. He figured he¡¯d be nice enough to give him a chance to escape. As he waited he noticed a swirl of shadows appear from behind another tree and sighed. He felt a little disappointed that the young thought he could use his movement ability to try and sneak away from him. If he didn¡¯t see him use it in the last test he wouldn¡¯t have known to look for it, but with his current skills, the young man was sorely outmatched. His Lunar abilities were a great counter to Liam¡¯s Shadow magic. He sent an order to his owls to charge up their Lunar Exposure ability before flying over to the tree. Once they got there he ordered them to release it. As the flash of lunar light reached a blinding limit the lights that covered his owls started to dim. He used his ability to see through his tamed beasts¡¯ eyes to watch the young man to flail about, blinded from the ability. No matter what he used to lessen the effect earlier a point blank range would still cause some sort of damage. However, to his utter shock and confusion the figure that stood where he thought the man to be was instead a being made of pure shadow that started to dissipate. The all of a sudden a see-through glass flask was suddenly thrown from behind a different tree. Before he could say anything or send out any orders, the glass flask smashed against the tree slightly above the owls, releasing a thick waterfall of dark fog that poured over all seven owls, forcibly pushing them down to the ground and blackened their vision all around them. Silent Saboteur released his sight from theirs just in time to see Liam sprinting away from the area. With an approving nod and smile, Silent Saboteur commended the strategy the young man used. Shortly after that he felt the change in the air slowly approaching them. He noticed a figure slowly walking in front of a purplish green mist that was closing in and knew what was coming. As fast as he could he walked over to the dark fog that was holding his tamed beasts captive and heard their cries from within. With a powerful wave of his hand, a small gust of wind blew away both the dark fog and the gravity that lingered within. It released his beasts, who were angry with what had happened. They let out loud angry screeches begging for their master to let them try once more. Silent Saboteur let out an amused chuckle. He then told them their chance was over and they did well for ones so young. He heard their protests but shot them down. He then ordered them to return to him and rest. Even though they weren¡¯t happy they did as ordered. He felt them become a collective tattoo on his right arm as they flew right into him. These owls were the youngest of his tamed beasts. They had hatched not too long ago. They were a restless bunch that thought they were better than those not of their kind. While he could have used his stronger tamed beasts, he thought this test would be a good opportunity for them to grow and understand their limitations. To both his surprise and appreciativeness, the young man helped them to see how weak they still were. Even though they had a higher level advantage and numbers, Liam had still outplayed them. Although he guessed he could say he was outplayed as well since he was the one who gave the owls orders here and there. In a way he had lost to the young man too. However, even if he got past him, he still had the other two to get passed. While Silent Saboteur fought with a straight forward style with his beasts. Tantalizing Orchid had a much more¡­distracting way in her arsenal. Coupling that with Lady Arachne¡¯s abilities to set up traps, the young man had a hard time coming his way. Adventure 201 - A Shadowy Entanglement Liam sprinted as fast as he could away from the area that Silent Saboteur was in. He had a couple of reasons as to why he decided to sprint away. Besides the obvious of trying to get away from Silent Saboteur, he had felt the Danger Sense that was a mild warning start to grow more and more. At first when he had noticed it, it was right before he used Shadow Double to distract the group of Lunar Tyto Albas. It had crept up his spine and almost made him jump the gun on his makeshift plan to distract and trap the creatures. He had to clam his nerves down a bit so that way he didn¡¯t rush it, but the moment he had thrown the flask, that was when the feeling his Danger Sense had screamed at him. He didn¡¯t wait to see the results after throwing the flask, but instead started running so he wouldn¡¯t let the Poison Mist catch up to him. He started slowing down as he felt his Danger Sense start to lessen again. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he tried gasping for air. Luckily for him, the shadowy mask that appears over his face each time he uses Spirit Weave doesn¡¯t restrict his breathing. He could take in gulps of fresh air as if it weren¡¯t there. He didn¡¯t know how that worked, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. As he took in a few breaths of air he glanced at his stamina bar and decided he needed to refill it a bit since it was under half way. He also wanted to test a theory he had started to form as he breathed through his mask. He pulled out a Weak Orange Stamina Potion and pressed it against his lips with the mask still on. He couldn¡¯t feel the glass touching his lips and as soon as the liquid pressed up against the shadowy mask it stopped. He moved the vial away from his lips and stared at it. It looked like he was able to breath just fine, but anything that wasn¡¯t air couldn¡¯t get through the mask. That was a strange thing to him. He pulled the mask down enough that he could allow the liquid to enter his mouth. He was now curious if it only let fresh air in or any kind of air. Of course, that was something he didn¡¯t want to test right now since he wasn¡¯t sure how deadly the Poison Mist Noxi made chasing him would be. After finishing the potion and placing it back into his inventory, Liam looked around to get a better idea of his surroundings. The cover from the crown of the trees was starting to get thicker and denser making the light from the full moon disappear. He stared forward and noticed the distance was getting even darker than where he was. Even though every bone in his bone screamed that going farther in this direction was a bad idea, he also had a feeling that was where he needed to go to reach the end of this test. He decided to enter this darker part of the forest with some caution. While he had Dark Vision thanks to his racial trait, it wasn¡¯t at a high enough level where it could see everything in the dark. He slowly moved his head from left to right, making sure he didn¡¯t miss any details that gave away a potential ambush. The more he walked and scanned his surroundings, the more he started to notice something. Even though he subconsciously knew the area was pretty dark, to him, the whole area and everywhere he looked, looked to be dimly light. No changes in the darkness happened. He stopped and was confused. He gently pulled his goggles off of his eyes to see if there was a difference and was shocked. The area around him grew much darker. What was a slightly dimmed area like the moment where it was still light right after the sun had set was now an almost pitched black similar to dark night with a crescent moon. He placed the goggles back on and thought about this discovery. It was good to know this now. This meant that areas he couldn¡¯t see that well due to his Dark Vision being too low, could be resolved thanks to his goggles. He thought about the effects his goggles gave. While he was starting to understand the meaning behind some of the effects there was still one that he wasn¡¯t sure about. + 25% to detecting unusual creatures or people hiding in the shadows. That¡¯s what it had said in the description. He could take an educated guess on the latter, but the former was a mystery. What did it mean by unusual creatures? Liam¡¯s ears suddenly twitched as he heard something not too far away. This sound brought him out from his thoughts and made him go on alert. He looked around and peered as hard as he could for movement or unusual areas. The noise sounded like a high pitched chittering mixed with little ticks against wood. Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he tried to think what that noise reminded him of. However, he wasn¡¯t able to think much about it because a similar noise came from his left. Then another to his right. The hairs on the back of Liam¡¯s neck started to rise as the entire area was filled with the noise of ticking against wood and high pitch chittering. The noise at first was faint, but as more and more joined at separate times it grew in volume and pitch. Liam didn¡¯t like this. He was getting a very bad feeling the more the noises grew. He decided that going forward from here would not be the best idea and took a step back. However, the moment he took that step back, the noise stopped, and an eerie silence filled the area surrounding him. Liam wasn¡¯t sure which was creepier, the noise from before or the eerie silence that screamed in the back of his mind something bad was about to happen. Liam¡¯s body suddenly tensed as he felt something slowly coming down from above him. He readied himself in case he needed to fight or flee, but as soon as the creature appeared in front of him his eyes widened, and he felt his body freeze in place. Hanging in front of him face to face with a misty black spider with the body size of a medium sized dog and legs longer than his own arms. For a brief moment they stared at each other. Liam held his breath not sure what to do. A cold chill ran down his spine as a black inky liquid dripped out from the creature¡¯s mouth. As soon as the liquid hit the ground it dissipated into a puff of smoke. While Liam stared at the creature he felt something familiar yet foreign to him. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was, but he wasn¡¯t able to think much about it as it let out a loud screech. More loud screeches echoed all around him from above, dragging his attention from the creature before him to the tree branches above him. The sight he witnessed made his blood run cold. The entire crown of trees all around him wriggled and squirmed from the massive number of black spiders that moved about while staring at him. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Liam cursed softly as a ripple washed over him in the air from behind. A playful giggle bounced through the air as an amused feminine voice replied, ¡°I would highly recommend you don¡¯t. She has been known to eat those who mate with her.¡± Goosebumps spread across Liam¡¯s arms and neck as he heard the voice. Even though he didn¡¯t want to take his eyes off the creature before him, Liam slowly turned around to see Lady Arachne staring at him with a wicked grin. ¡°I must admit,¡± the short woman started. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to get passed Silent Saboteur.¡± She brought a hand to her chin as four of her spider limbs from behind her stretched out. The top two stabbed a branch above her and raised her body a bit as she looked down at Liam. ¡°He must have used you as training for his young owls. I heard some of them have been acting quite haughty as of late. Hopefully, you created a big enough blunder that their egos have been flattened a bit.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t sure what to say. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do either. He had gone from an Owl hunting ground and right into a spider nest. He knew he was screwed but didn¡¯t realized how screwed he was until she appeared. ¡°Tell me Little Kitten,¡± Lady Arachne started back up as she grew tired of his silence. ¡°Do you fear spiders?¡± Liam felt a cold chill run down his spine as the sounds of the massive amounts of black spiders above him started moving around. That made him take a quick glance up at them and to his horror they were moving around in a more agitated way. They crawled over each other, trying to get into a better spot as they moved out a bit more from the edges. Some tried snapping at others while others looked to be stabbing their sharp claw-like legs at the others who tried biting at them. His Danger Sense slowly flared more as he looked back at Lady Arachne. He tried to recompose himself as he chanted the words Calm the Storm in his mind while breathing out slowly. When he felt his nerves calm down enough he responded, ¡°A couple here and there aren¡¯t that scary. A pool of them above my head though¡­¡± Liam pointed up as he gave her a grimace to emphasize his next words. ¡°That¡¯s nightmare fueled atrocities right there.¡± Black inky liquid dripped in several different spots around him. As they hit the ground they puffed out into a small cloud of black smoke. Liam then pointed at those spots and added, ¡°The inky black liquid turning into¡­¡± A sudden thought popped into his mind as he realized why the puffs of black smoke seemed familiar. He then looked back at Lady Arachne and asked, ¡°You¡¯re shitting me.¡± With a straight face, Lady Arachne tilted her head to the side. Her voice, though, betrayed the faux look of confusion she was trying to go for as she asked with an amused tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam narrowed his eyes at her and asked, ¡°These spiders have Shadow Magic don¡¯t they?¡± A wicked grin formed on her face as she tilted her head to the other side and replied, ¡°You could say that¡­or you could say¡­¡± Liam felt a ripple suddenly wave out all around him, cutting the woman off. With a frown the woman stated, ¡°What¡¯s the harm with answering his question? He has Shadow Magic himself¡­¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Another ripple echoed all around him. ¡°Fine,¡± Lady Arachne sighed with some irritation. She looked back at Liam and said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave that question for another time. For now¡­my little cuties are hungry and restless. Try not to get captured.¡± As soon as she finished her words, Liam felt his Danger Sense flare up worse than when the Poison Mist was released. His entire body was covered in it as he realized how dangerous of a situation he really was in. Half of the eight legged horrors shot out strings of thick black webbings right at him. Liam jumped backwards in time to dodge the stream that flew right for him. He then spun around and bolted as fast as he could as the massive amount of spiders made their next move. Behind him he heard Lady Arachne¡¯s voice call out, ¡°Good Luck.¡± As Liam ran, he jumped to his left and right, dodging more streams that were shot at him. A few times he had to stop at a dime to not collide with a spider that tried jumping right on top of him. Each time one fell, he would halt his forward momentum to either juke left or right or spin around one of the nasty buggers that decided to try and bite him the moment they landed. As he did this, he noticed the wave of creatures moving along the branches above him. Even though a majority of them had either fallen down or jumped down, there was still enough to fill the crown, making it seem that their bodies were the tree leaves themselves. Not wanting to give them a chance to catch up to him or try and trap him, he made a decision he wasn¡¯t entirely happy about. He wanted to save some of these for future fights, but he felt that the situation he was in warranted the use of the items he had recently made. Liam opened the flap on his potion pouch that rested against his leg and pulled out two small flasks. He threw one to the area of trees on the ground to his right and another to his left where a massive wave of the Shadowy spiders had started flowing down from. After running pass those spots he reached for two more and threw them up into two different areas of the massive pool that swam above him. He didn¡¯t need to turn around to see if the flasks of Weak Magnetic Shockwave that he threw against the two trees and the two Weak Implosive Heatwaves he threw into the pool of spiders above him had any effects. The screams that accompanied the sounds of fire exploding and lightning crackling were all he needed to hear. He wanted to believe that those four Chemicalized Creation flasks were all he needed to use to stop his pursuers, but the loud angry hissing and screeches that mixed with the ticking sounds of thousands of claw-like legs told him that all he was able to accomplish at most was make them a bit wary of what else he had while slowing them down a bit. As Liam picked up his speed he could feel his Danger Sense start to move about his body. What once had covered his entire body now covered only his entire back. The feeling the ability gave him had lessen a bit compared to how it felt earlier, but not by much. Instead, it told him that they were no longer surrounding him. Liam felt some relief and believed he was going to get away. He felt some hope as a light caught his attention off in the distance. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was the finish line or if it was just an opened up area. He¡¯d take either or at this point. He just wanted out of this spidery nightmare. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but while he didn¡¯t have a problem with a single spider or two, a group of shadowy, ink drooling spiders that came in assorted sizes was a different story. He just needed to get to the lit up area. Then he felt that he would be done with these damned creatures. He picked up the pace as he pushed himself as hard as he could. He was almost there. As the light of the new area was coming closer and closer with each step he took, he realized that his Danger Sense had started to calm down some. He felt his body start to relax a bit as he let thoughts of victory start to fill his mind. That was until he ran right into something his sight didn¡¯t see. The collision between him and something invisible caught him off guard as he felt something suddenly snap. The feeling was around his waist. Since whatever he had hit didn¡¯t stop him, he paid it no mind. That was his first mistake. Not too long after that, he felt the same sudden snapping feeling happen again. And again. And again. These times it was against his chest and biceps, legs, and even his forehead. His second mistake was he didn¡¯t stop to think what it was as he kept feeling like he was running into something repeatedly. He couldn¡¯t see what it was, and he believed it was going to be nothing. However, after a few times of slamming into something he couldn¡¯t see, he started to notice his speed had started slowing down. He felt his body tense as he continued pushing as hard as he could. However, the harder he pushed the more his lower half of his body started to slow. He looked down to see if he could figure out why this was happening, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but as he moved his legs he felt something was sticking and weighing his legs down. He tried to think about what it was that could do this, but the images running through his mind reverted to molasses or a giant pile of taffy or gum. As he thought this he didn¡¯t see the rock he was coming up to. His left foot kicked it, causing him to stumble and spin. As he spun around while leaning forward, his body suddenly came to a halt. Well, his body hadn¡¯t completely halted. It felt like his bottom half landed on something springy as his body half bounced back and forth while remaining in the same spot. Confused as to what was going on, Liam remained leaning forward since his upper half didn¡¯t feel like it was trapped on something like his lower. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Liam questioned as he tried moving his legs. No matter how hard he yanked or pulled, his legs were pulled back to the same spot, causing the rest of his body to spring slightly back and forth. To his right within arm¡¯s length and slightly ahead of him was a decent size boulder. A malefic giggle echoed all around him causing him to look towards the direction he had just came from. ¡°Just so you know, you wont be able to free yourself. You, unfortunately, are snared in my little trap.¡± ¡°You¡¯re little trap?¡± Liam asked while heaving and coughing a bit from running so hard. ¡°Yes, the darkness helped with hiding it, but allowing me to show you what you weren¡¯t able to see,¡± Lady Arachne stated as she snapped her fingers. All of a sudden thin black strings revealed themselves all around him. The things he had ran through, the very same things that his lower half was stuck to, were shadowy spider webs. He was literally stuck to a giant spider¡¯s web. Vibrations started to echo throughout the web, causing Liam to look up and around him. A shudder ran throughout his body as he witnessed multiple spiders slowly moving across the web. They didn¡¯t come closer to him. Instead, they just spread out and stared at him. Liam looked back at Lady Arachne. More spiders appeared behind her and sat there staring at him. He then asked, ¡°So what now? Do we just hang here until Noxi¡¯s Poison Mist reaches us or do we stop here?¡± ¡°Well, I mean you could try and struggle. You could try and free yourself, however I don¡¯t think you have what it takes to get free so I guess we can just wait here until he makes his way here,¡± Lady Arachne answered. She then looked behind her and said, ¡°It could take some time, but he¡¯ll get here sooner or later¡­¡± Liam noticed she looked like she was listening to something. A frown formed on her face. She looked to her right and said as quietly as she could, ¡°No you guys can not eat him¡­I know he¡¯s trapped, and he did some damage to those little cuties¡­No this is a test not a mission.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know who she was talking to nor did he like what he was hearing. He wasn¡¯t sure if she could keep all these spiders under control after listening to her argue. He didn¡¯t want to find out either. He needed to get free. He tried to think of what he could do to free himself. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. You will listen to me, or I will put you in your place,¡± Lady Arachne stated. Liam felt a ripple echo in the area as his danger sense started to light up once more. However, instead of it all around him it was coming from a spot close to the woman¡¯s left. He knew if he didn¡¯t do something he could end up getting hurt. He looked around and when his eyes fell upon the boulder not too far from him he looked at the angle his Danger Sense was coming from. The angle was perfectly lined up for him to use Gravity Force Push. He looked back at Lady Arachne and noticed she was still arguing with who or whatever it was she was arguing with. Her attention wasn¡¯t on the group of spiders that were slowly making their way pass her. Feeling like she wasn¡¯t going to be able to keep all the spider in line, Liam started to chant in as quiet of a whisper as he could he said, ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity. Reverse and move away from me, allowing the way to be clear. By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you. Gravity Force Push!¡± Lady Arachne¡¯s attention fell upon the three figures that thought were being sneaky. She was about to reprimand them but stopped as she felt something strange fill the air. She turned her focus on Liam and watched as the boulder he reached out and touched start to hover a bit in the air. She was curious and amazed at what was going on in from of her. She had some speculations about some of the possible magics he could have, but Gravity Magic was not on the list she had on the young man. She watched with amusement as the boulder flew fast and slammed into the three rebellious Shade Stalker Spiders. Their bodies flew with the boulder as it slammed hard against them. She turned her head to get a good look at how far they had flown. She was impressed. Gravity Force Push was not a spell that could be received at a low level. While the level one could get it at wasn¡¯t high, the amount of time one had to put into leveling the magic was quite a lot. She turned her head back to look at Liam and was going to compliment him, but stopped as she watched him finish throwing some kind of liquid on the spider webbing around him. She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but stopped once more as she heard him chant, ¡°Come forth heat of flames and burn the pyre before you. Become the tool that will help. Light and Burn!¡± Light and Burn? Why would he use that¡­ Lady Arachne started to think until she watched the liquid, he had thrown in certain areas, catch fire. The heat and flames that lit up on the spider web suddenly snapped. Lady Arachne¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. She then watched as Liam broke free from his trappings and ran for the lit area. She decided not to chase after him as she was both impressed and surprised with the young man. Not only did he show he was capable of protecting himself from the three Shade Stalker Spiders that tried to eat him, but he was resourceful enough to find a way to break free from the spider webbings. ¡°Are you just going to let him go like that?¡± a deep voice asked. Lady Arachne turned to look at the branch that the portly man stood on. A group of Lunar Tyto Albas flapped around him, causing the Shade Stalker Spiders to move away. ¡°While its not entirely high talent impressiveness that I was hoping to see,¡± Lady Arachne started to reply as she turned to watched Liam disappear into the clearing. ¡°I think he deserves this win due to his resourcefulness alone.¡± Silent Saboteur let out a deep chuckle. ¡°So, what I¡¯m hearing is he impressed you enough to shock you into not retaliating?¡± The short woman shook her head. ¡°Think what you want. The test isn¡¯t over yet. There is still one more he needs to get past.¡± This made the bigger man stop laughing. He then let out a sigh as he said, ¡°To be quite honest I was hoping he wouldn¡¯t have to go up against her. She¡­has ways even I don¡¯t quite agree with.¡± Lady Arachne giggled a little bit. ¡°I don¡¯t see how. They are quite common abilities. Anyone could use the combinations she uses if they had the imagination.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t mean I have to agree with how she uses them.¡± ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Lady Arachne stated with a wave of her hand. This gesture told Silent Saboteur that she was done with the conversations. She then snapped her fingers causing all the spiders to rush towards her. As soon as they reached her feet they dove down, disappearing from sight. After the last one disappeared, the dark area underneath her quivered three times before settling down. ¡°Let¡¯s go see how this plays out,¡± Lady Arachne stated as Silent Saboteur followed her. Adventure 202 - A Tantalizing Nightmare Liam panted as he exited out from the spider infested section of the forest. He kept going for a little while longer until he felt his Danger Sense start to lessen to a light feeling. As soon as he felt the changes he slowed down to a fast pace walk before stopping. He took in big gulps of air trying to calm his beating heart. He quickly pulled out a Weak Orange Stamina Potion and drank it. As he placed the empty vial back into his inventory, he looked around and was surprised by what he saw. Once again, his surroundings had changed. The trees had spaced out quite a bit giving more room to move around. The trees were still an icy white color and the leaves glowed brightly thanks to the majestic moon above. The new addition to this were the vibrant flowers that were scattered around the trees. Liam slowly approached a small group of them and noticed they were all different colored orchids. Their colors ranged from light blue to neon green, dark violet to fiery orange. Most blended with assorted colors while some remained a solid one. The beauty of these flowers were enhanced greatly by the light of the moon that shined down over them. Liam was both amazed by their beauty and wary of them. These flowers obviously didn¡¯t belong here. Liam looked around to see if there was anything that stood out amongst these flowers. He couldn¡¯t find anything amongst them, but he did see an open path that led deeper into the forest. He looked around once more to see if there were any signs of other ways to move about this vibrant garden of orchids but didn¡¯t see any. He let out a sigh as he muttered, ¡°Guess there¡¯s only one way to proceed.¡± As he walked down this path he noticed the flowers had started to grow along the trunks of the trees. That wasn¡¯t the only thing he noticed either. There was a light pink mist that floated around them as well but didn¡¯t hover over the path. This made him curious while at the same time made him a bit glad because if that mist were harmful he wasn¡¯t sure if his mask would be able to block out whatever effects it contained. As he continued to walk down the path he noticed the pink mist start to fill the area outside the path even more. After a few more feet, what was once a light mist was now a thick fog. As he breathed he tasted a faint sweet fruity flavor that he couldn¡¯t quite place. He wasn¡¯t sure if the taste came from the pink fog that had filled the sides along the pathway nor did he really care. There wasn¡¯t any Debuff warnings or icons appearing, so he paid it no mind. After walking a few more feet he heard a faint sound dancing in the air. It sounds like strings being lightly plucked. The sound each string made was soft and gentle while the notes they carried sounded alluring and tantalizing. Each step he took the sounds that danced around grew in volume. A silvery and soothing voice suddenly joined the dance of the alluring string notes. The voice didn¡¯t produce any words as it mixed with the musical notes. Instead, the voice produced a wonderous and mesmerizing display of vowels. This feminine voice displayed an excellent mix of breathing control, diction, blending, and balance as she went through each vowel. If Liam remembered correctly, this technique was a practice that helped a singer warm up their vocals. And what a beautiful demonstration she performed. The additur of the string instrument gave life to her voice even though she didn¡¯t actually sing. Liam could feel his body start to relax as the notes and vowels danced around him in the air and he noticed the flowers had started swaying back and forth in a rhythmic motion with the vocal exercise. After a few seconds more had passed from walking, he finally entered a wide open clearing that left him breathless. The trees that surrounded the clearing were covered from the ground to the top of the trees with bright and colorful orchid flowers of varied species and sizes. All of the smaller flowers were in full bloom while the medium and larger ones were closed in a budding state. Scattered across the ground were the same flowers in a similar state that surrounded a giant White and hot pink bloomed Orchid flower. The flower sat up and opened, facing Liam. The petals were positioned in a way that the bottom one acted like a seat while the two on the sides were arm rests and the top one was a cover. Sitting on the bottom petal of the white and pink orchid was Tantalizing Orchid. Her entire attire had changed from when he last saw her. Besides the mask that she always wore, hugging tightly against her skin in a very sexy and alluring way was a white dress with hot pink flowers that scattered all around her body. Resting in front of her was a harp that looked to be made of mossy green and brown vines. The way she sat, the dress she wore, and the way the moon majestically shined down upon her skin making her look bewitching¡­every bit of detail he could see made him feel captivated. Even though he felt like he just wanted to stand there and indulge in staring at her, Liam felt a sudden prick in the back of his mind. That prick snapped him out of his thoughts, making him say while trying not to feel embarrassed, ¡°This area you¡¯ve set up is¡­different compared to the last two. Is your portion of this test a personal concert for me?¡± Tantalizing Orchid stopped plucking her strings and her vocal exercise before letting out a giggle. The sound of her laughter was just as mesmerizing as her vocal exercise and almost made Liam want to forget what was going on. He forced his will to stop this as he listened to the woman¡¯s response. ¡°Little Kitten, a personal concert from me would be too costly for one such as you,¡± Orchid said in as much of an innocent and alluring voice as she could use. ¡°However, I could give you one if you really want me to¡­¡± She gave him a wicked and teasing smile before adding while licking her lips, ¡°For the right price that is.¡± This sent a shiver down Liam¡¯s spine. He wasn¡¯t a fool. He recognized a look like that one. He didn¡¯t even need to see her eyes to know that the meaning behind that smile, licking of her lips, and her words. The payment would be his death. Liam brought up both hands and stated with as much of a calm tone as he could muster, ¡°I think you¡¯re right. It would be too costly for me.¡± Orchid made a pouting face as she replied, ¡°Oh but I insist. You don¡¯t have to worry about the cost. We can use the test as an excuse for me to¡­practice my vocal skills.¡± Liam felt a pull in the corner of his mind as he listened to her sweet, honeyed words dance in his ears. After a quick shake of his head, Liam placed both hands up and replied, ¡°As much as I feel that would be a nice treat¡­I¡¯m going to have to pass. After all I am in the middle of a test.¡± Tantalizing Orchid gave him a wry smile as she stated, ¡°You¡¯re right. I guess I should be doing my job right now. If that is what you have decided on then I must oblige.¡± Orchid then strummed a couple of fingers down the row of strings on her harp. As she did this the few orchids that weren¡¯t in bloom all around her started to vibrate. ¡°That being said though,¡± Orchid started back up as she started playing a delicate and slow melody. ¡°You will be getting front row seats to one of my creations¡­¡± The vibrating flowers then shifted after her words. They rose up to stand higher than their bloomed siblings. Their budded petals then faced the tree line as they swayed back and forth following the flow of the musical notes. Liam had a sinking feeling as he watched the swaying of the budded flowers start to move a bit faster as Orchid quickened the pace of her fingers strumming the harp. He took a step back while keeping his eyes on Orchid. Orchid stopped her fingers and let the note hang in the air. This suddenness confused Liam as he stared at her. She waited for a brief moment before she said in almost a whisper, ¡°I call this Tantalizing Dream, the Ministry of Love and Hate¡­Try not to lose your mind.¡± She then snapped her fingers causing the area all around him to suddenly change. The abruptness of the changing surroundings frazzled Liam¡¯s mind as he felt a wave of vertigo hit him hard. His sight swayed for a brief moment before the spinning stopped. He quickly looked around while raising his hands up in the air, ready for anything. The area was nothing but a white vast space. This confused him. He was just in the mind of a forest with flowers all around him. Even Tantalizing Orchid was there, but now¡­now there was nothing. No one around him. Just this vast never ending white space that seemed to never end. A ripple suddenly expanded from a spot not too far from him. As this ripple expanded, a deep harp sounding musical note flew right by him. It was there for a brief moment and then disappeared. Before he could think about it another ripple expanded from a different area. Then another. And another. Soon several ripples expanded from different areas of the white vastness bring forth a carefully orchestrated song. What happened next wasn¡¯t what he was expecting. The ripples changed the scenery around him as words filled the space giving life to a scene before him. Two people with blurry faces appeared. They were looking down at a baby that was wrapped up in a blanket. ¡°From the moment you were created, from your first heart beat¡­¡± Orchid¡¯s singsong voice whispered around him as she started to sing. ¡°In the middle of this heat. A human being creates feelings such as love or hate.¡± Liam watched as the two people stared down at the child. While their faces were blurry, he could still make out a smile formed on their lips. ¡°Emotions run like crazy. With our eyes all hazy¡­¡± The colors of the scene started to change. Giant patches of red, blue, and green suddenly splat all around like someone had flicked them against a screen. Quickly the colors started to swirl as the scene started to get blurry. ¡°Now picture it gone. You can¡¯t feel a thing.¡± The blurriness of the scenery suddenly imploded and disappeared, returning Liam to the white vastness. He felt a sudden longing and then emptiness as if something were taken away that he didn¡¯t want to lose, but at the same time he couldn¡¯t understand what it was he lost. ¡°It¡¯s your Fate. With only one thought you¡¯re thrown away into the Ministry of Love and Hate.¡± A new scene appeared out of nowhere. Rain was pouring down hard. People stood all around staring at him. Their faces too were blurred out. However, even if he couldn¡¯t see their faces he could feel the hate they had towards him. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°It hurts so badly¡­¡± He could feel the heat of their gaze upon him, but he didn¡¯t pay it any mind. Instead, his sight was on the woman who was on her knees. She had her arms wrapped around the neck and chest of a man who laid their limp and lifeless. ¡°Yest you can¡¯t feel a thing¡­¡± Liam stared at the two. ¡°It looks so heavy. Yet you feel so light¡­¡± Liam felt his body suddenly jerk as the scenery changed again. He was now standing in the middle of the street. The speed of the day had increased showing people running throughout the chaotic streets. Fights broke out in certain areas as windows were smashed and buildings were broken into. ¡°You¡¯re a ghost in this town, From Dawn to Night.¡± Liam looked up towards the sky as Orchid¡¯s beautiful whispers asked what his mind suddenly thought after looking at all the chaos. ¡°Is this my fate? To be thrown into the Ministry of Love and Hate?¡± He was suddenly taken to a new scene leaving him in the middle of a crowd. He looked around and spotted familiar figures. Even though their faces where blurred out he could recognize the clothes they wore. He tried to reach a hand out to them as they got closer. However, as he went to touch the closest one, his hand fell right through their shoulder. ¡°Like a wave in the ocean the fish don¡¯t feel a thing. In this sea full of people, to you, my existence doesn¡¯t mean a thing.¡± A feeling of loss and longing filled Liam as he watched them walk on by. ¡°So, you¡¯ll just stand here and let them walk on by.¡± Memories that were locked away flashed through Liam¡¯s mind as he watched them walk by. Memories of their laughter, their happiness, their talks, and resolves¡­he remembered them all. They were suddenly replaced with anger, disappointment, and betrayal. All of these didn¡¯t come from him, but from the ones he once called comrades. ¡°Like a ghost to their eyes you¡¯re no longer in their sight. You know they¡¯re just a memory but it¡¯s that memory that keeps you feeling alive.¡± Liam felt the air around him shift as he was brought to an apartment. Along the walls were pictures and notes. Each picture and note held an importance that held a lot of importance. Some had red circles while others had red X¡¯s. ¡°You don¡¯t want to fade into nothing and become another mistake.¡± His eyes turned to a couple of pictures that rested on the counter. One of a man with a younger version of himself and two other younger males. The other held a group of people. Each wearing a mask to hide their faces. ¡°How could it be that You couldn¡¯t see? They followed your beat. Only to use you¡­To get themselves back up on their feet.¡± Anger filled Liam as emotions swirled inside of him. Thoughts of that time, the time he spent with them trying to make a difference, trying to stop the destruction and chaos that was created by them, filled his very being. It stirred something within Liam as Orchid¡¯s voice continued on. ¡°Through thinking if it was Love or Hate. You found out what was your fate.¡± Those words rang within him as an old memory he locked away deeper than any resurfaced for a brief moment. The sound of a whip cracking briefly echoed in his mind as chains rattling mixed with each crack. The anger that had stirred within him let out a roar that vibrated throughout his body, clamping down on the memory hard and locking up once more. He had found out what his fate was that cursed day. To this very moment he was still fighting it. As Orchid¡¯s soothing and alluring voice continued, the area around Liam returned to a vast whiteness. However, this time he wasn¡¯t alone. Four blurry figures stood a great distance away from him. As soon as he saw them, he planted pictures of faces on them. Each person held one of their faces. However, the ones that pissed him off were more than just four. He didn¡¯t know how it happened, but each of the faces that appeared over the blurry figures switched out as the four took a step closer to him. ¡°How dare you show your faces,¡± Liam growled. ¡°This thing called the Ministry plays games with you. But You know one thing is true¡­¡± Liam watched as the four blurred out silhouettes took another step towards him. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you,¡± Liam snarled. He then spun around and added, ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill all of you.¡± ¡°From the moment you were created. From your first heartbeat. In the middle of the heat. You created feelings such as love and hate¡­Emotions ran like crazy. With your eyes all hazy¡­¡± Liam didn¡¯t know when it started, but his eyes had started to water from all the anger he was feeling. The faces he saw belonged to those who took away everything he held dear before the chaos over the planet had started. He tried to take a step towards one of them, but as soon as he took a couple of steps chained shot out from the ground behind him and wrapped around his wrists and thighs. Realizing what was going on, he then snarled, growled, and threw his arms around trying to break free as the four kept getting closer. He threw out threats and tried to forcibly free himself. ¡°And when it was gone. You couldn¡¯t feel a thing. Leaving your body motionless and empty.¡± Liam¡¯s emotions of hatred and anger continued to grow as the memories kept flashing back to back. ¡°You came to the realization that it has been your fate. With only one thought You had been thrown away into the Ministry of Love and Hate.¡± Not able to contain his anger any more. Liam let out a deep and throaty roar of frustration. When he did this the world of white suddenly shattered. This brought back all the color than white, broke the chains that held him in place, and brought him back to the forest where Lady Arachne, Noxi, Silent Saboteur, and Orchid stood circling him not too far. Liam spun around, looking for the old men from his memories. The old men that created the hell that befell the world before he was transported out from it. He couldn¡¯t find them. Instead, all around him he saw the four members of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web staring at him with shocked expressions. Their expressions, or rather body language brought Liam¡¯s mind back to what had happened before this moment. He took in a few breaths and closed his eyes as he muttered the words, ¡°Calm the Storm.¡± He repeated the words over and over, trying to calm the anger that had built up within him. At first it didn¡¯t want to calm down. The anger and hatred that filled him tried to resist. It wanted to be released. It wanted to rampage. However, the practice of using this technique he had gotten back in the Tutorial Area was able to calm the beast within. After he felt his heart and mind calmed down, Liam opened his eyes again and looked at Noxi. ¡°You being here must mean that the second test is finished?¡± Liam asked with as calm of a voice as he could handle. Noxi didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he gave Liam a slow nod. ¡°Damn,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°I was hoping I would fully pass this test.¡± The four didn¡¯t respond to his comment. They just stared at him. It took him a good minute to realize they hadn¡¯t spoken at all, but just continued to stare at him. He looked at each of them and asked, ¡°What?¡± With a cautious and careful tone, Noxi finally asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Confused, Liam replied with a slow nod, ¡°Yeah. Why do you ask?¡± Noxi looked towards Lady Arachne. The shorter woman felt the other two¡¯s gaze fall upon her as well. Deciding to be honest she said, ¡°Well, we¡¯re asking you this because you released quite the bloodlust. I don¡¯t know what it was that you saw, but it must have been something so bad that you exuded quite the power. A power that broke you free from Tantalizing Orchid¡¯s powers.¡± ¡°Her powers?¡± Liam questioned. Confusion etched on his face. He hadn¡¯t seen her use any magical abilities. She just played her harp and¡­A sudden thought came to mind which made him turn to look at the Mantis masked woman and asked, ¡°Do you have bard abilities?¡± A little surprised at his sudden question, Orchid responded, ¡°Yes. I have worked and created a synergy between my current Bard abilities to work with my Illusion Magics, Charm Magic, and Advanced Field of the Senses to create my Tantalizing Dream skills.¡± ¡°Tantalizing Dream skills?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like revealing everything. A girl has to have some secrets,¡± Orchid commented. However, after what she just witnessed she felt he deserved some sort of answer. ¡°However, I will tell you that by using an instrument of my choice and pair it with a song, a poem, or whatever I choose¡­I can create an illusionary world for my target to lose themselves in. Depending on how my targeted audience resonates with both of those it will place you in a trance that dives you into your memories. Whether they are good or bad depends on how you perceive what I¡¯m singing.¡± Liam let that information sink in. He thought about everything that had happened while in that¡­Tantalizing Dream world. It checked out. He also came to a decision as he thought about it. He looked back at the woman and said, ¡°That ability is bullshit. Also, what was up with that pink mist and fog?¡± Orchid gave him a smile. ¡°That pink mist belongs to one of my Plant Magic spells that helps relax the target and loosens their minds to better help my abilities out.¡± Liam was about to ask another question, but was cut off as Orchid added, ¡°The fog is a distraction to allow the mist to slip by and affect you.¡± Liam thought about it. It looks like he got his answer on how well his mask fended off outside influences. He nodded then looked back at Lady Arachne and asked, ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Take an hour to rest up before we proceed to the next test,¡± Lady Arachne stated as she pointed to a door that had manifested not too far away from them. ¡°Before you go I would like to say something.¡± Liam stared at her, waiting to hear whatever she had to say. ¡°You did well,¡± she started back up. ¡°Much better than any of us had expected. After your last test I will go over everything we felt you did right and possible areas to work on.¡± Liam nodded. Before anyone else could say anything, Liam left the area. He felt drained and tired after all that. He also felt angry and didn¡¯t want to do anything stupid towards the people who didn¡¯t deserve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eri stared at the water bowl. She had been watching her Champion taking the tests. She was happy with the results of the first test. The way he handled himself against the poisonous snake was wonderful in her eyes. Of course there were things she thought he could have done, but the looks on their faces were priceless. However, during the second test she felt she was taken by surprise with both the Owl-folk and the Spider girl. The portly Owl man not only taming beast with Lunar magic but also having it himself was a pleasant discovery. Few had that magic. If she didn¡¯t restrict Liam from using it himself, she would have had him request the man teach him more about the Field. That surprise only grew more with the spider woman. She recognize exactly what she was now after seeing her control those spiders. Those weren¡¯t summoned or tamed beasts. They were something more. Something Liam would have to deal with later on when he started growing in power. If she had known about this, she probably would have restrict him using Shadow Magic so the woman wouldn¡¯t be able to realize his secret. Luckily for both her and Liam, the Spider woman had a big misunderstanding thinking Liam was a full blooded Beast-kin. Thanks to that misunderstanding, she wouldn¡¯t realize the connection they both shared. Both of those were pleasant surprises. They put her in a great mood. A great mood that was quickly shattered as she watched his run in with the Orchid Mantis woman. While they couldn¡¯t see the illusionary world Liam had going on in his mind, she was able to. She was also able to see a certain memory that he tried to lock back away. Although it was brief, she was able to see two particularly crucial details. Vital details that explained his attitude towards killing and about his current seal. That last one pissed her off royally. She didn¡¯t know how it was possible or who gave them both the information and skills to pull it off, but that shouldn¡¯t have been doable. Especially in a world that shouldn¡¯t have had magic. ¡°I need to find out more on what exactly happened,¡± Eri quietly muttered to herself. She looked back into the bowl of water and noticed how unstable her champion looked. She knew he didn¡¯t realize what he had done in the end. Hell, even she was still trying to figure it out. However, one thing she did know was whatever those men did to him, they didn¡¯t fully understand how monstrous they made him. One wrong move could spell the destruction of a lot of lives¡­including her champions. Thinking about that, she wondered how many people they did this to. How many ticking time bombs were walking in their world. Waiting to be released. As truly chaotic those events would bring, this was one type of chaos she¡¯d actually not want to see happen. This just made her want Liam to get stronger quicker. If he could reach the appropriate level then maybe he would be able to control that thing better. Eri let out a sigh. There was no rest for the wicked or, in her case, the chaotic. Now she needed to figure out what she needed to have Liam do to prepare. It won¡¯t be easy, but she felt he could handle whatever she had him do. A sudden thought came to her mind as she thought about all of this. ¡°That explains why he was able to get that ability and use it even though he doesn¡¯t have the appropriate field. Maybe he already did, but it was being suppressed. If that is the case then maybe he could get more. Maybe even¡­something from the other six.¡± That thought gave her so much pleasure that she now changed her mind and wanted to see the chaos those idiots had created. ¡°This is getting better and better by the day. Fel is going to be pissed when he finally realizes it.¡± Adventure 203 - Second Test Discussions Lady Arachne watched Liam walk through the door with cautious eyes. From what she could see, even though his body language screamed that he wanted to punch someone, she could also see the tiredness with each movement. Like he was tired of fighting some invisible fight. Like he wanted to just be done with it all. One of the problems with Orchid¡¯s recent choice of lyrics tied with that ability of hers that she had honed over the years is no one knew which of the two they would enter. The Ministry of Love and Hate was an experimental creation she was currently testing. When using that as the lyrical portion of her Tantalizing Dream World, the target would enter either a dream which represented the Love aspect or a nightmare which represented the Hate part. In the Dream part, the target would relax and fall into a trance that would allow her to get her target to spill anything she wanted to know. This was great for information gathering. After getting all she needed she would be able to kill the target without any issues. The nightmare version was different. It would unlock memories that the target locked away due to trauma or something similar. It would cause the target to get angry, frightened, or even breakdown. It was the exact opposite of what she needed to have happen in order to get what she needed. While it didn¡¯t happen often, it was still really rare to have the nightmare part appear. She needed to ask Tantalizing Orchid what happened and if she was able to see what triggered this. As soon as the door closed behind him she turned to look at the others and ordered, ¡°I want to hear all your thoughts on what just happened, but first let¡¯s start with our thoughts on how he did through each of our sections. We¡¯re going to start with Silent Saboteur and work our way to you Tantalizing Orchid.¡± Everyone nodded. They then turned their focus on Silent Saboteur and waited for him to start. ¡°As per our agreement on the Escape theme for this Survival Test, I used a small parliament of my Lunar Tyto Albas to scout him out. Once when one found him they informed the others, and they chased after him. He used the terrain to his advantage and disappeared in a dark area of a group of trees that were clumped together,¡± Silent Saboteur explained. Lady Arachne and the other two nodded their heads as they continued to listen. ¡°After running past a trunk, he had disappeared like he wasn¡¯t there to begin with,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. ¡°I believe he used that stealth skill he used during the first test. I found that a smart tactic because he used the trees to mask how he used the stealth ability. My little Albas didn¡¯t catch what he had done and to be honest the smoothness he used to disappear was enough to confuse them. They then spread out within the area of the dark space under those trees and used their Lunar Exposure to try and take him out from his stealth.¡± Silent Saboteur let out a slight chuckle before continuing, ¡°However, to their irritation he wasn¡¯t there. The young man had used his Shadow Magic to appear behind a tree not too far from that location. The Lunar Exposure did take his stealth ability down, but he swiftly brought it back up before they could see him. Luckily for me I was able to spot it. I used my own Lunar Exposure spell, albeit I lessened it to make sure the damage my level on the spell wouldn¡¯t cause the Stellar Affliction from Within to trigger.¡± Silent Saboteur shook his head as he said with slight disbelief, ¡°To my shock, not only did the Debuff not trigger, but he was able to get out of the Blind Debuff that usually accompanies the spell.¡± ¡°Wait what?¡± Orchid and Noxi questioned. Lady Arachne lifted a hand up to stop the questions even she had and then motioned Silent Saboteur to continue. ¡°After that he slowly moved behind the tree to hide,¡± Silent Saboteur started back up. ¡°Since I knew he had Shadow Magic, I looked for signs of him using the abilities he had already used to try and escape. I noticed a small puff of black smoke wafting from a tree not too far away. Thinking he used an ability to move behind it, I nudged my owls to make their move for that spot. After they all had circled around the tree, do you know what they found?¡± Lady Arachne shook her head. She was interested in how he had gotten out of this. She knew those owls were fast and many had a hard time escaping them once when they had their sight on you. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the young man, but a shadow copy of himself,¡± Silent Saboteur laughed. ¡°And to add to it. He had timed the moment they had all gotten close and around the trunk in order to trap them all in one swoop. He had thrown a Weak Crushing Dark Fog at a spot right above them. Since their level wasn¡¯t too high the gravity effects as well as the Whispers From Beyond Debuff took affect on all of them, rendering them in one go. Before I could figure out what had happened, he was already sprinting away.¡± ¡°Creativity, timing, resources, and not giving up when the odds were against him,¡± Silent Saboteur listed. ¡°These are the things he showed in my part of this Escape Themed Survival Test.¡± He then added in a soft and conspiratorial voice, ¡°Although I am very intrigued about how he was able to lessen the effects of Lunar Exposure. Being able to get out of the Blind Debuff that it creates requires some form of knowledge of the skill. I want to know if he really does have any Knowledge Theory of it or if he had just gotten lucky.¡± That last part intrigued Lady Arachne. She was already impressed after finding out the young man had Shadow Magic, but if he had information about Lunar Magic as well¡­he would be a highly sought after person. ¡°Wait,¡± Noxi chimed in. Everyone turned to look at him as he continued, ¡°You said your bird brains weren¡¯t at a high level. How low level were they? I thought we agreed that we wouldn¡¯t be pulling any punches here?¡± Slightly annoyed by the bird brain comment, Silent Saboteur informed him, ¡°I say low level, but they were still higher leveled than him. Also, while you all said you wouldn¡¯t be pulling your punches, I never agreed to it.¡± Noxi was about to retort but was stopped as Silent Saboteur raised a hand up to stop him. ¡°That being said, I did make sure to not make it easy for him. My Albas were around level fifteen to seventeen, still well above his level. Plus, there were seven of them,¡± Silent Saboteur informed. ¡°Why use the low levels though? Why not use your prized Allie?¡± Noxi questioned. ¡°Two reasons,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. ¡°One, I went with my youngest parliament of Lunar Tyto Albas in hopes he would push their limitations and help them grow. And push them he did. They are still upset with what he had done.¡± ¡°And the second?¡± Orchid asked. Silent Saboteur looked a bit reluctant before saying, ¡°Allie tried to attack him during their first encounter. Right before she struck, something happened that even I am not entirely sure of.¡± ¡°What does that mean? Also, she really attacked him?¡± Noxi asked before he and Orchid looked at Lady Arachne adding, ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I informed of this?¡± ¡°The situation was taken care of with my presence there,¡± Lady Arachne stated with a tone that said do not ask more about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means, but there is one thing that I am certain of,¡± Silent Saboteur started back up attracting their attention back on him. ¡°Whatever method he used; it had an affect on Allie. One where she told me that if any harm comes to the young man while she is around she will go on a rampage on whoever causes it.¡± The three looked shocked and surprised. ¡°That is something right there,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°But isn¡¯t she your tamed beast?¡± Orchid questioned. ¡°Why would she go so far for someone who isn¡¯t her tamer?¡± Silent Saboteur shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I trust her judgement. If that is what she has decided then that¡¯s that.¡± He then looked at Lady Arachne and asked, ¡°How about your section?¡± Not liking that the topic was shifted to her, Lady Arachne said, ¡°We¡¯re going to talk more about this later.¡± Silent Saboteur shrugged once again but didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°I will admit my section was kind of like yours, but with more numbers and a lot less lighting,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°I used my¡­spiders to hide in the darkest section of the forest. I had their numbers chase him, which he surprising showed out nimble and agile he was. He dodged, juked, and spun around them. He also used a couple of Weak Implosive Heatwaves and two Weak Magnetic Shockwaves to clear a nice path for him to run straight while making my little cuties wary of what else he had in stock.¡± Noxi and Orchid felt a shiver run down their spines as they imagined the spiders chasing after the young man. They knew how powerful those creatures were as well as how creepy as hell they were too. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°I must admit I wasn¡¯t expecting him to do that, plus making those Chemicalized Creations and using them was brilliant as well,¡± Lady Arachne continued. ¡°However, the next part is what really impressed me. While he didn¡¯t know it, my spiders had guided him right into a trap they had laid before the exit. They created a net of Shadow Silk Webbing, which he tried to brute rush his way through without knowing what he was getting himself into. Eventually he got his lower half stuck to the webs as planned.¡± Lady Arachne grew a smile before looking at Silent Saboteur. Curious as to why the short woman was smiling at him, he tilted his head in a questioning way. ¡°Like your Allie,¡± Lady Arachne started back up. ¡°Three of my Shade Stalker Spiders tried to disobey my orders and wanted to eat him. Do you know how he stopped them?¡± All three gave her a puzzled look as they waited. ¡°He threw a boulder at them,¡± Lady Arachne laughed. ¡°He used Gravity Force Push on a boulder that was within arms reach of him and crashed it right into them. After that he threw oil along the webbing and used Light and Burn to burn himself free.¡± Impressed with what she said, Silent Saboteur asked, ¡°He used a crafting magic spell to get himself free of his trap?¡± Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°Just like what you listed, he demonstrated the same feats but with a swarm of foes much stronger than your owls. I am actually impressed how well he escaped. His survivability is hugely impressive.¡± Silent Saboteur let out a loud laugh as a response. After he quieted down, Lady Arachne turned to look at Orchid and said, ¡°Now for your part.¡± Orchid stared at them. While her approach to the test was completely different than the others, she still saw some interesting things she wasn¡¯t ready for. ¡°Well, we all know my abilities and specialties are completely different from all of yours. My specialty isn¡¯t in my physical stats, but in mental,¡± Orchid started. Everyone nodded in agreement. ¡°As I usually do, I had planted my orchids using my Plant Magic and had them create the Soothing Mist to try and relax both his mind and body before he reached me,¡± Orchid continued. ¡°Like many times I have used this tactic, he was already in my illusion by the time he reached my clearing in the forest. I used some light chit chatter to allow the Soothing Mist to settle in more before I started my Tantalizing Dream World. Figuring he would be a great test subject, I used Ministry of Love and Hate.¡± Noxi groaned at the mention of it. She had used him as a test subject once for this lyrical piece and while it had brought up fond memories of his past, he felt completely drained afterwards. It had taken him forty five mins to feel completely better after that. ¡°After I had started I felt the illusory world start to turn into the dream version,¡± Orchid stated. ¡°However, I noticed some¡­discrepancies right at the first memory.¡± Lady Arachne stared at Orchid for a long moment. ¡°What do you mean discrepancies?¡± ¡°Well¡­,¡± Orchid started as she thought about it. ¡°For one, the people that appeared in each memory had their faces blurred out. I wrote it off as him trying to fight against me, which, I must say, was tough. I have felt some strong people resist and fight back, but never with the force of what he had. It felt like a powerful wave was slamming against my spell. No¡­a wave isn¡¯t exactly the right way to describe it¡­¡± Lady Arachne tilted her head slightly as a question popped. ¡°Why did you think a wave?¡± Orchid looked at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably because of how cold it felt each time he tried to resist. The coldness of each attempt just reminded me of the cold dark depths of an ocean. And each time he resisted it felt like it hit and splashed out like a wave.¡± Lady Arachne¡¯s mouth slightly dropped as she heard her description. ¡°Anyways, I wrote off the slight issue as just him trying to fight back subconsciously because the memories after that showed people that I think he was attached to,¡± Orchid continued. ¡°They had some kind of fall out after an incident. He felt down about whatever happened, but he didn¡¯t let it bring him down. In fact, I think he tried helping them from the shadows¡­I think his old world became chaotic at some point making him do things that align well with our Association.¡± ¡°So, he has some experience with our line of work? That¡¯s good to know,¡± Lady Arachne stated. Orchid nodded. ¡°I thought it was going smoothly so I tried to dive a bit deeper, but when I did¡­the dream like world changed as certain memory popped up,¡± Orchid stated as she tried to remember it. A brief flash suddenly raced through her mind before disappearing. Even though it was quick, she was able to remember certain details. Those details made her body tense. Everyone in the room noticed it and quickly asked what was wrong. Orchid slowly looked at Lady Arachne before saying, ¡°The memory¡­the one that made him so mad¡­it was one that he had locked away tightly. It surfaced for only a brief moment, but that moment was all it took to stir whatever that was within him.¡± ¡°What was the memory?¡± Noxi asked. ¡°It was too quick to know exactly what all had happened, but I was able to see a¡­,¡± Orchid brought a hand to head as she forced herself to remember. ¡°A dark room¡­I heard screams¡­I think I also saw chains¡­¡± Orchid felt a sharp pain pierce her mind as she tried to push her thoughts on the memory a bit more. Lady Arachne reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. As Orchid looked at her, the shorter woman smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. With those vague images I can haggard a guess as to what happened.¡± Orchid nodded as she looked at the composed woman. Even though Lady Arachne looked composed, she was inwardly shocked at what she heard. She wasn¡¯t lying when she said she could make a guess as to what had happened. She didn¡¯t expect it, but it wasn¡¯t rare for people to lock away memories like those. However, the strong reaction from that memory was rare. Not only that, but she felt her Shade Stalker Spider react to his sudden bloodlust. The next surprise was that bloodlust that everyone else felt from the young man hadn¡¯t exactly came from him. Well, it had, but at the same time it hadn¡¯t. For the briefest of moments she had seen the shadow underneath the young man quiver. Because of how fast it had happened she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if what she saw was right. She was confused and wasn¡¯t entirely sure of what happened because if what she thought was right, then her earlier statement and beliefs of the man¡¯s race would clash with it. She knew that there was no way it could be true since the race in question refused to mate with others races, but¡­ She was brought out of her thoughts as Silent Saboteur asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Lady Arachne turned to look at him and said with a puzzled expression, ¡°What?¡± Silent Saboteur let out a long sigh as he repeated, ¡°I asked, what do you think about that powerful bloodlust the young man exuded before completely freeing himself from Tantalizing Orchid¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the shorter woman replied as she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know where or what that came from¡­But I think that we could chop it up as a resource he used to help him try and get out of the trap he was in.¡± She then looked at Orchid and inquired, ¡°You said it felt like he was resisting and fighting your ability right?¡± Orchid nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll leave it as that,¡± Lady Arachne stated. She wanted to finish this conversation and hurry with the next test because she had questions for the Little Kitten. Questions she now felt needed to be addressed sooner than later. Before anyone else could say anything, Lady Arachne raised a hand and informed, ¡°We need to get the next test ready. Our time is running out and he will be waiting.¡± The others didn¡¯t have an argument for that. They wanted to argue that they needed to figure out more about the phenomenon that had happened, but they did tell the young man that the next test will be in the next hour, and they had already spent a good portion going over everything that had happened. They resigned themselves to putting their questions and concerns on the backburner for now, but like Lady Arachne, they too wanted questions answered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam had spent the last hour trying to calm himself. He used Devour to replenish his Spirit Pool, but even when using the ability, he felt it acting strange. It felt like, to Liam, the ability was agitated. It acted like it wanted to devour more than just the Soul Orbs he fed it. Even in his drained and irritable state, he felt that was weird. He wasn¡¯t sure if the ability could pick up on the caster¡¯s emotions and wanted to figure out more about it. However, he knew he didn¡¯t have the time for that right now. Thanks to the longer wait time, he was able to not only replenish his Spirit Pool, but he was also able to make a couple of Weak Magnetic Shockwaves to replace the two he had used earlier. After the hour long timer, he placed had reached zero he walked out of the crafting room and back into the reception room. There all four stood waiting for him. Each of them stared at him. He felt a bit out of place and thought about how he acted before leaving the last room. As he approached them he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my attitude earlier. I don¡¯t know why, but I felt drained and irritable.¡± To Liam¡¯s surprise it was Noxi who responded with, ¡°I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same way when the man eater tested the ability on me.¡± Orchid swiftly punched the man for the certain comment he made. Afterwards she looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m still working on the ability. I thought I had it all under control, but I guess there are still some mysteries I need to look into.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know what to say to that. He also didn¡¯t know how to react to Noxi¡¯s earlier comment. However, the part where he said he felt drained and irritable as well when he was used as a test subject made him feel a bit better. If those effects were due to the ability and not because of his memories then he was glad. That particular memory was one he never wanted to see ever again. He knew it was pointless to not let the past go, but he also didn¡¯t want it to ever resurface again. Ever. Liam nodded a thanks as he looked at the man. ¡°Are you ready for the next test?¡± Lady Arachne asked. Liam nodded as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s this next one?¡± ¡°This next test is called the Killing Test,¡± Lady Arachne replied. ¡°It will test your combat prowess. We want to know how you fight and if you are suited for combat type missions.¡± ¡°Okay¡­,¡± Liam drew out. He didn¡¯t know how to feel about this. He wasn¡¯t sure if he needed to try and kill them or someone else. After the stuff he went through in the past, he didn¡¯t want to go down that path again unless he really had to. Wanting to know, he asked, ¡°Am I fighting you guys directly?¡± All four of them started laughing. The way they each laughed made him feel a bit embarrassed. He didn¡¯t think it was a bad question, but he guess it was a funny one to them. After the laughing died down, Noxi stated, ¡°We would wipe the floor with you if you had to do that.¡± Before Liam could reply to that comment, Lady Arachne butted in, ¡°We are not your opponents.¡± She then turned around and opened the door they stood next to and entered it. Liam followed her and the others and reappeared in a vast open area. The ground was split between cement and dirt. There were grass areas along with a riverbed. However, what had Liam¡¯s attention was what was the area pretty far away from where he stood. At first he didn¡¯t pay that area much mind. However, a cacophony of loud noises mixed together and filled the air all around him. The noises consisted of roars, angered gibberish, yips, screeches, and more. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at several different pens with tall thick, reinforced fences filled with different species of monsters. Each creature in the penned area looked enraged as they stared at the people who had entered the room. The fences rattled as the creatures struck as hard as they could against it. No matter how much they bent, the fences held in place. Different elemental magical attacks crashed against other sides of the pens, not leaving a scratch. ¡°These creatures will be your opponents,¡± Lady Arachne announced with a wicked grin. Adventure 204 - Monsters by the pen load Liam stared at the fenced pens that were spread out. Each one had different species of various sizes. He also noticed that the amount of creatures in each pen varied as well. The way some of them slammed against the fences as well as the others who shot out magical spells, told Liam they were not that weak. He tried to assess one but found that he couldn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t sure how or why he wasn¡¯t able to but thought that maybe it had to do with the fence, or some magical ability used. He looked at Lady Arachne and asked, ¡°So how is this going to happen? Am I going to fight them all at once? One by one? Pen by pen?¡± ¡°One of the three,¡± Lady Arachne stated with a smirk. ¡°It will be pen by pen. In order from weakest to strongest.¡± She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I am going to assume you have tried to assess their levels yes?¡± Liam nodded. The shorter woman nodded in approval. ¡°As you can see you won¡¯t be able to assess them. There is a spell placed in this room to prevent you from being able to. I¡¯ll just tell you now there reason for it, it is so you just focus on the fight and those you are fighting instead of getting caught up in something trivial as numbers on a screen.¡± Liam raised a brow. He was about to ask the question that was burning in his mind, but was stopped as Lady Arachne continued, ¡°Now you might have a counter argument to that and you¡¯re right¡­there is a limit to what I just said is true. However, that is only when it comes to situations where it is a low level versus an extremely high level. However, there is a factor many don¡¯t take into consideration and after what I have seen so far with you¡­I believe this factor fits you perfectly.¡± Still a bit confused on what she was going on about, Liam waited for her to continue. ¡°That factor is related to your sub-stats and how you work on them instead of just placing points you get from personal level ups,¡± Lady Arachne stated. Liam understood exactly what she was talking about now. He had this talk before, back in the Tutorial Area with Nabal. It was better to level and train your sub-stats because then your body would be able to acclimate to the changes rather than just pushing points into them. The differences between the two? Just shoving points into a sub stat won¡¯t help you understand the changes made as you level the sub-stat, but by training your body you can understand how much stronger you become, faster you are, smarter, etcetera. As Liam thought about this he came to a question. He looked at the woman and asked, ¡°What does that have to do with this test and not being able to assess my opponents?¡± Lady Arachne smiled as she replied, ¡°Everything. By not being able to assess your opponents you¡¯ll have to fight them without knowing exactly how strong they are. Instead, you will be using everything you have honed and make judgment calls as you go. We want to see how you adapt to fights you have no clue how screwed or close you are to them. Use all you are willing to show and kill as many as you can. You will get ten second rest periods in between each fight.¡± Liam grimaced at that. Essentially what she was saying was he had to treat this as a Wave fight with no knowledge of the monsters. While going into fights blind was something he had been doing and was trying to stop doing, it looked like he had no choice. From scanning some of the monsters from where he stood he was able to see some that were familiar. The rest¡­he had no clue what to expect from them. As he stared at each pen he felt something he didn¡¯t think he would. Excitement. While the last two tests were hard, this one was straight forward. Kill each monster that tried to kill him. Standing there staring at them, he was thinking about how happy he was Eri had him go to that Yellow Dungeon to practice. Sure, some of his combinations wouldn¡¯t be able to be used since they required his Lunar Magic, but he still had some tricks up his sleeve he could use. The other thing that had him excited was, he hadn¡¯t come across a wave dungeon yet. What he was about to do right now wasn¡¯t exactly the same, but the principle was. Fight waves of monsters. Liam stretched his arms out and waved them a bit as he cracked his neck. He pulled out his daggers and let them rest by his side as he looked at Lady Arachne. ¡°Anything else I need to know?¡± With a bemused look on her face, the woman stated, ¡°A little eager are we? Well, if you¡¯re raring to go then let¡¯s not delay this any longer. Go ahead and get ready while we get into position ourselves.¡± Liam nodded as he watched the four slowly make their way off to the right as far they could while still remaining in sight. Orchid then spread her arms out, causing the ground to shake a bit. Four giant flowers suddenly bloomed underneath their feet and rose into the air with thick stems the size of tree trunks. After the flowers stopped growing, they each got into a comfortable position and stared at Liam. Lady Arachne then announced, ¡°Killing Test Wave Themed¡­¡± She stretched out her hand as she said these words. ¡°Will start¡­Now!¡± She snapped her fingers sending out a ripple throughout the air. Liam watched the ripple spread out and towards the pens. As soon as it washed over them, he heard a loud audible click. Shortly after that a pen door opened, allowing a group of seven goblin creatures to rush out with a mad look on their faces. As Liam stared at each of them he could tell they were a lot different from the Feeble Forest Goblins he had fought back in the Green Dungeon. These ones had better weapons and wore cloth armor. While they had better weapons that just poorly sharpened clubs, their weapons were simply better crafted daggers. He studied their movements as they rushed towards him. The door to their pen wasn¡¯t large enough for all of them to run at once. Instead, they ran out one by one lining themselves up in a crooked line as they sprinted towards him. Liam thought about the most optimal way to take care of them without wasting a lot of stamina. That was going to be his down fall. If he ran in blindly then he could tire out quicker. No. He had to do this smarter and a lot more cautiously. He judged the distanced from where he stood and how far the lead goblin was. He sheathed his daggers and pulled out one of his Lightning Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Daggers and one of his Gravity Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Curved Bone Daggers. He readied himself as he aimed for the creatures legs. Without any hesitation, He threw both daggers. His aim was slightly off as they flew through the air, but to his relief they had struck the outside of both thighs. Not wanting to waste time, he pulled out the second of both types of daggers and threw again. This time they struck the middle of the thighs and sunk in. Liam pulled the two that were on the ground behind the goblins that had passed them while running back to him with Mana Manipulation. As these two raced back to his hands they sliced a couple more of the goblins. As soon as they reached his hands, Liam threw them once more at the lead goblin. Once again they struck the outside of the monster¡¯s thighs a bit higher and lower than the last strike. Liam pulled back the two that were stuck in the creature¡¯s thighs before the monster could pull them out. Liam noticed the monster¡¯s speed start to slow a bit as the leg that was struck with the Lightning enchant spasmed a bit. A smile grew on his face as he threw the daggers at his next target that passed the now slowing goblin. He continued this tactic until each goblin had slowed to a crawl. A couple had dropped their weapons thanks to the Lightning Enchanted daggers striking their weapon holding arms causing the Static Pulse to course through their limbs. After they reached a speed he was happy with, Liam pulled out his Shadow and Lunar blades and raced towards the monsters. Thanks to the Static Pulse and the Weight Increase Effects they were plagued with, Liam was able to kill them in a short amount of time without any resistance. After the last goblin fell to the ground, he quickly pulled his daggers back to him and sheathed them. He then stared at the pens, wondering what was going to come out next. After ten seconds had passed, he heard a click that echoed. Following that noise came five howls. Liam watched as five silver haired wolves burst through the pen door and raced towards Liam. Their speed was much faster than the goblins he had just faced, and they were gaining ground towards him fast. To Liam, this meant the tactic he used earlier wasn¡¯t the best choice. No, the tactic was a good choice, just the application wasn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t be able to hit these creature with throwing daggers due to their speed. They were much faster than the goblins and they were smarter as well. They would dodge in time before he was able to sink a throwing dagger into. If that was the case then he just needed to use a spell. He had just enough time to get the chant out before they reached him. Liam pointed his dagger in his right hand out and chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and Keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± The wolves were extremely close as soon as he finished his chant and created the orb that would turn into the Gravity Well. However, due to how close they were, if he didn¡¯t drop it and run now they would be able to attack him. Not only that, but he would be caught in the spell as well. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. With a quick glance at each of the beast¡¯s location, Liam smiled and dropped the orb right at his feet. As he dropped the orb, the two fastest wolves jumped into the air and aimed for his neck and side. As soon as they got within inches of his skin, he puffed into black smoke and reappeared behind the wolf that was in the back of the pack and sprinted. The wolves were confused as their target had suddenly disappeared. However, before they could react and try to find him again, the orb that had dropped to the ground quickly rose up and sucked them all closer to it. They tried to fight the pull but failed as they collided into one another. Not wasting any time, Liam chanted, ¡°Shadows coalescing, head my call and come forth. Manifest mediums that will serve to unleash your wave of power. Swarm together and into your target. Go forth and unleash your power. Shadow Swarm!¡± As soon as the spell started sending out the wisps of shadow into the wolves he chanted his next spell, ¡°Gather forth, Oh, vast Arcana. When single is ineffective, dive in with numbers! Release the pent-up anger of the mass. Arcane Swarm!¡± Liam released a barrage of Arcane magic as soon as he finished chanting the spell. As he let both swarms flood into the creatures he pulled out his non-enchanted and runic throwing daggers and threw them into the wolves. After a few rounds and once all three spells stopped, Liam watched each wolf fall to the ground dead. Liam felt his stamina had drained a bit while throwing each dagger. These ones were crude and not the average quality like his enchanted and runic daggers which meant the damage they could do was less. He pulled out a Weak Orange Stamina Potion and drank it. He didn¡¯t know how low his Stamina Pool had dropped after that exchange, but he didn¡¯t want to take a chance on it dropping too low in the next fight. As the next pen opened he heard a familiar chittering sound and watched as four mantises walked out of their prison and looked around. Three of them were similar in color and looks while the last one was slightly taller and had a white hue with some yellow mixed around the head. Its legs and abdomen had a darkish pink color to it with thin petals that hugged against the thorax. He recognized these creatures and inwardly cursed, Fucking Static Clawed Mantises and Electro Orchid Mantis. Without wasting the calm moment these creatures gave him with their curious nature of examining the area, Liam aimed for the Electro Orchid Mantis and chanted, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± The shadows beneath the creature shivered before shadowy tendrils shot up and wrapped around the creature¡¯s scythe-like arms, head, legs, and around the petals that covered the thorax. The Static Clawed Mantises noticed Liam after he chanted that spell, let out a shrilled war cry-like shriek and sprinted towards him. Liam didn¡¯t stop his chanting as he went right into his next spell. ¡°Hidden beneath and lying in wait, the unseen¡¯s poison is never delivered late. Bellow out in a puff of smoke and slip into the stream. Corrupt the body, Corrupt the mind. Deliver the fear you wish to create. Shade¡¯s Corruption.¡± As soon as the plume of black smoke exploded from underneath the trapped Mantis, Liam used Shadow step to appear behind the Static Clawed Mantis in the back. This creature turned around to try and attack him, but as soon as it lifted its claw and turned, Liam sliced through the joint connecting the arm and the body. He then disappeared and appeared behind a different Static Clawed Mantis and separated a leg. He continued this strategy, cleaving through the joints of each creature. He had to admit that each time he tried to use Cleave through the joints he felt a lot of resistance proving these creatures were much tougher than the ones he fought in the Yellow Dungeon. He had to adjust his strength with each blow to make sure he sliced through, but to his luck the adjustments weren¡¯t that bad. He had to dodge a few attacks here and there so a claw wouldn¡¯t strike him, or an electric attack didn¡¯t land. He almost didn¡¯t make it out of range in time several times. These mistakes told him he was rushing, and he needed to slow down. He was able to make adjustments to other flaws he noticed throughout this fight and was finally able to kill the last of the Static Clawed Mantises not too long after that. After the last of the male mantises dropped, he focused his attention on the Electro Orchid who was struggling to free herself from her bindings. Puffs of black smoke escaped from her mandible mouth telling him the creature was still taking damage. He didn¡¯t waste any time as he dismantled her arms, legs and eventually her head. He was panting a bit after racing through that and drank another Weak Orange Stamina Potion and a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion, readying himself for the next wave. He could feel his heartbeat race as he stared at the pens. He took in a few breaths and slowly released them while chanting in his mind Calm the Storm. He felt his body relax as the next pen opened. With a calm mind and body, he took on the next group. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lady Arachne, Noxi, Silent Saboteur, and Orchid watched as Liam fought through each wave of monsters. They were impressed with how he handled the first few waves. It was obvious that he should have been able to handle them since they were on the weaker end of the power spectrum amongst these monsters. While his techniques were still at a beginner¡¯s level and they could see his flaws and areas he needed to improve on, they were still impressed with his tactics. ¡°His idea to use the throwing daggers with the special effects was smart,¡± Silent Saboteur commented. ¡°Although I¡¯d like to know where he got those Enchanted and Runic weapons. He is still far too inexperienced to have made them and no one on the island would have them in stock.¡± ¡°Probably something he obtained in the Tutorial Area,¡± Noxi stated as he sat down and watched intently at the slaughter going on before them. ¡°I personally like how he handled the wolves. Trapping them with a Gravity Well and dropping it where he stood was a great way to create a sense of false confidence. Then using that shadow spell to appear behind the last wolf and got out in time before it activated¡­that was great.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget him using two different swarm spells to created multiple damage and then adding more damage with his throwing daggers,¡± Silent Saboteur added. ¡°He took them out with no issue.¡± ¡°As much as I hate to see the little cuties get hack away like meat for someone¡¯s supper,¡± Orchid started with some irritation. ¡°I must admit it was a smart strategy. Also trapping the Electro Orchid Mantis right at the beginning and placing an affliction spell on her as he took care of the smaller ones¡­it was a good move. If she were able to get a flash in at any point in the fight he could have been in trouble.¡± Lady Arachne nodded at their comments. They were right about the fact that he was using smart moves and strategies against these creatures. Combining Grasp of the Shadows with Shade¡¯s Corruption was an excellent decision. Trapping the stronger of the monsters and making sure they still take some form of damage while handling the minions was a good way to show a person can handle themselves with a group of monsters. However, she could see the mistakes he was making here and there. While not glaring and obvious at first, if he went up against a monster that could see it then it could be a big problem. Luckily for him, she was able to see the adjustments and corrections he was making while in the middle of the fighting. It made her smile to see he was learning. Still though, she still felt like he was going too fast. He needed to slow down before he made a mistake that would get him into a lot of trouble. That being said¡­she was not only impressed with his tactics, but also surprised that not only did he have a good amount of spells, but that he had the fields at a decent level. Shade¡¯s Corruption needed a person to get not only the field to a certain, but also the Affliction Focus Point as well. That means he must have leveled his Blanket of Darkness quite a bit. Her eyes narrowed at that thought. How long did he have the Field for? It took time and a lot of monsters to use it on to get it to a certain level. If he didn¡¯t get the field here on the island then that meant he had gotten it before officially arriving on the planet. That meant he got it in the Tutorial Area. If she remembered correctly the monsters inside the tutorial dungeons shouldn¡¯t have enough monsters to give that much experience needed. Did he spend a lot of time practicing in the Mage Tower while he was there? If so then did he also spend his time working on his Gravity Magic too? To be able to have Gravity Force Push before leaving the Tutorial Area was another feat not many would be able to reach. She was brought out of her thoughts as she noticed his body relax. This made her happy to see. Him rushing would lead to not just mistakes, but injuries as well. The fact he was able to make this call told her he could effectively use his head in fights. As she watched him relax and calm himself, she noticed his lips moving. It looked like they were repeating the same phrase over and over. Calm¡­the¡­Storm¡­ Lady Arachne smiled. She felt it was good he took the time to find that Knowledge Theory. If he hadn¡¯t, she was going to suggest it. For those who fought a lot whether it be against people or creatures, they could easily lose themselves in a fight and over pace their rhythm. This Knowledge Theory was perfect to help calm their minds, body, and spirit. Not only that, but it also helped them get into a Battle Zen that could easily help their battle prowess even more. Her thoughts suddenly stopped as she felt something else coming from him. He was channeling mana. Her brows scrunched as she felt a familiar mana type exude from him. It was Shadow Mana. ¡°Is he¡­,¡± Lady Arachne softly muttered to herself subconsciously. Her eyes then widened as two Shadow Hands suddenly appeared around him. This caught her off guard. Not only did he just show he had Mana Control and Mana Manipulation at a level higher than they had figured, but he had just created two Shadow Hands that were meant to help with crafting endeavors and¡­ ¡°Is he giving those hands daggers?¡± Noxi asked the question they were all thinking about. ¡°Is he going to use them to fight?¡± Orchid asked as she turned to look at them. ¡°Is that possible? I thought they were useless for battle. Has anyone heard about this before?¡± ¡°No. I haven¡¯t heard of anyone using this spell like this before,¡± Silent Saboteur replied. ¡°I mean it looks impressive, but¡­,¡± Noxi started to say as the next pen opened up. Several Hyena type monsters laughed and yipped as they sprinted out of their caged area and right for Liam. Before anyone could add to Noxi¡¯s sentence they stood and watched with confused, surprised, and impressed expressions as Liam tore through each creature using not only his own daggers, but also the Shadow Hands in an effective way that none of them had ever considered at all. They all stood in silence as they watched this fight. Thoughts of how they could use their own Hand spells filling their minds. They wanted to test and try out what they were now theorizing. They didn¡¯t realize how inspiring this small thing was nor would they really admit it to anyone because they believed that a person who was new to the world needed to be the one inspired and shown the wonders of what they could do, not the other way around. You are just full of surprises today Little Kitten. Lady Arachne thought as she stared at Liam with a predatory smile. Is this why he took him on as an apprentice? A loud roar echoed off to the side as the next pen opened up. Lady Arachne shifted her gaze over to the creature that let out the war cry. Several hitch pitched screams followed close behind after that. An excited mischievous grin slowly grew as she saw his next targets. She then thought to herself as excitement and anticipation started to fill her. Things are about to start getting harder from here on out. Show me. Show me what he sees in you. Show me what else you can do. Show me what else you have in that invisible bag of tricks of yours. Please¡­show me your potential my little insidious kitten. Adventure 205 - A Hob and his minions Liam stared at the bodies of the hyenas that were sprawled about the ground. Some had their legs detached from their bodies while the rest sported deep and long cuts all over their torsos and heads. He could feel the power in each monster steadily increasing with every new wave. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if this was how Wave Dungeons operated. If it was then he was getting great practice in for whenever he finally took one on. He was happy with the experience he was getting from taking on each set of monsters as well as putting his practice from the Yellow Dungeon, he took on earlier, through this gauntlet. He decided to use his Shadow Hand fighting style since the amount of creatures coming out at a time was increasing. He was glad too since these hyenas were not only fast, but crafty as hell. Since he had leveled his Mana Control and Manipulation, being able to wield both hands intentionally and subconsciously was getting better. He could feel he still needed to work on his focus with them during fights, but for now they were acceptable. A loud roar brought Liam out of his thoughts and tore his gaze over to a pen that was much bigger than the ones that had previously opened. Even the door was wider and taller. Liam was both concerned and wary of those details as he waited for the monsters to come out. A small wave of seventeen goblins came out. Several of these goblins wore metal helmets and brandished short swords. The rest wore cloaks and had bows with a quiver on their back full of arrows. The last two were different. They wore dirty brown robes that covered their entire bodies. The only other notable thing about these two were the staves they gripped tightly that looked to be made from a tree. Liam was wary of these goblins. Not only were they completely different from the Feeble Forest Goblins, but they also looked a lot stronger than the ones from his first round. After scanning his enemies, Liam was then brought to a confusing thought. The size of these creatures didn¡¯t match the size of the door they came out of. It was much bigger than them in height and width. He then watched as they locked eyes on him and grew impatient and agitated. They each started to race towards him until another loud and commanding roar escaped from the pen. They skidded to a halt and looked back at the cage waiting for the final monster that was still within to make an appearance. Liam watched as this next monster came out. Watching this creature gave him the answer he was pondering about with the door. It wasn¡¯t for the goblins, but for the tall Hobgoblin wearing metal gauntlets, a pauldron over one shoulder and leather pants. In his right hand was an axe that looked small when gripped by his beefy fingers. Liam stared into the creature¡¯s eyes as it scanned the area around it. Liam could tell it was smart. He could see the calculative and cunning mind working as it raised its free hand and said something in its deep voice. Liam wasn¡¯t able to understand the creature, but he knew he was giving out commands as fifteen of the goblins separated into three groups of five and fanned out. Liam clicked his tongue. He knew this fight was going to be tough. He watched and observed the goblins as they formed teams and spread out so not to be bunched together. They way the Hobgoblin separated them was smart as well. Each group had three goblins with swords and two with bows. The robed goblins stood slightly in front of the Hobgoblin. He had to admit that this was a smart way to organize the smaller creatures. He tried to think about how he could go about this. What abilities, combinations, and items he could use. Unfortunately for him the Hobgoblin didn¡¯t wait long after the three groups got into position. The Hobgoblin pointed to the two outer groups and said something in their language. Shortly after that, Liam felt a pressure start to build around the two robed goblins. Liam activated his Mana Sight and looked at the two robed goblins. To his amazement, a silvery mana color outlined their bodies as mana built up around them as they started chanting in their language. He wasn¡¯t sure what they were going to do, but one thing he did know was he didn¡¯t want them to succeed. Instinctively, he threw two normal Crude Curved Bone Throwing Daggers at the mage goblins. Liam clicked his tongue as the Hobgoblin swung his axe in a smooth motion and deflected both projectiles. Soon after that the mage goblins finished chanting, the two groups of goblins glowed with the same mana color they had built up. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of spell was cast. He was about to chant a spell of his own but stopped as his Danger Sense lit up around his chest, arms, and head. Liam swiftly jumped to his left, barely missing the arrows that flew towards the area he once stood at. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Liam took a step forward. He was about to sprint for the group of goblins he was closest to but was shocked as two of the three sword wielding goblins were already on the move and had closed the distance quickly. Liam had to turn his body to dodge a thrust attack from the first goblin. As he dodged the attack and saw the goblin overextend with the attack, Liam switched his grip on his dagger in his right hand and drove it right into the back of the creature. As he pulled it out, he kicked the creature away, using the momentum to dodge an attack from the next goblin. Liam tried to strike at this goblin but had to abort the counter and push backwards to dodge another group of arrows that sailed right for him. He felt one of the arrows graze his right arm and scowled. He needed to take care of those damn archers. He created a Shadow Double where he stood and used Shadow step to appear right behind the goblin archer that was on the outside closest to him. As soon as he appeared behind the archer, he slide one of his daggers across the neck of the creature. Blood gushed out as soon as his dagger finished running along the neck. One of his Shadow Hands drove a dagger into the other goblin archer. He was about to stab his other dagger into the monster¡¯s side but stopped and used Shadow step to appear behind one of the sword goblins fighting his Shadow Double. As soon as he appeared he looked at the spot he was recently at and watched as a bolt of Arcane magic collided into the goblin archer. The goblin archer that was struck with the bolt and had blood oozing out from the wound on its neck fell down. From the way its body laid lifelessly, Liam knew it was dead. He was happy one was down, but at the same time he was shocked to see the mage goblin had used its magical spell without caring if it hit its comrade. He also noticed the shocked expression on the other goblin archer¡¯s face before it turned to look at the goblin mage would attacked and yelled angerly at it. Before Liam could think about capitalizing on that behavior, the goblin he had appeared behind swiftly spun around and tried to strike at his chest. Liam bent his knees and ducked low enough for the sword to swing over his head, took a big step outside of the creature while bringing both daggers to his left as far as he could then slammed both daggers right into the monster¡¯s rib cage. After sinking both daggers through the monster¡¯s flesh, Liam pushed them towards the monster¡¯s back and jerked them out as hard and fast as he could. After freeing his weapons from the monster¡¯s body, Liam felt his Danger Sense light up again and used Shadow Step to appear behind the other sword wielding goblin that was distracted by his Shadow Double. As soon as he disappeared, arrows and two more bolts of Arcane magic slammed into the goblin Liam had just attacked. Liam took the opportunity his Shadow Double created, switched his grip on both daggers and slammed them down into the monster¡¯s back where the spine started. Both of his Shadow Hands drove their curved daggers right into the monster¡¯s side at the same time while his Shadow Double thrust his weapon into the chest of the goblin as well. Liam felt the weight of the creature start to fall as he pulled his weapons out from it. He sent his Shadow Double after the lone archer on the left side and was about to head towards the middle group. However, as soon as his Danger Sense flared up all over his front side of his body, Liam pushed off the front of his feet to dodge the incoming attack while looking to see what it was. The attack coming right for him was the Hobgoblin¡¯s axe. It was spinning fast as it sailed right for him in a vertical angle. He believed he was safe to dodge it until the spinning blade started to tilt into a diagonal angle. Due to how hard the Hobgoblin threw his weapon and how fast it was spinning, the angle grew unstable. Inches away from him, the axe had fully shifted into a horizontal angle. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he watched this happen. Feeling panic start to fill him, he stumbled trying to dodge it and fell completely to his back. As he hit the ground he watched the wicked looking axe tilt back into a diagonal angle and buzzsaw into the ground. The force used to throw the weapon was enough to create a crack into the ground splitting the earth it dug into. Liam gulped as he stared at the deep gash the axe created. His worries didn¡¯t end there as the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood up. The axe vibrated violently, trying to free itself from where it was lodged. No. Liam thought as he realized what was going on. He scrambled to get up and move from where he was. As soon as he moved away from the spot he fell, arrows and bolts of arcane slammed down. He didn¡¯t care about those attacked though. Instead, his focus was on the axe that had dislodged itself from the ground it was once stuck. It flew from where it was and made its way right back into the hand of the Hobgoblin. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Liam saw the wicked smirk on the monster¡¯s face as it stared at Liam. Liam shuddered as he stared back at the creature. He wasn¡¯t staring at the monster¡¯s smirk though. No, what he was staring at was the deep red mana that outlined a lot thicker than the mages that stood next to it. That fucking thing has magic too! Liam internally yelled. God fucking damn it! Liam moved again as another group of arrows and bolts of arcane whizzed in his direction. The priority list had changed. He needed to disrupt any mana those three were building up. He thought about what he could use to do that. He couldn¡¯t chant any spells since the archers would stop him with their arrows, so that was out. He needed to create an opportunity for him to stop both the magic users and the archers. An idea came to mind as he thought about what he could do. He didn¡¯t know if he needed to use this at all, but the battlefield seemed like the perfect opportunity to use it. If he could pull it off then he would be able to find a way to get the others distracted enough for him to cast what he needed to. Nodding once, Liam sprinted as fast as he could towards the other side of the field. He pushed himself as hard as he could to dodge the arrows and spells that were thrown his way. He was lucky enough to be just fast enough to not get hit by them. As soon as he got within the distance he felt was right, Liam used Shadow Step. His body dispersed into a cloud of black smoke as arrows and bolts of arcane magic pierced through it. He reappeared behind the archer that was right in front of the two mages and Hobgoblin. Almost like it was anticipating it, the hobgoblin lifted his right hand up with his axe. It took a step forward and swung down as Liam appeared. However, as it swung, Liam gently tossed a flask in the path of the monster¡¯s attack right before tossing another one up in the air right above the group of goblins that was behind him before Shadow Stepping away into the middle of the group that was to the right. Liam created three more Shadow Doubles and sent them loose to fight this group of monsters. He then used Shadow Step to appear behind the sword wielding goblin that was furthest outside and ran away from the groups. As soon as he was far enough, he turned to watch his creations in action. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The hobgoblin swung his axe down hard on top of the slippery creature that liked to appear and disappear when he liked. He was getting annoyed at the man for his antics and for destroying a small section of his minions. Those were his minions, and no one messed with his minions except for him. He had watched the man earlier and tried to predict where he would end up every time he turned into that weak smoke. There was a pattern to his attacks that reminded him of those damn weak shadow rogues. He knew if he studied the pattern he would understand where the pesky thing would end up. After some time, he began to understand the creature¡¯s fighting patterns. It was quite easy to know where he would appear after he figured it out. If someone were a big enough threat he would appear behind him and attack. Since he was easy to read he would be easy to trap. He looked down at his Goblin Mages and instructed them to bombard the man with Arcane Bolt. After the mages acquest to his orders, he waited for his opportunity. As soon as it came he chanted his Body Rage spell that gave him a boost to his power. As soon as he finished chanting he threw his axe and watched to see if the man would get hit. To his surprise the man dodged it. He then watched as the man looked at him. He grew a smile as he realized the pest could see his mana. That was good. It further proved that he was the biggest threat to him. He would try something soon. And soon he did. The hobgoblin felt the area behind the archer close to him in the front shift. It was weird. The feeling that came with his sudden arrival. It was cold, empty, and frighting. He didn¡¯t like it. He took a step forward and got ready to strike the moment he appeared. As soon as he did, he swung down. As he swung with all the power he had he noticed the creature do something before he felt that strange power waft out. A scowl appear on the hobgoblin¡¯s face as he realized the weakling ran. He wanted to scream but didn¡¯t have time as he felt his axe hit something and heard the sound of glass shattering. He grew confused at this but didn¡¯t have time to react as a powerful blast of air expanded from where his axe had shattered the glass object. The air pushed out in a ten foot radius and started to circle around them. The Hobgoblin yelled at the Goblin Mages to figure out what was going on. He was about to yell again since they were taking too long, however the moment he opened his mouth he felt dust enter and tickle his throat. He also felt some dust hit his eyes and enter his nose while more covered his body as the area around them began to become super windy. An itchy and painful feeling licked his skin as his eyes, nose, and throat began to feel tingly. That tingly feeling quickly turned into a painful burning sensation. He closed his eyes as the pain was too much to handle. His insides clenched as the burning sensation swam through his body. He could feel his health start to drop as the pain coursed. He then felt something pulling him forward. He couldn¡¯t tell what it was that was pulling him forward since he had his eyes closed. Whatever it was, it was something he couldn¡¯t fight against. He was about to yell at his mages to clean or cleanse whatever was going on, but as he tried to open his mouth to yell and his eyes to look at the buffoons, he noticed an orb right in front of his face. A pulse shot out from the orb and clashed with the swirling air all around him. Before he could close both his eyes and mouths he felt his body freeze. He couldn¡¯t move, he couldn¡¯t yell, he couldn¡¯t breathe. The burning sensation that was coursing through his eyes, nose, and his insides intensified as his lungs started burning as well from not being able to breathe. Panic rose within him as he fought desperately to release himself from whatever was holding him. He could feel liquid start to run down his nose as he tried to will himself free. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the area where his five minions that were in front of him was filled with a thick black fog that had flashes of red lights flickering vigorously every second. He could hear the screams his minions released within that fog. Just what was going on? Where did these powerful spells come from? Did they come from that weakling? But he didn¡¯t chant any spells. He made sure to have his archers and mages pester him so he couldn¡¯t. But he was the only one here. So, if they came from him then how did he do it? Something caught his eye in front of him. The fog that engulfed his small group of minions was slowly leaking into their area. He didn¡¯t know how or why it was, but he could feel a power wave of terror slowly approaching him and the two mages. In a slow pace, which was probably caused by whatever was going on with them, the thick black fog slowly engulf the two mages in front of him. Red flickering flickered all over their bodies after the fog swallowed them whole. He tried to move. Tried to free himself from the hold this empty zone had on him. However, no matter how hard he struggled it was pointless. In just a couple of seconds the black fog reached him. After it swallowed him whole, he realized exactly why his minions where screaming. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lady Arachne watched as Liam threw both flasks. She was curious and excited to see what else her new favorite toy was going to show them. And exciting it was. She watched as the area around the Hobgoblin and the goblin mages was surrounded with a powerful swirl of air. That swirl that expanded into a ten foot radius created a wall that barred any creature from escaping. She then noticed dust swirling around the wall of air before it was pushed inward and covered the three creatures. Hm¡­Air plus bone dust? Just what did he make that would require¡­ Lady Arachne started to think until she saw the three monsters start to act weird. They looked like they were in pain. Then all of a sudden a Gravity orb appear right in front of the Hobgoblin. It sucked him and the goblin mages closer together. ¡°Is that¡­,¡± Silent Saboteur started to say as he watched the scene happen before them. Lady Arachne turned to look at him and asked, ¡°Is it what?¡± Silent Saboteur looked back at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m curious to know if it¡¯s a certain Chemicalized Creation but I wont know until¡­Ah there it is.¡± Lady Arachne turned to look back and saw that the three monsters stood still. It was almost like something held them in place. She could see the painful expressions on their faces they all had their mouths opened and eyes wide. Blood was running down the two goblin mages as blood ran down the Hobgoblin¡¯s nose. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lady Arachne asked, still confused as to what was happening. ¡°I¡¯ll explain what is going on later,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. ¡°Just know that, that Alchemical item he made was with Liquified Air and Gravity Mana Extracts and a powdered poison.¡± Noxi nodded, agreeing with the list of materials Silent Saboteur provided. Before anyone else could say anything, Orchid asked, ¡°Okay, but what about that?¡± They looked at what she was pointing at and watched as a black fog exploded outwards from where the flask crashed down at near the back of the group of five goblins in front of the Hob and mages. Red flickering lights flashed every second while it swallowed the creatures within the area. Lady Arachne was about to ask what it was when she noticed the black fog start to leak into the area that held the Hobgoblin and the two mages. Confused she asked, ¡°How is that happening? I thought there was a strict radius of effect each item had?¡± Silent Saboteur let out a deep laugh. ¡°That is something you don¡¯t see often.¡± Orchid and Lady Arachne stared at the portly man. They tried to wait for him to give a response, but after it looked like he wasn¡¯t going to give one they turned to Noxi. With a sigh, Noxi explained, ¡°It doesn¡¯t happen often, but you know how there are certain distances a Chemicalized Creation has right?¡± The two women nodded. ¡°Well, that area can expand when certain criteria is met,¡± Noxi continued. ¡°If two Chemicalized Creations are compatible and their radius of effects overlap together when used around the same time, then one can bleed into the other. This creates an effect where both Chemicalized Creations¡¯ effects combine. While this does not create a new Chemicalized Creation, it still creates a nasty combination. Especially with these two.¡± ¡°That is interesting,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°Do you think he knew about this?¡± Noxi and Silent Saboteur shook their heads. ¡°No, if he did then he probably would have done this sooner,¡± Noxi replied. ¡°This was a happy little accident that he¡¯ll probably exploit later.¡± Lady Arachne gave a slight chuckle before shaking her head. Creating opportunities and learning new things in battle. That is really amazing. She turned her focus on the Hobgoblin who was completely covered in the black fog. She could feel his bloodlust and anger growing more and more. While this will probably wipe out the small fry, that Hobgoblin wont give up. Little kitten, I hope you are prepared for what comes next. Adventure 206 - Scramble to Survive Liam watched as his Weak Poisoned Null Zone took hold of the Hobgoblin and the two goblin mages. A smile crept onto his face as he watched their faces turn from confused to pained then finished with panic. He then saw the Weak Poisoned Shadow Ash explode to life around the group of sword wielding goblins and goblin archers not too far from the Hobgoblins group. Liam frowned as he noticed the distanced between both Chemicalized Creations. He realized they were going to overlap and wasn¡¯t sure what would happen. During his studying on the Knowledge Theory of The Beginner¡¯s Guide to Things that go Boom, it had never mentioned what would happen if the radiuses of such items overlapped. Would they cancel each other out? Would they combine? Or would nothing happen and the line between the radiuses just shorten? He really didn¡¯t know. He had a few seconds to catch his breath his Shadow doubles held the other goblins¡¯ attention. He took this time to see what would happen since he would need to adjust to whatever the outcome would be. Liam¡¯s eyes widened before letting out a short chuckle. He had gotten his answer as he watched the poisoned shadow ash start to slowly bleed into the Null Zone. He figured it was moving slowly since the Null Zone technically held things in place. The powdered poison from the Shadow Ash must have been seen as the same as the powdered poison that was floating inside the Null Zone. He thought this because as the shadow ash bleed inside the area he watched as the magic that the powder held started connecting to one another. Thus, allowing the shadow ash to follow an invisible path towards the targets. This was a wonderful discovery that he was going to need to write notes about later. Feeling like the mystery with the two Chemicalized Creations overlapping was somewhat solved, Liam decided to turn his full attention back to the group of goblins that weren¡¯t trapped. Since those who were trap would die off sooner or later thanks to the Chemicalized Creations he wanted to finish these ones off as fast as he could. He pointed his dagger to the group and started to chant, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why¡­¡± Before he could continue chanting, a loud and blood curdling roar escaped from the area the Hobgoblin was in. Not too soon after the scream was let loose, Liam¡¯s Danger Sense flared up. It wasn¡¯t as bad as earlier, but it was still enough for Liam to stop his chanting and start moving from his location. However, as he moved something flew through the fog of shadow ash and collided right into Liam¡¯s side causing him to fall down on his other side and slide away from where he stood. After Liam stopped sliding, he quickly got back to his feet and looked at what was thrown at him. It was the dead body of one of the goblin mages. The robes on the body were burnt to ashes in certain areas while patches of flesh on the creature¡¯s body was melted and sizzling. The monster¡¯s eyes were half decomposed and burnt. Liam could feel his stomach churning from the sight. He fought back the bile that was threatening to escape before turning his attention towards the area where it had come from. Liam¡¯s eyes widened at what he saw. The bodies of the goblins were sprawled about on the ground. While they all sported the similar wounds as the goblin mage that was thrown at him, the ones that weren¡¯t stuck in the Null Zone had thick ashy foam escaping their mouths. However, they weren¡¯t the reason why his eyes had widened nor his Danger Sense pulsing. It was the Hobgoblin. While it had some of its flesh melted to the bone in a couple areas and some of its other flesh just burnt to the tissue, it exuded a powerful mana color that coated its entire body. It wasn¡¯t only the mana color that had Liam on edge. The creature¡¯s muscles had bulged and swelled. Blood was slowly leaking from the opened wounds that were created from the two Chemicalized Creations and pushed out from the expanded muscles. It wouldn¡¯t have been an issue if this continued since the creature would die from blood loss and the poison coursing through its veins, but the flow of blood was slowing down and looked to be coagulating. Preventing any more blood from escaping his body. This worried Liam. If this monster were able to do that then could it also heal itself over time from whatever it was doing? He didn¡¯t want that to happen. He needed to take this monster down. However, the power that was exuding from it had Liam hesitate. He wasn¡¯t completely sure why, but as he stared at the monster he was starting to realize he had seen something similar to what was going on. He had seen someone use an ability that gave him more power and swelled muscles once before. It was from his fight against Jude. If he remembered correctly the spell he used was called Berserking Will. A spell that boosted his strength, speed, and other sub-stats that revolved around battle prowess. In exchange it clouded the mind making them unable to think straight. However, he didn¡¯t know if it had any healing capabilities. If the spell did have that then the difference between Jude using it and this Hobgoblin must be the level of the ability. Liam didn¡¯t like this. He needed to take this monster down fast. Liam let his mind work double time during the brief moment of pause the Hobgoblin had given. He was going over what he could do to try and fight a monster like this. However, halfway through his strategy working, the Hobgoblin gripped his axe tightly and raced towards Liam. Liam¡¯s heart dropped as he saw the speed the monster had while jolting towards him. The monster was fast. Much faster than what he thought he would be. It didn¡¯t take long before the creature was within striking distance of him. Without fail, the Hobgoblin lifted his axe above its head and struck down at a forty-five degree angle. Liam, with as much agility and speed as he could push out, pushed off his back foot and jumped forward towards the creature¡¯s right leg that was outstretched backwards. He barely missed the strike that was aimed to decapitate him. As he moved, he sheathed his Shadow Moon blades and pulled out a Gravity and Lightning Enchanted Dagger and ran them along the skin of his target¡¯s outer thigh. The curved daggers cut through the material that wasn¡¯t burnt away and grazed the monster¡¯s skin. He could feel the resistance of the creature¡¯s hide as he tried to slice through the skin. Liam clicked his tongue as he turned back around after getting behind the monster. As soon as he turned, he bent his knees down low enough to bring his whole upper body down to dodge a horizontal slash from the Hobgoblin. He pushed off from the balls of his feet and as low as he could keep himself without falling flat on his face, he ran through the monster¡¯s legs. He tried slashing the inner things as he went through, but much like last time the attacks barely grazed the skin. Liam spun around again to get ready for another attack but wasn¡¯t ready as the Hobgoblin mule kicked in right in the chest. The force of the kick sent him flying backwards. He could feel liquid escape his lips as he flew away from where he stood and pain erupting throughout his chest. As his body came down he skipped across the ground like a skipping stone. After he stopped, he felt his bones ache and sharp pains as he tried to gasp for air. He didn¡¯t know the extent of the damage, but he knew if he got kicked again he wouldn¡¯t be able to walk away. He needed to do something. After experiencing the agility, speed, and strength the monster was now showing, he knew this wasn¡¯t a monster he could take on alone. He needed numbers. He quickly scanned the areas he had his Shadow Doubles at to assess their situation. The one he had attacking the lone archer had just finished taking out that monster and was ready to help, but the other three were still fighting the full force of the five remaining goblins. He knew if he tried to get them to help the one that was free then those goblins would capitalize and take them out. He needed to figure out what to do. He not only needed a diversion to keep the hobgoblin busy, but he needed to create some kind of chaos amongst the goblins. A sudden memory came to mind as he remember something about the goblins¡¯ reaction when the mages attacked the archer from the left side group. It looked like annoyance and irritation. If the smaller creatures had some annoyance to the treatment of their leader then there was a possibility he could exploit that. Deciding on what to do, he sent a mental command to his three Shadow Doubles. They received it and while fighting the goblins without turning their backs to them, they started backing away and spreading out. He created his final Shadow Double that he was allowed to have while having the free Shadow Double start running towards the Hobgoblin that was already on its way towards him. Liam waited for the monster to get closer while the Shadow Double that was closest to him ran for the monster. As soon as his target was close enough, Liam used Shadow Step to appear behind his Shadow Double that was behind the Hobgoblin. He didn¡¯t have enough time to see how his two Shadow Double would fair against the Berserking monster, so he turned to look at the group of goblins. Luckily for him they were spread out enough that they wouldn¡¯t see him do what he was hoping would work. Time to spread my Goddess¡¯ nature. Liam thought as he used Shadow Step twice to reach the shadow of the archer that was farthest away. As he appeared behind the monster he got as close to the creature¡¯s ear and whispered as quietly as he could so no one would hear him, ¡°Conflict is the start, discord is the goal. Cloud the trust with doubt and bring forth the true feelings of bitterness masked away. Influence the quarrels you have with the person in sight. Strife Inducement.¡± As soon as he finished the chant he took a step back and waited to see if it worked. The archer had stopped shooting at one of his Shadow Doubles and shook its head. After a couple of shakes, the goblin archer growled before turning its heated gaze at the Hobgoblin. Without any hesitation, the monster notched an arrow, aimed, and released it towards the one it had strife with. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The four examiners watched as Liam took a kick to the chest. Lady Arachne could hear the others let out an ooooo noise as they watched the young man skip like a stone. Even though they were much stronger than both the young man and the monster, they could tell that hurt. Lady Arachne was interested to see how he would try and turn his situation around. It wasn¡¯t easy to fight against a monster that was stronger than you much less one that grew in almost all battle prowess due to a Berserking ability. While the monster could regain its health slowly thanks to the ability it looked like to her the effects of both Chemicalized Creations the young man used were keeping the healing at bay and caused the damage over time to slow down to a single digit of health loss over time. She was impressed he was able to much such items. These two items plus the ones he had used earlier just showed his talent in Alchemy. However, items such as these could only get one so far. The more one worked on their craft the more money one had to throw into the materials. Certain materials weren¡¯t cheap, especially when you start getting farther into the craft. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. She was already impressed with his crafting skills and with her theory on what his race was, it wasn¡¯t surprising seeing his capabilities in the items. No, what she wanted to see was his adaptability and battle prowess. While he had shown some impressive things in the last two tests, they weren¡¯t really the best to show how well he could kill. These waves were the perfect opportunities to see what he could do if he were to ever take an assassination mission. While the best assassins in their Association, and other Associations, would be able to kill their lone target without worry of having to face others, there were still times one had to fight off waves of enemies to get out of the area. This test was going to show how he would be able to or if he could. The first few waves were easy to deal with and didn¡¯t prove to be a challenge. They were there to see if he would over do the killing or if he had a brain and used just the bare minimum. While he was able to kill them quickly, there were moments he could have done less. It was something she would have to go over with him after the testing was done. Right now, though, she wanted to see how he would get out of this peculiar situation. Her attention was fully on the young man as he suddenly created another Shadow Double. This was another surprise to her. His use of Shadow Magic was splendid and caught her off guard. The way he was able to use certain spells was great. One could confuse him for a member of that race. However, his mention of crafting and his physical looks from what she was able to see showed he wasn¡¯t from it. She watched as he had his Shadow Doubles fighting the group of goblins start to spread them out. She thought that was an interesting thing to do but wasn¡¯t sure what he had planned. If he had a charm or some sort of mental magic spell then maybe he could use them to manipulate the creatures to¡­ She stopped her thought process as she watched him suddenly appear behind a lone goblin archer. She then saw him lean close to the creature¡¯s ear. Was he whispering something into the monster¡¯s ear? Lady Arachne thought to herself. If that was the case then did he have some sort of mental manipulation spell? She turned to the others and asked, ¡°Can any of you hear what he is saying?" The others looked at her with just as confused expressions as they shook their heads. ¡°I can faintly hear what he is saying, but its coming in as a jumbled mess,¡± Silent Saboteur stated with a strained and puzzled sound in his voice. ¡°Its sounds like gargled nonsense, but at the same time I can feel power from the words.¡± Lady Arachne tilted her head while lifting a brow she knew the others couldn¡¯t see. That was weird. She looked back at the scene before and grew even more confused as the young man stepped back and watched the goblin shake its head. Did it fail? Lady Arachne thought. Maybe he tried to use something he didn¡¯t fully understand, and it didn¡¯t come out right? She had seen this happen before. Many who wanted to use something they had no knowledge of, but had seen other people use, tried to imitate what they said but it would always come out wrong and fail. To her surprise, the goblin archer scowled and launched an arrow towards the Hobgoblin. She heard the gasp that came from Orchid and noticed Noxi¡¯s and Silent Saboteur¡¯s body slightly twitch at the corner of her eye. She didn¡¯t take her sight off of Liam as he tried whatever he did again on the other archer. This second time failed as the archer turned to attack him but failed as he drove two daggers right into the skull of the monster. Swiftly after that, he tried again on the three sword wielding goblins. Two of the three were successful while the last one tried to attack and died to both the young man and his Shadow Double. All four of them were silent as they tried to think exactly what spell he used. Silent Saboteur had confirmed each time he whisper the chant into the target¡¯s ears it still sounded like a jumbled mess. No matter how hard he tried to decipher the chant he just couldn¡¯t. Could this be something none of them had knowledge of? Orchid had the best knowledge on Mental manipulation type spells, but since she wasn¡¯t close enough to hear it she was of no help. Once again my little crafty kitten, you have shown us something interesting. Lady Arachne thought with an approving and malicious grin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam was excited. He had used Strife Inducement only once before. Even though Eri had told him there were certain conditions for the spell to work, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it would work. Still three out of five successes was a great outcome. His focus was now back on the Hobgoblin. While it was under attack by his Shadow Doubles, goblin swordsmen, and the lone goblin archer, the monster took the hits without any worry. This made Liam worry. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how the Berserking Will spell worked and only had guesses. But from what he was seeing he could guess that his pain tolerance was high. It was almost like the monster fixated on one target at a time as it tore through of his Shadow Doubles with a powerful swing of its axe before attacking another. After destroying another, Liam decided he needed to restrict the monster¡¯s movements the best he could. Channeling as much Shadow Mana as he could and coating both of his hands and forearms, Liam pushed some of that mana into the spell he started chanting. ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± The shadows underneath the tall monster quivered before shooting up and snaking tendrils around its beefy and swollen arms, legs, and forehead before tightening pulling each limb down as hard as they could. To Liam¡¯s surprise, the Hobgoblin resisted as much as he could. His already bulging muscled strained and veins started popping up as it tried to push forward. Liam could see the tendrils straining from the resistance and force the monster was using. Not liking this, Liam started up another chant and poured the rest of Shadow Mana into it. ¡°Shadows so dark come forth, pierce through this pour creature¡¯s sight, temporary blinding it with a pain it never knew existed, Blanket of Darkness!¡± A thick shadow snaked up the monster¡¯s leg and body, quickly making its way towards the monster¡¯s head. After wrapping itself around the creature¡¯s eyes, it pierced into them pouring every once of pain as it could while creating damage with each second it was on. Liam watched as the Hobgoblin let out a mighty roar as it allowed its right arm to slacken a bit before thrusting it as hard as it could forward. Liam heard the strain of the tendrils fighting back to not break. Liam sheathed one of his daggers away before chanting a different spell. ¡°Lightning surge bright and engulf my hand with the sparks of your stunning force. Static across my enemies as my grasp collides with their form. Static Grasp!¡± Sparks formed over his free hand. After enough accumulated he took a step forward. Before he could finish that step, the tendril that was holding the arm that was gripping its axe snap free, allowing it to throw the axe in his direction. The axe sliced through of the goblin swordsmen¡¯s head while making its way towards Liam. He wasn¡¯t sure how the monster was able to tell where he was with the Blanket of Darkness spell in affect, but he knew he didn¡¯t have time to question it. Liam¡¯s eyes widened before he used Shadow Step twice to appear behind the monster. He quickly looked down to make sure the Static Grasp spell hadn¡¯t disappeared. To his relief it was still active. Without wasting any time, he jumped up, punched the free arm, and watched the lighting sparked came alive on the target¡¯s arm. The bulging muscles twitched and spasmed, giving Liam the telling sign it was paralyzed. Not wanting to allow it to lose its affect, Liam sheathed his other dagger and pulled out his Gravity and Lightning Enchanted daggers. He then attacked the arm over and over, trying to hit the same spots in unison as he could. His aim was to get their effect to come into play and take the arm out of commission for the rest of the fight. Although he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to finish the fight in time, he still wanted to try. Liam attacked each limb he could reach trying to apply the effects the daggers gave as quickly as he could. He could see the effects taking control and thought he was doing well. That was until he noticed the muscles all over the monster¡¯s body tense up and expand even more while letting out a loud and terrifying roar. The force of the roar was enough to push him, the last goblin swordsman, his remaining Shadow Doubles, and arrow that was shot by the goblin archer away from him. To Liam¡¯s horror, even the tendrils that were keeping him in place had disappeared. The only thing still holding on for dear life was his Blanket of Darkness spell. After recovering from the sudden outburst Liam noticed the strain the hobgoblin had in its arms and legs. While still being able to move, the effects his two daggers had were still active. His worries only grew when he saw the goblin swordsman race back to attack the Hobgoblin only to be sliced through as the axe came flying back towards the monster¡¯s hand. The creature then attacked the other annoyances as they tried to strike at the monster. Liam realized he was losing numbers. He didn¡¯t know how much health the hobgoblin had, and it was irking him. While focusing on fighting and not looking at the monster¡¯s health over and over made his fights more combat focused rather than stat focused, he still wished he could see the amount of health the monster had. He looked over at the goblin archer and grew a bit concerned as he noticed the monster had started to hesitate. Almost like it was questioning what it was doing. He didn¡¯t know how long his Strife Inducement would last, but it looked like he was getting an answer to that now. His issue with this happening now though was that he needed to focus all his attacks on the Hobgoblin before it could see again. However, now that the goblin archer was slipping out of Strife Inducement, he need to make sure no arrows would attack him from behind. So now he needed to figure out which would take priority. As he thought about this, a sudden idea popped in his mind. As he looked back at the goblin archer he muttered, ¡°What if I prioritized both?¡± A devilish grin formed as he added, ¡°I have just the spell for that.¡± He used Shadow Step to appear right behind the goblin archer. As the creature struggled to figure out what it was doing and what it needed to do, Liam readjusted his body to line the creature up with the Hobgoblin. Once he got into the position he felt was right he started chanting while placing a hand against the creature¡¯s back, ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity. Reverse and move away from me, allowing the way to be clear. By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you. Gravity Force Push!¡± Before the goblin archer could react to what Liam was doing, the monster floated off the ground. Liam moved his hand towards his lower back while trying to angle his hand slightly up, hoping the idea of sending the monster up higher would work. After a second had passed, the goblin archer flew forward. Liam watch with anticipation that his idea would work, however, the goblin archer¡¯s trajectory didn¡¯t shift up to hit the Hobgoblin¡¯s chest or the head. Instead, the monster went forehead first right into the Hobgoblin¡¯s crotch. Liam subconsciously moved his hands towards his own as he grimaced and let out a pained, ¡°Ow.¡± To his surprised he heard Noxi and Silent Saboteur say the same thing. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if its pain tolerance would mask it, but to his shock, the Hobgoblin let out a wheezed cough before dropping its axe and falling down while gripping his private area. Liam shook off the phantom pain that he only had because he could only guess the creature was enduring. He then sprinted forward with his remaining Shadow Doubles and started attacking. While his Shadow Doubles were attacking the arms, legs, and back, Liam went for the area where the neck and back of the head was. He sliced as hard as he could with as much force as he could. He could feel the fatigue in his arms start to fill him as they started getting heavy with each attack. Every attack he landed tore through a small part of the monster¡¯s skin. Slice by slice, chunk by chunk, Liam raced against the clock of the monster recovering from the dirty attack. He felt the monster stir underneath him as it tried to push itself off the ground. However, Liam saw through the blood that had started to pool out from the wound he created. It was a wedge between the neck and head. He switched out his daggers for the scythe he had in his inventory, Lifted the weapon as high as he could while taking a step back and swung down as hard as he could. The edge of the blade of the scythe dug into the wound wedging itself in deep. Then with the last bit of stamina and strength he had he wrench the weapon to the side and through the bone, severing half of the hobgoblin¡¯s neck. Liam fell backwards to his back while keeping his eyes on the monster. He wasn¡¯t sure if the Hobgoblin was going to still be alive with his Berserking Will still active. However, to his relief, he felt he bloodlust that the monster had exuded snuff out as it dropped limply face first into the dirt. Liam panted heavily as he felt victorious over this fight. This was by far the hardest fight in this wave. He felt that with how much power this monster had it could be considered the boss of the wave. He was about to celebrate his victory until he heard a click echo in the air. He felt his heart thump loudly while dropping into his stomach as he turned his face to look at the area it came from. Slowly walking out from a pen was a huge rhinoceros looking monster with eight thick legs and lightning sparking from both of its horns. ¡°Oh, fuck me,¡± Liam swore out loud. However, before the creature could make a move, Silent Saboteur and Noxi appeared before it. They both used some sort of power Liam wasn¡¯t able to comprehend that made the monster turn back around and enter its pen. Liam let out a painful breath of air as his body relaxed. Even though he didn¡¯t complete then entire wave of monsters, it was finally over for him. Lady Arachne and Orchid appeared right beside him. Approving smiles were spread on their faces as the shorter of the women stated, ¡°Congratulations¡­this concludes the test.¡± Adventure 207 - Missions Liam stared up at Lady Arachne while lying on his back, panting, and gulping in as much air as he could. He could feel sharp pains with each breath he tried taking in along both sides of his rib cage. His arms felt heavy, and his legs were like jelly. As he stared at her smile, he felt like there was something more to it. He could tell she was holding back the smile from growing just from the way it would shift on her face. That¡¯s when he noticed that it didn¡¯t look like one who was excited for someone who did a great job. To Liam it felt it was one who was excited to have found something remarkably interesting. Like a mystery you recently found and really wanted to solve it. However, at the same time you didn¡¯t want to show that you were becoming slightly obsessed trying to solve. He didn¡¯t know how to feel about this. Before Liam could say anything a few chimes echoed in his mind. He willed the notifications to not appear as he asked between breaths, ¡°So¡­how did¡­I do?¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Noxi responded as he walked over and looked down at Liam. With an outstretched hand, Noxi held a small vial that had a greenish orange tint to it with blue bubbles floating within. Liam stared at the vial with some confusion and assessed it.
¡°Tri Restore Potion. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Enhanced. Description ¨C Restores 750 Health, 750 Mana, and 750 Stamina. Gives a soothing feeling that relaxes sore muscles, heals broken bones, and closes any open wounds.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened after he read the description and looked back at Noxi. He was about to say something, but was cut off as Noxi stated, ¡°Take it. After that nasty kick you took to the chest I bet you broke at least a bone or two somewhere. It will also make you feel good as new.¡± ¡°But the rarity and quality of this potion is so good¡­,¡± Liam again tried to protest. ¡°Once when you get your Potion Making as high as mine then these potions become more of a common thing to you,¡± Noxi stated nonchalantly. He then shrugged as he added, ¡°In fact these are my lowest leveled potions so it¡¯s nothing to me.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know what to say to that. If a potion like this was regarded as common to him then he didn¡¯t want to know how he viewed the ones he was currently making. With a sore and shaky hand, Liam received the potion while trying to push himself up to a sitting position. He pressed the vial to his lips and took down the contents. After the liquid had finished hitting his stomach, he let out a loud and wet cough. It tasted disgusting. It wasn¡¯t the same kind of disgusting flavor as the weak potions he had when he first entered the Tutorial Area though. He wasn¡¯t sure, but it felt like the grossness of the unflavored potion had intensified. However, even though the potion tasted disgusting and had rattled his body after making him cough so hard, he could feel his body slowly heal. A shiver ran throughout his body as the mixture of the horrid flavor and a cooling feeling swam through him. With a puzzled expression, he looked at Noxi. Noxi returned the look on his face with a chuckle as he said, ¡°Yeah the flavor of the potion is the worse, but the effects does wonders for the body.¡± ¡°Have you tried adding some flavor extracts?¡± Liam questioned, not arguing about the effects. He slowly stood up as he felt his Jello legs stabilize. ¡°I would love to add flavors, but the patent crafters hold on to ingredients restrict me to use them and sell them,¡± Noxi stated. Liam tilted his head as he grew confused. ¡°Why would something like that stop you?¡± Everyone looked at Liam. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noxi asked. This time he was confused. ¡°I mean¡­why would something like that stop you, who is a member of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web, a, from what I thought, is an association that wouldn¡¯t care to follow such a stupid rule?¡± The four stared at him for a long moment before letting out a long loud laugh. Liam became both annoyed and embarrassed. He really thought that an association like this one wouldn¡¯t care to follow the rules the greedy nobles made. He thought since they did things that was technically illegal then they would do as they please. Noxi¡¯s laughter slowly started to come under control as he replied, ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I have the pride of a crafter.¡± When he noticed the look on Liam¡¯s face hadn¡¯t changed he explained, ¡°While we do things that would be considered illegal, there are some things we don¡¯t do. As a fellow crafter I follow the crafter spirit by not taking away what belongs to others, even if I make it for just myself. I guess you can think of it like a code of conduct.¡± Liam shook his head. He could understand the explanation. Even though he made money by killing, he still had some morals. Liam wanted to change that rule when it came to using other¡¯s recipes. That reminded him of the recipes he had Elatrix process as him as the originator. That should be done by now. ¡°If that is the way you are then have you heard about the most recent recipe discoveries?¡± Liam asked. Noxi tilted his head as he stared at him. ¡°I had heard something went down recently at the Crafter¡¯s Association, but I didn¡¯t look much into it. Why do you bring it up?¡± ¡°I was there when that went down. I heard the originator of the newly discovered recipes was going to release it as ones free for the public to use.¡± ¡°Really now?¡± Noxi questioned with a shocked expression under his mask. ¡°Do you know what the materials were used to give flavors?¡± ¡°Mint from Moss Mint, Blueberry from Blueberry Clusters, and Orange from Orange Spheres,¡± Liam answered. ¡°I have some on me if you¡¯d like to use them.¡± Silent Saboteur¡¯s head swiveled to look at Liam with some excitement. ¡°I had heard of some newly discovered materials but hadn¡¯t been able to secure some. Tell me young man¡­are you willing to sell or trade some to me?¡± Liam gave Silent Saboteur a smile as he answered, ¡°Sure¡­I can trade you for some more materials I bought from you earlier so I can replenish my supply of completed Chemicalized Creations.¡± Silent Saboteur placed a hand where his chin was and thought about it. After a second had passed he said, ¡°It will depend on the amount you are willing to trade. Depending on that, I won¡¯t be able to trade for the same amount, but I¡¯m sure we can figure a number out.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be another time though. I need to get them from where I am staying.¡± Silent Saboteur waved a hand. ¡°As much as I would like to have them now, I can wait.¡± Liam smiled. His smile slowly disappeared as he turned to look at Lady Arachne. He noticed she was staring at him was an intense stare. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was upset, annoyed, irritated, or something else, but the more she stared at him the more he felt uncomfortable. ¡°Everything alright Lady Arachne?¡± Liam asked. The shorter woman didn¡¯t respond. She just kept staring at him for a good while. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he did or said anything wrong but decided to wait. As he waited he noticed the shadow beneath her quiver for a quick moment. It happened so fast that he thought maybe he had imagined it. He was about to ask about it but was stopped as the woman finally said something. ¡°Sorry about that. I was just informed about something that happened in the shop outside,¡± Lady Arachne informed as she looked at everyone. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Noxi question with a serious tone. ¡°Yes,¡± Lady Arachne replied shortly. ¡°Midnight Claw will be down here soon. Before she gets here I would like to discuss what happens next.¡± She looked at the other three before setting her gaze on Liam. Liam felt a shudder run down his spine as she stared at him. He could tell something had happened and it must have been important since her attention was on it instead of what was going on around her. He took a gulp as he waited. After a few seconds of silence Lady Arachne¡¯s serious look turned into a smile. She then said, ¡°Throughout these three tests you have shown a lot of promise. There are plenty of things you will need to work on which we will go over after you complete your last test.¡± Liam waited with baited breathe. He remembered that she had mentioned there would be a test in the form of a field mission. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of mission she would have him do, but he was getting a bit excited for it. Lady Arachne looked at the other three and announced, ¡°I know we didn¡¯t have a field mission in mind, however, one just recently arrived at our doorstep.¡± Noxi, Orchid, and Silent Saboteur straightened at those words. ¡°You are going to give him a fresh mission?¡± Noxi questioned. ¡°Do you think that is wise?¡± Orchid asked. She then added, ¡°Do you even have any information on what the mission entails?¡± Silent Saboteur stared at Lady Arachne who just answered with an even tone, ¡°I have the gist of it¡­¡± Before she could finish what she was saying, a figure appeared from the door that was still open on the other side of the room. It was a tall slender woman who wore leather armor and a bone half mask that covered her nose, mouth, and chin. It looked like the mask was shaped to be the jaws of a predator. She had a long braided raven black hair and emerald, green eyes. Liam also noticed the long silky smooth black thin tail and feline ears that blended with her hair. Not a cat¡­Liam thought to himself as he looked the woman up and down, she looked to be close to his age. Maybe a panther or a black jaguar? After she approached the group she gave each of the four Legs a bow and a nod to Liam. She then spoke with an almost hushed tone voice, ¡°Here you go Lady Arachne.¡± ¡°Thank you Midnight Claw,¡± Lady Arachne said as she took the parchment the woman handed her. ¡°You can go back to your post.¡± Midnight Claw bowed once more before turning around and walking back out. After the woman had fully left the room, Lady Arachne turned to Liam and started, ¡°To give more context to what you are about to do. Field Missions are what we give our members to do. They are paid tasks requested by clients. They can range from Information Gathering, Stealing, Assassinations, Defending, Sabotage, and more.¡± Liam nodded as he continued to listen. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Your final test will be a field mission. One that we have chosen based on the skills you have shown. That is the normal procedure, however¡­¡± The shorter woman looked at the others before looking back at him. ¡°I have taken liberty of deciding this will be the Field Mission you will take on for the final test. It is a mixture of Stealing and Information Gathering. You are tasked with stealing information from a certain location for a client.¡± ¡°Lady Arachne¡­,¡± Silent Saboteur chimed in. ¡°This mission you are tasking him as a test. Does this have to do with the mission Echo Talon and Silent Paw recently completed?¡± Lady Arachne didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she gave her answer in the form of a nod. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Noxi inquired. ¡°Protocol states¡­¡± ¡°I know what the protocols are for something like this,¡± Lady Arachne interjected. ¡°However, after taking into consideration of their skills and specialties and comparing them to what I have seen this applicant is capable of; I have determined that he is the better choice for it.¡± This made the other three straighten. Liam was confused as to what was happening and what they were talking about. He decided to wait and see if someone would explain. ¡°Do you think he really will be capable of taking the task on?¡± Noxi inquired. His voice was a bit hard, but not hard enough to sound like he was against her decision. It sounded more like he was wanting conformation. Lady Arachne nodded before looking at Liam and explaining, ¡°I am sure you have no idea what is going on so I will explain. Normally when it comes to Field Missions they fall under three categories. They are: Single Time, Chain, and Continuation. Single Time Missions are missions that require only once to do. These types of quests are normally Assassination, Sabotage, and a couple others. Chain Missions are missions where a client continues another request right after the previous one has been completed. These types of missions vary on the requests of the client. And Continuation Missions are missions where the client keeps active until they no longer need what is asked. Crafting is the most popular in those quests.¡± ¡°Okay, so which does this mission fall under?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I want to say Chain, but I might be wrong.¡± Lady Arachne nodded her head. ¡°No, you had it right. This does fall under the Chain category. The reason why the others are wary of me having you take this one is because normally those who have started the Chain Missions are the ones who continue until the end. However, there are times where we take the specialties and skills those who have started into consideration and assess if they can handle the next mission requested.¡­¡± Lady Arachne looked at the others to stop them from popping in. ¡°While Echo Talon and Silent Paw have good track records handling what is required for this Mission. Their skill set is a bad match up for the location. I believe he is a better choice for the mission and is perfect to handle it.¡± ¡°Where is the location?¡± Orchid questioned. ¡°The Teleportation Tree,¡± Lady Arachne answered. Noxi¡¯s, Orchid¡¯s, and Silent Saboteur¡¯s body¡¯s jerked at her answer. ¡°What?!¡± Noxi stated. ¡°You¡¯re joking right?!¡± Orchid almost yelled. ¡°Lady Arachne¡­,¡± Silent started. ¡°The difficulty of trying to get anything from that place for a level like his is¡­it doesn¡¯t seem possible for him to succeed. The defenses¡­¡± ¡°Do not take into account for Shadow Magic Stealth abilities,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°He has shown he has a decent amount of skill in the ability when facing not only you, but also against Tranquil Noxitanous.¡± The others paused at what she had said. They couldn¡¯t argue that he did have some skill in sneaking. Not only that but his use of Shadow Doubles in the recent test also proved he could get out of sticky situations. However, they still believed this was too much for an applicant. Noxi and Orchid began voicing their thoughts on it. Silent Saboteur, however, thought some things over. He could agree with why the shorter woman was making this decision. While Echo Talon and Silent Paw were good at sneaking in, finding locations of people around the area, and getting out before anything happened, the target location was a much harder place to sneak into, let alone steal anything. If you had someone who could hide themselves well enough that they looked like a shadow¡­and if they used that ability in a way that they could use the people walking around as a cover. That person would be the choice. However, he agreed with Noxi and Orchid about this being too much for an applicant. He wanted to find a way that would be best for everyone while still having it as a test. He thought over the possibilities. Once he figured he had an excellent solution he chimed in. ¡°What if we had Silent Paw and Echo Talon work as Overseers for this?¡± Silent Saboteur suggested. Everyone turned to look at him. Curious by what he meant they remained quiet. ¡°They started this Chain Mission so it is only fair they participate, but instead of them taking it on they will act like support,¡± Silent Saboteur. ¡°The support they give is limited to helping him understand the layout, communication, and, if something goes wrong, act like decoys to help him escape. They will still be able to participate in the mission while also test his capabilities of handling the mission and how well he works in a team.¡± Lady Arachne brought a hand to her chin while she thought it over. She slowly nodded her head a few times before saying. ¡°Alright, I think that could work.¡± Silent Saboteur smiled. Before he or the others could say anything Lady Arachne added, ¡°But you must make sure their roles in this mission is limited to support. Which means they can only provide information about what he needs to look for, look out for, and if things go wrong they must get him out of there.¡± Silent Saboteur nodded. ¡°I will inform them that. When should they meet up?¡± Lady Arachne looked at him and then at something else. After a few seconds she replied, ¡°How about tomorrow at four pm? Does that work for you as well?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Good, then when you come here we will go over more about the field mission you will take on as well as getting to know your two seniors that you will be working with,¡± the shorter woman informed. ¡°You can head out and rest up for the night. Once you have finished the mission test we will go over everything from all the tests and I will give you your Web Name.¡± Liam felt excited. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of name he would get¡­He was sure that he was hoping it wasn¡¯t the one she had been using to tease him with. With a name like Little Kitten, no one would take him seriously. Liam bowed before saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lady Arachne smiled. She didn¡¯t say anything, and the others didn¡¯t as well. Liam took it as a sign that he could just leave so he did. After Liam left, everyone in the room turned towards Lady Arachne. She thought about what she was going to say, but before she could finish Silent Saboteur stated, ¡°The information that is needed to be found isn¡¯t something an applicant should be trying to take. You know the stakes if what was said in the investigation were true.¡± Lady Arachne let out a sigh. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°If you know then why did you decide on this?¡± Noxi questioned with a stern tone. ¡°He has a lot of potential in a few areas. The most that we have seen in new applicants this past year alone. So why? Why give him this as a test? If he is caught then he could be killed.¡± Lady Arachne turned her gaze on all of them. It held no malice, no irritation, no annoyance. Instead, it held anticipation¡­excitement. ¡°Do any of you know Directional Magic Growth Knowledge Theory?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the theory about how magic is tied to a person and grows in a certain direction right?¡± Orchid asked. ¡°In a sense yes,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°The Knowledge Theory is a deeper look into why magical abilities grows in different directions from person to person. They say that the lower levels is a crash course or the beginners way of trying to understand how the field of magic you have works. After reaching a certain point the abilities you gain start to take a certain direction that is dependent on the path a person is following. They themselves don¡¯t fully know their path or the abilities they¡¯ll gain at the lower levels.¡± ¡°Okay, but what does that have to do with him and the mission?¡± Noxi questioned not sure where she was going with this. Ignoring his question, Lady Arachne continued, ¡°However, there are mentions of rare people already having a certain direction showing in their abilities.¡± The other three looked at her with a confused look. Fully understanding that they wouldn¡¯t understand, she provided, ¡°Field of the Shadow. How much do any of you know about it?¡± ¡°Not a lot,¡± Orchid stated. ¡°Anything related to Shadow Magic is hard to come by besides it belonging to a certain race and the clans tied to the three species of that race.¡± Orchid glanced at Silent Saboteur as she added, ¡°Its a lot like Lunar Magic.¡± Silent Saboteur shook his head. ¡°Lunar magic did belong to a specific race, but they are no longer here. While it is rare and it is kept as a secret, there are ways to gain Lunar Magic outside of racial benefits.¡± Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°It is the same with Shadow Magic. While majority of those who have it belong to one of the three species of a certain race there are still those who can obtain it.¡± She then waved a hand and added, ¡°We¡¯re digressing. I bring it up because during the lower levels of the Field, you can only get certain magical abilities. Those abilities belong to one of the three Focus Points in the Field and that field is, Shadow Control.¡± ¡°Okay¡­,¡± Orchid stated as she grew even more confused. ¡°So, he showed abilities from that specific Focus Point. So what?¡± Lady Arachne shook her head. Noxi, Orchid, and Silent Saboteur stared at her. They didn¡¯t understand why she was shaking her head. It took them a few seconds before they had a suspicion. Before anyone could voice the question they had formed, Lady Arachne informed, ¡°He showed at least one magical ability from each Focus Point. That can only happen when¡­¡± ¡°A Field knows exactly what direction the user needs to go for their ideal path to grow¡­,¡± Silent Saboteur finished as understanding dawned on him. Lady Arachne nodded with a wide smile. ¡°He has shown the direction his magic is taking him down. His stealth and the way he uses those Doubles¡­He acted like a shaded ghost or phantom sneaking around. That Blanket of Darkness spell is the best way to blind targets so they can¡¯t see him, and the Grasp of the Shadows is the perfect magical ability to tie someone down if you want to restrict a target or targets so you can kill them off before they can retaliate.¡± Ideas and images flashed before Lady Arachne¡¯s eyes as the possibilities formed in her head. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he got more Affliction type spells sooner or later. From the way he used his spells so far he has to have more he isn¡¯t showing.¡± ¡°Wait¡­,¡± Noxi interjected. ¡°Are you saying you believe the direction his Shadow Magic is heading towards will lead him¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to make assumptions¡­,¡± Lady Arachne bluntly stated. ¡°I¡¯m just saying from what I have seen so far I believe I have the best idea where that Field of his is trying to take him towards. And if my guess is correct then this mission will be perfect for him to test out what he¡¯s got.¡± The other three looked at each other. They clearly didn¡¯t know exactly what was going on in her head or what she believed the young man was getting from hid Field of Shadows. What they did know though was she knew more about the Field of Shadows and the many secrets it held. Lady Arachne looked at the door once more. This young man had a lot of potential. From what he had shown his abilities and skills still needed polishing, but he was adjusting while fighting. His crafting had proven its worth just through the Chemicalized Creations alone. If he were to get to the point where he could learn Artificery and combine his Poison Craft and Chemicalized Creations then his options while fighting would be amazing. Even making golems through the Golem Crafting section of Artificery would open so many areas for battle. Oh, Wild Card¡­did you know this? Did you anticipate he would end up at my branch? Did you plan on him coming here knowing full well I could help him reach the potential he has with shadow magic? The potential he has in becoming one of the best silent killers ever. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eri stood with her head facing the ceiling of her celled room. Her body twitched and squirmed as she felt the energy of her nature softly run along her skin. She didn¡¯t expect her little champion to use Strife Inducement during his fight against the Hobgoblin General and his little minions. It was a well-played move to use the annoyance and irritation that the smaller creatures had hidden within their hearts to turn against their general. To be able to get three out of the five to successfully fall under the spell was a great sign that he was getting use to the Seed of Discord he had received. She did have some concerns when he used the spell, but it looked like they were for naught. Even though Liam had whispered it as quietly as he could, the owl Beast-kin had been able to hear it. His kind did have the better hearing out of them all. However, she was glad that he wasn¡¯t able to understand what exactly he was saying. Since her magic or the magic tied to her Seed of Chaos had been absent from the world for so long, it looked like many weren¡¯t able to understand it. When it came to certain magics that were considered higher than the basic, like hers, if someone had never heard the spell then they weren¡¯t able to understand what was being chanted. This normally fell within the magics of Demi-God to God tier level. Since she was able to confirm this then she could have him use it more without the fear of others knowing what he was using. However, she couldn¡¯t have him be so open with it yet since there were some who would be able to decipher it. If he used the spell on someone who was high up on the faith of their Deity then all they had to do was have them listen in and see what he is saying for that Deity to know what he was chanting. It would be especially dangerous if Isis caught wind of this. She needed Liam to steer clear of any of her followers for now. Since she knew all too well of her magic and the others who were currently in the same predicament as her, she would instantly who he had gotten it from and try to kill him right there on the spot. She couldn¡¯t have that now. Eri¡¯s gaze shifted from her champion to six others. The tasks she had them working on was progressing smoothly. If this continued then the Performance Gauge would reach full capacity and level two gifts would be given to them. Not only will they receive rewards, but more of her nature would be able to spread. The higher the level of the Performance Gauge is the wider and more prominent it would become. As it stood right now, her nature was able to spread, but it was akin to a quick breeze. It was noticeable then it was gone. Once it reached level ten then small amounts would start to linger and stay in the areas where it is spread. For now, she was content with what her blessed were doing. Eventually they would get to the point where it would have longer lasting effects, but for now it was fine. She turned her attention back to Liam who was walking away from the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. She knew of the mission they were going to use as a test for him. While she agreed it had some level of difficulty, she believed her champion would succeed. Not only that, but there was a high chance that he could create some chaos while taking this mission on and she was all for that to happen. Adventure 208 - Gains and Increases After Liam had left the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web, he made his way to the inn he had gotten a room with to take a shower. He snuck through the city using his Veil of Shadows. As he made his way over there he thought about whether he still needed to use the ability. It had been a day since the incident that had happened at the Green Dungeon, and he felt it was too soon for him to not sneak around. However, as he made his way to the room he noticed that there wasn¡¯t any reaction from people about what had happened the day before. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why that was but theorized that maybe it wasn¡¯t a big deal to the citizens. Maybe people dying or possibly dying in the dungeons were a common thing. He decided to not think about it and give it another day before he stopped using Veil of the Shadows to sneak around the city. After making it to the room he had gotten earlier in the day, he decided to take another shower. He had worked up quite the sweat from running the Yellow Dungeon and then taking on the three tests today. The warm water soothed his body as it washed over him. The soothing feeling he got from the warm water helped calm his mind and allowed him to think about the tests he had just done. Thinking about them put him in a mixed mood. He had gotten a small peek at what higher leveled people were capable of. While they didn¡¯t show their full strength and toned down their abilities enough for him to barely be able to handle them, it was still scary how strong they were. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think he was some genius and could easily pass each test. While it was his goal to try, he knew it was an impossible task. He was lucky to fully pass the first test and he understood the only way he was able to was because he caught them off guard with his Shadow Magic. Noxi and his snake were fast. If he didn¡¯t have Viel of Shadows, Shadow Step, and Shadow Double he would have failed quickly. While his Weak Crushing Dark Fog helped a bit, it had only held both of them back for a brief moment. The minute his Veil of Shadows was deactivated they knew exactly where he was. Even if his Agility, Speed, and Reflex sub-stats weren¡¯t twenty-five percent sealed due to the Stat Shatter Debuff he still wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up with their sub-stats. His practice using Shadow Step to get away from certain situations and the increase to Shadow abilities his Spirit Weave Form gave with his Shadow Moon Blades worked out well enough. But again, that was only because Noxi and his snake didn¡¯t know he could use those abilities. If they had known ahead of time then he would have been caught. The second test was another reminder of how weak he was. He was only able to get past Silent Saboteur and his parliament of owls thanks to his sly strategy. Since the man knew what he was capable of, he had banked on him thinking he would try something with his Shadow Step. It also helped his owls seemed young and not used to going against someone who could set up traps like that. His time against Lady Arachne and her wave of spiders though¡­ A shiver ran down Liam¡¯s body as he thought about those dark inky spiders. Sure, there were a lot of them, but they had reminded him of his time in that shadow-like world with the whispers back when he almost lost himself. The coldness those creatures exuded, their hunger, and the way they moved just felt¡­nightmarish. Liam turned the temperature of the warm water up a bit to try and feel warmth. Thinking of trying to warm himself back up, his thoughts landed on Orchid and what she had done. Her ability had rekindled some memories he had been trying to lock away. While it was one thing to show the scene of his father and mother when he was a baby, it was another to show the two biggest moments of his life where the hell of the world became more of a reality. The moment when he lost the trust of those people was one thing he didn¡¯t want to rethink again. While it was hard on him to think about, it wasn¡¯t as bad as the other memory. The memory of the people he hated with every fiber in his body. He knew it was stupid to think about them. They were already dead so he should be other them by now. He wasn¡¯t the one who had killed them. They died by someone else¡¯s hand before he could reach them. Who was the one who got to them, he didn¡¯t know. That was probably why he couldn¡¯t get over it. He wasn¡¯t the one to do it. Liam shook his head before running a hand over his face and through his hair. With a hard yet quiet voice, Liam stated, ¡°I need to get over it and move on.¡± Liam washed his body and hair after that. As he washed the shampoo out of his hair he remembered he had received notifications earlier after the third test. He pulled them up to see what they contained. A smile formed over his face as he read the first notification.
¡°Congratulations! Veil of Shadows has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 87%! ¡°Congratulations! Blanket of Darkness had reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Grasp of Shadows has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 15%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Swarm has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 2%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Shadow Step has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 65%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Gravity Force Push has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 13%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Static Grasp has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 0%! 5% chance to cause Paralyze effect has increased to 10%. Mana cost and Cooldown has decreased by 2.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Field of Discord has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 17%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Focus Point Discord Manipulation has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 17%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Strife Inducement has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 17%!¡±
Liam was excited to see his Strife Inducement finally level. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how it would go when he decided to use it against the goblins. He was doubly unsure if he would be able to get away with it with Lady Arachne and the others so close by as well. Whether they couldn¡¯t hear him, or they just didn¡¯t care, he wasn¡¯t sure. He wasn¡¯t going to bring it up to them either. All in all, he was happy with his gains after this last fight. He had finished up his shower and started to dry off when one last surprise notification appeared.
¡°Update! Congratulations! Your efforts to spread your Deity¡¯s Chaotic Nature has earned you eight percent to the Performance Gauge. Performance Gauge is now at 92%!¡±
Liam blinked as he stared at the notification. This one came out of the blue and took him off guard. All this time he had not gotten a notification telling him about the Performance Gauge before. So why now? And why was it already ninety two percent?! Was it because he successfully used Strife Inducement on the three goblins and had them attack the Hobgoblin? If that was the case then why didn¡¯t he receive a notification before when he used it on that man when he first came across Chad? Deciding to ask the expert, Liam mentally questioned, Hey Eri¡­about this notification¡­ Before he could finish asking, he received a message from her.
¡°You are probably wondering why you got that notification right? Well, it is because you were able to cause discord amongst the goblins. By enticing their strife with their leader, you were able to get them to attack him and with others watching as well as them not being able to understand how you were able to do it, you were able to create enough chaos to receive eight percent towards the Performance Gauge. ¨C Eri.¡±
If that¡¯s the case then why didn¡¯t I get a notification when I successfully caused some strife between that one Beast-kin and Chad? Did I not get any points then? Also, how is it almost full already? I don¡¯t think I have done enough to earn that much percentage.
¡°You did receive some percent from that, but it wasn¡¯t enough to have a notification inform you. Usually anything under five percent does show up in a notification. As for why it has reached so high¡­while you have do some things that helped fill it, there are others who have done enough to fill the gauge. Speaking of which¡­there is something we need to discuss about the Performance Gauge. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam raised a brow at the message. He understood what she meant when she said there were others who were helping fill the gauge. She meant Avery and the others. Liam thought about them. He wondered what they did to accomplish so much percentage to the Performance Gauge. His thoughts were interrupted as a new message from Eri popped up.
¡°You need to decide if you want to allow the others to experience the Chaotic Nature that fills everyone when you accept the Performance Gauge Rewards or have it all redirected towards you. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched at what she was saying. What are you talking about?
¡°I¡¯m asking if you want the others to experience what you did back on the sixth floor of the Tutorial Dungeon or do you want to shoulder all of that for them? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was taken aback by what she was asking. What he experienced back then was still a bit hazy, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t the best. Regardless of all the other factors that helped intensify it. He knew the others wouldn¡¯t have the exact experience he went through, but he wasn¡¯t sure how bad it would be for them. At the same time, he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to shoulder it all. That actually brought up a couple of questions. Really quick. Liam started. What would be the difference between the two? Also, I think we had this conversation before, but would the effect be at the same level as it was last time? Stolen novel; please report.
¡°No, it will not be at that level¡­at least not any time soon. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam raised a brow at that.
¡°The level of the effect my nature creates over you will be a lot lower since the level is so low. The reason for this is because the amount of my Chaotic Nature that was spread wasn¡¯t a lot. It doesn¡¯t take a lot to fill during the lower levels. However, as the Performance Gauge levels the amount of Chaotic Nature needed to fill it increases. The more that is needed to increase it equals more that will wash out over you. ¨C Eri.¡±
I think I¡¯m missing something here. Liam started as he thought about it. You said the more Chaotic Nature that is needed to fill the Performance Gauge equals the more that it will wash over me. Why? Why would the amount of Chaotic Nature that is needed to fill the Performance Gauge need to wash over me?
¡°The Performance Gauge of a Deity is there to help their followers gain rewards. The nature of that Deity is collected and filled into a gauge and when it fills it is released to create those rewards. However, there is a price one must take in order for those rewards to be given to the follower. That price is someone must take in the nature of that Deity. Normally it is the Champion of that Deity. Albeit, going back to your earlier question and the reason why we are having this discussion now. The difference between everyone having my Chaotic Nature wash over them compared to you shouldering it as a whole is; if everyone receives it then the amount that washes out spread out evenly. ¨C Eri.¡±
That¡¯s not too bad¡­ Liam started to say.
¡°I would normally agree with you, but since this would be their first time experiencing it, there could be¡­adverse effects we won¡¯t know will happen. I know you like these people, so this is why I am asking you this now. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was starting to understand what she meant and why she was asking him this now. If he chose to even it out to all of them and he accepted the rewards after it filled before he could find them all then they could have a similar experience where they lost their minds and did gods know what without anyone there to stop or hide them. The fact that no one knows she is their Matron Goddess and if they went crazy like he did then the wrong people would catch wind and try to get answers from them. He didn¡¯t want to put them into a situation like that.
¡°Another thing you must know is the higher the level and the more nature that washes over you the more intense the effect of my Chaotic Nature will be as you level the Performance Gauge. If you shoulder it all you must be prepared to fight against my Chaotic Nature each time and hope you don¡¯t lose your mind. Like I said earlier, the lower levels won¡¯t be horrible, but the later ones¡­- Eri.¡±
With that tid bit of information given, he now had the full picture as to why she wanted him to decide. Essentially, it came down to having them all share it and hoping they were around him when he accepted the rewards, or he endured all of it so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their safety. Is it possible to have it one way then switch the option later? Liam asked.
¡°It is possible to shoulder it all then switch to sharing it with the others, however, it is not possible to switch it back to you shouldering it all after you choose the sharing option. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam brought a hand up to his chin as he thought it over. As he thought it over he had another question. Why does the Nature of a Deity wash out of the Performance Gauge and onto the followers? I understand that the nature from the gauge creates the rewards for all the followers¡­well I don¡¯t really understand how or why, but I digress. Why does it wash over the followers?
¡°It¡¯s so the followers get a better understanding of their Deity. By having my Chaotic Nature wash over you, you become closer to me. It also makes me closer to you. Its all a faith and philosophical thing that I don¡¯t really feel like getting into right now. We can talk more about this another time. I just need to know your answer before it fills up. While it is possible to wait to accept the rewards at the higher levels since there is so much Nature contained it can last for a while, the lower ones don¡¯t have much time to wait. If you don¡¯t accept the rewards in a certain amount of time then some of that Chaotic Nature will leak out and you will have to refill it again. Not from zero percent, but from a decent percentage. ¨C Eri.¡±
Way to put on the pressure. Liam commented.
¡°I don¡¯t make the rules. ¨C Eri.¡±
That gave Liam pause. It made Liam think about how exactly all these rules came into play. He had assumed that the gods made the rules for things like that. Eri was a powerful Deity. If she didn¡¯t make the rules then who did? He didn¡¯t ask. He knew she would probably shrug it off and tell him that it was too soon for him to know that, or he would have to figure it out himself. Shifting his thought process back to the question at hand he made a decision. I guess for now I¡¯ll shoulder it all. After I find the others I¡¯ll ask what they think and go from there. Liam replied.
¡°Alright. So, what are your plans now? ¨C Eri.¡±
Leave here and see if Uncle Naro came back from whatever he was doing. Liam started. He was going to continue until Eri chimed in.
¡°Uncle Naro huh? Did the old man finally break you on that? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam ignored her and continued on. I figured I¡¯d try and get him to help me shore up some of my blacksmithing techniques to help me with armor crafting. Maybe try to level up the Repair Section so I can finally repair armor better than just spot repairs.
¡°Good idea. Maybe you can ask him some questions about Enchanting or Rune Crafting as well. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded his head as he threw the towel he had over his lower body onto the bed and changed into some clothes. I figured I¡¯d also ask him the best way to wash armor too. I don¡¯t want mine smelling like a ripe gym bag. Liam grimaced at the thought. Eri¡¯s next message was just her laughing at his comment. After he finished up with the room he activated Veil of Shadows and disappeared into the dark night of the city. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The city was full of people still walking about. While the sun was no longer in sight, the night was still young. The groups of people weren¡¯t too rowdy as they made their way around. Some celebrated their success in a dungeon run or finally completing a project they were working on. Others walked about with their families either heading home from some shopping spree or looking for a restaurant to eat at. One particular person was walking through the crowd with purpose. She wore a business suit dress with her blond hair wrapped up in a bun. Horns poked out from her hair and arched up a bit. A pair of glasses rested on her nose allowing her green eyes to see clearer. Resting in her right hand, hugged against her chest, was a group of folders. Lucy had caught wind of some interesting news and was making her way to a specific building before they closed for the day. She received the information not too long ago and was irritated that she hadn¡¯t gotten it sooner. Many who worked in the city didn¡¯t answer their door to no one after a certain time. She looked at her internal clock as she made her way through the sea of people. She was cutting it close with the time they usually closed. Luckily for her, her legs were able to move fast without tiring quickly thanks to both her Speed and Stamina Endurance Sub-stats. After turning the corner, the sight of the one story wooden building with a sign of a cauldron with smoke rising from with the words Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron on it came into view. The lights were still on with the open sign sitting against the window. Lucy let out a sigh of relief as she made her way over to the building. As she opened the door, a young Tabby Cat-folk wearing the uniform for the business stopped walking and gave Lucy a surprised look. It looked like she was on her way to lock the door and flip the sign to say Closed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry little one,¡± Lucy stated as she gave her a warm smile. ¡°Were you just about to close?¡± Abby straightened her posture and gave Lucy a very business-like smile as she replied, ¡°We were, but there is still enough time for any customer who is in need of Medicinal Creation or Potion supplies. Whether that is in materials or fully created.¡± Abby scanned the woman over quickly before adding, ¡°You don¡¯t look like the crafting type so I will assume you are in need of fully crafted items. If we don¡¯t have what you are looking for you can leave a request and we will do our best to make sure to make or find whatever you need.¡± Lucy was impressed with the little girl and her sale¡¯s pitch. Even though she didn¡¯t need anything from the store in particular, she felt like she needed to buy something now. She gave her an even bigger smile as she informed, ¡°I am not here to buy anything, but rather to speak to someone.¡± Abby¡¯s body tensed a bit for the briefest of moments before returning back to how she was before. ¡°May I ask who it is you are looking to speak to? There are only three of us here and I do not believe we know you.¡± Abby brought a hand to her mouth and gave her a shocked look before adding, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that in a bad way. I just mean that we aren¡¯t a someone as professional and beautiful as you.¡± Oh, she is good. Lucy thought. I¡¯m definitely going to need to buy something now. ¡°We have met for a brief moment a couple of days ago, but you¡¯re right in the fact you wouldn¡¯t know who I am. The gentleman who runs this store would though.¡± ¡°Abby,¡± Farry called out from the back. ¡°Is everything alright out there?¡± Abby slightly turned her head in a way that she could respond to her uncle without taking her eyes off of Lucy and replied, ¡°Yes, Uncle Farry. There is someone here who claims they know you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Farry replied. ¡°Who would claim that, that you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not someone saying that so they can get some last minute shopping done?¡± Cindy asked as she and Farry appeared from the back room. Both of them stopped as they saw Lucy standing in front of Abby. ¡°Miss Lucy,¡± Farry started as he made his way around the counter. ¡°Good evening and Welcome to the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron. How can we help you?¡± Lucy gave Farry a nod. ¡°I came here with some official business, but after talking with your cute little assistant, I feel like I need to buy something while I¡¯m here.¡± A victorious smile grew on Abby¡¯s face for a split second before returning to a neutral one. Farry gave Abby an impressed look as he looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find something that suits your needs. However, what is this about official business?¡± Farry asked. Lucy looked at Cindy who was still behind the counter and stated, ¡°I have some questions I¡¯d like to ask Miss Cindy regarding the incident that happened the other day.¡± Abby, Cindy, and Farry tensed at her words. Lucy mentally noted that down in her mind. To ease their tension she added, ¡°I¡¯m not here to interrogate or demand information. I¡¯m just here to ask some questions. You see the person who was involved in the matter, a Mr. Liam¡­I was his New Arrival liaison of sorts. From what the reports said that I have was given that day, he¡­¡± She then pointed a finger towards Cindy, ¡°And you, were supposedly dead.¡± Abby¡¯s, Farry¡¯s, and Cindy¡¯s stiffened bodies slightly jerked. Lucy raised a brow at that movement. They looked like they were afraid to say anything. Did someone say something to them? Did someone threaten them? To help ease them a bit she raised both hands up. One still griping the folder. ¡°I¡¯m not here to bring any troubles to your business or doors. I am just here to ask your side of the story. I hope that, after seeing you alive, that also means Mr. Liam is as well.¡± Cindy looked like she was internally arguing with herself about something. After a couple of minutes, Cindy let out a long breath and said, ¡°Fine. I will tell you everything I know. However, I want your promise that what I tell you doesn¡¯t bring harm to my family or their business.¡± Lucy was visibly shocked at this. She was right about someone doing something, but as for what that was she was about to find out. Lucy closed the door to the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron after finishing up talking with the family of three. After spending around forty-five minutes hearing Cindy¡¯s side of the story she was now fully convinced that idiot Morshire sent his hired goons after them. Not only that, but also had more threaten this family. While she knew the Weasel-folk didn¡¯t like Farry, she didn¡¯t expect the moron to jeopardize her boss¡¯ plan. If she and her boss¡¯ suspicion about the man¡¯s species of Cat-folk was right, then they would have the perfect crafter for their project. All the others didn¡¯t have the drive like the race they were hoping Liam was. After listening to Cindy talk it also became clear that the scouts report from last night was accurate. The scout did see someone that looked almost identical to Liam. Except it wasn¡¯t someone identical but the actual person. It was quite puzzling when her scout stated they had lost him after he turned down an alley. It spoke volumes about the man. That he was hiding stuff they didn¡¯t know about. This made her want him more for their project. Maybe, what he was hiding was something even better than what they were hoping for. Although, to be fair, what they were hoping for was already something big. Lucy shook her head. She couldn¡¯t get ahead of herself. She needed to find out where the man was. No one at the Teleportation Tree had mentioned seeing him going through one of the portals. None of the docks reported seeing him leave on a boat either. That means he was hiding here, somewhere on the island. Thinking about having to try and find the man turned her thoughts into annoyance back towards the main reason why Liam was probably hiding in the first place. Morshire. She was going to need to find a way to punish the insolent man for making her job twice as hard. Her annoyance faded a bit as she felt her hand grip something that wasn¡¯t the folders in her hands. It was a circular container of a Medical Creation soothing cream for cuts. The little Tabby Cat-folk, Abby, had convinced her to buy it. Her sweet words convinced her that she would regret not getting it before they sold out. ¡°Abby, huh,¡± Lucy muttered as she started walking away. ¡°Once she is older I might have to take her under my wing. She has a special talent for convincing people to buy or get things they didn¡¯t know they needed.¡± Lucy let out a chuckle. She then thought about if she could get the little girl to convince Liam to cooperate with them. If she could get Abby to do that then it would make her work so much easier. Lucy let out a long sigh before saying, ¡°Oh well. Time to figure out where that pesky cat disappeared to.¡± Adventure 209 - Repair skills and Branding Marks Liam took his time as he went through the city. Using his Veil of Shadow while it was night time made it easier for him not to worry about being seen since his shadow-like form blended in with the darkness. There was a nice breeze gently blowing over the city from the sea that felt good against his skin. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he felt the breeze since his body was currently made of shadows and was already cool thanks to them. He wasn¡¯t going to question it though. At least, not right now. There was still so much in this world he didn¡¯t know about or understand. He knew he needed to get the right books so he could study up, but he felt like he just didn¡¯t have the time right now. Once things started calming down he planned on getting books to help him out on that. After leisurely taking his time in the city, he found himself back in the forest where he and Naro was using as a camping ground. After entering inside far enough, Liam dropped his Veil of Shadows and made his way over to the camp site. It didn¡¯t take him long to find the spot. When he arrived, Naro had a fire already going as well as his camping equipment set out. He was sitting on a chair he had made the other day with a book in hand and a cup of tea resting on a small table close by him. The sight of this made Liam chuckle. If he had on a pair of glasses, the bear of a man would look like a cartoonish father that was too big for the things around him. Naro heard the chuckle and closed the book while bringing his attention on him. A toothy smile formed on his face as he saw Liam. He leaned forward and rested one of his arms on his knee and asked, ¡°I was wondering when you were going to show up. Didn¡¯t get into too much trouble now did you?¡± Liam smiled as he heard the question. No matter how much the man insisted on him calling him Uncle Naro, it was times like these he really felt like the man could be his real uncle. With a smile of his own he replied, ¡°Only about as much trouble as I allowed myself to get into.¡± Uncle Naro let out a loud belly rumbling laugh. ¡°Good, good. Why don¡¯t you set up your tent and tell me what you did today.¡± Liam spent some time getting his tent area and the equipment all set up. As he did this he told Uncle Naro about his day. He left out the stuff about the Soul Crafting, and the Fiddler¡¯s Web. Instead, he told him about his training inside the Yellow Dungeon. He told Uncle Naro about how he discovered that he could use Cleave to separate monster¡¯s joints to help weaken them. He noticed the approving expression on his face after he said this and asked, ¡°Did you already know this was possible?¡± Uncle Naro nodded his head before informing, ¡°A lot of the Crafter skills and abilities can be used in fights. However, since majority of the population in this world view crafters as non-combat, no help from the description of the actual class, they all forget the most important thing. The abilities and skills you gain from the Field, or the class are still abilities and skills. Just like combat abilities and skills, if you have the appropriate one for the situation you can use it in any situation it calls for. Cleave is an excellent example of what I¡¯m talking about. Another would be Cleanse Material. Once you get it high enough you can use it as a substitute to cleanse poisons or venom from a person. That, however, depends on the level of poison. Judging from your reaction to discovering a beneficial use of Cleave, I take it you have used a crafting ability or skill in combat before?¡± Liam was amazed that he was able to figure that out. He nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, however, its reliant on if I have burnable oil or anything that can catch on fire.¡± Uncle Naro raised a brow, curious what ability he was talking about. Liam didn¡¯t need a prompt and told him how he came across discovering how useful Light and Burn was in a fight. Uncle Naro laughed at each situation Liam used the ability. ¡°That is a great use of the skill,¡± Uncle Naro beamed. ¡°On our journey I plan on showing you other crafting abilities you can use in combat. I¡¯ll even go over other ways you can use Light and Burn as well.¡± Liam was excited to hear that. While he had his Spirit, Shadow, Lunar, Sin, Discord, Lightning, and Gravity Magics in his arsenal, a few of those he couldn¡¯t really show to just anyone. After talking with Eri about on the way over here they both agreed that unless he was in a dungeon by himself or with those he trusted and knew about his abilities, he was not going to use his Shadow and Lunar Magic. His Spirit and Shadow Magic would be used while he was doing Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web stuff, if he became a member, but he was going to restrict himself to Gravity, Lightning, and Crafting. He would practice his Sin here and there to get a better understanding of it, but as it stood right now it was too much since it reacted to his emotions. His Discord Magic was also something of a situational type of magic. If he found himself in a position where he could use it without getting caught or questioned then he would. ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Liam said as he leaned back in his seat. ¡°Speaking of journey. What exactly are you doing before we can leave?¡± Uncle Naro waved a finger, ¡°Nothing you have to worry about. Like I¡¯ve told you before. Its something my leader has asked me to look into. So just keep doing what you¡¯re doing and when I¡¯m done we¡¯ll head out. Your crafting will increase if you keep practicing it, even if it¡¯s only a little bit.¡± Liam noticed the slight look of concern on the man¡¯s face as he looked away from Liam. He wondered what it was the man was looking into that caused him to make such a face. A few seconds after that he noticed the look changed into a grin as he looked back at Liam. ¡°Speaking of crafting,¡± Naro started back up as he reached into his inventory. He pulled out a small box and handed it to him. Curious, Liam took the box, but before he tried to open it, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I ran into an old friend that you commissioned from a couple of days ago,¡± Naro replied. Liam gave him a puzzled look as he looked back at the box and tried to think about who he was talking about and what he had commissioned to be made. It took him a couple of minutes before he remembered what it was. Liam snapped his head to look at Naro and asked, ¡°This box has my¡­¡± Naro nodded as he gave Liam a proud smile. ¡°Your brandings? Yes. Although I was a bit surprised you had got two. Normally you would only need one.¡± Not wanting to explain why he asked for two, Liam decided to go with a small lie. ¡°I was torn between two ideas. I figured I¡¯d get both and see which I¡¯d like¡­¡± He stopped as he thought about what Uncle Naro had said. He knew there was two Brandings in the box. How or why would he know about that? Did he open the box and look inside? Did that crazy Squirrel-Folk tell him about it? What happened to privacy? Also why would she give him the box to give me? As he thought about these questions he remembered the small bit he said earlier. She was a friend of his. Liam stared at the man with cautious eyes as he asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were friends with Milly. However, how did she know you would give me this package if she handed it to you? Also, she told me she would have some examples for me to choose from. Are these the examples?¡± Naro let out a hearty laugh. ¡°That¡¯s good that you¡¯re questioning it. if a random person were to do it you should be wary of their motives. Milly and I go way back. I was visiting her at her home here on the island and mentioned that I was taking you on as an apprentice in a couple of crafts. She asked some questions about what you looked like, and she figured out it was you, so she asked me to take these to you.¡± Naro then gave him a mischievous smile as he added, ¡°She might have said she¡¯ll have some examples for you to choose, but she felt that you would go with these choices.¡± This surprised Liam. Even though he was told this world was big, in this moment he felt it was small. What were the odds that Naro would know Milly? The odds weren¡¯t as bad since they were both Beast-kins and he probably had to get his branding from her. He didn¡¯t know how long the old squirrel had been doing this nor if she was only located here on this island, but it seemed like her business was important in the crafting world. So knowing who she was probably wasn¡¯t as grandiose of a thing as he believed it to be. But the fact that they were friends was a different thing. Liam looked at the man with an assessing look. Naro was a damn good crafter from what he had seen so far. It also happened to be his starting class, so he had to be good. How good was the question though. Was he famous crafter or one of those who could hold their own in the crafting world? He wanted to ask but felt that the bear of a man would only shrug it off. He would have to find out during their travels. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Liam¡¯s brows then scrunched as he stared at him. Before he could say anything, Naro let out a laugh and stated, ¡°This is one of her quirks. She¡¯s been making these for many years and is at a high level in the craft as well. She has her moments where she gets these¡­¡± Naro circled his hand around trying to figure out the best word. ¡°Hunches? We¡¯ll go with hunches. Anyways, she gets these hunches that come to her that make her believe the client would choose what she designed. So that¡¯s why she asked me to deliver these instead of some examples. Congratulations on taking the next step of being a Crafter.¡± Liam placed his box away, which gave the bigger man a questioning look. ¡°Not going to open the box and check to make sure it meets your standards?¡± Naro inquired. Liam shook his head. ¡°Not right now. If she is a friend of yours and you trust her work then I¡¯ll trust her judgement and that she did a fantastic job on them.¡± Naro slowly nodded as he understood what he said. ¡°For now though¡­I¡¯d like your advice on my Blacksmithing. There are some things I¡¯d like to work on and get farther in.¡± Naro stood up and nodded. ¡°Alright. Set up your Mobile Crafter Blacksmithing Station while I make us something to drink. I¡¯ll add some inspiration buffs to the drink because I feel like you¡¯re going to need it for what you might want.¡± Liam nodded as he did as he was told. This was going to be a long night he felt, and the buffs would be great. Not only that, but he was growing to like the drinks Uncle Naro made. The taste they had reminded him of the drinks his grandmother used to make. Nostalgia of good memories was always welcomed, especially after what had happened earlier. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam went long into the night working on his Blacksmithing craft with Naro guiding him on things he didn¡¯t think about. He wanted to work on his Armor Craft and Repair sections of the craft. He had an issue with trying to work on the Repair section at first, but it was solved when Naro suggested damaging the armor he had made so he could practice on them. It was a clever idea since the armor he could currently produce wasn¡¯t that great. He would make the armor and Naro would cause certain amounts of damage to it so he could practice repairing them. Thanks to this, he was able to get a couple of levels in both sections of the Blacksmithing craft.
¡°Congratulations! Armor Craft has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Armor Craft has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 78%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Repair has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 97%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received the Crafter¡¯s ability Spot Frailty! Description: Allows user to spot small cracks, dents, hairline fractures, and other small damages on armor and weapons!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Main Class ability - Mobile Crafter has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 34%!¡±
This new ability was useful when he was working on repairs. When inspected the damage on the armor he worked on repairing, a small dim glow would outline the area on the armor that needed repair. While this was helpful in spotting the areas he had to strain to find before, he still needed to focus and find them since the glow wasn¡¯t as prominent as he thought it would be. Naro explained that it would be like at during the lower levels. As he leveled the skill every ten levels, the glow would become more apparent, and he would be able to determine what the cause was for the damage. Like if it was rusted, dented due to a blunt weapon, acid, and more. Liam thought that was a great ability to have for repairing. His assessment of the ability grew even more when Naro mentioned that it could also be useful while fighting armored foes. He explained that by using the ability he would be able to spot weaknesses in the enemies armor and weapons and by determining what caused the damages he or whoever he was with would be able to strike there and either destroy the armor or weapon or use it as a way to pierce through and cause some real damage. He added this ability to his must level up as much as he could list. This would be a great support ability for his arsenal, and he didn¡¯t want to waste its potential. This also made him excited to see what other crafting abilities he could get from leveling up certain crafts and what types of usage he could use them in battles. He was able to level this ability up to level five quickly because he found out it was useful while crafting armor. While crafting he was able to see were certain areas were weaker or if any issues arose after he finished due to being too fast in certain areas during the process phase of the armor craft creation. The more he worked on his Blacksmithing craft while under Naro¡¯s guidance the more he started to notice things he hadn¡¯t been able to before. It was subtle things like areas he needed to focus on more while shaping the armor out or how much of the materials he used in certain areas. It made him think about why these were things he needed to focus on. His working theory so far was it was to help know where he needed to strengthen the armor or areas he could make add-ons like bone materials or other metal ingots. He had asked Naro about it, but he said he would need to ask Fia, his Blacksmithing Mentor, more about it. It was her job to inform him about these things. He made a mental note that he would need to seek her out in the future, but only when he reached level twenty in a few of his sections. After some practice and guidance, Naro made them a delicious dinner. He ate it greedily since it tasted so good. After dinner he did some stretches and decided to call it a night. He slept like a log throughout the night. Even though his body had recovered from the fatigue of the strain of all that had happened, he still felt exhausted. After waking up, he felt refreshed and ready to take on the day. He found food in a container inside of his tent at the opening with a note from Naro saying he had already left for the day. He still took a peek outside to make sure no one was around. After determining he was alone, he went back inside his tent, grabbed the food, and sat down. He used Devour to start the process of replenishing his Spirit Pool. He then pulled out the box he received from Naro last night and sat it next to him. He opened the box and looked inside. There were two small wooden structures that looked like a big pawn unit from a chess game. One was made from a white wooden material while the other was made from a black wooden material. On the bottom of both was a cover that could be taken off. Each of these objects sat on a couple stacks of small thin square sheets of paper. He assessed both to see they had the same name.
¡°Branding Stamp. Item Type ¨C Branding (Visual Crafting). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description ¨C A Branding Stamp for a crafter to mark the fully completed crafting item as their own. Once the Branding Mark has been stamped on the object no other crafter can place a mark on it. Has the magical effect Anti-Forgery, Branding, Stamp Obscurity, and Unlimited Ink.¡±
He went to see what each effect did, but as he tried pulling them up nothing appeared. ¡°Hm, interesting,¡± Liam muttered before he pulled out the white wooden Branding Stamp. ¡°I didn¡¯t know magical effects like that were a thing. I¡¯ll have to ask Naro about what each of these effects really do and why I can¡¯t see what they do.¡± He pulled out the white wooden Branding Stamp and took the cover off of the bottom. The first thing he noticed was the bottom was almost the size of his palm. The other thing was the bottom had a red rubbery area. He tried to determine which of the two this one was, but he wasn¡¯t able to figure it out. He then grabbed one of the papers within and pressed the rubbery area on it. The size of the paper was big enough to have the stamp almost fill it entirely. After pressing it down, Liam pulled it back and stared at the design. This one had the outline of a cat¡¯s paw, but instead of the whole paw it was just the toe beans with claws not fully touching the toes beans, but a little farther away. Within each toe bean was a symbol of a craft. One had a hammer and anvil for Blacksmithing, a vial with smoke coming out from the top for Alchemy, a needle and thread for Tailoring, and a wand with smoke lines swirling around it for Enchanting. While it wasn¡¯t the overly complicated design he had in mind, he actually like it. It was simple and easy to recognize. This was the one he was going to use for his everyday crafting items he would make and sell. Which meant the darker wooden Branding Stamp was the one he was going to use for when he was a member of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. Excited to see that one, Liam placed the white wooden Branding Stamp away and pulled out the dark wooden one. After he pressed the stamp down and pulled away from it he stared at what was on the sheet of paper. Like the last design it had the outlines of a cat¡¯s toe beans. However, instead of crafting symbols the toe bean that was underneath the others was a circle with eight lines and arrows that shot out and went through each of the four top toe beans. Each toe bean had two arrows each that went through and stopped a bit past the top. The arrows curved in a claw like fashion giving the impression the cat had two claws per toe bean. Adding to the effect, everything in the designs had a hazy smoky like look to it. Again, Liam liked the design. This one he wanted to give a flare to it with a symbol that represented Eri. The symbol he went with was the eight arrows. While normally they would point in different directions, he didn¡¯t want to make it too obvious that he was using a symbol that represented Chaos. Now that he had his Branding Marks, he needed to produce a name. He figured he¡¯d use the Web Name he was given once he fully joined the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web for the darken wooden Branding Stamp. As long as it wasn¡¯t something stupid like Little Kitten. As for the other one. He had a couple he was playing around with. He like one in particular, but he figured he¡¯d ask Uncle Naro for advice on it later. Not that that was settled he needed to figure out what he wanted to do for the rest of the day. While he had to be back at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web later for briefing on the field mission test he was given later on, he really didn¡¯t have much to do. After some debating, he figured he would go over to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web early and work on some Alchemy. He needed to replenish some of his Chemicalized Creation items he had used yesterday. After coming to that decision he waited a bit to finish refilling his Spirit Pool and finish his breakfast. After that he did some stretches, packed up his camping supplies, and took off. Adventure 210 - The Briefing before the Field Mission Liam arrived at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web without any issues. He arrived at the location a couple hours before noon and walked through the door after using Spirit Weave on his Shadow Moon Blades. As he walked through the door he saw Lady Arachne talking with Noxi by the counter. ¡°Good morning,¡± Liam greeted as he approached the two. Both people turned and looked both surprised and confused to see him. ¡°Good morning to you as well Little Kitten,¡± Lady Arachne greeted back while giving him a slightly teasing and confused smile. ¡°What are you doing here so early?¡± ¡°I came by to see if I can use the Crafting Rooms,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I wanted to replenish some of my Chemicalized Creation items I used.¡± Liam took a good look at his stock and saw how low he was on the materials and asked, ¡°Do you think Silent Saboteur would trade some of the items he requested for some of the supplies I need?¡± Lady Arachne brought a hand to her chin and thought about it. ¡°He might be able to for some, but to be honest it might not be for a lot. Not as much as you had gotten from him last time that is. Although I did hear him say he needed some Liquified Shadow Mana Extracts. If you can make some of those he might be willing to add in a few more to the trade.¡± Liam thought about it. It wouldn¡¯t cost him much to make those. Only mana and some time. After thinking about it, he nodded and said, ¡°I can only make Weak and Minor versions of those. Do you think he would be alright with that?¡± Lady Arachne smiled as she nodded and answered, ¡°I believe that should be fine. Weak are uncommon to come across while Minor are closer to rare. Anything above that are extremely hard to get your hands on.¡± Liam nodded as he understood what she was saying. Not many people liked to advertise they had the Field of Shadows. People selling Weak and Minor versions of the Liquified Mana Extracts could pass it off as them getting it from someone while anything above that raised some questions. From what he was told since the field was rare, no one wanted the hassle of advertising they had it and have random people pester them how they had received such a rare field. He could make the average quality of the crafted item, but like many he didn¡¯t want to reveal that quite yet. That and the average quality of the liquified mana extract or any liquified mana extracts at the quality took a bit longer than the weak and minor to make. ¡°How many do you think would be acceptable for the trade?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I¡¯d say at least twenty each,¡± Lady Arachne stated after thinking about the right amount. ¡°I won¡¯t let him pester you for more than that.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Alright then I¡¯ll go ahead and make those really quick. Can you please ask him and see if he has any of the extracts I asked for last time? I don¡¯t need anything outside of that.¡± Lady Arachne nodded before looking at Noxi and requesting, ¡°Can you please see to it?¡± Noxi turned his gaze at her for a long moment before letting out a sigh and answering, ¡°Yes Lady Arachne.¡± Liam gave the two a curious look as he watched Noxi head to a door, open it, and walk through. Before he could say anything, Lady Arachne swiftly turned her attention towards Liam and stated, ¡°Since you¡¯re here earlier than anticipated, I was wondering if it would be alright for you to meet up with Silent Paw and Echo Talon so they can give you the details of what you need to do and what you¡¯ll be looking for. Also planning and any other details needed for your Field Mission.¡± Liam took a minute to think about it. While she had told him about the time they were going to originally meet up wasn¡¯t until later in the day, getting ahead and going over everything early wouldn¡¯t be too bad either. ¡°Okay,¡± Liam responded. ¡°Can it be after I finish with my crafting sessions?¡± Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°Yes. You should have plenty of time to take care of that before they arrive.¡± Liam smiled under the mask. ¡°Thank you.¡± For the next couple of hours Liam created several Weak and Minor Liquified Shadow Mana Extracts. He made the amount Lady Arachne suggested and some more for himself. After that he stepped out and met with Silent Saboteur. The amount of materials he was willing to trade with the man along with the twenty Weak and Minor Liquified Shadow Mana Extracts was enough for him to get some materials for his crafting session. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but it was enough for him to make two Weak Poisoned Null Zones, two Weak Poisoned Shadow Ashes, two Weak Crushing Dark Fogs, three Magnetic Shockwaves, and two Implosive Heatwaves. After he was done with that he used what materials he didn¡¯t trade to Silent Saboteur to make seven Minor Mint Health Potions, six Minor Blueberry Mana Potions, and eight Minor Orange Stamina Potions. That was the last of those materials. While he was reluctant to use them, he was low on his potion stocks. He made a mental note to keep an eye out for those materials or ones similar to them for future potions. He wanted to make the Average Quality of the potions, but after looking into what they entailed he would barely be able to make two of each. He decided that the Minor Quality versions were fine for now. Liam thought about making more poisons, but with the materials he had left he could only make one Minor Paralytic Toxin or four Weak Paralytic Toxins. He decided to go with the Minor version for now since majority of his poisons were already weak. He needed to start making more of the Minor versions, so he had harder hitting poisons. Thanks to all his crafting he was able to level his Chemicalized Creation Section from level five to level seven. His Potion Making Section went from level twenty to level twenty one. His Mana Extraction Section also went from level twenty to twenty one. All in all, Liam felt his crafting session went well. He had also used Devour to refill the small amount of Spirit Pool while he was in there. He was lucky enough to raise his Spirit Pool from two hundred and ten to two hundred and thirty thanks to his Devour ability. Even that ability raised a level now sitting at level twelve. After he felt he was done with all he could do, Liam reactivated his Spirit Weave ability and stepped out of the Crafting Room and back into the main room of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. As soon as he stepped through he saw two people standing by the counter talking to one another. Liam didn¡¯t see Noxi, Orchid, or even Lady Arachne around. It was just the two Beast-kins he had briefly met yesterday. The same two he was going to kind of work with during this Field Mission Test. One was a male wearing leather armor, a bestial designed mask that covered his mouth and nose, and a bandana that wrapped around his forehead. The bandana made his short dark brown hair stick up in a spiky hairstyle which blended his dog-like ears with it. The other was a female. She wore a short cloth-like skirt with shorts sticking out over her knees, a chainmail like vest, and a bird-like mask that cover only her forehead eyes and nose. Her outfit looked a lot like a close ranged fighter which Liam assumed was the type of class she held due to the gauntlets that covered her hands and forearms. Her golden blond hair, which was tied back in a ponytail, matched the wings that rested against her back. As he slowly approached them, the two turned to look at him. He stopped not too far away from them and stared back. He could feel and see they were not happy with what was going on. The body language of the male told Liam his were a bit confused, but also very wary of him. The female¡¯s body language showed slight hostility, but also some cautiousness. Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure what was going on, but waited to see if they would give anything away. For a long moment no one said anything. Finally, Silent Paw was the one who broke the silence and the stare off by asking, ¡°So¡­what is he like?¡± Liam was confused by this question. What was who like? He didn¡¯t know what this guy was asking. ¡°What is who like?¡± He decided to inquire. Silent Paw narrowed his eyes at Liam¡¯s question. With an irritated tone, Silent Paw clarified, ¡°What is the Wild Card like?¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Wild Card? Liam asked himself mentally. Who the hell is¡­Liam suddenly had a light bulb moment as the Web Name for Nabal clicked into place. He¡¯s asking about Nabal. Liam let out a sigh before answering, ¡°He¡¯s¡­interesting.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Silent Paw questioned, showing a bit of interest after getting that kind of response. ¡°I mean everything he does, his mindset, and the training habits he tried to instill into me were all interesting,¡± Liam started. ¡°Our first encounter was rough, but also fun too.¡± ¡°Rough but fun?¡± Echo Talon finally broke as she asked. ¡°What do you mean by that? What did he do?¡± ¡°Well I was looking for a Dagger Mentor while I was in the Tutorial Area and he happened to be the only one available at the time,¡± Liam explained. ¡°When I met with him for the first time he told me that before he decided to train me I would have to pass a test. Pass it and he would train me, fail it and he wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What was the test? You obviously passed since you became his apprentice, but what did he have you do?¡± Silent Paw inquired, his excitement to hear what happened slowly filling him. His tail slowly moving back and forth totally didn¡¯t give him away. ¡°I had to dodge, avoid, or block one of his five attacks,¡± Liam answered. ¡°How many did it take?¡± Echo Talon asked while keeping her eyes on his through her bird mask. ¡°I got hit four times. It was the last attempt where I won,¡± Liam stated as he smiled back on the memory. He let out a chuckle as he added, ¡°Although, I only won due to a gamble I took. Lucky for me, that gamble paid off.¡± Both Silent Paw and Echo Talon looked like they were about to say something but were cut off as Lady Arachne appeared behind the two and stated, ¡°As much as I would love to hear more about this, I think we should move to the meeting room so we can discuss the Field Mission you three are going to take on.¡± Echo Talon and Silent Paw swiftly turned around, bowed, and greeted her as Liam gave her a smile. Even though the only part of her face he was able to see was her lips, he could tell she was really curious as well. Liam followed the three into a room that was as big as a conference room for business meetings. Inside was a big oval table with several chairs around it. Already sitting at the table were Noxi, Silent Saboteur, and Orchid. ¡°Go ahead and take a seat,¡± Lady Arachne stated as she took a seat on the other side of the room with Noxi to her right and Silent Saboteur to her left. Orchid was sitting on the other side of Silent Saboteur. Echo Talon sat next to her and Silent Paw next to Echo Talon. Liam sat next to Noxi. As he sat down, Lady Arachne began, ¡°Since most of us are already up to speed on this Field Mission, I am going to explain to Little Kitten here, so he is up to speed.¡± Everyone nodded their heads. Liam noticed Silent Paw¡¯s and Echo Talon¡¯s body tense a bit. From the sudden jerk he could tell they were trying to hold back a laugh. He sighed internally and told himself he couldn¡¯t wait to gain an actual Web Name. ¡°For a while now our client has been tasking us with some reconnaissance over the city,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°At first their reasoning was because they felt something weird was going on with the city. Normally we don¡¯t take requests based on feelings like that, but the client has a lot of ties to the higher ups so we couldn¡¯t refuse it.¡± Liam nodded. If the client did have those kind of ties then it would be hard to turn them down. They wouldn¡¯t want to get reprimanded for doing that from the higher ups. ¡°After half a year we finally came across something weird,¡± Lady Arachne continued. ¡°People were starting to disappear. Now in a city with a Teleportation Tree that shouldn¡¯t be a cause for concern, but after some snooping around, the people in question didn¡¯t have any trail that showed they used the Teleportation Tree to leave and there were no sightings of them leaving by boat. The only clue we had were they stayed at a certain inn in the city.¡± Liam¡¯s eye rose at this information. A certain inn? Why would that matter? ¡°This inn had records of them having a room there for at least five days,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°However, they were only seen there for three. Notes in their records in that inn ranged from never came back, never used the room, or died to an accident. The one thing they all had in common though was the people themselves never paid for the room and the money for the remainder of the time not used was returned. However, the notes in their records never stated who the money was returned to.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he heard all of this. What Lady Arachne was saying sounded remarkably familiar, but he didn¡¯t want to assume it was the same with what he had gone through. Instead of saying anything he continued to listen. ¡°For a while we couldn¡¯t find any leads with this information,¡± Lady Arachne said before looking at Echo Talon and Silent Paw. ¡°That is, until these two got a tremendous lead with recent events.¡± Echo Talon and Silent Paw straightened their posture, looking proud of themselves. ¡°There was an incident a couple days ago where a couple of people were attacked in a dungeon. While many people only heard about the monster attack, these two were able to find out that a team of adventurers were after someone in the dungeon. After the attack they went to the inn that has been tied to each missing person before and found out the same happened there. However this time¡­the supposedly dead person in question walked in alive.¡± Lady Arachne passed a photo around as she continued, ¡°Silent Paw and Echo Talon happened to be around when this person tried to get into their room. They were on their way out when they heard the person talking to the receptionist about it. They found this intriguing. They claimed that they noticed the person suddenly act strangely before leaving the inn. Not too long after that they found out someone was trailing them. Albeit, that person wasn¡¯t doing a good job at tailing him since they were able to feel their bloodlust. What happened next surprised both the two who identified the one trailing the target and the trailer himself. All three had lost the target in question. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Echo Talon nodded. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. He walked into an alley which we thought was strange, but after looking into the alley he was nowhere to be found,¡± Silent Paw informed. ¡°It was like he was never there.¡± ¡°Not even my Echolocation was able to find him,¡± Echo Talon stated as she passed the picture to Liam. As Liam took a good hard look at the picture, the suspicions and assumptions that had grown within became clear. The one in the photo was him. As he passed the photo to Noxi, so many questions and thoughts raced throughout his mind. With all that was going on in his mind he almost missed the next part that Lady Arachne said. ¡°Echo Talon and Silent Paw trailed the one following the young man in the photo after he confirmed he had lost his target,¡± Lady Arachne started back up. ¡°They followed him right into the Teleportation Tree, which tells us the one he was working for has to be in this building. We do not know where in the building or who the person would be reporting to, but they never came back out no matter how long our two members waited that night. There was some speculation that the person left via teleportation, but we were just informed that the person finally left this morning and went into a dungeon.¡± Lady Arachne noticed Noxi was staring at Liam who was staring hard at the table. With a curious yet strict tone, she asked, ¡°Little Kitten, is there something on your mind?¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond to her question right away. He took some time trying to decide how he was going to proceed. He had some questions of his own that he needed answered, but at the same time he didn¡¯t want any of them suspecting he was the one in the picture. After contemplating everything, Liam turned to look at Lady Arachne and asked, ¡°The others that you said you have looked into. Did any of them have anything in common besides the inn they stayed at?¡± Everyone looked confused as he asked. As they looked at each other and shook their heads. ¡°No. Why do you ask?¡± Noxi questioned. ¡°The person in that picture was a newly integrated arrival. I was just trying to see if the others were as well,¡± Liam informed. Everyone narrowed their eyes at him. Lady Arachne asked the question they each had on their minds, ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°I was at the Adventurer¡¯s Association that same day everything happened. He was there signing up as a new Adventurer,¡± Liam stated as he looked each of them in the eyes. Lady Arachne brought a hand to her chin as she slowly nodded her head. ¡°That is some interesting information. If that is true then we have our first location we must inspect. Thank you for sharing that information.¡± Liam only nodded in response. He didn¡¯t want to think it to be true, but the person he was now starting to question did act a little too friendly with him and had seemed to know where he was at almost all times. The other person he wanted to point his finger at was that damn Weasel-folk, but he didn¡¯t want to say anything yet about that. If his endeavors at the Teleportation Tree ended in failure then he would figure out a way to point them in that direction. ¡°Do you happen to know who his New Arrival Agent was?¡± Lady Arachne asked. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he should say who it is or not. Would revealing he knew who it was out him as the person in question? He wasn¡¯t sure. He didn¡¯t want to chance it since he was trying to keep his real identity a secret like Eri had told him to do. He shook his head as answer. Lady Arachne frowned as she slowly nodded her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there was a good chance he would reveal that to anyone. Still having that bit of information is still helpful. Now that we have an idea of where to start our search let¡¯s go over what the mission entails as well as the lay out of the building and create a plan from all that.¡± Liam and everyone in the room nodded. For the next few hours they went over everything. Liam had to excuse himself a few times in order to refill his Spirit Pool. He used the excuse he had to use the restroom. At some point Silent Paw started teasing him. Echo Talon was curious, but Orchid told Liam about their first mission and how Silent Paw almost threw up and Echo Talon was so tense she tripped over herself a few times before even leaving the room. This caused some light teasing, which Lady Arachne decided to chime in and tell everyone what happened to Orchid before her first mission. This got a rise out of everyone. After the briefing was completed, they all agreed to a time to meet up later. Liam took this time to head to the dungeon and harvest some souls since he was starting to run out of the Flawed Soul Orbs. After replenishing his stock as well as refilling his Spirit Pool, he was ready to take on this mission. Adventure 211 - Field Mission Test Start A soft breeze blew over the city as a crescent moon looked down, almost smiling at the inhabitants. The amount of people walking around had lessen thanks to the hour of the night. It wasn¡¯t too late in the night, but it also wasn¡¯t so early. It was about a quarter to ten. They had chosen this time since people were either finishing up the night around the area or were already home. Liam took in a long deep breath as he stood in an alleyway close by the Teleportation Tree. He had Veil of Shadows activated so no one would be able to see him. He held it for three seconds before slowly letting it roll out over his lips. He was feeling nervous about what he was about to do. He was tasked to sneak inside the Teleportation Tree, reach the floor that held all the offices of the New Arrival Agents, search each room to see if they held any kind of information tied to what the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web has been searching for, and get out without making a scene. He was nervous because of all of that plus it brought back some memories. After Earth started to go to hell, he had to do similar things to try and get supplies for people, information on targets, and more. While back on Earth he didn¡¯t have magical powers or skills, the hecticness the planet was going through at the time made it a bit easier since people were occupied with everything all at once. This time though he had magical abilities and skills he could put to use. He had never done this in this world, so he wasn¡¯t sure how well things were going to go. Add in the fact that they had magical defenses and probably security measures he had no idea about, he wasn¡¯t very confident. Lady Arachne, however, was oddly confident and supportive that he could do this. She wouldn¡¯t tell him exactly where this confidence came from, but she was strongly adamant that he could get in and out without any issues. Liam looked around at the tops of the buildings around the Teleportation Tree. Somewhere, on one of those buildings, Silent Paw and Echo Talon stood. They weren¡¯t as confident in Liam as Lady Arachne was at first. After the shorter woman told him to use Veil of Shadows in front of them, they were surprised. It came to a shock that they had a really hard time finding where he was. After Noxi pointed to look for a shadow on the ground they finally found where he stood. Since they weren¡¯t going to enter the building with him they had to come up with a way they could support him. If things got dicey they were tasked to try and extract him out. The problem with that though was they needed a way to know where he was and if the situation was dire enough for them to intervene. The solution? Echo Talon revealed a device created through the works of Artificery and magic. It was an exceedingly small circular device big enough to fit snug in his ear. It reminded him of a Bluetooth earpiece especially with how it worked. Like any earpiece they could communicate back and forth with each other. The difference between this device and an actual Bluetooth earpiece, besides the fact it only worked with Echo Talon¡¯s Echo Magic, was Liam didn¡¯t need to open his mouth to speak into it. The magic picked up on the vibrations in his throat. He could speak with his mouth closed and it would come in clean and clear on Echo Talon¡¯s end. It also only sent what he wanted to, to her by just focusing on her. It kind of reminded him of how he and Eri communicated. If he focused on her she got his thoughts. Another cool feature about the device was no one would be able to tell he had it on him unless they looked at his ear. The device didn¡¯t pulse with mana unless it was used and even then the amount of mana that pulsed from the device was so weak it was hardly noticeable. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Echo Talon asked softly. Without opening his mouth, Liam replied, ¡°Yes. Heading in now.¡± Liam slowly walked towards the entrance of the Teleportation Tree. While everywhere around the tall building was quiet and empty, this particular place still had activity thanks to the comings and goings of people. Liam spotted an employee that was heading for the building and walked as close as he could so his shadowy visage that appeared on the ground would blend in. He was still far enough that the person he used as a disguise wouldn¡¯t be able to tell someone was behind them. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were going to head for the desk or for the hallway that led to rooms, elevators, and stairs that he had walked through on his first day here. He got his answer the moment they entered the building. The man he was using as his shield had made his way to the hallway. However, the moment they got to the entrance they were stopped by two Lion-folks that were standing on both sides. This was new to Liam. When he had arrived a few days ago, they weren¡¯t there. Liam pushed his thoughts aside as he listened to the conversation between the three. ¡°Identification?¡± one of the Lion-folks questioned. The man Liam was standing behind let out a sigh as he grumbled, ¡°Alex you know its me. Why do we have to do this every time?¡± The Lion-folk, Alex, shook his head. ¡°Come on man. You know I have to do this.¡± The man shook his head before taking out a card to show Alex. ¡°I know. I just find this all too much.¡± After Alex looked at the card and handed it back, he replied, ¡°I agree, but Fred is certain that something is going on and with everything that had recently happened he wants security to be tighter than ever.¡± Fred? Liam thought to himself as he tried to remember where he had heard that name before. After a second he tied the name to the Bear-folk who had mistaken him as a Demon-kin. ¡°Didn¡¯t the mayor turn down his proposal though? How did he get away with this?¡± the man asked. ¡°He¡¯s the Head Security here,¡± Alex stated. ¡°While he has no power outside of here, he has power over security and the rules that revolve around them inside this building.¡± The man let out a sigh before shaking his head. ¡°Whatever, hopefully this ends soon. If there was a line to get through here I would be late to clock in.¡± Alex let out a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s the only thing you¡¯re worried about? Must be nice. Get going before you truly do end up being late because you decided to take time to complain.¡± Liam followed the man through the entrance of the hallway. He remained cautious in case the two Lion-folks were able to spot him. However, as he passed them he noticed they weren¡¯t as alert as he thought they would be. It looked like they were only relying on their sight instead of anything else. That was good for him. So even Fred believes something is going on? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good sign or a bad one. But good for him. He looked like the responsible type. Liam thought ss he followed the man down the hall. After walking halfway down the hall, the man entered a room to his right. Since this wasn¡¯t Liam¡¯s destination he switched to another person who exited the room and continued down the hallway. As they walked he noticed there were more people walking around than was necessary. Majority of the Beast-kins walking around looked like they belonged to the security force. Liam took it as a shift change was about to happen, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because many of them would waste time talking which meant their focus would be on anything exciting or lack of excitement of the day. Bad because the new guards would be more awake and alert than the ones who had been on duty all day. Liam walked down a few hallways going left and right. He to switch from person to person since his disguises kept going the opposite way he needed to go. It took a good minute, but after some people hopping or shadow hopping, he finally found the open door that led to the stairwell. He, and his two temporary companions, had gone over the layout of the building and which paths were the best to take. They finally settled on him taking the stairs since the elevator would be risky. If there were too many people going in and out of the elevator then there was a chance someone would either bump into him or notice an issue with the shadow he made. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The staircase was the best option because hardly anyone liked to take the stairs. He did have to be cautious around the doors he passed on each floor since the employees kept them open in case of emergencies. The floor he was aiming for was around the middle of the building, floor fifteen. At first Liam argued that he would be too tired after climbing so many stairs, but everyone in the room waved the concern away. Noxi explained that the stats he had would prevent that from happening. It wouldn¡¯t be an issue until he reached floor twenty to feel any tiredness for his level. This surprised Liam. He didn¡¯t take stats into consideration. This brought a new questioned to mind. He knew they all knew he was low in the levels, but they didn¡¯t know his stats were twenty-five percent sealed. He didn¡¯t know if that would be an issue, so he decided to keep an eye on his stamina as he made his climb. As he started his climb, he said while keeping his mouth closed, ¡°First objective cleared.¡± Liam felt his ear vibrate a bit as Echo Talon responded back, ¡°Good work. Take your time making your way up the stairs. Don¡¯t rush and put yourself in a situation that will harm you.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Liam replied. It took him around thirty minutes slowly making his way to his targeted floor. He was stalled at a few door entrances since people had decided to walk by when he tried to pass them. A couple of times he held his breath because he heard a person or two recommend taking the stairs down. He was happy to hear the others with them call them crazy for that suggestion. He was glad he made the decision to not have his Spirit Weave ability activated during this first part. He would have emptied out his Spirit Pool before he needed it. After meeting up with his two accomplices he found a spot where he could deactivate it and top it off. He had Devoured a Minor Soul Orb and had it ticking down in case he needed to give a higher replenishment during the mission. He just hoped he timed things right with it. They didn¡¯t know where he was going to hid before the mission started so they couldn¡¯t see that his shadow looked different from earlier. He was pushing things this way, but he figured it was good practice since he would probably have to do things like this in the future. As he approached the door to the fifteenth floor, he slowly peeked into the hallway and saw no one was around. This floor was eerily quiet, but it wasn¡¯t a surprise. All workers who used this floor normally left around eight. Any that were still around were those who were working on special cases. The likelihood of that happening was extremely low. Liam turned left and started his way towards the door at the end of the hall. As he made his way to it, he stopped and placed another type of device Echo Talon had given him every few feet. These devices were small circular devices the size of a shirt button that sent out weak echo pulses. These pulses would be able to detect when someone walked by them and send a signal to both Liam and Echo Talon. Echo Talon would be able to hear these pulses since they were created using one of her magical abilities. Liam would be able to receive the signal thanks to a receiver device he was given. The signal that was sent to him would let him know which one was tripped by the strength of the pulse the receiver device gave him. The farthest ones would send a weak pulse and would gradually grow in strength as the person who walked by them passed the others. He didn¡¯t need to worry about collecting the devices back or someone taking them because Echo Talon had a failsafe installed that allowed her to send a certain frequency through her Echo Magic that would cause the devices to destroy themselves and turn into dust, not leaving a single ounce of proof they were there. Liam was fascinated by these creations. The more he heard about these and the possibilities Artificery held with both creation and magic the more he wanted to learn it. He had to hold his curiosity of the craft back so he could focus on the briefing, but after this was down he was going to ask a lot of questions. After setting up the last one, Liam stared at the door he needed to get through. He lightly jingled the handle and felt it was locked. He cursed internally because according to the Association¡¯s knowledge these doors couldn¡¯t be locked. Liam crouched and looked at the handle. He noticed there was a key hole big enough for him to look through. Thanks to his heightened sight he was able to see through the hole and see the room on the other side. The entire room was dark since the sun was down and the Yooperlite stones were turned off. As he stared through the keyhole a few ideas played through his mind. He decided to try out one of them since it would be the best to use. He took in a deep breath and, while keeping an eye on the spot he wanted to appear through the keyhole, he activated Shadow Step. To his relief, he felt his body dissipate into a cloud of smoke before reappearing on the other side of the door. He let out the air he took in before using the ability and smiled before reactivating his Veil of Shadows. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if this would work. However, this was better than trying to activate his Spirit Weave form and trying to use Shadow Double on the other side. He both didn¡¯t want to waste any Spirit Pool points and wasn¡¯t entirely sure if the ability would work with no enemies around. He really needed to gain the ability outside of that form. His guess with his Shadow Step working through the door was highly skeptical as his guess with Shadow Double working, but he believed it had a higher success rate since he was able to see through the keyhole and the entire room was covered in darkness. Once more, without opening his mouth, Liam reported, ¡°Second objective cleared. However, the door was locked.¡± ¡°Was it really?¡± Echo Talon responded with slight concern. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to break it did you?¡± ¡°Negative,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Was able to get through without having to break our pick it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Echo Talon said with an amused tone. ¡°I might need to have you join me on more missions that require us not having to break doors down or pick them. Continue on.¡± Liam smirked at that comment. He was happy he was showing some promise especially to someone who looked annoyed at him continuing their Chain Mission. Before he moved, Liam pulled his goggles down over his eyes to get a better view of the room. He could have used his Dark Sight and tried to level it up so he could see clearer in the dark, but he knew he didn¡¯t have the time for that. He needed to hurry and look through all the documents in this room. He started with the shelves planted in the corner of the right back of the room. He searched through books to see if there were any hidden places or items disguising themselves as books. What he found were nothing exciting. Rules, procedures, and handbooks on the position of the person who¡¯s office this was along with other positions. There were other books containing information about what the city held, businesses, and people of note. Nothing stood out for what he was looking for. This area was a bust. Liam moved over to the cabinets that littered the other side of the back area next to the massive window. After opening and searching through each document placed in each folder, again he found nothing special. They were just of people from over the years that had arrived from the Tutorial Area. One thing that did stand out was there were only four people who arrived recently this past month. He was even in there indicating he was the last one to have arrived recently to this area. His information on the paperwork didn¡¯t have much. Just some notes of what he said during their interview, his age, first name, and some odd stuff. He placed it back and looked around the room once more. He didn¡¯t see anything that indicated there were hidden spots, or any scrapes along the flooring for hidden rooms. He decided to check the desk that was centered in the middle of the room. The top of the desk was neat and clean. Nothing out of place or placed in what could look weird. He opened the bottom drawer of the right side and saw there were more papers. He pulled them out and stacked them in close to the edge. He opened the drawer above it and saw nothing but pens, pencils, and other office equipment one would have. He went through the stack of folders filled with paperwork and noticed it wasn¡¯t for the New Arrival Agent Department. Instead, the paperwork ended up being reports for a man named George Jinkalin. Liam didn¡¯t know who the man was, but after reading through reports he deduced that the man must be the mayor of the city. He hadn¡¯t met the man nor head a lot about him, so he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if his guess was correct. However, the details of incidents, issues, problems resolved as well as people who they were keeping an eye on in case they caused problems made him determine that his guess was correct. After looking over the reports, Liam pulled a few that he felt could be helpful while putting the rest back in their folders and in the drawer. He then moved over to the bottom drawer on the other side of the desk and found more folders with paperwork in them. Like the other said, he placed these ones in a stack on the edge to indicate where he had gotten it from. He then open the top drawer and noticed a couple things weird about it. First the only thing in it was a clipboard. At first glance the clipboard wouldn¡¯t be something that would catch his eye. However, it was how high the clipboard sat in the drawer. For the size of the drawer, the clipboard sat up too high. Liam pulled the object out to get a better look at the drawer. Like he had thought. There was too much missing space inside this drawer. Not only that, but as his vision zoomed in to find any details he overlooked, he noticed slight markings along both sides of the drawer that stopped at a thirty degree angle upwards. Liam placed a hand in the drawer and pressed down to see if it was a trap door. To his luck he felt the fake bottom spring down and then up as he slowly brought his hand out. There, inside the hidden compartment of the drawer was a steel case. Liam pulled out the steel case and inspected it. He activated Mana Sight to see if he could spot any mana leaking from it, but to his surprise there were no such securities. He wasn¡¯t sure if the person this belonged to was stupid for not placing any or if they were that confident that no one would ever find it. After thinking about the lock on the door, he believed the latter was the reason. Still, Liam was cautious as he looked for a way to open the steel case. He felt stupid as he found it was a lot easier to open it by sliding the cover off of the case. Again, this just told him how confident Lucy was on no one being able to enter the room. He gently placed the lid down and looked at the first folder that faced him. It read, Targets. He pulled it out and looked at the next one that read Allies and Potential Threats. He pulled out two more before stopping at the last folder. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he read the words in a soft whisper subconsciously, ¡°Project S.I.V. Retrieval.¡± Adventure 212 - The Phantom Cat Liam stared at the folder with confusion and curiosity. He didn¡¯t know what S.I.V. meant nor did he have any ideas. After trying to wrack his brain over it and not coming up with anything, Liam asked Eri, Do you have any ideas on what S.I.V. stands for? Without missing a beat, a message notification appeared right in front of him.
¡°Not a clue. It could stand for a lot of things, but nothing is coming to mind as of this moment. Also you won¡¯t be able to open it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam tilted his head to the side as he stared at the folder. What do you mean?
¡°It has a protection magic that requires a certain kind of magic to undo it. The magical ability placed on it has two effects. It restricts anyone who isn¡¯t attuned to the magic from being able to open it. And the other is if you try to force it open then it is set to disintegrate itself. Someone at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web might have a magical ability that can undo it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded as he looked at the folder. As he placed it inside his inventory he said, Good to know. Thank you for telling me that before I accidentally destroyed potential information. Do the others have the same kind of protection?
¡°No. Just that one. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded once more before looking at the other folders. He didn¡¯t know which one to look at first. After wasting a couple of seconds trying to decide, he went with the first folder that read Targets on the front. He looked at the first page and was confused. It had a picture of a woman with deer-like horns, blond hair, and green eyes. He read the first bit of information that only revealed her first name ¨C Sarah. Her age ¨C twenty six. Her race ¨C Half Breed: Deer-Folk, Human. He stopped after getting to the next line that was written in red letters: Status ¨C Deceased. He turned to the next page and saw a middle aged man with long golden hair and a golden beard that flowed around his face like a mane. Once more he read the first bit of information. Name ¨C Leonard. Age ¨C Forty eight. Race ¨C Half Breed: Lion-Folk, Human. This next part was in regular black in, and it read: Status ¨C Alive, Cooperating. This confused Liam. He wasn¡¯t sure why the whole status part mattered, but instead of thinking more on it he moved on to the next page. And the next page. And the next. Each one he read was closely similar to the first two. They had a picture of a person, some basic information and a status part that was either in black ink saying Alive and Cooperating or red ink saying Deceased. He decided to speed read to see if he could find anything that stood out. He didn¡¯t really notice anything weird until he reached the last page. This page had a picture of himself with some of his basic information. Name ¨C Liam. Age ¨C Twenty two. Race ¨C Half Breed: Cat-Folk (Cait Sith Species - Extremely Possible. Must obtain at any cost), Human. The Status part was originally in red ink with the words Deceased, but they were crossed out with black ink with the words next to it saying: Alive, Whereabouts Unknown. After seeing this he moved past that and paid more attention to the information after that. Crafter? Yes. Single Focus or Multiple Focus? Multiple Focus. If target has Multiple Focus, what crafts are currently known? Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Enchanting, and Tailoring. Party Members? None. Family? None known or seen around the area. New Arrival or Born on Paracosm? New Arrival. Liam kept reading and seeing check marks or circles around or after each bit of information. After seeing this, Liam had a sudden thought and looked back at the previous pages before his. To his surprise and realization, each and every person in this file had a lot in common. They were crafters with multiple focuses, Half Breeds, no known party members and family members, and a few others. Besides the crafting and them being half breeds, the other part that really stood out was they were all New Arrivals. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam quietly muttered, not realizing he sent the words to Echo Talon. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Echo talon quickly asked. Liam shook his head as he responded while keeping his mouth shut, ¡°I believe I have found the exact information you¡¯ve been looking for.¡± ¡°Really?! Are you sure? If so then that bit of information you happened to stumble upon to lead us here was extremely lucky,¡± Echo Talon replied with some disbelief. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I found a few folders that are marked with Targets, Allies and Possibly Threats, and a few more. However, there is one that is magically protected with the words Project S.I.V. Retrieval on it.¡± ¡°Holy shit dude. That does sound like exactly what we¡¯re looking for,¡± Echo Talon said with a happy tone in her voice. ¡°Nab it and head back out as carefully as you can.¡± Liam was about to answer her back until he felt a faint vibration coming from his receiver device. Liam looked at it with some confusion before remembering what that vibration meant as it grew in strength. ¡°I¡¯ve got company incoming,¡± Liam stated as he placed all the folders from the steel case inside his inventory. He then grabbed a few folders from the pile that belonged to the bottom drawer and placed them into the steel case. After that he put everything away as fast as he could while feeling the vibration from the small device he was holding growing stronger every couple of seconds. After putting everything away. He quickly activated his Spirit Weave ability and used Veil of Shadows and slowly made his way towards the cabinets. He wedged himself in between a couple of them and waited as he heard a key slip into the door. A click filled the air of the room as the door unlocked and then opened. Liam stared at the open door as some light entered and lightly illuminated the area around the doorway. He was expecting to see the owner of the room but was surprised to see a tall bulky Lion-folk standing there instead. He watched as the Lion-folk scanned the room before entering. Liam relaxed a bit as the man¡¯s predatory gaze didn¡¯t stop on the area where he stood. He doesn¡¯t see me or feel that I am here. That¡¯s good. Liam¡¯s eyes scrunched as a new thought came to light. Why does this man have a key to Lucy¡¯s office though? Liam then watched as the man slowly walk towards the desk. He could hear the man grumbling as he approached the desk. ¡°Stupid bitch¡­making me come all the way out here just to grab that stupid ass case. Why leave it here if you were going to need it later anyways¡­¡± He pulled out each drawer and looked for the object he was sent for. ¡°Now where did she say it was again¡­Ah ha. There it is.¡± Liam watched as the man pulled out the steel case from the hidden location in the top drawer. After he grabbed it, closed the trap door, and placed the clipboard back, the man began to make his way towards the door with the steel case in hand. Liam decided to use this as an opportunity to sneak out by getting behind the man and tried to use his shadow as a cover. He was curious as to why the Lion-folk didn¡¯t place the steel case into his inventory but decided that maybe it was an object that he couldn¡¯t for some reason. Liam ducked and slipped behind the man as he turned to close and lock the door. As he turned back around, Liam crouched again and started making his way back behind the man. As soon as he made it behind him, Liam noticed the Lion-folk¡¯s body tense after taking a few steps. Liam swiftly ducked as low as he could without distorting the man¡¯s shadow. He noticed the man had a mixture of a confused and annoyed look as he looked around the area. After he didn¡¯t find what he was looking for, the man narrowed his eyes and started walking away from the door and down the hall. Liam stayed as close to the man but at the same time as far as he could without creating any suspicions in the man¡¯s shadow. Once more after several steps, the man stopped. Liam, thinking the man was going to turn around again, crouched down to his knees. As soon as he dropped all the way down, the lion-folk man spun around and swung his extended claws out through the empty space above Liam¡¯s head. Liam gulped as he watched this. He was glad he dropped as low as he could when he did. If he didn¡¯t then those claws would have sliced right into him. Liam stared at the man¡¯s face again and noticed it was starting to get angry. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. While he had tried this tactic out with the members of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web earlier, they had stated there was no way for them to notice he was behind them unless they saw his shadowy form on the ground or the walls. He knew this man didn¡¯t see his shadowy form so he was unsure and uncertain as to how this man could feel someone was around him. He didn¡¯t act like this when he wasn¡¯t around inside Lucy¡¯s office so what had changed? The only thing that did was how close he was to the man. But once more, he shouldn¡¯t be able to feel that some thing or someone was near him while using Veil of Shadows. Especially while in this Spirit Weave form that gave him a bonus increase to Shadow abilities. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Liam noticed the Lion-folk man start to snarl as he scanned the area again. He say the man open his mouth and was about to say something, but stopped as a new voice called out, ¡°Zareth, what are you doing?¡± The Lion-folk male tempered his snarl as he turned around to look at the newcomer. Liam peeked around Zareth to see Head Security Fred, the Bear-folk. Liam was confused as to why this man was suddenly here. Was he in on what was going on? Was what Liam heard earlier from the disgruntled security members just a ploy to throw people off? More questions started to form, but they stopped as he listened in on the conversation before him. ¡°Head Security Fred, I didn¡¯t know you would be patrolling this floor? If you¡¯re referring to me swinging my claws around like that then sorry, but I felt like something, or someone was behind me¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Fred started to say. He drew a strict expression on his face as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re patrol doesn¡¯t take you on this floor. Why are you patrolling outside your designated area?¡± Fred¡¯s eyes then landed on the steel case resting in Zareth¡¯s hand. ¡°Where did you get that case from?¡± Zareth grew an annoyed look before reschooling his facial features and answered, ¡°Miss Lucy asked me to swing by her office and bring this to her.¡± Fred slightly narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man before saying, ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you are patrolling outside your designated area while on the clock.¡± Zareth frowned as he repeated, ¡°Miss Lucy asked me to¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what Miss Lucy asked you to Zareth,¡± Fred interrupted. ¡°She is not your boss. I am. I gave you specific orders to patrol floors twenty to twenty four. I went to check and see how everyone is doing starting with the top floor and making my way down. When I got to your assigned floors what did I find? No one there.¡± Fred stared Zareth down. ¡°I was lucky enough to find someone who overheard you asking Mannith to let you come down here for an hour and patrol while he went to find his replacement. You know that isn¡¯t how we do things here.¡± Zareth stared at Fred. Liam stared to straighten his posture, so he didn¡¯t remain crouching the entire time. The moment he straightened up, however, he instantly dropped back down as Zareth swung a clawed hand once more right over Liam¡¯s head. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Fred demanded as he placed himself into a fighting stance. ¡°You don¡¯t feel it?¡± Zareth asked sounding agitated. ¡°Feel what?¡± Fred inquired, keeping his eyes on the Lion-folk. ¡°The feeling of someone who has committed a great sin?¡± Zareth responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I keep feeling it, but its like a fly that you can¡¯t find. It keeps reappearing and disappearing without a trace in sight.¡± Liam¡¯s body froze as he listened to the man. Those words sounded familiar and made his blood run cold. Fred¡¯s eyes narrowed as he asked as cautiously as possible, ¡°What are you talking about Zareth? You sound like a Seven Immoral Vice Cultist when you say it like that.¡± Zareth¡¯s body froze as he heard Fred say that. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out before turning and giving Fred an ashamed look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. With everything going on my mental state isn¡¯t in the best condition. Since you¡¯ve got us on high alert all the time I¡¯ve been doing my best to focus on what I need to do.¡± The man then pointed at the steel case and added, ¡°I guess I let myself be an errand boy for Miss Lucy as well thinking it would help with whatever was going on.¡± Fred continued to stare at the Lion-folk man without saying a word. After a few moments passed Fred relaxed his stance and facial features and replied, ¡°There have been some strange things going on. I guess I can be partly to blame for making things feel tense around here. After the couple of incidents recently I¡¯ve been on high alert myself.¡± Fred thought it over. After coming to a decision, he added, ¡°Go ahead and take that to Miss Lucy and then take the rest of the shift off to relax. I want you here tomorrow in a better mental state so get some rest.¡± Zareth gave the Bear-folk male a slight bow while saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Zareth made his way past Fred. Liam transitioned himself from Zareth¡¯s shadow to Fred¡¯s as the two men passed each other. After what Zareth had been doing, Liam didn¡¯t feel it safe to stay within the Lion-folk¡¯s shadow anymore. Fred waited until Zareth was completely gone before muttering to himself, ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe it, but¡­maybe the Teleportation Tree isn¡¯t as secured as I once believed it to be. The question now is¡­if its true then how did they bypass the illusion protections?¡± Not too long after that, Liam was able to make it to the stairwell and separate himself from Fred. He deactivated his Spirit Weave form and reapplied his Veil of Shadows as fast as he could before making his way down and out of the building. After making it into an alleyway, he informed Echo Talon that he safely made it out. He then told her he would be slowly making his way back to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web but had something to do first. Liam made his way to the Dungeon Tower, got into the yellow dungeon and refilled both his Spirit Pool that he had used during that situation and the Flawed Orbs he had to feed to Devour. He didn¡¯t waste much time and only did the first floor of the dungeon before slipping out covered in his shadows. It didn¡¯t take long for Liam to get to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. He wasn¡¯t sure if anyone was there since it was creeping so close to midnight. However, after walking in, he was surprised to see not only Silent Paw and Echo Talon standing there, but also Lady Arachne, Noxi, Silent Saboteur, Orchid, and even the woman with long braided raven black hair and emerald, green eyes, and either Panther or Black Jaguar features. She had on the best-like bone half mask she wore the day before when she had briefly appeared. Liam remembered Lady Arachne calling her Midnight Claw. As soon as they saw him enter the room they each turned and started clapping. Liam was both confused and surprised by this and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Congratulations!¡± a few of them shouted as they continued to clap. Still confused, Liam asked, ¡°Congratulations? What are you congratulating me for?¡± As the clapping died down, Lady Arachne took a step forward and informed, ¡°We are congratulating you on completing the final test given to you as well as making it back safely.¡± Lady Arachne glanced at Echo Talon and stated, ¡°I was told that an issue arose during the middle of the mission, but seeing as no alarms went off and both she and Silent Paw didn¡¯t have to try and eject you from the situation; that means you were able to get out without any problems.¡± Liam thought about the situation she was referring to. He was happy they were congratulating him and saying he did a great job, but the small amount of information he had obtained held him back from enjoying this moment. Lady Arachne sensed the feeling in Liam and stopped him before he could say anything. ¡°I know you want to give us all the details on what you have discovered. Echo Talon updated me on what you had told her, but that can wait for a moment. Before we go over the details of everything and receive what you obtained, we must finish the procedure of making you into a full member of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web.¡± This got another round of clapping. Those with masks that didn¡¯t cover their mouths even whistled. ¡°Now I assume Wild Card gave you a specific item before sending you to this location correct?¡± Lady Arachne questioned. ¡°Wild Card?¡± Midnight Claw suddenly blurted. Everyone turned to look at her with a confused expression. Before anyone can say anything Lady Arachne stated, ¡°That¡¯s right. You two haven¡¯t officially met yet.¡± The shorter woman looked at Liam while pointing to Midnight Claw and introducing, ¡°This is Sixth Leg Midnight Claw. She is an Illusion, Information Gathering, and Stealing Specialist.¡± Lady Arachne looked at Midnight Claw and informed, ¡°This young man is The Wild Card¡¯s apprentice.¡± Midnight Claw looked surprised to hear this. She then nodded her head in an approving gesture as she said, ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope the Wild Card hasn¡¯t been too hard on you.¡± Liam let out a slight chuckle before replying, ¡°He sets the bars high for a lot of things so far, but I can understand why he does it and I am quite thankful for it.¡± After he said that, Liam noticed a new feature he hadn¡¯t seen before on the woman¡¯s face. Underneath her eyes, barely visible thanks to the mask she was wearing, he could see faint outlines of certain symbols. Liam held back his curiosity but made a guess that they were similar to the man¡¯s, who they were talking about, symbols. Midnight Claw noticed the subtle realization that he had made and brought a finger up to her mask where her lips would be in a hushing gesture. Liam nodded, understanding that he shouldn¡¯t ask or say anything about it. while it did raise some questions and concerns, he wasn¡¯t going to press his luck. Instead, Liam pulled out the pocket watch Lady Arachne was referring to. Liam looked at the pocket watch. It was black with a spiderweb in the shape of a fiddle. He remembered the first time he had looked at the object. It was on his first day in this world. Now that he was here at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web he was excited to see what its use actually was. Lady Arachne placed a hand out and waited for Liam to put the object on her palm. Hesitating at first, Liam finally did as she wanted him to and she explained, ¡°This object right here is a Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web member¡¯s lifeline. The object is a way that helps the members identify themselves when going to different branches, how they can keep track of missions given or mission completed and failed. It is also a way for the Association to communicate and send out emergency summons, information, or emergency missions. There are other features this device contains, but we wont go into that for now.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°At first this device is just a plain ordinary device that can not be opened. No matter the strength of the person who is holding it, it will not open without meeting special requirements. Those requirements are: Becoming a full fledge member of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web¡¯s Association, attuning your mana to the device, and a Web Name being bestowed on it.¡± Liam looked at her confused. The way she was describing it. He felt like this was something similar to a soul bound item, like in the games he used to play. Lady Arachne smirked as she saw his expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. These items can only work and belong to you once you infuse your mana in it and a Web Name has been given. I ask you to channel your mana and pour it into the object. When a certain amount of mana has been infused into it I will bestow your Web Name.¡± Liam felt nervous and excited all at once. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of Lady Arachne and how she explained it all, but he felt like this was something similar to winning an award or graduating. Without waiting, Liam channeled his mana and manipulated it towards the object. Lady Arachne waited for a few seconds, allowing a certain amount of mana to enter it. While the object did take in the mana, he was still not as proficient in manipulating and controlling to keep all of it inside the object. Because of that, a good portion of the mana he was infusing leaked out of it. After the right amount of mana had finally infused itself into the pocket watch, Lady Arachne began to speak with both a magical and authoritative tone of voice, ¡°We stand here tonight, witnessing the birth to a new Fiddler to our Web. We welcome a new member to our family full of those who hide in the dark. A new member who fabricates, concocts, and assembles deadly items through crafts. One who moves unnoticed through the shadows like a feline on the hunt. One who dances amongst us like a specter. One who¡¯s will and spirit will not bend to any in front of him. I, Lady Arachne, First Leg of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web located in Cashat Port, use my authority to bestow a Web Name to this deserving member. Recognize the name and imprint it upon yourself so that this member will gain the recognition he has earned from the members standing here as witness. Welcome and Rejoice our new member, Phantom Cat.¡± Adventure 213 - Silky and Post Mission Talks Liam felt a powerful pressure fill the entire room as Lady Arachne chanted her words. The power that pressed down on him almost made him buckle and drop to his knees before compressing right into the black pocket watch and releasing Liam from its hold. The spiderweb resting on the pocket watch rippled as if it had come to life. A small spider suddenly appeared out of nowhere and made its way to the middle of the web. Liam recognized the fiddle symbol on its back. After a few seconds had passed, a click echoed from the object before opening up. Liam could feel his heart thumping hard against his chest from the excitement of what had just happened. It felt like he had just downed an energy drink and was full of adrenaline. He focused on the object that rested on Lady Arachne¡¯s palm as she pushed it out for Liam to take. He slowly and cautiously reached out and grabbed it. He knew it was stupid that he did that, but a small part of him felt like he would spook it and it would grow legs and swiftly run off. Liam looked at the open section of the pocket watch. The inside of the lid had a web-like design just like the outside. To Liam¡¯s surprise, the spider that appeared on the outside made its way to the web inside, looked down at where the clock would normally be, but instead of an analogy clock ticking away, a black glass stared back at Liam. Liam frowned at this. He wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but a blank area wasn¡¯t it. He was about to ask if he had received a broken pocket watch, but then the spider that was resting on the web made its way down towards the blank area. As soon as it reached the edge, the spider suddenly entered the darkened area and disappeared. Two seconds later words suddenly appeared.
¡°Good evening Phantom Cat. I am your Support Spider, Silky.¡±
Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he read the message. He was about to say something, but the words disappeared and were replaced with more text.
¡°I am here to help you keep track of the missions you are currently taking on¡­¡±
The text faded away and were replaced with new ones.
¡°Missions you have completed, types of missions you normally take, items you make for the Association¡­¡± ¡°Help you locate any branches closest to you, validate your identity to the branches, pass along messages from Branch Legs, and more¡­¡± ¡°If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. I look forward to our fruitful cooperation. ¨C Silky.¡±
"I look forward to your help and guidance for the future as well. Glad to make your acquaintance Silky,¡± Liam greeted, feeling a bit weird talking to a spider through a pocket watch. It felt like the more the days went by in this world, the less his old normalcy was disappearing. He thought he had passed this point thanks to the Tutorial Area, but here he stood¡­surprised and confused even more than he was moments before. A sudden thought came to mind as he stared at the pocket watch. ¡°Um I do have a question¡­Are you a living creature or an item? Also, do you eat? If so what do I need to feed you?¡± The people around him let out a round of laughter as he asked these questions. Liam felt both annoyed and embarrassed. He wasn¡¯t sure if he asked a dumb question or not, but their reactions made him feel like he did. Lady Arachne answered his questions before Silky did. ¡°Silky is a Mana created organism that is both alive yet not alive.¡± She saw the confused expression on Liam¡¯s face and continued, ¡°I can¡¯t go through the entire process of how since the creator is a stickler on how he and his apprentices make these Web Watches, but Silky is a creature that is made thanks to the combination of Artificery, Enchantments, Rune Crafting, and Ritual Magic. Support Spiders though aren¡¯t entirely alive when they finish making the Web Watch. They come alive when a Web Watch receives both the Web Name of the member they will be helping and the mana of that member. In a way she is alive thanks to your mana and can stay alive through you feeding her mana every now and then.¡± Liam felt intrigued by this and really wanted to learn more. However, he had a feeling he wasn¡¯t going to get any answers, so he decided to put that on the backburner for now. Instead he stared at his Web Watch¡­He felt the name was both kind of funny and kind of matched the theme the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web was going with. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I helped create her with my mana?¡± Lady Arachne nodded.
¡°You can say that, yes. I would not be here today without your help. ¨C Silky.¡±
Liam nodded. Another question came to mind as he asked, ¡°Since you are alive what would happen if I place you in my inventory or a bag that has inventory space in it? Would that harm you?¡±
¡°While it would not harm or kill me, I would like to ask for you to not place me in there for extended periods of time¡­¡± ¡°As I am a Support Spider, I cannot relay emergency missions, summons, or messages to you while inside any subspace you are not currently located¡­¡± ¡°I also can not inform you of things like locations of Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web locations or detection of other Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web members close by. ¨C Silky.¡±
Liam¡¯s brow raised at that last message. ¡°You can detect when another Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web member is close by?¡±
¡°Yes. While I won¡¯t be able to tell you their exact location, I can inform you that one is close by and how many are. ¨C Silky.¡±
¡°How?¡± Liam questioned as he looked up at the others. ¡°Support Spiders inside the Web Watches can communicate with each other through their own means,¡± Noxi informed. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to tell you where the others are due to privacy reasons, but they can let you know who is close by,¡± Orchid added. ¡°That function is there so if a member is currently taking on a mission and needs help with it they can see if the member close by is one who is capable of helping or not,¡± Silent Saboteur finished. ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Liam said. ¡°I guess it is,¡± Lady Arachne stated with a smile. She then turned serious as she added, ¡°As excited as you are I am going to have to ask you to continue discovering what Silky can do later.¡± Liam felt a shift all around him. He looked at the shorter woman before looking at everyone else. He could see their playful demeanors turn to a neutral expression. He looked back at his Web Watch and asked, ¡°Silky, do you mind if we continue this later?¡±
¡°Not at all Phantom Cat. I will be awaiting your return. Please place me in a spot where I can easily reach out to you if something arises. ¨C Silky.¡±
¡°Will do,¡± Liam stated as he watched the spider reappear out from the darkened area and slowly make her way towards the outside of the pocket watch lid. Once she made it there, he closed the Web Watch and placed it in a pocket on his pants. He then looked at Lady Arachne and followed everyone through a door that Noxi had opened. The area they had arrived to was the meeting room they were in earlier that day. Liam took a spot next to Noxi as everyone sat in the same spot as earlier. The only difference this time was Midnight Claw had joined them and took the empty spot next to Liam. After everyone sat down they all looked at Liam while Lady Arachne started, ¡°Now, we were informed you believe you have found the information our client has been searching for. I ask you reveal what you have found and explain what makes you believe the claim you have made.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Liam took a gulp before saying, ¡°If it¡¯s alright with all of you, I¡¯d like to tell you what I also found from listening to the guards as well.¡± Lady Arachne nodded as she stated, ¡°Granted.¡± Liam had told everyone what he had heard while hiding in the shadow. He told them how the employees had some grumblings because Fred, the Head Security of the building, had increased security measures due to believing something was going on in the city. After he was done telling them this, Silent Saboteur commented, ¡°While that¡¯s some interesting information to have gathered, hearsay and guesses doesn¡¯t really help with what your mission entailed.¡± ¡°I would agree with you on that, but I have more that happened later, which I will tell you after I show you what I had found in the office,¡± Liam replied. Everyone raised a brow as they looked at one another. ¡°After I had reached the floor that held all the New Arrival Agents, I made my way towards the Head New Arrival Agent Office. The one we decided to search first. When I reached the door I found it to be locked.¡± ¡°Locked?¡± Orchid questioned. ¡°I thought all the doors on that floor were unlocked?¡± Liam nodded, agreeing that they had believed that as well. He then explained that he had to slip through the door using an ability without damaging the door. ¡°After searching the entire room finding nothing I went to the desk and found a hidden door in one of the top drawers. There I found a steel case with a few folders.¡± Liam pulled out all but one folder. He then placed them at the middle of the table for everyone to see. He then spread them out and stated, ¡°I didn¡¯t get to look at all of them. I did get to search one though.¡± He grabbed the folder that had the words Targets labeled on the front. ¡°This folder holds pages of people. At first they looked to be random people. I didn¡¯t think there was anything that really stood out as I went through each page. That was, albeit, until I reached the last page.¡± Everyone took their eyes off the folder and looked at Liam once more. ¡°The last page has certain information about the boy we talked about that had gotten attacked the other day,¡± Liam stated as he looked at them. ¡°After looking over his profile I realized there was something that was nagging at me. I looked back at all the other pages and found something that linked them all together.¡± Liam slid the folder over to Lady Arachne. Curious, she opened the folder and looked over the first page. Liam saw the confused look on her face just by her lips. She looked over the next page and skimmed it, then the next. Liam could see she wasn¡¯t looking at what he had once he had found it. Before she could ask the question he knew she would have, Liam suggested, ¡°Please look at the sections: Races, Crafts, Party Members, Family Members, and New Arrival or Born on Paracosm.¡± Lady Arachne looked at Liam then back at the three pages and focused on the sections Liam had suggested. He noticed the realization she had come to as she searched every page after that. After a few seconds had passed she looked back at Liam and stated, ¡°They¡¯re all Half Breeds, Crafters in multiple areas, and have no known party or family members.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°You can also see that some have the words in red ink on the status section saying Deceased or black ink saying Alive and Cooperating.¡± Everyone else in the room frowned or grew confused, but as Lady Arachne passed the folder around, they too, started to understand. ¡°New Arrivals are being targeted. Specifically crafters who are half breeds,¡± Noxi stated. ¡°But why though?¡± Orchid asked. Liam shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know that entirely, but I believe one of these folders holds the key to that answer.¡± Midnight Claw looked at him with a brow raised and asked, ¡°What makes you think that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get to that in just a moment,¡± Liam answered as he looked back at the others. ¡°Before looking at the other folders I feel that I need to tell you what happened while I was looking through that folder.¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on him. Not wanting to hold back any longer, Liam went into full detail on what had happened when the Lion-folk arrived. He told them about the man being able to enter the room with a key, about how Fred arrived and the weird reaction the Lion-folk had as well as what he had said. ¡°What that Lion-folk, Zareth, said is a bit disturbing,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. ¡°I agree,¡± Orchid nodded. ¡°It sounds a lot like the words a certain cult would say. However, it is strange coming from a Beast-kin, especially a Lion-folk, since they hate that cult the most. Also, what do you think Fred meant by that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± Midnight Claw jumped in. ¡°But it sounds like he¡¯s been looking into the matter recently from his end and he might know something more.¡± Lady Arachne stared at Liam and asked, ¡°You¡¯re sure he was able to sense where you were while you were behind him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one hundred percent sure if it was me he was sensing or something else entirely since he could find where exactly I was,¡± Liam pointed out. ¡°He seemed to only have a feel when I wasn¡¯t crouching and was standing behind him.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Lady Arachne muttered as she brought a hand to her chin. ¡°While those are some good questions to ask, I believe we aren¡¯t asking the most important question here,¡± Noxi suddenly stated before looking at Liam. ¡°You said he grabbed the steel case that held these folders, right? Did the man not tell there was nothing in there by how light it was?¡± Liam smiled at that questioned. He had forgotten to tell them what he did. ¡°He couldn¡¯t tell that the original folders were not in there.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Orchid asked. ¡°I placed different folders inside the steel case,¡± Liam stated with a grin. Lady Arachne looked like she understood where Noxi was going with this as she shook her head. ¡°If he was sent to retrieve that steel case and you swapped out the folders that were in there for other folders then that means they will know someone had stolen them.¡± She gave Liam an approving nod. ¡°While I applaud you for doing that, I believe this might be a good time to mention that when you get the chance you should probably get some Copy Magic so next time you can make a copy of all this information.¡± Liam was confused as to why she had mentioned this, but before he could ask she explained, ¡°Now the people involved know someone is on to them. I don¡¯t know what kind of repercussions that will bring, but they will be on high alert now.¡± Liam could understand what she meant and shook his head. He didn¡¯t know there was magic called Copy Magic. ¡°What does Copy Magic do?¡± ¡°It allows the caster to make duplicate copies of papers and their contents,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°It is meant for office workers, but those in our field use it to make copies of information we try to steal for our clients.¡± ¡°How would the client know that the information gathered through that method is legit?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It¡¯s because of the nature of the magic,¡± Silent Saboteur chimed in. After receiving a puzzled look from Liam, he added, ¡°The contents procured through Copy Magic is a secured and trusted method because you can only use it on information that existed on the original paper. You cannot write new information or omit certain information on the copied paper.¡± Liam was impressed with what was explained. If what he said was true then he could understand why Copy Magic was a trusted method in gathering documents and information. A thought popped up as he thought about the method and using it on the contents in these folders. While it would work on majority of the folders, he wasn¡¯t sure if it would work on one of them. ¡°Can Copy Magic work on folders that have protection magic on them?¡± Liam asked. Curious why he was asking this, Silent Saboteur answered, ¡°No. Papers or folders that have protection magic on them will rebuff the magic or in some cases it would destroy the entire thing¡­Why do you ask?¡± Liam nodded as he thought about it. He then replied as he looked at the man before looking at Lady Arachne, ¡°It was probably a good idea that I didn¡¯t have Copy Magic. One of the folders holds Protection Magic.¡± Lady Arachne and the others looked at Liam then back at the folders spread out. they tried to find the one he was talking about. After they couldn¡¯t find it Orchid stated, ¡°I don¡¯t see any with that kind of magic placed on it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s not on the table,¡± Liam said as he reached inside his inventory and pulled out a folder. He held it in his hand so the others could see the label on it. He looked at Midnight Claw and said, ¡°Going back to your question about how I believe that one of these holds the key to the answer. This folder is the reason why I think that. Its title is Project S.I.V. Retrieval. I don¡¯t know what S.I.V stands for, but I don¡¯t think its pleasant.¡± Each of the Legs stared at the folder. The lower numbered Legs looked at each other before looking at Lady Arachne. Silent Saboteur was the one to ask the question they all were silently communicating to each other, ¡°Should I send a message out to Cryptic Wing?¡± Lady Arachne turned her gaze over to him and informed, ¡°No need. I received word he was already on his way back from his mission and should arrive by tomorrow.¡± Confused on who this Cryptic Wing person was, Liam looked at Noxi and raised a brow. Understanding what Liam was asking, the man explained, ¡°Cryptic Wing is the Eighth Leg. He is the best when it comes to lifting Protection Magic placed on objects like this.¡± Liam nodded, understanding what he said. He was also relieved to hear that there was someone in the association who could break that type of magic. Liam was about to dive into some of his current thoughts but stopped as Lady Arachne started back up. ¡°Phantom Cat,¡± the short woman started. ¡°This is excellent work for your first mission. While we know the task and the nature of the mission was not something that started with you; We can all agree that you played a magnificent role in aiding your fellow Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web members by retrieving this information. While the client won¡¯t be able to reward you on their part since they were not aware of your participation, I wish to reward you with a couple of things. Please come here tomorrow around noon to receive them.¡± Liam nodded. He understood what she was saying and was grateful that even though he couldn¡¯t receive anything from the mission rewards, Lady Arachne herself was still willing to reward him. ¡°As for Echo Talon and Silent Paw,¡± Lady Arachne continued as she looked at the two. ¡°I thank you both for going along with my request allowing our newest member to help you and for aiding him on a successful mission. We will be informing the client about what was found, and you will receive the mission reward after this Protection Magic on this file has been lifted. Please come around noon as well.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Arachne,¡± Echo Talon and Silent Paw stated in unison as they bowed to her. ¡°Good work everyone. You are dismissed for the night,¡± Lady Arachne stated with an authoritative voice. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam let out a long breath of air as he stood under the hot water in the shower in the room at the inn he was using as a cover. He decided to wash up before making his way back to the forested area where Uncle Naro was probably waiting for him. As he stood there he allowed his mind to wander. He thought about everything that had happened the past few hours. He had learned some things that brought light as to why he was being targeted, but at the same time he didn¡¯t know exactly why. Why did they need crafters who dabbled in more than one area of crafting? Why were they going after just half breeds? There were so many questions that he didn¡¯t know where to begin. However, there was one major question he had on his mind that he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about. Who exactly is Lucy and how has she been getting away with all this? He had a weird feeling about her ever since she was overly friendly with him on his first day and offered to pay for a room for a few days. That feeling grew a bit more during that incident at the Crafter¡¯s Association when she arrived and revealed she had more information about him he had only told Lyca. That thought shifted his attention on the man. Was he in on all of this? If so then he couldn¡¯t be trusted either. ¡°Just goes to show that I need to question everyone no matter how harmless or nice they are,¡± Liam quietly muttered as he turned the shower off. He got out and dried himself off. After putting his clothes on, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as his Danger Sense prickled against his skin. He was on high alert as he scanned the room. The way his Danger Sense was acting wasn¡¯t the normal way it would that told him a deadly attack was coming. Instead, this felt like something or someone dangerous was close by. He was about to call out in the room, but stopped as a knock came from the door. Liam¡¯s eyes locked on the door. He didn¡¯t say anything, but that didn¡¯t stop whoever was on the other side. ¡°Good evening Mr. Liam,¡± a familiar feminine voice called out. Liam could feel his heart thumping hard against his chest as he recognized the voice. It was Lucy. Adventure 214 - Sudden Ambush
¡°Liam. It¡¯s¡­ - Eri.¡±
I know who it is. Liam cut Eri off before she could finish the text. What I want to know is how she knows I am here and why she decided to come. Liam didn¡¯t get a reply from Eri as another knock came from the door and the person called out once more, ¡°I would like to talk to you about what you went through. I know it is late and I am a couple of days late, but you must understand that it hasn¡¯t been easy to locate you.¡± Liam continued to stay silent. His mind raced on what he should do. As he tried to formulate a plan on what he should do. He slowly and silently made his way to the window and internally asked Eri, Eri, can you tell if she is alone or has anyone near? Eri¡¯s answer was swift.
¡°She doesn¡¯t have anyone right next to her, but there are a couple people standing at both ends of the hall. There are two Lion-folks, and two Wolf-folks. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam nodded his head as he looked outside the window. How about outside the building?
¡°None that I can tell that are with her. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam heard Lucy knock on the door once more. This time her knocks weren¡¯t light and sounded a bit more impatient. Her tone of voice was the same as she tried again, ¡°Mr. Liam. I can understand if you are quite upset, but I can assure you that if you open the door and let me in I can resolve the wrong doings you have experienced.¡± Liam felt a scowl form on his face as he listened to her words. He searched the window panel to see if there was a way to open the glass that covered it. This inn was quite different than the one he used back in the Tutorial Area. While that inn had no glass windows, this one did. Lucky for him the window did have a latch that allowed one to open it. It didn¡¯t open much and was barely wide enough for his body to slip through. Liam tried to think about what he could do. He didn¡¯t have many options. He could try to go out the window, but the amount of space would be troubling. He didn¡¯t want to break the window, but if he needed to he would. However, running away from her, especially in that fashion, would make him look suspicious. While he knew she was up to something and she had some connections to what had happened a couple days ago, she didn¡¯t know he knew this. He closed the window, not wanting her to think he ran away from her. He looked around the room once more and tried thinking of something else. If he could avoid it, he didn¡¯t want her to catch him or whatever she had planned to do. His eyes eventually ended up on the bed. He crouched down and saw the space was enough for him to get underneath it. ¡°Mr. Liam open up now,¡± Lucy stated with some authority. Before he slid underneath the bed, he felt something coming from the door. He noticed some color flash in and out around the edges of the door making him activate Mana Sight. He noticed a few colors that he didn¡¯t recognize which made him curious as to what Field of magic they belonged to. He quickly pushed his curiosity to the back of his mind as he made his way underneath the bed. As soon as he was completely underneath he activated Veil of Shadows. As he felt the coldness and emptiness of the shadows covered him, a click filled the room. Liam watched the door slowly opened from where he was and saw Lucy walk in. He watched as her body moved in a way that looked like she was scanning the room. After a few seconds had past, he heard her swore. ¡°Shit,¡± Lucy muttered as she walked around the room. A few seconds after she moved around, the four Beast-kins approached the door. They entered the room but didn¡¯t move away from the entrance. He wasn¡¯t sure who was talking but he heard one of the men ask, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lucy replied as she turned to look at them. ¡°My informants told me he was here.¡± One of the four men walked towards the bathroom and peered inside. Shortly after, he turned and stated, ¡°He must have been here not too long ago. The room still feels warm from the shower being used.¡± ¡°I know that idiot,¡± Lucy stated with some annoyance. ¡°The question is when did he leave and how?¡± ¡°Do you think he might still be in the building or this room?¡± Another man questioned as he made his way over to the bed. He dropped to a knee and looked under as he added, ¡°Someone should have seen him leave the building if he had actually left.¡± Liam tensed and held his breath as he stared right back at the man who was looking at him. He noticed the Wolf-folk scrunch his brows as he took in a deep breath. He waited there looking like he was trying to solve a puzzle or something of the like. ¡°What are you doing you moron,¡± Lucy questioned as she walked over to his side. Liam could feel his heartbeat thunder inside his chest. He knew that his Shadow Magic wasn¡¯t as strong when he wasn¡¯t in his Spirit Weave form, but he also knew there was no way his shadowy form could be seen on the ground since the bed produced a dark shadow underneath it. The man slowly started to reached a hand out. Liam slowly and cautiously shuffled away and closer to the edge of the other side of the bed, but realized he didn¡¯t have enough room to do it without letting some of his shadowy form enter the lighted area of the room. Before the Wolf-folk could extend his arm out any further, one of the Lion-folk men appeared beside him, crouching, and looking under the bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The wolf-folk sneered before looking at the other and said, ¡°I thought I saw something.¡± The Lion-folk made a puzzled expression as he stared around. He didn¡¯t waste any time as he stated, ¡°There¡¯s nothing there.¡± The Wolf-folk man let out an annoyed sigh as he retracted his arm and they both stood back up. The only man not to leave where he stood closed the door before asking, ¡°What is the plan now? I heard that the files containing all of our information were stolen.¡± Liam could hear Lucy let out a growl before responding, ¡°Don¡¯t remind me of that. Zareth, or rather Falith, was punished for that blunder.¡± ¡°Are you sure it was his fault and not the one who was hiding it?¡± the person questioned. Liam wasn¡¯t sure, but he felt like he could hear some smugness in the man¡¯s voice. Lucy made her way over to the person and stopped right in front of them. He could tell the comment irritated her as she retorted, ¡°Are you trying to say I am at fault with our information being stolen?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± the other person replied. ¡°I¡¯m just saying I find it counterintuitive for you to punish the one who helped discover the newest problem. They were not the one who hid the files nor were they the ones who lost them.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Lucy stated. ¡°Falith stated that he felt something behind him after he left the office before and during his run in with Fred. What if someone used Spatial Magic to swipe it and replace it with those other folders?¡± ¡°An event most unlikely, but still a possibility,¡± the man acquiesced. ¡°However, I must ask, what makes you believe this?¡± Lucy turned away from the person as she added with an even more annoyed tone of voice, ¡°One of the folders contains a special type of Protection magic. In case something like this happens I should be able to track it and find the location it was taken too. However, I can¡¯t find a slim of a trace. The only way for that is if it is in a sub-space of some sort.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I can see why the Spatial Magic theory you have is what you are going with,¡± the man stated. ¡°What about if it was destroyed due to someone trying to forcefully open it?¡± ¡°No. I would be able to tell if it was destroyed. The Protection Magic placed on it allows me to know that as well,¡± Lucy answered. ¡°I see,¡± the man muttered. ¡°If that is the case the what you are thinking is the only thing we can go off of¡­What is the plan then?¡± ¡°We have our orders,¡± Lucy answered. ¡°We need to find this crafter. If he is what we believe him to be then we can get him to a point where he can learn how to stabilize, conquer, and create a Captured Dungeon. With his racial nature he wouldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity to learn it since he would receive so much information on different types of crafts.¡± ¡°And if we can¡¯t find him?¡± one of the other men asked. ¡°Then we will have to consider it a loss,¡± Lucy stated. ¡°I will personally punish that fool Morshire for creating so much trouble.¡± ¡°We should have disposed of the damn Weasel-folk ages ago,¡± another stated. ¡°He¡¯s been nothing but trouble since your pet brought him into the plan.¡± So Morshire has connections to all of this? And who is this Pet? Liam thought as he continued to listen. ¡°I would have loved to do so, but that stupid mayor favors him since the man is the same species and race as him,¡± Lucy replied. ¡°No matter, even that fool doesn¡¯t understand what is truly going on. He will soon though.¡± ¡°Oh? Are the festivities happening soon?¡± one of the Lion-folk men asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Lucy stated. ¡°Our new orders are to move the schedule of our plans ahead. We will commence the plan very soon. Since this was a bust, let¡¯s head out so we can get going on that.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the four Beast-kins replied. Liam waited till they all left the room and closed the door behind them. He waited a few more minutes before moving out from under the bed in case they were creating a trap. After he got out he asked Eri, Have they left?
¡°Yes. They have left the vicinity and don¡¯t look like they will be coming back. ¨C Eri.¡±
Good. If that¡¯s the case I need to leave this room now. Liam responded as he started for the door. He left his Veil of Shadows activated on and left the area. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. It took him some time making his way back to the forested area. He made his way to this area as slowly and cautiously as he could. His entire being was on high alert. He felt like he had eyes on him the entire time he was making his way, but he couldn¡¯t find anything amiss. Even Eri reassured him that no one was able to see him, and he didn¡¯t have anyone following him. After he had arrived to his and Uncle Naro¡¯s spot, he found the man cooking. It looked like he, too, had just arrived not too long ago. As they ate, Uncle Naro asked him about his day. Liam left out the mission and what he had found out. he just said he worked on some techniques in the dungeon. He was quiet for a while after that. Uncle Naro noticed something was up with him but didn¡¯t ask anything. At least not for a while. After the silence was pungent, Uncle Naro, ¡°Is there something on your mind? You¡¯re usually not this quiet unless you¡¯re crafting.¡± Liam looked at the man. he wasn¡¯t sure what he could say. He had a lot on his mind. From what he had discovered from his mission to what had happened at the inn. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he could say without revealing certain secret things. After some thought he decided to tell him not everything, but a small, abridged version. ¡°Do you remember how you suggested I pay for a room at an inn so I can take showers?¡± Liam asked. Uncle Naro nodded. ¡°Well, before coming back here I went and took a shower,¡± Liam started. ¡°After I was done, someone knocked on my door.¡± Uncle Naro stared at Liam. His attention was fully on him. ¡°With everything that was going on I¡¯m kind of on high alert with almost everyone in this city,¡± Liam continued. ¡°I am especially so with this person since I found it strange they found out where I was without me ever mentioning it to her.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± Uncle Naro asked. Liam wasn¡¯t sure, but he felt some hardness in his voice he had never heard before. ¡°It was Lucy from the New Arrival department,¡± Liam replied as he looked at him. ¡°Hm,¡± Uncle Naro muttered as he brought a hand to his chin. He then looked back at Liam. ¡°While it is strange that she was able to find you, it is not all that strange since it is her job to make sure you are safe. Especially after what had happened.¡± The look on his face made Liam think he was fishing for something. ¡°Is it her job to break into the room if I don¡¯t answer the door?¡± Liam countered. Uncle Naro¡¯s eyes narrowed after Liam asked that. ¡°No. It is not.¡± ¡°Or have four other Beast-kins with her to try and¡­talk,¡± Liam air quoted the word, ¡°to me about what had happened?¡± A slight scowl started to creep up on the bear of a man¡¯s face. ¡°Definitely not. That kind of treatment is for those who have done criminal things, but even those moments don¡¯t require her assistance in the matter. She has clearly crossed the line with that.¡± ¡°I thought so,¡± Liam stated as he looked down at the ground. The next part was something he wasn¡¯t sure if he should say but he felt like he needed to tell someone. He could have made his way over to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web and tell them what he had learned since they have an idea of Lucy¡¯s involvement in something, but that would involve questions. Questions that would revolve around revealing why he was able to find all of this out. He knew he could try to spin some tale of being able to come across her while she was looking for essentially him, but having something look like a coincidence happen more than once would be too suspicious. At least that¡¯s what he felt. So the next best person he could tell was Uncle Naro. Seeing as he was a Beast-kin, maybe he would know who to tell and how to proceed with this. ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Liam said as he gulped. Uncle Naro stared at him, waiting for what he had to say. ¡°While I was hiding I heard them talking about a plan¡¯s schedule being moved up,¡± Liam started. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure what kind of plan they were talking about, but it didn¡¯t sound good.¡± Uncle Naro brought his hands together and intertwined them while resting his arms on his knees. Liam noticed the pressure he had as his hands were together due to the veins starting to form on his forearms. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on in the man¡¯s mind, but this kind of reaction told him the bear of a man wasn¡¯t happy. Liam noticed a scowl grow across his face as he looked around. He then slowly stood up and asked with a predatory tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask this, but¡­how did you escape without her finding you?¡± Liam was hoping he wouldn¡¯t catch that, but already had an answer for that. ¡°Before she entered the room, I hid underneath the bed and activated a stealth ability. They didn¡¯t know I was there so after they left I waited before sneaking out and making my way here.¡± ¡°Did you make sure you weren¡¯t followed here?¡± Uncle Naro questioned. Liam felt a pressure start to exude from the man. Starting to feel a bit nervous and worried, Liam answered, ¡°Yes. I made sure no one followed me here. Why do you¡­¡± He was cut off as Uncle Naro stated, ¡°Then they must have taken a chance on searching this area.¡± Confused, Liam asked, ¡°What do you me¡­¡± Before he could finish, Uncle Naro called out, ¡°If you think you¡¯re being clever hiding behind that illusionary magic of yours then you¡¯re mistaken. I can smell you and your vile magic.¡± His voice deepened further as he growled out a command, ¡°Drop it and reveal yourselves now.¡± Liam felt magic suddenly lift revealing twenty-five people surrounding them. They were a mix of Lion-folk, Wolf-folk, Weasel-folk, and even Panther-folk. Each were armored and armed with different types of weapons. Eri. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that we were surrounded? Liam internally questioned.
¡°I didn¡¯t say anything because I knew that the Bear-folk found them out. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam wasn¡¯t happy with the reply, but he also knew she would have said something if she believed he was in any actual danger. However, that begged the question. Was he really in any danger or was her judgement off? He couldn¡¯t do anything but hope she was right with her judgement on the situation. ¡°I am quite surprised you were able to tell we were here,¡± a Wolf-folk stated as he took a step forward. ¡°Let alone to be able to find us while our Illusion Magic was active. I commend you. However, your luck ends there. Hand over that young man and we¡¯ll leave you alone. Interfere and¡­¡± The man let out a chuckle, ¡°Well, you should already know what will happen.¡± ¡°Do you not recognize who I am?¡± Uncle Naro asked as he looked at each Beast-kin. Liam could hear murmurs echo around as they asked each other who the Bear-folk was. From what Liam had heard they were all confused and didn¡¯t know who he was. Liam felt it was strange Uncle Naro would ask a question like that but didn¡¯t question it for now. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± the wolf-folk stated. ¡°Am I supposed to?¡± Uncle Naro let out a sigh. ¡°I figured as much. It relieves me to know that none of you are who you are pretending to be¡­¡± The wolf-folk¡¯s eyes narrowed as a puzzled expression grew on his face. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to me¡­¡± ¡°However,¡± Uncle Naro interrupted. An angry and pissed expression spread across his face as he shouted, ¡°I¡¯m also pissed that vile creatures as yourselves have infiltrated this island.¡± The Wolf-folk looked annoyed at Uncle Naro¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Once we swipe the target you¡¯ll be dead.¡± The wolf-folk then crouched before pushing off his back leg and bolted right for Liam. His speed was so fast, Liam didn¡¯t see him move until he suddenly appeared right before him, reaching an arm out for him. However, before he could touch Liam, a massive War Hammer suddenly slammed right into the man¡¯s side. The force of the swing was so powerful that it sent the wolf-folk flying right into a tree not too far from them. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at area where the dust cloud and loose tree bits that exploded from the impact. The wolf-folk slowly stood up after the debris disappeared. Blood washed down from his head and the side where he was struck was damaged badly. His arm laid by his side limply. His weight was shifted over to the side he wasn¡¯t hit on. Blood escaped his lips as he let out a cough and said in a pained filled voice, ¡°How the fuck¡­¡± ¡°I suggest you all come at me at once or I will kill you before you have the chance,¡± Uncle Naro challenged as he slammed the head of his War Hammer down next to him. Liam stared at the weapon. It was quite impressive. The Head of the War Hammer was smooth on both sides. The metal of the weapon part looked to be made from some sort of black metal. The shaft of the weapon was wrapped in some red hide made from a beast Liam couldn¡¯t begin to understand. It looked like it had scales, but at the same time what he thought were scales looked like they weren¡¯t. Both heads of the weapon was what really impressed Liam. The size looked like they could almost reach his waist maybe a little farther than his waist. He couldn¡¯t really tell since Naro had taken a few steps away from him after he attacked the man. ¡°It¡¯s your funeral,¡± the Wolf-folk stated as he looked all around him and yelled, ¡°Kill him!¡± Chaos exploded. The closest group of men raced towards Uncle Naro as a few women and men that stood on the branches of trees started chanting. Uncle Naro gripped his weapon and timed his swing as he used all his might to lift it off the ground attacked the first three men that approached him. The head of the weapon slammed into the first one. The man had a look like he believed he could withstand the attack as the weapon approached him and he tensed his body embracing for impact. His expression changed as the hammer knocked him off his feet, causing him to slam into the other two right by him. Two more appeared from his right side as he spun around. The head of the hammer lowered as he aimed for the attackers¡¯ legs. As it slammed against their knees, Liam heard bones shatter and screams of pain escape their lips as they flipped in the air and landed on their faces into the dirt. A Wolf-folk and Panther-folk appeared behind him and aimed for his back, however, with speed that didn¡¯t seem right for his weight Uncle Naro released his weapon, allowing it to drop down, pulled out two blades that looked a lot like giant meat cleavers, side stepped and swung down. After the first Meat Cleaver sliced through the Wolf-folk¡¯s extended arms, Uncle Naro took a step forward and sliced their the Panter-folk¡¯s arms as well. Blood gushed out from the opened wounds. He didn¡¯t stop there. He then swung both weapons right through the necks of the two men. Their heads flew off their bodies and landed with a thud on the ground. Liam then watched as Uncle Naro crouched down before exploding forward. With precision and grace, the giant man danced around the group of people slicing through limbs and necks as if he were thinning pieces of meat for cooking. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if what he was watching was real or a dream. He was, though, starting to understand what Nabal had been trying to instill into him during his time in the Tutorial Area as he watched Uncle Naro. The Bear of a man didn¡¯t use skills or abilities as he fought the wave of people. He was using nothing but the basics. Basic strikes, basic footwork, everything he did was from using the basics. If practicing the basics can make your fighting look this¡­beautiful then no wonder he¡¯s been so adamant on repetitions. Liam thought as he kept his eyes on the man. Several different pressures suddenly surrounded the area causing Liam to look around. The Beast-kins that were standing in the trees finished chanting whatever spells they were readying and released them towards Uncle Naro. Liam was about to shout out to warn him, but stopped as he noticed a wicked grin form on the man¡¯s face. After spinning around and killing off the few that had tried to attack from so close, he threw both meat cleavers into the ground, pulled out a cauldron with both hands and spun around. Liam¡¯s mouth dropped as he watched Uncle Naro catch every magical attack with the cauldron as if he were scooping water in a river or pond. After the last bit of magical ability was scooped up, he pulled out a metal spoon after slamming the cauldron down, swirled it with both hands four times then lifted the cauldron up and drank every bit of what looked like Liquified mana down to the very last drop. He then wiped away the bit of liquid that didn¡¯t enter his mouth and let out a loud satisfying burp. A multi-colored cloud escaped his mouth before he let out a laugh. The group of beast-kins that had managed to get close enough to him stopped, confused as to what had happened and stared at the man. Liam couldn¡¯t blame them since he was trying to process what had happened as well. Uncle Naro didn¡¯t stop at that as he said, ¡°Gourmet Consumption Reversal.¡± Liam then watched as the man took in a very deep breath, making his chest rise more than normal. The second after he reached the full amount his body allowed him to inhale, he let out a loud roar. To Liam¡¯s surprise the loud roar released more than just sound. Every magical attack he caught earlier with his cauldron escaped from his mouth and collided with the Beast-kins who were froze with confusion. The attacks hit each square against the chest or right on their faces, making them fall backwards. After the last bit of magical abilities Uncle Naro had swallowed up earlier finished, he then pulled out throwing knives and gracefully threw each one at the Beast-kins who were standing on the tree branches. Liam watched as each Beast-kin, who was hit with the throwing knives, fall to the ground and land on their heads with a sickening crack. Liam didn¡¯t need to be an expert to know they had snapped their necks from the fall. However, he believed them to already be dead before hitting the ground since each knife was lodging right into their heads. Uncle Naro grabbed his two Meat Cleavers and made his way towards the beast-kins who were still alive after getting pelted with the magical spells Uncle Naro had reflected towards them. Liam noticed a Lion-folk man get up from the ground not too far from him. As impressive as Uncle Naro¡¯s fight had been so far, Liam felt ashamed that he hadn¡¯t contributed to this fight at all. Steeling his resolve, Liam raced over and pulled his Shadow and Lunar Blades out from their sheathes and went to strike at them man. However as he was about to strike, images of people glaring and crying flashed before his eyes. Those sudden memories caused a brief moment of hesitation. That hesitation was enough to alarm the Lion-folk to Liam¡¯s failed surprise attack. He swirled around and kicked Liam right in the chest, making him reverse momentum effortlessly and send him flying backwards. Liam could feel exactly how powerful the man was and had evidence to prove it as his health pool drop to ten percent. Him crashing into the tree had dropped his health down even lower, but luckily for him it didn¡¯t outright kill him. After finally coming to a stop, Liam fell to the ground. Pain exploded throughout his body as he tried to get back up to his feet. His sight blurred and darkened a few times, but Liam willfully forced himself to stand back up. After getting back to his feet, his eyes widened as he saw the Lion-folk, who was now enraged, suddenly appear right in front of Liam with a punch ready to be thrown. Liam felt his blood run cold as he realized how fucked up of a situation he was in. His mind couldn¡¯t think of any possible ways to get out of this as pain continued to wash throughout his body and the sight of the man in front of him getting ready to attack made him panic. The Lion-folk released his punch, however, before it could land, a blade sliced through the attacker¡¯s neck, sending his head flying towards the side. The fist unclenched and fell limp as the body came to a halt as Uncle Naro held it back before it could fall on Liam. Liam felt relieved as his body relaxed. As soon as it did, the darkness that was creeping along the sides of sight grasped its opportunity, making Liam lose all consciousness. Adventure 215 - Waking up and Feeling Renewed Liam stirred as his consciousness started to come back. As he tried moving his arms and legs to stretch he felt they ached and were sore. He tried to work through his mind why they felt that way. It took him a few seconds, but once he was able to remember, all the memories of what had happened flooded to him. Liam snapped his eyes open and sat up. The sudden and quick movements sent a small ripple of pain throughout his body. He winced, but tried to push the feeling to the back of his mind as he scanned his surroundings. To Liam¡¯s surprise he was no longer in the forested area. He was in a plain comfy bed in a room that didn¡¯t have much in it. A dresser, a nightstand next to the bed with a lamp, a window, a small circular rug on the floor, and a door were the only things in the room. He didn¡¯t know how long he was asleep for, but the sun looked like it had risen not too long ago. Liam looked at his internal clock and saw it was already eight ten in the morning. He felt shocked at first before panic started to fill him. Uncle Naro wasn¡¯t in sight. As powerful as the man had shown himself during that fight, Liam wasn¡¯t sure if anything bad had happened after he had gotten knocked out. He was about to throw the blankets off of him, but stopped as the door opened, and a feminine slightly high pitch slightly weathered voice said with relief, ¡°You¡¯ve finally woken up have you?¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he stared at the one person he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever see. She was short with greyish white hair. A pair of goggles rested between her hair and concerned and relieved ocean blue eyes. Her wrinkled face looked to have gain a couple new wrinkles since the last time he saw her. Her outfit was the same as last time while her tail looked as fluffy as it was before. Liam opened his mouth to speak and felt how dry it was as he croaked, ¡°Milly?¡± ¡°Hold on and let me get you some water before you speak any more,¡± Milly stated as she ran to a different room. It wasn¡¯t long before she reappeared with a glass of water, a pitcher, and a bowl of what looked like clear soup on a tray. As she approached the nightstand and placed the tray on it, she said while handing him the cup of water, ¡°Drink this first before you eat.¡± Liam received the cup of water and started drinking it. His throat felt like it was mixture of cottonmouth and he had gone through a day through a desert with no water. He felt the soothing crisp coldness of the water run down his dry throat. He didn¡¯t realize how bad it was until he started drinking. What started as a slow sip turned into him gulping it down as fast as he could. Towards the end he started coughing. ¡°Hey, hey! Slow down!¡± Milly scolded as she took the cup away from him. She then started to pour more water into the cup. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of water here for you so just take your time and don¡¯t choke.¡± Liam coughed two more times before finally controlling himself. He grabbed the cup from Milly as she handed it back to him. ¡°Sorry,¡± Liam started, already feeling the difference in the sound of his voice. ¡°It felt like I went a whole day through a desert without water.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about a desert, but you have been out for a day,¡± Milly nonchalantly stated. Liam¡¯s eyes widened after he heard her say that. He looked at her again and asked to make sure he heard her right, ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡± Milly looked confused before understanding what he was asking and repeated, ¡°You¡¯ve been out for a whole day. I don¡¯t know what happened, but you looked horrible when that idiot bear brought you here.¡± ¡°Idiot bear?¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself trying to think of who she was talking about. When the only person he could think of came to mind he asked, ¡°Where is Uncle Naro? Is he alright?¡± At first Milly gave Liam a puzzled expression. After realization settled she muttered, ¡°So that crazy bastard is calling himself Naro huh? And he¡¯s making this young man call him uncle nonetheless¡± She shook her head at that last part. She then looked at Liam and answered, ¡°He is fine. That stupid man is a lot tougher and sturdier than you can imagine.¡± Images of Uncle Naro¡¯s fight played back in Liam¡¯s head. She was right about that. He didn¡¯t know exactly how strong the bear of a man was. Even after watching him fight so many people by himself, he still didn¡¯t know since he looked like he wasn¡¯t using all of his power. To Liam it looked like he was just using basic weapon techniques, no skills, just precise strikes with his War Hammer and two Meat Cleaver looking swords. That magical ability was different though. What kind of field would allow someone to catch magical attacks like those into a cauldron without breaking it? Not just that, but to treat them like cooking ingredients that allowed him to drink the mixed concoction down and then being able to reverse what he drank back into the magical attacks towards the enemy? Liam knew he was still ignorant about magic, but that spectacle really drove it home how diverse magic really was. He would need to ask Uncle Naro just what that was and see if it was something he could use. Liam thought about that last part. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was something that would mesh well with his fighting style, but if it was something that would greatly benefit him then he wouldn¡¯t dismiss it. Coming out from his thoughts he looked back at Milly and asked, ¡°Do you know where he went? Is he here?¡± Milly shook her head. ¡°No, he left to take care of some business himself. Something about meeting up with an old colleague and informing him about some important information.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched at that. What kind of information did he have that he needed to inform someone? Also, what colleague did he need to see to tell them this. As he thought about this a different important thing popped in his mind. He needed to go to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. He was supposed to go there yesterday, but he was unconscious. They are probably pissed that I didn¡¯t show. Liam thought to himself.
¡°Don¡¯t fret. Silky informed the spider woman that you had been ambushed and were recovering. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was surprised by this sudden message. What did she tell them and what did they say?
¡°You can ask her after the squirrel lady leaves the room. Just make sure not to talk too loud since she has very good hearing despite her age. ¨C Eri.¡±
Alright¡­Thank you. Liam said as he looked back at Milly and asked, ¡°Has anything happened while I was passed out?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Milly stated as she took the cup from Liam after he finished drinking the last bit of liquid. ¡°A lot has happened while you were out. After you were left here to recover, there was a commotion at the local authorities building. Apparently seven dead Demon-kins were dropped off on their front door along with eighteen dead Beast-kins. The town was in an uproar finding that before the authorities did. My guess, judging by how¡­Naro¡­¡± Milly said sounding like she was trying the name out, ¡°had blood all over him and the bad state you looked¡­You guys must have had a run in with them. Still though, the crazy part was the faces of the Beast-kins¡¯ faces looked like they exploded from the inside.¡± Liam saw the older woman shudder. ¡°It was both terrifying and disgusting at the same time. Something you hear about in horror stories,¡± Milly commented. She gave Liam a stern look before adding, ¡°I don¡¯t know how bad the fight was, but the way their faces looked wasn¡¯t something he, and especially not you, could do. It leaves the question as to what did that to them.¡± Liam looked puzzled as he looked at her. Demon-kins? Faces exploded from the inside? What the hell happened after I passed out? This is just¡­this is just too much to process. Milly shook her head before chastising herself, ¡°What the hell is wrong with me. Here I am telling you about all that and you haven¡¯t even put food in your stomach yet. Here¡­¡± Milly grabbed the tray and placed in on Liam¡¯s lap. ¡°I know you might be a bit squeamish after what I had just told you, but please try to eat as much as you can. It will help aid in your recovery. While your fatal wounds have been healed you¡¯re probably still sore and achy. This soup will relax those muscles and you should be feeling better in a couple of hours.¡± Liam then watched as the old woman stood up and started for the door. ¡°I have some work to tend to right now, but if you need me just yell for me.¡± Not too long after that she closed the door and left Liam all by himself. Liam waited for a minute before thinking he was in the clear. He then pulled out his Web Watch that took the form of a pocket watch, channeled a small bit of mana into it and watched it pop open. Silky quickly made her way to the blackened area and disappeared into the darkness. It didn¡¯t take long for her to send a message to him.
¡°Good morning Phantom Cat. I am glad to see you have awakened. ¨C Silky.¡±
¡°Hello Silky,¡± Liam started with a low whisper. ¡°I am sorry if I had scared you in any way. I was informed that you had sent out a message to Lady Arachne. What were the contents of the message and was there any reply?"
¡°How did you know I had sent a message out? ¨C Silky.¡±
Liam shook his head. It was a stupid slip up on his end, but with everything that had happened he wasn¡¯t in the mood to try and figure out a believable lie. Instead, he ignored the question and said, ¡°Never mind that for now. What were the contents of the message and the reply?¡± Liam believed that she didn¡¯t want to let the matter go, but acquiesced to his question.
¡°Lady Arachne had sent a message out yesterday to inform you to come to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web for your reward¡­¡± ¡°Since you were still out and recovering from the attack that had happened I took it upon myself¡­¡± ¡°To inform the Lady about your conditions. She was naturally worried about what had happened¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the full details but had felt the powers of many and a battle of the strong happening. I had also felt the impact of the attack and your conditions after receiving the attack, so I had relayed that information¡­¡± ¡°The Lady was worried but asked for updates on your recovery every few hours yesterday. After it had seemed like you wouldn¡¯t wake up any time soon after nightfall¡­¡± ¡°The Lady requested I tell you to come to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web after you were able to move about. New developments have arisen, and she would like to inform you of them. ¨C Silky.¡±
That bit of information brought some clarity about some things. First, he didn¡¯t know Silky was able to feel powers, as she put it. He didn¡¯t know what she could feel or if she could see or hear anything while in his pocket, but this confirmed a small bit of that. He wanted to know more on what she was able to perceive, but the other things she said made Liam curious. ¡°What new developments have been made to light? Did she say?¡± Liam asked.
¡°No. Only that you are to head to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web branch here in this town as soon as you are able to. ¨C Silky.¡±
Liam nodded. ¡°Alright thank you Silky.¡±
¡°You¡¯re welcome Phantom Cat. Also¡­¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Liam waited to see what else she had to say, but there was a pause. For a minute she didn¡¯t say anything. Liam was about to ask what was up, but she finally sent another message.
¡°While you were recovering last night¡­I felt¡­It felt like you gained a lot of power all at once all of a sudden. ¨C Silky.¡±
Gained a lot of power? Liam thought as he stared at the Web Watch. ¡°What do you mean by gained a lot of power all at once all of a sudden? That doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡±
¡°I, too, am unsure. I have never¡­felt anything like that before. It just¡­happened. No warning or reason for sudden gains. Just¡­power up. ¨C Silky.¡±
He wasn¡¯t sure what she meant. It didn¡¯t make any sense at all. How does one suddenly gain power? The only way one would gain power was from leveling up¡­ Liam¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he noticed he had notifications awaiting him to see.
¡°Did you figure out what had happened? ¨C Silky.¡±
Liam was cautious about looking at them while talking to Silky. He wasn¡¯t sure if Silky would tell Lady Arachne or anyone who would be considered her superior if he mentioned what he believed had happened. Excitement started to fill him as an excited smile tried to form on his face. He fought really hard not to show any signs of his excitement. Instead, with as much calm and evenness as he could muster he stated, ¡°Please inform Lady Arachne that I will make my way over to her in a couple of hours.¡±
¡°As you wish Phantom Cat. ¨C Silky.¡±
Without waiting, Liam closed the Web Watch and placed it in his pocket. He took in a few breaths, trying to hold back his excitement in case what he was thinking was wrong. After he calmed his beating heart, he opened the notifications that awaited him and was surprised by how many suddenly appeared. So many notifications popped up. So many level ups, so much change from how he was. He needed to consolidate them in order to make it easier to go through. However there was one notification that really made him happy to see. It was the first one he brought up.
¡°Debuff - Stat Shatter has been lifted. All stats have returned to normal.¡±
Seeing that one notification almost brought a tear to his eye. He didn¡¯t allow one to form though. He had a lot to go through. The next notification explained why he had gained all the notifications that came after.
¡°Any and all experience that were gained while Debuff- Stat Shatter have been released into their respected areas.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Personal Level has reached level 8! Progression to Level 9: 100%! Increase HP, MP, Stam, and Spirit Pool. You have gained 4 free Attribute Points.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Your Personal Level has reached level 9! Progression to Level 9: 5%! Increase HP, MP, Stam, and Spirit Pool. You have gained 4 free Attribute Points.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Resilience has reached level 18! Progression to level 19: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Resilience has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: 57%! Your body has become sturdier. You can now withstand 5% more physical attacks and magical attacks when struck against your body.¡± ¡°Congratulations! Vitality has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Vitality has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: 10%! Health Pool has increased!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Agility has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Agility has reached Level 25! Progression to level 26: 11%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Fine Motor has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Fine Motor has reached Level 24! Progression to level 25: 41%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Reflex has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Reflex has reached Level 26! Progression to level 27: 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Speed has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Speed has reached Level 25! Progression to level 26: 39%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Stamina Endurance has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Stamina Endurance has reached Level 24! Progression to level 25: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Endurance has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Body Endurance has reached Level 24! Progression to level 25: 15%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Crafter Endurance has reached Level 18! Progression to level 19: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Crafter Endurance has reached Level 20! Progression to level 21: 16%! 5% Stamina Reduction while crafting!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Power has reached Level 20! Progression to level 21: 100%! Damage caused from physical attacks has increased by 5%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Power has reached Level 23! Progression to level 24: 12%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Body Strength has reached Level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Body Strength has reached Level 19! Progression to level 20: 87%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Cognition Perseverance has reached Level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Cognition Perseverance has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 97%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience has reached Level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience has reached Level 20! Progression to level 21: 19%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Perception has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Perception has reached Level 25! Progression to level 26: 19%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Magic Practicality has reached Level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Magic Practicality has reached Level 20! Progression to level 21: 15%! Understanding your magical abilities has increase 5%. Magical ability effectiveness has increased by 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Physical Practicality has reached Level 17! Progression to level 18: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Physical Practicality has reached Level 20! Progression to level 21: 15%! Understanding your Physical skills has increase 5%. Physical skill effectiveness has increased by 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Craft Practicality has reached Level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Magic Practicality has reached Level 20! Progression to level 21: 15%! Understanding your crafts has increase 5%. All Crafting effectiveness has increased by 5%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Common Sense has reached Level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Common Sense has reached Level 13! Progression to level 14: 1%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Lucky Break has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Lucky Break has reached Level 25! Progression to level 26: 21%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Lucky Soul has reached Level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Lucky Soul has reached Level 18! Progression to level 19: 21%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! HP Recovery has reached Level 19! Progression to level 20: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! HP Recovery has reached Level 25! Progression to level 26: 34%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! MP Recovery has reached Level 18! Progression to level 19: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! MP Recovery has reached Level 25! Progression to level 26: 27%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Stamina Recovery has reached Level 19! Progression to level 20: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Stamina Recovery has reached Level 25! Progression to level 26: 34%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Will Power has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Will Power has reached Level 26! Progression to level 27: 0%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Zen has reached Level 21! Progression to level 22: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! HP Recovery has reached Level 24! Progression to level 25: 3%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience - Teleportation Sickness has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience - Teleportation Sickness has reached level 17! Progression to level 18: 12%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Stellar Affliction From Within has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Ailment Resistance ¨C Stellar Affliction From Within has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 19%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Whispers From Beyond has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Whispers From Beyond has reached level 20! Progression to level 21: 19%!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You have received Mental Resilience - Chaotic Meltdown. Mental Resilience - Chaotic Meltdown has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!¡± >>>>>>>>>>>> ¡°Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Chaotic Meltdown has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 5%!¡±
Liam stared at all of the level ups he had received after having the Debuff finally disappear. His mouth slowly opened with each notification he read. As soon as he reached the final notification all he could say in an almost inaudible volume, ¡°Holy shit.¡± Adventure 216 - The Greedy Coin Liam laid back against the wall the bed was against. His mouth was still hanging open as he stared at all the notifications before him. He knew he was going to have a couple of level ups in his sub-stats, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so much. How? How did I accumulate so much experience to get this many levels in mu sub-stats? Liam thought. His eyes were on the notifications before him, but his focus was off in the distance. His attention was brought back as a text notification from Eri arrived.
¡°Majority came from your fight back on the sixth floor of the Tutorial Dungeon. Between the Hubristic Arisen Lich, and the fight with the creatures and the shadow giant, you received a lot of experience. However, due to the Debuff Stat Shatter you received after fighting the shadow giant triggered from both the Chaotic Meltdown and your Zodiac ability, the experience you would have received after the fight was stored. You can think of it like when you reached level twenty in the few sub-stats you did before leaving that place. Instead of getting all that experience at once, it held it until the Debuff was lifted. Now that it is gone, you received it all at once. Not to mention all the things you have done after leaving that place, it also added to the mix. ¨C Eri¡±
The explanation made sense to Liam. Still though, he had heard that the levels under twenty were a bit easy to go through and the ones afterwards were harder to reach. While some showed that, there were a few that had either reached mid twenty or past the mid twenty range. Liam looked at his right hand before lifting it up slightly and gripping it enough to flex. He didn¡¯t feel any different than he did yesterday or rather the day before. He had felt a slight change when his sealed sub-stats changed from fifty percent to only twenty five percent sealed. However, he felt it when he moved around. Is there a difference between sitting around and moving? Liam thought as he tried with his left arm. If so that is strange. He stopped what he was doing and remembered there were other changes he had received. He had gained a couple of personal levels. Those were the hardest for him to gain since he had a different kind of seal on him. That one held his personal growth back. While he was okay with it since it allowed him to focus more on his sub-stats, he was still happy to hear he gained a couple of levels there. He brought up his personal information and looked at it.
¡°Personal Character Sheet. General Information. Name: Liam. Race: Cait Sith/Sealed. Bloodline: ?????. Zodiac: Gemini. Main Class: Spirit Weaver. Secondary Class: Shadow of the Devourer (Sealed). Health Pool: 813/813. Mana Pool: 750/750. Stamina Bar: 805/805. Spirit Pool: 350/350. Level: 9.¡±
Liam was surprised by what he saw. While seeing his sub-stats level up was surprising enough, his Health, Mana, and Stamina had increased by a lot. To add more to the shock he was receiving it looked like his Spirit Pool raised a long with his other pools and bar. His brows scrunched as he realized his Spirit Pool was also full. He wasn¡¯t sure if him getting a personal level refilled it or if he had refilled it before. He couldn¡¯t remember due to everything that had happened a couple of days ago. He would need to see if it did the next time he was able to get another personal level up. The thought brought another thing to mind. His Health, Mana, and Stamina had shot up as well. He couldn¡¯t remember how much he received when certain sub-stats leveled or when he leveled up personally. He would also need to keep an eye on that to see how much he received each level up. Liam felt his mind swim for a moment as everything started to hit him. This was real. His Stat Shatter Debuff was gone. He received the belated level ups from his fights not only from his last couple of days in the Tutorial Area, but also the last few days here. He was now able to level up his sub-stats again. A grin slowly formed on his face as that last part sunk in. He didn¡¯t have to worry about falling behind anymore. These last few days really hit home how far behind he was. While he was able to get out of certain situations, it was still at the skin of his teeth. However, now is different. He had received a massive amount of level ups. His abilities and skills can now match his actual sub-stats instead of reflecting a partial amount. He was no longer weak. Liam shook his head, clearing his mind from those thoughts. No matter how many level ups he just received or having that Debuff release its hold on him, he was still weak. That hit from the other night, his tests at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web, that Demon-kin disguised as a Beast-kin, and even the Hobgoblins. Even if he didn¡¯t have the Stat Shatter Debuff, they were still strong and higher leveled than him in certain areas. Liam let out a sigh. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to go back to the basics and hone himself that way. Just like how Nabal wanted him to. Thinking about basics, he thought about Uncle Naro. The man was powerful, but he didn¡¯t need to show off his skills or abilities to take on all those Beast-kins. Liam wondered if Uncle Naro would help him go over the basics and correct any mistakes he made. Now that he didn¡¯t have the Debuff to hold him back, he could practice those with earnest. Liam nodded at that. That¡¯s what he was going to do. While looking for his old teammates, he would ask the man to guide him so that way the next time he saw his mentor he wouldn¡¯t be ashamed of him. Before he could do that though¡­Liam looked at the food. He needed to eat, rest up, and take care of what he need to. He still had some unfinished business to take care of with the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web Branch in this city. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam walked through the city. He had his Veil of Shadows activated as he slowly moved about. He wanted to walk around like normal, but after the other night with Lucy finding the inn he used to take showers with and the group of Beast-kins that had ambushed and attacked both he and Uncle Naro, he wasn¡¯t going to take any chance. He had finished eating his breakfast Milly provided him earlier. While eating it, he found out that it had healing effects added to the mix that helped his soreness and all the achiness slowly dissipate. It felt like he had relaxed inside a hot tub or a hot spring as the food sent a wave of warmth and relaxation feeling throughout his entire body as it made its way through his system. He didn¡¯t realize that after he had finished the food it had relaxed him enough to make him fall asleep once more. After he had reawakened an hour and a half later, he felt completely renewed. Milly had checked up on him a couple of times during his time asleep and after he had woken back up he had told her he needed to take care of some things. She had protested when Liam informed her of this. She said something about Uncle Naro saying he needed to stay with her until he got back, and she had agreed with him. She had felt something weird happening in the city after the incident she had told Liam about, but Liam told her he would be alright. She didn¡¯t let it go until he agreed to come right back after he finished with whatever he needed to do. He knew she wasn¡¯t okay with it, but she also knew he was going to go out regardless of what she thought. After familiarizing himself with the area she lived at, he set off. She lived on the outskirts of the city. Not too far away since it they were on an island, but it was still enough that she had no one close by. It was perfect for him to step out without any eyes on him. He was able to walk behind a tree and cloak himself before heading out. After some time after that he now stood in front of the entrance of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. He activated the spatial entrance, stepped through, activated his Spirit Weaver ability as he stepped down the weird steps, and walked through the door. To Liam¡¯s surprise, Lady Arachne was standing there staring at him as he walked in. He noticed the look of relief as she stared at him. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why she looked like that since he had Silky inform her he was fine, but he decided not to pry too much into it. ¡°Good afternoon Lady Arachne,¡± Liam greeted as he approached her. The shorter woman didn¡¯t say anything at first. She looked like she was taking him in. The mask on her head slightly tilted down before returning back to where it was before. ¡°It is indeed a much better afternoon than it was yesterday,¡± she finally stated as a warm smile slowly appeared. ¡°I know you have recovered recently, but there is much we have to go over.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Liam nodded. A bemused expression tried to form as he found it funny that she went from looking concerned to straight to business. ¡°Before any of that though,¡± Lady Arachne added. ¡°I would like to hear what happened to you the other night. Would you please follow me and update me on the event that caused you to be out for a full day?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Liam replied as he followed her through a door and into the meeting room they had used the other day. Liam stopped in his tracks after walking into the room as he saw Noxi, Orchid, Silent Saboteur, Midnight Claw, and a new person already sitting in the room. This new person had darker skin than he and looked to be very slim. He had short silver hair, a thin black and silver colored cloth with no eye holes that wrapped around his eyes and the back of his head and a skin tight sleeveless grey shirt. Liam could see the rest of the man¡¯s outfit, but he did notice that he had a weird type of cloth that hugged the middle of his bicep and ran down his arms loosely, even past his hands. Liam found the man¡¯s attire to be strangely unique, but the other thing that surprised him were the grey leathery wings the flexed for a moment before pressing against his back. They kind of looked like bat wings. Lady Arachne noticed Liam and the other man stare at each other. Before anyone could say anything she stated as she walked towards her spot at the head of the table, ¡°You both haven¡¯t met yet.¡± After she arrived, Lady Arachne pointed to the man who was still sitting, ¡°This is the Eighth Leg, Cryptic Wing. Specializes in Communications Interception, Information Gathering, Magical Security breakdowns, and more.¡± Lady Arachne turned her head towards Cryptic Wing and added, ¡°This is our newest member and the Wild Card¡¯s Apprentice, Phantom Cat.¡± Liam noticed a slight look of shock at the mention of Nabal¡¯s Web Name before he recomposed himself and gave a nod of greeting. Liam returned the nod. Lady Arachne turned her attention back to Liam and instructed, ¡°Please take a seat at the other end of the table and update us on what happened after you left the other night.¡± Liam noticed the others in the room look tense. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out before making his way to where Lady Arachne instructed him to sit. After sitting down he told them everything that had happened at his and Uncle Naro¡¯s camp site. He also told them about what Milly had told him after he awoke. He left out their names, just calling them people he trusted. After he finished he waited for their responses. They each looked shocked, confused, and even pissed. No one said anything as they took it all in. A few looked at each other, almost like they were talking to one another through some means. After a couple of minutes of silence, Silent Saboteur asked, ¡°I heard reports that Demon-kins were in the mix of the pile of the dead that appeared this morning. Were they not present when the ambush happened?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°I personally did not see any when the ambush happened¡­¡± Silent Saboteur was about to ask another question, but stopped as Liam added, ¡°However, I would not discount that they were amongst the people who attacked me and my trusted ally.¡± ¡°What proof do you have to back up such a claim?¡± Orchid questioned. Liam took in a deep breath. He slowly let it out as he decided to mention something he hadn¡¯t told them before. he didn¡¯t want them to question more about the event due to it being able to link his real identity. Instead he opted out some of the information and gave a half truth. ¡°I had a run in with a group of Beast-kins not too long ago. After fighting them one of them had died. The others fled leaving behind the dead body of their companion.¡± He looked each of them in the eye as he finished, ¡°Shortly after the man¡¯s death his body had changed into a Demon-kin.¡± Everyone in the room started whispering to each other. He heard one ask why a Demon-kin would use Illusion Magic to disguise themselves. A few other questions bounced around as they grew even more confused. As they did this, Eri suddenly sent him a message.
¡°Look into the space pouch you looted off his body. There might be something in there that could help everyone understand. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he read the message. Space Pouch? What are yo¡­ Liam started to question until he remembered the item he looted from the Demon-kin¡¯s dead body. He had forgotten to look into it with everything that had happened over the past couple of days. He searched his inventory for the pouch. It had taken him a good minute, but after he found it he pulled it out. Everyone stopped talking and looked over at him. They were curious as to why he pulled out such an item but waited as Liam looked inside of it. A menu of sorts appeared before him showing him the contents within. The menu looked just like his inventory menu which made things easy for him to see. Inside there were a lot of silver and bronze coins, a metal chest armor, leather leg armor, an interesting looking sword, some interesting looking plants he had never seen before, and a single silver coin. Liam stared at the last item. This one gave him pause because it was separated from the other coins. He didn¡¯t know why it was separated from the other silver coins until he noticed something. It had a strange symbol in the middle of it. Liam pulled it out and stared at it. The symbol was a black crown sitting on top a pile of coins. The outline of the entire symbol had a golden hue. In the middle of the crown was an eye with several circles around the iris. As he stared at the symbol he felt there was something familiar about it. He couldn¡¯t figure out why it looked familiar until something clicked. That eye. That eye was similar to the one he had seen before he fought the Hubristic Arisen Lich. The only difference about this eye was it was golden instead of violet. He assessed it.
¡°Greed¡¯s Coin of Possession. Item Type ¨C Coin. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Well Crafted. Description ¨C This coin is given to those who are considered the Immoral Vice of Greed¡¯s property.¡±
This item. This was an item that could explain why he was disguising himself. If the Oni, he looted this from, was a normal Demon-kin then there wouldn¡¯t have been any reason as to why he needed to use an Illusion spell to disguise himself. Not unless he was a Seven Immoral Vice follower. This coin proved it. Liam looked at the others who were still staring at him. They had waited and Liam could see their curiosity starting to get the better of them. Without wasting any more of their time he stated as he lifted the pouch, ¡°This Space Pouch dropped off the Demon-kin after he died. I had completely forgotten to check it until just now. After searching it. I have found an item that can answer some of the questions you just had.¡± Liam threw the coin down and let it bounce a couple of times to land closer to the group of Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web Head Members. After it stopped bouncing, they each looked at it and saw the symbol in the middle of the coin. Liam felt a powerful pressure suddenly fill the room the moment they saw the symbol. He then heard growls, hisses, and even pissed off bird noises escape their lips. Silent Saboteur, who had always portrayed a calm demeanor, slammed a fist down as he yelled out, ¡°How did a member of that cult make their way onto this island? What the hell are those idiots doing in the Teleportation Tree!?¡± ¡°If this was the case for this Demon-kin then could those other Demon-kins also be members?¡± Noxi hissed angerly. ¡°If that is the case then is this island infested with them?¡± Orchid seethed. Liam watched the members throw out even more questions amongst each other with anger and rage. He had heard that the Beast-kins loathed anyone from the Seven Immoral Vices, but what he was seeing right now just showed exactly how much they hated them. He could feel their hatred, their anger, their want to hunt down each and every one of the members that could be hiding on the island. As he watched this he noticed something else. Two people had remained quiet. He could feel anger roiling from them, but instead of joining the others in their questioning, they just looked at each other. ¡°I thank you for letting us know about this, Phantom Cat,¡± Lady Arachne stated with as much calm as she could muster. The other members noticed how calm and collected she tried to compose herself. They also saw that Cryptic Wing was sitting there not saying anything at all. With some annoyance, Midnight Claw inquired, ¡°Why are you two so calm? Do you not feel enraged that these scumbags have somehow infiltrated our island?¡± Lady Arachne shot Midnight Claw a glare as her mouth turned into a snarl, ¡°Do not mistaken our professionalism for acceptance. We are just as angry as any of you are in here.¡± Midnight Claw, Orchid, Silent Saboteur, and Noxi recoiled at the pressure Lady Arachne suddenly pushed out from herself. Liam could feel the bloodlust leak from the other side of the table. Even though he had finally relieved himself of that dreaded Debuff, he was humbly reminded exactly how weak he still was as he fought to the best of his ability to not fall face first onto the table. As quickly as the pressure came, it disappeared. Liam let out a breath of air before taking in one. He could feel his heart beating hard against his chest from the experience. As he calmed it down when he heard Lady Arachne apologize, ¡°I am sorry Phantom Cat. You should not have had to experience that.¡± Liam nodded, not saying anything. ¡°The evidence of what Phantom Cat has provided to us just now helps bright to light to something else he had brought to us,¡± Lady Arachne started back up. Everyone stared at her. They waited for her to further explain what she was talking about. ¡°Yesterday, Cryptic Wing was able to take down the Protection Magic on the folder Phantom Cat was able to swipe during his Field Mission Test,¡± the shorter woman continued. ¡°While he was successful in breaking down that security a mishap happened when trying to use Copy Magic.¡± Liam was confused by what she meant. He had recently learned about Copy Magic and how it was used to copy paperwork. What he was confused about was what she meant about a mishap happening while using that magic. Before anyone could ask what had happened, Cryptic Wing finally said something, ¡°There was a hidden protection Magic I didn¡¯t think was possible. One that activates when using Copy Magic on the protected objects.¡± ¡°Are you saying that all the paperwork that was procured during Phantom Cat¡¯s mission was destroyed?¡± Noxi questioned. ¡°Not all. No,¡± Cryptic Wing replied. ¡°I was able to copy a quarter of the contents before the rest was destroyed.¡± A look of relief mixed with slight winces were on the other member¡¯s faces. They waited for the man to continue. When he didn¡¯t, Silent Saboteur asked, ¡°And? Was there anything worth finding?¡± Cryptic Wing looked at the man before looking at the others. With a nod he said, ¡°Yes. Even though there was a lot of important information that could help explain some things that was destroyed, the information that was salvaged brought forth a particularly important and urgent matter.¡± Feeling the need to want to know what the man was building up to, Liam wanted to shout out Well? What is it? However, he didn¡¯t needed to as Orchid asked, ¡°Well? Out with it? What information were you able to get that is so important?¡± Cryptic Wing took in a deep breath before letting it out. He then said, ¡°A group of Immoral Vice Cult followers are trying to kill everyone on this island with a deadly dungeon break.¡± Adventure 217 - E.P.M. Liam stared at Cryptic Wing trying to process what he had just said. He didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. He was still ignorant when it came to dungeons and dungeon breaks, however, he did remember someone stating for a dungeon to break it needed to not be challenged or completed over a certain amount of time. If that was the case then how were they planning on making one happen if all the dungeons on the island were being challenged on a daily basis in the Dungeon Tower? He wasn¡¯t the only one thinking about this as Noxi asked, ¡°How would they be able to make that happen? I¡¯m pretty sure all the dungeons in the Dungeon Tower have been challenged and completed several times a day." Cryptic Wing looked at Lady Arachne who was already looking at him. She gave him a nod of acknowledgement before he looked back at Noxi and everyone else replying, ¡°You are correct on that. Albeit, there seems to be a new dungeon that has not been accounted for or has not been announced to the public. A Black Dungeon.¡± ¡°A Black Dungeon!?¡± the other Legs shouted. ¡°You¡¯re not serious are you?¡± Orchid questioned. ¡°How? Where is it located?¡± Noxi demanded with some anger. ¡°Do you know how long it has been on the island?¡± Midnight Claw demanded. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t this dungeon been made public? Shouldn¡¯t the authorities or even the Mayor know about this dungeon?¡± Silent Saboteur inquired, a fist forming. Cryptic Wing remained calm as he waited for each member to let out the questions they were burning to know. After they waited for an answer and went silent, he started back up, ¡°First off, I will say I do not know everything since not all the papers in that folder were able to be copied. I can answer some of the questions with certainty while some will be met with guesses.¡± The others remained quiet, waiting to hear what he had to share. Cryptic Wing nodded before looking at Orchid and continuing, ¡°For your question Tantalizing Orchid, yes I am certain. In the information I was able to get there is a Black Dungeon on the island.¡± Cryptic Wing looked at Noxi. ¡°Tranquil Noxitanous, I do not know where it is located. That part of the information was not salvaged before it was destroyed. However, I will say that the location of the dungeon is not normal since none of the places where one would appear does not have it.¡± Orchid and Noxi clicked their tongues at their answers. ¡°I do not know how long it has been on the island, Midnight Claw,¡± Cryptic Wing answered as he looked at her. ¡°If I were to make a guess I would have to say either around or before the kidnappings happens.¡± Midnight Claw crossed her arms as she listened to the man. She, too, didn¡¯t like that response. Cryptic Wing looked at Silent Saboteur. ¡°As for your answer Silent Saboteur, I wasn¡¯t able to get any information as to why on that from the salvaged papers, however, this folder right here might shed some light as to why no announcements have been made by the authorities here on the island.¡± Everyone looked at the folder that Cryptic Wing pulled out from his inventory. Liam was able to get a glimpse at the name of it and furrowed his brows. It was the folder titled Allies and Potential Threats. It was one he didn¡¯t get to look at before that lion-folk arrived. ¡°In here it lists all their allies who have been making deals with these Seven Immoral Vices Cult members as well who they believe would be a threat to their operation,¡± Cryptic Wing answered. Midnight Claw slammed a fist down on the table as she growled, ¡°Are you saying there are traitors from our race working with these bastards? How could they be willing to go through with their plan? To slaughter their own kin¡­¡± She let out a snarl, making Liam believe she couldn¡¯t finding the right words for what she wanted to convey. ¡°There is some belief that they do not know the full plan of the Seven Immoral Vices Cult members,¡± Cryptic Wing stated. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noxi questioned. ¡°While going through all the Allies paperwork there is a section that states, Agreed upon the fabricated Deal,¡± Cryptic Wing informed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the details of this Fabricated Deal, but it does not look like they were informed about the actual plans the Seven Immoral Vices Cult members had going on. After looking at all who had become allies to these people¡­¡± Liam could hear the venom in the word as Cryptic Wing¡¯s mouth shifted into a swift snarl before returning to the emotionless expression he had before. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past them they would have agreed if they had truly known. However, since we do not have any information on the deal they agreed upon as well as the full pan, they can be considered greedy bastards.¡± Silent Saboteur stared at Cryptic Wing. When there was a pause from Cryptic Wing he stated, ¡°Assuming you are bringing this folder up after my question. Am I safe to say that the mayor is one of these¡­Allies¡­¡± Silent Saboteur sounded like he wanted to make some angry sound but held back. Cryptic Wing nodded. He then opened the folder and spread out the papers that were in them. He organized it so the ones labeled as Allies were closer together and the Potential Threats were placed close by each other as well. ¡°Your guess is safe to assume, Silent Saboteur. He along with a few nobles associated with this island along with some crafting companies as well.¡± Liam glanced over the papers that were in the Allies section. He narrowed his eyes as a bit of anger swelled up within him as his eyes landed on one that was familiar to him. Of course that fucking Weasel fuck is a part of that list. Liam internally growled. He then shifted his eyes over on the Potential Threats and scanned them as well. To his surprise he saw some had names of businesses like The Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron on there. He also saw one that said Clan Cait Sith. Another had Fred, the bear-folk Head Security of the Teleportation Tree. He had some choice words written on his paper which led Liam to believe the Seven Immoral Vice members really didn¡¯t like him. The last one was even more surprised since he thought the man would be on the Allies section since his information was spread out when it came to Crafting. Mr. Lyca, the man who was in charge of the Crafter¡¯s Association. He would have thought that since the Seven Immoral Vice Cult members were kidnapping crafters, he would have been the perfect ally to them. As Liam scanned the papers there was one name that didn¡¯t appear, especially in the Allies section. After looking over the group three times to make sure he didn¡¯t miss it, He asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Lucy in the Allies section?¡± This one question brought everyone¡¯s attention right upon him. Liam stared at them as they looked questioning at him. They then looked at the Allies section as well. After a few sections of silence, Lady Arachne said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s actually a good question. If these folders were in her office and she hid them¡­she should have been in this section. Especially being a Beast-kin and not a Demon-kin.¡± ¡°That actually begs another question,¡± Noxi started up after thinking something over. ¡°Not only is her paperwork not in the Allies section, why would she have all this information? I wouldn¡¯t bet that the Seven Immoral Vice Cult members would allow a Beast-kin to have all this information. The part about everyone involved having a Fabricated Deal points to that. So then¡­how?¡± Noxi brought up a really good question. One that made everyone think hard on. After a few more seconds of silence, Orchid asked, ¡°Is she a Demon-kin in disguised as well?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Cryptic Wing offered. ¡°There should be a magical defense actively running to spot any illusions being used while in the Teleportation Tree. I would assume that if she were a Demon-kin, she would have been spotted the moment she tried.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that,¡± Liam interjected. Cryptic Wing looked at Liam with a look that said Are you doubting me? Liam stared at the man and stated, ¡°You weren¡¯t here when I made my report of my mission to grab these folders. I¡¯m not sure if anyone here has filled you in on the happenings that went down, but¡­I ran into a Lion-folk that acted a lot like a Seven Immoral Vice Cult member. At least his paranoia and the things he said.¡± Cryptic Wing looked at Lady Arachne with a brow raised. Lady Arachne nodded before informing him of what Liam had told all of them. After she finished Cryptic Wing brought a hand to his chin. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°That is indeed most confusing,¡± Cryptic Wing stated. ¡°However, while I find this conundrum very confusing, I can tell you that the Illusion Defense is currently running right now.¡± Liam raised a brow at that. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Because of my race,¡± Cryptic Wing stated. ¡°You see I am a Bat-folk with a very special Bloodline that helps me perceive active magical spells.¡± Liam was intrigued to hear this. he hadn¡¯t heard a lot about Bloodlines and what they were all about. He was about to ask more, but was stopped as Cryptic Wing stated, ¡°Before you ask, no I will not tell you more about my bloodline. Since I was told you are new to our world I won¡¯t be upset with your ignorance. However, I will tell you that you must never ask someone about their bloodline unless they are willing to tell you. Bloodlines are sacred and rare. Not everyone in the world has them.¡± Liam, a bit disappointed hearing that, nodded and thanked the man. ¡°So if the Illusion defenses are up and working then how have these crazy bastards been getting on the island?¡± Orchid inquired. Cryptic Wing shook his head as he replied, ¡°I do not know.¡± ¡°What about when they are planning to execute this plan of theirs?¡± Silent Saboteur asked. ¡°Was that on any of the papers you were able to salvage from the other folder?¡± Once more Cryptic Wing shook his head. ¡°No. However, I would believe it would take some time for a Dungeon break to happen unless they have some way to accelerate one.¡± Something tugged at the back of Liam¡¯s mind as he listened to the two men. His brows furrowed as he tried to think what it was. Something about time seemed to trigger it, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure. He tried thinking about everything that had happened to see if someone had said something related to the topic. He thought about the banter the Beast-kins had with Uncle Naro. The one who took the leading role stated the usual low key villain banter about being surprised they could see them along with luck ending and leaving him alone and not interfering with them taking me. Nothing about time there. Uncle Naro had asked if they knew who he was, strange of a question as that was, but that wasn¡¯t it either. If it wasn¡¯t then, then maybe¡­ Liam thought to himself as he pushed earlier into that night. His scrunched brows deepened a bit more as he tried to think about what else had happened. As he was doing this he wasn¡¯t aware that both Lady Arachne and Cryptic Wing were staring at him. Cryptic Wing was about to ask him a question but was stopped as Lady Arachne brought a hand up to stop him. The man looked at her and watched as she shook her head and brought a finger up to her lips. The other members noticed her do this and looked at her before looking at Liam. Liam unconsciously started to mutter softly to himself as he tried to go back in his memories. ¡°Time¡­what was it that I heard about time? Was it then? No. If not then, then maybe¡­¡± Liam¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he remembered. It was what Lucy had said. Liam snapped his gaze up and was about to say something, but stopped as he noticed everyone was already staring at him. Unsure what was going on, Liam asked, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Lady Arachne nodded as she replied, ¡°Yes. We noticed you were deep in thought about something and were waiting to see if you had anything to add.¡± Liam felt a bit embarrassed. He didn¡¯t think he was that obvious, but apparently he was. He was going to need to correct that somehow. He mentally shook himself free from the stray thoughts as he readied to inform them of an abridged version of what he was going to say. ¡°There is something I need to add. It¡¯s about time,¡± Liam started. Everyone looked a bit confused for a moment before coming to realize what he had meant. ¡°I didn¡¯t remember it at first, but Silent Saboteur¡¯s question about when they were planning to execute their plan tickled something at the back of my mind,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I do remember hearing one of the members stating that they had new orders. Their new orders were to move the schedule of their plans ahead. Whatever their entire plan entails, they plan to do it soon.¡± Orchid looked surprised while Noxi formed a fist with both hands. A weird noise escaped Silent Saboteur¡¯s mouth behind his mask as Midnight Claw snarled. Cryptic Wing looked skeptical and was about to question him on it, but wasn¡¯t able to as Lady Arachne asked, ¡°How reliable was the source? Do you think they could have said that in order to throw people off?¡± Liam shook his head as he answered, ¡°No I do not believe it was said in order to throw people off. As for the source¡­I trust it entirely.¡± Lady Arachne nodded her head and was about to say something, but stopped as Cryptic Wing butted it, ¡°What do you mean by you trust the source entirely? If some lowly grunt said it then I hardly believe it is trustworthy.¡± Liam narrowed his eyes at the man. He was starting to get a feel of the man. he was one that didn¡¯t trust unconfirmed sources. He was right if it was from some grunt of an organization then the information could be unreliable. That was the case for many organizations back on earth. Tell the grunts random things so if they were captured they had false information to feed if they were the type to squeal. However, this didn¡¯t come from some low end minion. No. After looking at everything and questioning some things, he was starting to think that Lucy was much higher and deeper in this then he originally thought. ¡°I can understand why you would think that,¡± Liam started as he stared back at Cryptic Wing. His sudden surety made Cryptic Wing look surprised¡­for a brief moment. ¡°However, what if I said this didn¡¯t come from a lowly minion?¡± ¡°Oh? if not from one of those Beat-kin pawns, then from who? If you met one of the higher ups then I must ask why you haven¡¯t brought that information to the table,¡± Cryptic Wing argued. ¡°To be honest I had forgotten this with everything that had happened I am still regaining my bearings,¡± Liam answered. ¡°I know it is no excuse, but it is facts. I apologize for my lacking.¡± Lady Arachne shook her head. ¡°Do not apologize for something that can happen to anyone. We might have a sub-stat that helps with remembering things, but sometimes we forget that some have lower levels in that sub-stat as well as sometimes going through events much like the one you went through; It can jostle memories. Can you tell us who this reliable source was that said this?¡± Liam looked at her and said with as much confidence as he could exude, ¡°It was from Lucy herself.¡± The others stared at him. They didn¡¯t know who he was going to say. A few had believed he was going to introduce a new key figure, but instead he had brought up the one they had talked about earlier. They still didn¡¯t know where she fit in all of this besides working with them and having more knowledge about the Seven Immoral Vices¡¯ plan. ¡°Why do you believe she is a reliable source to go with?¡± Lady Arachne asked, curious on the subject. ¡°I know that we believe there is more to the woman than we know, but why do you specifically believe she is a reliable source?¡± ¡°I want to know how you heard her say this?¡± Cryptic Wing questioned. ¡°I won¡¯t go into much details since I am still trying to remember everything,¡± Liam lied as he stared at the man. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had something that could tell he was lying, but he decided to go stick with that. ¡°However, I can say that a certain situation had brought me to hid when she happened to enter a room I was in. there she spoke with some members she was with, and she told them about their new orders.¡± He then looked at Lady Arachne and added, ¡°As for your question, Lady Arachne. There is much mystery around the woman right now, albeit, I believe she is much higher up and deeper in this than we think. The fact we questioned how her paperwork wasn¡¯t in the section of the Allies. How she is able to have the important files of their plans even though she is a Beast-kin, that we know of. How she is head of the New Arrival Agent Department which allows her to have access to all information on the new arrivals coming in here, which also allows her to use that information to determine if said new arrival fits what they are looking for. All those questions point to someone who is deeper in the mess of things or has a higher position in the group doing all of this. None of these point to someone who is a mere pawn.¡± Everyone digested what he had said. He had made some really good points. Liam could see the emotions warring on their faces, or through their body language in Noxi¡¯s and Silent Saboteur¡¯s case. ¡°Your thought process on that makes a lot of sense,¡± Lady Arachne finally stated after a while. ¡°Thank you for sharing that with us.¡± She then looked at the others and with an authoritative voice ordered, ¡°Knowing that they are pushing their plans ahead of schedule means they have a means to force a dungeon break. We are going to send out an order for a Priority Emergency Mission, or E.P.M., for all members on the island. The order is to locate or find any signs of a Black Dungeon. If any suspicious people are found doing something they shouldn¡¯t be doing must be reported as well. This order is being execute right this second!¡± Liam felt a vibration in the pocket his Web Watch was in. He reached in and pulled it out. After channeling some mana into it, Silky opened the pocket watch and dove right into the darkened area with as much speed as her legs could move. After she disappeared inside, she repeated the words Lady Arachne had just stated. ¡°Thank you Silky,¡± Liam whispered to her. ¡°You¡¯re welcome Phantom Cat. ¨C Silky.¡± Liam closed his Web watch and put it back into his pocket. He then looked at Lady Arachne and listened as she said, ¡°Phantom Cat, thank you again for telling us all of this. I know you have been through a lot already, but I must ask if we can use your skills in crafting and make as many potions as you can for us? I am hoping it won¡¯t come down to it, but there is a chance some of our members will need them. Can you do this?¡± Liam nodded. He needed to make some for himself as well, but he had a question that could be fatal to what she needed. Without any hesitation, Liam asked, ¡°I can, but the highest quality I can make are Average. Will that be alright?¡± ¡°It is acceptable,¡± Lady Arachne replied. ¡°We know you¡¯re still new here, but that level of potion making is still much higher than usual new arrivals are at. Noxi can make some higher quality ones, but it is always safe to have more. Also, some members can benefit from yours as well since those potions are close to what is best for them.¡± Liam nodded the paused as thought about something. He needed to restock on some of his Chemicalized Creations as well. Deciding to take a chance he asked, ¡°Is there a possibility I can also get some supplies to make some more of my Chemicalized Creations?¡± Lady Arachne stared at Liam. She then looked over at Silent Saboteur who didn¡¯t say anything. He looked like he was contemplating something. After a few seconds he nodded. ¡°Granted. However, Potions take priority first,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°Go with Silent Saboteur and get to crafting.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Liam replied. He then let out a breath and thought to himself as he followed the portly man out of the room, This is going to be a long day again. Adventure 218 - Tasks given and an offer extended Time passed as Liam spent his time inside the Crafting Room he used inside the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. He made sure the Crafting Room had Potion Making, Poison Craft, and Chemicalized Creation rooms when he activated the room. While making Average Quality Common Rarity Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions, he made sure to work on some other creations he could use in case there a fight did break out like Lady Arachne felt would happen. He didn¡¯t take more time than needed adding in flavors. He didn¡¯t have the stock on himself to make so many with flavor and neither did Silent Saboteur. Silent Saboteur did have enough stock for him to make several batches at a time. This was the first time he had to make batches. Usually when he made the potions, they would be enough for four to five vials. These batches he was currently making filled up to twenty two medium sized vials per batch. He had to use bigger equipment and had to read up on the proper way to do this since his current Knowledge Theory book on making potions didn¡¯t cover it. It was Noxi who lent him the appropriate book on how to make bigger batches. Thanks to this he had received a new Knowledge Theory called Big Batch Potions. The name of the book he received it from was funnier and he had thought that was going to be the Knowledge Theory name. The name of the book was Big Batch Lots O¡¯ Cash. While making these big batches were great, they took up a lot of time. Each one took around thirty five to forty five minutes depending on the ingredients. He had learned, once he started making Average Quality Potions, that there were more ingredients involved. More parts of the plants he wasn¡¯t using before were used in the other potions. This made Liam feel it was efficient, but now he didn¡¯t feel like he was wasting the parts he couldn¡¯t use before. After he started getting into a rhythm during the making process he was able to time the Health, Mana, and Stamina so their finish time would happen around each other. He would prep the ingredients for each batch and start one them move to the next and then the third. The room he was using only had enough of the equipment he had to use for the three. After each batch of three were made, he would step out from the crafting room and deliver three crate sized boxes with enough space for the amount he had made and separated. Either Lady Arachne, Orchid, or Midnight Claw would be waiting by the desk with a group of two to three Fiddler Spider Web members who happened to come by for more briefing on what was going on as well as waiting for the potions Lady Arachne promised to provide them. Silent Saboteur popped in and out of the main hall to make sure Liam and Noxi were alright on their supplies. If any of them were low on anything, he would restock them. Cryptic Wing during this time was keeping an ear on any type of transmission being sent around that seemed suspicious. Liam didn¡¯t know what they had meant by that since he was still trying to understand the way of communication worked on the world. Apparently there was a magical device that worked a lot like a walkie talkie with the distance of a whole city. Few used them, but those that did used them to send out certain messages because they involved using certain types of mana. He really needed to learn more about this world. After the first batch was delivered Liam had to apologize to Lady Arachne because he had to use one of the Average Medium sized Stamina Potions before coming out. While he had never felt it before, probably due to the small amounts of crafting and only doing one craft at a time, he was starting to understand why Crafters leveled their Crafting Endurance sub-stat as well as the Improved Crafter¡¯s Endurance Improvement (Weak) ability from his Production Craft Focus Point. After working on one batch of Health, Mana, and Stamina while trying to make some toxins, he had felt drained. To him it felt like he had ran a marathon. He also felt drinking the disgusting non-flavored potions was a punishment for trying to bit off more than he could chew making these requested items while trying to craft other things for himself. After the second round of crafting, he had leveled up both. His Crafter Endurance reached level twenty one and his Crafter¡¯s Endurance Improvement (Weak) ability reached level nineteen. While it helped lessen a small bit of the strain from trying to multitask his crafting sessions between Potion Making, Poison Craft, and Chemicalized Creation, he still felt exhausted. He forced himself to switch between Poison Craft and Chemicalized Creation each other Potion Making session instead of trying to push himself to do all three at once. This gave him some time to drink a Stamina Potion, and a Mana Potion when needed, and rest a bit. He ended up doing five rounds of this in total. After his second round of Potion Making, he came out to deliver his finished products and met an interesting couple of members who had decided to spark up a quick conversation with him. One was a female Snake-folk while the other was a female Fox-folk. The fox-folk wasn¡¯t anything like Roman though. She had a red tail and red ears. He had asked her if she was a Kitsune and was met with a sneer. Lady Arachne had to intervene and explain to them that he was new and was still learning everything this world had in it. This mollified the girl as she accepted his ignorance. After that they had talked about how they were interested in learning Poison crafts since a lot of their fighting styles revolved around poisons. Liam asked them if they knew about Powdered Poisons and that seemed to catch their attention. He had a couple of jars left of the stuff and showed them. They were so enamored by the product that they swiftly asked if he would sell or trade them for one of the jars. He asked what they had to trade, and they brought out a few items they were thinking of selling to Silent Saboteur. Two items they had caught his attention. They had two Weak Liquified Ice Mana Extracts, and two Weak Liquified Water Mana Extracts. While he had no Mana Control over the two he really wanted to have them and try to see if he could mix it with something he already had levels in. They agreed to trade both of each for the jar. He didn¡¯t think it was an even trade, but they waved him off saying something along the lines of the price of those items weren¡¯t a lot to begin with if they tried to sell them to Silent Saboteur. He shrugged at that and went through with the transaction. Afterwards he told them that if they were going to learn how to make poisons and liked that item that they should look for a certain book. After he was done he went back to work and while making the potions, he tried to make something new with those items with his Chemicalized Creations. And boy was he excited about these items.
¡°Weak Poisoned Bog Prison. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation (Alchemy). Item Quality ¨C Weak. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Description ¨C A shadowy body of water spread out in a ten foot radius. After the watery substance reaches the determined amount of area it will shoot up and engulf everything within it. Poisoned dark water will fill the area and cause damage to the skin. If anyone within the watery prison happens to open their mouth, their body will be poisoned as it swims down their throats.¡± ¡°Weak Poisoned Ice Mist. Item Type ¨C Chemicalized Creation (Alchemy). Item Quality ¨C Weak. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Description ¨C A swirl of broken down Ice particles expands into a ten foot radius. Everything within the blast zone will feel a cold chill that slows their movements down. As the people trapped inside try to breath they will inhale Powdered particles of poisoned ice, causing both ice damage as well as poison damage within their body.¡±
He was able to make two of both of them, which made him happy as well as leveled up his Chemicalized Creation Section in Alchemy bringing it to level eight. The first one he was able to make by using Weak Liquified Shadow Mana Extract, Weak Liquified Water Mana Extract, and some Powdered Poison. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The other he tried something different. He used two weak liquified mana types he had no levels in control or manipulation in. They were Weak Liquified Air Mana Extract and Weak Liquified Ice Mana Extract. He also added some Powdered Poison to the mixture leaving him with half a jar of it left. After he was finished the fifth round, Lady Arachne told him he could stop. The amount he had made was well over the number of people that were around. He didn¡¯t realize this since the last two times he came out to leave the crate of potions on the desk, she wasn¡¯t there to tell him. The ones that were there didn¡¯t know when to have him stop as well so they just let him keep going. He was quite happy with his results even though it made him tired so many times. He thought he would get a lot of levels with his Potion Making Section in Alchemy, but it had only leveled up once bringing it to level twenty two. He really wanted to know how the progression worked now since he believed making so many potions in large batches would increase it by a lot. However, he didn¡¯t have a lot of knowledge on the topic, and he had other things he needed to focus on. After he was fully rested and finished his task, Lady Arachne pulled him off to the side to talk to him. ¡°Is everything alright, Lady Arachne?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°I just wanted to let you know that I haven¡¯t forgotten about your reward from the Field Mission Test you successfully completed. However, with the urgency of the matter at hand I wanted you to know that once we have dealt with the matter you will receive it.¡± Liam was confused at first. He had forgotten that she had said something about receiving a reward. With the ambush and him getting knocked out for a day, the promised reward was the last thing on his mind. He gave her a nod as he stated, ¡°I understand. Thank you for letting me know.¡± ¡°That is not all,¡± Lady Arachne continued. Liam stared at the shorter woman as he was puzzled on what she was going to say next. ¡°Thanks to your contribution on the Average Quality Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions, we have a stock ready and available for those who might run out if a major issue happens,¡± Lady Arachne announced. ¡°That contribution will be noted and added to the final reward tally when this E.P.M. has concluded.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened slightly. He didn¡¯t think they would have something like that during an event like this. He was surprised and confused because no one knew when or how long this would be going on for. While he had heard Lucy say they were going to move ahead of schedule, no one knew exactly how soon that entailed. It could be tomorrow, or it could be a month from now. ¡°I know you have just finished, but if you are wondering what you could¡­I might have something only you can,¡± Lady Arachne started to suggest with a wry smile. Liam raised a brow as he stared at her. He was intrigued with what she had in mind, so he waited for her to continue. ¡°I would like you to use your Veil of Shadows to cloak yourself and check out the Green Dungeon, Goblin Forest, and see if there are any suspicious people hiding in there,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°I have heard of rumors of things happening in there that shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Liam grimaced at the mention of the Goblin Forest. That grimace remained a bit longer after he heard what she said and the memories of his experiences of his time running into the Zombified Hobgoblin and his diseased minions. That grimace slowly disappeared as he thought about how this time would be different. He no longer had the Stat Shatter Debuff holding him back as well as some items he could use if things got¡­dicey. He also had a quest from the Adventurer¡¯s Association he needed to complete there as well. Liam nodded as he decided he would do as she asked. ¡°Alright, I accept the task you are providing me.¡± Lady Arachne smiled. Before he could walk away Lady Arachne asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what level is your Field of the Shadows?¡± Even though Liam could hear the caution in her voice as she asked the question, it still made him stiffen a bit. Besides his old teammates, the four Legs that were present for his test knew about it. Even though they knew, he was still slightly worried. He took a moment to contemplate on whether he should reply or not. She hadn¡¯t done anything that would cause him to worry about her having any issues with him having the magic field or wanting him to tell her how he had got it. Liam¡¯s brows furrowed at that last part of his thoughts. She didn¡¯t seem like she was worried when he used the abilities, nor had she looked like she wanted his knowledge. Instead she seemed¡­excited that he had the field. That was a bit worrisome in of itself. Why did she seem excited he had it? His only guess on finding out the answer was to respond to her question. With a silent gulp he said, ¡°Its currently at level eighteen.¡± He watched her reaction to see if she would give away anything. She nodded as she brought a hand to her chin and looked like she was thinking something over. After a few seconds had passed she finally said, ¡°Not too high nor too low. Which of the three Focus Points is your highest?¡± Liam was staring at her. His burning curiosity finally got the better of him as he asked, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound rude or anything, but why would you like to know?¡± Lady Arachne smiled as she listened to the fair question. ¡°I know you are new to both our world and our Association, so you wouldn¡¯t know this,¡± she started. ¡°I guess as a member of our Association and being the apprentice of the Wild Card I could let you in on a little secret not known to many outside of here.¡± Liam stared at her, his body slightly starting to tense and ready itself in case he needed to sprint or something. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why he would need to, but he figured it was best that he prepared himself just in case. ¡°All first Legs of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web are practitioners of the Field of the Shadow,¡± Lady Arachne informed. She then pointed a finger to her chest as she added, ¡°Myself included.¡± Liam¡¯s jaw dropped. Thoughts swirled inside his head over her pronouncement. Some things started to make sense. That time during the second test, she was waiting inside a dark forest where no light shone. Even those spiders¡­Liam shuddered at the thought of them. But those spiders had a somewhat familiar feel to them. If that familiar feeling was because they were related to the Field of Shadows then that would make sense. Lady Arachne let out a small chuckle as she watched the change of emotions wash over his eyes. This brought Liam out of his thoughts and back on her. A look of embarrassment finally took over as he looked away. ¡°I have been wanting to ask more about what abilities you have but the timing hasn¡¯t been great,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°However, I wanted you to know if you need any pointers or have any questions you can come to me. I have no issues helping you figure out the best ways to use them.¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond to what she said. Instead he asked someone who had been telling him to be cautious with his Shadow Magic, Eri? What are your thoughts on this? For the first time, Eri didn¡¯t respond right away. It had taken her a few second before she finally said something.
¡°What she says looks to be true. At least the part about her having the Field of Shadows. However, she has already advanced that field pretty far. She could prove useful in aiding you on things related to the field¡­However, do not rely too heavily on her. Remember, those who have the field fall into two categories. One is they just happen to have a high affinity for it. The other¡­means they are tied to people who you must be wary of. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam didn¡¯t like that last part. He wanted to know what she had meant, but was interrupted as Lady Arachne said, ¡°However, if it makes you uncomfortable then please do not mind me. I was just a little excited that our newest member had a field I could really relate with.¡± Liam continued to stare at her. He felt this was a good opportunity to learn more about the field, the possible abilities he could gain from the field, and if there were things he could improve upon with his current available abilities. However, what Eri had said brought forth the possibility of possible issues. He had to think about this carefully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Liam started to say. ¡°I haven¡¯t met others who could use the same field as I can, so it took me by surprise.¡± That was a lie. He had met one. That guy claiming he had something to do with the clan the man was in. That guy also had Shadow magic. If Eri¡¯s warning about what category people fell into when it came to Shadow Magic were to be taken seriously then there was a chance this woman could fall in the same category as that man. ¡°That is quite alright,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°I can understand. Like I have previously stated you are still new to our world so there are things you still don¡¯t know. It is good that you are cautious. How about this¡­go and take care of the task I have given you. Think about if you would like my help with understanding the possibilities of the field. If you believe it would be beneficial to you then we can talk more on it. If you do not wish for any help from me then I will abide by that as well.¡± Liam was surprised by her response. He was prepared for her to try and come up with a thousand and one reasons as to why he would need or find her help¡­helpful. But telling him to think about it¡­yeah he wasn¡¯t ready for that. ¡°I would like to gift you something before you go though,¡± Lady Arachne started back up. ¡°Think of it as a welcome to our world gift from one Field of the Shadows user to another.¡± She then pulled a thin raven black book from her inventory. Liam stared at it with caution before taking it from her. Before he placed it inside his inventory he glanced at the title. It read, ¡°Ways to better Control the Shadows.¡± He raised a brow at that before looking back at the shorter woman. ¡°Thank you. I will think about your offer and contemplate over it.¡± ¡°That is all I can ask right now,¡± Lady Arachne replied. ¡°Now be safe on your task and return safely.¡± Liam nodded at the woman before turning around and leaving the confines of the Association. Adventure 219 - Returning to the Goblin Forest Liam had mixed feelings after he had left the confines of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. While he was excited and felt great from his long crafting sessions, that talk with Lady Arachne had dampened his mood a bit. He knew there were plenty of people out there that had plenty of different types of magic out there. Some of the magic out there were basic common ones while others were rare. Like his Shadow and Lunar magic. When he had received the gift in the form of a Knowledge Theory Book that allowed him to receive both the Field of Lunar and Field of Shadows, she had warned him not to let people he didn¡¯t fully trust know if it. He had agreed to her warning and did his best not to use it so much around those he didn¡¯t trust. There were two instances though where he had not followed her warning. The first was during his fights on the sixth floor with Aranis¡¯, Jude¡¯s, and Inyis¡¯ teams. He didn¡¯t have the luxury of holding back then and felt he needed to do as much as he could. Looking back on it now, he could have done things differently if he had learned and practiced combinations with his available abilities at the time like he learned in the Yellow Dungeon. The other time was during his initiation tests for the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. Eri had told him it was okay to use his Shadow Magic though. He wasn¡¯t sure if she had known Lady Arachne had Shadow Magic as well and that was why she gave him the green light. He had met three people in a matter of days that had both of the magics he was said to be rare. Not only that, but he was told by Lady Arachne that every branch leader of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web had the Field of Shadows. Was it really as rare as he was told? Almost like she was listening to his inner thoughts, a message popped up.
¡°That was an oversight on my part. I did not expect someone to have the Field of Shadows. I thought maybe they would question it since not a lot of people have seen it before. However, now that I think about it; An association much like the Fiddler¡¯s Web should have at least one person to have it. Let¡¯s just be happy you didn¡¯t reveal your Field of Lunar abilities. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam slightly frowned at her message. The way you and Nabal had described the association, I would have thought almost everyone who have it. Also, why is it good that I didn¡¯t reveal my Lunar Magic? Besides the obvious that many would try and see how I got it so they can try and get it.
¡°It¡¯s kind of like that. The only difference is they will want to find out why you have both and how that is possible. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was a bit confused by that. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she had meant by that. He wanted to ask her to elaborate on it. However, before he could ask, Eri was already on it.
¡°I know we haven¡¯t talked much about magic and how it all works. It¡¯s something you¡¯ll learn eventually, but I guess we can talk a little bit about why I have been trying to have you not go around and showing off that you have both Shadow and Lunar Magic. ¨C Eri.¡±
Okay. Liam nodded as he slowly approached the stairs of the Dungeon tower.
¡°What I have said to you before about the two being rare is correct. I know that since you¡¯ve already had a run in with three people who have one or the other you probably thought it wasn¡¯t as rare as I have been saying. However, that is not correct. It was just coincidence that you happened to find them so soon. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam slightly looked surprised at that. He looked at the guard and snuck past him using a passerby¡¯s shadow going inside. After making his way over to a shadow that ran up the wall he looked at Eri¡¯s next message.
¡°People would do anything to get their hands on a method to receive those Fields. It doesn¡¯t matter if that method fails, they will still try to get it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Why is that? And what do you mean by even if that method fails? Can someone fail trying to get a Field of Magic? Liam asked with a puzzled look on his face.
¡°*Sighs* Fields of Magics have tiers of rarities much like equipment, items, and more. They are Common, Uncommon, Rare, Mythic, and Divine Gifted. You don¡¯t see the rarity because it is something the mortals have created. Things like your Field of the Craft, Field of the Elements, and such are considered Common Tier. Your Field of Shadows and Field of Lunar are more on the Rare side. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about what she was saying. Following the logic he asked, If what you are saying is true then my Field of Discord would be in the Divine Gifted Tier right?
¡°Correct, but you¡¯ll learn more about all that later. There is more to the tiers, I just don¡¯t remember if any new Tiers were added over the years. You¡¯re not ready to learn more about that. I only brought that up because it¡¯ll help explain this next part. ¨C Eri.¡±
Okay. Liam responded as he looked for the Green Dungeon. He noticed a few groups waiting to enter it, so he decided to wait a little longer.
¡°There are many people on the search for Rare Tier or above Fields of Magic. Some are searching as collectors of information while others want them for themselves. Having Rare Tier or above Fields of Magic will increase their power. At least that¡¯s what the idiots believe. To answer your other question, yes¡­it is possible to fail to receive a Field of Magic. When you were in the Tutorial Area they spoke often of not taking too many Fields of Magic right? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about it. He did remember being told that often. Yes¡­I was warned not to get too many because it could harm my path or something like that.
¡°Yes. Everyone has Fields that are helpful and harmful. While many of the harmful ones you can still receive if they are Common or Uncommon Tier, anything above those tiers are different. You have to meet certain requirements to receive them. One such requirement is Knowledge. ¨C Eri.¡±
Like how I received the Shadow and Lunar Fields of Magic right? Liam asked.
¡°Yes. To mortal knowledge the requirements to receive Rare kinds of Fields are Knowledge, Sub-stat levels, and Practice. However, there is one major requirement that they do not want to admit. That is affinity. You must have an affinity for that Field of Magic in order to be able to receive. That is the minimum requirement. You can study all you want and have a high Knowledge Theory on the topic of Field of Magic. The same goes for the sub-stats. Albeit, without an affinity you will not receive it. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam¡¯s brows scrunched once more. He understood that she was saying that the only reason why he was able to receive both Field of Lunar and Field of Shadow was because he had an affinity for both. What he wasn¡¯t understanding was what that had to do with her earlier comment.
¡°Now it is one thing to have an affinity with a Rare Tier Field of Magic, but to have two that are both opposites and similar to each other¡­that is rarer than rare. Lunar and Shadow have been seen with others separately never together on a single person. They are powerful when used on an enemy, but also harmful to the one who is using them both at the same time. There is a chance they can cause extreme damage on the user if they don¡¯t know what they are doing. Look at what happened after you got back from your fight on the sixth floor. You had both Debuffs from using Shadow and Lunar Magic together. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam vaguely remembered using them both at the same time. It had taken some time for his memory to return from his time being Debuffed with Chaotic Mind. What he did remember was the pain that filled his body when his mind was no longer plagued with the Debuff. Not only did his inside feel like he had been hit by a truck, but his mind was filled with whispers. If he hadn¡¯t experienced it before he would have thought he went mad.
¡°I¡¯m over explaining things I know, but I have a point. Knowing what I have told you, what do you think would happen if someone, who didn¡¯t really know you, saw that you could use both Shadow and Lunar? ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam thought about it. He couldn¡¯t think of anything but the people who were interested in the field would want to know even more. However, he felt like there was more to it than that. He couldn¡¯t figure out what that was though.
¡°Their interest in wanting to receive those Fields would also turn into their interest in you as someone who can wield both. They will pester you and pester you. Maybe even try to blackmail and kidnap you. Who knows if there are worse things they would do. People can get a bit¡­crazy when it comes to things they want but can¡¯t have. ¨C Eri.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Isn¡¯t that an understatement. Liam agreed as he looked back at the Portal leading to the Green Dungeon. The group of people that crowded the portal, waiting for their turn, was starting to shrink.
¡°The point I am trying to make is it is super rare for someone to have both Lunar and Shadow. It would draw people¡¯s attention¡­mainly in a bad way depending on the person. Just keep your Lunar Magic a secret whenever conducting business at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. ¨C Eri.¡±
Sure thing. Liam responded before finally making his way to the Portal that led to the Goblin Forest. He was still cloaked in his Veil of Shadows, so he approached the portal with a slow walk. As he made his way over to it his brows started to furrow a bit. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but the shade of green that made the portal looked a bit¡­darker. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if that was true, but he could have sworn the last time he saw it, it was a little lighter. He turned to look at the other colored portals, but even with his heightened vision, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if they had darkened a bit as well. The more he stared though the more it bugged him. After a few seconds he decided to enter the Dungeon before anyone walked out or wanted to go in. He pressed his hand against it, waited for the notification, accepted it, and walked in. After he reappeared on the other side he focused on making sure his Veil of the Shadows was maintained and didn¡¯t disperse. After he was assured his spell was still active he started to walk away. After taking a step he realized something else. He didn¡¯t feel sick. He was so used to fighting off the sickening feeling he normally felt every time he entered and left a dungeon that the absence of the feeling felt¡­off putting to him. Even when he didn¡¯t upchuck, he still had that feeling of nausea or dizziness. Like he had a Vertigo attack of sorts. He wasn¡¯t going to complain that he didn¡¯t feel it this time. It was a welcoming thing that he wished it just never happened, but it still confused him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you have that strange look on your face like you received some sort of enlightenment? Also, what was up with your behavior before you entered the dungeon?¡± Eri asked. I didn¡¯t receive any enlightenment¡­I just found it strange that I didn¡¯t feel sick after going through the portal. Liam replied as he made his way towards one of the paths that had less people walking on. ¡°That will happen,¡± Eri started. ¡°When you start reaching certain levels in the Teleportation Sickness in the Mental Resilience the chances of you feeling sick lessens. That, however, depends on the level of Portal though. For example, the chances of getting sick or feeling sick from the lighter portals will drop considerably the closer you reach level twenty or higher. The chances don¡¯t change for the darker portals if your around level twenty though so keep that in mind.¡± Liam found that quite interesting. He had assumed that he would always feel sick each time he went through a portal. If the probability of him upchucking or feeling like he would dropped the more levels he got in the sub-stat for that mental illness, then he would welcome each level he received in it. ¡°And the other thing I asked?¡± Eri questioned, not letting Liam get deeper in his thoughts. Hm? Oh¡­outside the dungeon. Liam said after thinking about what she had asked. I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I thought the color of the portals looked a bit darker than they were the last time I saw them. Eri didn¡¯t respond right away. It had taken her a few seconds before she finally asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Liam shook his head. Not entirely. Like I said I thought they looked darker. If they did deepen in their respectable shade of color, it wasn¡¯t by much. ¡°Still, even a slight bit of darker color can change a dungeon by a lot,¡± Eri stated. ¡°Keep an eye out. That Lady Arachne said something about suspicious people being in here. If those suspicious people happen to be apart of the Seven Immoral Sins Cult then things can go badly very quickly.¡± Liam nodded as he replied back mentally, Alright. If I come across any I¡¯ll just keep my distance and report it back to Lady Arachne. ¡°Sounds like a good plan,¡± Eri said. ¡°I know you are excited since your Stat Shatter Debuff is finally gone, but those people are still stronger than you by quite a lot. You wont be able to gain enough stat levels to make a difference so soon¡­Unless you used certain methods¡­¡± What methods? Liam questioned with some interest and confusion. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now. You might not be able to use it so soon after finally shedding that Debuff, so I don¡¯t want you thinking about it,¡± Eri vaguely stated. Liam kept walking down the path he had chosen, not a single person in sight. He decided it was alright to let out a slight chuckle as he commented to Eri, You know¡­telling me not to worry about it and then adding that vague part so soon afterwards isn¡¯t going to not make my curiosity pique. ¡°I know,¡± Eri stated with a slight chuckle of her own. With a quiet whisper, Liam muttered to himself, ¡°You are such a tease.¡± Eri¡¯s laughter was the only response he had gotten back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam spent a couple of hours roaming the Goblin Forest. During that time he trained himself to get reacquainted with how his body worked with his new sub-stats. There were some differences compared to how he was when the Stat Shatter Debuff was active. His Agility, Reflexes, and Speed had changed a bit allowing him to move faster, react quicker, and move his body a little bit smoother than before. He found that he was able to dodge and move his arms easier against the goblins he came across than the last time he was in here. Sure their levels were low, and his sub-stats were probably a lot higher than theirs, but he needed a comparison between then and now. His results spoke. Even his leveled up Power sub-stat helped his strikes cause more damage. He was excited from these tests. They helped him get a better feel of where he currently was now. That was, however, on the physical side of things. He hadn¡¯t used any of his magical abilities during these tests. Except for using his Soul Harvest to collect the Soul Orbs of his fallen prey, Liam decided not to use any of his magical abilities. He felt that they would attract people who were close by. He didn¡¯t want anyone seeing him while he was in here. As he tested his body out and collected the soul orbs, he also completed the Goblin Monster Hunting Quest he still had from the Adventurer¡¯s Association. It didn¡¯t take him long to complete that. He had also reached the amount of lesser monsters required to pass this dungeon. He just needed to kill the equivalent of an E.F.M. in this dungeon and he would be good. He wanted to find one so he could have that completed before he left, but he decided not to do it yet. He still needed to search a bit further inside this free roam dungeon and see if there were any signs of suspicious people or activities. During his time in here so far he hadn¡¯t seen any signs or heard anyone mention anything. He was starting to think that maybe the dungeon was clean of an irregularities after he had defeated the Zombified Hobgoblin. That was until he heard a scream. He had finished harvesting a group of Soul Orbs from a group of five Feeble Forest Goblins when he heard it. According to his heightened hearing, the cry was not too far from where he was. He took off as fast as he could towards the direction the sound came from. As he ran, he activated his Spirit Weave to form the equipment his Shadow Moon Blades gave him. He didn¡¯t want anyone recognizing him while investigating. This was the best way to prevent that. As he got closer to the area he heard the scream, he felt something was off. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but the air around him felt disgusting. He slowed down until he came to a halt and scanned his surroundings. The trees around him looked different. The ones that surrounded him earlier looked healthy and full of life. The crowns up above were full of leaves. These ones looked like they were sick. Dark patches were scattered all over the trunks. The leaves above him were no longer green. They had a brownish grey tint to them and tried desperately to hang on to the branches they grew on. The ground around him had a mixture of crunchy leaves and blackish brown dirt. He didn¡¯t know why he was seeing this. he felt like he had stepped into a different dungeon compared to where he was earlier. He took in a deep breath and gagged. The air smelt foul and stale. Almost like dead bodies were close by. He didn¡¯t like this. Liam activated Veil of Shadows and continued on cautiously. It didn¡¯t take him long to find a clearing. What he found inside the clearing surprised him though. Five people stood with their backs towards him. Judging by their armor and equipment, they had different classes that ranged from a tank like class to a healer type. These people were staring at a group of fifteen goblins. The goblins stared at the five people, but neither side made a move towards each other. Instead, they just stood there. Not too far away behind the goblins was a cave mouth. A scream escaped the cave mouth that made Liam flinch. He didn¡¯t flinch because the noise scared him. He flinched because he reflexively wanted to run towards the cave mouth and see if the person screaming needed help. However, before he could move, a figure slowly walked out from the cave. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched at what he saw. It was a Hobgoblin. However, this Hobgoblin didn¡¯t look like the one he had fought in his test or a normal one. Instead it looked exactly like the Zombified Hobgoblin he fought last time he was in this dungeon. He was about to assess the creature to verify his suspicions, but stopped as he got a better look at the goblins standing around. They, too, didn¡¯t look like the normal goblins he was used to seeing in this Green Dungeon. They stood slightly taller, had bigger muscles that tore parts of their skin on their arms and legs. Their eyes looked clouded as well. Liam felt the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stand up. He quickly assessed the creatures and understood why he felt something was off.
¡°Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. 955/955 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 25.¡± ¡°Zombified Forest Goblin. 420/420 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 13.¡± ¡°Zombified Forest Goblin. 467/467 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 15.¡± ¡°Zombified Forest Goblin. 578/578 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 18.¡±
The levels amongst the goblins were spread about, but the most were at these three levels. This shocked Liam. His shock didn¡¯t end there as he realized something else. The Zombified Hobgoblin was dragging something by the leg across the ground behind it. It was a human male. The man being dragged let out a cry for help. Liam stared at the five, who were just standing there. He didn¡¯t know what the five people were waiting for. Even though he was hiding in the shadows and standing there, he wasn¡¯t sure if the five people had some plan to save the man being dragged towards them. He didn¡¯t want to ruin whatever they had planned so he waited. However, the closer the tall monster got to the people, the more Liam noticed something strange from them. They weren¡¯t in any stance. Their weapons remained sheathed. And they remained standing with a slight hunch. Liam was confused by their behavior. However, before he could look into it more, the Zombified Hobgoblin had reached the opened spot before the five people. Four of the Zombified Forest Goblins walked forward. Two of them had gripped the man¡¯s flailing wrists and dragged him in front of the Zombified Hobgoblin and the five people. The other two Zombified Goblins grabbed the man¡¯s kicking legs. After reached a certain spot, the four creatures put all their weight down and held down the man. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he continued to watch. A feeling of dread crept down his spine as he wondered why the five people still hadn¡¯t reacted. He was then taken aback as something crawled out from the Zombified Hobgoblin¡¯s nostril. It was small so Liam had to adjust his sight to be able to get a better look at what it was. What he saw made his blood run cold. The creature had eight legs in total, a hairy bulbous abdomen that curved a bit, a thin upper body, two arms that extended from its upper body, a pair of fang like mandibles, and several eyes all over its head. It looked like something you would get if a person and a spider mated and had a baby, but a lot more frightening and disgusting. Liam was taken out his thoughts on the creature as the man let out a blood curdling shrill. Liam refocused his attention before him. The Zombified Hobgoblin had lowered its hand closer to the man, bringing the horrifying looking spider creature closer to the man. Liam looked back at the five people. They didn¡¯t move. They remained the same as they were when he arrived to this place. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if they were going to help the man, which made him worried about their state as well. The cries from the man intensified the closer the spider creature had gotten to him. Again the five people didn¡¯t move. Liam came to a decision. He reached for one of his throwing daggers. He slowly brought the arm back, aimed, and threw it. He watched the dagger fly swiftly between the gap of two of the unresponsive people. Before anyone could react, the blade portion of the dagger sunk right into the chest of the spider creature. The blade was big enough to cover not just the chest, but also the stomach and dug right into its abdomen due to the angle it had landed. This one action finally made the five people react. However, instead of them racing to free the screaming man, they had turned in the direction of where the dagger had come from and stared at Liam who was now completely visible. Liam¡¯s blood froze as he looked at them though. He now understood why they didn¡¯t try to help the man. They were already dead. No¡­they were now Undead. Adventure 220 - Liam vs the Undead? What the fuck?! Liam thought as he got a good look at the five people who had swung their heads around to look at him. At first glance you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell they were undead, at least not from afar. With them staring at him now, he could tell thanks to their eye sockets being empty and hollowed out. Drool escaped their lips as a snarl formed on their mouth. Even their heads bouncing from left to right, almost like a bobble head, as they turned to look at him showed how much control over their bodies they have lost. Liam tried to assess them and was shocked at what appeared.
¡°Possessed Zombie. 795/795 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 15.¡± ¡°Possessed Zombie. 853/853 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 17.¡± ¡°Possessed Zombie. 898/898 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 18.¡± ¡°Possessed Zombie. 898/898 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 18.¡± ¡°Possessed Zombie. 898/898 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 18.¡±
Possessed Zombie? What the fuck does that mean? Liam tried to process but failed to continue as the Zombified Hobgoblin let out a loud roar of anger. That one action was enough for every creature in the clearing to start moving right for him. The five closest to him, the Possessed Zombies, pushed off in a jog. While they were faster than the zombies he had fought against back in the Black Dungeon in the Tutorial Area, their movements were off. It looked like they were drunk as they stumbled forward. Their upper bodies were either too far forward or flung back almost making them fall down. The Zombified Forest goblins had almost similar actions except their movements were slightly more improved. They looked less drunk moving around and more like they had just finished a long run so their muscles were tight and sore, hindering their speed. Staring at the group heading right for him, he went over the options he had. He had two options. One he could run away and report this to Lady Arachne. Or two he could try and eliminate the creatures before leaving and reporting this. He could probably get away without any of them catching him, but there would be a problem. Others could get caught in the crosshairs. He didn¡¯t know if these creatures would give up after a while or if they would search him out. Another thing that made him hesitate to run was there could be much stronger people here, but there were also those who might not be capable of fighting these guys. The five in front of him were prime examples. The issue with fighting them brought him back to the last time he was up against these monsters. Even though he had won, it had taken a toll on him. However, last time he was handicapped due to the Debuff he had. This time could be different. While going over his choices something caught his eye that made him choose. The man who was pinned down earlier had noticed the creatures had their attention were on Liam instead of him. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted as fast as he could out of the clearing and away from there. A few of the Zombified Forest Goblins saw him and turned to pursue him. Liam let out a groan and mentally as well as physically preparing himself, he chose to fight. He threw a few throwing daggers at the ones who began to chase the man and were met with a couple of throwing daggers to the head. Their aggro had switched to him after that. He pulled his throwing daggers back while taking a few steps backwards before turning towards the ones closer to him. He started his assault with his throwing daggers upon them. He missed a couple of times due to their erratic movements, but the ones that did strike sunk right into the chest of the ones wearing leather or cloth while the plate armored one received a couple of daggers in the throat. A nasty gurgled noise escaped the lips of the Possessed Zombie who looked like he was the tank of the party. Liam felt disgusted as a blackish red liquid oozed out. the attacks didn¡¯t slow them down though. Even through the struggle they approached him at a decent pace. Liam pulled his daggers back two at a time. Every time two came back he threw them at a new target. He kept this up, trying to whittle their health down as much as he could. He found the Zombified Goblins were easier to hit than the Possessed Zombies and was able to shave off more of their health than the other group. As he did this, he kept an eye on the Zombified Hobgoblin. The creature just stood there with a nasty looking expression on its face. After a few seconds had passed, the first Undead creature had finally arrived. Liam pulled out his Shadow Moon Blades and sprinted towards the Possessed Zombie. This one looked like he was a healer due to the equipment he had on. Liam easily dodged the bad claw strike he attempted. He stepped to his left, drove his daggers into the man¡¯s side, pulled them out and stepped behind him. He then created a Shadow Double and left it with the creature before making his way towards the next one. Liam kicked the archer zombie in the chest, knocking her into the tank looking Possessed Zombie. He created another Shadow Double and siced it on them before ducking an attack from the Rogue looking Undead. After he ducked down, he pushed off the balls of his feet and jumped backwards. He rand both his daggers along the creature¡¯s sides before stopping himself right behind it. He then ran both daggers right into the back of the Possessed Zombie¡¯s neck. Blackish red liquid gushed out from the wounds created. Liam could smell the nasty scent of decay. He tried not to feel sick from it as he yanked his weapons out, kicked the man in the back and towards the Shadow Double who had just finished killing the healer looking Possessed Zombie. Liam turned to see where the other Possessed Zombie was but felt like he didn¡¯t have to worry much since it was on the ground struggling to get back up. Liam was slightly confused as to why this one was like that but decided not to waste any more time on it focusing on the Zombified Forest Goblins instead. He ran towards the closest one, aimed for one of the joints connecting the shoulder and arm on the right side and sliced right through it while it brought it up to strike at him. Blood sprayed out from the open wound, but Liam disregarded it as he moved on to the next creature. Liam did this a few times as he danced in and out of the attacking range of each Zombified Forest Goblin. He created another Shadow Double while doing this, taking some of their attention off of him. This allowed him to take out an arm or a leg amongst the monsters, crippling their attacks and allowing his Shadow Doubles to finish off the creatures with ease. After the last creature, the Possessed Zombie that was crawling around on the ground, finally died, Liam wondered why it was so much easier to take them out. This could have been the results of his Stat Shatter Debuff no longer holding him back, but he didn¡¯t think that was the case. He felt it was more them than him. He didn¡¯t have any more time to think about it as the Zombified Hobgoblin let out an annoyed howl. Liam turned his attention back to the monster. He mentally commanded his Shadow Doubles to rush in and attack the monster as he took a few steps back. Even before this fight he had a better grasp on his physical conditions. Since he had a good idea on that he was going to test out his other condition. His Magical ability side. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He pointed his Moon Blade Dagger at the Zombified Hobgoblin and started chanting, ¡°Radiant and majestic, we admire you in the night. Deadly and poisonous, many don¡¯t know your terrible might. Caress my target with your light like a gentle kiss. Remind them why you¡¯re as dangerous as the abyss. Epidermis Luminescence.¡± Liam watched as the hand that went to strike down at one of his Shadow Doubles suddenly flashed a pale white light. The disgusting monster jerked its hand back before letting out an angry yowl. Liam didn¡¯t stop there. He pointed his Shadow Blade Dagger at the creature and started up another chant, ¡°Hidden beneath and lying in wait, the unseen¡¯s poison is never delivered late. Bellow out in a puff of smoke and slip into the stream. Corrupt the body, Corrupt the mind. Deliver the fear you wish to create. Shade¡¯s Corruption.¡± As he finished the chant he mentally commanded his Shadow Doubles to move away right as a plume of black smoke exploded from underneath the creature and covered its entire body. Liam stared at the area and waited for it to do something. He didn¡¯t have to wait long. The Zombified Hobgoblin stumbled out from the clouded area, swinging its arms out wildly. Liam took this chance to assess the monster.
¡°Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. 521/955 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 25.¡±
Liam blinked as he stared at the information that had popped up. As he did the health bar had changed. However, instead of it being higher, the numbers on the monster¡¯s health part plummeted at a fast pace. The monster, finally realizing it was out of the painful smoke, glared at Liam with hate in its eyes. It let out a challenging war cry and raced towards him. Liam prepared himself as he planned out what he was going to do. When the creature was within striking distance, Liam spun to his left allowing the fist to fly by him. Liam then jolted forward while digging his dagger¡¯s right along the forearm and halfway up the bicep before it started to curve up higher. Liam then planted his left foot down before changing his direction directly right to dodge a kick from the monster. Liam swung his dagger in his left hand right across the belly of the monster. His body then dissolved into black smoke as he activated Shadow Step right before the monster¡¯s left fist collided into him. Liam reappeared right behind the monster. As soon as he appeared, he activated the bandage wraps on his right wrist. A decent amount shot up and wrapped around the monster¡¯s neck. After fully securing and tightening, Liam used the bandages to pull himself up towards the back of the monster. After he reached his destination. Liam loosened the bandage wrap as he plunged both daggers right into the bottom of the Zombified Hobgoblin¡¯s neck. With as much weight as he could put into it, Liam yanked down, dragging the daggers along the creature¡¯s back. As soon as Liam got close to the ground he felt the monster try to turn around and grab him. Liam kicked off the monster¡¯s back, allowing him some distance before the Zombified Hobgoblin turned around to glare at him. It took a step forward to go after him but then collapsed as the four Shadow Doubles, Liam had on standby earlier, jumped the monster. It didn¡¯t take long after that as Liam watched as the monster¡¯s health plummeted quickly to zero. Liam had kept his eye on the creature in case anything happened, but as he stared at the monster he noticed something he hadn¡¯t seen earlier. The physical condition of the Zombified Hobgoblin wasn¡¯t like the last one he had fought. Taking away all the damage he had done to it, Liam noticed stuff he didn¡¯t cause. Patches of grey had almost completely covered it. Majority of those patches had bones protruding out or skin that was so brittle a simple scrape of a hand could accidentally tear flesh. Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure if this was because it was a Zombified creature or if maybe someone had injured it before he got here. However, this brought him back to the other oddities from this fight. Like how disoriented the Zombified Forest Goblin¡¯s movements were. The same with the Possessed Zombies. What exactly caused them to turned to that? He knew about the type of zombies he had fought before, but none were possessed. No¡­there were some he had fought, but they were possessed by a Demonic Large Dybbuk. Liam¡¯s eyes widened at that thought. He swirled around to stare at the people who had turned into the Undead and was about to ready a spell to try and find any hidden extras, but was stopped as Eri said, ¡°Do not worry. They aren¡¯t possessed by any Dybbuks.¡± How do you know that? Liam asked still scanning just in case. ¡°Because of that creature the Zombified Hobgoblin took out and tried to place into the man that escaped,¡± Eri informed. ¡°However, You should probably hurry and burn all the corpses as fast as you can.¡± A little puzzled, Liam questioned, Why? ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after you do it. Now get it done,¡± Eri stated. She then added, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t forget to loot and harvest their soul orbs first.¡± Liam shook his head but did as he was told. It took him a little time, but he had harvested their Soul Orbs before looting and piling them all together. After pouring enough oil to cover them all, Liam used Light and Burn on them. As the bodies burned, he heard strange popping noises from within the pile. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure where they were coming from nor the cause of the sounds, so he just brushed it off as the bodies making it. He didn¡¯t get a lot of loot, but what he got from the Possessed Zombies surprised him. It both surprised him and made him feel sad. He had received their A.I.D.¡¯s as loot. He knew he couldn¡¯t look into them since they were attuned to their mana, but he felt that maybe the Adventurer¡¯s Association might be able to see who they were. Maybe they had been missing for quite a while and someone needed closure. He didn¡¯t know so he decided to do that. As the bodies burned, Liam walked around the area picking up the throwing daggers he had used earlier. He was coming up to the last one but paused. It was the one he used to stab the creep spider creature the Zombified Hobgoblin tried to use against the pinned man. Liam stared at it and felt both disgusted and horrified as he stared at it. He knew this world was different and was reminded almost on a different day about that but staring at this spider with an almost human upper half really drove it in more. He was so happy Earth didn¡¯t have creatures like this. If any of these were found in a house then probably a whole neighborhood would burn down just to make sure it was dead. Liam assessed it to see what kind of information he would get from it.
¡°Toxo Corpse Controller. 0/25 HP. 0/700 MP. Level ¨C 5.¡±
How the fuck does something with that low level have so much mana? Liam thought to himself as he looked back at the dead creature. As he stared at it he understood what Eri was talking about earlier. The name of this creature said it all. Those Possessed Zombies must have had a Toxo Corpse Controller inside them. These must have caused the Possessed portion of the name. That thought brought some other questions to the front of his mind. If that was the case and it came out of the Zombified Hobgoblin then why didn¡¯t the Zombified Hobgoblin also have the Possessed portion in its name? Also what about the Zombified Forest Goblins? Did they also have these Toxo Corpse Controllers inside them? He couldn¡¯t come up with answer no matter how hard he thought about it. He figured he should ask someone who should have the answers. Before he could ask though, Eri suggested, ¡°Place that thing in a jar.¡± Liam was surprised and taken aback by the suggestion. He was so taken aback all he could do was ask, Why? ¡°So you can use this corpse as proof of what you¡¯re dealing with,¡± Eri replied. What exactly am I dealing with? Liam asked, still confused. ¡°Bring it to Lady Arachne and you¡¯ll get all the answers you want. For now, place that thing in a jar and put it in your inventory. Then look inside the cave to make sure nothing else is in there and then leave this place,¡± Eri stated. Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but he felt like there was a bit of urgency in her tone. Liam didn¡¯t fight back on this nor ask any more questions. Instead he placed the corpse in the jar and wiped the blade clean. He needed to do the same with his others, but he figured he¡¯ll do that later. After that he entered the cave and felt sick to his stomach. The entire cave was full corpses. Many were goblins. Some were wolves. There was even two Hobgoblins as well. Liam wanted to puke. The stench that filled the entire cave was enough to make him want to bleach his nostril so he couldn¡¯t smell it any more. Liam stepped away from the cave, eyes watering. He wanted to say fuck it and not go back in there, but a message from Eri stating it was important that he burned those corpses as well made him look feverously for something to block out the smell. He was kind of lucky as he found a bandana used to cover the nose while doing Poison Craft. He drenched it with one of his few last vials of Minty Extracts, placed it on his head, took a deep breath bringing in the fantastic smell of mint, and entered the cave. He was a bit happy that the Minty Extract helped mask the foul gut wrenching stench of corpses, but he wasn¡¯t entirely happy since a small bit of the smell still leaked into his nostrils. It was at that moment he found out he knew what minty corpses smelled like and decided he never wanted to know that. It took him some time to finish his business inside the cave. After lighting the corpses on fire, Liam raced out from the cave and as far away as he could get. As soon as he was far enough, he deactivated his Spirit Weave, pulled the bandana away from his mouth and nose and upchucked all over the ground. It took him a few minutes to gather himself from that. He washed out his mouth to get that nasty taste away and looked back in the direction he came from. With a grimace he toward away, activated his Veil of Shadows, and headed towards the exit of the dungeon. He needed to get to Lady Arachne and report this incident. Adventure 221 - Reporting the findings Liam stepped out of the portal. Unlike when he walked in, this time he felt a sudden urge to upchuck. He stumbled a bit as he tried to move off to the side so his shadowy form wouldn¡¯t get noticed by anyone. He gripped his stomach and held down the vile while placing a hand on the wall. After a few seconds had passed the feeling subsided. However, as that feeling disappeared a new one appeared. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was feeling, except that something felt off. He looked around the room and scanned his surroundings. Nothing really stood out as he saw people talking to one another while they either walked towards any of the portals on this floor, headed towards the stairs for a different level of dungeons, or were leaving the Dungeon Tower. Even the two guards by the door that supposedly only personnel were allowed to enter. This left Liam confused. Even though he had this weird feeling, nothing around was out of place or out of the ordinary. He was starting to think he could be going crazy. Not wanting to waste any more time trying to find something that wasn¡¯t there, Liam started making his way out of the Dungeon Tower. After leaving the area, he made his way to an alleyway full of shadows. It wasn¡¯t hard to find one since the sun was starting to set. It wasn¡¯t too late in the day, but it was late enough for the sun to set. After getting deep enough into the alley way and making sure no one was close by to hear him, he pulled out his Web Watch. He channeled a small bit of his mana into it and waited for Silky to make her way into the black void area of the watch. He was glad to find out that his Veil of Shadows didn¡¯t disappear while doing this. Shortly after she disappeared a message arrived.
¡°Good evening, Phantom Cat. How can I help you? ¨C Silky.¡±
As quietly as he could, Liam whispered, ¡°Is it possible for you to send Lady Arachne a message?¡±
¡°It is¡­Does it have to do with the weird mana I had felt earlier? ¨C Silky.¡±
Liam was surprised by that. While she had mentioned before that she had felt some kind of fight from the other night, he still wasn¡¯t entirely sure of the extent of what she could determine or do. Without waiting he whispered, ¡°Yes. Let her know that I came across something she needs to know about, and I am on my way to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web Branch right now.¡±
¡°As you wish, Phantom Cat¡­ - Silky.¡±
After a few seconds had passed a new text appeared.
¡°The message has been sent. Is there anything else you would like? ¨C Silky.¡±
¡°No, thank you Silky. You are a great help,¡± Liam replied.
¡°That is why I am here. ¨C Silky.¡±
Liam waited for her to reappear from the black void and make her way towards the front of the Web Watch before Liam closed it. He placed the object back into a pocket and reentered the sea of people walking around. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It didn¡¯t take him long to reach the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. He quickly reactivated his Spirit Weave before heading down. As soon as he walked through the door he looked around the room. He didn¡¯t see Lady Arachne, but he did find Noxi behind the desk. He looked up as soon as he heard the door open and noticed Liam. ¡°Hey there Phantom,¡± Noxi greeted. ¡°Phantom?¡± Liam asked with a confused expression. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m pretty sure you know what its short for, but like how you call me Noxi I¡¯ve decided to call you Phantom while inside here,¡± Noxi explained. ¡°Got a problem with that?¡± Liam was a bit flabbergasted by Noxi¡¯s attitude, but he quickly shrugged it off as he replied, ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡± He was about to say something else, but then remembered why he was there in the first place. His gaze grew serious before asking, ¡°Is Lady Arachne in?¡± Noxi picked up on his tone quickly and straightened. ¡°She is here somewhere. Does this have to do with the task she gave you?¡± Liam tensed. He didn¡¯t know others knew about the task she had given him. However, after a brief thought it made sense that more than one person would have had to know about it in case she wasn¡¯t there. Liam nodded as he added, ¡°Yes. I have found something that needs to be brought to her attention. Possibly yours and the other Legs. However, I do not know proper protocol on things like this.¡± Before Noxi could respond, an authoritative feminine voice stated, ¡°What you have said is the right choice. If you believe it is something the Legs should know then it is wise to state it.¡± Liam and Noxi turned to look at Lady Arachne who had just walked through an open door from Liam¡¯s left. She was by herself and wore a serious look on her face, that Liam was able to see. ¡°I must also thank you for using your head on sending a message to me before making your way here,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°Luckily for us the others were already in the room with me when I received your message.¡± She then looked at Noxi and said, ¡°Tranquil Noxitanous¡­if you would please.¡± Noxi stood up and bowed before saying, "Yes, Lady Arachne.¡± Liam waited for Noxi to walk around the desk before following the man through the portal door. After arriving on the other side he saw that Lady Arachne was right. Silent Saboteur, Tantalizing Orchid, Midnight Claw, and Cryptic Wing were sitting in what looked like to be the order of their Leg number would be from both sides of the table. Liam made his way over to the side of the table he stood on last time he had to make a report. This time there wasn¡¯t a seat for him so instead he stood there. He waited for Noxi and Lady Arachne to arrive to their seats. After Lady Arachne sat down, she questioned, ¡°Phantom Cat. I have tasked you with scouting the Green Dungeon known as The Goblin Forest. Rumors have circulated of things happening there that shouldn¡¯t be. The main task was to see if there were any suspicious people hiding there. Not even a few hours into the task I received a message stating that you came across something that I needed to know about. What is this something that you have found?¡± Liam felt all eyes on him. This report he was about to make, he wasn¡¯t sure how big of a deal it would be. Undead creatures have appeared in plenty of dungeons before. However, from what he had gathered they only appeared in Black Dungeons. So for Undead Creatures to be in a Green Dungeon should fall under the things that shouldn¡¯t be category, right? If it wasn¡¯t then maybe the adventurers who were controlled by that disgusting spider thing would still be in that area. Liam took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He focused on what he wanted to say and answered, ¡°Undead creatures in the Goblin Forest.¡± Liam felt everyone suddenly tense as he said that one sentence. No one said a word, making Liam believe they maybe were trying to process what he had said. Almost like they were hoping he didn¡¯t say that. It was Lady Arachne who broke the silence as she asked with a lot of sternness in her voice, ¡°Elaborate Phantom Cat. What do you mean Undead creatures in the Goblin Forest.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°That is exactly what I said, Lady Arachne,¡± Liam started. ¡°I found an area that had several Zombified Forest Goblins, a Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior, and¡­¡± ¡°Do not take us for fools Phantom Cat,¡± Midnight Claw suddenly stated. ¡°You were in a Green Dungeon, not a Black Dungeon. Undead Creatures are from a Black Dungeon. Did you take the task serious at all?¡± Liam turned his attention on her. He was starting to get angry with her with what she had said, but as he stared at her he noticed that her sudden outburst didn¡¯t match the tone she had when speaking. He noticed slight tension in her arms as well as a bit of shaking. Is she mad? Scared? Liam thought as he took in her body language. From what he was able to see, it seemed like she was trying to deny his claims. Why? ¡°I apologize Midnight Claw, but I did take my task seriously. After my fight with the creatures I burned their bodies in case something happened after I had left,¡± Liam stated. ¡°You fought with the Undead creatures?¡± Cryptic Wing suddenly asked. Liam looked at the man and nodded. ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°By yourself?¡± Cryptic Wing asked. Some skepticism in his voice. Liam nodded once more as he replied, ¡°Yes sir. I have some experience with fighting Undead creatures thanks to my Tutorial Dungeon being a Black Dungeon.¡± Cryptic Wing brought a hand up to his chin and looked to be thinking. Before anyone could say anything else, Liam continued, ¡°However, I must add that these Undead were different from the ones I had fought before.¡± This brought puzzled looks on everyone¡¯s face, at least for the ones he was able to see. ¡°Different, how?¡± Noxi inquired. ¡°Their movements were shaky. They moved about as if they had been drinking themselves silly. Well, the Zombified adventurers did that is. The goblins had slightly better control over their legs and bodies, but not enough like a proper Undead creature.¡± This brought more questions to everyone¡¯s mind as they focused on the new bit of information he had dropped. ¡°What do you mean Zombified Adventurers?¡± Orchid and Cryptic Wing questioned. ¡°Undead creatures moving as if they were drunk? Were they really Undead Creatures?¡± Silent Saboteur asked. Midnight Claw and Noxi threw in their concerns as well as everyone else continued to ask more. ¡°Quiet!¡± Lady Arachne demanded as she pushed out some force of mana. Liam felt his body almost slide backwards as he felt the wave of power brush past him. He went back to his spot and looked back at Lady Arachne, waiting to see what she had to ask. ¡°Phantom Cat,¡± Lady Arachne stated with a tone that told Liam she didn¡¯t like what he had found. It wasn¡¯t a stop talking, but more of a I am not pleased with this kind of tone. He knew it wasn¡¯t directed at him, so he continued to listen as she said while placing her elbows on the table, clasping her hands together and resting her chin on them, ¡°It seems like there was more to this Undead findings you reported. Was this all of it or was there more?¡± ¡°There is more,¡± Liam stated without hesitation. He noticed her hands tightened a bit more at his words. ¡°One bit of information I wanted to share was the reason why I knew there were Adventurers that were zombified in the group of Undead was because I received their A.I.D.¡¯s as loot from them.¡± ¡°Please,¡± Lady Arachne stated, sounding like she was trying to hold back some anger that was growing inside of her. ¡°Please tell us everything else you have on this incident.¡± Liam nodded. He opened his mouth, but closed it as Midnight Claw interjected, ¡°You¡¯re not seriously playing with the idea that what he is saying is true are you? Everyone knows that Undead Creatures come from Black Dungeons not Green Dungeons. The Goblin Forest is a¡­¡± ¡°Midnight Claw,¡± Lady Arachne said, cutting her off. Her voice was like a knife, slicing the rest of Midnight Claw¡¯s sentence off clean. ¡°Must I remind you that we are having a professional meeting here. Phantom Cat might be new here, but all information he has brought to us has been real and verified. Not to mention, there is evidence of mixed colored dungeons. They are called Multi-colored Dungeons.¡± ¡°But there are no existing mixed colored dungeon where Black is in it,¡± Midnight Claw countered. ¡°That we know of,¡± Lady Arachne argued. ¡°I will acquiesce to that, but the Goblin Dungeon has always been a Green Dungeon,¡± Midnight Claw continued to push. ¡°It has never been a Mixed Color Dungeon. With that truth, how can Undead suddenly appear in it?¡± Lady Arachne looked at her. Liam didn¡¯t know what she did, but the moment she did, Midnight Claw shuddered involuntarily. ¡°Do you know how Mixed Color Dungeons come into existence?¡± Midnight Claw shook her head. ¡°There is a theory out there that Mixed Color Dungeons never start out as Mixed Colors,¡± Lady Arachne started. ¡°It is said that a dungeon becomes a Mixed Colored one when a monster of a different type enters a dungeon Portal and establishes a spot within it. After living in the dungeon for a certain amount of time it will change the nature of the dungeon, thus changing the single color into a mixed color.¡± This was information Liam was unaware of. Since he was still new and was learning about dungeons and everything, he took this in and saved it for later. ¡°I have heard of this theory,¡± Silent Saboteur jumped it. ¡°I believe it was called Dungeon Transformation Theory.¡± Lady Arachne, who looked a little calmer after Silent Saboteur¡¯s mention of the theory, nodded. ¡°However, that¡¯s all it is currently,¡± Silent Saboteur stated. ¡°A theory. No one has been able to prove that is how it works since the monster that enters usually is killed by the current inhabitants of the dungeon they enter.¡± Lady Arachne let out a sigh. ¡°You are right about that, however, there are a few monsters that are known for their aggressive behaviors in trying to create new territory. There are two current Undead type creatures that I can think of that fit that area. One is easy to deal with while the other is¡­more difficult.¡± Lady Arachne suddenly focused her attention onto Liam after she made that comment. From her words, Liam understood she wanted to know if he had proof of any existence that didn¡¯t belong there besides those Zombified creatures. ¡°Phantom Cat,¡± Lady Arachne started again. ¡°Was there any weird named Zombified creatures in the group of undead?¡± ¡°Yes there was,¡± Liam started. ¡°The Zombified Adventurers had a weird name, but that is not what you really want to know.¡± Lady Arachne stared at him, waiting for him to continue. ¡°I collected the body of a creature that didn¡¯t belong there,¡± Liam stated. ¡°This creature came out of the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s nose and was about to be planted into a living adventurer until I intervened.¡± Liam reached into his inventory and pulled out a jar with the dead Toxo Corpse Controller. He then placed it on the table for everyone to see. He knew they assessed the creature as gasps filled the room. Liam watched as Lady Arachne slammed both fists onto the table as she let out a roar, ¡°Those fucking cretins.¡± This surprised Liam. Her anger rolled off of her as she stood up, pushed her chair back and started barking orders, ¡°Tranquil Noxitanous, I need you to start making as many remedies, cures, and whatever you think will help against this creature.¡± Noxi stood and stated, ¡°Those are not my forte, however I will try to make as many as I can.¡± ¡°Whatever you can do will help,¡± Ladu Arachne assured. ¡°The quality of the Medicinal Creations you can make right now is better than nothing. Make a list of the ones you know I want you to make and give it to Midnight Claw.¡± ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am,¡± Noxi stated as he bowed and left the room. ¡°Midnight Claw,¡± Lady Arachne started back up as she looked at the woman. ¡°Go and buy as many of the items he gives you on that list. Bring them back here as soon as you can.¡± ¡°Yes Lady Arachne!¡± Midnight Claw shouted before racing out of the room. The shorter woman then looked at Orchid and ordered, ¡°Tantalizing Orchid, I need you to recall everyone back here this instant. As soon as Midnight Claw returns I need you to hand out the items to them. I will get with you very soon on what I want them to do with those items as well as how many each gets.¡± Orchid stood, nodded, and left the room. Lady Arachne¡¯s head swiveled towards Cryptic Wing. Before she could say anything, the man asked, ¡°You want me to try and see if I can find any sign within the city of spider type creatures that do not belong here, right?¡± A slight smile grew on her face as she replied, ¡°Glad to see we¡¯re on the same frequency. Please do that. Remember, the creatures that are carrying the eggs that turn into these abominations are good at hiding their presence.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind,¡± Cryptic Wing stated before leaving the room. Lady Arachne then looked at the final Leg and ordered, ¡°Silent Saboteur, send a message out to the client that is tied to this mess.¡± ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Silent Saboteur asked. ¡°Tell him we have found evidence on exactly what type of Black Dungeon those Seven Immoral Vice bastards plan on letting loose on the island,¡± Lady Arachne said. ¡°Tell him to get his ass over here so we can show him the proof. Also have him bring as many bodyguards in case the outbreak happens soon. After that, please send a warning to our point of contact at the Adventurer¡¯s Association so they are aware of the situation.¡± Silent Saboteur nodded as he left the room. This left him alone with Lady Arachne. She stared at him without saying anything. This made him feel a bit uncomfortable. He was about to say something to break the silence, but stopped as she asked, ¡°Do you mind if we have that corpse to show proof to the client and any who need it to take this seriously?" Liam nodded. ¡°Yes. I only brought it because I thought I needed to show some proof of what I saw in case someone didn¡¯t believe me.¡± Lady Arachne nodded. ¡°That was a smart move. One that will help move things faster.¡± She paused after that. ¡°I know you have just gotten back, but I need you to do one more thing for me.¡± ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Go to the Adventurer¡¯s Association and turn in the A.I.D.¡¯s you looted from the Adventurers¡¯ corpses,¡± the shorter woman instructed. ¡°We don¡¯t know if they have a family or someone waiting for them. Some closure will make it easier for them to understand why they haven¡¯t returned.¡± Liam stared at her. He wasn¡¯t expecting that. He had planned on doing it, but hearing her ask him to do it made him feel better about the situation. He nodded as he said, ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± He was about to head out, but stopped as she added, ¡°Also, you might want to find a mask and put it on to cover your face. If you have another set of gear wear that instead as well. You might look like this while you¡¯re here, but you don¡¯t want others to see your getup for our Association. It will also help hide your true identity too. You never know if there is some idiot listening and blame you for killing them instead of listening to the truth.¡± Liam understood what she was saying. He didn¡¯t wasn¡¯t sure what he should do since he only had two sets of armor, and regular clothes. As for the mask situation¡­he had one, but he didn¡¯t think he would have to wear it again. He shook his head. This wasn¡¯t the time to be stubborn. It wasn¡¯t going to be for long so he shouldn¡¯t have any issues wearing it. He looked back at Lady Arachne and said, ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡± The shorter woman nodded as she watched him leave the room. After he had left the room, she looked down at the jar. With a whisper she said, ¡°It is I who should be thanking you. With this proof there might be a chance we can prepare for the disaster those crazy bastards are trying to make.¡± She then let out a long breath as she thought, I just hope we aren¡¯t too late to prepare for it. Adventure 222 - Sleight of Hand Illusionist Liam stood in an alleyway, covered in shadows hiding himself from the people walking by. He stood there staring at one of two items that¡¯s been sitting in his inventory since he came to this new world. It was a mask that had followed him to this world from Earth. A mask that held a lot of memories and a name he went by that was given to him by others. He reached in and grabbed the item and stared at it again. It was a full mask that was completely white. The eye holes were small giving it a slit eye look. Under both eye holes were tear drops. One was red and the other was black. A thin wide smile with small lines running down over the smile made it look like the smile was stitched shut like that. Even though his old life now felt so long ago, the reality was it really wasn¡¯t that long ago. He knew and understood he was in a new world, but there was something holding him back from just wearing this mask casually again. What if someone who had seen this mask back on Earth was around? He knew the likelihood of the chances happening would be extremely slim, but those kind of odds had been occurring more often than not. He had another reason as to why he was hesitant to wear it again, but after thinking about it, it made him feel like he was just being paranoid. ¡°Hey buddy,¡± Liam whispered as he stared at the mask. ¡°Looks like that wasn¡¯t the end for us back then.¡± He felt kind of stupid talking to his mask, but at the same time it was helping him work over his feelings and push away his worries. ¡°I know I haven¡¯t pulled you out since we¡¯ve got here, but I haven¡¯t found a reason for us to go back to our old ways.¡± Liam fidgeted the mask around in his hands as he continued to look at it. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a reason why I need you right now, but it¡¯s not for what we used to do. I¡­I don¡¯t want to go back to that. However, for stuff like this¡­I think we can work something out. What do you say?¡± Liam stared at the mask for a long moment before letting out a breath of air. He took his eyes off of the mask and slowly waved it up and down. ¡°What the hell are you doing Liam,¡± Liam quietly chastised himself. ¡°You¡¯re standing in an alleyway talking to a mask like its alive or something¡­Have you lost your mind?¡± Liam stopped waving his hand up and down and looked back at the mask. He knew it was just him trying to get over some of his past issues along with making himself believe that no one would recognize the mask. Letting out one more breath of air, Liam placed the mask on his face and waited. He didn¡¯t know what he was waiting for, but he did feel something while wearing the mask. Relaxed. He felt like all the tension he was feeling moments ago had just washed away after placing the item on. He looked down at his hands. Then his feet. He turned his hips as much as he could to get a better look at his back side and found¡­nothing. Nothing had changed. No one suddenly appeared out of nowhere, recognized him, and started cursing him. It was just quiet. Liam shook his head. He finally came to terms that he had worked himself up over nothing. After coming to grips with it, he opened his wardrobed menu and picked out the attire he was going to wear. He chose a pair of black pants that ran down into a pair of black boots. He wore a shirt underneath his Ooze Cloak that he had received back in the Blue Dungeon he had taken on with Cindy. He replaced his gloves with a pair of black fingerless ones and called it good. He pulled the hood of the cloak over his head to hide everything but the mask from sight. He was ready to head into the Adventurer¡¯s Association to deliver these A.I.D.¡¯s so any relatives of these fallen adventurers would have answers to whether if they were still alive or not. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant thing to do, but he understood it was something that needed to be done. Liam deactivated his Veil of Shadows and walked out from the alleyway. He turned right and made his way across the street where his destination was. He felt a bit off walking into the crowd of people while wearing a mask over his face. He noticed a few people eyed him for a brief moment before continuing on their way like it was normal. He was slightly puzzled by this, but then noticed that there were others wearing some kind of mask. He stared at these people and realized they were Adventurers. Their masks weren¡¯t like his, but they were still weird looking. This made him relax even more as he approached the building. People were walking in and out, but as he approached the open doors he noticed the flow of traffic had stopped. No one was around the door, which made him feel a bit more at ease for some reason. After stepping inside he felt something vibrate in his pocket. He put a hand in it to feel his Web Watch vibrate a couple more times. Confused, he channeled in a small amount of mana into it before pulling it out and opening it. He brought it up closer to his face to make it look like he was checking the time and saw a message form shortly after Silky disappeared into the black void.
¡°Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web member: Sleight of Hand Illusionist is close to your proximity. ¨C Silky.¡±
Liam was confused at first, but remembered Silky stating that her kind could tell when another member was close by. He looked up to see if he could try and pinpoint where the member was and was surprised when he saw someone put away an object that look a lot like his Web Watch. The person he spotted doing this was an actual employee of the Adventurer¡¯s Association. It was the man who had helped him get his A.I.D. set up when he first came here with Cindy. It was Don. Liam was taken aback at first because he wasn¡¯t sure why he would be this in the open when secrecy was a big thing in the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web Association. However, that had changed after he remembered the name Silky had revealed. Sleight of Hand Illusionist. That name told him that he was an illusionist. Sleight of Hand could be that the name the people knew him as here could be an alias and his current form could be a disguise made from an illusion. Liam thought it to be pretty smart for doing it like that. No one would be the wiser unless they had ways to dispel or see through it. which meant his illusion magic must be pretty high up there for him to be this confident in his disguise. In as quiet of a whisper, Liam said, ¡°Thank you Silky.¡± He got the message back from her and watched here escape the black void and closed it. He went to put the pocket watch away in his pocket and take a step forward but was suddenly pushed off to the side as someone elbow chucked him from behind. Liam¡¯s worries of someone recognizing his mask suddenly resurfaced and he was about to get ready to defend himself in case he was going to be attacked, but stopped himself as he saw who it was. It was Chad the Elf. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re standing idiot,¡± Chad sneered as he walked by him. The sneer that was on his face turned into one of disgust as he commented, ¡°That mask looks horrible. Is it even good for anything besides making you look like some weirdo?¡± Liam felt his hands form into fists, but before he could react on the impulse of punching him right across the face, Liam let out a breath. He then ignore the man turned towards Don, who was eyeing them, and started walking away. Chad let out an irritated scoff as he stated, ¡°Are you ignoring me?¡± When Liam didn¡¯t respond he walked quickly and got in Liam¡¯s way. ¡°I swear, this is why I hate dealing with uncouth Adventurers from backwater places like this. I was talking to you. Are you deaf or something?¡± Liam let out a sigh. His irritation was growing quickly, but he tried hard to hold it down. Instead, Liam said in a slow and calm manner, almost like he was trying to talk to a rude child, ¡°Yes¡­I was ignoring you. Seeing as I have business with the Adventurer¡¯s Association and not with you, I felt my time would be better spent there. Now if you will kindly excuse me.¡± Chad¡¯s look of annoyance started turning into one of anger after hearing what Liam said. He opened his mouth to retort back but was stopped as a cough was heard behind him. Both Chad and Liam turned their attention to see Don staring at them. ¡°I do apologize for interrupting¡­but as the man in the mask has stated he has some business with us,¡± Don informed. His demeanor and speech pattern full of professionalism. Chad stared at him for a long moment before shifting his gaze back at Liam almost like he was contemplating something. Coming to a decision, he turned his back to Don and went to say some again to Liam, but once more was stopped. ¡°I don¡¯t hate to interrupt you once more, but as I have said before this uncouth Adventurer has business with the Adventurer¡¯s Association. As backwater as this place is, this is still an Official Adventurer¡¯s Association. If you wish to stand in the way of one who has official business with the Association then I would like to remind you about Article thirty six subsection two,¡± Don stated. His mannerisms and smile still looking professional, however, Liam could hear a subtle threat towards the end. I am going to have to see what that Article is about. Liam thought as he noticed Chad¡¯s body twitch. Chad let out a low groan before looking at Liam. Like the man Liam was beginning to feel all too familiar with, he stated before walking away, ¡°Count yourself lucky that you¡¯re not worth getting a demerit on my A.I.D. for.¡± Liam raised a brow under the mask he wore. Apparently, that article was a warning and a punishment that involved some kind of demerit. That was good to know. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Now that Chad was no longer in his way Liam walked up to the counter where Don was sitting. The man gave Liam a professional smile before saying, ¡°Good evening sir. A little spider has told me that you have some business here at the Adventurer¡¯s Association.¡± Liam blinked at the man and what he had said. He didn¡¯t know how to respond to the little spider comment. He understood what the man was saying, but the phrase took him back since he was used to it being a little birdie instead. Liam pushed it back as he stared at the man and nodded in response. Don stood up and with grace stretched a hand to his left towards a hallway. ¡°Please come with me then. A room is open for us to talk.¡± Liam followed the man into a room down the hall. It was a small one with a couch a table and a chair. there were other d¨¦cor in the room, but Liam didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± Don said as he closed the door. Liam walked around the couch and did as he was told. Shortly after, Don walked around the couch and table towards the chair that sat on the other side. As he sat down, Liam watched as Don¡¯s form suddenly change as the area around him waved out like a mirage was being lifted. . At the same time mana had suddenly filled the room all around him. Liam tensed as soon as he felt the unknown power. However, before he could make a move, Don stated as he placed a black pocket watch on the table, ¡°Be at ease Phantom Cat. I have simply put up a barrier so no one will hear our conversation.¡± Liam was surprised at the man calling him by his Web Name. that moment passed by quickly once he looked at the pocket watch. It was a Web Watch like his. He looked back at the man and got a better view of his current equipment. He wore an aqua long sleeved shirt with a navy blue vest and dress pants. His short blond hair was now slicked back brown hair. A white mask covered his face from chin to forehead. To Liam¡¯s shock, the mask seemed alive. Wisps of smoke swirled around forming several different shapes. Liam looked back at the man¡¯s Web Watch and decided to do as he did. He reached into his pocket and placed his Web Watch on the table as well. Liam noticed both Web Watches vibrate a couple of times before falling silent. As this happened, the white wisps formed a cloudy face. The face looked both surprised and pleased. ¡°I must admit that I didn¡¯t think you had learn the proper etiquette Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web member meeting outside the Webs,¡± Don or Sleight of Hand Illusionist stated. ¡°I was told you were a brand new member, so I didn¡¯t think you had taken the time to learn the proper protocols yet. Although, you have only done half of what you¡¯re supposed to do so I¡¯m not sure how much you have learned.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you,¡± Liam started. ¡°I haven¡¯t been informed of anything yet except the fact our Web Watches know when members from our Associations are close by. I just had a feeling that I was supposed to place my Web Watch out on the table since you did.¡± Sleight of Hand Illusionist gave Liam an approving nod. ¡°That is acceptable. I commend you for being honest. If you¡¯d like I can let you know what the proper protocols are for meeting another member while not in the web.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it,¡± Liam said. ¡°When meeting another member in a setting like this, all parties place their Web Watch out, so all knows that the other is an actual member and not a fake,¡± Sleight of Hand Illusionist informed. ¡°After they are placed the Web Watches will vibrate, letting you know that the Web Watch is real. If there is no vibration then it is a phony. Afterwards, both parties will change into their work clothes. For now I won¡¯t ask you to change since you are still new and are probably still creating your look.¡± Liam gave the man a nod of thanks. ¡°Thank you for letting me know. If I may ask a question. I know it¡¯s not proper to ask due to secrecy, but your name isn¡¯t really Don is it? Is it an alias?¡± The smoky face gave Liam a wry smile as the man answered, ¡°It is an alias. Whenever you meet with me out there please call me by that name. Whenever we¡¯re in more¡­business apparel I am Sleight of Hand Illusionist, but you can call me Slight. I work here as a point of contact for the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. I keep an eye or ear out for rumors of information and send them to Silent Saboteur.¡± Liam was impressed with that. What this man was doing was basically spy work. It just went and showed him that everyone had their areas in the Association. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about people shortening their names. While he could agree with calling him Slight because of his long name, but what was the point of having these names if every other person shortens them? Slight brought him out of his thoughts as he added, ¡°And that brings me to remind you to never ask someone for their name. While many have given theirs to those they trust in the Association, it is still taboo for us to pry into others private life.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Thank you for that.¡± ¡°Now if that is all the questions you have for me for now, I believe Lady Arachne has sent you here for a couple of reasons.¡± Lia raised a brow behind the mask. ¡°A couple of reasons? I know of one, but nothing after that.¡± The smoky face on the mask gave him a frown. He then pulled out a letter and stated, ¡°That is strange. I received a letter from one of Silent Saboteur¡¯s owls stating our newest member, Phantom Cat would be coming by to update me of on an event currently happening as well as to deliver something as well.¡± Liam frowned a bit. He wasn¡¯t under the impression he had to deliver news about what he had found. He thought all he had to do was deliver the A.I.D.¡¯s. however, if that was what they decided on then he would do it. ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed that I was to deliver an update, but I can do that,¡± Liam stated. He then went into full detail of what he had discovered earlier that day. After he was finished he pulled out the A.I.D.¡¯s and placed them on the table. The smoky face on the man¡¯s mask went through several different emotions as he listened to Liam¡¯s news. While the emotions were easy to read, Liam couldn¡¯t tell what was actually going on in the man¡¯s mind. After a couple minutes of silence, Sleight finally asked, ¡°Are you sure it said Toxo Corpse Controller?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Do you have the body with you?¡± Sleight inquired. Liam shook his head. ¡°No. Lady Arachne has it.¡± Sleight shook his head as he mumbled a curse. ¡°Why? Do you need it for something?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I need it for proof when I go to the Branch Manager of this Association,¡± Sleight replied. ¡°Why do you need the corpse? Can¡¯t you just tell them about it?¡± Liam questioned with some confusion. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Sleight stated as he stared down at the table. The face formed on the mask looked like it was thinking something over. ¡°Why?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about these creatures so I might be missing something. Can you tell me what I am missing here?¡± Sleight¡¯s attention shifted back on Liam. He gave him a puzzled look before realizing something. With a sigh he stated, ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re new here so of course you don¡¯t know much. Alright I¡¯ll tell you what you need to know about the Toxos.¡± Liam gave the man his full attention. ¡°The Toxos are a species of Undead that are both deadly and annoying to deal with,¡± Sleight started. ¡°They are a Hive type species that has either a Queen or a King. Depending on which they have will determine how dangerous the situation is. If they have a King the situation, while still being bad, isn¡¯t as bad compared to if the Hive has a Queen.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunch. ¡°Why would that matter?¡± ¡°Breeding,¡± Sleight stated. ¡°Adding more to why they are annoying and dangerous. Kings will look for females, race or species do not matter, and mate with them. If the Hive only has a king then they can be easier to deal with as long as you make sure it never finds a female. This will enrage it and you will have a mad Toxo chasing after you, but you can essentially kill off the hive if you isolate the hive from everything else. The Queens however¡­¡± ¡°The Queens don¡¯t have to worry about finding females do they?¡± Liam asked. Sleight nodded. ¡°Mating isn¡¯t an issue since then can mate with any male around even if it¡¯s from their own hive.¡± Liam grimaced at the thought. ¡°Another reason as to why they are annoying to deal with is due to their ability to move about without anyone knowing until it¡¯s too late. They usually send scouts to search out food or possible hosts for egg carrying purposes or body controlling.¡± ¡°What do you mean by egg carrying purposes or body controlling?¡± Liam asked. He had an idea of the latter, but the former made him very curious. ¡°Exactly what I meant,¡± Sleight stated. ¡°There are various different types of Toxos. For example, the Corpse Controller. Those one take hold of a body that has died or is on the verge of death. As for the egg carriers, they aren¡¯t an actual creature, but rather a venom.¡± Liam¡¯s ears twitched at the mention of venom. He didn¡¯t know why, but it tickled something in the back of his mind. ¡°Besides Corpse Controllers, each type of Toxo has a venom they use to plant eggs inside a creature¡¯s body. That venom spreads throughout the body of the creature they injected and after a while it turns into a disease. That disease makes the creature turn hostile, losing their minds to a rage they don¡¯t understand. It slowly eats at their mind and body till eventually they die. After the creature dies, they turn into an Undead creature and that¡¯s when the eggs start to gain their nutrients. The body of the Undead Creature starts to age rapidly, which is weird for an Undead Creature. What I mean by age rapidly, their movements start to act weird. Almost like they are drunk and are having a hard time moving about.¡± The memory of the Possessed Zombies flashed before Liam¡¯s eyes as he listened to Sleight. Before he could say something, Sleight continued, ¡°Other creatures whose bodies don¡¯t act like that end up having a lot of patches of grey tissues all over their body. Bones will protrude and a nasty smell with exude from the body. Their strength also starts to plummet compared to when they were first turned.¡± Liam remembered seeing the patches of grey all over the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior and was starting to understand why those creatures seemed so weak. ¡°It¡¯s a nasty thing to have happen to you. The name of the venom they use to do this is called¡­,¡± Sleight started to say. ¡°Rageful Rabies Venom?¡± Liam quietly muttered. Sleight stared at Liam. The smoky face turned into a mixture of shock and suspicion. ¡°Yes¡­Tell me. How do you know the name of that venom? I could have sworn you were new to our world and didn¡¯t know anything.¡± Liam looked through his inventory. As he did that he started to reply, ¡°I came across Diseased Feeble Forest Goblins a couple of days ago.¡± After he found the item he was looking for, Liam pulled it out and finished explaining, ¡°I received this as loot.¡± Liam placed the sealed Vial of Rageful Rabies Venom on the table. He noticed the smoky face looked both shocked and surprised as he stared at the object. Almost as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing, Sleight asked, ¡°Is this real?¡± ¡°Unless if there was a way for someone to fool the system that I don¡¯t know about then yes. This is real. I didn¡¯t know the importance of this vial besides that it was nasty and some of the effects. However, I didn¡¯t know that it was a venom from the Toxos.¡± Sleight stared at Liam. ¡°This¡­this right here¡­Can I have this? This is what I need to prove everything you have reported to me. With this vial I can take it to the Branch Manager, and we can send out parties to look for the dungeon. Can I use it?¡± Liam didn¡¯t hesitate to nod. If he could get more people to look for the hidden Black Dungeon then that would only help their efforts and possible stop whatever the Seven Immoral Vices have planned. Sleight quickly stood up as he grabbed the vial and stated, ¡°Thank you. Thank you for all of this. The information, this evidence, and for killing those creatures in the Green Dungeon, the Goblin Forest. You might have saved more than you might realize. Now that we have some evidence, I need to inform the Branch Manager of this Adventurer¡¯s Association right now.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Liam stated as he grabbed his Web Watch. Slight reached for his as he re-casted his illusion or disguise spell to make him look like the man he was before coming into the room. ¡°Also thank you for retrieving these A.I.D.¡¯s. The families or friends of these fallen Adventurers, while will not be too happy right away, will also be appreciative that you brought them back so they can know what happened to their loved ones.¡± Liam looked down towards the floor. ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do. I mean, even though I didn¡¯t turn them into those monstrosities, I did end up killing their zombie forms.¡± Slight placed a hand on Liam. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill them. You saved them from turning others into what they had become. You helped them¡­remember that.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Sleight gave him a serious look as he added, ¡°Also¡­a word of advice.¡± Liam looked at the man, curious as to what he was about to say. ¡°If you see any insects that stand out, keep a careful eye on them,¡± Sleight advised. Liam¡¯s eyebrows scrunched at that. He wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by that. However before he could ask the man about it, he opened the door and ran off. Adventure 223 - Chaos in the Adventurer’s Association Liam stood in the empty room, confused by what he meant. The advice the man gave him was cryptic as hell to Liam. Why would he need to be careful of insects that stand out? What did insects have to do with any of this? Liam slowly started to walk out into the hall and make his way down the hall. Insects that stand out¡­What classifies as standing out? Compared to the insects back on my world, every insect stands out to me. Also why keep a careful eye on them? Are they some sort of bait? Are they dangerous? Liam let out a sigh of irritation as his mind started to dive into the message he was given. He was suddenly taken out of the rabbit hole he had started to plunge as a familiar overstuffed backpack ran by the end of the hall. As Liam approached the end he peeked out in the direction he saw Gimmel at. As he looked over he felt his irritation grow even more as he heard Chad¡¯s condescending voice reprimand the teenager. ¡°You¡¯re late again boy,¡± Chad said with a sneer. ¡°Seriously, is your only redeeming quality your ability to carry a pack like that? I thought you wanted to join our team? With how often you¡¯re late that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± Gimmel opened his mouth to say something but stopped as Chad opened a hand and closed it in a way that said he wanted Gimmel to zip it. ¡°I don¡¯t care about any excuse you have prepared,¡± Chad frowned. ¡°In our group, punctuality is everything.¡± Liam¡¯s irritation started growing into anger the more he listened. He was about to step out and say something, but stopped as two new voices joined the conversation. ¡°Punctuality is everything in this group you say?¡± Knox question in a mocking tone. ¡°If that is true then you¡¯re the least qualified person to spout that,¡± Waylon added with a snicker. Chad narrowed his eyes as he looked at his two team members. ¡°Seriously? Are you doing this in front of the boy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not us who started this,¡± Knox commented. ¡°You¡¯re the one spouting shit I don¡¯t remember agreeing to.¡± Liam felt his irritation calm down a bit. It was still there, but the anger it was turning into stopped boiling. He was still irritated with his two friends for not defending him, but he was glad that they were at least defending Gimmel. While Gimmel, too, annoyed him the last time they talked; he was still his Mentor¡¯s nephew. He didn¡¯t want anything happening to the teenager and having it bite him in the ass later. If they have it handled then I don¡¯t need to stick around here anymore. Liam thought as he started to leave the hallway. Before he fully emerged the hallway he stopped. ¡°Of course you don¡¯t remember agreeing to it. I made that rule,¡± Chad scoffed. ¡°I swear, if not for me any worthless piece of shit, like that crappy crafter friend of yours, would taint our group. They would mooch off our success without having any good qualities or merits to their name. This boy here hardly meets the requirements, but thanks to my magnanimity he has a chance.¡± ¡°Your so called magnanimity is just empty bravado if you ask me,¡± a voice commented with an accusatory tone of voice. The four turned to the source to see Liam standing there. Knox, Waylon, and Gimmel looked shocked and surprised while Chad scowled. Chad was about to retort back, but Waylon and Knox beat him as they said, ¡°Liam!¡± ¡°Dude! Are you alright?¡± Knox questioned with some concern in his voice. ¡°We heard what happened and were worried when we couldn¡¯t find you anywhere,¡± Waylon added as he looked his friend over. Liam was no longer wearing the mask and the outfit he had on earlier. Before fully emerging from the hallway he switched into the armor set he wore when he was with Cindy. He made sure no one was around or looking at him before changing and leaving the hall. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Liam said, keeping a neutral face as he looked at both of his friends. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Knox asked again. ¡°Seriously man. You have a non-combat class. You shouldn¡¯t carelessly go into a dungeon and try to fight. You¡¯ll end up dead with a single mistake.¡± ¡°Yeah man,¡± Waylon agreed. ¡°Just join our group as a crafter. We will get you the materials you need to make all you can. It¡¯s safer for¡­¡± ¡°Are you guys serious?¡± Chad suddenly butted in, no longer able to hold himself back. ¡°This guy isn¡¯t worthy of joining us. Not even as a crafter.¡± Waylon and Knox swirled to stare at him. ¡°What the hell are you saying?¡± Knox questioned, irritation starting to stir within him. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who suggested it last time we all talked,¡± Waylon commented. Chad scoffed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually serious. I only said it to put him down a peg or two. Serious? Let this guy join us? I¡¯d rather have the slow and late boy here than a worthless piece of crap like him.¡± ¡°Watch what you say Chad,¡± Knox narrowed his eyes. ¡°He might not be able to handle himself on a battlefield since he doesn¡¯t have a combat class, but that doesn¡¯t mean his Crafter class is worthless.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Waylon joined in. ¡°His Crafter class may not have much value in a fight, but the items he can make for us will more than make up for it.¡± Liam¡¯s mouth slightly dropped as he looked at his two friends with dumbfound expression. He could understand that they were trying to defend him, but at the same time he felt they were also insulting him. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit if he can make some great items later on in the future,¡± Chad stated with much fervor. ¡°He¡¯s still new and low leveled. The resources needed to get him up to that level would lead to a sunk cost. It is worthless to invest into someone who is nowhere near our level. He will just drag us down, preventing us from reaching the top.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± Waylon sneered as he stared at his teammate. ¡°Liam wouldn¡¯t hold us back. I am sure he would¡­,¡± Knox started to say. ¡°But are you a hundred percent sure?¡± Chad stated as he started walking up to them. ¡°Remember, we are trying to join a major guild. Trying to have him catch up will only hinder our progress and make that guild pass over us because they see we have a leech that should have been cut off from the start.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a leech,¡± Knox started to growl. ¡°He is,¡± Chad stood firmly on his view of Liam. ¡°He is and I am not letting him into our party no matter what you say.¡± ¡°Good,¡± a new voice suddenly chimed in. ¡°Because if he agreed to join you we¡¯d have to kidnap him and set him straight on where he actually belongs.¡± Everyone was confused by this new voice and were about to look around for it, until a person suddenly appeared right next to Liam¡¯s right side. He stood a bit shorter than Liam. He wore loose fitted pants with short, spiked greaves covering his shins, a sleeveless leather shirt that looked like some sort of small scales were stitched into it, and a pair of silver colored gauntlets with sharp bone spikes protruding on each knuckles. He had foxlike ears that protruded from his wild blond hair that was trying to stay slicked back and a fox tail that swayed back and forth a bit. ¡°I mean I don¡¯t mind causing some trouble that could lead to a fight. I¡¯m kind of itching to punch someone,¡± Roman stated with a grin. ¡°Especially that annoying elf. His voice alone makes me want to punch him just because.¡± ¡°As much as I agree with you on that. We have better things to do,¡± a cool yet stern feminine voice commented as she appeared on Liam¡¯s left. Lim turned to see a woman who was slightly taller than he was and lanky. Her short pixie cut black hair was covered by the skull mask she had resting on top of her head. Her silver chest plate armor adorned skulls on her shoulders and three pale white bones across her chest. The armor only covered her shoulders and chest revealing her six pack abs for all to see. To Liam¡¯s surprise she allowed her scales to show some, making Liam understand why she didn¡¯t opt to have any kind of shirt for protection. Those scales of hers were tough. Her legs were covered in metal plated pants that looked like they were modified for easier movements. A hand suddenly fell down on Liam¡¯s right shoulder. It wasn¡¯t heavy nor was it light. However, Liam could feel like the owner of the hand was trying to hold himself back. He turned his head to see a man who stood much taller than him. He had two short sharp looking tusks or teeth that came out from his lower lip. His greyish green skin stood out compared to the green lines on a cloth-like cloak that covered most of his body. His hand though showed he had some sort of plate armor on underneath the cloak. In his eyes he could see that he was trying find stability to stop himself from shaking since out of all the old teammates he had, this one didn¡¯t like confrontations. However, to Liam¡¯s surprise when he spoke he did so with conviction. ¡°Liam¡¯s no leech,¡± Artem started. ¡°If you can¡¯t see that then it¡¯s your loss since you seem like the type who can¡¯t see out of his own ass.¡± Liam was shocked by his words. Roman grinned widely at hearing Artem. Blair shook her head while muttering something about being too influenced by Roman but didn¡¯t chastise him. Chad¡¯s mouth dropped open as he looked at the three new comers with much disgust. ¡°Did you really just say that to me? Me?!¡± ¡°Who else would we be talking to?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°While these two are clearly blinded by something I couldn¡¯t care to understand think Liam has no potential in a fight, but you have a much more hostile approach to our Control Tower.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Control Tower?¡± Knox questioned with some confusion on his face. ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Waylon started, shaking off his stupor. ¡°Who are you guys? What would a Kitsune, an Orc, and a Dragon-kin like you want with Liam?¡± ¡°I could ask you the same,¡± Roman shot back. ¡°I mean besides the fact you want him as a crafter for your party. Who are you and what is your relationship to our teammate?¡± ¡°Teammate?¡± Waylon repeated as he looked at Liam. ¡°These two guys,¡± Liam started as he pointed at Waylon and Knox, ¡°Are my friends from my home world. They ended up coming to this world a lot sooner than us.¡± He then pointed at Gimmel and said, ¡°That¡¯s Nabal¡¯s nephew.¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman looked at Gimmel with a look of surprise as they all said, ¡°Really?¡± Liam then pointed at Chad and said, ¡°That guy I don¡¯t really know well besides him being a dick. I know he belongs to their team while extorting Gimmel as a pack mule.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Chad started to protest but stopped as Roman chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s not good. I didn¡¯t spend as much time with the man as you did, but even I could tell that if he caught wind of that he wouldn¡¯t be too happy. ¡°You guys know my Uncle too?¡± Gimmel questioned as he stared at them with both awe and surprise. ¡°Yup,¡± Roman stated. He then hiked a thumb at Liam as he added, ¡°Not as well as this guy though since he was his Mentor. He ran him ragged during their training. Also helped us out a couple of times during some sticky situations.¡± Confused, Chad, Knox, and Waylon looked between the three new comers, Liam, and Gimmel. They understood something wasn¡¯t being said. Chad didn¡¯t like that. Feeling annoyed and starting to get angry, Chad spouted, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you guys are talking about, but I am sure your boring talks about some Crafting Mentor is not worth my time listening.¡± Gimmel turned to look at Chad, some annoyance starting to show. He was about to argue that Nabal wasn¡¯t a Crafting Mentor, but stopped as Liam but was stopped as Liam asked, ¡°You seem a lot more irritable today than the last time we met Chad. What¡¯s wrong? Did someone spit in your meal?¡± This question took everyone by surprise, except for Artem, Blair, and Roman who only grinned a bit trying hard not to chuckle. Even Chad remained silent as he looked like he didn¡¯t know what to say. His face spoke more than his mouth as it changed from his normal complexion to a few shades of red. Before he could retort Waylon stated, ¡°His irritation started this morning when we tried to leave the island and were stopped.¡± Liam turned to look at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t entirely sure. All we have are rumors that have been circulating amongst the adventurers here,¡± Knox stated. ¡°Apparently something is going on. Something about a cult that is up to something big. The people at the Teleportation Tree have cut off any travel going on and off the island. Says it¡¯s a security measure they are trying to get fixed. Who fucking knows though.¡± ¡°We heard something along those lines as well,¡± Blair stated as she looked at Knox and Waylon. ¡°Speaking of rumors and things being said,¡± Roman started as he looked at Liam. ¡°You don¡¯t know how hard it¡¯s been trying to find you. You would think that since this is an island we would have ran into each other sooner, but with what we¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been up to, it makes sense why it was so hard. I don¡¯t blame you for laying low. But come on man, if you¡¯re up to some fun shit, at least let us know so we can join in on it.¡± ¡°Fun shit?¡± Knox questioned as he gave Roman a look of incredulity. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have heard, but he could have been killed. He doesn¡¯t have a combat class so he shouldn¡¯t have had to come across the shit he had.¡± Roman raised a brow as he looked back at the guy. ¡°What does having a combat class have to do with shit? Liam here can take care of himself just fine even without one.¡± Knox¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Without a combat class he can¡¯t do shit. His damage would be horrible, and his defense without adding equipment, wouldn¡¯t be able to handle most monsters. You must be new to this world, but the kind of logic your spouting can get someone like Liam killed.¡± Knox turned to look at Liam. ¡°Seriously, who are these guys?¡± ¡°They are the friends I made in the Tutorial Area and the teammates I had taking on the difficulties we faced back there.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying they are the ones who carried you through the tutorial?¡± Chad scoffed. ¡°No wonder you are acting like an idiot. They filled your head with ideas that you could actually handle yourself in a fight.¡± He gave Liam an evil grin as he added, ¡°Let me guess. They let you kill off some of the monsters they weakened so you could get some levels and it got to your head.¡± He then looked at Artem, Blair, and Roman and added with disgust, ¡°Seriously. It¡¯s because of idiots like you that you give trash like him worthless ideas like being useful in fights or able to hold themselves in fights.¡± Artem¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s faces turned to scowls as they glared at Chad. Before anyone could say anything Gimmel asked, ¡°My uncle really did train you right?¡± Everyone looked at him. He looked a bit intimidated as Chad glowered at him, but he continued, ¡°I know that item he gave you must mean that he did. However, I don¡¯t understand why. You have a Crafter Class, why would he¡­¡± ¡°Look,¡± Chad rudely interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your babbling about, but it¡¯s only natural a Crafting mentor would take on a Crafting apprentice. As worthless and wasteful it is, but that¡¯s that. Theres no need to question it.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s not a¡­,¡± Gimmel tried to interject. ¡°Why are you arguing with me about this?¡± Chad glowered. ¡°If you keep on doing that then you can kiss your chances of joining us goodbye.¡± Gimmel looked conflicted as Chad¡¯s words were said. Liam could understand why. For some reason, unknown to him, the teenager wanted to join this party. Chad¡¯s threats of not allowing him to join if he continued to talk wared with his feelings of correcting the misunderstanding Chad had of his uncle. While Liam didn¡¯t care for Chad misunderstanding what Nabal really was, he also didn¡¯t like how he was treating Gimmel. Liam looked at Roman who glanced back. They both smiled understanding what to do. ¡°Geez,¡± Roman started to say as he shook his head feigning a look of disappointment. ¡°If a party as great as this stoops to threats like that, then is it as great as you claim it to be?¡± Chad¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at the Kitsune-folk. ¡°What was that fox boy?¡± Roman grinned as he shot back, ¡°You heard me you power tripping elf. Or, what? Are your ears for show? Did you actually not hear me? What reason does a fool like you have to act so high and mighty?¡± Chad¡¯s ears and face turned a deep shade of red. He then said with clipped words, ¡°Not like a worthless brawling looking fox boy like you would understand, but I am a healer. Healers are much needed in a group, and we are higher above ruffians like you who look like their only worth is to punch things silly.¡± Roman nodded his head, feigning like he was agreeing with Chad. He then said as he looked at Artem, ¡°While I can¡¯t argue that a Healer¡¯s worth is tremendous, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily put you above everyone else. Our healer has way more humility than you and I bet he is better at healing than you. Isn¡¯t that right Artem?¡± Artem, looking a bit surprised being put on the spot, rubbed the back of his head as he muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t think I am the best at healing, but I try my best to make sure I do a good job and I¡¯m still learning more as I go.¡± Waylon, Knox, and Gimmel looked surprised as they stared at Artem. The last thing they were expecting to hear was that the Orc was a healer. Chad on the other hand looked both disgusted and appalled by what he heard. ¡°You¡¯re joking right?¡± Chad questioned. ¡°There is no way a fucking orc from the Blood Thirst Plains can be a Healer. Your muscle fused minds can¡¯t handle the proper intricacies needed to understand how to properly heal a wound let alone understand that you are wounded.¡± ¡°Wow, racist much?¡± Roman commented. ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Chad questioned as he glared at Roman. ¡°It means¡­,¡± Roman started to say until he was cut off by Chad as he said with an even haughtier tone than usual, ¡°You know what. Never mind. I don¡¯t care to understand your feeble ignorant mind.¡± ¡°If anyone has a feeble mind it¡¯s you,¡± Liam whispered, causing Roman and Blair to snicker a bit. ¡°What was that?¡± Chad swiftly demanded as he glared at Liam. ¡°Nothing, not worth the wasted time,¡± Liam stated as he waved a hand in front of them. ¡°However, you should probably stop interrupting people when they speak. Gimmel was trying to help you understand something you misunderstood and could probably save your life one day¡­¡± ¡°My life isn¡¯t in any danger when it comes to foolish crafters,¡± Chad interjected. ¡°Nor was there anything I misunderstood. You are the one who keeps misunderstanding his place and his abilities¡­. Liam¡¯s attention was suddenly brought out from Chad¡¯s droning and self-righteous speech as he heard a familiar voice close by. It was familiar, but at the same time he couldn¡¯t think where he heard it before. Liam looked around for the source. This prompted annoyed exclamations from Chad, who Liam tuned out as he kept looking around. Knox, Waylon, and Gimmel were confused by Liam¡¯s sudden behavior that they stared at him with puzzlement. Artem, Blair, and Roman, who had some experience with Liam suddenly doing something weird looked at each other and understood something was up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Blair questioned. Liam raised a hand up indicating for her to give him a minute as he kept looking around. There wasn¡¯t anyone in the lines that lead to an employee over the counter. He then looked around the seating area. It took him a minute as he slowly scanned the area, but finally his eyes fell on someone. It was the man who he had saved from having a Toxo Corpse Controller from entering his body. Liam shuddered at the thought of that creature trying to enter a body. After seeing the man, he quickly understood why he didn¡¯t automatically remember him. Their meeting was only brief, and the man ended up running away quickly screaming for help. ¡°I¡¯m telling you,¡± the man sobbed. ¡°There were Undead Goblins in that damn forest dungeon.¡± ¡°No one was able to find any proof of Undead Goblins,¡± someone let out a sigh full of annoyance. ¡°We sent three different groups, and no one was able to find any sightings of them.¡± ¡°Are you sure you weren¡¯t just scared of those weak creatures and your mind just made them out to be worse than they were?¡± another person asked, also sounding annoyed. ¡°You won¡¯t be made fun of if that was the case.¡± The other person gave the one the who said that an eye roll. ¡°Forget about that man. Come on. You need to eat something. You look like you¡¯re about to croak. Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± The sobbing man lifted his head up and waved a hand out. ¡°I have a nasty Debuff that won¡¯t go away for some reason. I think I need to find a specialized healer or a high quality antidote or something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t found one yet,¡± one of the people stated. ¡°I would have, but it seems like all the high quality stuff was mass purchased throughout the island for some reason,¡± the human male responded. ¡°Something strange is happening. I can feel it.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± someone slightly agreed. ¡°For now just eat something.¡± ¡°Maybe after a quick nap,¡± the human man stated as the tears stopped flowing and yawned. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I feel so drained all of a sudden.¡± Liam was glad to see that the man was able to get away safely after all that. However, hearing him mention all the high quality potions that were massed purchased made him wince a bit. He was about to look back at the people around him until weird movements caught his attention. His focus shifted to something scurrying upside down on the ceiling. It looked like some sort of black spider. He was about to ignore it but stopped as the creature stopped right above the sleeping human male. Sleight¡¯s word of advice suddenly rang in his mind as he pulled out his goggles and slipped them over his eyes and zoomed his sight in closer to get a better look at the spider. ¡°If you see any insects that stand out, keep a careful eye on them.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the spider suddenly change its form. A whole upper body and a creepy looking head suddenly grew as arms extended from the newly form upper body. Liam didn¡¯t need to assess it to know what it was. He wouldn¡¯t mistake that form for something else nor would he forget it. He knew what he had to do as he watched the creature slowly attach a string of web to the ceiling and started to slowly go down towards the sleeping man. Knox, Gimmel, and Waylon were extremely confused by Liam¡¯s sudden behavior. What made it worse was the fact he wasn¡¯t answering their questions. It made Chad even more pissed off as he understood Liam was completely ignoring him. Artem, Blair, and Roman stood there patiently. They knew something was up and trying to get any information from Liam while he was like this was impossible. Instead, they waited for him to figure out and process whatever was running through that brain of his. It was Liam¡¯s next actions that caused a stir. Blair summoned her Battle Axe while Artem pulled his mace from his side and Roman brought his hands up ready for an attack. Chad let out a shout as he brought his hands up to protect his face. Waylon and Knox shouted something along the lines of requesting Liam not to do anything stupid. Gimmel¡¯s eyes widened as he watched Liam pull out a Taloned shaped Bone Throwing Dagger, and with a smooth and quick motion, brought his arm back, aimed and threw the weapon. Gimmel¡¯s eyes followed the weapon as it flew through the air over the heads of everyone in the resting area of the Adventurer¡¯s Association. He then saw it sink into its intended target. The thrown weapon was thrown with enough power that it tore the Toxo Corpse Controller right off the web it was using to lower itself. As fast as it took the weapon to fly and pierce right through its chest, it was even faster for it to crash and pin the body right into the wall. Chaos filled the building as the weapon let out a loud thunk as it hit the wall. Adventure 224 - Connecting the Pieces The adventurers who were sitting around in the eating and resting area of the building quickly stood up and pulled out their weapons. The staff, who were in the sea of tables and people pulled out their weapons as well, ready for anything. They turned towards the direction where the throwing dagger had been thrown from. Waylon and Knox went to look at Liam and ask him if he was crazy but as they turned their heads, Liam was already sprinting through the crowd. It was tight in some areas as the people stood up. Liam had bumped into a few angry adventurers who were tense and confused as to what happened. Shouts and curses escaped the lips of many people as their eyes followed Liam. Liam ignored them all as his focus was only on one thing. The horrifying spider creature that tried to land on the man who was still passed out on the table. After he finally escaped from the adventurers who were on high alert and now focused on him, Liam approached the dead creature pinned against the wall. As he walked up to it, the adventurers started to make their way towards him. Their weapons were still brandished and as they tried to determine if Liam was a threat to them or not. After taking two steps, the sound of flapping wings sounded above their heads while a shadow flew over their heads. The adventurers in the back followed the silhouette as she flew towards Liam and landed herself between both her comrade and the ready to fight adventurers. Her smooth handle looked like it was made out of a strong sturdy bone. The sharp serrated blade with a crimson hue morphed as it hardened as if it turned into stone. She glared at everyone who looked like they were going to attack through the eye holes of her skull helmet. As if running through tall grass, a smaller form zipped through the sea of people. His pointed fox ears were barely visible as his tail ping ponged back and forth against everyone¡¯s legs. He arrived a second after his dragon-kin companion dropped down, his arms crossed against his chest challenging anyone to make a move. The people in the front row looked confused but were more on edge as they recognized their races. They were sure why a Dragon-kin and a Kitsune Fox-folk were there, let alone shielding someone. Their confusion only grew even more as a loud voice called out for them to kindly move out of the way. A few people turned to see an orc trying to make his way through the crowded sea of adventurers. As he approached the front the people who turned to see him stood there and stared at him with a puzzled expression. Artem stared at them as he asked with as humbled of a voice as he had, ¡°Um, excuse me, but I need to get by.¡± The people he had spoken to were shocked. Never had they ever come across a member of the Blood Thirst Plain tribes speaking with sincerity, let alone not just plow their way through the crowd like someone who was self-important. His size told them he could have easily pushed his way through, but he didn¡¯t and that was more of a shock than seeing the Kitsune Fox-folk and the Dragon-kin appear there to shield the man they wanted answers from. After coming out of the shock they slowly and cautiously moved out of the way. They believed that he was probably on his way to confront the three since they were used to members of the Blood Thirst Plains tribes starting a fight with anyone who looked strong. Everyone tensed as they believed this to be the case as the Kitsune Fox-folk suddenly said in irritated tone, ¡°Dude what the hell is wrong with you?¡± This was it. They were ready to protect themselves as they expected the Orc to explode with anger over the rude tone of the smaller figure. However, their expectations were shattered as the Kitsune added, ¡°I keep telling you man you need to be more assertive.¡± The crowd was taken aback as the orc, or rather half orc, now that they were able to get a better look of the guy, say with a subdued tone, ¡°I know, but there is so many people and they are both tense and confused at what is going on.¡± The Half Orc had taken a spot on the other side of the female Dragon-kin, turned towards the crowd while turning his head to the Kitsune on the other side. ¡°If I pushed my way through then that could start an unnecessary fight.¡± Many people couldn¡¯t believe what they were hearing. An orc was being¡­considerate? Not only that, but it looked like the three were working together. Three races known not to mesh well together were standing side by side conversing and shielding another unknown. Waylon, Knox, and Chad stood their baffled and confused. They were still trying to process what had just happened. ¡°Did he just throw a dagger and perfectly strike a falling spider?¡± Waylon questioned as he looked at Knox. ¡°Did you see his speed and agility? He ran through that crowd easily,¡± Knox added. Chad glowered as he turned his eyes on the two. ¡°Don¡¯t let such miniscule things impress you,¡± Chad huffed. ¡°Crafters are known to have their precision and Fine Motor Sub-stats at a decent level due to having to craft. As for his speed and agility, he must have ran so much from not trying to die in the Tutorial Dungeon that it must be his highest sub-stat.¡± Knox and Waylon looked at him. They thought over what he was saying and slowly agreed with his logic. ¡°I guess that could be it,¡± Knox stated slowly, not entirely sure about it. ¡°I mean it kind of makes sense,¡± Waylon added. ¡°Still though, that was pretty impressive.¡± Are you guys idiots? Gimmel wanted to say. He didn¡¯t though since he didn¡¯t want to get on their bad sides. However, he replayed the movements Liam displayed just moments ago. Those were not the movements of someone who only crafts. He thought it was strange for his uncle to take on an apprentice who would have a non-combat class, but after seeing this¡­he was starting to understand there was something else going on and there was a big chance he was wrong about Liam. Whispers and murmurs started to spread throughout the room as employees of the Adventurers Association tried to make their way up to where Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman were. Their attempts were hindered as their calls and shouts fell on deaf ears. Before any of the employee trapped in the sea of people could resort to more physical or magical means, a loud voice called out, ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Everyone turned towards the source of the voice to see two men walking out from the hallway over by the receptionists desk. One of the two men was Don. He stood slightly behind the man who had yelled out. This gentleman was a man who stood taller than Don and many of the others in the building. The only ones who stood around the same height as him were Artem and a few Bear-folks. He had a muscular build which was prominent due to his tight shirt. He had no bestial features which meant he wasn¡¯t a Beast-kin. ¡°Well?¡± the man tried again. ¡°Cat¡¯s got all of yer tongues or what?¡± Liam didn¡¯t turn to look at the man right away. Instead he assessed the creature that was pinned against the wall to reconfirm that it was what he feared it was. [Toxo Corpse Controller. 0/35 HP. 0/700 MP. Level ¨C 6.] ¡°God fucking damn it,¡± Liam quietly hissed. He placed a hand on the body and looted it. He minimized the notification to look at later as he turned to look at the man who had everyone else¡¯s attention. He was talking to someone who was pointing at him, Artem, Blair, and Roman. The man turned his attention towards them as he listened to the people around him. Liam noticed Don and was about to call out to him, but stopped as he realized he wasn¡¯t wearing his mask nor his disguise he had with his Spirit Weave ability. He had almost outed himself due to the issue that was going on. Instead he waited for the taller man to say something. It didn¡¯t take long for the man to call out with a deep booming voice, ¡°It seems I have you four to ask for the tension in the room. May I ask what issue was dire enough for you to throw a dagger over everyone¡¯s head?¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman looked at each other before turning to Liam who had walked in front of the three. ¡°I apologize for the sudden disturbance that I have caused, but once you come over here and see the nasty pest I have pinned against the wall, I believe you will forgive my actions.¡± The taller man raised a brow as he stared at Liam. After a few seconds he said, ¡°Alright. If you could give me a moment I will be right there.¡± As the man took a step forward the people in front of him moved out of the way, giving him a path right towards the four. Don followed right behind him. As soon as the man approached the four he stopped and reached a hand out. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have met any of you before. I am Brodie. The Branch Manager of this Adventurer¡¯s Association. May I ask your names?¡± ¡°Artem,¡± Artem replied. ¡°Blair,¡± Blair responded. Roman narrowed his eyes as he stared at Brodie¡¯s hand. After a second he said, ¡°Roman.¡± Brodie looked at each and shook their hand as they spoke. His eyes landing on Liam as Liam informed while reaching his own out, ¡°I am Liam.¡± The man¡¯s grip was firm. Liam could tell he was strong just from the handshake alone. ¡°Well, Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman,¡± Brodie started. ¡°Can you enlighten me what this pest is?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Liam moved out of the way and pointed to the Toxo Corpse Controller that was still pinned to the wall thanks to Liam¡¯s dagger. Liam heard an intake of air come from both Brodie and Don as they stared at the creature. Brodie quickly looked at Don who gave the man a See I told you look. Brodie let out some colorful words that would make a sailor blush back on Earth before asking Liam, ¡°What exactly happened? Where did this creature come from?¡± Liam stared at the man. he could see a storm of anger and fear started to boil within his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t where it came from,¡± Liam started as he kept his eyes on the man through his goggles. ¡°However, I was talking with some people here and noticed something strange crawling on the ceiling. I didn¡¯t think much at first, however, after it stopped moving right above someone I witnessed it transform into this monstrosity.¡± Brodie and Don looked at the area where Liam had pointed where he was and then to the ceiling. Brodie narrowed his eyes on Liam as he asked, ¡°You say you saw it crawling and transform, but how? The only people that I know that have great eyesight on this island are Beast-kin. Albeit, not all Beast-kin have heightened sight. I don¡¯t mean to pry or sound rude, but you don¡¯t look like a Beast-kin.¡± Liam let out a sigh as he pulled his goggles up for the man to get a better look at his eyes. To Liam¡¯s surprise, Brodie nodding while saying, ¡°Ah I see. That makes much more sense now.¡± Brodie then looked at Don and stated, ¡°Looks like your information was right. This isn¡¯t good at all.¡± Don nodded while keeping his eyes on Liam. He didn¡¯t respond to Brodie, but instead asked Liam, ¡°You said it stopped over someone and transformed. If that was the case then why is it pinned against this wall and not the ceiling?¡± Liam pulled his goggles back down and answered, ¡°That is because it was trying to lower itself down onto the person. I didn¡¯t know what would happen and a creature like this doesn¡¯t exist in my old world, so I thought it was best to kill it.¡± Liam noticed both men suddenly tense. Brodie quickly asked, ¡°Who was it trying to land on?¡± Liam looked towards the direction he last saw the male who tried falling asleep. He saw his buddy shaking him, trying to wake him up. Liam pointed towards the two men as he replied, ¡°That guy who passed out. The one who is being shook right now.¡± Don and Brodie spun around to look at what Liam was talking about. As soon as their eyes landed on the man, they both shouted while pointing, ¡°Get away from that man right now!¡± Everyone in the building stopped their talking as they stared at the two men. The man who was shaking his friend awake stopped to look at what the two men were saying. However, as he took his eyes off his friend he didn¡¯t see the nasty green liquid being coughed up from the sleeping man¡¯s mouth as the color of his skin paled. As the man looked back down at his friend, the once living man now turned Undead, swiftly snapped his jaws down on his friends outreached hand. The man let out a pained yelled as he tried to jerk his hand free. He was able to once the Undead person opened his mouth. The creature tried to jump at him and bite him again, but as he moved, a strong hand gripped the side of its face and was slammed down to the ground. ¡°Get back! Now!¡± Brodie demanded as he took out a massive War Hammer and slammed the blunt end down, splattering the undead¡¯s head all over the floor. The creature¡¯s arms twitched a few times before finally halting. Don appeared next to the man who was bite and examined his wound. Before the man could complain, Don pulled out two potions Liam didn¡¯t recognize. He opened one and poured it over the bite wound and watched as a steam hissed from the wound while closing it. He then opened the other and ordered, ¡°Drink this. Now!¡± The man, a bit shell shocked by everything that had just happened stared at Don. ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± Don yelled as he slapped the man across the face. The sudden pain from the slap brought the shell shocked man out of the daze he was in. he quickly grabbed the flask and downed the contents within it. After he finished the last bit of it, he gagged once, twice, three times before looking at Don and said with a croak, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet,¡± Don started. ¡°Has the Debuff disappeared?¡± The man, confused at first, looked at his information. He then looked at Don and responded, ¡°I don¡¯t see a Debuff. If I had one its gone now.¡± Don stared at the man for a long moment before nodding and saying, ¡°Alright, good.¡± He then looked at the headless Undead before turning his attention towards Brodie. Brodie gave him a grave look before nodding. Brodie then grabbed a chair, pulled it over to a table, then used it as a stepping ladder to prompt himself on a table. The table creaked for just a moment as the man¡¯s weight bared down on it. After Brodie determined it would hold he looked at all of the tensed and confused adventurers and employees. He cleared his throat before stating, ¡°I know everyone is confused with everything that had just happened. I will not lie¡­I am still trying to process everything that has come to light.¡± Whispers and murmurs started to spread. ¡°However, there is something I am certain of right now thanks to the living¡­or rather dead proof before us,¡± Brodie stated. ¡°This island has a deadly pest control that, if not taken care of, will kill all of us and all of the citizens on the island.¡± The whispers and murmurs started growing the more they listened to Brodie. ¡°There have been reports of certain creatures suddenly appearing in the dungeons that should not be there. We had no answers as to how that could have happened,¡± Brodie continued as he faced everyone. ¡°Not too long, before all of this happened, I was brought information that a certain creature was sighted in one of our dungeons¡­¡± Brodie waited for the muttering to quiet down a bit before continuing. He didn¡¯t blame them. everything that was currently going on was too much, happening too fast for even the most mentally capable to keep up. ¡°I was skeptical at first since the only evidence that was brought before me was loot that only that species would drop,¡± Brodie explained. ¡°However, thanks to one of our own adventurers noticing something wasn¡¯t right and killing a creature with a throwing dagger, it caused a big enough of a disturbance that it brought the attention it needed to stop another disaster from happening.¡± Still confused with what Brodie was going on with people couldn¡¯t hold back as some started yelling out questions. Their tension and concerns were starting to get the better of them. Don called out for everyone to quiet down as Brodie yelled out, ¡°I know you all want questions, but I am getting there.¡± It didn¡¯t quiet them all down, but the volume was brought down enough that Brodie was able to speak clearly again. He started back up. ¡°There have been some rumors floating around town just recently that there was a chance that a Black Dungeon is hidden somewhere on this island. Since no one had reported any sighting of one, many of us believed it to be just what it started off as¡­a rumor.¡± Liam heard the whispers amongst the adventurers. Some whispered things like, I knew it or how could that be? Others whispered confusion like, this is the first I¡¯ve heard of this or how could one be here without any officials informing the people? Liam had no complaints with their whispers. Ultimately both sides were right. ¡°However, as of this second I am telling you with the proof set before us that those rumors are true. And, not only are they true, but it is one of the worst kind of Black Dungeons that could have appeared,¡± Brodie informed. He tried to continue, but the volume of the adventurers rose once more. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°How can that be?¡± ¡°What kind of Black Dungeon is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a Black Dungeon before how is it any worse than the other dungeons?¡± Brodie waved his arms up and down trying to quiet everyone. Once the volume was managed he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Dungeon Type is, but we have confirmation on the Creatures. It is a Toxo Dungeon.¡± Liam watched as half of the adventurers exploded. ¡°What the hell do you mean a Toxo Dungeon?!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the proof?!¡± ¡°You want proof?¡± Liam suddenly shouted. He didn¡¯t understand why he did, but from what he was hearing, he could tell the ones that knew what a Toxo was didn¡¯t want to accept it. He turned his body enough for everyone to see the creature pinned against the wall. ¡°Here¡¯s the proof! This is a Toxo Corpse Controller. Assess it for yourselves.¡± Everyone turned to look at the spider-like monstrosity. He heard some gasp while others cursed. The ones who didn¡¯t know what it was, muttered amongst the others, wanting to know why there was such a reaction from the others. Before anyone could get any answers, Chad asked out loud, ¡°You¡¯re kidding right? You¡¯re afraid of such a small spider? Seriously? What is so scary about it?¡± Chad¡¯s sudden outburst brought a lot of narrowed eyes and ire his direction. Before anyone could chastise him, Brodie responded, ¡°You want to know why people are taking a small creature like that so seriously? Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. One bite from a creature known as a Toxo Scout Spreader can infect creatures outside of its species with something known as Rageful Rabies Venom. If you can¡¯t get that cured then it will chip away at your life until you¡¯re dead. After you die your body will turn into an Undead Creature. When that happens,¡± Brodie pointed to the Toxo Corpse Controller, ¡°That creature right there, a Toxo Corpse Controller will try to take control of your body so it can use it for their swarm.¡± Someone tried to say something but was stopped as Brodie then pointed to the Undead corpse on the floor. ¡°That right there. He was infected and was turned. This Toxo Corpse Control must have sensed it and followed him here and tried to control him right before he turned. This is just one of the major things you have to worry about when it comes to the Toxos.¡± ¡°But,¡± Chad tried to interject. ¡°No buts. This is not the time for buts,¡± Brodie snapped, starting to lose his patience. ¡°I am ordering an Emergency Adventurers Quest to everyone here and on the island. We must find the Black Dungeon hidden on this island before it is too late. If anyone has seen any strange spiders acting weird, I must ask you to step forth and let us know now. if you haven¡¯t seen any strange behavior with spiders then¡­¡± Liam¡¯s attention unfocused as something tickled the back of his mind. Boride¡¯s mention of spiders acting weird brought his thoughts on what Sleight had warned him about. If you see any insects that stand out, keep a careful eye on them. Sleights warning had helped him on catching the Toxo Corpse Controller before it fell on the man that had turned into an Undead. Thanks to that he noticed something about the creature that brought about other memories. Before it had transformed into what it looked like right now it had looked like a normal spider. A normal spider that had weird behavioral patterns. Much like the ones he had seen moving along the walls towards a closed door in the Dungeon Tower. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he pieced some things together. No one knew what was behind that door. No had anyone seen the people who guarded it open it once. That was another realization Liam had come to. The Beast-kin guarding that door, if they knew what was behind it, they would have reported it. However, if they did not then that meant they were not actual Beast-kins, but Demon-kins. Demon-kins who were Cult members of the Seven Immoral Vices in disguise. Liam¡¯s body couldn¡¯t hold still after thinking it all over carefully. Even if he was wrong, this was likely the best lead he had. Artem, Blair, and Roman saw Liam suddenly move and followed quickly behind him. They knew he was thinking things over. They hadn¡¯t been on the island for long so their knowledge about the events wasn¡¯t as great as his. Silently, they agreed to let him take the lead. They believed he would fill them in on everything as they went on. ¡°Brodie!¡± Liam shouted as he pushed his way through the crowd. People shouted with irritation, but eventually moved out of the way as Liam approached the Branch Manager. Brodie and Don looked down at Liam and noticed the expression on his face. With a serious tone, Brodie asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have an idea?¡± ¡°The Dungeon Tower!¡± Liam suddenly blurted. ¡°The Dungeon Tower?¡± Brodie and Don questioned. ¡°The Door that the guards are stationed by,¡± Liam started again. ¡°I have seen spiders make their way towards that door and slip underneath. I never questioned it because I didn¡¯t know what was considered normal behavior here. But that has to be it.¡± Brodie looked at Don. Don gave him a look that said It¡¯s worth a shot. Brodie turned to look at him and was about to respond. However, before he could utter a word, loud screams entered the building from outside. Adventure 225 - Night of the Undead Monster Attack As everyone in the building turned to look at the open door, Brodie, Don, and a few of the Adventurer¡¯s Association employees were already making their way to it. Liam and a few others snapped out of their daze as they hurried past them. Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman hurried to see what was going on. As they stepped out from the building, they quickly scanned their surroundings, but didn¡¯t see anything but confused people, who had stopped walking and looked at the same direction. Liam followed their gazes and tried to think about what was in that direction. He felt like he knew what it was, but before he could remember a scream filled the area from the opposite direction. At this point more people made their way out of the building. Everyone turned to see what was going on, only to find people had started running in a panic. Shouts and screams for help and get out of the way escaped out from the citizens that were now sprinting. Some had no clue why they were running, only going with the wave of panicked and scared people. ¡°Somethings going on over there,¡± a random adventurer stated. ¡°No shit,¡± another commented. Before anyone else could make any comments, the sound of metal clanging together along with something sharp scrapping across the ground mixed with the screams. Seconds later, a wave of armored goblins dragging swords and daggers rounded the corner chasing after the sprinting people. ¡°Stop those goblins!¡± Brodie ordered. Liam was about to run straight towards them but stopped as a few gurgled howls filled the night sky. He stopped to look in the direction they came from but couldn¡¯t find anything. He then noticed something in the corner of his eye on the right from above. He looked up the building not too far away to see several wolves standing on the rooftops. He stared at them and froze at what he saw. Each wolf had sickly greenish grey patches of fur mixed with their white or pure grey coats. Not only that, but some sported open wounds with bones sticking out or blackish red blood slowly pulsing out. Liam turned to look at the goblin racing towards them and noticed almost the same thing in the areas they weren¡¯t armored. Liam spun his head towards Brodie and shouted, ¡°They¡¯re zombified!¡± Brodie and Don spun their heads to look at him. They then assessed each creature from both sides. The curses that flew out of their mouths confirmed he was right. Without any hesitation, Brodie shouted out, ¡°Kill these monsters! Defend the citizens and make sure you don¡¯t get bitten! Anyone who receives a Rageful Rabies Debuff make sure you get that removed! If you don¡¯t have any way to get it cleared call it out! Not get to work Adventurers!¡± The adventurers who were standing outside didn¡¯t respond. They stood there confused by what Brodie had just said. Liam couldn¡¯t blame them. They must have been the ones who didn¡¯t know anything about the Rageful Rabies Venom and the dangers they held. However, their hesitation only meant someone was getting hurt with no help on the way. Four of the wolves on the roof of the building had jumped down and started running towards the closest person near it. Liam looked at Artem, Blair, and Roman. They each nodded, not needing any words. A slim woman wearing a dress turned her head and grew fearful as she watched as a wolf suddenly jumped right towards her. She felt her body tense, causing her legs to not move as fast as she was previously moving. Her fear grew even more the closer it had gotten to her. A child right next to her screamed causing the two men nearby to see the wolves almost upon them. The woman let out a shriek as the wolf that jumped at her was now inches away from landing on top of her, maw open wide. However, before the wolf could attack her, a massive body had suddenly appeared, shield out in an angle. The person swung his shield as hard a she could, causing the wolf to fall to its side. Without any hesitation, Artem swung his mace down on the head of the creature and slammed it hard once, twice, three times. The child¡¯s eyes widened as a smooth bladed axe sliced through the neck of the wolf as Blair appeared from above. Her wings folding in as she landed in from of him in a protective stance. The two men who stared wide eyed as Liam appeared on one side of one of the wolves and cleanly sliced the two legs off before sliding under it to get to the other wolf. Roman, close behind, slammed his fists against the first wolf. Sparks of Lightning exploded over the wolf¡¯s body causing it to tense and yelp before succumbing to the fatal damage Roman caused with his next few punches. Liam dug one of his daggers right into the side of the other wolf. He used it as a hand hold as he yanked as hard as he could to make the wolf fall to its side. Liam used the momentum he had to spin to look at the creature while landing on his feet. He didn¡¯t waste any time as he plunged his daggers right into the neck skull of the creature. It didn¡¯t last long as the creature let out one last whimper before falling limp. Liam looked at the others. Their creatures were dead, but they each had a confused look on their faces. At first Liam didn¡¯t understand why they looked like that, but as they looked at their weapons and back at the creatures, he understood. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± he told them before looking back at the building. The adventurers still stood there, not moving. Liam clicked his tongue and was about to shout something, but stopped as no words were needed to come from him. The people blocking the door were suddenly shoved as the ones who were still inside decided they didn¡¯t want to wait for the ones outside to move. ¡°What the fuck are you panzies waiting for?!¡± a tall Bear-folk male growled as he gripped a deadly looking morning star weapon. ¡°The Branch Manager gave us an order! Get to it!¡± Liam then watched as the confused adventurers who hadn¡¯t move snap out of whatever daze or thoughts they were stuck in and ran with the others either towards the goblins heading their way or to the wolves that had decided to jump down. Liam shook his head and was about to look for a target close by but stopped as the four people they had just protected suddenly rush towards them. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± the child shouted, snot and tears running down their face. ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!¡± the woman thanked Artem. Artem gave her a bashful look as he turned his face away. ¡°Holy shit you guys!¡± one of the men exclaimed. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t done that I don¡¯t know what¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Artem jumped behind him with his shield up to block a wolf from attacking him. As the wolf slid down from Artem¡¯s shield, Roman appeared in time to land a few deciding blows. ¡°Its fine that you want to thank us, but it is dangerous out here,¡± Blair started. ¡°I suggest you guys get somewhere safe. Maybe the Adventurers Association until this is all dealt with?¡± The four didn¡¯t need any coaxing after that. They each nodded and ran towards the building. Don and Broadie stood by the entrance, shouting to the citizens to come inside if they had no place to go. As Liam watched the four people head in that direction he felt something strange in the air. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure where it was coming from so he scanned the area. After looking up along the roof tops and own both ends of the street, he didn¡¯t find anything that stuck out. That was until his eyes landed on the bodies of the Undead wolves they had killed. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The eyes on a couple of the wolves as well as the stomachs moved slightly. It was faint, but it was enough for Liam to notice it. His brows scrunched as he stared at them, but before he could think into it a text notification from Eri suddenly appeared.
¡°Burn the bodies!!!! ¨C Eri.¡±
Realization bloomed on Liam. He was about to shout out to the other three, but realized he didn¡¯t need to worry as Blair and Artem kicked the wolves that were spread out closer. Roman was already chanting a fire spell as they did this. As soon as the bodies landed into a pile, Liam pulled out a medium vile of oil and dumped it over the bodies. Right as he stepped back, Roman formed a ball of fire on his hand. He threw it on the bodies and watched as they all lit up, burning. As the fire spread over them, Liam and the others heard high pitch screams mix with the sound of popping as the flames burned hotter and hotter. Liam kept an eye on the burning bodies making sure nothing escaped from the fiery death trap they had made. When it looked like nothing was going to make it out of it, Liam turned to see Brodie approaching them asking, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°We need to burn the bodies after we kill them,¡± Liam stated. ¡°They are full of Toxos that will escape once the host bodies can¡¯t move anymore.¡± Brodie gave him a disgusted look mixed with realization. ¡°Fuck, I forgot about that. We need to tell the others.¡± A sudden loud boom echoed in the air, causing the five people to look in the direction it came from. Screams and shouts mixed with it as smoke suddenly appeared in different areas of the city. ¡°Fuck,¡± Brodie cursed. ¡°You guys go and see if anyone needs any help. I¡¯ll start spreading the groups out after they finish off the goblins here.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Liam responded as he Artem, Blair, and Roman raced off. Brodie sprinted over to the group of people and started barking orders. Majority of the goblin were already dead by the time he arrived. The ones who had just finished killing their targets started grabbing the bodies and putting them into groups of small piles. As they were burning the bodies a certain group of adventurers rejoined to discuss what they were going to do next. Knox looked at Waylon and asked, ¡°What the hell is up with these goblins? They seemed a lot weaker than they should be.¡± ¡°Could have to do with that thing Brodie was talking about,¡± Waylon suggested as he looked around. ¡°Speaking of¡­Have you seen where Liam went?¡± ¡°Forget that guy,¡± Chad scoffed as he looked at the two. ¡°He probably ran off to hide somewhere. Gah, my clothes are ruined thanks to that asshole exploding a goblin head so close to me.¡± Chad looked off in the direction of the man he was complaining about and yelled out, ¡°See if I send any heals your way asshole!¡± He then looked back down to the blood on his clothes and called out, ¡°Bag boy, give me some cleaning wash in the bag.¡± After a few seconds of no response, Chad looked up with an irritated expression, ¡°For fuck sakes boy. I said¡­¡± He stopped as he noticed Gimmel wasn¡¯t there. He narrowed his eyes while looking around. He didn¡¯t see him anywhere. Instead he noticed the big bag full of their stuff by the open doors of the Adventurer¡¯s Association unattended. ¡°Did he really leave our shit unattended like that?¡± Chad seethed. ¡°Cut him some slack,¡± Knox stated, feeling annoyed with the pompous elf. ¡°He¡¯s probably doing what Brodie ordered him to do. You can¡¯t fault him for that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s in charge of hauling our stuff,¡± Chad whirled on the man. ¡°I could care two shits if a god told him to drop the bag and go swim in the ocean. If I tell him he has to carry our stuff then that¡¯s his order!¡± Knox and Waylon rolled their eyes at the man. ¡°Seriously though,¡± Chad huffed. ¡°Where did that brat go?¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Screams and shouts for help started filling the air around the city. In just a matter of moments all hell had broken loose without warning. The wail of a siren blared in and out mixing with the noises all around them. As Liam and the others started running down the Roman swiftly asked, ¡°So what¡¯s up with those monsters? Why did they fall so easily to our attacks?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not entirely sure,¡± Liam replied. ¡°From what I have gathered, the venom these Toxo creatures inject take a major toll on the body of the creature they infect. So much so that even after they turn Undead it still effects the bodies.¡± ¡°I guess that kind of makes sense,¡± Roman stated. ¡°And here I thought I was getting stronger. After all that training I did and raising my sub-stats, I thought I was getting better.¡± ¡°Speaking of Sub-stats,¡± Artem asked as he tried his hardest to keep up with the other three. Liam turned to look at him. He could tell the giant man had put in some work in his stamina and speed sub-stats. Back in the Tutorial Area he would have had a much harder time keeping up with them now; while still falling a bit behind, he was keeping some pace with them. ¡°Are you still affect by that¡­,¡± Blair continued for Artem who was starting to breath a bit heavier. ¡°Debuff?¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I got rid of it just the other day. I should be fine to go all out unless we come across a creature too strong for us.¡± The three gave him a wide grin. ¡°Good,¡± Blair stated. ¡°Not that having that thing would stop you or anything. I¡¯m just glad we don¡¯t have to worry about it now.¡± Liam was about to make a comment but stopped as flashes of light caught their attention while coming up to a corner. They halted their movements to see sparks of lightning appeared in various places down the road. The four noticed the road and the buildings were full of monsters. As Liam took a look around, he realized he recognized majority of the monsters swarming and attacking the people. Several snakes the size of medium dogs tried attacking while sparks flashed from their fangs. Spread out amongst these snakes were ones slightly bigger with pale yellow scales with tan markings throughout their bodies. Standing easily on the sides of the buildings were Praying Mantis creatures with burnt yellow bodies and tan mixed along their abdomens. Standing on top of some of the buildings were white hued with pink hued petals around their abdomens. They looked like they were ordering the other mantises as they stayed on top. As Liam stared at each of these creatures he noticed the telling signs they were too had turned to Undead Zombified versions of themselves. Liam clicked his tongue after seeing that. However, to Liam¡¯s surprise there were some people fighting back or protecting the others who couldn¡¯t defend themselves. Scattered along the ground were bodies of the creatures they had already taken down. Liam thought it over for a brief moment and concluded that they must have been adventurers who were probably out eating, at an inn resting, or just walking the town. He looked back at the others and instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s help them out. We need to burn those bodies that are already down before they¡­¡± ¡°We know what will happen if we leave the bodies alone,¡± Roman suddenly stated. This took Liam by surprise. He knew he had told them to burn them earlier, but he didn¡¯t remember explaining why they needed to. He didn¡¯t need to wait long for an explanation as Artem clarified, ¡°A Divine being already filled us in on everything we need to know about these creatures.¡± He then let out a strong shudder that shook his body before adding, ¡°Seriously though, why does it have to be spiders.¡± Liam stared at him for a moment as he let the words Divine Being sink in. he then thought about Eri. The first thought that came to mind was when she decided to change her clothes and her attitude shift. He let out a laugh that surprised the others. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Roman questioned with a brow raised. ¡°Seriously? Divine Being? Her?¡± Liam muttered as he tried to calm his laughter, all the tension in his body lifted.
¡°Rude sir! ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam dismissed the notification, trying even harder now not to laugh at her response. ¡°If she informed you of everything that you need to know about these creatures then that saves us some time. Roman? Think you can handle the cremation while we help those people out?¡± Roman gave him a wide grin as he gave him a thumbs up, ¡°Leave it to me.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Liam said as he looked back at the scene before them. ¡°Something to take note of with these creatures though, in case that¡­Divine Being,¡± Liam smirked at saying that. ¡°Didn¡¯t tell you. All the creatures here are from a Yellow Dungeon. Which means they are Lightning based creatures. The Mantises with the pink hues have a flash that can blind you so watch out for them. The giant snakes can shoot lightning from their mouths too so watch out for that as well.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered something he hadn¡¯t done in quite a while. He looked at the others, activated his Perception of the Control Tower, and mentally added the others to a group. What he saw surprised him.
¡°Artem. 1,325/1,325 HP. 995/995 MP. Level ¨C 15.¡± ¡°Blair. 1,285/1,285 HP. 884/884 MP. Level ¨C 14.¡± ¡°Roman. 1,235/1,235 HP. 1,125/1,125 MP. ¨C 15.¡±
¡°What?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°No¡­I just added you to my group with my Perception of the Control Tower skill and just saw how much you guys have grown,¡± Liam stated as he looked at them. ¡°Damn Artem, you¡¯re health is almost double mine. Your health is close to his as well Blair.¡± Artem blushed and was about to say something, but was stopped as Blair commented, ¡°You can praise us all you want later, but he need to focus right now.¡± Blair was right. He was caught up in seeing how much they had grown when he wasn¡¯t with them. However, Liam shook his head as he saw the small smile formed on Blair¡¯s face as she turned away from him. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get to it,¡± Liam stated as they sprinted forward. Adventure 226 - Knocking creatures off their feet Liam was both excited and concerned as he sprinted. He was excited because there were a few monsters that were considered boss monsters from the Yellow Dungeon. Last time he fought them he was handicapped due to the Stat Shatter Debuff. Now though, he didn¡¯t have that. Not only that, but his sub-stats had grown too. He wanted to test himself against them to see how he measured up. His concerns though tempered his excitement. While he wanted to fight these monsters with all his might, the fact they were not at full strength and were instead full of Toxo creatures while their bodies were slowly eroding due to their venom meant he wasn¡¯t going to get the fight he was hoping for. Not that this was a good time to get a good fight in to test himself. Instead he had to test his stamina recovery and try not to get too tired fighting all of these. To his surprise though, his stamina wasn¡¯t draining as fast as it had when he had the debuff. He tore through a small pack of Zombified Twin Fanged Adders like they were tofu. He kept sprinting to the next group that was about to strike at a couple of citizens that were cornered. He reached them in time before the Undead snake creatures snapped forward. He yelled at them to run towards the Adventurer¡¯s Association before ducking in time to dodge an attack from a Possessed Zombified Static Fanged Macrovipera. He ran one of his daggers along the belly of the creature as it soared over his head, allowing a flow of blackish red liquid to rush out. Liam snapped his head towards Roman¡¯s direction and yelled out, ¡°Roman! This one needs to be burned now!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Roman shouted as he rushed over. Liam didn¡¯t wait for him to reach the spot as he spotted a couple of Zombified Static Clawed Mantises start to run down the side of the building towards a couple of Beast-kin adventurers protecting a few more citizens. Liam didn¡¯t hesitate as he pulled out a couple of his throwing daggers, aimed, and threw them. Liam watched as the daggers struck an eye on both creatures. The sudden assault and loss of an eye caught the two undead creatures off guard and caused them to lose their footing. Liam was about to celebrate until he noticed where they were falling. They were going to fall right on top of the group of people. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam swore as he started to race over. He opened his mouth to warn them but closed it as he slowed down and watched as Artem jump right over the group with his shield leading the way, slamming into the bodies. The two falling creatures didn¡¯t fly far, but instead landed on the creatures the adventurers were fighting. The adventurers¡¯ and people¡¯s attention fell on Artem as he landed to the side of them before repositioning himself in front of them. They were both confused and surprised for two reasons. The first was they were so focused on the enemies before them they didn¡¯t see the ones above. The second was the way Artem protected them. The last thing they expected was someone from the Blood Thirst Plains to suddenly appear and protect them from falling enemies. They were always told that members from that race were proud and respected the strong. The only people they would even defend or protect were the young of their tribes. Anyone outside of that were left on their own. Liam got a good look at the adventurers who stood behind Artem as he rushed over. There was three of them. Two Wolf-folk males and one Cat-folk female. They looked a little younger than he was and seemed to be as new as he was. Their armor looked dented and tattered a bit while weapons weren¡¯t in the best condition and looked to be chipped in small areas. The group they were protecting was a mixture of human, Beast-kin, and a couple of elves. Five people in total. They ranged from a couple of children to adults. They looked tired, ragged, and slightly injured. ¡°My bad!¡± Liam shouted as he ran up to Artem. ¡°Thanks for the assist Artem. Nice jump too. Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d jump that high? Think you can give these guys a quick heal while I take these ones out really fast?¡± The adventurers and people they were protecting stared open mouthed as they heard what this new guy said. They thought him to be crazy to ask a member of the Blood Thirst Plains to heal someone. No member from any of their tribes had healers. They only had some sort of innate healing abilities that gave them either health steal or self-healing. And if one, truly a strange one, somehow did have healing magic why would they heal someone outside of their tribe, let alone follow orders from someone who looked so small and weaker than he? Artem glanced down at Liam. With a slight shake of his head he stated, ¡°Dude, you need to keep an eye out where you¡¯re dropping these guys. We¡¯re not in a dungeon. This is a city.¡± Liam winced. ¡°Yeah, my bad. I was too focused on taking them down before they did a surprise attack on them.¡± ¡°I know you must be itching to kill after that¡­,¡± Artem eyed the group behind them before stopping himself and waving a hand around trying to think of the right word. ¡°Thing you had. But make sure you get a better look around.¡± Liam gave the big guy a grin. Even though they had been separate for a short amount of time, he was impressed with Artem¡¯s social skills. He wasn¡¯t some charismatic person who could give a heart pounding speech, but his ability to tell him that he needs to calm down and focus had increased. ¡°I know.¡± Artem gave him a brief smile before turning around and started chanting. The group suddenly froze as they listened to the chant the Orc looking man started. At first they thought he was chanting an attack spell and got into a defensive position. However, as a warm soothing aura pulsed out from him and onto them they relaxed and looked shocked. Their aches and pains slowly drifted away as their health started to replenish. Their shock wasn¡¯t just from the interaction they had watched as well as the Orc turning to face them, but the fact that he really had just healed them. There was an Orc that had actual Healing magic. Something, they believed, he didn¡¯t actually have, that he shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Th¡­thank you,¡± a Beast-kin woman from the group of people huddled together said as she stared at Artem. Artem gave her a warm smile as he replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± He then looked at the three adventurers and added, ¡°The Adventurer¡¯s Association is taking in anyone who cant defend themselves properly. Can you three escort them there?¡± One of the Wolf-folks looked at him then to the people behind them before looking back at his weapon. With a determined expression he stated, ¡°We can try our best to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all any of us can try and do,¡± Liam suddenly stated as he jogged back to them. The group of people and adventurers looked at him and were shocked to see him coming back to them. This guy had ran over to fight the group of monsters they were having a hard time dealing with. Did he give up on fighting them? was he luring them over there to have them help him? They looked over to where the monsters were and grew wide eyed. The group of monsters laid spread out, some with their limbs separated from their main bodies, while the others just laid there in a pool of what looked like expired blood. ¡°How?¡± the female cat-folk questioned. ¡°Their bodies aren¡¯t in the best of shape. Making it easy to kill them,¡± Liam stated as he looked at her. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then why couldn¡¯t we kill them so easily?¡± one of the wolf-folk males inquired, starting to feel a bit annoyed and dejected. Liam stared at him for a brief moment before answering, ¡°Its because your weapons are on the cusp of being destroyed. Due to that the damage you have been dealing isn¡¯t much.¡± All three looked at their weapons. Liam could see the frustration in them as they gripped their hands tightly. ¡°We were on our way over to get them repaired before all of this happened,¡± the other Wolf-folk man said. ¡°We haven¡¯t been doing well in the dungeons lately and were trying to save up for a new weapon, but the prices at the shops and stalls as well as the repair shops had rose suddenly. We know this isn¡¯t the best excuse, but¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case then take these,¡± Liam suddenly stated after looking over the types of weapons each one used. The two Wolf-folks and the Cat-folk stared at Liam as he pulled out a Bone crafted sword, spear, and two daggers. Holding them in his hands he tried to hand them over to the group but was stopped as one of the Wolf-folks stated, ¡°We can¡¯t take those. You must had paid a good amount of money to¡­¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Nah, I made these,¡± Liam interrupted. ¡°What?¡± the cat-folk questioned. ¡°I made these,¡± Liam repeated. ¡°You can use these as replacements.¡± ¡°Are¡­are you sure?¡± one of the Wolf-folk men questioned as he slowly reached for the Bone crafted sword. ¡°You might as well,¡± Artem joined in. ¡°Once he makes his mind up on something there is no changing it.¡± They looked at Artem who was giving them a warm genuine smile, something they weren¡¯t used to seeing on a Blood Thirst Plains tribesman, nor ever hearing about. Their smiles they heard this race giving were nothing but blood thirsty or evil looking ones. ¡°Thank you,¡± the cat-folk woman said as she took the two bone daggers. ¡°No problem,¡± Liam said before looking at the group of people behind them. ¡°Any of you know how to use a weapon or have any skills in them?¡± The group of people looked at each other. Liam wasn¡¯t expecting an answer from the children but was more focused on the adults. After a second had passed a tall thin red haired elf stepped forward and asked, ¡°I have some weapon skills in Whips. Do you perhaps have a Whip weapon?¡± Liam stared blankly at the woman. He wasn¡¯t expecting someone with her physique and looks to say that, but instead of replying he looked for one of the newly made bone whips he had practiced making in his inventory. After he found the weapon he pulled it out and said, ¡°This is a prototype I¡¯ve been working on so I¡¯m not entirely sure how well it will hold up in a fight.¡± The tall elf grabbed it and assessed it as she looked it over. He could hear her mutter, ¡°The jointed areas where the whip bends are a bit stiff, the flexibility isn¡¯t entirely the best, but it can still move like it¡¯s supposed to¡­¡± Liam then watched as she gripped the handle while letting the rest of the whip loosen up by her side. She then pulled her arm back before jerking it forward, allowing the whip to move and make a loud crack that reverberated in the air. Liam kind of jumped at the sound. He wasn¡¯t expecting it and from the corner of his eye he noticed a few other people did as well. When he tried doing that he could barely make a snap like hers. After watching her movements and hearing more loud snaps and cracks he realized her saying she had some skill in the weapon skill was probably her being modest. The more Liam watched her practice with the whip the more he realized his thoughts wandered a bit. Thoughts of leather and chains briefly flashed through his mind before he stopped himself. He wasn¡¯t sure why a woman like this would have this weapon skill, let alone so high, but the more she cracked that whip the more he felt it he probably shouldn¡¯t ask what might be a personal question. As she turned to face Liam she gave him an approving nod. ¡°While there are some areas you could improve on to make it easier to use, it will do its job as intended. I must say, great job on the craftmanship.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Thank you for the input. I would be more than happy to hear what I can do to change that, but at a later time.¡± The woman gave him a smile and nodded. ¡°Alright, you guys should be good to go now,¡± Liam started to say until a thought came to mind. He reached back into his inventory and gave the three adventurers two health and stamina potions. He looked at the woman with the whip and got a nod from her, understanding the silent question. She would be fighting as well. He gave her a couple of the same. ¡°Thank you,¡± the three adventurers said, still slightly unsure of all of this. ¡°We¡¯ll repay you for this.¡± Liam waved a hand off as he looked at them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Focus on getting them and any people you find back to the Adventurer¡¯s Association. Also stay alive. After that¡­we¡¯ll figure something out after all that. Now go!¡± The group of people and adventurers nodded before turning around and heading out. Liam turned around to see the monsters on this street were starting to thin as Blair joined and helped some of the other adventurers still fighting, kill them off. Roman was setting Undead bodies on fire as he slowly caught up to them. After hearing what those three adventurers say about sudden price raises he took a good look at the weapon quality of the ones who were still around. Some had their weapons in great shape while others had their in really bad condition. He made a mental stock of the weapons he had in stock that he had made recently. He didn¡¯t have a lot, but there was just enough for those currently here he could hand off to help keep them in the fight. After helping take down the monster those adventurers were having issues with due to their weapons, Liam did what he did with the three adventurers. They were skeptical at first, but after some arguing and convincing they agreed to using the weapons. After helping out the other adventurers and informing them of everything happening, the adventurers with fire magic helped with the burning of the bodies. They told Liam and the others that they would spread the information as they headed towards different areas of the city. Liam started to turn and ask the other three which direction they needed to go, but as he turned a loud boom suddenly echoed. A rumble under their feet caused the four to brace themselves not to lose balance. From the volume of the noise it sounded like it was close by. Liam looked around to see if he could tell where it came from and saw dust flowing from around a corner not too far away. The building blocking the view started crumbling down, making Liam believe something had either hit the building or exploded from it. He didn¡¯t know which it was nor what had caused it. He started to jog that way, but then felt his blood run cold as a high pitch scream filled the air. Liam recognized the voice. he then realized where they were and started sprinting, trying to get there as fast as he could. As he turned the corner he looked for the building he knew was around and saw three people in front of it. The front entrance to the Cats Paw-ldron was destroyed as chunks of debris blocked the half collapsed building. Farry was crouched down on one knee, blood slowly trickling down the side of his face as he gripped one of his shoulders. Abby stood terrified behind him as she let out scream after scream. Cindy stood protectively in front of the two as she stared down a few Zombified Static Clawed Mantises, a couple of zombified wolves, and a few creatures flying right above the creatures. Liam had never seen these ones before. they looked like a mixture of fat naked red skinned imps with small protruding horns on their heads and small wings that looked to be having a hard time keeping the bodies afloat in the air. Their situation looked dire, and Liam wanted to race over to them, but then realized that there was one more monster close by. He then realized why the monsters weren¡¯t attacking. They were trapping the three, keeping them there for this much bigger monster to make its way over to flatten them from down the road. The creature in question? It was a Longhorn Static Whip Beetle. Liam assumed the monster must have been the cause for the loud crashes as its long whip-like antennas cracked forward even other step, destroying any rubble or debris in its way. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed. ¡°We need to stop that thing before it kills those three!¡± ¡°We wont make it in time with our current speed!¡± Artem stated as he looked at the creature then at the three people. Liam thought about what he could do to pick up speed. Anything that could either help him move faster or launch him forward. As he stared at the creature an idea popped into his mind. It was something he did when he fought the creature back in the Yellow Dungeon. He had used Gravity Force Push to give him a boost. Maybe he could use it again, not to attack the creature, but maybe use it to surprise attack the monsters that surrounded the three Cat-folks and create an opening for them to run. He just needed something to act like a springboard. He looked around and decided to use the side of a building. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would be sturdy enough for his intentions, but he had no other options if he wanted to reach them in time. He ran over to the wall he wanted to use, making Artem, Blair, and Roman give him a confused expression. ¡°What are you doing man?¡± Roman questioned as he watched Liam look at the wall then at something behind them. ¡°No time to explain,¡± Liam stated as he switched his daggers for a Scythe that had flower buds on the top. ¡°Just run straight over there to help me out.¡± The three looked at the weapon with both awe and puzzlement. However, their confusion only grew even more after taking in what Liam had just said. They weren¡¯t sure what he meant by that. Blair only realized what he was trying to do as Liam started chanting a familiar spell to her. ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity. Reverse and move away from me, allowing the way to be clear. By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you. Gravity Force Push!¡± Three then watched as Liam suddenly slightly lifted off the ground and readjusted his angle by placing both feet on the wall. Not even two seconds later, Liam bent his legs and then shot off like a rocket past them and towards the monsters surrounding the three Cat-folks. ¡°Shit!¡± Roman swore with some amazement in his voice. ¡°That¡¯s one way to get where you¡¯re going if you¡¯re in a hurry. Come on. Let¡¯s hurry and catch up. He¡¯s going to need our help.¡± Artem and Roman sprinted after him, not realizing Blair wasn¡¯t following. She looked at Liam¡¯s flying body and back at the wall. She then looked at the giant bug looking monster picking up speed. She then muttered, ¡°He wont get them out in time. However, maybe¡­¡± Liam felt the force of the air pressure pushing against him as his body shot out. he almost lost his grip on his weapon as it started slipping. He gripped as hard as he could as he tried to pushed his hands and weapon out in front of him. It was hard at first, the weapon wanting to slid back and towards him, but once he had it as far as he believed he could get it, he motioned his arms to move to the left allowing the weapon to move with the force. However right as it passed his body, Liam spun as hard as he could with the force trying to turn his whole body into a spinning top of death. It was slow at first as he felt the force of his speed try to stop the spinning, however, with all the strength he had, he was able to make it work. It was sloppy compared to last time, but the speed his body was moving thanks to the Gravity Force Push and the spinning of his body plus the length of the scythe, Liam was able to tear through the monsters that were in his way. He didn¡¯t know which of the monsters he had sliced through, but he did know he caught them off guard since he didn¡¯t feel any resistance. After cutting through so many he felt his body start to slow and descend. As soon as he felt his feet land, he wanted to stop and get a better idea of where he had landed, however, he forgot what happens when you spin too fast. Your equilibrium wasn¡¯t balanced. He felt his eyes spin as he moved in a drunk like fashion. He tried to regain his balance as well as stop the spinning he felt. He heard the three Cat-folks mutter his name with some confusion as he tried to regain his composure. It took him a few seconds. A few seconds that was about to spell his doom as when his vision stopped swimming was set on the massive beetle like monster almost within striking distance. He saw the familiar sparks come to life along its antennas and started to mentally curse himself as he prepared for the incoming strike. However, to his surprise the Zombified Longhorn Static Whip Beetle suddenly rocked off its feet and tipped over as Blair suddenly appeared with sudden speed and force, swinging her stone covered Battle axe in an upward vertical angle. Liam¡¯s jaw dropped as he watched the woman land gracefully on her feet and stared at him. ¡°Leave it to you to find an interesting way to use a spell,¡± Blair commented with a wide grin. Adventure 227 - Rush to defend Liam stared at her for a moment before realizing what she had meant. She was talking about how he had utilized Force Gravity Push. He gave her a smile and was about to say something, but stopped as he saw one of the long whip like antennas swiftly crack in their direction. Liam took a step forward and pushed Blair to the side while stepping in the opposite direction right before it crashed down upon them. The ground they were once stepping on sunk in a couple of inches from the force used from the antenna, destroying the concrete road. Liam and Blair focused their attention on the beast and attacked as it tried to right itself up. The antenna flung backwards over the creature¡¯s head and went to strike again. Lightning started to crackle and spark up and down it as it added an extra spice to its attack, but as it flung forward Liam swung his scythe and angled it perfectly as it sliced the base right off, killing the momentum it had and making it go limp. The lightning it once conducted was siphoned into the buds resting on the top of the scythe. A familiar notification suddenly appeared before Liam¡¯s eyes.
¡°Solar Flare is fully charged. Would you like to activate Solar Flash? Yes No?¡±
Liam mentally clicked No, making the notification only minimize for now. As he did this, he felt a power attack coming from behind him. This feeling was different than when his Danger Sense warned him only because the attack wasn¡¯t aimed for him. Liam instantly crouched down in time as a smooth sharp Battle Axe swung horizontally. The sharp blade dug right across a small section of the Zombified Longhorn Static Whip Beetle¡¯s side as it finally landed on its feet. Liam rolled out of the way as he watched Blair wind up her weapon in angle that brought it right behind her before heading up and then down in a vertical line while taking a step forward. the blade of the weapon dug a quarter of the way through the neck. Blood shot out from the open wound pooling underneath the main body. The massive creature staggered from the attack for a brief moment before turning its body to face Blair. The chunk of the neck making the head flap back and forth. Liam made a disgusted look as he heard the wet slopping noise. Blair jumped back while dodging the other antenna that was still attached. Liam took this as an opportunity to position himself right in front of the creature, bringing its enormous black eyes on him. He pointed the tip of his scythe with the glowing buds ready to release the pent up power still coursing inside them. ¡°Close your eyes!¡± Liam shouted as he brought the notification back up and mentally accepted it. As soon as he did, he swiftly closed his eyes. He felt the light lick his skin as flashes could faintly be seen through his eyelids. A couple of seconds later, Liam opened his eyes to see Blair in the air swinging her weapon through the rest of the creature¡¯s neck, finally chopping it off. She flapped her wings to bring her up in the air and back to land next to Liam who stood out of the range of the bloody water show that sprayed out. He looked at her and gave her a nod. She returned it as she opened her mouth to say something. However, she was cut off as Cindy yelled out, ¡°Look out!¡± Liam and Blair got a good look at the monsters incoming, they readied themselves, but waited to attack. Two seconds later, Artem rushed right through the monsters in front of them with his shield out in front, swinging his mace at any his shield didn¡¯t strike. Roman was hot on his heels, striking at a few monsters with his fists. Lightning crackled a few seconds later after striking a couple of the monsters. After making sure Artem and Roman had everything under control on their part, Liam and Blair focused on the monsters closer to Cindy, Abby, and Farry. Liam had never fought the flying red bald looking imps creatures before. Even though they had turned into Undead thanks to the Toxos that had infected them he didn¡¯t know how strong they really were. He did, however, get a good glimpse as to what dungeon they came from. The Red Dungeon. This was because one tried chanting a fire spell but failed at the end as Liam cut through the neck, not only stopping it from chanting in whatever language it could speak, but also ending its life. That one was the easier of the few that were around him. The rest decided they didn¡¯t want to stay so close to the ground and flapped as hard as they could to get some distance. Liam didn¡¯t let them get far as they became easy targets for his throwing daggers. He aimed for the wings, either tearing through the webbings or getting lucky by slicing through the base where the wings connected to their backs. After they fell to the ground he switched to his favorite daggers and killed they off one by one. A few wolves decided they wanted to try and stop him, but he easily moved his body out of the way to dodge the undead beasts. He managed to get in some damage as they lunged past him, but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill them in a single shot. He felt good moving like he wanted to once again. Being able to move with the speed, agility, and reflexes he truly had instead of the lowered stats he was suffering from felt right. However, he felt a bit disappointed that his first big battle was against creatures with bodies that were falling apart. The deterioration the Toxo¡¯s venom had caused made the creatures slower and weaker. It was almost like cutting through paper with some of these creatures. The only one that didn¡¯t feel that way was the Zombified Longhorn Static Beetle. While it too was zombified by the Toxos, the creature¡¯s body was a lot sturdier than how the others were. It made him think about the other monsters they¡¯ve come across so far. Everything had been on the verge of breaking down or close enough. If there were other monsters similar to the Longhorn Static Beetle, especially those from the stronger dungeons then maybe there was going to be some issues. He¡¯d have to figure out what to do when he came across that. After the last monster dropped, Liam turned to look at Abby, Cindy, and Farry. The three were in shock after witnessing the four taking out the monsters. Their shocked expressions slowly turned to look at Liam. He recognized the emotions that started to mix in with the shock as their expressions changed and they looked away from him. Cindy was the one who turned back to apologize to him, but was stopped as Liam stated, ¡°Whatever you think you need to say, save it for later.¡± This took Cindy aback as the other two snapped their eyes on him. Artem, Blair, and Roman stared at them with curiosity as they waited for more. Liam didn¡¯t give anyone a chance to say anything as he continued, ¡°You need to get them to the Adventurer¡¯s Association. They are taking anyone who can¡¯t fight in. However, I don¡¯t know the capacity of the building so space might run out if you don¡¯t get there in time.¡± ¡°Bu¡­,¡± Cindy tried again. ¡°Brodie is giving people orders so see him when you get there,¡± Liam interjected again as he turned away. He knew they had mixed emotions about him being there, but he also knew this wasn¡¯t the time to talk about it. He wanted them to be safe. The longer they were out here the more they were exposed to danger. Cindy gripped her weapon in her hand as she looked down at the ground. Taking a few seconds to sort out her thoughts she finally said in a determined voice, ¡°Fine. But after all of this, we need to talk. We need to¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine by me,¡± Liam said. He then added as he gave her a slight smile, ¡°I still have a bag to return to you anyways.¡± Cindy¡¯s mixed emotions eased as she heard what he said and the smile he gave her. She gave him a nod before turning around and helping Farry to his feet. She then lead both of her family members down the road in the direction of the Adventurer¡¯s Association. Liam watched as they made their way. He wanted to make sure no monsters suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked them. The tension he didn¡¯t realize he had relaxed as they disappeared. He felt good to know they were safe. His mood was good, but then changed into one of puzzlement and confusion as Roman suddenly stated, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like this is something I should tell Avery.¡± Artem and Blair suddenly stopped moving bodies to a pile as they and Liam looked at him with confused expressions. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Liam asked, totally confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Roman said with a straight face. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I even said it. It¡­it¡¯s just a feeling.¡± Liam¡¯s confused face turned into an incredulous one as he was even more confused. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re just saying things out of left field just to say them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, but¡­,¡± Roman started to say until they heard wet squelching sounds. Everyone turned to see small parts of the bodies start to tear apart as small grotesque looking spider creatures start to pour out of them. ¡°Shit!¡± Blair swore as she jumped back. ¡°Roman!¡± Liam shouted. ¡°Fuck! On it!¡± Roman yelled back as he channeled mana while chanting, ¡°Oh Fire, powerful and beautiful. Spark and ignite the devastating power you hold within. Course and engulf all that dare to stand in your way. Wave of Ignition!¡± A wave of fire shot out from Roman¡¯s hands as he threw them forward. The wave of fire washed over the bodies and the creatures that were swarming out right in front of him. He then did something Liam didn¡¯t know was possible. He moved one hand away from the other and had two waves of fire shooting out in a cone trajectory at two other groups of spiders. Liam was impressed with Roman¡¯s progress with his Wave of Ignition spell. He had gone a long way from when he and Avery had used it against the Askith Pharaoh Mummy Lord. Back then they could only do it with one hand and the resources needed to keep it going were taxing. They were probably still taxing, but with his current level he probably didn¡¯t feel it as bad as he did before. As impressive as this way, a different scene was playing off to the side were Artem was at. This one, Liam knew probably wouldn¡¯t change for some time. The big Half-Orc was yelling out different swear words in a pace he didn¡¯t know he could go as he slammed his mace down both fast and hard, squishing any Toxo creature making their way towards him. He looked like a pro whack a mole player trying to get the most tickets at a game arcade with the speed he was swing his mace and stomping his feet. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Liam helped Artem out where he could using his Light and Burn spell, but compared to Roman¡¯s Fire magic, he was just buying time for the Kitsune to make his way over. In between the brief cooldown Liam used Gravitational Force Increase and Gravity well with Blair to stop the escaped Toxo creatures that tried to get away. Thanks to that they were able to clean up the bodies and burn all the Toxo spiders they had seen. The smell of burnt bodies didn¡¯t help as it spread out, but they were able to hold back the bile that wanted to escape. Liam passed Roman a Minor Mana Potion to help regain the lost Mana he used on his Wave of Ignition. Roman greedily swallowed it down and then complained afterwards while fighting back against the taste, ¡°What the hell man? Where¡¯s the good flavor?¡± ¡°I ran out of those ingredients,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I had to make an abundant of these not too long ago.¡± ¡°Why not use another flavor then?¡± Roman questioned. Liam sneered as he thought about the things he found out during his Crafting showcase. The things that Weasel-folk had accused him of that he had no clue about remained fresh in his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I found out about some stupid ass shit while I was here.¡± Liam¡¯s three companions looked at each other before looking back at him. They could see he was annoyed, irritated, mad or maybe all of the above about something. Instead of asking him what had happened they decided to do what they had done before, wait for him to tell them. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that later,¡± Liam started back up. ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next street. The Crafter¡¯s Association building is close by. We should probably see if there are any people over the¡­¡± Several loud explosions echoed in the air. Liam turned towards the direction he heard them come from. Several different colors lit up down the road at different times bringing with them more explosive sounds. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam swore as he started running down the street. Artem, Blair, and Roman following behind. As Liam reached the turn where the sounds and lights were flashing from, he came to a stop. The scene before him reminded him of old zombie apocalypse movies except, the weapons and equipment the people wore didn¡¯t match the movies. Blair and Roman caught up to him and stopped as well, surprised and kind of awestruck at what they saw. Artem finally caught up, his breathing a bit heavy from all the running he had been doing. His Stamina Bar, lower than the others, almost reached zero. After taking in a few gulps of air he stood up straight and looked down the road to see a massive building with rock and earth made fortifications along the front with melee attackers right in front of the sturdy rock made walls that reached stomach height to some who stood behind them shooting out spells or arrows. Standing on top of the building were more magic casters and archers shooting down flying creatures as others threw vials of Alchemical make at random ground beasts that ran towards the people in front of the building. There were others on the ground doing the same, but at creatures the melee fighters weren¡¯t fighting. Flashes of purplish yellow, fiery red, icy blue, and other elemental colors exploded here and there. Liam recognized them to be Chemicalized Creations, but when they exploded, instead of widening out at a ten foot radius these were more single based targeted creations. Liam was both impressed and mentally kicking himself for not using his own. As he watched them he recognized a few people that were throwing the Alchemical items. Using colorful swear words and some Liam believed to be this planet¡¯s version of swear words, was Milly. She was leading the people on the roof. Standing on the ground near the entrance of the building was Lyca and Elatrix. Elatrix was running in and out of the building bringing more boxes of what Liam believed were Chemicalized Creations while Lyca both barked out orders, giving the people that were all around a morale boost, and throwing some of the deadly Alchemy items out. He even threw what Liam believed to be the H.O.T. Pots he was interested in learning to make. He believed those vials were them because as they crashed around the feet of the fighters, a light green mist engulfed the ones Lyca aimed for. Relief was written on their faces as their wounds closed up. ¡°It looks like they have things handled here,¡± Liam muttered with a slight stutter. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you used any of those exploding alchemy items?¡± Roman suddenly asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t you learn how to make them yet?¡± Feeling slightly embarrassed, Liam responded, ¡°I thought I wasn¡¯t allowed to since there was a ban on making them here on the island.¡± Blair and Roman raised a brow as they looked at him. ¡°A ban? When monsters are literally swarming the island?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°Shut up,¡± Liam responded not looking at him. Instead he started making his way over to Lyca. People noticed them rushing over and called out, ¡°Friendlies incoming!¡± Lyca and Elatrix turned to see who they were talking about and were shocked to see a Kitsune Fox-folk, a Dragon-kin, and an Orc. They were even more surprised to see Liam running with them. Before making his way towards the newcomers, Lyca yelled out, ¡°Keep the pressure on them. Make sure not a single monster makes it in the building or down the road!¡± ¡°Aye!¡± a loud roar of confirmation replied. ¡°Liam!¡± Lyca shouted as he approached the group. With a half joking half serious tone he asked, ¡°Have you come to join the festivities?¡± ¡°I would ask where my invitation was, but I¡¯ve been having the time of my life elsewhere this whole time.¡± Lyca gave him a slight chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re still alive. Quite the interesting party you have going on here.¡± Liam hiked a thumb at Artem, Blair, and Roman and responded, ¡°Half of the team I did the Tutorial Area with.¡± This announcement made Lyca pause for a moment as his eyes widened slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± He got a better look at the three and gave a nod of approval. His face then turned into a serious one as he asked, ¡°Do you have any idea what¡¯s going on?¡± Liam nodded and informed the man everything that had happened so far this night. Lyca¡¯s face paled a bit as he heard the type of creatures they were really going up against. He waited till the end before saying, ¡°That explains what those nasty spider creatures were and where they came from. Shit. I need to make sure no one has been bitten by any of them.¡± Liam watched as the man put a hand out and the other on his ear. He then heard the man start to say something. Liam was about to respond to what he was saying, but then realized he wasn¡¯t talking to him. That was when Liam remembered something Cindy had told him. He was using one of the functions the Perception of the Control Tower had at a higher level. Liam turned to the others who looked confused at what was going on. Liam gave them a smile and explained, ¡°Apparently, the Perception of the Control Tower has a function that allows you to talk to others who are spread out.¡± The three companions¡¯ eyes widened as they realized how good that function was. They never knew how handy the ability would be as it reached higher levels, but after hearing about that they were reconsidering about getting it. ¡°Mercer is going to love that function when he gets it to that level,¡± Blair suddenly stated. Liam looked at her with a slightly confused expression as he said, ¡°Mercer has Perception of the Control Tower too?¡± Blair nodded. ¡°Yeah. He said that after seeing you use it and looking into it some he figures he should get it too. However, I don¡¯t think he read anything about that kind of a feature.¡± Before Liam could say anything else, Lyca stated, ¡°Thank you for telling me all of that. That explains why waves of monsters from the dungeons that shouldn¡¯t have a break are coming out of the Dungeon Tower.¡± ¡°So these guys are coming from there?¡± Liam asked. Lyca nodded. ¡°This road is one of three that leads to the Tower. That¡¯s why we¡¯re getting waves upon waves of these guys. I am glad some of the higher leveled adventurers were around here when they started coming straight for the Association. They started with the weaker monsters from the dungeons on the first floor, but now monsters from the second have joined in. It¡¯ll be a matter of time before the third and fourth start showing up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how strong those monsters are, but I can guess it¡¯s not good right?¡± Liam asked. Lyca nodded. ¡°Your guess is correct. However, all of this can be stopped if we can find the location of the Black Dungeon you mentioned. If someone can kill the boss monster from that dungeon then all the monsters that are coming out from each dungeon should stop breaking out. Since we know the Toxo¡¯s are involved it explains why we¡¯re seeing monster from other dungeons.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It¡¯s not concrete proof,¡± Lyca started to explain. ¡°But, there is a theory that if Toxos invade a dungeon and infect the monsters inside then the King or Queen can create a way for those monsters to break free from that dungeon even if the dungeon is regularly conquered. However, no one is dumb enough to test the theory out¡­at least not that I know of.¡± Liam thought about the plan Lucy had vaguely mentioned in his inn room. When she mentioned they were supposed to speed it up this must had been what she meant. However, he didn¡¯t know exactly how she was able to do it. that part was still a mystery. ¡°So you¡¯re saying if someone kills the King or Queen Toxo then all of this will stop?¡± Liam questioned as he started thinking. ¡°Yes, but we still need to figure out where the dungeon is located,¡± Lyca stated. He looked at Liam and noticed the look on the man¡¯s face. He then cautiously asked, ¡°You know where it¡¯s at¡­don¡¯t you?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°I have an idea of where it¡¯s at, but if these monsters are coming out from that area then it¡¯ll be hard to get in.¡± ¡°Hard to get in?¡± Lyca questioned as he gave Liam a puzzled look. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to fight them at your level. You¡¯re talking like you¡¯re planning to head there and take care of things yourself.¡± Liam looked at the man with a straight face. ¡°Someone has to.¡± ¡°No,¡± Lyca frowned. ¡°No, you¡¯re not going. I can have one of the¡­¡± ¡°If you send any of the fighting power you have here then it could weaken your defenses when the stronger monsters start coming out,¡± Liam argued. ¡°I won¡¯t have you do that.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t send low leveled adventurers to a Black Toxo Dungeon. We don¡¯t know how powerful the dungeon is nor how powerful the monsters within are,¡± Lyca snarled. ¡°I won¡¯t send you to your death.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Liam said. Lyca relaxed for a moment before Liam added, ¡°Because I am going there on my own accord.¡± ¡°God damn it Liam,¡± Lyca stated with some frustration. ¡°It¡¯s no use trying to talk him out of it,¡± Roman suddenly interjected. ¡°Besides, he won¡¯t be going alone. We¡¯ll be there with him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­,¡± Lyca started back up, but stopped as Blair added, ¡°I don¡¯t know how strong these Toxos are since all I¡¯ve been fighting are their weakened and small forms, but so far they haven¡¯t been an issue.¡± Lyca looked like he was going to argue some more but again stopped as Blair added, ¡°Since coming to this world outside of the Tutorial Area, I have come to find out that Black Dungeons are rare. I don¡¯t know how many people here have gone into one, but I highly doubt there are that many. We have some experience fighting against creatures of similar style. A Pharaoh Mummy Lord and Lich are just examples of what we have fought against in a single Black Dungeon. Now I know they are not a Toxo, but fighting against waves of Undead creatures with deadly afflictions sounds like a similar match up to what we have come across.¡± ¡°Did you say a Pharoah Mummy Lord and a Lich?¡± Lyca questioned as he stared at her. ¡°In a Tutorial Dungeon?¡± Blair nodded. ¡°Tell me. Do you believe anyone else here has similar experiences?¡± Lyca thought about it. After letting out a heavy sigh he replied, ¡°No I don¡¯t think so.¡± A new thought came to mind as he tried one more time. ¡°But what about a Healer? You said you fought against a Pharoah Mummy Lord. I assume you experienced their Rot Magic. If that¡¯s the case then you need someone who can¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got that covered,¡± Artem interjected. Lyca turned to look at the Half-Orc. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I am a Healer,¡± Artem stated. ¡°If the affliction they inflict is weak then I can take care of it and if its stronger then I have my Zodiac ability that will wipe it clean no issues.¡± Lyca¡¯s jaw dropped at Artem¡¯s proclamation. So far he was hearing some absurd things. However, the one that really made him think he was losing his mind was an Orc telling him he was a Healer with a Healing Zodiac ability. He stared the tall man right in the eyes and saw he wasn¡¯t joking. Realizing he was losing his argument he finally said, ¡°Can you at least run away if the boss monster is too much? Running back and bringing information on what is in there can be beneficial as much as going in there and taking care of the monster.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°We can do that.¡± Lyca sighed again. ¡°Somehow I feel like you¡¯re just saying that just so I will stop trying to stop you.¡± Liam did not deny nor confirm that. Instead he just stared at the man. ¡°At least let me give you guys some stuff before you rush out to your possible deaths,¡± Lyca stated as he turned around and started yelling at Elatrix. As the man made his way to the woman, Blair whispered to Liam, ¡°Did you earn some sort of reputation or something? This is the second time we¡¯ve come across people who not only know you, but also seem like something happened and they are trying to repay you in a way.¡± Liam frowned as he listened to her. Keeping a stern straight face he replied, ¡°There is too much to explain. After all of this is done I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡± Adventure 228 - Race towards the Tower Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman jogged down a road before making a turn. Their aim was for the Dungeon Tower. They could have taken the fastest route from the Crafter¡¯s Association, however that path was filled with monsters that poured out from the Tower. Instead of trying to fight their way through the monsters that were slowly increasing in levels and durability, Liam and the others decided to try and find a different route. The problem was no matter what road they came across, swarms of monsters were rushing down trying to find someone to infect. That problem was starting to annoy the four. As they tried making their way finding a route with less monsters they did come across something of a pattern. After they had killed so many monsters there was a lull, a pause of sorts before more monsters started to fill the streets. The pause stretched each time it happened. Every time it did, Liam and the others tried to think about why, but couldn¡¯t figure it out. After the fourth time it happened they came across a street that didn¡¯t fill with monsters. Liam was trying to remember where this street led to but didn¡¯t need to as Eri informed them that it was a path they could take straight to the Dungeon Tower. Artem didn¡¯t like how empty the street was as they made their way down it. He voiced his opinion about it being a possible trap or maybe the Undead creatures were making an ambush. Liam wouldn¡¯t lie to himself by saying he didn¡¯t have the same thoughts, but Eri did say that this path was one they could take. If there was anything like that she would have said something¡­right? After jogging halfway down the road, Liam heard a chorus of weird noises. They sounded like hoots and grunts, but a bit more gurgled. Liam¡¯s Danger Sense suddenly flared up right in front of him, making him skid to a halt and shout while jumping back, ¡°Back up!¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman reacted at the same time as he did, making him believe his words weren¡¯t needed. Right as they jumped back far enough, a massive object landed right where they once stood. Four other objects crashed down near the object, creating a giant dust cloud. Liam and the others got into a defensive stance as they scanned the area. As the dust settled they got a better look at the objects that had landed in front of them. However they were not objects, but creatures. These creatures stood on two bulky legs with their backs hunched over and their long muscular arms touching the ground. They had short silver that covered ninety percent of their body. The skin that wasn¡¯t covered in fur was a deep red. They snarled as they stared at Liam as he assessed the one right in front of him.
¡°Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback. 25,520/25,520 HP. 12,500/12,500 M.P. Level ¨C 29.¡±
Liam scanned the body of the Undead Gorilla creature in front of him. Some of the silver patches of fur had started the process of decaying, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as the other monsters he had seen so far. He took a quick glance around at the other and noticed they were a bit further in the process than the one right in front of him, but not so far along that they would be easy to take down like the others. Artem cautiously took a step forward with his shield raised as he slowly pulled Liam behind him. Roman and Blair slowly lifted their weapons up as a they got into a defensive stance while looking at the five creatures before them. ¡°What¡¯s the plan Liam?¡± Artem asked while keeping his eyes on the foes especially the one leading them. ¡°I¡­,¡± Liam started to say until he heard noises coming from the rooftops. Liam, Blair, and Roman spared a glance at the rooftops on both sides of the road while Artem kept his eyes forward. ¡°What¡¯s that noise guys?¡± Artem questioned as he gulped, not wanting to hear the answer. Liam felt his blood run cold as he saw lines of Zombified and Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks make their presence known to the four. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Liam asked. ¡°No¡­not really,¡± Artem responded, but then surprised Liam as he stated, ¡°I just need to know how many I need to hold back while you guys try and kill them.¡± Liam felt Blair and Roman turn their gaze on the big Half-Orc, just as shocked as Liam felt. Roman let out a manic chuckle as he turned his gaze back at the creatures closest to him. He then said half-jokingly, half-approvingly, ¡°Of all the times to grow a spine, you choose now to say something badass.¡± Blair smirked as she shook her head. She too was impressed with the resolve the man had shown. She gripped her weapon tightly in her hands and hardened her resolve as she stared at the tough looking creatures before them. If the most cowardly member of their team was ready to face monster way above their level, who was she to not respond equally to that. She felt her skin harden as the scales she normally hid took form over the areas she had no protection over. ¡°You may have the heart of a warrior in you yet,¡± Blair commented. Liam was happy with each of their resolves. He knew he had to respond in kind as well, but the fact of the matter was, they were too strong. If there was one thing he had learned after all that had happened over the past few days, it was fight smart not stupid. There were too many of the creatures here, they were both Undead and a lot stronger than normal. This situation wasn¡¯t similar to the fight against the Hubristic Arisen Lich. That fight he had his whole team and three other teams to help out. Also to note, they might have been outnumbered and out leveled then as well, but the dungeon had a small bit of protection that hindered both the strength and level of the boss monster and its minions. Out here nothing was hindering this monsters besides time and the Toxo¡¯s venom decaying through the monsters bodies. Taking in all of that into account it would be smarter to run away. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if running away was a safe choice either. He didn¡¯t know their speed or how far they could jump. Could they throw stuff at them, and it not take them out? what about magic? They had mana which indicated they could use spells. All of these questions swirled as he internal fought with himself to make a decision. Fight, a voice faintly whispered. Liam whirled around to see if he could find the owner of the voice. No one was behind him. He could have sworn it came from behind him, but there was no one there. Kill them. the voice faintly whispered again. It sounded like it tickled the edge of his right ear, which made him twitch his head in that direction. The only person who was there was Roman. He knew the voice didn¡¯t come from him. Roman noticed Liam¡¯s jerky movements as well as the confused look on his face. He turned his face just enough to look at him while still keeping the agitated snarly Undead gorillas in sight. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Liam?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure¡­,¡± Liam started to say until Artem asked again, ¡°What are we doing? I need to know if we¡¯re standing our ground or not.¡± Liam went to open his mouth but then felt several vibrations coming from his pocket. Liam was confused as to why his Web Watch was suddenly vibrating so much at a time like this but didn¡¯t get long to think about it as Artem shouted, ¡°Incoming!¡± Liam snapped his head up to see the leading Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback let out a loud roar before pushing off its back feet and straight form them. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed as he went to grab as many of his throwing daggers as he could. He didn¡¯t know if he could accurately throw them all in one go, but he didn¡¯t care. He was in survival mode. His actions proved to be not needed as a new figure suddenly appeared before Artem and spun their body around swiftly and powerfully while extending their leg out in a round house kick. The force of the kick was powerful enough to make the creature fly sideways and crash into the building to their left. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he got a good look at the woman who had appeared out of nowhere. Although he had only seen the leather armor and the bestial half mask a couple of times, he knew who it belonged to. It was Midnight Claw. The only thing that was different this time were the claw like fist weapons she wore on her hands. He then heard a high pitch wail come from the roof top to their right. He turned just in time to see the heads of the monsters up there explode as Cryptic Wing fly quickly over them. He looked at the rooftops on his left side to see two figures fighting together, tearing through the Undead Gorillas with a bit more trouble than the other two, but a lot easier than if Liam and his friends had fought them. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Liam turned his gaze back on the fight that was happening before them. The ease the woman had against these level twenty nines and twenty eights. While they were probably really low leveled compared to her, Cryptic Wing and the other two Fiddler Spider Web members fighting, they were still stronger compared to Liam and his three companions. Midnight Claw killed one of the Undead Gorillas, causing the others to hesitate before making a move at her. She took this time to turn her head to look at Liam and the others and shouted, ¡°What are you waiting for? Get to a safe place now!¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman turned to look at Liam. Liam nodded and started to move. However, instead of back tracking he ran straight forward. The area was clear now that Midnight Claw and the others were taking care of them. Midnight Claw had started to look back at the monsters who were starting to get their fear under control. She then snapped it back as she saw the four suddenly run past to her in the opposite direction she wanted them to go. ¡°Not that way!¡± She yelled out. She was about to reach out to them but had to stop as the group of Zombified Infernal Silverbacks charged her at once. Liam kept an eye on his surroundings as he raced forward. He knew the opening might not last long. He knew who these people were, but since he didn¡¯t have his Spirit Weave ability activated they didn¡¯t know who he was. Even if they did know, he wasn¡¯t sure they would allow him to continue since the stronger monsters were starting to appear. As they ran he heard Roman mutter, ¡°Damn. Who were those guys? They seem badass!¡± Liam smirked for a brief moment. He was about to reply but stopped as he heard something he didn¡¯t think he would ever hear come from Blair. ¡°Maybe wearing a skull helmet isn¡¯t so bad.¡± Liam saw the smile on her face as they ran. He had kind of forgotten that Blair was against the skull helmet at first as well as any equipment that followed the fashion. Maybe after seeing Midnight Claw and her mask she felt it wasn¡¯t that bad of a thing. They ran the rest of the way to their destination in silence. He could hear Artem breathing heavily as they tried to keep the same pace. He slowed down a bit to help the big man keep up and not fall behind. As they started getting closer to their destination, Liam asked, ¡°Do you guys need a Stamina Potion?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Artem quickly replied as they slowed to a crawl. Liam passed out some potions to everyone so they could replenish what they needed. After they did that they jogged lightly trying not to tire themselves out before they reached the Tower. It didn¡¯t take them long to make it close enough for them to see the stairs that lead up to the Dungeon Tower. As they approached it, they got a better view of the state of the building. There were holes scattered along the bottom and second floor of the Tower. Holes big enough for the taller or heftier monsters to make it through. As Liam stared at it he realized the monsters that had been coming out so far were only from the two floors. From what he could tell, the dungeons on the other floors hadn¡¯t broken yet. Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman came to a stop not too far from the bottom of the stairs. Even though they didn¡¯t see anyone or any creatures they could feel some powerful beings close by. It didn¡¯t take long for them to know where the powerful auras was coming from. ¡°I must say that I am thoroughly surprised to see people have made it here so soon,¡± a voice called out. Ten figures suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs and looked down at Liam and the others. Each were taking the form of a Beast-kin. There were two Male Lion-folk, a female and male Wolf-folk, two male Cat-folks, two Bear-folks, and two female Weasel-folks. Liam subconsciously sneered as he looked at the Weasel-folks. ¡°However, I am more surprised beings as weak as you four made it here,¡± the female Wolf-folk stated as she looked at them with slight amusement in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you guys are still using Illusion Magic to hide your true forms,¡± Liam stated. Artem, Blair, and Roman side eyes Liam with a raised brow, not understanding what he meant. Their confusion grew even more as each of the Beast-kins narrowed their eyes on him. The female Wolf-folk asked cautiously, ¡°Whatever do you mean? I don¡¯t see any reason why we would need to disguise¡­¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam asked with a raised brow. ¡°How long do you plan on keeping up the charade?¡± The female wolf-folk¡¯s face turned into a frown. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s probably way past the point of us keeping this up. However, I want to know¡­how did you know? You don¡¯t seem strong enough to sense Illusion Magic of our level.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right that I¡¯m not that good,¡± Liam started. ¡°Besides the fact that all of you are out here just standing there while everyone else is fighting to save the island, there was a single reason as to why I knew at least one of you were using Illusion magic to disguise yourself.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± the woman questioned. ¡°And pray tell what that reason was?¡± Liam pointed to the man standing at the very end of their line on his left. Everyone turned to look at him. He looked back at his companions, untucked his arms and stated, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯ve never met this guy before.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve met before Zareth,¡± Liam started. His straight expression turned into an amused grin as he remember the man¡¯s real name and added, ¡°Or should I say Falith.¡± Falith snarled at Liam as he narrowed his eyes and glared at him. ¡°How do you know that name?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that someone in your ranks let your name slip while around me,¡± Liam responded. ¡°To clarify though, we didn¡¯t meet in the traditional sense. In fact you really didn¡¯t know I was there. However you did have a strange sense when I was hiding behind you while trying to leave the Teleportation Tree.¡± Falith¡¯s eyes scrunched a bit as he tried to process what Liam had said. He muttered to himself for a few seconds before realization hit him. ¡°You¡¯re the fucking heretic I kept sensing behind me that night. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s committed the Great Sin!¡± The rest of the Beast-kins in disguise snapped their gaze on Liam. Power suddenly surged from all around them as the Illusion Magic that was disguising their true forms started to dissipate. After it had completely disappeared Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman got a better look at their true forms. Three males and one of the females had turned into Oni¡¯s. Their muscular bodies looking menacing with the little amount of armor on their bodies. Their sharp horns on their heads protruded up towards the sky. A couple of the males had turned into Incubuses wearing tight leather armor and brandishing twin swords. The two female Weasel-folks didn¡¯t change in height, but instead their skin lost the fur while turning smooth and purple. Small horns that barely poked out from their foreheads, tiny wings were stretched out as far as they could go. To Liam they looked like a much better looking version of those bald ugly fire imps from earlier. Although he still didn¡¯t know what their races was. The last two males, the ones that were disguised as Bear-folks stood tall and almost as muscular as the Onis. The difference between the two were these guys didn¡¯t have horns but instead had an extra pair of arms and hands. Their skin was also blue as well. ¡°This man needs to be killed,¡± Falith, who was disguised as a Lion-folk, but now revealed as one of the three male Onis snarled. ¡°Wait a second,¡± one of the female imp-looking people called out. Her voice was not what Liam had expected. It had some of the feminine qualities to it, but at the same time it was so gruff that he had a hard time processing she was actually a woman. The other Demon-kins turned to look at the Imp woman and gave her vicious questioning eyes. the look reminded Liam of someone who wanted to go on a rampage but was stopped because someone had a dumb question. ¡°I think he is one of the targets we¡¯ve been looking for,¡± the Imp woman continued as she winced from their stares. ¡°Which one?¡± the Oni female asked as she looked back at Liam. ¡°The one that kept giving us the slip,¡± the Imp woman replied. ¡°You¡¯ve had run ins with these guys?¡± Blair questioned as the Demon-kins talked to each other. ¡°Not all of them. just a couple,¡± Liam stated while keeping his eyes on the enemies. ¡°Let¡¯s just say these are cultist bastards that worship the Seven Immoral Vices.¡± ¡°Like that Lich asshole?¡± Roman suddenly asked, a bit too loud. The ten Demon-kins snapped their focus onto Roman as soon as they heard him say that. Blair reached around Liam and smacked Roman behind his head making him flinch and rub the spot while asking, ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°What was that about a Lich?¡± the Oni woman questioned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It¡¯s on a need to know basis and you don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°You know, you¡¯re awfully cocky for someone so weak,¡± Falith stated as he glowered at Liam. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that before,¡± Liam smirked right at the man. He knew his attitude could get him killed, however, before the Demon-kin revealed their true forms he received confirmation that no matter what happened, he wouldn¡¯t get hurt. Falith took a step forward but was stopped as the Oni male right next to him gripped his arm and said, ¡°Stop. A new wave is about to commence.¡± The man then looked at Liam and stated, ¡°Too bad. We could have offered you and your friends safety since your future skills were deemed necessary. However, the fact you have committed a great sin, and your attitude has led us to decide that you are better off dead.¡± ¡°You know,¡± Liam started up again. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what this Great Sin is you damn cultists keep saying. What Sin have I committed?¡± The Oni man gave Liam a wicked grin as he answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Like you said earlier, it¡¯s on a need to know basis and you don¡¯t need to know.¡± Liam frowned at the man, but before he could say anything else, several loud roars and screams came from the Dungeon Tower. The ground suddenly rumbled as a part of the wall on the third floor suddenly exploded. A giant King Cobra like monster stared down at them as it let out a menacing hiss. The ten Demon-kins stood stoically as a wave of monsters suddenly poured out from the destroyed building entrance and ran past them towards Liam and the others. The giant snake Monster coiled up right before it lunged out of the building. The ten Demon-kins let out a chorus of devilish laughter as a couple of the taller monsters took to the front of the pack and jumped towards Liam and his crew. Artem readied his shield as Roman tensed up with his fists in front of him. Blair lifted her weapon over her shoulder and got into a stance that would allow her to swing her weapon down hard and fast. However, right before the tall monsters reached their targets, a small body suddenly appeared right in front of Liam with a long katana like sword. Liam was surprised, not because of the man¡¯s sudden appearance, but the fact he was already sheathing his weapon as his feet touched the ground. The heads of the two monsters still in midair suddenly slid right off their bodies, killing them. Artem¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the giant Cobra snake monster was suddenly gripped mid-air by a fifteen foot bird with white as snow feathers all over its body except for the golden ones that rounded her face. The massive bird let out a terrifying screech as she dug her talons right into the snake. A swarm of small versions of this owl dove in, clawing and distracting the monsters swarming out as black inky spiders engulfed them from below. A fog of poison rolled over a group of monsters that tried to run towards the back of the building on the left side. A black and dark purple scaled snake with neon green spikes running down its back and similar eyes struck out of the poisonous cloud and dragged her victims inside. The creatures that were able to escape from the cloud only made two steps before their bodies rotted away completely, leaving nothing behind. Liam grinned widely as he watched the smug look on the Demon-kins faces turn into confusion and then horror as they realized what was going on. That¡¯s right motherfuckers. You¡¯re all fucked now. Adventure 229 - A Divine Quest and a new Urgency Artem, Blair, and Roman watched in horror and in awe as the monsters were slain as quickly as they had appeared. Not a single creature made it away unscathed as Lunar Magic wielding owls and Shadow formed spiders either swarmed over the bodies of the creatures making their way out of the tower or were snatched into the air. The fog of Poison that started creeping towards them with a vicious snake hidden within didn¡¯t help either. The lucky ones that had slipped away from the three groups managed to make it a few steps before their heads rolled right off their bodies. The cause was the strangely equipped person who stood a little shorter than Roman. This person wore what looked like a kimono that samurais wore. The rest of the persons attire matched theme as well, especially the strange straw hat that covered their entire head. The Demon-kin went on high alert as they swirled around and watched the chaos happening. As the monsters from the Dungeon Tower fell in groups their confusion grew even more. They hadn¡¯t felt any beings so close that were strong enough to kill the monsters. A few of the inky shadow spiders tried skittering their way, but were killed by a swing of the Oni woman¡¯s massive sword. A couple of the Lunar Tyto Albas tried swooping down to attack one of the Demon-kins, but redirected their trajectory just in time before a getting sliced in half by a sword. They let out screeches of annoyance, before flying towards a figure that was standing not too far on the right side. He was a portly sized male wearing a white hood with gold lining. He was gripping his white as snow cane with an owl head on the top while glaring at the cultists through the open eye holes of his owl mask. After completely devouring the last of the monsters, the inky black spiders swiftly made their way to a small feminine looking figure that was ascending from the shadow of the owl masked male. Her black hair mixed with red streaks flowed easier out from the Black spider mask that covered the top part of her head while leaving her mouth uncovered. Her black dress with white spiderweb design complimented her pale skin. The spiders disappeared as they entered her shadow. On the other side the poison fog followed the snake that slithered up the arm of a man wearing a long sleeved shirt with a sleeve-less vest over it. A pair of snake-like skulls covered the man¡¯s shoulders. A gas mask covered the front of the man¡¯s face allowing his spikey blond hair to flow freely. Liam smiled as he recognized three of the four people who had appeared. That confirmation he received earlier came from none other than his Web Watch. After his earlier events with the members of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web appearing after his Web Watch vibrated, he understood that there were more members remarkably close by. And if they were close by then that meant they were safe¡­at least he had hoped they were. ¡°It gladdens my heart to see the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web is actively helping with the situation,¡± the straw hat samurai suddenly said. His voice was deep and gruff, which surprised Liam because he wasn¡¯t expecting it from a man of his size. ¡°However, I must ask why the top three Legs of this island¡¯s branch are here personally?¡± Lady Arachne turned to look at the man who was shorter than her. ¡°Is it strange for our Association to protect our home? Not that it¡¯s any of your business, but we had received word that low leveled adventurers were making their way here by a couple of our other members.¡± She then gave the shorter male a frown as she added, ¡°I must say that it should be us who is more surprised to see a member of the Dusk of Turmoil here during this time of pearl.¡± ¡°We happened to be in the area when this happened,¡± the man stated. ¡°Is that so?¡± Lady Arachne questioned before looking at Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman. She then stated, ¡°This is a night full of surprises I must say. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see a team made up of an Orc, a Dragon-kin, a Kitsune Fox-folk, and a¡­¡± Her gaze lingered on Liam for a moment as a look of confusion grew on her lips for a brief moment as she tried to figure out Liam¡¯s race. Liam realized he wasn¡¯t wearing anything over his eyes before pulling the goggles down over them. Lady Arachne recomposed herself as she questioned, ¡°A human?¡± ¡°Does the racial properties of members of a group really matter when they are working well together?¡± the man in front of them inquired. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t,¡± Lady Arachne muttered. ¡°Especially when it comes from a member of your party. Tell me. Is he¡­¡± ¡°Both of them are here on this island if that is what you are wondering,¡± the man confirmed. A wide excited smile suddenly grew on Lady Arachne¡¯s face as she said in a happy tone, ¡°If he is here then I must hurry up and take care of this qui¡­¡± Silent Saboteur let out a cough, stopping the shorter women from continuing. ¡°Lady Arachne, while I can understand your happiness that he is here, I must remind you that we have a job to do, and we must not let our guard down. We still don¡¯t know the full extent of their plan.¡± Lady Arachne turned her head to stare at the man. Her wide smile had hardened and turned into a frown. She then let out a sigh and stated, ¡°You¡¯re right Silent Saboteur. I almost let that side of me slip.¡± She then turned her attention on Liam and the others and added, ¡°While it is admirable of you to come here, you all are out of your element here. Get to a safe place now or if you must help, go to an area that requires more people. We¡¯ll take care of these scum.¡± The demon-kins snarled as they heard Lady Arachne¡¯s words. They felt insulted that someone dared claimed they would be able to handle them. While they were taken by surprise by their minions, now that they knew about them they could prepare proper countermeasures. ¡°How dare a mere spider freak call us scum!¡± one of the four armed Demon-kins stated. Lady Arachne smirked at his reaction. She taunted him back bring forth more anger and irritation to them. While this was going on, the shorter man in front of Liam and the others slightly turned his head enough to look back at him. At least, Liam thought he was looking at him. He couldn¡¯t tell since the straw hat covered his entire face. The only indication that gave him the notion was the three slits for eye holes. ¡°You were right,¡± the man started. ¡°The black dungeon is hidden in the tower.¡± I knew it, Liam thought. ¡°It¡¯s behind a door on the first floor,¡± the man continued. ¡°If you follow the stairs all the way down you will find the portal. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on inside, but there is some sort of magic preventing certain levels from entering it. I will create a path for you guys. When you see an opportunity, run straight for it. You got it?¡± As much as Liam appreciated the help and information this man was giving them, he was also concerned and wary as to why he was doing this. He let his curiosity get the better of him as he asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why what?¡± the man asked. ¡°Why help us? Why tell us to go there? Why have us do this when there are probably better people out there on the island who can do this?¡± Liam inquired. Liam wasn¡¯t sure, but he felt like he could hear a smirk in the man¡¯s voice as he stated, ¡°You really are a cautious and curious one. If you need a reason as to why I can give you one. However, I will tell you that I don¡¯t understand why it is you.¡± Liam and the other three were confused as they heard this. ¡°Our leader wants you to do it,¡± the man stated.¡± ¡°Your leader? Why does he want¡­,¡± Liam started to ask. ¡°Like I said. I don¡¯t know why. I am just as confused as you are. However, I trust my leader¡¯s judgement. So if he says he wants you to enter that spider dungeon then I won¡¯t question it.¡± ¡°Spider dungeon?!¡± Artem suddenly stated. A small squeak escaped his mouth involuntarily. Liam, Blair, Roman, and the man turned their heads to look at Artem. With a confused tone, the man stated, ¡°Are¡­are you afraid of spiders? A member of the Blood Thirsty Plains tribe?¡± ¡°I keep hearing that,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that is where his race is from, but I think many are getting him confused. He¡¯s a half-Orc.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± the man said as he looked back at Artem. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t mistake that again.¡± He then looked back at the exchange the demon-kins were having with Lady Arachne. ¡°Why is she taunting them? Why don¡¯t you guys just rush them?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Are you guys a lot more powerful than them?¡± ¡°We need them to strike first,¡± the man started. ¡°While we are stronger, we don¡¯t know if they have a means to escape us before we strike them down. We either need to create a diversion to distract them or get them mad enough that they lose themselves to their anger and try to attack us.¡± Liam thought about what the man was saying. He believed he had two ways to create what they needed in order to do that. However, both methods could end up having their attention on him instead. He needed to get past them, not have them on him. As he was thinking about whether or not to use either method, a sign appeared in front of him in the form of something he hadn¡¯t seen before.
¡°Divine Quest! Chaos Induced Hubris! Description: Use both Strife Inducement and Hubris Aura to cause a distraction while angering the Demon-kins enough into a good enough frenzy that they will want to attack you. Reward: + 10% to Performance Gauge.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Liam stared at this notification. He had never seen it before. he had heard that Eri could make these, but this was a first for him. He had some questions about it as well, so he decided to ask the source. What would be the point of me using Hubris Aura? I¡¯m not five feet away from them.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re five feet away or not. Those Demon-kins have a sense for it. they will feel it and their attention will be on you. So don¡¯t worry about that and cause some chaos already. ¨C Eri.¡±
Liam was slightly concerned about the tone Eri had. He had talked to her for some time and while he didn¡¯t entirely know her, he also had never seemed so¡­anxious? Liam didn¡¯t think that was entirely the right word for her tone. Excited? Maybe. However, now wasn¡¯t the time to think about it. if his goddess wanted him to cause some chaos then he would cause some chaos. Liam looked at all the Demon-kins. They all looked agitated at the taunting Lady Arachne was making, but they also looked like they were ready to flee if presented the chance. He needed to pick one of these ten cultist members in order to push over the edge. While he could have picked Falith, since he knew the man was already pissed off at him, he had a feeling they would allow him to be used as bait so they could escape. What he needed was someone they looked at. Someone who took command. Someone who acted like a leader. Because if the leader charged then the others would follow suit right? So naturally, his gaze fell upon the female Oni who had done all the talking earlier. Liam took in a deep breath before allowing the Hubris Aura to slowly leak out of him as he started chanting a spell in as quiet of a voice as he could muster. All ten Demon-kins snapped their focus on Liam. Their faces turned from agitated, annoyed, and irritated to snarls, anger, and viciousness. Silent Saboteur, Noxi, and the short male in front of Liam were confused as to why their attention was suddenly turned on the young man. Lady Arachne was confused when it happened, but then her confusion was turned to someone else as she heard something so faint and so unknown, yet familiar, that she had to pause and try to remember if she had heard it before. She wasn¡¯t able to get that answer because the moment the strange words had stopped, the female Oni let out a loud rageful scream and sprinted right for Liam. The other nine members were hesitant for just a brief moment before they, too, rushed for the target of their ire. Lady Arachne and the other two Leg members of the sprinted over to protect Liam and his companions. As they did so, they used their familiar, tamed monsters, and summoned minions to attack. Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman took a step back so they wouldn¡¯t get caught up in the fight. Lady Arachne turned her head quickly and shouted for them to run before looking back at the fight before her. Liam waited and scanned the area, making sure there weren¡¯t any more Demon-kins on their way. After making sure no reinforcements for the enemies were coming and a safe path was secure, Liam made his made. Artem, Blair, and Roman moved a couple of seconds after Liam started running. They followed him to the right side where the area was completely empty. They gave a wide birth so no surprise attacks or wandering monsters or spells would strike them as they ran. Lady Arachne caught their movement in her peripherals and went to scream at them to stop but couldn¡¯t as one of the four armed Demon-kin tried striking at her. She swatted two of the arms away from her while allowing a few of her shadow spiders to clutch onto them. they bit and burrowed into the man¡¯s skin causing him to shout and freak out. He tried swatting the areas the spiders entered but failed to kill or even do damage to them. Before he knew it a swarm of the inky black spiders reached his feet and started making their way up the legs. He slapped at a few, killing them there, but found how futile it was as a few more replaced them. Before he knew it the creatures dug and tore his flesh right off his body before pulling the soon to be dead man into a puddle of inky black water. After the man¡¯s head disappeared into it, a lone bubble rose from the depths. As it popped a faint help me escaped and disappeared into the wind. Lady Arachne¡¯s head turned back around to look for Liam, but he was nowhere to be found. She grew irritated and frustrated that these younger people didn¡¯t listen to her. Instead of running after and changing them, she turned back to the fight and focused on the next target. She would catch up to them and yell at them for being fools later. As Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman entered the Dungeon Tower they scanned the room over. Chunks of stone of different sizes were scattered across the floor. The pillars, while small pieces were missing here and there, still remained standing firm. The colored portals still stood where they were, unbothered. The pictures behind them were destroyed as pieces of the wall were missing here and there. Before Liam could find the door a notification suddenly popped up.
¡°Congratulations! Divine Quest: Chaos Induced Hubris! Has been completed! Your Performance Gauge has increased by 10%!¡±
Liam dismissed the notification away, but as he did another popped up. This was made him understand why Eri was acting so weird earlier.
¡°Congratulations! Your efforts to spread your Deity¡¯s Chaotic Nature has filled the Performance Gauge! Performance Gauge is now at 100%! To proceed to the next level of the Performance Gauge you must receive and accept the Level 2 Gifts of Chaos! Would you like to receive the Level 2 Gifts of Chaos? Yes No?¡±
Liam stared at the notification. He knew there was a chance he could receive something that could help him out in this dungeon run. However, he remembered his talk with Eri about what would happen if he accepted the gifts now. There was a chance he could lose a small part of his mind for a certain amount of time. He had no clue how long it would last nor how bad it would be. He knew Eri said it wouldn¡¯t be as bad as last time, but after that last bit he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he could handle himself right now. He needed to be fully in control of his mind and his body. Instead of giving the notification a response, he minimized it. He had other important things to focus on for right now. He had to get to the Black dungeon. Liam looked for the door he remembered seeing closed all the time. He found it not too long and saw the door that was once there was missing. He quickly made his way to it with the others close behind him. As soon as he reached the doorway he cautiously looked inside. The only thing he found were a set of stairs that led down in a spiral fashion. Yooperlite Stones were spaced the further you went down providing light. ¡°Do we really have to go down there?¡± Artem asked as he noticed some spider webs lining the side of the wall. ¡°Yes we do,¡± Liam replied as he looked at him. He remembered the first time they had to fight spider creatures. While the ones from back then can¡¯t compare to the ones they were about to fight, he knew they had to fight them. He got a good look at Artem. He knew he was terrified of spiders. However, he needed the man to be focused. He tried to think of a way to encourage him but couldn¡¯t think of anything. ¡°You know¡­,¡± Roman started as he took a step forward. ¡°This would make one hell of a story to tell the others.¡± Liam stared at him. He was unsure what he was getting at but didn¡¯t say anything as Blair took a step in as well while continuing. ¡°You¡¯re right. I am sure the others would be proud of you that you didn¡¯t run and stood tall while fighting against something so terrifying. You might even say they would be impressed or even someone would be impressed.¡± Liam stared at the two. He was thoroughly confused what they were even talking about. He knew that the others wouldn¡¯t think low of him for being scared. They knew his fear of spiders. So then why were they saying that they would or even add that someone would be impressed? Who would be impressed? Before he could think more about it, he heard Artem let out a long sigh before adding with an irritated tone of voice, ¡°You guys suck. You know that?¡± ¡°We have no clue what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Blair smirked. ¡°That¡¯s the last time I ever tell you guys a secret,¡± Artem added while taking a step inside. Before he moved in further he and the other turned to look at Liam. He asked, ¡°You coming? I really don¡¯t want to be in here more than I need to be.¡± ¡°I feel like I am missing something here,¡± Liam stated as he walked in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out sooner or later,¡± Roman grinned widely. Liam stared at the man. With a light jab he teased, ¡°It¡¯s strange for you to know and understand something I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Roman quickly argued as he followed Liam down the stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Liam replied with a teasing grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out sooner or later.¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯ll get you back for that,¡± Roman commented as he and Liam glanced over at Artem. They noticed him shake his head as some of the tension started to disappear. It was still there, there was no taking it all away, but at least he wasn¡¯t entirely tense now. Blair smiled as she understood what the two guys were doing. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the bottom. The size of the room was half of the size of the room they were in on the first floor. Liam hadn¡¯t noticed since he was focused on teasing Roman to take Artem¡¯s fear of spiders away a bit, but a disgusting odor of rotten corpses and decay filled the air. He looked around to see that along both sides of the room were torn up egg sacks and torn apart body parts. ¡°Ugh,¡± Roman stated as the smell hit his noise. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick,¡± Artem said as he placed a hand on his stomach and the other over his mouth. Blair had a look of disgust as she scanned for enemies. She didn¡¯t see any and stated, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like anything is in here.¡± She then pointed at the Black Portal that was resting near the back of the room. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get in there before anything shows up.¡± Liam nodded in agreement as he and the others made their way over to the portal. As they approached it, Liam studied the color. The shadow of Black was different than the one from the Tutorial Dungeon they were assigned to. To his surprise it was a bit darker than that one. It wasn¡¯t too dark, but it also wasn¡¯t light. The only reason why he was able to tell the difference was because of the strange white runic symbols that hovered over the edge of the portal. There were three of them spaced out over the top. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what these runic symbols were or where they had come from, however he felt like he should know. No matter how hard he thought about it though he couldn¡¯t remember what they were. Not wanting to waste any more time, he placed a hand over the portal and read the contents it provided.
¡°Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs. Dungeon Type ¨C Wave. Restrictions ¨C Level restrictions ¨C No one over the level 30 can enter. Rules ¨C Defeat all monsters to attract the wave boss. Defeat each Wave boss to move on to the next Wave. Defeat Dungeon Boss to destroy the dungeon. 5 Waves in total.¡± ¡°Would you and your team like to enter the dungeon? Yes No?¡±
Liam was about to tell the others what it said but stopped as a new Runic Symbol appeared along the edge of the Portal. As this new runic symbol appeared a small portion of the outer edge of the portal lightened up and turned white. Not only that, but the Level Restrictions on the Restrictions section had suddenly changed from Level 30 to Level 20. Realization suddenly popped into Liam¡¯s mind as he remembered what the color white represented. ¡°They¡¯re trying to capture the dungeon,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°What?¡± Blair questioned as she looked at him. ¡°We need to hurry,¡± Liam rushed as he mentally accepted. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Roman asked, wanting to know why the sudden rush. ¡°Someone is trying to turn this dungeon into a Captured Dungeon. I don¡¯t know what that will mean when it is still going through a dungeon break, but we need to stop it now!¡± Liam explained before stepping through the dungeon. Artem, Blair, and Roman stared at each other. They remembered hearing about captured dungeons when they got their Adventurer Identifications too, but they weren¡¯t sure it was possible to do what Liam thought was going on. They didn¡¯t argue though, they knew they were still knew and ignorant about things. For all they knew this could be a thing and if it was then even they understood how bad it meant. They quickly followed suit, not wanting to leave their teammate alone. Adventure 230 - Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs Liam felt his stomach lurch after stepping through the portal. He gripped his stomach with one hand while placed his other on his knee while trying to fight back against the bile that threatened to erupt. After a few seconds of fighting, he felt the feeling subside. The same could not be said for his other companions. Liam turned as he heard liquid erupt from each of their mouths. As he stared at them he gave them a wide grin. He waited till they had stopped spewing vomit and before any of them could protest he said a phrase that felt just right for the occasion. ¡°Upchuck Roulette strikes again.¡± ¡°I hate you,¡± Roman stated as he wiped his mouth. ¡°I hate you so much right now.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that in some time,¡± Blair started to say as she narrowed her eyes on Liam. ¡°And I would be happy never hearing it again.¡± Artem straightened his posture and looked through his inventory. He didn¡¯t say a word, but instead passed Blair and Roman a water bottle to help clean out the nasty taste that lingered. As they did this, Liam¡¯s grin faded into a serious look as he took in their surroundings while changing his current equipment for the one he decided to use for his Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web business. He figured since he was in here and there wouldn¡¯t be anyone from the outside to be allowed to come in then he would be safe wearing it. The sky was dark with a full moon looking down. Rotted tree trunks with black leaves surrounded the area behind them and the portal they came through. Poles with Yooperlite Stones glowed, providing light here and there where the darkness of the night was the thickest. The ground beneath them was hard and rocky that lead to a tall earthy looking hill that seemed to be about half a mile away. As Liam narrowed his eyes to get a better look he noticed there were holes here and there the closer you got to the hill. These holes varied in size. Some of the sizes worried him, but not as much as the piles of bones and skulls that littered the ground near these holes. The other aesthetics that stood out to Liam were the spider webs. They were thick in most places, but they covered the holes, were strung from tree to tree, and even laid broken in some areas across the ground. Liam felt Artem, Blair, and Roman walk up beside him. They must have looked around as well because he could see their heads move about. ¡°Remind me again why I let you guys talk me into coming here?¡± Artem gulped. ¡°You know exactly why,¡± Roman responded as he stared at the area around them. As he looked around to get a better picture of the terrain he started to question his choices. ¡°How are we going to do this? Have you done a dungeon like this before?¡± Blair questioned as she eyed the skulls. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have only done Free Roam and Tower type dungeons This will be my first Wave dungeon,¡± Liam stated before looking at her. ¡°What about you guys?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t done any other types of dungeons since the Tutorial Area,¡± Blair replied. ¡°Just a few Tower ones to get some experience.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Roman and Artem chimed in. ¡°Since we don¡¯t know what to expect nor what the levels are going to look like I guess we¡¯ll play it by ear then,¡± Liam stated. ¡°If we start to get overwhelmed I can use a few Chemicalized Creations I made recently.¡± ¡°So you have made some?¡± Roman wryly smiled. ¡°The same as last time or some new ones?¡± Liam smiled wickedly as he answered, ¡°I have some new toys to show you guys.¡± ¡°Of course you do,¡± Artem said as he shook his head. Roman was about to make another comment, but stopped as his ears perked up while looking around. He then slowly and cautiously placed a hand on the ground and closed his eyes. Curious, Liam asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Roman indicated to give him a moment as he raised a finger in the air. After a couple of seconds he stood back up and placed his fists up in a fighting stance as he announced, ¡°I think it¡¯s about to start. I feel movement coming from the three closest holes. Two on the left and one on the right near the trees.¡± Liam looked at the hole with spiderwebs covering over it. He noticed the webs dipping in and slowly pushing up then back down. It almost looked like someone was breathing with the way the webs were moving until the webs started rising up and up until the middle broke open. The web coverings on the other holes broke as well making him, Artem, Blair, and Roman start to back step as a dozen of tannish brown furred wolves, lightly armored goblins with daggers, and a few dark green and black spiders emerged from each of the three holes. Liam assessed one of each to get a better idea of what they were dealing with.
¡°Possessed Zombified Goblin Warrior. 850/850 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 15.¡± ¡°Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolf. 956/956 HP. 640/640 MP. Level ¨C 16.¡± ¡°Toxo Disease Spider Carriers. 500/500 HP. 300/300 MP. Level ¨C 15.¡±
Liam assessed a few more to verify the levels and confirmed the monsters were a group of leveled fifteen and sixteen. None were lower nor higher than that. While the health of each monsters could be manageable to fight against, it was the number of monsters that came out that worried him. There were a total of thirty six creatures in this wave. They had five waves in total to go through four if they didn¡¯t count the final wave that held the final boss. Although he wasn¡¯t sure if the boss would have mobs with it as well. His other concern were the monsters he had never fought against. While the goblins were familiar and the Stone Fanged Wolves sounded fairly easier to understand what they were capable of, the Toxo Disease Spider Carriers were confusing. He wasn¡¯t sure why they were named that or what they were capable of. He had some ideas what they could do, thanks to the ominous dark green dust cloud that periodically shot down to the ground beneath them, but what else they could do was still a mystery. After seeing they hadn¡¯t started running straight towards them after emerging from the hole, Liam took this brief moment to make a decision. They needed to take out these monsters as fast as possible without tiring themselves out. They also needed to make sure they didn¡¯t get infected with the Toxo¡¯s venom or whatever type of negative effects they could inflict on them. In order to make sure of this, he decided to give his companions a bit of a light show. Liam pulled out two glass flasks and threw them towards a spot he felt would do the most damage at the group of Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolves and Toxo Diseased Spider Carriers before grabbing one more and tossing it at the group of Possessed Zombified Goblin Warriors. Artem, Blair, and Roman didn¡¯t say anything as they watched two orbs rose in the middle of the groups of the Toxo Diseased Spider Carriers and the Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolves. The creatures tried to scatter away, but failed as the orbs started sucking them towards the epicenter. Both orbs slammed to the ground and released the power they held within. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A circle of flames exploded and engulfed the Toxo Diseased Spider Carriers as it washed over them. The dust cloud that pushed out from their bodies lit up and entered inside their bodies, making their abdomen suddenly explode. A shockwave of lightning suddenly washed out over the wolves causing them to fall to the ground on their sides. Arcs of lightning bounced around from body to body causing more damage to them. While Artem, Blair, and Roman liked seeing those and was impressed with the damage done, especially towards the exploding spiders, their eyes were on the newest creation they hadn¡¯t seen before. Even Liam was excited to see how this one worked since he too hadn¡¯t seen this one in action yet. An orb had formed in the air around the Possessed Zombified Goblin Warriors around the same time the other three had formed. Pitch black liquid suddenly rushed out from the orb and spread out within a ten foot radius. After the water reached the ten foot radius all around the goblins, several lines suddenly shot up from the edge and arced back to connect over the orb. Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman watched as the Possessed Zombified Goblin Warriors splashed around trying to run out of the watery land. However, as they tried to rush past the lines of pitch black water, their bodies came to a halt. The watery lines stopped them in their tracks, not letting a single creature out. As the last line connected the amount of water coming out of the orb increased. From a gushing stream to a dam breaking, the water started filling the caged area. To all of their shock, not a single drop of water escaped past the lines that were now being filled. They watched as the prison filled up and blocked their view of what was going on further inside. The outreached hands of the Undead creatures were suddenly sucked in, the outlines of the bodies they were able to see had now disappeared deeper inside the pitch black water. Liam didn¡¯t know how long the watery prison would last. Even though he was the creator, the description never really stated the length of the watery prison. He moved his eyes over to the Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolves since they were the only creatures still moving about. Liam wasn¡¯t expecting the Toxo Diseased Spider Carriers to explode the way they did. If he had to make as best of a guess he could then the cloud that their bodies released might have been a flammable gas. He wasn¡¯t going to complain about that. That was one less group of monsters to deal with during this first wave. Until the watery prison broke free, he needed to focus on the other group of monsters. As he looked over the creatures he noticed something was off about them. While they were hit with side effects and had taken some damage, it looked like they didn¡¯t take a lot of it. He stared at one to see if he could get as much of an accurate amount of damage as he could.
¡°Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolf. 620/956 HP. 640/640 MP. Level ¨C 16.¡±
It looked like they had received over a quarter of the damage he had thought they would take. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because the stone section of their name, but if that was the case then lightning magic was out of the picture for them. Liam sprinted for the first Possessed Zombified Wolf he came across as they started getting back up. As he approached he pulled out one of his Bone crafted swords and aimed for one of their legs. He slashed through it as hard and clean as he could, but as it sliced through the joint he felt a powerful vibration shake through his weapon and hands. Looks like the word stone in their names isn¡¯t for show. Liam thought as he continued forward towards the next one. He had heard the others move after he had so he left the three legged creature for whoever was closest behind him. He did this to three move Possessed Zombified Wolves. Each strike he felt his hands shake. Each shake made his hands almost involuntarily release his weapon. However, he persisted on. He hadn¡¯t fought against a lot of Earth Type monsters, so he felt this was good for him to try and get used to this feeling. As Liam approached the next wolf that had fully stood up and was turning its head towards him. Liam slashed down in a vertical angle. He felt his sword dig into the mane about a quarter of the way before coming to a hard stop. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam swore as he tried to pull his sword out from the monster¡¯s body. He was able to pull it out and jumped back right in time before an earth spike shot up from the ground where he was standing. Liam repositioned himself as his feet touched the ground and was about to make his way around the spike. However, as he made his move the wolf had decided to make one of its own. With faster speed, the wolf whirled around the spike with its mouth wide open. It went to bite down on Liam¡¯s wrist, but as it chomped it bit through only air. Liam, thanks to his Danger Sense warning him, had used his bandage wrap ability his gloves had to wrap around the spike and pull him towards it and out of the way of the strike. He planted his feet against the earth spike and pressed as hard and fast as he could while driving his sword right through the wolf¡¯s stomach. He didn¡¯t feel any resistance nor any hard areas as the sword dug deep inside the creature. He then pushed down with all of his might, slicing the monster open. Blood and small spider like creatures poured out from the open wound as the wolf dropped dead. Liam stomped down as quickly as he could, hearing pop here and there with each stomp like he was stepping on the firework poppers. After the last one was stepped on, Liam turned to see if there were any other creatures that needed to be killed. Instead he found Artem, Blair and Roman slightly chuckling at him. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked, confused. ¡°Nothing,¡± Roman started as he failed to hide the smirk forming. ¡°It just looked like you were trying to dance. Nice moves by the way.¡± Liam rolled his eyes as he muttered, ¡°Bite me.¡± Before Roman could make any more fun of him the watery prison bubble suddenly dropped allowing the pitch black water to wash out from the radius it was held in and disappear into the ground. The creatures that were trapped inside all fell to the ground. Their greyish green skin and armor pieces started to sizzle and melt away as the air touched their wet surface. Gurgled noises escaped some of their mouths as water filled lungs started to pour out of the others. Toxo Corpse Controllers flowed out from a few of the creatures, their bodies sizzling and melting away as well as the fresh air touched their skin. Artem, Blair, and Roman slowly looked at Liam who stared at the sizzling and melting corpses of the creatures with a smile and an approving nod. They knew he could have learned some crazy new alchemical items, but they weren¡¯t prepared for this. ¡°Dude,¡± Roman started as he asked the question the other two were thinking. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Liam turned his gaze to them. with a straight face he replied, ¡°That one was a Weak Poisoned Bog Prison. This was the first time I had tried this one out so I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to expect, but I must say¡­I was not disappointed. I can¡¯t wait to test the others I haven¡¯t used yet.¡± Artem stared at Liam. ¡°What others?¡± ¡°I have a Weak Poisoned Ice Mist, a Weak Crackling Lunar Flash, and a Weak Lunate Sickle Air Blast. Those three I haven¡¯t tried out yet,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Ones I think you¡¯ll like that I have recently made are a Weak Crushing Dark Fog and a Weak Poisoned Shadow Ash. Those two had excellent results.¡± Blair blinked a couple of times as she stared at Liam. She then pursed her lips and shook her head not saying a thing. ¡°What?¡± Liam asked, a bit confused. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could mix poisons with Chemicalized Creations,¡± Blair said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you can in liquid form, but I found that it is possible in powdered form,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Hey Liam,¡± Roman interjected before anyone could say anything. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liam asked. ¡°How many of those Chemicalized Creations do you have on you?¡± Roman questioned as his ears twitched a few times while keeping his eyes focused on something. ¡°I have quite a few¡­why do you ask?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Because I¡¯m picking up a lot of vibrations on the ground coming from the holes in the ground over there,¡± Roman stated as he pointed towards an area closer to the hill. ¡°Do you know exactly how many?¡± Liam asked as he tried to pinpoint the areas he was pointing at. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I do feel the steps of a few taller creatures and a bunch of smaller¡­,¡± Roman was explaining until a web covering a couple of the holes suddenly burst out into the air. Liam, Artem, Blair stared at the areas where monsters were coming out of. Their eyes widened as four tall Hobgoblins, four of the silver furred gorillas they saw earlier, and three dozen goblin warriors, and wolves suddenly came out of two holes. Liam assessed the creatures as they poured out of the holes.
¡°Possessed Zombified Goblin Warrior. 850/850 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 15.¡± ¡°Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolf. 956/956 HP. 640/640 MP. Level ¨C 16.¡± ¡°Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. 1,150/1,150 HP. 0/0 MP. Level 18.¡± ¡°Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback. 1,520/1,520 HP. 1,500/1,500 M.P. Level ¨C 19.¡±
¡°Fucking hell,¡± Liam stated as he watched the creatures form lines in front of the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warriors and Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks. He was about to start throwing more of his Chemicalized Creatures, but stopped as Roman stated, ¡°Hold off on throwing those.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Liam asked, looking both confused and annoyed. ¡°Because I think there¡¯s more that hasn¡¯t come out,¡± Roman stated. Adventure 231 - Surprised by their growth ¡°What?!¡± Artem asked. ¡°What do you mean you think?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of hard to tell with all the moving these guys are doing right now!¡± Roman shouted as he looked at Artem. ¡°There¡¯s more inside one of those holes. I don¡¯t know how many more is in there, but I think they are waiting for something.¡± Liam stared at Roman. He didn¡¯t catch it earlier, but as he listened to them talk, he remembered Roman was able to tell that the monsters where about to appear. His ears had twitched, and he looked like he was focusing on something as he placed a hand down on the ground. Did he hear them? No. That couldn¡¯t be it. He had heightened hearing just like Roman, but he didn¡¯t hear them moving underground. Was it a touch sense? That couldn¡¯t be it either. What could it be that allowed him to tell? Before Liam could ask, Blair shouted, ¡°They¡¯re on the move!¡± Liam snapped his attention on the monsters before them. Racing towards them were the smaller monsters separated into four groups. Each group contained nine Possessed Zombified Goblin Warriors and nine Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolves. The four Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warriors and the Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks remained where they were. As Liam tried to think about whether he should use more of his Chemicalized Creations or not, Blair pointed her weapon out towards the group farthest to the right and chanted, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Bring the Force down upon my enemy slowing its movements. Gravitational Force Increase!¡± As she chanted the spell, Liam looked at her as she gave him a slight smile. He knew what she was thinking and started chanting his spell at the group on the opposite side. As soon as they finished the movements of all the creatures clumped together suddenly slowed as gravity around them pushed down. After the effects fell upon the monsters in the two groups, Liam and Blair started up their next spells for the remaining two groups. Each different from the other. ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Liam chanted. ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and Keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± Blair chanted. An orb suddenly appear right in front of the group on the right side while black shadowy tendrils shot out and wrapped the legs, arms, and stomachs of the creatures in the group on the left. Liam reached into the potion pouch that rested against his leg and pulled out two flasks. Within the flasks were liquids swirling about with pale lines mixed with the swirling motions. He threw them at the two groups that were trapped inside the Gravity Well Blair created and the ones rooted in place due to the shadowy tendrils. As soon as the flasks exploded, two orbs of swirling air formed and rose up. As soon as the orbs rose high enough the swirling air inside the orbs started spinning faster and faster. The pale white lines mixed with the air started multiplying until the air blended with them evenly. One second after that, sharp thin lines flew out in unpredictable directions and sliced into the creatures within distance of them. As this was going on, Roman had raced over towards the left group on the outside, both hands crackled with lightning. As he approached the first monster, a Possessed Zombified Goblin Warrior, he jumped in the air and brought his right fist back. Before crashing into the monster, Roman extended his fist outwards as hard as he could causing it to fall to the ground. After that, he spun around and kicked the Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolf that tried to catch him off guard. Blair¡¯s wings formed on her back as she bent her knees and pushed off towards the group of monsters on the outside to the left. Her wings flapped to give her an extra boost of speed as she swung her axe to the side and readied to swing the moment she was within striking distance. As she swung, she channeled mana into the axe and smoothed it out to give it an extra sharpness to it. The blade sliced through the neck of two Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolves. As Liam watched Blair he noticed she was swinging her weapon with a lot more ease than she normally did. Not only was she swinging with a lot more ease, she was also swinging faster. He activated his Mana Sight and expected to see the familiar color of Gravity Mana coating her body, but instead she had a different color. This one looked familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen it or what it was. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. The Lunar Air sickles finally stopped attacking as the two orbs disappeared. Both groups of monsters looked like they had taken a lot of damage, but they weren¡¯t completely dead yet. Liam was ready to dive in himself to take care of one of the groups but stopped as Artem rushed towards the group of monsters that had been rooted thanks to his Grasp of the Shadows spell. He wasn¡¯t taken aback by the suddenness of Artem racing towards the monster, but rather by the color that had outlined his body. It was a blue color. The one that represented Water Mana. This confused Liam because he didn¡¯t remember Artem ever taking the Field of the Elements Water Focus Point. Artem slammed his shield into the first monster he came across, knocking it off its feet while swinging his mace down on another. Liam noticed a Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolf jump at Artem¡¯s back and tried clawing at him. Liam was about to throw a dagger at the creature, but stopped as he watched as a three inch layer of water suddenly appeared around the claws, slowing the movement down enough for the claws to barely do any damage. Artem swiftly spun around and slammed his mace across the Possessed Zombified Stone Fanged Wolf¡¯s face, knocking it down on its side. Liam was amazed and shocked at what he was seeing. Even though it had been only a few days, Artem, Blair, and Roman had grown stronger and gained new abilities. They found new spells that seemed to work great with the path and fighting style they were trying to create for themselves. As Liam stared in awe at them he realized that he hadn¡¯t heard him chant any spells before racing towards them. In fact, he hadn¡¯t heard Blair chant whatever spell or spells she had used as well. Was I so focused on what I needed to do that I didn¡¯t pay attention to what they were doing? Liam questioned as he watched each of them. Back in the Tutorial Dungeon I always tried to pay attention to what they were doing so I could aid or compliment their attacks. However, not once have I looked at them when we fought these creatures so far. Liam continued to watch the three attack and fight each creature within the group they chose. The last group was still struggling to get away from Blair¡¯s Gravity Well spell. Seeing it still going told him that Blair¡¯s level in the spell must have risen quite a lot. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. A smile slowly grew on Liam¡¯s face as he continued to watch his teammates. He felt happy. At first he didn¡¯t understand why, but after a second he realized he was happy because they were getting stronger. Not just in terms of strength, but in terms of teamwork. It might be just coincidental that they didn¡¯t communicate what they were going to do and just did whatever they wanted to do. If that was the case then¡­ Liam¡¯s attention was taken away from his thoughts and right onto the creatures starting to move after the Gravity Well disappeared. He pulled out his daggers and raced over towards them. As he attacked them he saw the damage his Weak Lunate Sickle Air Blast creation had caused. Some of the creatures had one or two limbs missing while the ones who didn¡¯t had major gashes across their bodies. Each of them were bleeding badly which caused their health to drop with every movement they made. After seeing that, Liam thought that he could have just let them try to bleed out, but at the same time he didn¡¯t want to let something happen just because he had gotten too cocky over how well his Chemicalized Creation went. It didn¡¯t take him long to finish off the creatures on the verge of dying. He aimed as well as he could for the heads of each creature to take both the body and the Toxo Corpse Controller hiding inside the monsters heads. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was where they were hiding, but after the first Possessed Zombified Goblin Warrior had died when he stabbed his dagger through its skull, he had received a notification stating he had killed the spider creature as well. He didn¡¯t want to assume so he continued doing the same thing with the others and found that his theory was correct. During the middle of his fight he had relayed the information to the others. They had only grunted in reply, making him think they had come to the same conclusion. The others had finished off their group of monsters almost at the same time he had. As soon as the last monster had fell, loud screams caused the four to swiftly look at them. This was good for them because as soon as they looked they noticed the Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks had started glowing a fiery red indicating they were readying a spell of their own. ¡°Get back!¡± Artem yelled as he started running away from the creatures. Blair, Liam, and Roman did the same. As soon as they started running, streams of flames poured out from the monsters¡¯ wide open mouths. Liam felt the heat of the fire as it ran across the ground and chased after him. As soon as he made it out of the spell¡¯s reach, he turned to get a good look at what was happening. He was surprised at how far the attack was able to go and was worried that Artem, who was the slowest of them all, would get swallowed up from the flames. Liam suddenly grew worried as he found out that the flames had in fact caught up to Artem and had surrounded him. He was about to yell out his name but was stopped as Artem came charging out of the flames encased in a layer of water that looked like it was outlining not just his body, but his equipment as well. Liam stared at the man astonished by what he saw. Artem let out a big burst of air as he slowed to a stop and placed his hands on his knees and breathed heavily. ¡°I am so glad I worked on that water spell.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Blair nodded. ¡°It seems like it was the right choice.¡± ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Liam questioned as he looked at him. The flames still burning close by. ¡°Well talk about that later,¡± Blair interrupted. ¡°They are going to attack again.¡± Liam turned as he felt the heat of the flames die down. The four Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warriors brandished their long swords as the four Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks thumped their fists against their chest. Liam stared at them. They separated into four groups of two, mixing themselves up. They were stronger than the monsters they had just fought and while there were fewer of them, the fact that one set of monsters could use fire magic would go well for them if they tried to fight them in a two against one fight. They needed to try and fight them either two on two or even three on two. Liam thought about what he had that he could use. He had a couple more items he wanted to test out, but he wasn¡¯t sure which of the two items would work great. While Weak Poisoned Mist could slow them down and poison the bodies he felt that he could use that for a much bigger crowd than just two. That left his other one, Weak Crackling Lunar Flash. This one would be great to use since it could blind the targets, however, there was a chance it could also blind them as well if they weren¡¯t careful. It would have been better if something was added to it to block out the lightning from blinding anyone outside of the radius, but he didn¡¯t have time to try and make a new one with that added feature. If he could add his creations together by just mixing them right there then it would be amazing but¡­ His thoughts stopped after that. He wasn¡¯t sure it would be possible to do what his last train of thought was, but there was another possible way to create a layer to prevent anyone outside of the radius the targets were in. Liam searched for the Chemicalized Creations he wanted to use. As he did this the monsters started making a move. Artem started chanting a spell Liam didn¡¯t recognize, but also didn¡¯t pay much attention to as he kept searching for the second item he wanted to use. Blair and Roman started chanting as well as Artem finished his spell. Liam grasped the item he was looking for and turned his attention forward. An orb the size of a beach ball had suddenly formed in between the four creatures on the right, above them. A sudden powerful push of gravity forcefully crashed down on them, making the four creatures fall face first down. The ground beneath the creatures cracked and caved in slightly around the monsters¡¯ bodies. On Liam¡¯s left a water orb had formed in front of Artem¡¯s shield. As soon as it had completely formed, a power torrent of water shot out and sprayed at the two on the far left. As the water collided against the monsters and covered the ground around the monsters, Roman, whose hands were crackling with sparks of lightning, plunged both of them into the stream of water. The current of lightning raced down the stream and connected with the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin and Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback. Their bodies seized up as the muscles tightened and locked their movements in place. Liam, surprised at what they did, stared in amazement. Blair raced over to the last two creatures as Artem continued to spray water on the other two. Roman pulled his hands out from the stream and ran over to the area that was starting to fill with water. As soon as he arrived to the edge of the massive puddle he started chanting, ¡°Crackle loud and strong, Keep the charge surging long, Don¡¯t stop until their body goes soft, Don¡¯t stop until the connection to their heart is cut off. Surging Arc!¡± Sparks of lightning started to form and surge across Roman¡¯s open hands. The amount of lightning was different than when he used Static Grasp. The color of the sparked was deeper as well. Then to Liam¡¯s surprise, Roman pointed his hands at the creatures that were paralyzed in the watery puddle and watched as the sparks turned into a constant current of lighting as it shot out in a stream of its own, right onto the two creatures. Artem cut off his spell, stopping the stream of water to continue to spray at the two monsters. As soon as he did that, he raced over to help Blair out with the two monsters she was taking on. Liam stood there amazed and mesmerized, again as he watched his teammates handle these monsters like they were nothing. He thought about his earlier thoughts on them. This was no coincidence. They were able to connect their spells together, show off some new ones they were able to use, and show how much growth they had gained while they were away from him. Liam gripped his hands tightly. He realized he was still holding the two Chemicalized Creations in his hands as he did this. He looked down at them before looking back at his teammates. They were showing him how much improvement they had made and the only thing he had shown them was how much improvement he had made in his crafting. While these items were helpful when fighting massive groups of mobs, once he ran out of them he could easily whip up more. Sure, his crafting is a part of his fighting style, but that wasn¡¯t all there was to his fighting style. No, he wanted to show that to them just like they were showing him this. Liam smiled again. He placed his two Chemicalized Creations back in his potion pouch. This time in a spot he would easily find it. He then gripped his daggers and unsheathed them. He stared at the four monsters being crushed down by the gravity spell he had no knowledge of, and thought to himself, Time to show my growth as well. Adventure 232 - Learning to juggle through gravity Liam turned towards the two Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warriors and the two Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks that were trapped in the spell Blair had used. Each of them struggled against it, trying to get back to their feet. The Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks used the strength in their arms to try and push their upper bodies up off the ground while the other two creatures tried to move their legs underneath them. The force of the gravity pushing down on them was powerful, but it looked like the creatures were still stronger as they slowly tried getting back up. Liam knew this was the perfect opportunity to try and do as much damage as possible as they struggled. He pulled out two of his normal Bone Throwing Daggers and aimed for one of the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s eyes. He then threw them as soon as he felt the aim was on point. He watched them enter the radius of the spell as they flew and was shocked as the two flying daggers suddenly arced downwards, landing right in front of the monster. Liam used Mana Manipulation to pull them out and noticed there was some difficulties. Instead of them flying up and towards his hands, they slid across the ground almost like something was forcibly keeping them down. After they escaped the radius they flew right up into the air and almost missed Liam¡¯s grip. Looks like this gravity spell effects everything inside the radius instead of just the targets. Liam thought as he stared at the monsters. That means this isn¡¯t a higher level Gravitational Force Increase, but rather a different spell entirely. The radius is amazing as well. If that¡¯s the case then I guess I¡¯m going to have to adjust the trajectory of my throwing. Liam aimed a little higher this time before throwing the two weapons. He used a little more strength in this attempt, trying to see if adding my force to the throw would get it farther as well as changing trajectory. He watched them go up in the air as they flew inside the area of the spell. He was right that both had helped in getting the weapons farther, however the amount of strength and the trajectory was slightly too much as the two daggers passed the monster¡¯s head and dug right into its lower back. The sudden attack caused the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior to fall back down to its stomach, zeroing out the progress it had made. Liam clicked his tongue. He knew he wasn¡¯t going to get it right off the bat, but he was hoping it would be closer than it was. He called them back using his Mana Manipulation and struggled to pull them out of the skin of the creature. He concentrated harder as he forced them to move. To his delight they did move, but instead of coming right out of the monster¡¯s lower back they opened the wounds a little wider as the blades slid across its back a couple of inches before sliding right out and back to Liam. Liam smiled. Even if he couldn¡¯t hit the target where he wanted to, he could use the force of the gravity to cause more damage as he tried to recall his weapons. If he caused enough and opened enough wounds he could create a Bleeding Debuff on the creature and have it die due to blood loss. Liam tried again, but this time he tried to use less strength in the throw and aimed a little lower than last time. This attempt was a complete failure as the daggers landed right in front of the monster¡¯s shoulders. As irritated as he was he knew he couldn¡¯t waste time like this. After he retrieved the two weapons he made a decision. He threw these two after making some adjustments in his throwing. However, instead of manipulating them to come back, he pulled two more Bone Throwing Daggers and threw them as well. He didn¡¯t stop there as he did this two more times. To his surprise, six out of the ten daggers found purchase on different parts of the creature¡¯s body. He took in a deep breath and readied himself as he manipulated two daggers to slide across the creature¡¯s body and return to his hands. He threw them again and started manipulating the next pair. After throwing this pair, Liam tried to pull the next pair towards him. The process started off slow. He was able to pull two daggers out of the creature right after throwing the two that reached his hands. Once he felt comfortable he tried to focus on a second pair of daggers to pull as one pair was slowly coming his way. He failed to accomplish this. No matter how hard he tried to get a second pair to come his way as he pulled a different pair right after throwing another set, he couldn¡¯t make it happen. Looks like trying to juggle more than four is too much for me right now. Liam thought as he threw another pair of daggers. He noticed as he continued his attempts, he was gradually getting faster with pulling them to him. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he was getting more confident in this or if he had leveled up something, but he didn¡¯t question it. After repeating this five more times he heard a noise that he wasn¡¯t expecting. It was a dying cry from the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior. It had died before he realized it. Before he could move on to the next creature he heard Blair shout out, ¡°A minute left until that spell is gone. If you¡¯re going to try and kill them like that then that¡¯s how long you have.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still another minute left on this spell? How long is this spell?¡± Liam questioned, both shocked and amazed. ¡°Not time. Either attack them and try to kill them now or get ready to fight together,¡± Blair stated as she swung her axe across the neck of her opponent. Liam noticed all three had finished off their prey and were waiting for the spell to deactivate on the last three. Liam shook his head before refocusing on the ones before him. He had a minute to try and do as much damage as he could to these three. He could focus on one and try and kill it, but then the others would still be near full health. He glances quickly at the others. Roman was shaking his arms as he bounced on the front of his feet, looking like he was either loosening them up or trying to wake them up from going numb. Liam leaned on the latter than the former due to the spell he used earlier. Artem and Blair drank what looked like a stamina potion, probably to regain the lost stamina they used for the next fight. After getting a better idea of their current conditions Liam made a decision. He repositioned himself to a spot that made it easier for him. As his feet stepped down where he believed would be the best spot, he threw the two daggers he had in his hands at the Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback to his left. As he threw the daggers, he manipulated two of the eight daggers that still laid on the ground where he once stood. As they reached his hands he aimed as fast as he could right at the other Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback to his right. He then pulled two more of the throwing daggers from that pile and aimed for the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior that was slightly behind the other two creatures. The daggers fell short right in front of the monster. Liam clicked his tongue before readjusting his trajectory again for this monster. After he determined it was better, he threw his weapons at the same monster again. This time it was a bit farther, but as they landed they dug right into the shoulder blades. Liam didn¡¯t waste any time after that. He pulled two more daggers from his scabbard across his chest and aimed for the Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback to his left. After throwing these daggers and confirming they found their target he moved to the next creature. He rotated between the three monsters as he threw each regular Bone Throwing Dagger he had. He missed a few times due to his haste, but he managed to land more as he got used to the memorizing the distance and strength needed to throw at each creature. After thirty seconds had passed he pulled out his two Shadow Enchanted Runic Curved Throwing Bone Daggers and aimed for the Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback to his left. After they entered the creature¡¯s skin, he called them back using his Mana Manipulation. The two weapons slipped out of the creature¡¯s body, while opening the wound more, and returned to his hands. After they returned he aimed for the other Undead gorilla and struck it with them. After he repeated the same recall move with them, he aimed for the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin and attack it as well. He attack each creature three more times, each recall faster than the last as he got better at pulling them under the gravity from the spell. Each time after the first hit with these two special daggers, the creature let out a pained and confused howl. This told Liam that the Debuff these daggers caused, Hidden Whispers, activated and grew each time it activated. This effect was stackable up to seven times and unlike the other two daggers that stackable effects, these ones didn¡¯t need to hit the same spot in order to activate. Thanks to the notifications that appeared he found that the effect activated only twice. While having that effect activate was a bonus to him, what he was after was the twenty percent extra shadow damage they caused. With this his final attack against them was going to have even more damage caused. He heard Blair shout out ten seconds left in the spell as the two weapons returned to his hands once more. He didn¡¯t waste any more time on the dagger throw strategy as he pointed one of the daggers out and chanted, ¡°O Moon, majestic and beautiful. I call upon thee to show how painful you can be. Manifest mediums that will serve to unleash your wave of power. Swarm together and into your target. Go forth and unleash your power. Lunar Swarm!¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A raven black orb formed in front of Liam as a pale white light shone down on it. The light soaked into it changing the color from black to the majestic color of the moon. After it had completely engulfed the orb it didn¡¯t disappear nor stop. Instead five new smaller orbs formed around the bigger one. As this was happening, the powerful force of the gravity crushing them down in the spot the creatures were in had released its hold on them. This allowed the dagger riddled creatures to slowly get back to their feet. Their ire and focus was on Liam as soon as they rose to their full height. Artem and Roman were about to get ready to rush in and intercept them, but stopped as Blair extended her weapon in front of them. They were about to argue, but were cut off as Blair stated, ¡°Let him finish his spell. It looks like its one of those Lunar ones. We don¡¯t want to get caught up in that. If they aren¡¯t dead after that then we¡¯ll finish them off.¡± Artem and Roman let out a grunt and nodded as they watched Liam¡¯s spell finish forming. They were a bit anxious as the three monster went to make their move. The two Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks started glowing red as they started forming their spells while the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior gripped his long sword and started charging right for Liam. After the Hobgoblin took a couple of steps a pale white streak suddenly shot out from one of the smaller orbs and collided right into the monster¡¯s chest. A second one shot out and hit one of the shoulders of the creature as a third shot struck its leg. These attacks caused the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior to drop to a knee and stop in its tracks. The other orbs started shooting streaks of pale white right at the mouth and one of the eyes of the Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverbacks, stopping their magical attack they were charging up for. More streaks of pale white light collided into their bodies, making them take raise their arms up to try and block the attacks from attacking their faces. Artem and Roman were impressed with the damage that was being done. However, their reaction turned to surprise as they noticed two of the many daggers that riddled the body of one of the creatures start to move and slide across the side of the back. They then flew right towards Liam¡¯s outstretched arms. After they landed in his hands, he threw them down and manipulated two more to come back. It was a double attack he was doing. While pale white streaks of light collided against their bodies, the daggers that were still stuck in them were both opening the wounds already there and creating new ones as the blades licked fresh skin before racing towards his hands. Then something the three had forgotten was possible, happened after the last of the daggers were called back. Right as the last bit of pale white lights crashed into their targets, a massive pale white light engulfed each of the creatures. The light was so powerful that their bodies within weren¡¯t entirely visible. Instead only their forms had turned into shadows before completely dissipating into nothingness. Liam huffed and breathed heavily as he stared at the spots the creatures once stood. He stared at the spot they once were at as notifications popped up. [Attention! Conditions for special Lunar effect, Lunar Energy Burst, has been met!] [Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback has been slain!] [Attention! Conditions for special Lunar effect, Lunar Energy Burst, has been met!] [Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior has been slain!] [Attention! Conditions for special Lunar effect, Lunar Energy Burst, has been met!] [Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback has been slain!] [All loot from these creatures has entered your inventory] Liam blinked a couple of times as he tried to steady his breath. He minimized the rest of the notifications, making a mental note to look at them later. I had completely forgotten that was a thing. He thought to himself before his three companions approached him. ¡°Holy shit man,¡± Roman started. ¡°That was intense.¡± ¡°Great job,¡± Artem said with a smile. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve gotten stronger.¡± Blair gave him a nod in approval as well. Liam gave them a sheepish smile before saying, ¡°That wasn¡¯t anything. If you want to see something cool I have some other things I can¡­¡± Before he could finish what he was saying the ground shook a bit. Liam and the others turned to see what was going on to find one of the holes farther back that the bigger creatures came from exploded. Chunks of earth flew out as a form emerged from it. It stood slightly shorter than the Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin and Possessed Zombified Infernal Silverback, but the width of the body was much bigger. It had eight smooth legs with the tips looking sharp. The rest of its body was smooth and had a greenish black hue all over. Its mouth was big enough that they were able to see razor sharp teeth hidden behind the mandibles as they opened up and screeched. Spital flew as it screamed at them while staring daggers at them through its many eights that covered its entire head. Liam could feel Artem tense up as they stared at the massive spider. Liam assessed it. [Toxo Corpse Controller Creator. 1,760/1,760 HP. 800/800 MP. Level ¨C 19.] Liam looked the creature up and down. He didn¡¯t see anymore appear from the place it had come from nor from any other hole. Must be by itself. Oh well, this will do just fine. Liam smiled before looking back at his teammates. ¡°I guess this is a good chance to show you that I learned some things while away from you guys. Like which of my spells work best as a combo and even a new spell.¡± Liam turned back at the creature and took a couple of steps forward. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Artem suddenly asked, snapping out of his fear. Liam raised a hand as he looked at him. ¡°Give me a moment and I¡¯ll show you.¡± He then looked back at the monster and chanted, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± Before the Toxo Corpse Controller Creator could move the shadow beneath it quivered. Several shadowy tendrils shot out and thoroughly wrapped around its legs, abdomen and neck before tightening their grip, keeping it in place. As soon as the tendrils locked the massive spider on the spot, Liam started his next chant, ¡°Shadows so dark come forth, pierce through this pour creature¡¯s sight, temporary blinding it with a pain it never knew existed, Blanket of Darkness!¡± A new tendril snaked out and around one of the legs from the shadows beneath the creature. Albeit, instead of being tied to the shadow the creature created, it cut itself off and swiftly made its way to the monster¡¯s head. It then wrapped around the eyes and the back of the head until it was tight enough. As soon as it finished tightening, shadowy spikes formed and pierced the monster¡¯s eyes. Artem, Blair, and Roman watched this. They were a little confused since these two spells weren¡¯t new to them. As he chanted these two they thought maybe they had reached new heights and had something different, but nothing seemed different. That was until he chanted his next two spells. ¡°Radiant and majestic, we admire you in the night. Deadly and poisonous, many don¡¯t know your terrible might. Caress my target with your light like a gentle kiss. Remind them why you¡¯re as dangerous as the abyss. Epidermis Luminescence.¡± A painful scream escaped from the spider¡¯s mouth as a flash of pale white light suddenly flashed from the back of its head. The monster¡¯s head jerked down the moment it flashed almost as if it tried to get away from the pain. Right after he finished the spell, Liam went right into the next one without wasting a single moment. ¡°Hidden beneath and lying in wait, the unseen¡¯s poison is never delivered late. Bellow out in a puff of smoke and slip into the stream. Corrupt the body, Corrupt the mind. Deliver the fear you wish to create. Shade¡¯s Corruption.¡± As soon as Liam finished chanting, an explosion of black smoke shot up from the Toxo Corpse Controller Creator¡¯s shadow, engulfing the entire body into the blanket of smoke. The giant spider let out another painful screech as a feint flash of pale white light was spotted inside the dark smoke. Artem, Blair, and Roman stared at the area the monster was in. Their eyes had slightly widened at the scene. Questions formed in their minds as they were curious what was going on. Before Blair and Roman could ask, Artem beat them to the punch by saying, ¡°Those are two new spells. What are they about?¡± Liam smiled as he looked at them. He then responded to Artem. ¡°The one causing the pale white flashes is called Epidermis Luminescence. Its my new Lunar Affliction spell. When I cast it, it randomly picks a spot and causes a flash. Each flash creates a sharp pain as well as does damage. The spell that caused the shadow underneath it to explode into smoke is called Shade¡¯s Corruption. It¡¯s a new Shadow Affliction that I received recently. The smoke covers the area the target is in with a poisonous smoke called Shade Smoke. When the target inhales the Shade Smoke it is inflicted with it and causes damage ever five seconds just like the Lunar Affliction spell I cast before it. It also has a five percent chance to cause a Confusion Debuff.¡± ¡°Shit, that¡¯s cool,¡± Roman stated. ¡°The best part is, when both are used on a target they cause bonus damage since they are opposite magics. So instead of taking normal damage from the two spells they are also taking extra damage on top of it with each tick,¡± Liam gave them a wicked grin before adding, ¡°Add in the damage Blanket of Darkness causes¡­¡± Blair stared at him for a long moment as the other two tried to find the right words. She then looked back at the black smoke that was slowly starting to disappear into the air before saying, ¡°That¡¯s nasty.¡± ¡°Nasty indeed,¡± Liam nodded in agreement. ¡°You guys should be good to attack now, the flashes from Epidermis Luminescence shouldn¡¯t have any negative or any effects on you at all. Just in case though, try not to look at the flashes if you can.¡± ¡°Not going to join us?¡± Roman asked. Liam took another look at the boss¡¯s health and saw it reach the halfway mark. He looked back at Roman and shook his head before saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to collect the souls of the creatures we just slayed really quick and top off my Mana a bit,¡± Liam replied. ¡°At the rate that creature¡¯s health is dropping from all three of my affliction spells a few good strikes or magical attacks from you guys should kill it soon.¡± Roman shrugged as he said before running off, ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Artem and Blair rushed over to join him. Liam waited for a moment to make sure there weren¡¯t any last second surprises before calling upon his Spectral Lantern that rested on his hip. He pulled it away and muttered, ¡°Soul Harvest.¡± The item shook a bit before one of the glass panels opened up. Soul Orbs manifested all around the dead bodies of the creatures they had slay from this wave and the last before floating over and circling around him. After a few seconds had passed the swirling Soul Orbs entered the Spectral Lantern one by one. A slew of notifications popped up in front of him as each Soul Orb entered the lantern. Liam tried to minimize them as they appeared but stopped as a certain one, that had nothing to do with the Soul Orbs, appeared. [Congratulations! Wave Boss 2: Toxo Corpse Controller Creator has been slain!] Adventure 233 Surprise! ¡°Wave boss two?¡± Liam quietly muttered to himself as he stared at the notification. He turned his gaze other to the others who had done the same to look at him. ¡°You guys got that same notification as well?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Artem replied. ¡°What does it mean that we killed the second Wave Boss?¡± Roman asked. ¡°What happened to the first one?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam answered as he tried to think about it. ¡°I can answer that,¡± Eri suddenly said. Artem, Blair, and Roman looked around. They gripped their weapons as they scanned the area for the source. Liam gave them a puzzled expression as he saw them react. He then realized they must have heard her voice. ¡°Calm down you three,¡± Eri stated. ¡°I know this is the second time I¡¯ve actually talked to you, and it has been some time, but you couldn¡¯t have forgotten my voice already.¡± The three slowly looked at Liam who chuckled a bit before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be able to talk to Eri as well.¡± ¡°Eri?¡± Blair said. ¡°Wait, do you mean Eris? Our Matron Deity?¡± ¡°I call her Eri, and I think she prefers it as well,¡± Liam explained as he walked over to them. ¡°I do, but enough of that for right now,¡± Eri interjected before anyone else could say anything. ¡°Since this dungeon is currently going through a Dungeon Break the first Wave Boss must have already slipped out.¡± Liam¡¯s smile slipped away as he turned serious and asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°During a Dungeon Break monster can slip out from them. As time goes on the portal for the dungeon will start to allow stronger monsters. Depending on the type of dungeon and how many E.F.M.¡¯s, or in this dungeon¡¯s case Wave Bosses, will be able to slip out of the dungeon,¡± Eri explained. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much time has passed since the Dungeon Break has happened, but apparently there has been enough time for the first Wave Boss to be able to slip out.¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman, still confused looked at the sky and back at Liam. Liam brought a hand to his chin as he thought about what Eri had just said. He then said as he scoured his memories, ¡°I think I remember someone mentioning that before. So you¡¯re saying that because so much time had passed, the first Wave Boss had already escaped and that¡¯s why we didn¡¯t have to fight it?¡± ¡°Yes. In fact, when you entered, this dungeon had considered you to have already passed the first wave and went straight to the second. Judging by how many creatures you had to fight there¡¯s a possibility that the dungeon was close to letting out the second Wave Boss.¡± Artem¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he said, ¡°Are you saying that there were supposed to be more monsters we were supposed to fight?¡± Eri chuckled a bit before answering, ¡°Yes. Wave Type Dungeons have mini waves before you fight the Wave Boss. There are usually anywhere between three to four mini waves before you fight a Wave Boss. Seeing as there were only two before the second Wave Boss appeared that tells me a few monsters along with the first Wave Boss have already left. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± Liam repeated. ¡°Hm¡­It is strange that the monsters besides the Toxo Disease Spider Carriers were Possessed Zombified creatures,¡± Eri stated. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched at that statement. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This is a Toxo Dungeon. There should only be Toxo creatures in here. Yet you¡¯ve encountered Possessed Zombified ones on top of a few Toxo spiders. While Toxo Corpse Controllers are inside the monsters, those monsters should not be here. If I were to hazard a guess, I would like to think that the Possessed Zombified creatures came back here which allowed some of the Toxo Corpse Controllers and other Toxo types to go out. Actually, now that I think about it¡­I have seen those Toxos yet.¡± ¡°Those Toxos?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Liam noticed Roman¡¯s ears suddenly twitched as he turned his head away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There are a few monsters getting ready to come out,¡± Roman started. ¡°They sound¡­weird¡­¡± ¡°Weird?¡± Liam asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam tried to listen with his heightened hearing. He could pick up on anything at all. With a confused expression he looked at Roman and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything at all.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to,¡± Roman grinned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°It has to do with the gift he received after becoming one of my Apostles,¡± Eri stated. ¡°Apostle?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Not important right now,¡± Eri said. ¡°Loot the Wave Boss and see if its something one of you can use then get ready for the next wave. Don¡¯t worry about looting the other bodies they won¡¯t have anything you can get. You can harvest them, but wait till after you have conquered this dungeon. Things might start to get hectic now that you¡¯re halfway through the waves and you won¡¯t have the time to harvest anything right now. After this wave is done harvest the Soul Orbs and don¡¯t let any slip away.¡± Liam nodded as he quickly made his way over to the Toxo Corpse Controller Creator¡¯s dead body. He placed a hand on it and read the notifications that appeared before him. [Toxo Cadaver Creator Mace. Item type ¨C Weapon (Mace). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. Effects ¨C Raging Rabies Venom, Cadaver Reanimator. Raging Rabies Venom ¨C Each strike has a 10% chance to inflict Raging Rabies Venom causing the body of the target inflicted with this to slowly rot and become enraged. Cadaver Reanimator ¨C Has a 10% chance to reanimate the dead body of a slain creature if it was inflicted with Raging Rabies Venom. Body of the reanimated creature will reanimate and fight for you until the venom has completely rotted the entire body making it unable to exist. Warning! Any loot that would be awarded from the reanimated corpse will be lost entirely after the body completely rots away.] [You have received two Medium Vials of Raging Rabies Venom!] Liam¡¯s eyes widened at the description of the weapon dropped. ¡°That is one nasty effect a weapon can have,¡± Liam muttered as he went to pull it out of his inventory. The weapon was raven black with a dark green hue the closer you got to the top. It was almost the full length of his arm. The top of the mace had eight black sharp spikes that poked out from the side of the mace. Half of the spike that poked out curved upwards while the other half pointed downwards. To Liam the spikes kind of looked like spider legs. He prayed that the person he was going to suggest to use it wouldn¡¯t think that. ¡°That looks pretty cool. It kind of looks like¡­,¡± Roman started to say until Blair smacked the back of his head. ¡°Ow! What the hell was that for?!¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Blair started s she glared at him. ¡°I thought I saw a bug on the back of your head.¡± Roman rubbed the spot he was hit at and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°It¡¯s alright Blair. I would have to be blind to not see that it looks like spider legs coming out of it,¡± Artem stated before looking at Liam. ¡°I read the effects that thing has. Are you sure it is wise for me to wield it? I am trying to become a Healer not a Necromancer.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Liam nodded as he faced the man. ¡°I think you should use it. Its better than your current one right now. if you¡¯re worried it might affect your path then give it me after we get you a better one than that. One that fits you better.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just use it now?¡± Artem questioned. Liam shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten any levels in that Weapon Skill yet. It would hurt me than help me. You¡¯re the only one with any levels in Maces anyways right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any in it,¡± Blair agreed. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯m focusing on fist or unarmed combat styles,¡± Roman stated. Artem eyed the weapon. ¡°Would it even be useful against these guys?¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°Who knows. Only one way to find out right?¡± Artem kept staring at it. Before he could accept or refuse, Roman quickly informed, ¡°Better make a decision. They are coming out now.¡± Artem gave a withering look before reaching out and gripping the weapon. Liam gave him a small smile with a quick nod. Both guys then turned to see what they were going up against. Pained filled roars filled the air as webs covering holes off in the distance closer to the hill broke. Five massive creatures emerged from the holes. Liam squinted his eyes as he tried to get a better look at them. They were tall ugly blueish grey skinned humanoid type monsters. They were taller than the rotted trees that surrounded the outside areas. Warts and bumps riddled their exposed chests, bulging bellies, and long arms that dragged across the ground. Their stomachs bulged so much it looked like they had eaten three medium sized cauldrons he used just the other day. They were bald and had two tusks protruding from their lower jawline. The only clothing they had were ripped loincloth like items covering their private areas. Liam assessed them. [Diseased Cave Troll. 150/10,215 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 20.] [Diseased Cave Troll. 148/9,990 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 19.] [Diseased Cave Troll. 132/10,355 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 21.] [Diseased Cave Troll. 155/10,215 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 20.] [Diseased Cave Troll. 149/10,215 HP. 0/0 MP. Level ¨C 20.] ¡°Are those Trolls?¡± Artem asked as he grimaced. ¡°Cave Trolls,¡± Liam replied. He then corrected himself, ¡°Diseased Cave Trolls.¡± ¡°Diseased? So they aren¡¯t Undead type monsters? If that¡¯s the case then what are they doing here?¡± Roman questioned as he stared at them. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Liam was confused as Roman was. He knew there had to be a reason why they were here, but Roman¡¯s question was valid. If they weren¡¯t Zombified or Possessed Zombified creatures turned by the Toxos then why were they here? The first word in their names, however, looked familiar to him. He couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen it or why it was familiar, but he felt it was key to the creatures¡¯ situation. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but their health is already low. They only have around a hundred and fifty health points left,¡± Liam informed. Roman had heard the last part and grinned as he punched one of his fists into an open palm and stated as he took a step forward, ¡°Well, if their health is already that low then we¡¯ve got this part of the wave in the bag.¡± Liam stared at the creatures and noticed something strange. Each of the five monster¡¯s health was ticking down. It wasn¡¯t slow either. When he last looked at it the highest was at one hundred fifty-five, but now the highest was one hundred and ten. Their health was dropping at a rapid rate. Liam tried to think why their health was dropping at such a speed. They hadn¡¯t attacked them or created any Debuffs to cause their health to drop so much. They could have been attacked by the Toxos, but if that was the case then why hadn¡¯t any Toxos come out with them? Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he watched Roman strut his way forwards slowly and then stopping not too far away from them. It looked like he was taking his time contemplating which one he wanted to take down since the monsters slowly made their way towards them. The Diseased Cave Trolls, for their part, looked enraged, but their movements were slow as they dragged their elongated arms across the ground. Liam inspected the monsters a bit closer after seeing the rage in their eyes. Small foam-like bubbles formed across their bottom lip and slowly boiled over in a couple of lines. One let out a scream that sounded both gurgled and full of pain. They looked like they were feral and would pass over a disease if they bit you. Liam¡¯s eyes slowly widened as he thought about that. They looked like they had a case of rabies. He looked over the monsters¡¯ skin and noticed veins were darkened and visible in certain areas, especially around the greyish patches of their skin. He then noticed something else. Small areas of their stomachs moved. It was subtle, but it looked like something was poking at the skin from the inside. ¡°They¡¯re infected,¡± Liam suddenly muttered in a low voice as he realized what was happening. ¡°What?¡± Artem asked as he and Blair turned around. Liam looked at the two companions still by as he informed, ¡°They¡¯re infected with the Toxo¡¯s Raging Rabies Venom.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Blair inquired as she looked back at the monsters. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam said with confidence. ¡°Not only that, but I think they are infested with Toxos as well.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Artem exclaimed. ¡°How?!¡± ¡±That I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Then what makes you think they are infested with those creatures?¡± Blair asked, feeling a bit uneasy. ¡°Their stomachs,¡± Liam pointed. ¡°It looks like something is trying to come out of it. And I think it will when their health drops. I think that¡¯s why their health is so low and is dropping so fast. They are being eaten from the inside!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fucking gross dude,¡± Artem said as he looked a bit pale. ¡°Yeah so we need to¡­,¡± Liam started to say until they heard Roman proclaim, ¡°I think I¡¯ll take you down ugly.¡± Liam, Artem, and Blair turned to see Roman race towards the Diseased Cave Troll in the middle. The three started shouting at the damn fool to stop and get back over to them, but their attempts fell on deaf ears as Roman focused on his targeted foe. ¡°Shit! The fucking idiot is not listening!¡± Blair swore as she opened her wings and was about to soar as fast as she could to stop him, however, as she was getting ready she was stopped by Liam as he put a hand out. She was about to yell at him, but closed her mouth as he said, ¡°Their health hit zero.¡± Blair turned to see all five of the monsters collapse to the ground on their sides making Roman slide to a halt. He started cursing at them for suddenly dropping like that and that he didn¡¯t get a chance to fight them. His tirade came to a stop as he heard Artem yelling at him to come back. Roman turned around and shouted back, ¡°What? Why should¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence he heard a sound that didn¡¯t sound right to him. He turned around and noticed the bodies start to convulse and shake violently. As he turned around and took a few steps he stopped and looked back as he suddenly heard the sound of bones snapping and breaking. As he looked back he saw the skin around the monsters¡¯ stomach start to split and tear open. High pitch screeches and hisses filled the air as spiders the size of rats poured out of their prison. As these creatures emerged and spilled out of the stomachs of the Diseased Cave Trolls and skittered out, Roman realized that he probably should have done what Artem was shouting instead of questioning him. He turned around and sprinted towards the others as fast as he could trying to get away from the wave of spider creatures. Liam assessed a few. [Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. 56/56 HP. 15/15 MP. Level 5.] [Toxo Body Infiltrator. 65/65 HP. 20/20 MP. Level 6.] [Toxo Corpse Controller (Infant). 15/15 HP. 5/5 MP. Level ¨C 1] ¡°Holy shit, holy shit, holy Shit!¡± Roman cursed as he raced over to the others. Blair pointed her weapon at a group of the fast running spiders as Artem placed his shield out in front of him. Both started chanted after channeling some mana. To Liam¡¯s surprise he noticed they weren¡¯t channeling regular Arcane Mana but rather mana that matched the spell they were using. ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and Keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± Blair chanted as an orb of Gravity started forming. Thanks to the Gravity Mana she had channeled, it grew slightly bigger than a normal one. After she finished the chant and the orb finished growing, she threw it at a group to her right in front. After the orb landed and rose, the mass of spiders that ran right into the radius were sucked up towards the middle where the orb hovered. Many of the spiders that were still coming and didn¡¯t get caught by the pull of the gravity skirted around. ¡°Water usually serene and calm, I beseech you to rush out like a bomb. Come out as I flip the lever, run rampant like a raging river. Push back the enemy or pile on them and crush. Hydro Rush!¡± Artem chanted as an orb of water formed in front of him. Instead of this growing like Blair Gravity Orb did, this one remained the same size as the one he saw earlier. Instead of size it made up with power as a powerful force of water suddenly sprayed out towards a group of spiders that was getting closer on the left side of the group. As soon as Roman made it back to the group he quickly made his way over to Artem and was about to chant a Lightning spell, but was stopped by Liam who stated, ¡°Use Wave of Ignition instead!¡± Roman looked back at him and was about to protest, but was cut off again as Liam stated, ¡°Let Artem push back as many of the spiders he can with that spell he has going on for right now. After he gets a certain amount wet you and I can use a Lightning spell, but for right now we need to take care of the ones as many as we can so we aren¡¯t overwhelmed. Use that fire spell since it¡¯s the best thing we have against them.¡± Roman didn¡¯t argue this time. Instead he looked for a massive clump that was getting closer by the second. He made his way over to that group. Once he got to a spot he felt was comfortable enough, he channeled as much Fire Mana as he could and chanted, ¡°Oh Fire, powerful and beautiful. Spark and ignite the devastating power you hold within. Course and engulf all that dare to stand in your way. Wave of Ignition!¡± A couple of the spiders jumped at Roman once they were in attacking range. However, before they could land and bite him, a cone of fire erupted from in front of his hands and sprayed the two Toxo spiders and the clump that was right behind them. Roman separated his hands out to his left and right and made the waves of fire roll over the creatures who thought they could move around the spell. Liam watched as Blair opened her wings and flew straight for the spiders that were moving around her Gravity Well spell. She swung down and attacked any of the spider that tried to jump and attack her. She was able to kill a few with her swing and was attacking a few more that remained on the ground. This was going well for her until webs suddenly shot up and wrapped around her legs. Some of the Toxo spiders started running up the webs and swiftly made their way towards her at an incredible speed. She swung her weapon across the webbings and severed the connection. However, the second she did that more webs shot up and replaced the ones she cut. Liam looked back at Artem who was still spraying the water from in front of his shield. He noticed as good amount of the creatures on this side were pushed back. A lot of them were clumped up together while a few others were spread out. He made a decision as he asked the Half-Orc, ¡°Can you move with that spell?¡± Artem glanced at Liam and responded, ¡°No. I might be able to once I level it up some, but right now I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°How long is the cool down then?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Pretty much non-existent¡­why?¡± Artem inquired. ¡°I need you to use this spell over there and help Blair out,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the ones here.¡± Not asking any more questions, Artem cut his spell off and ran over to help Blair who was slowly getting overran by the webs that were being shot at her. Liam turned his focus at the monsters who were flipped over in the massive puddle of water Artem had created from his spell. He swiftly looked through his inventory for a certain item. Once he found it he pulled it out and aimed for the biggest clump of Toxo spiders that were not only still standing in the water, but were completely soaked. After finding his targets he reached his arm back and then threw the flask as he muttered in almost a whisper, ¡°Sorry Roman.¡± As soon as the flask broke, an explosion of pure white particles suddenly expanded out in a ten foot radius and started swirling all around the creatures that were trapped within. To Liam it looked like a mini tornado of smashed pure white glass dust circled around, hitting all life within. He watched as a layer of ice started to freeze the bodies of the wet blackish green hued spiders. Their moves grew sluggish before completely coming to a halt. Their screams of terror also went silent as the layer of ice covered their mouths. A smile formed on his face after seeing all that. He figure that the only reason they froze the way they did was thanks to Artem¡¯s Hydro Rush spell getting them so soaked. He wasn¡¯t sure how well the poison was doing since the bodies were completely frozen, but that was something he could check out another time. Now he had to focus on the ones that didn¡¯t get caught up in the Weak Poisoned Ice Mist and were still in the puddle of water. While the edges of the ten foot radius had started to freeze over, Liam knew it wouldn¡¯t get too far. He took a breath and started chanting, ¡°Lightning surge bright and engulf my hand with the sparks of your stunning force. Static across my enemies as my grasp collides with their form. Static Grasp!¡± Lightning crackled over his right hand after he finished the chant. He then race over to the edge of the water and thrust his hand down into the pool of water that was slowly starting to seep into the ground. Sparks of lightning shot out from the place he dipped his hand in. A few seconds later he heard screams as sparks engulfed the remaining creatures that were still in the water. Liam pulled his hand out and looked at the monsters. Each had survived with only a couple of hit points left. He knew it wouldn¡¯t outright kill them, but he was kind of hoping it would. Not wasting any more time, Liam pulled out his throwing daggers and started throwing them at each creature still alive in the area. After Liam finished taking down all the paralyzed and frozen spiders on his end he turned to see if the others needed help. Roman had finished frying the spiders that were dumb enough to try and attack him. He was already helping Artem electrocute the ones he had gotten soaked with his Hydro Rush spell. Blaire flew around above the paralyzed creatures and killed the ones too far away from Roman and Artem. After getting a better look at the litter of dead bodies, Liam was surprised at how many creatures there were. At first when the monsters came out of the Diseased Cave Trolls bodies he didn¡¯t think there were a lot, especially after seeing the size of the spider monsters. It was both terrifying and disgusting thinking about it. A shiver ran down his spine thinking about being infected with whatever these ugly troll creature were infected with that caused these spiders to grow inside them. He didn¡¯t wish that kind of death on anyone. ¡°I think that¡¯s the last of them,¡± Blair stated as she landed and folded her wings behind her. ¡°Thank god,¡± Roman groaned as he took out a mana and stamina potion. He looked at them with narrowed eyes before letting out a sigh and drinking them one by one. He gagged a couple of times and coughed after letting the last of the liquids enter his system. He looked at Liam and complained, ¡°I don¡¯t care if there is an issue or not. I will buy you flavors if you can just make those flavored potions again.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°So what happened there?¡± Blair asked as she ignored Roman. ¡°Why did those spider creatures erupt from the Diseased Cave Trolls?¡± ¡°To be honest I don¡¯t know much about these creatures,¡± Liam started. ¡°What I do know is the Diseased part has to do with the fact they were injected with something called Rageful Rabies Venom.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too appeasing,¡± Blair commented with a grimace. ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Liam said with a serious tone. ¡°Once you¡¯re infected with it, it will slowly drain your life away. You¡¯ll have symptoms much like a disease back from my home world called Rabies. Not sure if you guys had something similar or not, but it slowly kills you.¡± Roman and Artem shook their heads as Blair thought about it. ¡°When you¡¯re infected with it your mind starts to go berserk and you lose all sense of reasoning. This venom does the same except it adds an extra thing after you die,¡± Liam explained. ¡°It has a chance to turn you into an Undead Creature.¡± Artem and Roman¡¯s eyes widened as their jaws dropped. ¡°Hm. I didn¡¯t have anything called Rabies, but we did have something called Madman Disease. The symptoms are similar minus the coming back as an Undead,¡± Blair stated. She then looked back at the dead spiders all around. ¡°I guess that explains why those who knew about these creatures looked so worried.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Before Liam could say anything else, his Danger Sense suddenly lit up all over causing him to instinctively jump away from where he stood. At the same time, Roman¡¯s ears swiftly twitched and he responded in the same way. Blair and Artem tried to move the moment they saw the two guys did, but were suddenly stuck as something sticky and thick wrapped around them, causing them to drop to the ground. ¡°Shit!¡± Blair shouted. ¡°I can¡¯t break free!¡± Artem yelled as panic started to fill him. Liam scanned the area to see if he could find the source of the attack. To his shock he saw spider heads staring at them from the opened holes. He was able to get a quick assessment of one before it disappeared back into the hole. [Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. 1556/1556 HP. 915/915 MP. Level 18.] ¡°Fuck me,¡± Liam cursed. Adventure 234 - Tis but a scratch Roman and Liam raced over to Artem and Blair. Liam gripped a part of the webbing that was wrapped tightly around her and tried to tear it apart. No matter how hard he pulled the webbing didn¡¯t tear or budge. He went to grab one of his curved throwing daggers, but as soon as he tried to run it against the string, he felt his Danger Sense flare back up. He and Roman jumped out of the way of a couple of clumps of webbing that soared over the spot where they once stood. Liam turned his gaze in the direction of where the attacks came from to see six Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos standing not too far away from them. These spiders weren¡¯t the size of rats like their lower leveled versions. From what he could tell they were about hip or chest level. Each were level eighteen. Liam stared at them as they stood there waiting. Waiting for what, Liam didn¡¯t know. He slowly and cautiously moved his foot forward. As he did this he noticed each creature fixate on him causing him to stop moving. He understood what they were doing. They were waiting for them to make a move. ¡°Roman,¡± Liam started. ¡°Don¡¯t move a muscle. They are waiting for us to move so they can attack.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Roman asked as he glared at the creatures. ¡°What are we supposed to do then?¡± ¡°Do you have any levels in any bladed weapons?¡± Liam asked. ¡°You know I¡¯m trying to¡­,¡± Roman was starting to say. ¡°I know what you are trying to do,¡± Liam interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m asking if before you decided to go down that path if you got any levels in anything other than fist or unarmed Weapon Skills. Even a single level would be fine.¡± Roman remained silent for a few moments as he thought about it. ¡°I do have a couple of levels in Throwing Weapons, but why are you asking?¡± ¡°That should work¡­hopefully,¡± Liam said before explaining, ¡°They are wary of us moving. Once either of us do they will attack. I have a half-baked plan, but it requires one of us to act like a decoy and the other to try and cut them free.¡± ¡°Then I should be the decoy since you have levels in bladed weapons,¡± Roman suggested. ¡°No,¡± Liam argued. ¡°While you have speed and agility you don¡¯t have a continuous movement ability with a really low cooldown. Unless you did get one that I don¡¯t know of?¡± ¡°I do have a Utility type movement skill, but the cooldown is half a minute. I haven¡¯t gotten it to level ten yet,¡± Roman informed. ¡°Yeah?¡± Liam said with some surprise in his voice. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll show it to you later,¡± Roman replied. ¡°Sweet,¡± Liam said before getting back on track. ¡°Anyways, here is the plan. I am going to run to my left and try to gather their attention on me. I¡¯ll leave you one of my throwing daggers to use. Do not move until their focus is completely on me. Okay?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Roman answered as he licked his lips. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll move in three¡­two¡­one,¡± Liam counted down. As soon as he said one he started running to his left. At the same time he threw his throwing dagger as close as he could get it to Roman. All eyes of the Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos followed Liam¡¯s body. A couple shot out thick strings of webbings from the mouths, which confused Liam. He was so use to spiders on Earth that seeing them shoot webs from their mouth was a strange sight to see. He was able to out run both as he picked up some speed and curved to the right, making the giant spiders turn their bodies to look away from Roman and the others. He threw a couple of his Throwing Daggers at each of them. Majority had bounced right off their back ends and legs while a couple scratched the top of their heads as they ran across them. They each let out a terrifying screech before moving their legs in an angry fashion. As soon as they were fully facing away from them, Liam changed his direction and ran straight for them. All six spiders opened their mandibles and jaws and spewed another line of spider webs. Instead of trying to dodge them, Liam activated his Shadow Step allowing the webbings to fly through a puff of dark smoke. Liam reappeared behind the Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo that was closest to him. Both of his Shadow Moon Blades gripped in his hands in a reverse grip. He spun his body as hard as he could and tried to drive the weapons into the abdomen just to be rebuffed. It had felt like he was trying to strike solid metal. Liam clicked his tongue while Shadow Stepping away from this creature before two sharp blade like legs pierced into him from another Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. He reappeared in front of a different one, sheathed his two blades and pulled out one of his Bone Crafted swords. He went to attack the head of this monster; however his sword was parried as it moved its left leg in to block. The sword instead ran along the side of its face, cutting the edge of one of its beady black eyes. Liam used Shadow Step once more to appear at the side of another. This time, instead of attacking the head, he activated his Cleave ability and focused on the joint where its leg and body was at. He went to attack it, but as he did so he felt he wasn¡¯t going to get to it in time as it moved. Instead he aimed for the joint that had part of the leg that curved downwards. His sword found purchased as it sliced through the joint, cutting that part of the leg off. The Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo let out a painful hiss as blood started to slightly pool out of the wound. Liam smiled and was about to Shadow Step once more, but before he could activate it he felt his Danger Sense flare up a bit on his back right before a sharp pain stabbed into him. One of the spider creatures behind him had stabbed one of their front legs into his back around his left shoulder blade. Thankfully for him it didn¡¯t pierce too deep. He activated his Shadow Step and disappeared before it could strike again. The moment he reappeared not too far away from the pack of spiders he took a look to at his parameters to make sure he wasn¡¯t inflicted with anything. He didn¡¯t see anything saying he was poisoned or left with a Disease Debuff, which let him release a sigh of relief. The pain caused by the strike wasn¡¯t too much, but it was able to take out fifty of his health points from his current eight hundred and thirteen. Not a lot, but if these creatures trapped him and attacked all at once it wouldn¡¯t take long before they killed him. ¡°Alright, time to see how resistant you are to other poisons,¡± Liam stated as he placed his sword away and replaced it with several small vials full of a powdery substance. He Shadow Stepped away from his position and reappeared in front of one of the creatures on the side. Before the monster could react he threw one of the small vials as hard as he could right at the monster¡¯s eyes. The moment it shattered he used Shadow Step again to land in front of another that had its mouth wide open. He tossed another vial into its mouth. He Shadow Stepped a couple more times tossing these vials at either their eyes or right into their mouths before jumping away from the monsters. He received a few notifications telling him that the Poisoned Powder he used had either worked in poisoning them or failed due to some resistance they had. He grew a grin as he closed those notifications. Even if it didn¡¯t work on a couple of them they were still affected but the dust covering their eyes, semi blinding them. Each of the monsters let out angry screeches as some of them moved about trying to clear the dust off their faces while the others were choking on the substance lodged down their throats. Liam pulled his sword back out and went back in. As he popped in and out between each creature either appearing in front, the back, or on either side, Liam tried his best to cleave their legs off. He was successful with a two of the Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos, but failed as the others either parried his strikes or moved their legs out of the way right in time. He tried this a few times. After getting into a pattern and groove he felt confident in trying to attacking their faces. As he reappeared in front of one of them, and noticed it was still trying to get the powder off of its face, he thrust his word forward. However, as he did this a sharp leg from one of the closest Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos suddenly reached out and ran across his right bicep, creating a nice long gash. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Liam retracted his arm back, not going through with his strike and jump backwards to dodge a strike from another. The moment his legs touched the ground though, three globs of webbings shot out and trapped his feet down where he stood. Liam cursed as he looked down and tried to yank his feet free. No matter how hard he tried he wasn¡¯t able to break free. He lifted his head back up and scowled at the monsters who were now rushing right for him. He brought the sword up and readied himself to attack the first spider creature that approached him. One of the Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos, this one with a missing back leg, arrived within striking distance. It lifted its right leg up into the air and was ready to pierce it right through him like it was going to skewer meat, but before it could an orb of water suddenly collided into the side of its abdomen. One second later a streak of lightning flashed right in front of Liam. However, instead of lightning crashing into the spot where the water orb hit, Roman¡¯s out stretched arm and fist punched it. Sparks of lightning had crackled around him before spreading over the monster. His fist had struck so hard it punctured right through the hardened shell. The rest of the Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo¡¯s body had turned to the right after absorbing the impact allowing Artem to bring his mace right down onto the creature¡¯s face. Liam then saw Blair appear by the next Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo¡¯s side, her body low to the ground then twisted and spun to her left side bringing her hardened stone scales axe up. The impact of the weapon colliding into the target had caused the monster¡¯s side to lift up and flip over right and crash into the spider creature on the other side. She then jumped up while bringing her weapon over her head. As her body started to fall, she channeled her mana into her weapon to smooth it out and sharpen the bladed parts before striking down vertically. Roman pulled his fist out of the abdomen of the monster and then turned to face another creature that was now skittering angerly at him while chanting, ¡°O Earth, strong and deadly. Shift and form anew. Bring pain to my enemies as you show them your pointed Anger. Stone Pike!¡± The ground rumbled right in front of the monster as it ran. It had tried to stop as it realized what was going on but failed as a massive stone spike shot up and pierced right through the bottom of its abdomen. While the spell did not kill it, it did skewer it into the air. The monster tried to use its legs to free itself, but once more failed as Roman chanted his Wave of Ignition and cooked the spider creature alive. Liam noticed the Last two were changing tactics and were starting to run away to gain some distance. Artem, in front of him, looked like he had things in order as he kept slamming his mace down over and over on top of the monster¡¯s head. Liam then used his sword to cut himself free. It was hard at first, but once he created a slit the rest was easy to cut. He looked at one of the spiders and started chanting, ¡°Hidden within the dark, I call upon you to bind my target. Grasp them with the tendrils you possess. Remind them why they should fear their own Shadow. Grasp of the Shadows!¡± The familiar shadowy tendrils stopped the monster dead in its tracks as they wrapped around the remaining legs and the body, rooting it in place. After that Liam ran right for the other Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. As he caught up to the monster he noticed it had slowed down and swiftly turned around. A glob of webbing shot out of its mouth right for his chest. Instead of hitting a solid mass of flesh, Liam¡¯s body exploded into a body of black smoke. The Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo looked around for its target, understanding what he was doing now after seeing it so many times. It couldn¡¯t find him. It looked left, right, turned around, but still didn¡¯t see him. When it finally look up, the one area it didn¡¯t think Liam would be, it was too late. The sharp blade of his scythe dug right into the head and pierced its brain. Liam pulled the weapon out, slicing through the small skull and opened a giant wound, allowing blood to pour out. After killing it, Liam turned to look at the other Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo he had ensnared, but felt relief as he saw Artem, Blair, and Roman take it out. Liam breathed heavily as he watched the monster fall to the ground dead. He winced as the pain from his gash and the wound on his back reminded him they were there. He pulled out a Minor Health Potion and drank it. He gagged at the nasty taste but felt the pian from the wounds start to disappear. He looked at his bicep and saw it had closed. The area was an angry pink color showing that there once was a wound there, but still needed time to finish healing. Artem, Blair, and Roman jogged over to him, a little worried after seeing him get sliced across the bicep. Artem looked the wound over to make sure there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with it, but Liam waved him off. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Liam stated then with a grin added, ¡°Twas nothing but a flesh wound.¡± The three gave him a confused and concerned look as he chuckled a bit. He waved it off as he muttered, ¡°Never mind, you wouldn¡¯t get it. Great job on the back up though.¡± He then looked at Roman and asked, ¡°Was that the movement ability you mentioned?¡± Roman nodded as he replied, ¡°Yeah it¡¯s called Static Flash. I can only move in a straight line and can¡¯t turn myself once I use it. I also can¡¯t use it in multiple successions yet. Also I need a running start before I activate it. However, once I do use it I create a trail of lighting that follows after me and collides into whatever I slam into. Or punch. Not going to lie that was the first time I tried to punch something while using the move. I am glad I didn¡¯t break my arm or hand.¡± Blair placed a hand over her face as she shook it while Artem and Liam just stared at him as he let out a short chuckle. As much as Liam thought the move was amazing, he also thought that Roman was an idiot for trying something out like that without knowing if he would hurt himself in the process. He then grimaced as he realized he wasn¡¯t one to talk. Liam listened as the three talked and replenished their health, mana, and stamina. As he listened something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. It was the Soul Orbs of the monsters they had killed. Usually they floated right above the corpses, but these ones were slowly inching away from the bodies. They were slowly moving towards a certain direction. That direction was the hill with all the webbings covering the holes that riddled the side. Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he saw that. He moved away from the group and towards the cluster of Soul Orbs not too far away. He wanted to make sure they were moving in the direction he was seeing. His three companions noticed him move away and were puzzled. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Blair asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Liam replied as he confirmed the direction they were slowly moving. He deactivated his Mana Sight and activated his Phantom Sight to see if what he was thinking was on the right course. To his surprise, he was able to see a faint ghastly green color emanated from the biggest hole on the hill not too far away, closer to the ground. ¡°What the hell,¡± Liam quietly whispered as he stared at it. As he continued to stare at it he noticed really thin ghastly green lines flash in and out, connecting to each Soul Orb that was around them. he wasn¡¯t sure if the reason why the materials were moving slow, or even moving at all, was because of these lines and how thin they were. Not wanting to let them get away, he summoned his Spectral Lantern and harvested them before they could get away. ¡°What was that about?¡± Roman asked, a little concern etched into his voice. ¡°The Soul Orbs¡­,¡± Liam started as he looked at them. He noticed the confused look on their faces and realized they didn¡¯t really know about them nor what his new class could do. ¡°Do you remember the things that the Hubristic Arisen Lich tried to use to fill that magic circle back on the sixth floor in the Tutorial Area?¡± ¡°Yeah. Those creepy orbs that were floating above our heads,¡± Roman stated. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Well, after my class evolved I¡¯ve been able to see them. I can collect them with my Spectral Lantern.¡± Liam, still holding the item even after it finished harvesting the Soul Orbs, showed them it. ¡°They are like another resource I can use to replenish my Spirit Pool and a new Craft I recently got.¡± ¡°Of course you got another Craft,¡± Roman teased. ¡°Not right now,¡± Liam said with a flat look. ¡°Anyways, thanks to my new class I can see the Soul Orbs that appear after we kill a monster. Not only can I see these things, I recently got an ability called Phantom Sight that allows me to see Phantoms, Spectral, or any other Spirit type creatures. Having a Spirit Pool and a Spirit type class also gave me an extra effect with the ability that allows me to see other spirit type abilities being used.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Roman said, a little confused, ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Well, I noticed the Soul Orbs were slowly moving,¡± Liam continued to explain. ¡°They aren¡¯t supposed to move unless someone is collecting them or using some type of an ability to move them.¡± Blair narrowed her eyes as she started piecing things together. ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s something out there using spirit type abilities to collect the Soul Orbs?¡± ¡°I saw Spirit Mana being used to pull the Soul Orbs in that direction,¡± Liam stated as he pointed towards the hill. ¡°What can do that?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°However, with my, and yours, recent experience¡­There are two types of things that can do that.¡± Roman and Artem tried to think about what he meant. It was Blair who voiced what Liam was thinking. ¡°You think it could be a Necromancer or a Lich?¡± Blair asked. Liam nodded. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Roman groaned. ¡°What the hell is one of those doing here? I thought this was a poisonous spider dungeon?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know for certain if it is one of those,¡± Liam stated. ¡°And we won¡¯t know until we get there.¡± Before anyone could say anything else, loud painful roared filled the air, causing them to turn in the direction they came from. In the distance they could see six Diseased Cave Trolls appear from a few more holes on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on what¡¯s before us now. We¡¯ll worry about that problem when we get there,¡± Blair stated. ¡°It¡¯s no use worrying about it when it¡¯s not in front of us.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Roman groaned before stretching. ¡°I can do that for now.¡± Liam shook his head. He stared off into the distance where the hill was. It was growing the more they proceeded further into the dungeon. The more the waves passed the closer they were getting. He then looked at the current creatures they were about to face. He knew Blair was right and they had to focus on what was in front of them, however¡­the fact that there could be a Necromancer, or a Lich created a knot in his stomach. Their last encounter with either of the two were not pleasant. They were still underprepared to fight one. He just hoped he was wrong, and it was something else entirely. Adventure 235 - Fighting through the Waves Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman faced the six Diseased Cave Trolls a bit easier this time. Now that they knew what to expect they used counter measures to take them on. They took out two by having Blair drop a Gravity Well in between them which allowed Roman use Wave of Ignition constantly on them until they died. When the Toxos inside their stomachs emerged like an angry horde of wasps that had their nest messed with, what awaited them was nothing but waves upon waves of fire. Each creature poured out only to be burned to death. Liam had snared another of the Diseased Cave Trolls with his Grasp of the Shadows. After the body had dropped from the venom draining its life away, more of the freshly born Toxos popped right out of the giant creature¡¯s stomach only for Liam to drop a Weak Poisoned Shadow Ash flask right on top of them. The explosion of shadow smoke and ash completely covered the body and the creatures emerging from it. Within the affected area the Toxo spider creatures were covered with the substance. Their bodies burned up from both outside and within as they opened their mouths to scream and inhaled the burning ash. After the item was spent not a single creature was alive. Blair flew over to another and attack it with her axe until the giant monstrosity dropped dead. Artem, who was channeling his Water Mana, released his Hydro Rush spell the moment the spider creatures started to emerge from it. He continued to spray the area, soaking the creatures as they spilled out until Liam and Roman joined him and used Static Grasp to paralyze them. As they did that Artem moved on to the next one to do the same as Blair killed another Diseased Cave Troll. Roman decided to use another one of his new Lightning spells that allowed him to continuously pump currents of lightning into the water and fry the low leveled creatures. Liam switched over and used Static Grasp once more to stop the creatures movements before throwing his Throwing Daggers at each monster until they died. The last two were killed in almost the same fashion. While they were focused on taking out the fifth Diseased Cave Troll, the last one dropped by itself before they could get to it. Liam had to join Blair into taking them out one at a time as Artem and Roman killed the ones that came out of the fifth Diseased Cave Trolls. The next couple of mini waves were filled with more Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos and had a new one that had venom dripping from its mandible and fanged mouth. It was a Leaping Rabies Toxo. True to its name it could leap, and not short distances wither. The group was happy that only two had emerged with the pack of Toxos, but they feared more would start to show themselves sooner than later. The third Wave Boss had ended up being an Orb Weaver Trapdoor Toxo. It looked almost similar to the Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos, but instead it was taller and wider and had some earth magic mixed in with its web trapping power. It was a bit more difficult than the Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos as well due to it not fully emerging from the hole it popped its head from. Instead, it would try to lock them down in place by shooting globs of webbing. If it missed it would drop back into the hole and allow some Toxo Disease Spider Carriers and Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos to emerge from that hole to attack them. After they had killed the smaller spiders, the Orb Weaver Trapdoor Toxo would poke its head out from another hole. It didn¡¯t matter if the hole was covered with webs or one that already had monster poured out from earlier mini waves. The only thing that Liam noticed was it was always a close hole. They weren¡¯t always lucky with their dodges when the Wave Boss tried to trap them. A few times one or two of them were caught by the webbings shot at them. Those times were dangerous. It would submerge itself back in the hole allowing more of the Toxo spiders to come out, but at the same time it would cast earth magic to tunnel its way over to the closest trapped target. They found out exactly how dangerous it was if they didn¡¯t free their companion trapped when Roman had gotten stuck, and Liam tried to cut him free. They saw the trail the giant Wave Boss monster made as it scurried towards him. Liam had freed him two seconds before the monster arrived. The moment they had moved away, the trail stopped making it look like it had dived before several stone spike shot up around the empty webbing like teeth, then closed over the spot and sucked up the area the stone spikes had covered leaving nothing but a hole behind. It had taken them some time to figure out how to kill this Wave Boss. Blair floated above them as they tried to look for the next hole the Orb Weaver Trapdoor Toxo would appear next. The moment it did, Blair called it as Liam chanted his Blanket of Darkness spell while she flew. Right as the monster opened its mouth to shoot out a glob of webbing the shadows created from the hole it was in allowed a tendril to wrap itself around its eyes, blinding it. A few globs of webbings shot out wildly before it disappeared back into the ground in time before Blair could strike it on the head. The next couple of times it reappeared, even though it was blinded by Liam¡¯s Blanket of Darkness spell, it still knew where they were. Roman guessed it was using some form of Earth magic to feel where they were on the ground. Liam had an idea and shared it with them. Even though they felt it was risky, they agreed to try it out. Roman was used as bait by getting caught by one of the webbings it had shot out. Artem focused on the creatures that had emerged while the Wave Boss dug its way towards Roman. Blair sliced through the webs trapping Roman in place and got him out in time by grabbing him and flying him up into the air right as the teeth-like stone spikes formed. Right before they closed into each other and sunk into the ground, Liam had finished chanting a spell and threw it into the area Roman once was at. The pale while orb was engulfed in time before its light brighten immensely. Liam received a notification that the Wave Boss received not only damage from swallowing the Lunar Exposure spell, but it had received additional damage since the Blanket of Darkness spell was still activated. The ground beneath them rumbled as painful screeches echoed out from the holes all around them. Shortly after that, a massive amount of earth had risen and flew back, like a trapdoor had opened up. It was big enough for the Wave Boss monster to finally emerge from the ground. Liam¡¯s Blanket of Darkness spell had disappeared, and it looked at them with rage through its beady black eyes. After that, Liam had chanted his Grasp of the Shadows to try and trap it in place before loading it up with his remaining Shadow and Lunar afflictions. The shadows that trapped it in place didn¡¯t hold for long, but it was enough for Artem, Blair and Roman to approach it and start landing their attacks. The Orb Weaver Trapdoor Toxo didn¡¯t make it easy for them as it tried to use its webbings to trap them in place and if that didn¡¯t work it shot stones the size of baseballs at them or stone spikes from underneath them to try and get its attackers to back off. A few of the stone balls had found purchase against a few of them, taking out a huge amount of health with each one that struck. However, it wasn¡¯t enough as they found the best rhythm to both dodge the earth magic spells, the globs of webbings, and even the occasion swings of its legs and dive back in to attack. The item it had dropped was a chest piece called Orb Weaver Toxosilk Chest Piece. It was lightweight, but at the same time it felt strong and sturdy. It was stretchy but didn¡¯t tear no matter how far they pulled on it. The defense on it was great since it was a rare rarity and average quality. To their surprise it had an effect called Reinforced Webbing. The effect allowed the wearer to harden the silk of the armor, increasing the defense by a certain amount. The cooldown wasn¡¯t long, but it wasn¡¯t short either. They didn¡¯t know exactly how it worked or looked when activated, but they had some ideas. The design looked like more like scale mail than something created using silk or webbings. It was black with dark green hues here and there. They gave it Roman since he needed an upgrade to his current armor. Not only that, but the chest piece he was currently wearing was starting to fall apart on him. He didn¡¯t complain and replaced his old armor with it. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. During the short break time after defeating the third Wave Boss, they took their time to replenish their health, mana, and stamina. Liam also harvested the Soul Orbs hanging around. He noticed the pull on them was a bit stronger this time around due to how far they had already moved during their fight against the Orb Weaver Trapdoor Toxo. He didn¡¯t like that. The next few mini waves grew harder not in strength or higher levels. Instead, it grew harder due to the amount of monsters that came out. This confused Liam as he scanned their levels. Usually when you got farther in a dungeon both the power and levels of the creatures increased. Now that they were facing the fourth wave, they had expected the creatures to be level twenty one or higher. Instead, they had dropped down to twelve to fifteen. They didn¡¯t know why that was happening. They weren¡¯t going to complain about fighting lower leveled monsters since they were easier to kill, but it felt like the dungeon corrected this sudden drop in power by adding more creatures to fight. The increase of monster bodies became a problem, especially when the Leaping Rabies Toxos started coming out more mixing themselves with Orb Weaver Trapper Toxos. That combination of enemies was bad. It was even worse when Toxo Disease Spider Carriers mixed in with them. They were able to make it through the mini waves without getting infected by their venom, which they were glad about. They knew that if the levels were higher than what they were this endeavor would have been impossible, however, thanks to the sudden level drops it was starting to seem manageable. They just hoped this was the case for what came after the fourth Wave Boss. The fourth Wave boss ended up being Toxo Corpse Controller that was hiding inside a Zombified Cave Troll. They had some issues with this Wave boss not because they couldn¡¯t kill it, but it was smarter than its brethren. Before the body of the monster it was controlling died it would exit it, leaving behind a weaker Toxo Corpse Controller to take over the monster. It would then jump back in to the hole and appear in a different creature. At first Liam didn¡¯t notice that. None of them did. It was Artem who made a comment about how the bodies started moving differently once they reached a certain health threshold. They started walking like their legs were made of rubber and their attacks seemed to start to miss or move in a different pattern. After they got a Possessed Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s health down to the percentage they were starting to notice the changes at, Liam saw the figure running down the monsters back and heading towards one of the holes closest to it. Liam sprinted after it to try and stop it. The creature was faster than he thought it would be, however, thanks to Blair using Gravitational Force Increase, the Toxo Corpse Controller¡¯s movement speed had slowed down enough for Liam to throw a Lightning Enchanted Throwing Dagger right into its abdomen. The dagger piercing through the backend of the spider didn¡¯t outright kill it, which surprised Liam. Instead it sent a spark of lightning through its body and caused it to stop as a Paralyze Debuff activated. The few seconds of it being paralyzed gave Liam the time to reach it and kill it. After the Fourth Wave Boss had died, the four took a moment to replenish their health, mana, and stamina. The continuous wave of creatures the Toxo Corpse Controller had kept coming out with didn¡¯t give them enough time to drink a potion, but only catch a small bit of their breath. Since they were able to do it after I had finally died they took that time. Liam harvested the Soul Orbs the moment they had their rest bit. The pull on the Soul Orbs had gotten even stronger now that they were even closer to the hill. However, the closer they got to what he believed was a hill the more he was able to see it. it had not been a hill, but rather a small mountain with the side facing them carved out. Liam was able to see something pressed against the side of the mountain but wasn¡¯t able to make out all of the details as a fog had started to form the closer they got. Liam and the others didn¡¯t like the fact there was fog starting to appear since it meant that their perception of their surroundings was going to be obstructed. After resting a bit and replenishing their health, mana, and Stamina, they decided to loot the small Wave Boss. The item that had dropped from the Wave Boss was necklace called the Toxo Poison Catcher. It was a black chained necklace with a Toxo shaped spider pendant. The form was one before it transformed into the terrifyingly half human, half spider form. It increased immunity to poisons and venom. Separately, it had a higher immunity against the Toxo¡¯s Raging Rabies Venom. It also had an effect called Poison Collector. The effect allowed any poisons that tried to be injected or inflicted onto the wearer to be sucked into the spider pendant. The poison it collected was limited to the size of the spider. Once it was full or even before, the wearer could drain the poison or venom into a vial. At first the group thought Artem could utilize it best since he was up front all the time. It could help him against creatures that used poisons or venoms without having to cleanse himself. However, he heavily protested against receiving it. One of the reasons was what they had already figured that he didn¡¯t want anything that resembled a spider anywhere near his body. The other reason was a sound argument though. He insisted that Liam take it since he could use the effect to collect poisons or venoms as material for his Poison Craft. After listening to that, they all agreed with him. Liam accepted it without issue. He did want it because of the effect it had, but he also agreed that Artem needed some protection against poisons and similar things to it. He wanted his teammates to be as safe as possible. Liam had also received another couple of Raging Rabies Venom vials as loot. He was starting to gain a stock on the venom, which made him happy since he had a new material to practice with. After finishing up they stared at the fog. They had expected monsters to start crawling out of the sight obstructive phenomenon, however, nothing came out. They waited a couple more minutes to see if anything would come, but once more nothing did. Feeling unsure, they decided to push forward into the fog. The moment they entered the fog, they felt something strange wash over them. that feeling made them look around and be on guard for anything to come. When nothing tried to attack them they grew confused. It was Eri who had cleared their confusion. ¡°That thing you just felt was the dungeon shifting,¡± Eri started. ¡°What do you mean shifting?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Wave Dungeons are a bit special,¡± Eri started to explain. ¡°Unless specified in the restrictions, many groups can enter a Wave dungeon at different times and appear both in a different space than other groups or the same space.¡± Liam and the others grew confused with that explanation. They were about to ask what she meant, but stopped as she continued, ¡°What I mean by that is say a group entered a Wave dungeon and proceeded to the second wave right as another group entered. If the second group finishes the first wave before the earlier group finishes the second wave then the dungeon links them together by shifting the two spaces together.¡± Blair looked at Liam as they understood what she was saying. ¡°So you¡¯re saying there is another group already here and this is the wave they are on?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Eri answered. ¡°Any idea who it is?¡± Roman asked. ¡°I have some guesses, but for some reason I cannot see that far ahead¡­which is troubling to me,¡± Eri said with some concern in her voice. ¡°Why is that troubling?¡± Artem asked. The others looked at him. ¡°Eri is a goddess,¡± Liam started. ¡°She can essentially see almost anything within the area we are in. if something is blocking her sight then¡­¡± Liam left the sentence hanging to let him understand the importance of what he was saying. It had taken Artem a few seconds to get what he was implying, His eyes widened before growing both worried and concerned. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is they are strong enough to either have the strength to block out a Goddess¡¯ sight or has an item that can do that?¡± Artem asked. Liam nodded. ¡°We might have to retreat if they are too strong for us to handle,¡± Artem suggested as he stared at Liam. Before Liam could agree Eri chimed back in, ¡°Unfortunately you might not be able to leave as things currently stand.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Artem swiftly asked. ¡°I might not be able to see who is there, but I can feel that there is magic being constantly casted, affecting the exit portal and the entrance portal. If you can either stop what they are doing or cast interference magic then you could have a chance to escape. However, you do not have that kind of magic. Which leaves you the option to confront the people and try to stop them from whatever they are doing. Whether that means to kill them or cause a magical backlash from canceling their spells, either options means you will need to continue forward.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Artem gulped. ¡°Just what we need.¡± Roman let out a laugh. ¡°Come on man. We¡¯ve already gotten this far, no need to retreat now. Let¡¯s see this through to the end.¡± Artem glared at Roman. He was about to argue, but was stopped as Blair stated, ¡°There is no point arguing with an idiot. Don¡¯t waste your breath. Let¡¯s move forward.¡± Artem let out a sigh as he understood what she was saying. He started moving with her and Liam as Roman stood there processing what she had just said. The moment he realized it, he said, ¡°Who are you calling an idiot?¡± Liam laughed as Blair smirked. ¡°You¡­but that¡¯s alright. you are our idiot.¡± Roman¡¯s mouth dropped as he stared at her. He was about to say something, but was interrupted as Liam said, ¡°If you don¡¯t start moving those legs of yours you¡¯re going to be left behind. This made him move to catch up. He didn¡¯t let the comments slip as he tried to argue why he wasn¡¯t an idiot. However, his argument points were weak, and he was starting to realize it as well. Adventure 236 - Arriving at the target location Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman slowly and cautiously made their way through the fog. They kept their guard up as they walked, making sure nothing caught them by surprise. They could feel the tension in their bodies as they moved, scanning for any sign of life or movement. However, no matter how far they walked nothing appeared. Every now and then Liam noticed Roman stop and place a hand on the ground. A frown formed on his face as he looked confused each time he did this. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing, but the more he did it the more he had a feeling he was trying to listen or feel for something on the ground. After a few attempts, Liam finally asked in a whispered tone, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Roman looked at with that same puzzled expression he was getting before finally saying, ¡°I¡¯m using the gift I received from Eri. It¡¯s called Vibrant Earth. By placing a hand on the ground and focusing I can feel for movements on the ground or even under it within a certain range. It¡¯s how I was able to tell when those creatures were coming earlier.¡± ¡°Vibrant Earth, huh?¡± Liam repeated the name. After hearing about it, it kind of felt similar to Cindy¡¯s Echo magic. Although it was an earth based magic, it was still pretty handy. He then came to a conclusion after coming back round to something Roman said. He looked at Artem and Blair and asked, ¡°Did you guys get something too?¡± Artem and Blair grinned as they nodded. ¡°The others did as well,¡± Artem replied. He then placed a hand up and informed, ¡°We¡¯re not going to tell you what theirs are. That¡¯s for them to tell.¡± Liam let out a quiet chuckle before asking, ¡°Okay, then what are¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something,¡± Roman suddenly interrupted. The three looked over at him. Liam was impressed that he was able to find something. ¡°What did you find? Are they underground?¡± Blair asked, a frown on her face. Roman stood up and looked each in the face. ¡°Not underground. At least, I think it¡¯s not underground.¡± ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t think?¡± Artem asked. ¡°I mean I can feel the vibrations above ground, but at the same time not above ground. It is strange. That¡¯s not the only thing strange either,¡± Roman stated. ¡°What else is strange?¡± Artem asked as he stared at Roman. ¡°The vibrations are strong. Usually when I feel vibrations across the ground this strong it means there are a lot of creatures. However, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case right now,¡± Roman continued as he strained to focus. When no one replied to what he said he looked at them and noticed they were still confused. He let out a sign before adding, ¡°That means it¡¯s only one creature. One really big creature.¡± Liam¡¯s, Artem¡¯s, and Blair¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°I¡¯m only seventy percent sure,¡± Roman answered honestly. ¡°You have to remember that I don¡¯t have this Earth ability that high in level. I¡¯ve been going off of guess work and the rhythm of the vibrations. This time too I¡¯m going off of what I just said. The rhythm of the vibrations haven¡¯t changed, and the power of the vibrations have been constant as well.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going off of that then could there be a chance that there are more monsters, and they are just moving at the same pace?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I thought about that as well, but there are some indications and a certain fact I¡¯m going off of when saying its one monster,¡± Roman answered. ¡°What are your indications and the fact?¡± Blair asked. Roman brought a finger up as he started, ¡°First, the vibrations have been constant in that this creature hasn¡¯t moved from the spot they are moving at. This tells me that it¡¯s a single creature and it is trapped or stuck.¡± He brought a second finger up. ¡°Going off the first, if there were more monsters then there would be separate vibrations made from their movements on the ground.¡± He brought a third finger up as he finished, ¡°And the fact¡­Have you ever heard of monsters moving at the same pace before? That would be military level focus. Unless these spider creatures are militaristic, which I highly doubt with what we¡¯ve seen so far¡­¡± Blair and Liam nodded their understanding. ¡°Which way is the vibrations coming from?¡± Liam asked. Roman pointed in the direction he felt the vibrations coming from. ¡°There¡¯s still some distance, but we should be arriving there soon. You should be able to start to feel the rumblings soon the closer we get.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Alright. Now that we have a direction, let¡¯s start moving. Proceed with caution though and let¡¯s try not to make any noise if we can. We don¡¯t want to alert anyone to our arrival.¡± The others nodded as they started to make their way in the direction Roman provided. It didn¡¯t take long for them to start to feel some rumbling on the ground. At first it was light, and Liam had to really focus to make sure that what he was feeling was real and not something the mind was playing tricks on him with due to the fog. However, the more they walked the stronger the rumbles had gotten. It had gotten to a point where Liam started to think that if they got even closer it would be hard for them to walk normally. That was until after a couple of minutes of walking when the rumblings stopped. Liam and the others had stopped moving and looked at each other. Looks of confusion had washed over them the moment the ground stopped shaking. They weren¡¯t sure what had changed so they looked at Roman to see if he had anything to say about the matter. He was already hunched over with a hand pressed on the hard dirt. A frown formed on his face as he concentrated. After a few seconds he looked at the others and shook his head. Liam didn¡¯t like that. With the sudden change it felt like they were walking into a trap. The others looked at him for guidance. He thought about what to do, but after thinking it over there really wasn¡¯t much they could do, but continue to press on. Maybe by arriving to the location the creature was at they would get answers. He motioned them to continue and after a couple more minutes, the fog had started to lift. It was light at first, but as they continued it was gradually disappearing replacing nothing but a dirt path with dark decaying trees with spiderwebs hanging from them and black foliage scattered about. The bushes weren¡¯t small. They stood taller than Artem and were spread out, covering their vision on whatever was behind them. They stared at one that rested between two dead trees. They were going to turn and walk away from them until Liam noticed a light peering through the thick inky black leaf-like objects. He looked at the others and made a hand gesture that told them he saw something. He slowly approached the strange plant. Making a disgusting look, he slowly reached a hand out and tried to push one of the leaves aside. He had believed the plant would have tried to attack him or leave some sort of Debuff, but nothing of the sorts happened. Instead, the leaf moved with his hand easily revealing the location they had been searching for. What they saw shocked them. What he had believed to be some sort of hill turned out to be a small mountain. The side they were staring at though had a good chunk of the environmental structure carved out. Bulit within the mountain was a building made out of stone. There were four stories with steps that lead up to each layer. Besides the ground layer, several openings were visible on each floor. A few had thick spider webbings covering the holes while a few others were cleared of them. Stands with Yooperlite Stones rested on each layer as well as the pathway of stone flooring all over the ground closest to them. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The stoned pathway didn¡¯t just lead to the building built on the side of the mountain. It also reached out to smaller buildings that rested on the right and left side of the mountain. Not only that, but there were two massive graveyards on each side near the smaller buildings. The entire area looked old, like it belonged to some civilization from a different era. Liam felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at the entire layout. That chill formed not just from the fact that the graves in the graveyard were dug up, but also from the only opening on the ground layer of the building. It was tall and wide. It looked like you could fit a two story house and still have room for a little more. Liam looked at the others and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Artem hissed. Liam turned and gave him a confused look. ¡°Yeah. How else are we going to get out of here? You heard Eri. We need to figure out what¡¯s causing the portal issue before we can leave,¡± Liam argued as quietly as he could. Artem let out a muted groan as his watched Blair and Roman step out and follow Liam. Artem waited a few seconds as they stared at him, waiting for him to join them. Throwing his hands up, he caved and complained in a whisper, ¡°Fine.¡± The four turned and slowly walked onto the stoned path in front of them. They stopped after reaching the circled part of the path that extended from left to right and towards the building built into the mountain. Liam activated his Mana Sight before looking at the smaller buildings on both sides. He didn¡¯t see any signs of magical abilities being used from those areas. He turned to look at the building in the mountain and saw two areas with massive amounts of mana glowing. The first area came from the entrance to the giant whole on the ground level in front of them and another came from one of the smaller holes on the second floor. An eerie light blue leaked out from the entrance. At first Liam thought the color of the mana represented Water Mana. After thinking about it and feeling it out, he realized it was not Water Mana at all. It was something more¡­apathetic. The more he concentrated on it the more he felt sluggish and tired. He had to shake his head to shake the sudden strong feeling off. Not wanting to feel that again he looked up to see what the Mana Type was in the other area he saw. That one had a more familiar color. One Liam could instantly recognize. It was one that represented Crafting Mana. However, there was something else mixed within it. That color was hot pink. Liam didn¡¯t know what that color represented. It was faint and wasn¡¯t as strong as the eerie light blue color, but it was there. It mixed well with the Crafter Mana, but at the same time it wasn¡¯t really blended with it. it was separate from whatever was going on in there. The others looked at him as he looked at the mana colors. He was about to tell them what he saw, but before he could open his mouth a loud blood curdling scream flew out from the giant opening in front of them. Liam and the others swiftly covered their ears to stop the scream from deafening them. Liam went to close his eyes as he covered his ears but stopped as he saw something familiar fly out from the entrance. It was four Soul Orbs. Liam quickly deactivated his Mana Sight and activated his Phantom Sight. He watched as the Soul Orbs floated up and make their way to an opening further down than the one that had the Crafting and Hot Pink colored mana. That was where he saw the ghastly green Spirit Pool energy he saw earlier. As the Soul Orbs floated for that opening, Liam made a decision. He quickly summoned his Spectral Lantern and muttered the words,¡± Soul Harvest.¡± The glass door on the lantern swished open and called for the Soul Orbs that made their way to wherever they were heading for. The four Soul Orbs stopped right in front of the opening. Liam watched as they moved back and forth almost like they were stuck in a game of tug of war. Liam focused hard as he stared at the Soul Orbs. He didn¡¯t want to allow them to go to whoever was calling them. After a few seconds had passed and much concentration was made, the three of the four Soul Orbs shifted and made their way towards Liam¡¯s Spectral Lantern. The last Soul Orb continued inside the opening. After the three Soul Orbs entered the lantern, the glass down closed shut. He released his grip of the lantern, and it disappeared after reaching his hip. The others stared at him for a long moment before giving him a What were you thinking kind of look. Liam shrugged as he looked apologetic. That look disappeared as someone suddenly called out, ¡°Fazil, Licary¡­why did only one Soul Orb make its way up here?¡± Liam recognized that voice. He had a feeling she would be here, but at the same time he was hoping she wouldn¡¯t be. He stared at the opening, waiting¡­knowing she would make her way out here. It didn¡¯t take long. ¡°Are you fools fucking around down there? You know that this will take longer if¡­Oh?¡± the woman called out as she walked towards the ledge. Her sentence was cut short as she looked down and saw Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman staring up at her. ¡°Well, well, well. I see you finally came out of hiding Liam,¡± Lucy started as she grinned at him. ¡°I must say you are one hard to find person. I almost thought you to be dead. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Hello Lucy¡­,¡± Liam called back. ¡°I think the real question is what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Lucy questioned as she placed a hand over her chest. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about why I am here. That is something you don¡­¡± Liam let out a sigh. He really didn¡¯t want to play the back and forth game so instead he interrupted her by saying, ¡°Let¡¯s not play the back and forth game. Don¡¯t try to play stupid either Lucy. If that is your real name.¡± Liam noticed her body tense for a split second before she raised a brow. Lucy pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek as she took her glasses off. She looked at them as if she was contemplating what she was going to say next. A second later she looked at Liam and said, ¡°You know I must say. Out of all the New Arrivals that came to the island for the past few years, you were the most cautious. You were the slipperiest, and¡­the strangest.¡± Lucy started to walk along the edge of the second floor. ¡°I thought I had you pegged at the beginning. However, you kept doing things that was different than the others I gathered.¡± Her movements went from a strict office secretary type of walk to a seductive saunter. Her hips started to move in a more provocative manner as she continued, ¡°You have no idea how hard it was to try and gain your trust. However, each attempt ended in fail. Granted that idiot Morshire made things even more troublesome thanks to his pride and misunderstanding.¡± Liam noticed the scowl on her face as she stopped and turned to face them from the second floor. That scowl was quickly replaced with a wry smile as she stated, ¡°However, even with his attempts of trying to kill you, you kept coming out alive. Even that mess with the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior in the Goblin Forest Dungeon, which I must say that I am impressed you were able to kill it and make it out a live while keeping that Cindy girl alive. Congrats on that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any congratulations from you,¡± Liam said as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Whether you need it or not isn¡¯t what matters right now,¡± Lucy continued. ¡°What does matter is what comes next.¡± She stared at him before realizing there were others with him. Her head tilted a bit as she took in the three newcomers. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have met. Who might you guys be?¡± ¡°We¡¯re his teammates,¡± Roman stated. ¡°Teammates?¡± Lucy repeated before looking at Liam. ¡°Again, you surprise me¡­I didn¡¯t think you had anyone in this world and yet here you are with people claiming to be your teammates. A kitsune, a Dragon-kin, and a¡­Orc? Now that is a rather unusual group right there¡­Oh well. Not like it will matter in the end. You all will just end up becoming fuel for the spell to complete.¡± ¡°The spell?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°You mean that Soul sucking spell. The one collecting the Soul Orbs? Are you saying that a Lich nor a Necromancer is working that spell?¡± Lucy¡¯s smile widened as she stared at him. She bit her lower lip as she started giggling to herself before saying, ¡°You know the more you talk the more you just fascinate me. I must ask, how do you know so much for one that hasn¡¯t been in our world for more than a couple of months?¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like telling you.¡± Lucy¡¯s body vibrated as a maniacal laugh escaped her lips. ¡°Oh¡­you are going to be fun to break. You know what¡­you¡¯re right about what you said earlier. Well you were right about two things.¡± ¡°Oh? And what were those two things?¡± Liam asked. ¡°First, we shouldn¡¯t play this back and forth game. The more I try the more my sin is stirring. And let me tell you what. I haven¡¯t met someone who made me want to toy or break their will as badly as I want to do to you. And let me tell you. After having to suppress my Vice for so very long, I am just overflowing with anticipation of freeing myself,¡± Lucy said as she placed a hand over her stomach while the other was placed in front of her mouth. ¡°So I¡¯m guessing the other has to do with me implying that your name isn¡¯t really Lucy?¡± Liam asked, starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct. It isn¡¯t Lucy,¡± the woman started as the air around her started to shimmer and ripple all around her like a calm pond being disturbed. Her blond hair that was wrapped up in a bun had darkened to a hazel brown and waved wildly behind her back. Her green eyes lightened and vibrated into a hot pink color. Her two horns that poked out from her head and arched a bit at the top had thickened and curved over her head. Her business like dress had smoothed out and turned into a skin tight mini dress that revealed a more lustrous body, especially with the cleavage she revealed. Her feet were covered with thin laced high heels. A thin tail poked out from behind in between a pair of demon-like wings that expanded from her hip area instead of her back. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Liam swore under his breath. ¡°My real name is Calythtis,¡± Calythtis announced. ¡°A follower of the Immoral Vice of Lust.¡± Adventure 237 - Calythtis the Lustful Succubus Liam took in the new form of the woman standing so high up and looking down with a hungry expression. Even though he was new to the world and was still getting to know all of the races, he knew he¡¯d be an idiot to get her race wrong. Although there were some things that were different than what he knew of from back on Earth like where the wings were as well as the hot pink eyes, there was no mistaking it. She was a Succubus. ¡°Hello gorgeous,¡± Roman muttered under his breath as he took all of her in. Blair¡¯s eyes widened a bit as well as she looked at her. Artem¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment as he slightly looked away from her. Liam couldn¡¯t blame them. The way she was moving her hip in slightly lewd gestures, her hand placements, and that look of sexual hunger in her eyes made even Liam feel a bit uncomfortable. ¡°You¡¯re a Succubus huh?¡± Liam stated. ¡°Oh? You know of my race?¡± Calythtis asked with an intrigued look. ¡°Did you have my kind on your home world?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± Liam replied. ¡°We knew about them through things like holy scriptures, animes, mangas, D and D, fantasy stories and other outlets. However, no one had actually seen one in person¡­to my knowledge at least.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Calythtis mused. ¡°And, pray tell, how were my kind perceived?¡± ¡°It depended on the outlet,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Mostly they were described as evil demonic creatures who sucked the life force out of those who they had sexual exploits with. They would mesmerize or charm their prey with looks or temptations and once they had their prey locked they would do what they did through sex. It¡¯s a little fuzzy on how it all worked though since there were so many different versions.¡± Calythtis smiled wickedly. ¡°That is an interesting way to view my race and what we do. Although it is somewhat true on certain aspects, not all of it is.¡± She eyed Liam for a good moment before asking, ¡°I have to ask though, you didn¡¯t seem too fazed when I revealed my real form. Did you know that other form wasn¡¯t my true one?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lie,¡± Liam started. ¡°I had some suspicions. There were things that just didn¡¯t make sense. There are still some things that don¡¯t, but I feel like after seeing your actual race they might now. Would you be willing to enlighten me on some things?¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman eyed Liam with slightly puzzled looks. ¡°Dude, what are you doing?¡± Artem asked in a whisper. ¡°I want some answers,¡± Liam stated. ¡°If we¡¯re going to die I at least want those.¡± Artem¡¯s face paled a bit. Calythtis let out a slightly crazed laugh. Liam noticed Roman¡¯s attention fall upon something as she laughed making him sigh and shake his head a bit. ¡°I think I can allow you that much since you are right. None of you will make it out alive after this,¡± Calythtis responded. ¡°I have some questions of my own. I¡¯ll allow you the fortune to go first.¡± Liam brought a hand to his chin as he thought over what he wanted to ask. There were plenty of things he wanted to know, but he felt that if he asked too many then she would get bored and attacked. He wanted to use this time to figure out what was going on and how to stop whatever was preventing them from leaving. ¡°I¡¯ll start with this, since it kind of relates to me,¡± Liam finally started after a few seconds. ¡°You were targeting Half-breeds. Half Beast-kins to be precise. Those who were newly arrived people that came here with no one. Why is that? Also why those who had an aptitude in multiple crafting areas?¡± Calythtis raised a brow. ¡°You do know more than you should. That questions have two reasons. We only targeted Half Beast-kins due to a request that someone made. Newly arrived people worked out best because of the fact no one knew who they were, which meant no one would come looking for them or question where they were. As for the reason why those with multiple crafting areas, well it is because once crafters get to a certain level in a few different crafts there is something they can do.¡± That doesn¡¯t really answer my question, but it does clear a few things. Liam thought. However, is the thing they can do related to capturing the Dungeon? Does capturing a dungeon rely on certain crafts? I guess I¡¯ll have to try and see if I can get her to reveal that. ¡°Vague on both counts I see,¡± Liam commented. ¡°Is the person you received that request from the mayor of this island or one of the noble folks you have as allies?¡± Calythtis smiled. ¡°Yes, on both counts. It was a request that we clean this island of what they called the filth of their race. They really don¡¯t like the fact that there are Half Beast-kins alive. Even if their kingdom doesn¡¯t like that attitude they still want to wipe the stains clean. Their words not mine.¡± Liam scowled at that. ¡°So are you saying that the mayor knew you were here and didn¡¯t do anything to chase you out or capture you? Did you use any type of seduction on him to avoid that?¡± Calythtis laughed loudly. ¡°Oh heavens no. He knew of mine and my fellow believers existence on the island. However, instead of turning us in or trying to chase us out he allowed us to stay as long as we did as he requested. The stupid man even made me his secretary as well as the Head New Arrival Agent, so I had easier access to the fresh materials that came in. Not only that, but we have also captured and used other Half Beast-kins every now and then as fuel.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as his scowl deepened a bit at what she said. ¡°That¡¯s another thing. How did you get passed the Illusion Security they have in the Teleportation Tower?¡± Calythtis raised her left arm up to reveal an obsidian bracelet. A few multi-colored gems were engraved into it making it look extremely expensive. ¡°This beautiful magical item can counter those kinds of magic. The specifics are too much for someone who is new here, but all you need to know is that highly leveled Artificers can really make interesting and very useful items. Now is that all you want to know? If so then I¡¯d like to as¡­¡± ¡°There is something else I¡¯d like to know,¡± Liam interrupted. ¡°While I can piece some things together and make assumptions there is still a couple of things that I don¡¯t understand. For example, those kidnapped Crafter Half Beast-kins are probably trying to capture this dungeon right? I can¡¯t even begin to think why they would even agree to help you.¡± Liam noticed Calythtis¡¯ body twitch at that. ¡°You also have some magic circle collecting Soul Orbs, probably to summon something right?¡± Another twitch. ¡°So what I¡¯m trying to figure out is what you¡¯re goal is? Why would you have a Lich, or a Necromancer use that kind of magic while you¡¯re also trying to capture this dungeon? Not to mention the fact that you probably have the dungeon¡¯s final Wave Boss still alive. What purpose is all of this?¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Calythtis¡¯s eyes narrowed as her body straightened. It took a few seconds before a wicked grin formed on her face and she said, ¡°You really are a mystery aren¡¯t you Liam. I didn¡¯t think anyone would have figured all of that out. While you do have something wrong in your assumptions, I guess I can correct that while filling in the final blanks.¡± Liam stared at her as he waited for you to continue. ¡°Yes, we have some of the Crafter Half Beast-kins working on capturing this dungeon. It is a necessary thing to do for our plans. You see once the final boss is killed this dungeon will disappear. We were lucky with what type of monsters were in this dungeon when we were able to form it,¡± Calythtis started. ¡°Form it?¡± Liam muttered as he stared at her. ¡°Ah you didn¡¯t know? While it is a mystery and is still being studied on how Portals to dungeons are formed there is a fact that has been proven. And that fact is Dungeon Portals that appear will always appear at places where there is a lot of the same element. For example, rivers and oceans will always have a Blue Dungeon Portal. Forests and jungles will always have a Green Dungeon Portal. Or, in this case¡­,¡± Calythtis paused for effect. ¡°Where a bunch of death, bones, and corpses a Black Dungeon Portal will appear.¡± Liam thought about what she was talking about. An image of what the room where this Dungeon Portal was located in popped in his mind. There were a lot of decaying bodies and bones within it. ¡°You mean¡­¡± Liam started to say. ¡°I knew you¡¯d pick up on it. Yes, those are the bodies of random Half Beast-kins the mayor had captures or had us captured. We killed them there and used their dead bodies to have this dungeon portal created. It was an added bonus that a lot of spiders happened to be in the room, and we believed that¡¯s what triggered this dungeon to come alive.¡± Calythtis smiled. ¡°However, I¡¯m digressing. We needed a Black Dungeon to appear on this island because we were informed that if one was made here then we would be one step away from finally being able to find them.¡± ¡°Find them? Find who? And who told you this?¡± Liam asked. ¡°You¡¯re getting a bit ahead of yourself. I still told you there is something we need to correct,¡± Calythtis stated. ¡°You said that we have a Lich or a Necromancer powering the magic summoning circle. That is not correct.¡± Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman looked confused. ¡°While it is more affective if one is powering it, there are ways to activate a magic circle, especially one as dangerous as this one. Ways that consist of Knowledge Theory in specialized Portal Summoning Circles, specified materials, and an abundant amount of mana,¡± Calythtis stated as she looked at each of them one by one. ¡°And if you couldn¡¯t understand what I am imply then I¡¯ll spell it out for you. There is no one powering the spell, just the Soul Orbs that we collect from killing the monsters in this dungeon¡­well that and those we have captured to kill.¡± ¡°Wait¡­that doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Artem blurted out. ¡°If you activated using those means then how did you come about the knowledge? There shouldn¡¯t be a way unless a Necromancer or a Lich has provided that information.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°That kind of magic is only known by certain races and classes and last I heard there aren¡¯t any Liches still around. Right?¡± Calythtis laughed. ¡°Well many would agree, and I am still astonished you, who haven¡¯t been in this world for long, have knowledge of something as advanced as that. However, that is not true. You see there is an Order here in this world full of them. One that has even higher goals than us.¡± ¡°Order?¡± Liam repeated as the word triggered something in his mind. It was a memory of what happened back in the sixth floor when they were ambushed by Steve and Gary. Gary had betrayed Steve and during his last words he had mentioned something of an Order. However, before he could reveal the name Gary cut him off and killed him. ¡°What is the Order?¡± ¡°Ah, ah , ah,¡± Calythtis said as she shook a finger. ¡°Even if you¡¯re going to die soon I won¡¯t reveal that bit of information. ¡°However, I will say that they and us Seven Immoral Vice believers had formed an alliance. We are to help them with certain¡­tasks and they help us locate or find a way to create a path to find our missing¡­¡± ¡°Oi, Lucy! Who the hell are you yapping to out there?¡± A gruff voice called out from the entrance in front of Liam and the others. Four individuals slowly emerged from the entrance and got a look at Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman. ¡°Well, well, well. What do we have here?¡± a Wolf-folk man questioned as he gave the four a wicked toothy grin. His hair and ears were grey, and he wore leather armor while having a sword sheathed to his side. The other three males were a Lion-folk that looked exactly like one of the Lion-folks that worked as security at the Crafter¡¯s Association, a Tiger-folk, and a Weasel-folk. Each had a weapon of their own resting wither by their side or on their back. The Wolf-folk turned his head to look up at Calythtis and noticed she was now in her Succubus form. ¡°Oi, are we done playing make believe now?¡± ¡°No one was ever playing make believer Fazil,¡± Calythtis sneered. ¡°And what are you doing? The next wave of Toxo creatures should be being birthed soon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. There are still plenty in there to take care of¡­,¡± Fazil started to say until a loud painful scream filled the air. Moments after that five Soul Orbs started flying out of the entrance and made their way towards the magic calling it. Liam, not wanting to allow that magic circle to complete, pulled out his Spectral Lantern, muttered the ability name and pulled four of the five Soul Orbs towards his lantern. Calythtis¡¯ and Fazil¡¯s eyes widened a bit as they watched this happen. After the glass door closed and he released it to disappear again, Fazil uttered out, ¡°I think you have your answer to your question earlier Caly.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right Fazil,¡± Calythtis muttered. She then added as she stared at Liam with wonderment, ¡°However, now I have even more questions.¡± ¡°So what shall we do?¡± Fazil asked. ¡°If we kill them you won¡¯t get your answers. And I know how you are when you¡¯re hungry for answers. Which begs to me ask why you aren¡¯t a follower of Gluttony.¡± Calythtis sneered at the mention of the sin. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me right? Have you seen those pigheads?¡± Her body shook with revulsion at the thought. ¡°Besides, the current Immoral Vice of Lust suits my tastes both physically and mentally.¡± Her eyes looked off in the distance as a smile with her tongue hanging out in lewd gesture appeared on her face. Fazil shook his head as he let out a cough and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t really care what your preferences are. However, I want the loot they have once you figure out what to do with them¡­¡± Liam glanced at the others, trying to subtly get them to pay attention to him. Once he had their attention, he whispered as quietly as he could, ¡°We need to stop the people in the opening on the second floor on the left. They are trying to capture this dungeon, and I think that¡¯s what is interfering with us being able to leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy to say and all, but how do you expect us to pull that off?¡± Roman questioned back in a whisper. Liam thought about that. He really didn¡¯t have much that could get their attention. If he had something that could cause them to focus on him solely then maybe they could¡­That¡¯s when he remembered about how they reacted when he used his Hubris Aura. The way those other cultists focused only on him. He could use it and cause them to get angry enough to attack him, but he wasn¡¯t sure how fast they were. He looked around the area as subtly as he could and noticed that the place had plenty of shadows he could use. A plan slowly formulated in his mind as the enemies bantered back and forth to each other. After he finalized it he said, ¡°I have a way. Once I have all of their attention they will be focused on me. When that happens sprint for that place I mentioned.¡± The others didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment. It was Blair who finally broke the silence between them as she asked with some concern, ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want to undermine your abilities but even I can tell they are a lot more powerful than us.¡± Liam slowly nodded his head. ¡°I can understand your concern, but for moments like these all we need to do is believe.¡± The other three gave him a concerned and confused look. One that told Liam they believed he had gone completely insane. ¡°Did you forget something?¡± Liam asked. ¡°While they have something that gives them the power they have¡­we too have someone who has given us power.¡± Realization dawned on them as they understood what he meant. ¡°Now get ready. This will be a bit tricky, but run the moment they start to move,¡± Liam stated before taking a step forward. His three companions stared at him as the five people before them finally stopped talking and turned to look at him. ¡°Oi, what¡¯s this now? Are you stepping up to die?¡± Fazil asked. ¡°Mighty smart of ya, but also a bit stupid if you ask me.¡± ¡°Fazil, we just agreed that we are keeping him alive,¡± Calythtis snarled. Before Fazil could object Liam replied, ¡°As much as I would love to stay alive, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll do so once I reveal something I know you¡¯re going to hate.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Fazil questioned as he eyed Liam. ¡°And what do you think you have that will get us to hate you so much?¡± ¡°This,¡± Liam stated as he activated his Hubris Aura at full blast. All five of the Seven Immoral Vices cultist dropped any humor or smiles they had. Anger suddenly filled them as screams and shouts escaped their lips right before they charged for him. Adventure 238 - Causing Chaos to make a Distraction The first thing Liam noticed right after he flared his Hubris Aura was the four disguised Beast-kins standing on the ground level had swiftly dropped the illusion magic keeping their Beast-kin forms up. Fazil¡¯s Wolf-folk form had turned into a smoothed reddish golden goblin-like creature. It wasn¡¯t similar to the goblins he had seen previously. Not only was the color of its skin different, this form was more feral. His ears were slightly longer and pointy, horns arced and ran down in a single file down the center of its skull like a mohawk. Even its gear was completely golden. To Laim, Fazil was only missing a giant sack full of items and gold. If he had that he would have thought the creature to be a Treasure Goblin of sorts. As for the other three beings. The Lion-folk had turned into an Oni. He wore plate armor and carried a long sword. The Tiger-folk had transformed into one of the blue skinned four armed creatures he had seen outside of the dungeon. As for the Weasel-folk, it had changed into a purple skinned imp. The same one as he had seen the two female Weasel-folks change into outside. ¡°Go!¡± Liam shouted as all four and Calythtis sprinted for him. Artem, Blair, and Roman started running. They didn¡¯t need any coaxing, but they were confused as to what Liam had done to get their enemies attention on him so thoroughly. Knowing now wasn¡¯t the time to ask they took action, heading for the stairs located at the far right end of the stoned building. Liam noticed that the four armed blue skinned demon-kin, who was the farthest away from him slowly turn his head to look at the other three. Liam flared his Hubris Aura once more to regain his attention as he jumped back a few times. After jumping backwards enough he activated his Spirit Weave while gripping his Shadow Moon blades. He felt the familiar cold sensation wrap around him as the cat eared cloak appeared over his head and the shadowy mask covered his mouth. The moment he did this, Calythtis and Fazil had appeared within reaching distance. Both Demon-kins had slashed down with their hands outreached. The nails on their hands were sharp and stretched out looking like claws. However, instead of raking flesh, their claw tipped hands swiped through black smoke. He reappeared behind them, created a Shadow Double, and disappeared again. Both Calythtis and Fazil turned and started to attack the Shadowy version of Liam that defended itself and countered back. When Liam reappeared this time in front of the imp that wasn¡¯t too far, a blinding pale light suddenly flashed in his eyes. The imp screamed in pain as the pale light from his Lunar Step blinded him. Liam activated another Shadow Double before activating Lunar Step two more times and created two more Shadow Doubles to fight against them. After he successfully turned their attention onto his Shadow Doubles, he swiftly used Shadow Step to disappear from the chaotic mess he had created and appeared in the shadows of the small building to his left. After appearing there he quickly activated Veil of Shadows. To his surprise and luck, each Demon-kin focused on the Shadow Doubles. After arriving to it, he looked up at the second floor and saw Romand and Blair at the top of the stairs looking down at Artem who was almost the top. He felt bad making Artem go with them knowing he was the slowest out of the three. However, he didn¡¯t want him to stick around here where he could get hurt. That and he didn¡¯t want to worry him if things didn¡¯t go so well with what he had planned to do. If he was being honest, he was a bit afraid of what might happen. It hadn¡¯t been that long since the last incident and it was still fresh in his mind. Even though Eri had told him that the effects of her nature would be lessened this time round, he still would be getting the blunt end of it all since he didn¡¯t set it up to allow the others to receive it. They would know he accepted it since they were now her Apostles or whatever they were. He needed to talk to them about that to see what it was they were now and how it affects them. However, the last time he accepted the Level One gifts, they came with the heavy price of him almost losing his mind. He knew it was also thanks to him using his Zodiac ability and taking the full effects of that as well, but the fact still remained that his mind had been lost for some time. Even though that had happened he couldn¡¯t say the payoff wasn¡¯t good. He was able to receive a few nice things from that. That was what he was gambling on. He didn¡¯t know what he would receive as the level of the Chaos Gifts reached new heights, but he was hoping that maybe he would receive something that could help him out in this fight. As he warred with himself inside his own mind about whether he should and could or shouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t, he didn¡¯t realize his Shadow Doubles were slowly losing their fights. When all four had suddenly disappeared, that was when he finally snapped his attention on to the Demon-kins. They looked around to see if they could find Liam. They couldn¡¯t locate him since he wasn¡¯t flaring his Hubris Aura and was a bit out of range for them to be able to feel him. His Veil of Shadows also kept him cloaked and out of sight as he stood still in the building¡¯s shadow. He watched them scan the area and after a few seconds they looked at the opening on the second floor that Artem, Blair, and Roman had made their way to. Liam gave a quick glance at the area where he had last seen his three companions and noticed they weren¡¯t in sight. They must have entered while he was lost in his thoughts. He understood what the Demon-kins were thinking and knew if he didn¡¯t intervene in some way then they would chase after them. That was the last thing he wanted them to do. Liam looked to the roof of the building next to him. He noticed there were some places he could use to scale the wall and did it as fast as he could. His Veil of Shadows dissipated, revealing his locations, but it had seemed the Demon-kins hadn¡¯t noticed. Instead they started to move towards the stairs as Calythtis spread her wings out and was about to fly. Before they could get any farther than they would, Liam shouted out, ¡°Where the hell are you guys going? Are you bored of me already?¡± The Imp, Oni, and the blue skinned four armed demon swiftly turned their heads and locked eyes with Liam as they snarled. Calythtis and Fazil, who now looked a bit calmer than earlier, looked at him with some disdain. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Calythtis noticed the new cloak on Liam¡¯s body and the mask over his face. She was curious if it was some gear, but as she stared at him she felt a strange power coming from him. It ignited her curiosity even more than before he used the strange Immoral Vice of Pride ability. ¡°While you are filth that needs to be killed, we know you¡¯re trying to buy time,¡± Fazil said. His voice had changed after he transformed back into his real form. He sounded a bit high pitched, but at the same time it was sharper and harsher. He looked at the other three Demon-kins and ordered, ¡°Go and stop those three from interfering with those Crafters. The four armed Demon-kin, Oni, and Imp didn¡¯t respond to Fazil. Their focus was still on Liam. He could see the ire brewing inside them as their fanged mouths were wide open in a snarl. ¡°Oi! Fuck shits!¡± Fazil shouted, finally catching their attention. ¡°I said go stop those three!¡± As the three Demon-kins started to move, Calythtis shook her head with a mixture of disappointment and embarrassment as she muttered, ¡°Capable help is so hard to find.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want them to do that?¡± Liam asked as he straightened his posture. ¡°I mean, without them I could probably wipe the floor with the both of you.¡± Calythtis and Fazil let out a laugh as the other three Demon-kins turned back around and stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re a riot man,¡± Fazil finally said after a few seconds. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously think that right? Our levels are in the mid-twenties while you¡¯re what¡­ten, eleven?¡± ¡°Right now I¡¯m level nine,¡± Liam corrected. Fazil let out another laugh as Calythtis started at him. A look of disappointment and confusion was evident on her face as she stated, ¡°How did you survive these past few days with such a low level, let alone make it past the sixth floor of the Tutorial Dungeon?¡± ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Liam started. ¡°I can show you a glimpse of what I did to survive that hellish floor.¡± Curiosity filled Calythtis as Fazil replied, ¡°It¡¯s futile, but sure. Humor us if you will.¡± Liam grinned. Although he was grinning and trying to exude confidence on the outside, inside he was starting to panic. Must like his worries of accepting the Level Two Chaos gifts, he was afraid to use his Zodiac power once again. However, he knew this wasn¡¯t the time to be picky. If he received that nasty Debuff again after this was over then that was a price he was willing to pay. ¡°Alright¡­but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± Liam stated as he took in a deep breath. He closed his eyes while making sure his goggles were safely snug over them before slowly releasing the air he sucked in. After he let it all out, he announced with a serious tone, ¡°Gemini Zodiac Ability¡­¡± The four armed Demon-kin, Oni, and Imp looked at Liam with confusion as Calythtis and Fazil stared at Liam with wide eyes. While the hunt for Geminis wasn¡¯t something they really cared about, they had still heard about how desperate the other races were in searching them out. They didn¡¯t know why, nor did they care to understand. However, at this moment Fazil joined Calythtis in sating their curiosity as to what a Gemini could do. ¡°Class Fusion¡­¡± Those two words widened their eyes even more. Those two words made them understand why the other races were so adamant on hunting them down. No one should have two classes. Having two classes just seemed too powerful. Could they receive more points to raise their Sub-stats than the other Zodiacs? Did they have some overpowered skills or abilities? They didn¡¯t know. However, it was what he said next that made them understand they didn¡¯t want to find out. Instead, they had a strong urging to kill him right then and there. ¡°Harbinger of Chaos.¡± The five demon-kins watched as his appearance started to change. A mixture of raven black, ghastly green, red, and grey colors outlined his body. The roof was suddenly engulfed in what looked like quivering shadows as parts of that shadow started to run up his legs, covering them entirely. The cloak that was covering his chest, arms, and head disappeared along with the black mask and the tail that seemed to be attached to the bottom end of the cloak. Two shadowy cat ears suddenly appeared on top of his head as a similar colored tail formed behind him. While they looked whole, Calythtis and Fazil noticed they appeared more smoky than solid. While they took in his new appearance, they realized something else. Besides his new appearance he had suddenly grown in strength. They knew he was a lower level before, but now¡­He was closer to their level now. Not only that, but a strange and powerful force surrounded them from all over. It had exploded away from him the moment his transformation finished. They weren¡¯t sure what the power was, but they did understand one very distinct thing about it. It was a Deity¡¯s nature. A nature that none of them knew about. ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± Fazil demanded as he looked around. His skin started to form bumps as he stared at Liam. ¡°What manner of tricks are you using?!¡± Liam took in his current form. Last time he didn¡¯t get to truly feel how this ability changed him. Sure this time he was weaker than last, but as he stood right now with a temporary higher sub-stats and level¡­he understood the difference. ¡°No tricks,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I am using one of the powers I received.¡± He looked at Calythtis and stated, ¡°You wondered how I was able to survive the sixth floor? This is how. Well this and something else.¡± ¡°Bullshi¡­,¡± Fazil began to protest, but was stopped as Calythtis threw a hand out to stop him. Fazil snarled at her. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± ¡°Stopping you from interfering with me getting answers,¡± the succubus answered. A sneer on her face slowly formed. ¡°You¡¯re just playing the cat and mouse game if you argue with what¡¯s in front of you.¡± Fazil was about to argue again, but was cut off once more as Calythtis stated, ¡°I know you felt it too. That force. That was a Deity¡¯s Nature.¡± ¡°I know what a Deity¡¯s Natures feels like,¡± Fazil argued. ¡°I know what all those betraying scum¡¯s natures feel like. But that one¡­That belongs to no Deity I know. It can¡¯t be a real Deity¡¯s Nature.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Liam questioned as he grinned at that them. ¡°I have a way to verify that what you felt earlier was my Matron¡¯s Nature.¡± Fazil narrowed his eyes at Liam as Calythtis stared at him with some suspicion. ¡°The only way you can prove that what we felt was a real Deities Nature is if you were a Champion or an Apostle of said Deity. And for someone who is both weak and a Gemini¡­I don¡¯t think there is a Deity stupid enough to take on the risk,¡± Fazil protested. ¡°Oh my Goddess isn¡¯t stupid, you¡¯re right about that,¡± Liam agreed. ¡°However, taking on risk¡­¡± Liam waved his head back and forth trying to find the right thing to say. ¡°You can say that her nature revolves around taking risks.¡± ¡°You make no sense,¡± Fazil stated as he started getting annoyed. ¡°For a Deity to have their nature revolve around taking risk¡­There¡¯s no sense no order. All that would be is one jumbled¡­¡± ¡°Chaotic mess?¡± Liam filled in as he nodded his head. ¡°I agree. However, that is her nature.¡± Calythtis thought about what he was saying. At first she didn¡¯t understand anything he was going on about. However, after thinking more about it the more it made sense. But there was a problem. If what he was saying was true then¡­ ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re a Champion of someone claiming to be the Deity of Chaos?¡± Liam let out a sigh. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just better to do it this way.¡± Fazil and Calythtis stared at Liam, unsure of what he was talking about. However, what he said next confirmed the very thing Fazil was trying to deny. ¡°I accept the Level Two Gifts of Chaos.¡± The second after he mentally accepted and said it out loud, another wave of Chaotic Nature washed over the land around them. This time, the Nature sank into their very being filling them with uncertainty and a form of discord deep within their hearts and minds. Adventure 239 - Stopping the Spell Artem, Blair, and Roman sprinted into the doorless entrance Liam had pointed out. The room was vast and deep as they entered. The walls, floors, and ceiling were made out of stone. Four stone pillars stood tall around what looked like a rectangular box. The box was covered with layers of spiderwebs, much like the webs that covered most of the room and rested on a raised section of the floor in the middle of the room. Artem took a quick glance at the box, stopped, pointed, and said, ¡°Nope.¡± Blair and Roman looked at him with a confused expression. ¡°What do you mean nope?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°It¡¯s not as big as that one, but this looks almost exactly like the setup of that floor boss we took on, on the fifth floor of the Tutorial Dungeon,¡± Artem explained. ¡°That Pharoah Mummy Lord asshole.¡± Roman and Blair scanned the room once more. After a few seconds had passed Roman nodded and said, ¡°Yeah. I can see that.¡± Blair glared at Roman. He gave her a confused look as he shrugged and said, ¡°What? I can totally see this being a mini version of that boss room.¡± He then waved a hand out at the room as he added, ¡°Except instead of this being full of other coffins, there¡¯s only one and this room is full of spiderwebs. Maybe there¡¯s a Spider Mummy Lord here?¡± Blair smacked the back of Roman¡¯s head making him let out a confused protest while rubbing the spot he was hit on. He took a couple steps forward away from Blair as he turned and faced them. ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± ¡°You¡¯re making things more difficult,¡± Blair stated as she looked around the room. ¡°How? For being honest?¡± Roman looked at Artem and saw he was starting to shake lightly as he looked around. ¡°Listen man. I know you¡¯re scared of spiders, but you¡¯ve been doing great so far. I am proud of you for getting this far. Really, I am.¡± Artem looked at Roman. He was unsure if the smaller fox tailed man was being sincere or making fun of him. ¡°However, you have nothing to fear in this room,¡± Roman started. ¡°Nothing has popped out to attack us. And this box thingy¡­¡± Roman walked over to the rectangle box and slammed a hand down. To his surprise it didn¡¯t make a hollowed noise. Instead it was a solid slap, like slapping a hand on a stoned object. ¡°This isn¡¯t a sarcophagus like the ones back in that room.¡± Roman ran a hand over the object, dragging a huge clump of spiderwebs along with it. ¡°This thing is just some random stone object.¡± Blair and Artem took a better look at it and then gave him a weird expression. Roman noticed the expressions made a frown and asked, ¡°What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not just a stone object,¡± Artem replied. Roman looked at the rectangle object once again. He looked especially at the area that no longer had spiderwebs. Now in their place he saw there were some words that said, ¡°Here Lies Mr.¡± Roman stared at it then at his hand then back at the others. ¡°Okay, this is a coffin. A stone coffin. This is looking more like that room now.¡± Blair rolled her eyes. ¡°Can you guys knock it off? We have something we need to do here, and we don¡¯t know how long Liam can hold them off for.¡± ¡°You say that, but I don¡¯t see anyone or anything in here,¡± Roman stated. ¡°That¡¯s because you while you were dicking around you weren¡¯t getting a better look at the room,¡± Blair chastised. ¡°Oh? Are you saying you know what we¡¯re looking for then?¡± Roman argued. ¡°No, but I did find a broken wall in the back that leads further in,¡± Blair shot back, pointing at something. ¡°Seriously?¡± Roman and Artem questioned as they looked at the area Blair had pointed. In the back of the room in the middle of the wall was an opening. It looked like something had destroyed that part of the wall from the other side as chunks of broken pieces of stone bricks were scattered around. Webs had coated around it but didn¡¯t cover it at all. ¡°Nice job,¡± Artem said as he followed Blair to the back. As the three made it over to it they noticed the area beyond the room was nothing but a dirt tunnel. Yooperlite Stones were spread out along the dirt walls, giving some light. From where they stood it looked like the path curved further in. Artem, Blair, and Roman took a moment to glance at each other. Roman nodded at them before placing a hand down on the dirt path of the tunnel. His foxlike ears twitched a few times as he focused. After a few seconds had passed he looked at them and said, ¡°I feel there are five people further in. They are standing in place, but they are continuously casting a spell of some sorts.¡± ¡°How do you know they are continuously casting a spell and not doing something else?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°I can feel some sort of vibrations running down their legs,¡± Roman started. ¡°Since they aren¡¯t moving, the vibrations are hitting the ground at the same spot each time they shake. Also these vibrations are different than the ones made when someone is moving. I still don¡¯t understand how I can tell the difference, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m going off of.¡± Blair nodded as she listened to Roman. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go in swiftly, but quietly. We don¡¯t know how long Liam can keep up whatever he had planned.¡± Artem and Roman nodded as Artem took the lead. Blair followed right behind as Roman took the rear. It didn¡¯t take them long to reach a new area as they rounded the curve. Artem stopped them so they didn¡¯t get spotted by whoever was in the room. Artem looked back at Roman and nudged his head in a motion that told him to look. Roman understood why he wanted him out of the three to peek. It was because he was smaller and could look in further thanks to his racial benefits with his sight. Blair could have peeked as well, but because she was taller than Roman and had a helmet that stuck out she would have been spotted. Roman approached the edge and peeked his head out to look inside the new area. What he saw was something he wasn¡¯t expecting. The room was much bigger than the room they were just in. There were holes that led into tunnels all over. Four on the ground level, seven in the middle of the walls and even holes in the ceiling. It was almost like this was a tunnel system for bugs. Giant bugs. That wasn¡¯t the only thing there. There were five people standing in the middle of the room around a portal. He looked at the five people and noticed their eyes were glossed over. Their expressions were blank and their bodies almost in an autopilot position. As he stared at them he recognized what was going on with them. They were under a Charm spell. And from the looks of it, it was a strong spell. Roman then recognized the portal they were surrounding as the exit portal. This was new to him because he usually found this portal after defeating the final boss. He had never seen one already active while the boss monster was still alive. However, this portal was weird. Usually the color of the portal was the same shade as the dungeon it was. This dungeon was a black dungeon. Albeit, the black color was fading into a white. Roman wasn¡¯t sure how that was possible. He knew Liam seemed to have some idea, but he was still confused. He then noticed the bright rune like objects floating around the portal. He decided to activate Mana Sight, an ability he had been working on a lot recently. As soon as his eye sight acclimated to the ability, he noticed something that made his eyes widened. He saw the mana from the runes pouring into the portal. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Is that how they are doing that?¡± Roman muttered to himself. ¡°What?¡± Artem asked in as quiet of a voice as he could muster. ¡°What do you see?¡± Roman was about to reply, but stopped as he witnessed a new rune suddenly start to form. Mana was forming around the faint symbol as it was starting to take shape. He then saw a small portion of the portal slowly snake its way to the new rune forming. ¡°Liam is going to want to know this,¡± Roman muttered before looking back at the others. He then said in a normal volume, ¡°Okay here is what is going on¡­¡± ¡°Sh!¡± Artem and Blair hushed him. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Roman waved a hand before stepping out. ¡°They are placed under a very strong Charm spell. Us talking normally won¡¯t catch their attention.¡± ¡°There are Charm Spells that powerful?¡± Artem asked with a mix of curiosity and concern. Roman shrugged. ¡°Probably, but I feel there is something else mixed with it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Blair inquired. ¡°I can see the Charm Mana, but there is also a Hot Pink colored mana mixed with it. I¡¯m not entirely sure what that one is,¡± Roman explained. He then shook his head before adding, ¡°That¡¯s besides the point. That spell is probably what Liam wants us to stop.¡± Artem and Blair stepped out and looked at what he was talking about. They were confused at what it was these five people were doing. They then noticed the runes and the color of the portal slowly changing. ¡°You can change the color of a Dungeon?¡± Artem asked as he looked at the other two. ¡°Apparently,¡± Roman shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I think Liam knows more about it.¡± ¡°So all we need to do is stop them?¡± Blair asked as she took a step forward. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not sure how we ca¡­,¡± Roman started to say until Blair interrupted. ¡°We can just shake them. they should lose their focus that way right?¡± Blair said as she slowly approached the closest person. She went to reach a hand out, but before she could touch the person, her hand was suddenly rebuffed as a shock of lightning zapped from the ground up to her finger tips. ¡°Ow,¡± Blair complained as she shook her hand to rid the feeling. ¡°What just happened?¡± Roman frowned as he looked at the spot the lightning came up from. However, it was Artem stated, ¡°There are traps placed all around them.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Blair questioned as she looked all around the floor. Even though she had great eye sight thanks to the heightened sight she received from her Racial benefits, she still couldn¡¯t see them. She turned to Roman. She had Mana Sight, but out of the three of them Roman was the only one who had it at level ten. Artem was close, but not yet there. Her¡¯s was still at level five. Roman understood what she was asking of him but shook his head in response. ¡°No. I can¡¯t see where they are placed.¡± He then looked at Artem with a curious look and asked, ¡°How do you know they¡¯re traps?¡± ¡°Just the way it activated,¡± Artem stated. ¡°After Blair was shocked the mana went back towards the spot it shot out from. Also, I¡¯m still trying to understand how traps work. I got a Knowledge Theory book about them, but I haven¡¯t been able to level it up past two yet.¡± Blair and Roman were impressed. They hadn¡¯t realized he was doing that and were shocked they hadn¡¯t thought about it either. ¡°So what do we do then?¡± Blair asked. ¡°I could try and shoot a low leveled Lightning spell. Try to jolt them out of the Charm spell they¡¯re under?¡± Roman suggested. ¡°Best idea we have right now,¡± Blair said. ¡°Go ahead and try it.¡± Roman nodded before he started to chant. However, before he could start saying anything, a familiar wave of power washed over them and everything in the room. The three companions looked at each other with confused expressions. ¡°Was that¡­,¡± Artem started. Roman nodded as Blair replied, ¡°That was Chaos Nature. Did Liam do something that caused that?¡± ¡°Not sure, but if it was just a bit more powerful that could have done our job for us,¡± Roman stated as he looked over at the five people while pointing. Artem and Blair looked over to see the Runes were flickering. The mana coming off of them and feeding the exit portal was thinning, but still held on tightly as they tried to correct themselves. ¡°Damn,¡± Artem stated. ¡°If only it was¡­¡± His words went quiet as a notification suddenly appeared in front of each of them. [Level 2 Gifts of Chaos has been accepted. Please wait to receive your gifts from your Matron Deity.] A second wave of Chaos Nature suddenly washed over them, this one much more powerful than the last. Artem, Blair, and Roman pushed the notification away and swiftly turned their focus on the five men. Each of the men suddenly dropped to their knees as they brought their hands to their heads. The runes that hovered around the edge of the exit portal exploded as the white color faded and dyed back to black. As the color returned to normal another wave of power shot out from the portal. This power shot out in an unexpected way, knocking everyone backwards. Artem, Blair, and Roman were shot backwards against the wall as the five men started to fly backwards as well. However, as their bodies flew over the areas where the traps were hiding, elemental powers erupted. A flame trapped emerged as a powerful wave of fire engulfed one of the men, burning him to a crisp. The lightning trap encased the person that went over it, holding him in place as current after current coursed throughout his body. Another froze over completely as ice covered him. Another suddenly dropped to the ground as a powerful force of gravity crushed them into the ground. The last person was skewered as thin rows of earthen spike shot up and pierced their body. Artem, Blair, and Roman didn¡¯t see any of this as they crashed into the wall hard. Their collision in the wall knocked the wind out of their bodies. They fought not to black out after the crash. They slowly took out a potion and drank it to replenish their health. After they finished fighting the bile of the disgusting flavor of potion, Artem asked, ¡°What the hell was that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Blair responded as she turned her focus on the area where the people were once standing. Her eyes widened at the dead bodies. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Artem and Roman looked at what she was staring at. Their jaws dropped as their eyes widened. ¡°Damn it,¡± Artem swore as he clenched his fists. He felt Roman place a hand on his arm He looked down at the man and noticed the hard look in his face. He understood that he was as angry as he was at the sight. ¡°Take a look around to make sure there is nothing else around here that we might need to do,¡± Blair stated. Artem was about to make a statement, but stopped as Blair continued, ¡°After that, let¡¯s join Liam in killing those fucks for setting up something like this.¡±
Down below inside the room the giant opening on the ground floor. A few Beast-kins stood around staring at the massive half-spider half-humanish creature that laid before them. The massive creature struggled against the spells used on her to make her feel sluggish and weak beyond explanation. The only time she ever felt energy rush through her was when she was about to give birth to fresh Toxo spiders. She couldn¡¯t understand why it was the only time, but each time she felt her energy start to come back she would try and fight against the effects of the spells placed on her only to have the effects increase. After the effects increased she would feel the energy get zapped and then watch as her freshly born Toxos get slain right in front of her. She didn¡¯t know how long this had been going on for, but there was one thing she did know. She was angry. Even through the sluggish and tiring magic placed on her, her anger swam deep. The moment she was able to, she was going to devour each and every one of these killers. She didn¡¯t know when that was going to happen, but when it did she would make them suffer. She felt a surge of energy start to fill her as the familiar cycle arrived. She let out a scream as five Toxo spiders were born. She readied herself for that feeling she was getting accustomed to, but before it came something else washed over her body. It was a sudden wave of power. Power that she had lost as these creatures worked some sort of magic. Not knowing exactly what was going on, she quickly slumped down, acting like she was exhausted. This made the Beast-kin who usually casted the spell give pause. He stared at her for a long moment. She gave him a weak scowl as she stared at him. Her gaze then shifted towards her babies. The man noticed where she looked and grinned wickedly. ¡°Oi Dareth,¡± the Beast-kin shouted. ¡°What?¡± Dareth stated as he grabbed one of the spider babies. ¡°Bring one of those freaky creatures over here will ya,¡± the man ordered. ¡°What for?¡± Dareth asked as he grabbed the disgusting looking spider, making sure it couldn¡¯t bite him. It let out an extremely high pitch screech as the man picked it up. ¡°You know Calythtis is going to be pissed if we don¡¯t kill these fast enough.¡± ¡°A few seconds isn¡¯t going to harm the plan now bring it over here,¡± the man ordered again. ¡°Fine,¡± Dareth said as he made his way over. ¡°What do you want with it?¡± ¡°Kill it right in front of her,¡± the man said. Dareth gave him a confused look. ¡°You¡¯re not serious are you?¡± ¡°Very,¡± the man answered. ¡°Now do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one fucked up demon man,¡± Dareth responded as he placed the small creature right in front of the Toxo Brood Mother Queen. The small Toxo spider squirmed as hard as it could, trying to get away. It failed at every attempt. Dareth brought his weapon up in the air. He aimed for the small creature and went to attack. However, before he could move his arm down, the Toxo Brood Mother Queen quickly pushed herself up and leaned forward enough to bite the top half of Dareth¡¯s body. The other people inside the room stopped what they were doing as their focus fell upon what had happened. Shock, confusion, and fear filled them as they stared at the creature as she rose to her full height. Without wasting any more time, she took in a deep breath and let out a loud painful screech.
In a room on the second floor, the spiderwebs, stone walls and floor shook as the power from the portal washed over. Nothing happened after that. Minutes later a screech filled the room, stirring creatures that were asleep. The stone coffin sitting in the middle of the room suddenly started to shake. The lid vibrated as the coffin shook. As the coffin shook and the lid vibrated, the lid started to move slowly and slightly. After the lid moved just enough, angry screeches and chittering escaped the small hole. A long sharp spider leg poked out just enough to be able to move the lid back enough for it to slid right off of the coffin. Several smaller eight legged creatures flooded out in a wave, hungry and angry. Adventure 240 - Discordant Bells of Cacophony A wave of Chaotic Nature suddenly fell upon him. It felt like a waterfall crashed down as the pressure of Eri¡¯s Nature hit him before expanding outwards. Liam grit his teeth as he felt the pressure hit his mind. He didn¡¯t know what to expect since last time the pressure had completely taken over his entire body and mind. He could feel something starting to creep over his thoughts as a small part of his brain wanting to run rampant. To Liam, it felt like a primal instinct of wanting to cause chaos on to everything and everyone around him. He took in a deep breath and chanted the mantra he used to chant to himself when he couldn¡¯t think straight in a whisper, ¡°Calm the Storm.¡± He was able to withstand it easily thanks to his efforts. He was able to recover quickly from the suddenness of it crashing down on him, but he could feel it was still there, just pushed back enough that it couldn¡¯t distract him. After feeling like the Chaotic Nature was starting to get under control, a notification suddenly appeared in front of Liam¡¯s face. [Level 2 Gifts of Chaos has been accepted. Please wait to receive your gifts from your Matron Deity.] Liam stared at the notification. He didn¡¯t think there would be some time for the gifts to be received. He just thought it would be instant. It didn¡¯t take long for a couple of new notifications to appear. However, when he looked at them, his eyes opened wide as he saw what he was given. [Level 2 Gift of Chaos received. New Field of Discord Focus Point ¨C Discord Manipulation ability received. Discordant Bells of Cacophony.] [Level 2 Gift of Chaos received. New Field of Magic has been rooted in the seed of Discord. New Field received: Field of Sin!] [Attention! Field of Sin Focus Point ¨C Pride ability Hubris Aura has been detected. Automatically rooting the Focus Point ¨C Pride.] What the fuck?! Liam thought. I thought that I couldn¡¯t get the Pride Focus Point unlocked let alone the Field of Sin. How did I receive it as a gift? And it was unlocked in my Seed of Discord? Liam shook his head. He knew this wasn¡¯t the time to think about it. it was something he would need to ask Eri about later. He looked at the other gift he received. It was a new ability. One from his Discord Manipulation Focus point. He looked at the description. [Discordant Bells of Cacophony ¨C Ability to create a cacophony of several loud and jarring sounds of bells of different kinds to ring throughout a small group of target¡¯s minds. The sounds are so loud and jarring it scrambles the brain, making it hard to focus and creates a 5% chance to create one of three Debuffs. Confusion, Fear, or Chaotic Meltdown. Increases the chances of Strife Inducement land if used on targets that have Bells of Cacophony activated on them. Ability Type ¨C Chant. Target ¨C Multiple 10 ft radius. MP Cost ¨C 75. Cooldown ¨C 30 seconds.] Liam grinned. This was something he could use. He glanced at the Demon-kins who were standing there looking around. In fact, he was going to use it now before the Demon-kins started moving again. Liam pulled his Shadow Moon Blades out and pointed one of the two at the group of Demon-kins. He focused on the spell and started chanting, ¡°Can you hear the bells, Vibrating through you feeling like hell. Discord is near, filling your mind with Fear. Each sound grows loud, drowning all sound. Lose your brain in the play, as your sanity washes away. Get lost in the symphony, Discordant Bells of Cacophony!¡± Calythtis, Fazil, and the other demons turned their focus on Liam as he started chanting. They readied themselves for whatever spell he was going to chant, but they couldn¡¯t figure out the spell. They grew confused as they heard noises and sounds coming out of his mouth but couldn¡¯t make out the meaning of them. Calythtis looked at Fazil, who was already staring at her, and noticed the uncertainty in his eyes. Before she could say anything, Fazil turned back and shouted, ¡°Attack him! Stop him from finishing the chant!¡± The blue skinned four armed Demon-kin, the Oni, and the Imp broke the confused daze they were in and went to take a step, however, it was too late as Liam finished the chant. From their perspective, they were walking forward as they took the first step. However, as a loud bell rang in their mind, they suddenly fell to their side. They hadn¡¯t processed their new angle of vision as their legs were still moving as if they were walking forward. A second bell, different in volume and sound from the first one, joined in causing one of their arms to grow completely numb and limp. A third one joined in, this one caused their sight to flicker in and out. As more bells joined in, other random effects started to affect each of the five demon-kins. Calythtis, Fazil, and the other three Demon-kins weren¡¯t able to process what was going on. They could hear the sound of the bells, but their mind and bodies weren¡¯t processing that they were hearing them. Not until the last bell joined in. It was a loud mind splitting noise that sent waves of pain rippling through their minds. As this one triggered pain, the others started to do the same. Their minds were finally able to hear the bells for what they were. A dangerous cacophony of noises that weren¡¯t just chaotic in the way they played out, but also something that felt like it ignored the fact that they were higher in level. Calythtis gripped the sides of her head, tears rolling down her face with each chime of the bells. She gritted her teeth and tried to push pass the pain, but each attempt ended in failure as more pain wracked her body. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but after some time the sounds of the bells had finally stopped with a single one echoing for a long moment before going completely silent. She breathed heavily as she waited in case this was a trick and the bells were going to start once again. However, there didn¡¯t come back. She noticed a Debuff notification had appeared next to her health, mana, and stamina bar. It was a strange one she had never seen before. the picture looked like a mass of bells. She tried to pull it up to see what it was, but the description that appeared was scrambled and not legible. This not only confused her, but also scared her. A scream brought Calythtis¡¯ attention to everything around her. She brought her head up to look around and saw the Oni had started to attack the four armed Demon-kin. The Oni had a feral look across his face as he attacked without abandon. His eyes didn¡¯t have their irises like normal, instead the pupils were dilated so big they covered his entire eyes. The screaming didn¡¯t stop there as the imp dropped to his knees and started clawing at the side of his face. His claw-like nails scratching chunks of skin out with each swipe. Calythtis was thoroughly confused as to what was going on. She had no answers. She then heard a new noise. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Calythtis turned her head to see Liam was casting another spell. Once more she couldn¡¯t understand the words he was saying. Each time she tried to focus on it a feeling welled up within her heart. She couldn¡¯t recognize or understand what the feeling was, but she understood that if she kept trying to focus on what he was saying that foreign sensation would start to wash throughout her body, and she didn¡¯t want that to happen. Instead of focusing on the words she watched as he finished his chant and pointed at the blue skinned four armed Demon-kin. He let out a vicious roar of anger before punching the Oni and turning towards Fazil. Fazil, who was yelling at them to stop acting like buffoons, noticed as both the Demon-kins raced towards him. A snarl formed on his face as he understood they were going to attack him. He pulled out two well-made reddish golden swords of different sizes. One was a regular sized sword while the other was a short sword. The regular sword had a red hilt with a golden design while the other had a golden impish looking skull where the blade and hilt met. The blade of the short sword waved out much like a Flamberge sword would. Calythtis didn¡¯t watch as she felt a spell sudden shoot towards her way. She dodged the attack and turned to see the Imp had started another chant. She cursed as she prepared to attack the Demon-kin back. Liam stood atop the small building he was on. He was shocked, amazed, and happy with how things turned out. He didn¡¯t know exactly how things would work after he used his Discordant Bells of Cacophony spell. He was puzzled as he watched each of them suddenly fall to their sides and looked like they were continuing to try to reach him. It looked like a bug or a glitch one would find in a game where the player¡¯s character would suddenly turn and continue to walk without issues, but instead of these Demon-kins still being able to move, they stayed in place. If that wasn¡¯t confusing enough, he watched as random body parts had suddenly stopped working and these people continued to act like nothing was happening. That all had changed when they all started shouting at once. Their sudden outbursts made Liam jump a bit, almost causing him to fall off the roof. After he determined why they had suddenly started screaming, he thought about jumping down and attacking them. his chance disappeared once they had stopped screaming and slowly started to get back up. Instead of going with the plan to attack he decided to use his other Discord spell, Strife Inducement. His target was the Oni. He chanted the spell and after he finished it he waited. He waited and watched to see if it would work and if it did who he would attack. He had chosen the Oni because he looked like he had received the Confusion Debuff. He wanted to see if the Confusion Debuff would cause the Oni to attack not him, but any of the others with Strife Inducement cast on him. To his surprise and glee, the Oni went straight for the blue skinned four armed Demon-kin. His focus then turned on the Imp who had suddenly started shouting. Blood started running down the sides of his ugly head as the Imp dug his claw-like nails down. He had received the Chaotic Meltdown Debuff. As Liam watched him he thought about if he had looked that way when he was suffering the same Debuff. He decided to try and use Strife Inducement on him as well. [Strife Inducement has failed. Spell cannot be used on a target that is suffering Debuff ¨C Chaotic Meltdown.] He frowned as he read the notification. He did find it interesting that it added in that last bit. He wasn¡¯t sure why that was, but he had a theory that it was because the Imp already had his mind in a chaotic state that it would be pointless to create strife in him. He looked back at the blue skinned four armed Demon-kin and decided to use Strife Inducement once more before drinking a Minor Mana Potion. After he chanted and cast the spell he pulled one out and drank it while watching the chaos happen below. He watched the Golden Goblin like creature known as Fazil pull out two very interesting swords and attack the two larger Demon-kins. His skill in using the blades was astonishing. He easily deflected the attacks made at him while slicing and stabbing back. Calythtis¡¯ magical fight against the Imp was impressive as well. She was able to slow down the Imp¡¯s speech and create even more confusion in the poor Demon-kin¡¯s mind as she tried to Charm him. He looked like he was at war with himself as he tried to chant another spell but stopped halfway through. He did this a few times receiving backlashes from each forced stop chanting. Calythtis didn¡¯t give the man much time to think as she flew in fast and attacked. The fight with Fazil and Calythtis against the three other Demon-kins didn¡¯t take long. After the three Demon-kins died, Calythtis and Fazil turned their glares onto Liam. Liam stood, unfazed by their looks and stared back at them. Calythtis¡¯ lust for knowledge on the unknown started to grow inside her as she stared at Liam. Albeit, at the same time, deep within her discordant heart, she was starting to grow scared. Their plans that they had been working on for so long was starting to come to an end. However, now this Half-Beast-kin. No¡­ This unknown person had shown up. She had felt he was different on the first day she had met him, but she chalked it up as him just being a New Arrival. Most New Arrivals had an air about them that said they were different. However, after time passed they were just like everyone else. Liam though¡­he was showing that he wasn¡¯t like the others she had encountered over time. His sporadic behavior these past few days. His defiant attitude. His ability to disappear and slip out of the best trackers radar. These were the starting signs she decided to ignore as she tried to pursue him. Now¡­she regretted trying to use him in her plans. He had revealed he was a Gemini and a Champion of some Deity. One that granted him magic that none of them could understand, and cause all this¡­chaos. That last thought caused a stir in her mind as she remembered something Liam had said. It was when he used his Zodiac Ability, Class Fusion. He had shouted the words Harbinger of Chaos. The Nature she had felt earlier, the effects of the spells he was using, the way he had almost caught up in levels and power to them¡­was that Chaos? Was his Deity one of Chaos? But that was impossible. There shouldn¡¯t be any Deities out there that had that power. That power belonged to the¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you just did, but I will personally see to it that you die here,¡± Fazil growled, snapping Calythtis out of her thoughts. ¡°You can try, but I don¡¯t think you two will be enough to handle me, ¡° Liam stated. He wasn¡¯t sure how true that statement he made was because he wasn¡¯t sure how much strength he had gained from releasing partial stats from the Seal that held his Secondary Class in place. He did feel an increase, but he wasn¡¯t sure it was enough. Even though he was unsure, he didn¡¯t want them to know that. Fazil let out an evil chuckle. ¡°Even if we¡¯re not enough, we still have plenty of people inside that room over there. All we need to do is¡­¡± A powerful shout washed out of the giant opening on the ground level. The shout was so powerful it shook the walls, and the very foundation of the building built into the mountain. Screams full of terror and fear followed shortly after that. ¡°What the hell?¡± Fazil swore as he turned his attention to the opening. The opening vibrated once. Then a second time a few seconds after. Then again shortly after that. Soon the opening started to shake several times more. Liam listened and recognized them as something similar to footsteps. However instead of footsteps made from a regular foot, it had sounded like skittering legs. Several Demon-kins suddenly ran out of the opening, terror etched across their faces. Liam was confused as to what was going on, but that confusion turned into an understanding as he felt the hairs on his body stand up. Two more Demon-kins were running out of the opening. They had made it three steps away from the opening, but before they could take that next step a giant dark greenish black spider with the upper half of a human female scooped them up. Black hair floated behind her head as she moved out. her torso was long enough that she had four arms that came out from her sides. The bottom arms had hands with sharp claws for fingers while the top arms had regular hands. While most of her upper half had human like features, her face didn¡¯t. Eight angry hate filled eyes ran down from her forehead towards a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. The two disguised Demon-kins let out scream of terror as they were brought to the creatures head. The terrifying creature opened her mouth, chomped down on the necks and tore their heads from their bodies. Liam stared at the creature and assessed it as he watched blood spray out from the massive wounds and run down the monster¡¯s face before she threw them to the side. [Toxo Brood Mother Queen. 10,590/10,590 HP. 3,522/3,522 MP. Level ¨C 29.] Adventure 241 - Swarming the Catacombs Artem, Blair, and Roman looked around the room to see if there was anything they had missed. As they looked around a notification screen suddenly appeared in front of them without warning. Blair flinched as Artem swung his mace at it and Roman punched the screen without thinking. The two men felt a bit embarrassed as they realized what they had just done. They coughed once into their hand as Blair shook her head at them. After that they each turned to see what the notification was about. It was the Level Two Gifts of Chaos distribution. Each of them received one thing. As the three stared at the Gifts given to them by their Matron Deity, they looked confused. They weren¡¯t sure why they had received what they did during their first round of ¡®Gifts¡¯. It looked like this round wasn¡¯t different either. That was the other thing they were confused about. The notification stated Gifts, yet they only received one thing each time so far. They didn¡¯t know if the word was meant in the fact everyone who had the deity received a gift or they were supposed to get more than one. This was something they wanted to ask Liam or even better Eri. However, they knew now wasn¡¯t the right time to ask. ¡°What did you guys receive this time?¡± Roman asked. ¡°I got something called Field of the Discordant Apostle,¡± Artem replied. ¡°So did I,¡± Blair stated. ¡°Same here,¡± Roman informed. ¡°So I guess the gift this time has to do with the title we received from Eris,¡± Artem muttered. A new notification appeared shortly after. This one asked if they wanted to allow the Field of the Discordant Apostle to root. They felt no reason to refuse and waited for the next step. The Focus Points of this new Field. When the next notification appeared, the three of them grew even more confused. What they read wasn¡¯t something they had ever seen before when receiving a new Field of Magic. [Congratulations on rooting the Field of the Discordant Apostle. Focus Points are tailor made for the person receiving this Field. Please note you will only have one Focus Point at this time. To receive a 2nd Focus Point you must get the 1st to level 10. To unlock the 3rd Focus Point you must have both the 1st and 2nd at level 10.] ¡°What the¡­,¡± Roman started to say as his face scrunched up, but stopped as his Focus Point appeared with a new spell. [Congratulations you have rooted the Focus Point Discordant Manifestation. You have received the ability ¨C Zodiac Elemental Reaction.] [Zodiac Elemental Reaction. Description ¨C When activating your Zodiac ability, Earthen Bovine Rush, if there are any other elements present then you can change the Earthen portion to a different element. Cost ¨C N/A. Type of spell ¨C Instant. Cooldown ¨C 5 hours.] Artem stared at his notification with disbelief as well. [Congratulations you have rooted the Focus Point Discordant Spellworking. You have received the ability ¨C Spell Type Reversal.] [Spell Type Reversal. Description ¨C User can reverse the type of spell being cast. If a spell has multiple reversal types then it will default to the type that has the strongest opposition to it. Can only be used on one type at a time. If used on opponents magic then that magic will not hurt the caster of this spell or the party members. Cost if spell is used on caster¡¯s magic ¨C Cost of the spell being used. Cost if used on opponent¡¯s spell ¨C N/A. Type of spell ¨C Instant. Cooldown ¨C 30 minutes.] Blair looked over her notification and tried to understand it. [Congratulations you have rooted the Focus Point Discordant Aura Combat. You have received the ability ¨CAtaxia Aura Combat.] [Ataxia Combat Aura. Description ¨C An Aura pulses out from the user in a 5 foot radius. Any targets within the Aura receives an Ataxia Debuff. Target has lack of muscle coordination causing them to have loss of balance and dizziness. Debuff will continue to stay infinitely while within the Aura. If a target escapes the aura the Debuff will last for 10 seconds. Additionally, user will receive a 5% boost in all Dexterity Sub-stats per opponent inflicted with Ataxia Debuff. Does not affect Party members. After Caster releases the spell, the caster will suffer Disorient Debuff for 5 minutes. Cost ¨C 5 Stamina per second while boost is active. Type of spell ¨C Instant. Cooldown ¨C 5 hours.] Before any of them could say anything about what they had received, a loud painful scream suddenly filled the air around them. The walls and the ground shook as the scream vibrated all around them. As soon as the scream faded and the shaking stopped, Artem, Blair, and Roman quickly looked at each other. A small bit of panic formed at the bottom of their spine as they thought about what they could have come from. ¡°We got to go,¡± Blair stated with urgency in her voice. Artem and Roman nodded in agreement. They headed straight for the opening that led them to this room. However, before they could leave, Roman stopped dead in his tracks and shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± Artem and Blair stopped moving and whirled to look at him. They were about to ask why he had stopped them but froze as they noticed his wide eyed and slack jawed expression. He then placed both hands on the ground and focused as hard as he could. Five seconds later he started letting out a long list of curse words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Artem asked, knowing he wasn¡¯t going to like what he was about to hear. ¡°That scream just now,¡± Roman started. ¡°It stirred up a shit ton of creatures.¡± ¡°Okay and? We knew there was a chance there were monsters somewhere in these tunnels,¡± Blair questioned. ¡°Yeah I know but¡­,¡± Roman said, trying to figure out exactly how to say it without making a certain someone panic. He quickly glanced at Artem before saying, ¡°Fuck it. All those creatures are heading this way. And when I say all of them are coming, I mean every opening here in this room is about to be filled to the brim full of fucking spider monsters.¡± Artem instantly paled at hearing this while Blair¡¯s eyes widened. She quickly turned to look at the tunnel they had come through to get here. ¡°You mean¡­,¡± Blair started. ¡°Yes, that room has them to¡­,¡± Roman started to say until screeches echoed down the hall Blair was staring at. The three of them back up towards the middle of the room close to the portal. More screeches, hissing, and chittering echoed from all around them as the sound of thousands of pointy feet danced in the air all around them. They looked at all the openings as the noises started to grow louder and louder. ¡°What do we do?¡± Roman asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Blair replied as she frantically tried to think. Artem, who¡¯s brain had went blank at the thought of seeing thousands upon thousands of spider slowly looked at the exit portal. As Roman and Blair looked around their gazes fell upon Artem and saw what he was staring at. Blair shoved a palm against his shoulder. The sudden jostle snapped Artem out of his terror right as Blair growled, ¡°We are not leaving Liam behind.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Artem snarled back, feeling mad at himself for even thinking about leaving. ¡°But what do we do?¡± Use your new abilities. Eri suddenly stated. ¡°What?¡± Artem asked, confused, and trying to fight back the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him. Use the new abilities you received from the Field of Discordant Apostle. They should help you out in this situation. Eri explained. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The first group of spiders made themselves known as the tunnel they used to get into this room was suddenly covered in spiders the size of small dogs. Artem¡¯s blood ran cold as he witnessed the grey and brown colors of dirt and stone disappear and get dyed the dark greenish black color of the Toxo Spiders. Without thinking, Blair started chanting, ¡°O Gravity, powerful and dangerous. Condense into a single spot. Pull to you and Keep any and everything that tries to escape. Gravity Well!¡± As soon as she finished chanting the spell and the familiar orb formed, she threw the orb right in the middle of the entrance of that tunnel. The spider creatures lost their grip on the walls, ceiling, and floor of that tunnel and were sucked towards the orb one by one as they got closer. As Blair watched this she realized that the entire area her spell was place was starting to overflow. A bad thought came to mind as she watched it. What would happen if the ones in the back pushed the ones in the front? Would they be able to push the ones trapped out of the range of the spell? She didn¡¯t have more time to think about it as she saw more horrifying spider creatures emerge from the corners of the tunnels on her left and right. She heard Roman curse and announce more appearing from behind. Artem began to mutter words she couldn¡¯t catch under his breath as his panic grew even more. Before anyone could say or do anything else, they each felt something land on either their shoulder or back. Pain suddenly filled them as whatever landed on them bit them. Something flashed before their eyes, but during their panicked actions they minimized it and reached for whatever had caused the pain and threw them down on the ground. It was a Toxo spider monster the size of a water bottle. They smashed their feet down and instantly killed them. They each looked up and noticed more of the creatures running down the walls of the openings that hung above their heads. Artem screamed as more dropped and landed on them. Five more creatures landed on their upper bodies and quickly bit them where there was no protection. Artem shook his body violently, letting out shouts of pain as each creature bit him. Roman and Blair let out grunts as they tore the creatures off of them as well. As each creature fell down, Roman and Blair attacked them. In Artem¡¯s panicked stated he started chanting, ¡°Aura strong and solid, I beseech you for protection. Cover, block, and protect all incoming attacks. Stand strong like the shield you are. Protect those I choose with your power. Protective Aura!¡± A sudden pulse of energy washed out from Artem covering him, Blair, and Roman. A translucent shield suddenly appeared over them right as more Toxo Spiders started to rain down on them. More Toxo spiders of different kinds swiftly exploded from the other openings. The waves of deadly and horrific creatures crashed against their shields causing them to flicker a bit. Protective Aura was a spell he had received back in the Tutorial Area. He hadn¡¯t used it at all back then and after he had gotten out and had some time to think about his abilities he realized how stupid he was for not using it at all. He spent enough time to get it past level ten which allowed him to increase the amount of damage it could take and be able to use it on more than one person. The brief moment of reprieve from being attacked allowed Roman to channel Fire Mana before he started chanting, ¡°Oh Fire, powerful and beautiful. Spark and ignite the devastating power you hold within. Course and engulf all that dare to stand in your way. Wave of Ignition!¡± A cone of fire washed out from Roman¡¯s outstretched hands as soon as he finished the chant. The flame covered all the Toxo creatures that had rushed him. He slowly separated his hands, allowing two cones of fire to wash over more of the spiders, killing them as they continued to bum rush them. ¡°These shields won¡¯t last forever!¡± Artem called out. ¡°We need to do something now! I swear, you guys can be as dense as Liam sometimes. Eri chided. Artem, use your new ability with your Refreshing Aura ability. ¡°What?¡± Artem questioned as he tried to process what she was saying. Use. Your. Spell. Type. Reversal. On. Your. Refreshing. Aura. Ability! Eri shouted, each word clipped as if she was talking to a child. ¡°But what can that¡­,¡± Artem started to say until he thought about it. He thought about the description of his new Spell Type Reversal. It had said it could reverse the type of spell being cast. If he used in his Refreshing Aura ability, a healing spell, then it would reverse the type the spell was into¡­ Don¡¯t overthink it and do it now! Your shield is about to disappear! Eri shouted. Artem gulped. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but if Eris was saying it would help them who was he to second guess it. He channeled as much Healing Mana as he could before chanting, ¡°O¡¯ Heart beating inside me, I beseech you to pulse. Release the healing sensation and wash over those I wish to protect and refresh their spirits again. Refreshing Aura!¡± A light green wave of power suddenly pushed out from his body as he reached his hands out. As this aura washed over them he saw something move at the corner of his sight. It was his health. Every few points it rose a few points dropped. He then noticed a strange looking icon next to his name and parameters. He was about to check it out but stopped himself as he focused on what he needed to do instead. He focused on his new spell. He gulped once more before muttering the words, ¡°Spell Type Reversal.¡± A notification suddenly appeared. [Spell Type Reversal. Available spells to reverse: Wave of Ignition to Wave of Jetstream or Refreshing Aura to Aura of Execution.] Artem was surprised at this notification. However, instead of wasting time being amazed by it, he mentally chose Refreshing Aura to Aura of Execution. He felt the change to the spell happen instantly. The light green wave of power that was replenishing their health changed into a pitch black color. The calming sensation that had helped take away the panic state they were slowly falling into had transformed into a powerful feeling of dread. As the change happened, all three translucent shields shattered. However, before any of the Toxo spider could land any more attacks, they instantly fell over. Blair and Roman sucked in a breath before they gasped at the sudden change. The Aura that now exuded from Artem washed out into a seven foot radius, instantly killing any and all enemy creatures that entered the radius of the spell. ¡°Holy shit man!¡± Roman shouted as he took a few steps towards the edge of the aura¡¯s radius. He still had Waves of Ignition going so he wanted to get more of the flames out of the aura¡¯s field. Now¡¯s not the time to be impressed. Eri stated. He can¡¯t keep it up for long. Blair use your new ability now and try to kill as many as you can. Not wanting to argue with Eris, Blair thought about her new ability. After remembering the name of the spell she gripped her weapon and muttered, ¡°Ataxia Combat Aura.¡± She felt something push out from her body and watched as the spidery creatures close by her that were climbing over the dead bodies of their fallen brethren stumble and fall over. Some fell into the Aura of Execution and died the moment they entered the field. The others fell backwards and landed on the other spiders still trying to overwhelm the food that was before them. She felt her body suddenly grow lighter by the second as more and more Toxo spiders entered her Ataxia Aura field. She spun her heavy Battle Axe around with ease and in a way she couldn¡¯t begin to understand. A wide grin formed on her face before she spread her wings out and pushed out towards the swarm of creatures. Roman felt a gust of air suddenly blow over him. He turned his head to see Blair flying low and swinger her axe around as if it was the size and weight of a dagger. He was rather impressed. He then noticed the creatures that were close to her move around in a drunken way. They fell over, stumbled around, or even fail to jump. He didn¡¯t know how she was doing it, but he guessed it had to do with her new spell. He thought about Artem as well. His Refreshing Aura had changed into one that caused death instead of healed life. He wasn¡¯t sure what that was about either, but now he was feeling left out. He thought about his new ability. It was one tied to his Zodiac ability. It could change the element from Earth to whatever element that was present. He stared at the flames coming out from his hands. An idea formed in his head. A terrifying one. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would get hurt by doing it, but since everyone else was using abilities that could get them hurt he figured he needed to step up and take the same chances they did as well. He deactivated his Waves of Ignition, pulled out a Minor Mana and Stamina Potion, grimaced and then drank them quickly. After he finished drinking them he looked at the area where his flames rolled over. The fire had burned the ones that were within the flames cones while catching the ones close to edge on fire. Those flames were slowly dying out. he wasn¡¯t sure if there were enough, but he knew he needed to act fast or he would waste this chance. He took in a deep breath before looking forward. After he pushed the air out he muttered, ¡°Taurus Zodiac Ability. Earthen Bovine Rush.¡± Before he took his first step he added, ¡°Zodiac Elemental Reaction!¡± To his surprise a notification popped up in front of him. [Elemental Reactions found! Elemental change from Earth to Fire. Yes No? Time to accept: 10 seconds.] Roman grinned as he mentally chose Earth to Fire. The moment he did he felt his body start to sizzle. Invisible fumes started to rise off of his body as his temperature started to rise. He braced himself for the worse right as fire suddenly lit up over his hands. He stared at the fire that had formed over his hands. A grin grew as he realized there was no pain. He then looked out at the spider creatures. All the ones that had rushed straight for him suddenly stopped. He could tell they were afraid. He liked that. ¡°Time to burn some spiders,¡± Roman stated as he started moving. Each step he took reminded him of how his Zodiac ability worked with the Earthen form. More flames started to cover his body. Horns made of flames sprouted from his head as his body started to grow. It was slower than the earthen form, but it was still as deadly. Each spider he ran by or over exploded into flames. Hisses and screams filled the air as Roman built up momentum. As he ran around the room an idea formed in his mind. Without second guessing, he shouted out, ¡°Artem, Blair!¡± The other two looked for him and were shocked at what they had saw. They were so focused they didn¡¯t even noticed a flaming minotaur had started running around. It took them a moment to remember that Roman had an ability that turned him into a Minotaur like form, but to their recollections it wasn¡¯t a fire form but an earthen form. Roman quickly understood what they were thinking as he shouted, ¡°New ability! Don¡¯t focus on that right now. Once I run over as many as I can I am going to plow through a tunnel. It should be enough to clear a path. Follow me as fast as you can when I do!¡± Artem and Blair didn¡¯t think twice as they shouted their affirmation. Roman grinned. He was happy with his idea. Because if this worked then they would be able to get out of this room alive and get back to Liam. Now he just needed to remember which tunnel it was they came in from. Adventure 242 - Toxo Brood Mother Queen Liam stared at the massive Toxo Brood Mother Queen. His jaw dropped as he read the information provided to him. He figured the final Wave Boss would be tough when they came in here. However, after seeing the levels drop as they pushed through the waves he deluded himself to believe this creature¡¯s level would be lowered as well. Or maybe its level was lowered, and his team members were able to stop the other crafters and that caused this monster to go back up? Was that the case? Was this supposed to be the real level of the Boss Monster or was this lowered? He snuck a peek at his comrade¡¯s health. It did look like they had caused a stir since their health had dropped a bit. Whatever the case was, he wasn¡¯t able to think more on it as the Toxo Brood Mother Queen let out an angry shriek after looking each of them over. Liam noticed the monster¡¯s gaze fell upon Fazil. All eight eyes narrowed before she raced for him. The Demon-kins that were in her way quickly scattered as they tried not to get trampled on or skewered by her long sharp spider legs. Fazil let out a slew of curse words before starting to sprint. He ran forward before cutting to his left right before the edge of the clearing and the fogged cover forest. As he ran he noticed the other Demon-kins were running away trying to hide from the ire of this pissed off creature. He growled as anger started to fill him, ¡°What the fuck are you guys doing?! Its attention is on me! Attack it while I have its focus!¡± The other Demon-kins stopped as they heard his orders. Liam could see panic and fear in their eyes wared with something in their eyes. They were hesitating on what to do. A few seconds after Fazil shouted, Calythtis yelled out, ¡°Sexual Exhaustion!¡± Liam watched as a wave of Hot Pink Mana suddenly shot out from Calythtis and rushed over towards the Toxo Brood Mother Queen. As soon as the mana touched the massive monster it washed over her entire body. Two out of the eight massive legs suddenly slowed compared to the others. They looked to have been drained as they couldn¡¯t keep up with the pace the monster was running. However, even with these two legs like this, the monster only slowed down a little bit. She let out a grunt before shouting, ¡°What the hell are you bastards doing?! My magic alone won¡¯t be able to stop of harm that creature. Attack her!¡± Liam watched as eerie Light Blue colored Mana was shot at the Toxo Brood Mother Queen while orbs of fire and lightning crashed into her. Calythtis joined back in with her own magic. As Liam stood on the roof of the small building he watched and tried to figure out what both Calythtis and the Demon-kins using the eerie Light Blue Mana spells were doing. While he understood that the Hot Pink Mana was representing the Vice of Lust and that she was using her power to drain the stamina of the giant monster. As for the other¡­he didn¡¯t really know about the other. He didn¡¯t see any physical effects as the spells slammed against her. ¡°What¡¯s taking you guys so long?! Fazil huffed as he curved around another corner. ¡°I can¡¯t keep running forever!¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying here!¡± one of the Demon-kins using the strange colored mana shouted. ¡°Our Sloth spells aren¡¯t landing. They keep getting rebuffed.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what that eerie Light Blue Mana is. Its Sloth Magic,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°I got one!¡± another Demon-kin suddenly shouted. Liam watched as two of the Toxo Brood Mother Queen¡¯s eyes suddenly dropped a bit almost like they were heavy and tired. Her movements slowed even more as Calythtis landed another spell on the massive spider. ¡°She has a really high resistance to magic like ours. We have to keep trying and hope they land!¡± Calythtis shouted out. ¡°Fucking Hells!¡± Fazil shouted as he pressed on. Liam contemplated what to do. He needed to get out of here. However, he couldn¡¯t leave without the others. He didn¡¯t know what the others were doing at this exact moment. He looked at their names and parameters and froze. An icon emerged next to each of them. It was a picture of a dark green liquid in the shape of a spider. Liam focused on it and gasped as he read the name. [Raging Rabies.] ¡°Fuck!¡± Liam cursed. He then dropped his body to lay on the roof trying to disappear from everyone¡¯s sight. After hitting the ground he activated Viel of Shadows. Once the familiar cool feeling that the shadows brought with them covered his entire body he slowly stood back up. What the fuck happened that caused them to get that Debuff?! Are they doomed now? Was there a way they could¡­ Liam shook his head trying to get his mindset to not spiral down that rabbit hole. There was a way to dispel that or get rid of it entirely. Artem looked certain of its earlier when they spoke to Lyca. He would trust in him. Now this brought a new issues. If they came out of that building, they would come into this mess. The Demon-kins might split their focus on the giant spider and on them. So then what should he do? Should he take out the Demon-kins? If he did that then he would have to fight that Boss monster by himself. Did he help the Demon-kins by attacking the Toxo Brood Mother Queen? If he did that then he could try and bypass them and escape through the exit portal. But would he be able to reach it in time before they caught him? Liam felt he wouldn¡¯t be able to. This partial Temporary Seal that allowed him to use his Zodiac ability had a time limit. He couldn¡¯t remember exactly how long it was or if he even knew it, but he felt the more time he wasted the closer he reached that time limit. He needed to do something. Liam thought over his options as quickly as he could. Every choice he was thinking didn¡¯t end well. The more he thought the more his mind started to panic. He needed to do something. After a few more seconds he made a decision. Liam pointed one of his daggers at the giant spider monster as he channeled as much Lunar Mana as he could before he chanted, ¡°O Moon, majestic and beautiful. I call upon thee to show how painful you can be. Manifest mediums that will serve to unleash your wave of power. Swarm together and into your target. Go forth and unleash your power. Lunar Swarm!¡± Everyone around the area heard the chant being said. Their focus suddenly turned to Liam¡¯s form that had suddenly reappeared as shadows rolled off his body like smoke. They were confused as a pale white orb had formed in front of the dagger he held out as he chanted. They didn¡¯t catch on to what he was doing until it was too late. Liam threw the Lunar Orb at a spot he predicted the Toxo Brood Mother Queen was going to run through. He had almost missed his chance as the monster appeared a few inches away from it as it stopped right in front of her and exploded into a bright light. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Liam had turned around to avoid having the light blind him. Thanks to Fazil running away from the monster, he too missed the blinding light. He was curious as to what was going on as his shadow suddenly appeared in front of him while an explosion of light happened behind him. Moments after it happened he heard a loud painful screech along with other shouts and a loud thud. The ground beneath him rumbled as something fell to the ground. He turned around to see the giant monster had fell over. He was about to yell out in victory, but then noticed that the other Demon-kins, including Calythtis had their hands over their eyes, rubbing them. ¡°What the hell happened?!¡± Fazil shouted. He then heard someone chanting from his left and noticed Liam standing up on the building. During his marathon, he had completely forgotten about the pesky Half-Beast-kin. He was about to say something, but then noticed what he was saying. ¡°Radiant and majestic, we admire you in the night. Deadly and poisonous, many don¡¯t know your terrible might. Caress my target with your light like a gentle kiss. Remind them why you¡¯re as dangerous as the abyss. Epidermis Luminescence.¡± A flash of pale white light appeared on the Toxo Brood Mother Queen¡¯s right top wrist right after he finished chanting. Fazil recognized what he was using. This shocked him. He had heard there were those out there that could use that kind of magic, but it was rare magic. Not only that but many also considered it a type of advanced magic since it had drawbacks. ¡°Lunar Magic?¡± Calythtis muttered in disbelief as she saw the last bit of what Liam had done. Fazil turned to look at the Succubus. ¡°I thought you said he was a New Arrival?!¡± Fazil said in an accusatory tone of voice. ¡°Did you know he could use that kind of magic?¡± Calythtis looked at Fazil with a confused look. ¡°No I didn¡¯t. He never¡­¡± Calythtis was interrupted as both she and Fazil heard Liam chant another spell. ¡°Hidden beneath and lying in wait, the unseen¡¯s poison is never delivered late. Bellow out in a puff of smoke and slip into the stream. Corrupt the body, Corrupt the mind. Deliver the fear you wish to create. Shade¡¯s Corruption.¡± The shadow underneath the giant monster suddenly exploded and covered her entire body. Calythtis and Fazil looked even more confused as they heard the monster coughing inside the black smoked area. ¡°Shadow Magic as well?!¡± Calythtis shouted. ¡°What the hell kind of New Arrival using magic like this?!¡± Fazil growled. Calythtis just stared. Her mind worked hard and fast as she tried to make sense of it all. The magic this supposed new arrival had pulled out all of sudden was concerning. Did he have this magic from the beginning? What about that other magic? The one he chanted in a language she couldn¡¯t understand. That could be explained by his explanation of him being a Champion of a Deity. Could these also be thanks to that? Calythtis nodded her head. That had to be the explanation. He must have recently gotten these from the deity of whatever god or goddess he served. If that¡¯s the case then he wouldn¡¯t know the repercussions of using those spells. However, she knew he had to use them a lot to get those Debuffs. Maybe he did use them enough that he was getting to that point. It was a gamble to believe that, but she knew if he had all three of those magics then it would be a matter of time before he turned on them with it. As much as she didn¡¯t want to do it. She knew he had to die. Calythtis focused on her Lust Mana and channeled it. After a few seconds he chanted a spell and targeted Liam. Liam stared at the black smoke that covered the Toxo Brood Mother Queen¡¯s entire body. The first part of his plan had started. He figured he would stack on Afflictions of both Lunar and Shadow before focusing on the Demon-kins. He looked at one of the Demon-kins, specifically one that was using Sloth Magic. He got ready to start chanting a Gravity spell, but before he opened his mouth he heard someone shout out the words Sexual Exhaustion. A second right after that he felt his entire body suddenly feel exhausted. His legs grew heavy and buckled over causing him to fall down. He threw his hands out to stop himself from hitting his face against the roof. Even his arms felt heavy and almost bent right as he fell. He held on, stopping himself from falling completely face first. It was strange, he felt like he had just gone ten rounds in bed with a lover. Even though his body felt so exhausted he also felt exhilarated. Like he was experiencing some form of ecstasy. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Liam questioned as he panted. He looked at his parameters and noticed his stamina was at six. His eyes widened at that. He lifted his head up as much as he could to see Fazil smiled wickedly before starting to run right for him. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam tried to move, but his body wouldn¡¯t listen. He needed to drink a stamina potion, but he didn¡¯t have enough time. He thought about what he could do. His mind stopped on a recent spell he had gotten but didn¡¯t get to test out yet. He decided to take a gamble on it. He still had some Lunar Mana channeled so he decided to pour the rest of it into the spell as he started chanting while facing down, ¡°O Moon, majestic and righteous. I call upon you for protection. Aid me in my fight. Protect me with your light. Bestow me orbs that act like a mini projector, Lunar Reflector.¡± Fazil heard Liam chanting something, but that didn¡¯t stop him from racing towards the downed man. He believed he would reach him before he finished his spell chant. He jumped up on the roof and hurried into attacking range. He went to strike down with one of his swords. However, the moment he started moving his weapon from overhead a pale white light shone down on Liam and created three small orbs. Fazil didn¡¯t know what was going on, but before his weapon could land a blow, he felt something push his sword back and a sudden bright light flashed right into his eyes, blinding him. Fazil let out a howling scream as his grip on his weapons loosened enough for him to drop them. He wasn¡¯t concerned by that though as he brought both hands to his face. His head thrashed back and forth as he tried to step. After taking a couple steps away, his right foot dropped into nothing but air, bringing his whole body over the edge of the building and down to the ground. Liam looked up and watched as the golden goblin Demon-kin fell off the side of the building. Not wanting to take any chances, he pulled out a Minor Stamina Potion and downed it. After he felt his body start to lighten and feel better, he quickly got back to his feet and looked out over the edge of the building. As he looked down he watched as the Toxo Brood Mother Queen stood tall while the black smoke disappeared all around her. She stared angerly at everyone around her. Dark green liquid drooled out from her mouth and fell on the ground. Liam noticed her bulbous back end start to shake violently. He didn¡¯t know what she had planned, but from the way she stared at them he knew it wouldn¡¯t be good. He then heard Calythtis scream something. He didn¡¯t hear what she said, but he did see someone rush over to the side of the building where Fazil fell from, pick him up over his shoulder and start running towards the stairs on the side of the building where the others were already at. Before he could comprehend why they were heading for the stairs Liam¡¯s Danger Sense suddenly flared up right as the Toxo Brood Mother Queen opened her mouth and exhaled a massive dark green cloud from her mouth. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam swore as the cloud rolled out from the giant spider¡¯s mouth as she moved her head around while spinning her body. The cloud came out do quickly, a massive wave of it hit the building like a tsunami. It reached a height taller than the building and then rained down right on top of him. Liam closed his eyes and put his hands up in defense. Even though he knew it was pointless, his body still did it on instinct. He was ready to feel the fog hit him, but after a few seconds had passed he didn¡¯t feel anything. He opened his eyes to see the dark green fog that should be covering his entire body being diverted elsewhere. At first Liam was confused as to what was happening, but after following the trail the smoke was going to he realized what was going on. It was his newest equipment; the necklace called the Toxo Poison Catcher. The effect it had, Poison Collector, had activated and was sucking in the dark green cloud. It seemed the dark green cloud that the Toxo Brood Mother Queen was pushing out from her body was a type of poison. ¡°Thank god for this necklace,¡± Liam muttered. His relief lasted for a brief moment as he heard Eri shout out, What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing Liam?! Get out of there before it can¡¯t collect anymore of that poison fog! Her warning came too late. He felt his necklace shake a few times before going completely silent. The moment it stopped moving, the Poison Collector effect deactivated. This allowed a small portion of the dark green fog that was almost completely gone to wash over him. Liam coughed as the poisoned fog tickled his nose and caused him to sneeze. That sneezed allowed some of the fog to enter his mouth and his system. He felt the effects of the poison swim down his throat and enter his body. A notification suddenly appeared by his name and parameters. His eyes widened as he recognized the symbol. It was just like the ones his teammates had. He was now afflicted with Raging Rabies. Adventure 243 - A State of Anger and Chaos Liam felt his body slowly start to heat up as the poison he was inflicted with swam through his body. He let out a cough as a puff of dark green smoke escaped his mouth. He grimaced and thought that this must be what it felt like when he used Shade¡¯s Corruption on his targets. However, he knew this wouldn¡¯t stop unless he cured it or used some other method. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°This is going to suck. Now I have more than one time limit to focus on.¡± He looked over at the Demon-kins who had made it to the second floor balcony area. The ledge stood much higher than the roof of the building he stood on, making it so the damned fog couldn¡¯t reach them. Liam scowled. Things were starting to get annoying to Liam. He knew coming here and dealing with the problem going on wasn¡¯t going to be easy. However, he didn¡¯t think it would be this hard. Liam paused at that. That wasn¡¯t right. He knew it would be hard, so why did he just think that he didn¡¯t believe it would be this hard? Liam pushed that question away as he noticed the Toxo Brood Mother Queen start to act weird. She had stopped spewing that poisonous cloud out a few seconds ago and was hunched over. She had looked like she was in pain, and he had dismissed it as his Afflictions being the source, but now that he was able to look at her a bit more clearly he noticed the pain she looked to be in was one almost similar to someone pushing something. After a few seconds had passed he had got his answer. A chorus of shrieks rang out from beneath the clouded ground. Realization set in as he watched the Toxo Brood Mother Queen looked a bit relieved from her pain and straightened herself to her full height. Which was frightening to Liam she wasn¡¯t at eye level with the massive creature. Instead he was at breast level with her. His only saving grace was her attention wasn¡¯t on him, but the Demon-kin that were launching attack after attack at her. He then noticed a group of Toxo creatures climbing the side of the building making their way towards the attacking Demon-kins. It was a mixture of Toxo Disease Spider Carriers, Toxo Body Infiltrators, and Leaping Rabies Toxos. To Liam¡¯s disappointment, one of the Demon-kins noticed the spiders as a continuous plum of poisonous smoke puffed out of the Toxo Disease Carriers. Half of their numbers focused on the creatures as they made it on the ledge and killed them as quickly as they could. The Toxo Brood Mother Queen didn¡¯t like that as she hunched back over and did what she was doing earlier. Liam determined this was her giving birth to the swarm of spider creatures. However, instead of stopping like she did earlier after the sound of screeches echoed out, she continued to stay hunched and look pained. She¡¯s going to keep pumping out more and more of them? Damn she¡¯s determined to kill us to that extent? Liam thought as he contemplated attacking some of the Demon-kins. His aim wasn¡¯t to kill them, but for them to get distracted enough for them to get overwhelmed by the spiders that arrived to their ledge. As he started to get ready to do that, he was caught off guard and missed the glob of spider web that shot at his feet. Liam looked down at it and cursed. Before he looked up, a bright pale light flashed. A hiss filled his ears, bringing his attention to a Leaping Rabies Toxo that was on its back violently thrashing about while it was on its back. Liam noticed other spider creatures starting to appear on the roof. ¡°Fuck,¡± Liam quietly cursed as he channeled as much Shadow Mana as he could. He then went to form two Shadow Hands, but instead of two, four had formed. He had forgotten that his skill in his Shadow and Lunar abilities increased when he was in this form. Thanks to that he was able to form four of the Shadow Hands. He used them to swat away the low leveled Toxo spiders that tried to approach him. As he had the Shadow Hands doing that, he focused on cutting the webbing that held him in place. After he freed himself he looked up and instantly turned his body as one of his Shadow Hands flew backwards covered in a glob of spider webs. He felt that hand puff out into smoke as it landed on the ground. Since he still had some Shadow Mana built up he formed another right as two more globs were shot at him. Before the two globs of spider webbings landed on him, he activated Lunar Step. He appeared in a bright pale light flashing right in front of a Leaping Rabies Toxo that was crouching and getting ready to jump. The sudden flash of the pale light caused it to close its eyes and shriek in pain. He created a Shadow Double of himself and activated his Shadow Step to appear behind a Toxo Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. He stabbed his daggers down right into the abdomen of the creature and Shadow Stepped away before it could turn and attack him. He used Shadow Step and Lunar Step to help dodge attacks and land attacks as he fought against the spiders. However, he noticed for every one that he killed two or three more appeared. The building was starting to get swarmed with them. The same thing was happening on the ledge of the second floor of the building built into the mountain. The Demon-kins had stopped attacking the Toxo Brood Mother Queen and focused on the incoming wave of Spider creatures that were emerging up the wall from the cloudy poisonous fog. Some had to switch from using magic to using weapons to preserve what mana they had left. Liam popped open a Stamina and Health potion during brief intervals in his fight so he didn¡¯t get tired, and his health wouldn¡¯t go down too much. He didn¡¯t like the predicament he was in. He wanted to abandon this roof, but he was afraid that by jumping into the fog he would accumulate more of the Raging Rabies poison and wasn¡¯t sure if it would increase the rate his health was dropping. All of this was annoying. He could feel his health slowly tick down every half a minute as he thought about what to do. As he tried to think of something he started noticing his thoughts were straying. At first they were on how he could get out of this and what he could do to get rid of this Debuff. However, every now and then he started thinking about how unfair this was. He didn¡¯t ask to have these people cause him so much trouble. He didn¡¯t ask for Lucy, who was really Calythtis, to kidnap him and others like him for their plan. He didn¡¯t ask for people like that damn Weasel-Folk to cause trouble for him at the Crafter¡¯s Showing. Nor did he want people to hunt him down and try to make him comply to their rules. Rules he didn¡¯t know, and thought were stupid. Why did this happen? All of these unfair things made him think back to a time he had these thoughts before. To a specific person who showed him how unfair the world really was. Someone he originally hoped was dead, but had received confirmation was still alive in this world. Those thoughts of unfairness and thoughts of that person stirred something inside him. Anger. He was starting to get angry. Angry at the Demon-kins. Angry at what happened after his father and brothers left. Angry at how things turned out when he was left all alone back on Earth. Angry at all the things that happened at the Tutorial Area. Angry at how things turned out right now. As his thoughts started to turn into anger an icon slowly appeared next to the Raging Rabies Debuff. The picture of this icon was one that contained a person with a red aura surrounding it. This icon represented something called Berserking. That anger that was slowly starting to cloud his mind stirred a couple of things within him. One was something deep within his body and the other was that small bit of chaos that he had pushed back earlier. The anger that was clouding his mind resonated with the thing hidden within him. It was trying to free itself but was cut off as the small bit of Chaos from Eri¡¯s nature interfered with it. The hidden power roared menacingly, angry that it was cut off and pushed back deep within himself once more. Due to Liam¡¯s mind slowly getting overwhelmed by the Berserking state, it couldn¡¯t focus on keeping the small bit of chaotic nature in check. It swam and mixed with the Berserking state Liam was slowly losing himself to. A chaotic smile slowly formed on Liam¡¯s face. He sheathed his daggers away and pulled out his War Scythe of the Electro Orchid Mantis. He gripped the handle close to the top and spun around three times. Each spin he loosened his grip just enough to move out a bit more to attack the spider creatures that were further out. The Toxo spider creatures that had surrounded him split in half as the bladed end cut right through them. After he finished the last strike and was cleared of the monsters within a five foot radius, a fireball crashed right next Liam¡¯s left foot. Liam turned his head in the direction of where it came from and saw a Demon-kin tsk before turning his attention back on the spider creatures around him. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. If Liam was in the right state of mind he would have focused on the monsters around him. Instead, the Chaotic Berserking state he was falling into was focusing on that Demon-kin specifically. He was appalled that that lowly scum had the gall to attack him. He wanted him dead. He turned his body towards the man and was ready to try and jump his way over there. He couldn¡¯t process that the distance was impossible for him to make. He only saw that Demon-kin. He sprinted for the edge. The area right by the edge was cleared of any monsters since the ones that were there had either die or fell off from monster¡¯s that tried to push back and get away from the scythe attack. As soon as his feet touched the edge, he squatted his body and then pushed off for the second floor ledge. He sent himself soaring through the air. The Demon-kins that were closer to the area he was heading towards noticed this as they finished off the spiders creatures that were closest to them. Their eyes widened as he continued to get closer and closer to the ledge. At one point they believed he was going to make it. that was until he reached halfway and started to slowly descend. Liam¡¯s body started to fall as soon as it reached its limit of rising. He looked around and noticed a few Leaping Rabies Toxos jumped from the wall they were scaling. The trajectory his body was falling would lead him into them at the rate he was going. Going off of instinct as the creatures got closer and closer to him. Liam spun the War Scythe under his body and over his head. As he brought it back down, the tip of the scythe dug into the closest Leaping Rabies Toxo, allowing him to bring his body up just enough for him to land a foot on another Leaping Rabies Toxo. He then pushed off of the creature, giving him enough of a boost to get close enough to use Shadow Step behind an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo that was furthest away from the Demon-kins on the left side of the ledged second floor. Liam, heavily breathing, switched from the War Scythe to his Shadow Moon Blades. He then weaved in and out of the spider creatures, slicing, stabbing, and piercing his weapons into each creature as he danced through them making his way towards his prey. The Demon-kins let out a shout of worry as they watched this. Calythtis and Fazil turned their heads and saw Liam swiftly making his way through the swarm of spider creatures. They saw the wide crazed smile on his face and grew panicked. They didn¡¯t know how he made it over there from where he was, but from the look on his face he wasn¡¯t tired and still had energy to spare. ¡°Stop him! He¡¯s going to kill me!¡± A Demon-kin shouted as he ran behind Fazil and Calythtis. Both the Succubus and the Golden Goblin looking Demon-kin sneered at the frightened Demon-kin. They didn¡¯t waste any time on him, but instead focused on the new threat that was heading their way. They were surprised when they noticed the Half-Beast-kin didn¡¯t pay any attention on the other Demon-kins as he easily passed by them. They did notice the spider creatures didn¡¯t get by easily when he finally pushed through them though. They were either dismembered or barely hanging on to life. That didn¡¯t mean they could ignore him. Even if he didn¡¯t harm the others they could see he had eyes for one of their own. If they could use that to their advantage then they would. Fazil raced towards him as Calythtis started chanting. As the two made their move, Liam suddenly disappeared. His whole body reappeared right in front of Fazil, bringing a flash of pale white light, blinding the Demon-kin. He then juked around the blinded goblin looking demon and took a couple more steps before disappearing into a puff of smoke. Calythtis felt a puff of air suddenly brush up against her right before a foot slammed into her back, pushing her forward and propelling the man away towards the Demon-kin in disguise. Calythtis turned around in time to see Liam had reached striking distance of the Demon-kin and was about to strike but was kicked off the ledge at the last second as he side stepped and thrusted his foot forward. The scared Demon-kin smiled victoriously as he watched the attack land. That smile quickly disappeared as Liam threw a fist forward hitting nothing but air. The bandage wrappings that covered his hand and wrist suddenly shot out and wrapped around the leg that was still out before the Demon-kin. Calythtis then watched as Liam yanked as hard as he could, pulling his prey into the poisonous fog that covered the land below. The Demon-kin yelped as he was pulled and fell. After he landed on the ground all Calythtis could hear were his cries and shouts of pain and fear before dying out into complete silence. She didn¡¯t know what had happened inside the blanket of fog, but she was starting to think that since her fellow Demon-kin had died that maybe Liam had as well. If that was true then that was a sacrifice they would gladly take. Now they just needed to kill these spider creature and unfortunately escape this hellish nightmare this dungeon had turned into. It was unfortunate, but their plan was ruined and couldn¡¯t be salvaged anymore. She was about to turn and check on the others but stopped as a loud and thunderous roar filled the air around them. it was so loud that even the Toxo spider creatures stopped attacking. They turned to look at the Toxo Brood Mother Queen and watched as she reared her ugly head back in pain. To all of the Deamon-kins¡¯ surprise they saw Liam with two daggers plunged into one of the massive spider¡¯s eyes. They could hear him cackling menacingly as he flew up into the air, holding tightly to his daggers as the spider raised her head. He held on even tighter as she waved her head left to right, trying to release the painful daggers that were plunged into one of her eyes. Calythtis didn¡¯t notice it when he was on the ledge with them, but he had four shadowy hands following his movements as the monster tried desperately to dislodge him. She then stopped moving her head and tried to swat one of her four hands at him. Before it could hit him, Liam pulled his daggers out. He timed his release just in time to fall down as the hand flew above him, a bandage wrap hooked enough to catch a ride with the motion. As he flew to the right, he released the bandage wrap and sent another for her hair. It caught just enough right before he was out of reach and pulled himself towards her back. After he landed on her back, Liam pulled his goggles up to his forehead and grinned wickedly. Calythtis sucked in a breath of air as she noticed his eyes. they had changed. A symbol she felt she recognized but couldn''t remember took over the form of his irises and pupils. They glowed an ominous color as he laughed wickedly. She then watched as four new hands suddenly appeared behind him. These new hands were a stark contrast from the shadowy hands he had floating around him. They were a pale white color. She then noticed sparks flash between the shadowy ones and the pale white ones whenever they got too close. Calythtis didn¡¯t know what he had planned summoning Lunar Hands while having Shadow Hands out. she knew it was a bad idea, but at the same time she was curious as to why it was a bad idea. For once, she got an answer that sated her curiosity. The Toxo Brood Mother Queen turned her upper body to look down at Liam. As she did this, Liam was already moving. He jumped up into the air and ended up high enough for his body to be eye level with the creature. As soon as she saw him, She opened her mouth and looked like she was about to do something, however, that attack was cancelled as Liam slammed all eight hands together. A large explosion of pale white light and raven black erupted right in front of the monster¡¯s face. The explosion shot Liam backwards towards the ground close to the edge of the forest and the Toxo Brood Mother Queen forward, slamming into the building making it shake from the violent impact. Calythtis, Fazil, and the other Demon-kins fell to the floor of the ledge as the impact rocked them off their feet. The spider creatures on the wall all fell to the ground as the ones on the ledge fell off the side. Calythtis and Fazil quickly got to their feet and looked down. The poisonous fog that had covered the land below had fully dispersed, revealing the ground closest to the building full of Toxo spider creatures that were disoriented. Calythtis saw the body of the demon-kin that had fell earlier. His disguise was now gone revealing him as an Imp. Black blood oozed out from a wound as his body convulsed, life no longer there in his eyes. Calythtis hissed at the sight. She didn¡¯t waste time though as she shouted, ¡°The creatures are dazed from the shockwave created from the boss monster! Hurry and take this time to make a run for the dungeon entrance!¡± Fazil and the other Demon-kins, still shocked at what had happened turned to face her. Recognition suddenly appeared in their eyes as they started to move for the stairs. As soon as they approached the top of the stairs a new rumbling shook the building. Each of them stopped their running, making sure they didn¡¯t lose their balance and fall over the edge. Calythtis and Fazil felt something coming from one of the openings on the other side of the second layer. They were confused as to what it could be and were even more puzzled as they saw a red light shining through the opening that the magic circle was housed in. Did they collect the rest of the souls needed for the magic circle to activate? If that was true then maybe their plans weren¡¯t completely ruined. The thoughts created hope. Hope that lasted for five seconds as a massive fiery minotaur exploded from the opening, widening it to allow the giant form to escape and land on the ground below, frying all the spider creatures that were slowly coming out of the stupor they were in. Calythtis and Fazil then noticed two more forms running out from the destroyed opening. One of the two forms jumping over the ledge without thinking as the third spread their wings out and caught what looked like an Orc under the arms and glided to one of the roofs a bit farther away. They weren¡¯t sure at the time why they thought that was a good idea, until they realized the rumbling was still going and it wasn¡¯t caused by the massive fiery minotaur running rampant but by something else. They then heard chittering and screeches as a wave of spiders of different sizes caught on fire poured out of the hole. Then more poured out of the next one and the next one. It was like a dam had broken and a flood of Toxo Spiders were pouring out in droves. Calythtis heard the curses flying out of each of their mouths as they ran down the stairs trying not to get swept up in the sea of chittering, multi-legged moving, and deadly spiders. Adventure 244 - The Death of a Queen The first thing Liam heard as he slowly regained consciousness was a loud ringing in his ears. His eyes were still shut as he slowly came to. The ringing was sharp, but not painful. It felt like he just got rocked and his head swam. As he slowly opened his eyes all he saw were bright blurry red and orange colors swaying back and forth. The blurry colors mixed with the ringing in his ears made him feel nauseous as he tried to process what was going on. As he tried to process it he felt a surge of anger warring with him trying to take over his mind again. As he mentally tried to fight back against the randomness he heard a voice. it was clear at first as it repeated a single sentence over and over. He felt he recognized the voice, but he couldn¡¯t place where he had heard it. As he continued to fight against the oppressive waves of anger the voice started to clear along with his vision. As everything cleared up his eyes widened before him. A massively tall minotaur almost as tall as the Toxo Brood Mother Queen ran about around the grounds. Its entire body was burning bright and hot as a trail of fire was left behind each step it made. Cries of painful screeches and hisses filled the air as the smaller spider creature burned as the fiery creature ran over or close enough to them. The Toxo Brood Mother Queen stood in the middle of the circular inferno. One of her arms hung as it was burnt to a crisp. That didn¡¯t stop her other arms from trying to slash at the creature that kept it trapped. His thoughts on what or who that was, was instantly pushed away as Eri shouted in his mind, ¡°Hurry up and drink a damn Health Potion you idiot!¡± ¡°Wha¡­,¡± Liam said unintelligently. He then noticed his health bar dropping quickly. It had reached fifty and was continuously dropping. With each tick the anger he was fighting against fought back against him harder. He quickly pulled out a Minor Health Potion and drank it as quickly as he could. His health shot back up as he swallowed each drop of the liquid. As his health raced back up he noticed the angry emotions that tried to overwhelm him start to fade a bit. It was still there, but it wasn¡¯t as domineering as it was when his health was so low. ¡°What happened?¡± Liam asked as he tried to get to his feet. ¡°Oh thank me,¡± Eri said with some relief. ¡°That Raging Rabies that you¡¯re inflicted with has a side effect that brings you into a Berserker State. Your mind was fighting against that as well as the small bit of my nature that fills you when you accept the Gifts of Chaos. When the Berserker State took hold of your mental state the restraint you had keeping my Chaotic Nature in check loosened enough for you to go into a half Chaotic Meltdown.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you saying I almost¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t last long since there was a timer on the Partial Temporary Seal Release. Once that timer hit my Chaotic Nature disappeared. And since you landed a blow that knocked you backwards and unconscious, the Berserker State had disappeared for a short time. If you hadn¡¯t drank that potion you would have fallen back into it¡­well actually since your health almost bottomed out it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if you fell back into that state since you¡¯d be dead,¡± Eri informed. ¡°Jesus fucking Christ,¡± Liam swore. He looked back at the fiery Minotaur and asked, ¡°Is that¡­Roman?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Eri answered. She then cut off his next question as she said, ¡°No time to go into details. You need to finish that creature off. The swarm of Toxo Spiders that followed them out swallowed and killed majority of the Demon-kins, so you don¡¯t have to worry about them, however that Toxo Brood Mother Queen still needs to die. If she doesn¡¯t die then there is a high chance you all will die before you can get rid of the Raging Rabies that you all are inflicted with.¡± Liam¡¯s body stiffened at that. She was right. He wasn¡¯t the only one who has that Raging Rabies Debuff. All four of them had it. Liam looked at the others Health bars. While they were higher than his they were still slowly ticking down. If they didn¡¯t finish this fight soon they were screwed. Liam stared at the Toxo Brood Mother Queen. [Toxo Brood Mother Queen. 2,780/10,590 HP. 922/3,522 MP. Level ¨C 29.] Her health has dropped a considerable amount and even her mana is almost depleted. Liam thought. If we could land a decisive blow then we could potentially finish her off¡­but what could¡­ Two figures made their way over towards Liam. He was able to catch them in the corner of his eye. He readied himself for a fight but relaxed as soon as he recognized the people heading towards him. It was Artem and Blair. Liam grew a bit worried as he noticed Artem was carrying Blair on his back. She looked exhausted and in pain as Artem ran. ¡°What happened?!¡± Liam questioned as they arrived. ¡°She used a new ability. After it deactivated she was hit with a backlash,¡± Artem replied while heavily panting. ¡°Shit. That¡¯s not good, especially while she has the Raging Rabies Debuff,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°I agree,¡± Artem said. ¡°I have a way to completely cure it from all three of us, but I can only use it once.¡± ¡°Four of us,¡± Liam corrected. Artem¡¯s eyes widened at his statement. He wasn¡¯t out here and believed Liam wouldn¡¯t get inflicted with it. However, he realized that line of thinking was too na?ve. There was always a chance something could happen, and it seemed like something happened out here that caused him to get hit with it. ¡°You said you had a way to clear it right?¡± Liam asked as he thought about what ability he meant. He looked at Roman and as he stared at the man he realized what he meant. He looked at Artem and asked, ¡°Your Zodiac ability right?¡± Artem nodded. Liam had almost completely forgotten about the ability that had saved his life once during the fight against the Askith Pharoah Mummy Lord. That boss monster had inflicted him with his Mummy Rot. A nasty poison that slowly destroyed the body as it spread throughout his system. If it was that ability then it could work. However, if they used it while the Toxo Brood Mother Queen was still alive then there was a chance they could get inflicted with again and they would be screwed. ¡°Everyone be ready,¡± Eri suddenly stated bringing everyone out of their thoughts. ¡°Roman is almost out of stamina and needs to land a blow on the Toxo Brood Mother Queen. After that you will need to get him out of the blast zone and attack her while she is down.¡± Liam grimaced as he looked at Artem and Blair. Bliar was suffering from the backlash of her newest spell and looked like she couldn¡¯t move around on her own yet. Since Artem was carrying her on his back he couldn¡¯t run and grab Roman wherever he landed. He would also need to drink a potion to replenish his stamina and the loss of health. Liam knew he was the only one who could do it, but he was starting to feel tired as well. His thoughts were pushed away as he saw the giant fiery form of his Zodiac ability change course and sprinted right for the giant spider boss. The giant beast let out a thunderous roar right as the Toxo Brood Mother Queen turned and saw him. She raised one of her unburnt arms back and swung it out wide trying to hit him, however, her movements were too slow as her arm didn¡¯t reach him in time before he slammed into her and exploded. Roman¡¯s giant body disappeared in the explosion revealing his smaller frame being thrown backwards. The Toxo Brood Mother Queen flew backwards as well towards the building in the mountain. Her swinging arm still moved as her body flew backwards. It might not have been fast enough to hit Roman, but as she flew her arms slammed into one of the smaller buildings she was closest to. The roof of the building was ripped right off and was sent flying towards Roman¡¯s direction as he fell backwards. Artem¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Liam¡¯s eyes widened as they noticed the direction that both Roman and the ripped off roof was heading towards them. Liam cursed as he ran forward trying to determine where Roman was going to crash down at while Artem ran out of the way with Blair on his back. As Liam stared and tried to think he can to the realization that he would need to jump into the mess of broken roof chunks that had started to break away from the main part of the roof and spread out around him. He had the image in his mind on what he needed to do, however he also realized that what he needed to do required a high level of reflexes, agility, and speed. That made him hesitate because he believed he didn¡¯t have the required level to pull off what he needed to do. He then chided himself for his hesitation and was about to try it anyways but stopped as two shadows suddenly jumped through the falling chunks of building materials. Liam watched as they moved effortlessly from falling piece of rumble to the next until they reached Roman, grabbed him, and looked like they were suddenly yanked away. Liam followed where they landed then realized he was still in the blast zone of the falling pieces of building material. He looked for Artem who had made it out of the range and sprinted for him. Artem and Blair started shouting, but he couldn¡¯t hear them. he was focused on the distance he was from them. He just needed to take a few more steps and then he could use his ability. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He took the steps he believed was right and focused on Artem. That was when a piece of roofing material fell down on him. Artem and Blair screamed as they watched more pieces land right where Liam was. They tried to see through the dust piles but couldn¡¯t see anything. They both almost jumped out of their skins as they heard a loud coughing fit right behind them. They swiftly turned to see Liam hunched over coughing. Small black wisps of smoke disappeared as they rolled off his shoulders. ¡°Holy shit man!¡± Artem shouted. Liam straightened his posture as he took in a huge breath of air. He looked at the two and asked, ¡°Give it to me straight. How close was that?¡± Blair tried to swipe at him, but missed as Liam easily dodged it. ¡°Too close for comfort.¡± ¡°I thought so,¡± Liam stated with a stern look. ¡°What about Roman?¡± Artem quickly asked. ¡°Who were those two that caught him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam stated. He looked in the direction he last saw they being pulled towards and pointed. ¡°They should have landed over there. At the edge of this place and the forest.¡± Artem and Blair looked at where he was pointing at. Dust clouds blocked their vision, and they could see what was going on over there. That didn¡¯t stop the three from running over there. It didn¡¯t take them long to get there, however, when they got there they only found Roman leaning against a giant piece of roofing material that was still intact. ¡°Roman!¡± Artem shouted as they reached him. Liam swiftly pulled out a health and Stamina potion. He popped open the cork of the health and brought it to his lips. Some of the liquid escaped his mouth, but after a second he started drinking. Roman opened his eyes and looked at three. He let out a cough after he finished the Health Potion. After he stopped coughing Liam stated, ¡°Drink this Stamina Potion.¡± Liam saw the grimace on his face and chuckled slightly. ¡°Hey, I know it tastes disgusting, but you need to drink it.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Roman croaked as he slowly reached for the potion. ¡°You guys need to hurry before that Toxo Brood Mother Queen puts out the fire that¡¯s encasing her!¡± Eri warned. Liam turned his attention towards the giant spider boss that was thrashing about, screaming bloody murder. Flames ran down her three arms and a couple of her legs. Her hair was curling upwards or falling off due to the small bits of fire in her hair. Liam looked at her health. It had dropped to six hundred and ninety and slowly dropped. They still needed to do that much damage or whatever else was left after she put out all the fire. As he thought about what they could do he found himself staring at her health. Something nagged at the back of his mind as he stared at the numbers dropping. At first he couldn¡¯t think why the numbers were drawing his attention. It wasn¡¯t like he had anything he could use to instantly kill her when her health reached a certain percentage. His brows furrowed as he thought about that. That wasn¡¯t true he had a few things he could use that could trigger a situation like that. Like a combination of his Shadow and Lunar spells. He could use them to¡­he stopped that line of thought as he recognized the familiar dark lines barely rounding the edges of his line of sight. He then heard faint whispers tickling his ears. He shook his head at the idea. He was almost at the limit that would activate the Debuffs Whispers from Beyond and Stellar Affliction from Within. He really didn¡¯t want to suffer those annoying Debuffs right now since he needed to fight whichever Demon-kins that survived. Since his Zodiac ability Class Fusion had deactivated he wasn¡¯t close to their levels anymore and due to their current conditions the fight would be hard. Not like fighting this level twenty nine boss was any different. He tried to think again what he had. He knew he had something else. As he stared at the boss monsters health something caught his attention. It was an eerie ghastly green object. He turned his attention towards the object. It was a Soul Orb. As he stared at it he realized there wasn¡¯t just one, but a massive number of them. He needed to harvest them before they floated towards the magic circ¡­an idea suddenly formed as he thought about the skill. He looked back at the Toxo Brood Mother Queen¡¯s health again. It was starting to slow down since the flames were dying out, but it was still falling. It was close to six hundred now. He did the math in his head and realized they were close to the amount he needed her health to be. But what could they do to bring it down enough? He turned to look at the others. He stared at Roman and was shifting his focus on the other two, but then stopped as he looked at the thing Roman was leaning against. He then looked at Blair and formed an idea. ¡°Blair!¡± Liam shouted. Artem, Blair, and Roman looked at him. ¡°What?¡± she asked, still on Artem¡¯s back. ¡°Can you cast Gravity Force Push and send that massive piece of the roof Roman is leaning on at the Toxo Brood Mother Queen?¡± Liam asked. Blair looked at him then at the piece of rubble he was talking about. As she looked back at him she said, ¡°I think so. I need to be standing and touching it, so I don¡¯t accidentally send Artem flying instead though.¡± ¡°Can you stand long enough to do it?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­Maybe?¡± Blair replied. ¡°I can hold you up from behind,¡± Artem said. ¡°So can I,¡± Roman added as he slowly pushed himself up. ¡°Okay do that please,¡± Liam said. Artem and Roman walked around the other side of the roofing rubble. Artem lowered himself enough for Blair to slide off his back. Her legs wobbled a bit as she tried to stand up straight and almost fell down. Artem and Roman quickly hooked an arm under her armpits and steadied her. She gave them both a smile of appreciation before getting herself ready. She angled herself in the direction of the massive monster before placing both hands on the edge of the broken roof piece. She took in a deep breath and after she released it she chanted, ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity. Reverse and move away from me, allowing the way to be clear. By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you. Gravity Force Push!¡± Liam watched as the massive piece of broken roofing slowly rise up and hover for a moment. A second later the piece flew away like a gun releasing a bullet. He watched as the rubble flew up at an angle. The spot Blair aimed for was her head. Liam was afraid that since the massive creature was still putting out the rest of the fire that she might duck and dodge the object without realizing what was going on. However, that fear proved to be for naught as the Toxo Brood Mother Queen turned her face to look in their direction right as the massive piece of broken roofing slammed into her face, shattering the whole piece. Liam looked at her health once more and saw that it had dropped to five hundred and thirty five. He clicked his tongue as he saw the numbers. They needed to shave off five more health points to bring her health down to five percent. He took in a deep breath and knew what he needed to do. He needed to get close enough to her anyways and this was the best way to do it. He just hoped she didn¡¯t move right before he landed on her. Liam stared at the monster. He then pulled his goggles back over his eyes and chanted, ¡°Hinderances and obstacles blocking my path, weighed down by the law of Gravity. Reverse and move away from me, allowing the way to be clear. By the law of Gravity, I forcibly reject you. Gravity Force Push!¡± Using himself as the object to be thrown, Liam felt his body lighten for just a moment as his feet dangled a bit. The others turned their heads to look at him and were about to shout, but their words fell on deaf ears as he felt his body shoot off like a rocket. Liam¡¯s eyes focused at the part of the body he was aiming for. The angle he shot at wasn¡¯t like Blair¡¯s which was the head. He didn¡¯t want to end up there. He needed to position himself as close as he could, but also deal some damage before he activated his ability. He just hoped he got close enough to the spot he wanted. Artem watched as Liam¡¯s body suddenly flew away from where they were. He didn¡¯t know what Liam had in mind, but he didn¡¯t like it when he did things like this. Sure the crazy things he did got them out of a sticky or what usually looked like an impossible situation, but there was so much luck a person had before their crazy plans failed miserably. So when he watched his friend get force pushed towards the massively terrifying creature, Artem bit his lip and believed he knew what he was doing. If¡­when he succeeded he would need to use his ability and do his part. So for now he watched as the stupid man he called a teammate flew. The three of them watched and were confused at the angle he was going. At first they thought he was aiming for the creature¡¯s throat. This theory was made when he switched from his daggers to his War Scythe. However, the angle he was flying at brought his slight to the right of the monster. Right where the creature¡¯s stomach and abdomen connected. They then watched as he approached. Their nerves tensed as he flew past the creature. They were about to shout but stopped as he hooked the scythe around the edge of the creature¡¯s stomach, spun around the stomach creating a massive wound as the blade ran along the stomach and then moved behind the monster. He then dug the scythe into the abdomen and used the anchor to slide along the back until he came to a stop. The Toxo Brood Mother Queen shriek in pain as she felt the blade dance around her. After he came to a stop, almost at the edge of the abdomen, she turned her upper body and was about to swat him away but stopped as he gripped tightly to the scythe with one hand and grabbed something that materialized on his hip. He pulled the lantern that glowed an ominous ghastly green and shouted, ¡°Soul Harvest!¡± Panic rose within the Toxo Brood Mother Queen as she felt something within her stir to his words. Orbs suddenly filled her visions from underneath her. The swirled under her feet and all around her like a whirlpool. After the wave of Spirit Orbs reached a certain speed, they shot up into the air starting at the middle of the whirlpool and ran right through her. That strange and terrifying feeling filled her as she felt something being pulled from within her. She fought back as hard as she could to stop whatever was happening, but as more Spirit Orbs ran up through her into the air the more that something moved from within her. As the last Spirit Orb ran through her she felt relieved, the pulling had stopped, and nothing happened. She looked up into the sky and felt all the eyes she could still see through widen. The stream of Spirit Orbs ran like a river stream above her. It then formed into a thick line as it swam away and curved back around, making its way right for her once more. She tried to move out of the way but couldn¡¯t. Her legs were frozen in place. They trembled and shook showing she still had some feeling in them, but they still wouldn¡¯t obey her command. Her attention moved from her shaking legs and back towards the rushing stream heading in her direction. Realization filled her as she understood this was the end. Her body went lax as the stream of Soul Orbs crashed through her stomach and out her back before entering the Spectral Lantern Liam was holding. Each Soul Orb crashed against her soul, slowly bringing it out bit by bit until finally it left her body. The massive spirit folded backwards as the las of the Soul Orbs brought it with them into the Lantern. Liam watched as the glass door of the Spectral Lantern slammed shut after the last Soul Orb flew in. The second it closed he felt the Toxo Brood Mother Queen¡¯s body drop to the ground, lifeless and soulless. He let out a shout as he followed the body down, still holding on tightly to his weapon. After both he and the corpse stopped, a notification appeared in front of him. A laugh bubbled out from him as a wide grin grew. His laughter grew louder the more he stared at it. [Congratulations! You have defeated the Dungeon¡¯s Final Wave Boss, Toxo Brood Mother Queen of the Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs!] Adventure 245 - Questioning Why Liam felt his body suddenly relax after his laughing fit. The adrenaline from using Gravity Force Push on himself and then trying to use the execute part of his Soul Harvest class ability had bleed away after receiving the notification. He didn¡¯t realize how tense he was until now. He gripped onto his War Scythe and held on as best as he could as his knees buckled down. He chuckled a bit more as he thought about every possible way that plan could have gone wrong. He could have completely missed and hit the building instead. The Toxo Brood Mother Queen could have swatted him like a fly. Or maybe something else could have happened. The possibilities were endless. As he thought about these he started to feel the familiar anger from earlier start to bubble back up inside him. His thoughts started to turn to anger, but as he felt the familiar pattern Liam mentally pushed it back before it took control. He then looked at his health and noticed it had dropped to forty three. ¡°Shit,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Liam, you crazy son of a bitch!¡± Roman shouted as he, Artem, and Blair made their way over to him. Liam looked up and stared at them. Artem noticed the look on Liam¡¯s face and realized what was going on as Liam was pulling out a Health Potion. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about taking that potion. I¡¯ll use my ability to get rid of the Raging Rabies right now. You might want to get down though. Not sure if it will work while you¡¯re up there.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam stated as he pushed himself back onto his feet. His legs were a little wobbly, but after a couple of seconds and some focus he was able to stand straight. He went to pull his War Scythe out from the abdomen of the dead boss monster and suddenly tensed. Liam¡¯s Danger Sense flared up covering his entire back side. He tried to turn around and black whatever was heading for him, but knew he was too slow as he watched two swords flying right for his stomach. ¡°Look out!¡± a familiar voice shouted as two being suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in front of Liam. Liam watched as the two swords plunged right into both figures. As the weapons pierced through the bodies and the blades poked out from their backs, Liam expect blood to follow and land on him. Instead chips of wood splattered across his chest. The two figures dropped to the ground seconds after the attack landed. Confused, Liam got a better look at the two figures in front of him. They looked like would stand up to his stomach. The shape of their bodies made Liam think they were goblins at first, however, he noticed their flesh had a wooden look throughout their bodies. They looked entirely like badly made wooden dolls. Artem¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s guards went up the moment the swords pierced the badly looking dolls. Blair pulled her Battle Axe out of her inventory and used it to hold herself up while scanning the area. Roman placed his hands up as he turned around. Artem readied himself with his mace and shield. ¡°Lobby and Goby no!¡± someone shouted from behind. Liam felt like he recognized the voice as he turned around to see Gimmel running out from behind a massive piece of broken roofing from the side. His body had suddenly manifested as he ran towards them, almost like Illusion Magic was being deactivated. Roman noticed the teenager, bent his knees a bit and sprinted for him. After Liam processed who it was he shouted, ¡°Roman stop!¡± Roman slid to a stop as Gimmel stopped as well. ¡°Why? Is he a Demon-kin using Illusion Magic to hide their true appearance? I know I felt Illusion Magic being used.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a Demon-kin. I know him!¡± Liam replied. ¡°Should you really be focused on the boy?¡± Fazil suddenly stated bringing Liam¡¯s attention back around. He looked for where he was and finally found both him and Calythtis standing on the second floor edge. They were staring down at them, scowls and glares on their faces. Liam glared back. He got a good look at the two and notice the terrible condition they were in. Fazil had blood oozing from bite marks and cuts all over his body. Calythtis¡¯ body had the same except she had more bite marks than cuts. As he studied them he noticed something flash in their eyes. Anger. Their eyes were full of hate and anger that looked to be filling them as their mouths twitched every other second showing their fanged teeth. Liam understood what was going on. They were inflicted with the Raging Rabies as well. He couldn¡¯t tell how low their health was, but from the look in their eyes and the scowls that were slowly turning into drooling snarls he could guess they had less than half of their health left. The more he stared at them the more he felt his anger trying to take control. The Berserk State this venom inflicted was powerful. It took all he had to hold it down. However, he knew if he didn¡¯t do something soon he would be sucked into it and lose himself before he died. ¡°You stupid fucking assholes!¡± Calythtis shouted in anger. Spit flew from her mouth. ¡°Do you realize how long it took us to get things set up? How close we were to our goal?¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You don¡¯t!¡± Calythtis continued, not caring no one answered her. ¡°We lost so many people to your intervention. So many resources just gone¡­up in flames!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry,¡± Liam started as irritation laced with sarcasm filled his voice. ¡°You killed, kidnapped, and even hurt how many people thanks to your plan? And what? You¡¯re mad because you lost people? Don¡¯t give me that crap.¡± Liam spit a glob of bloody phlegm to the side. ¡°There is an entire city in ruin because of your fucked up plan.¡± Fazil snarled at Liam¡¯s words. ¡°What do you care about that city huh? You have no ties to the people of this city. You just arrived not that long ago. There were people willing to offer you up to die. Someone did actually try to kill you not just at one point might I add. Hell, you were even abandoned by a few people as well.¡± Liam thought about the people he was talking about. That Weasel-folk was definitely someone who he didn¡¯t care about. Cindy, Abby, and Farry did cut times with him for reasons he did understand, but they had apologized. ¡°No ties to this city?¡± Liam repeated. ¡°That might be true. Hell, you¡¯re right about someone trying to kill me a couple of times. However, there are people in this city that I do care about. Sure a family shunned me for what had happened, but they apologized. However, even if all that happened what type of person would I be if I had just ran away and let you sick fucks do what you want?¡± Calythtis let out a maniacal laugh. ¡°You are so na?ve. The world isn¡¯t so forgiving. People in this world would easily and gladly run away when things get tough, or even use you as a scapegoat or sacrifice, not caring about what happens to others. What do you think you¡¯d gain from running head long into something you probably knew was dangerous? Huh?¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Liam actually thought about what she said. The Berserk State warred within his mind as he tried to honestly think about his actions. He did run headlong into this. This was a dangerous situation he had put not just himself, but the others in. He didn¡¯t have any ties to this city besides the friends that he once cherished and his cousin, who hopefully was still alive. Besides that he didn¡¯t really know anyone else to really say he had a long time connection with. He had come across those who looked down at him for being a half breed as they called it. However, the same could be said about those who didn¡¯t really care about that. He was new not to just this city, but this world. If things like this happened all the time then was it really any different to how things went during the end times back on Earth? That last thought made him think about how he was after things went to hell. People hated, killed, abused, or sold out others just because of who they were. At one point he had done a lot of things he wasn¡¯t proud of back then. Things from abandoning those who couldn¡¯t keep up with him, getting innocent people involved with his fights without thinking things through¡­He even¡­ Liam shook his head trying to push back all the thoughts and memories. Just thinking about how those people were and how he was just fed the anger that he was trying to hold back. He wanted to forget those things. He want to change. He wanted¡­A thought formed in his mind. He wasn¡¯t sure if what he had thought was really what he was trying to do, but he wanted to believe it. Liam looked back at Fazil and Calythtis. He resolved himself with the idea as he said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it is why I ran headlong into this, but I think I did it because I wanted to be a better version of who I used to be.¡± Fazil and Calythtis stared at Liam confused by what he was talking about. Liam¡¯s words even brought Artem¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s attention on him. They knew he had a past after their talk back in the Tutorial Area, but they didn¡¯t know exactly what had happened. This sudden proclamation made their curiosity grow even more. Fazil scoffed after a few seconds as Calythtis laughed. ¡°What the hell does that even mean?¡± Fazil stated. ¡°A better version of who you used to be? What are you some protagonist from a story?¡± Calythtis asked. ¡°Oh man you really are an interesting person. It¡¯s a shame you have to die here.¡± Liam¡¯s body tensed as he noticed the two get into an attack stance. They both bent their knees and looked like they were going to jump. However, they didn¡¯t get a chance to leap at him. As their bodies started with the motion, a flock of raven black birds suddenly bolted onto them. The noises coming from the flock of birds sounded a lot like crows. Liam, Artem, Blair, Gimmel, and Roman stared wide eyed as the two Demon-kins flailed their arms around trying to fight back against what Liam believed was a murder of crows. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if they were that though because their bodies weren¡¯t exactly made of feathers and flesh. Liam stared at the creatures. The power radiating from them felt and looked familiar as he recognized what it was that they were made of. Just like Lady Arachne, these birds were made of Shadow Mana. Their bodies, while taking on the form of birds, had shadowy wisps that rolled off them. As Fazil and Calythtis swung their arms trying to swat them away, their hands only rolled through them like smoke. Fazil and Calythtis screamed out as they tried to break free from the shadowy birds clawing attacks. They both staggered around not paying any attention to where they placed their footing. They didn¡¯t realize how close to the edge they were until one of their feet slipped right off the edge, bringing their bodies with them. Liam watched as the shadowy birds didn¡¯t follow them, but instead flew away towards the forest behind them. There, standing on the edge of the forest was a shadowy silhouette staring right at¡­him. The birds flew right into the figure¡¯s chest, disappearing into the shadowy form. Liam stared at the person. He could feel his heart start to quicken as he took in the figure¡¯s shape. Even though the form was nothing but a shadow, he recognized some of the features it had. Thoughts started to form as he tried to rationalize if what he was seeing really was who he thought it was. The figure made a familiar gesture as a smile formed on the dark face. A gesture he knew all too well. He grew up seeing that gesture. Many people mistook it as a peace sign, but he knew that it had a different meaning just by flipping it around. His heart dropped and he went to run towards the figure. However, as he moved his foot two things happened. The first was the figure had dispersed into a cloud of smoke leaving not a trace of the figure that once stood there. The other was Eri telling him to do something. ¡°Liam!¡± Eri shouted. ¡°Pay attention!¡± ¡°What!¡± Liam shouted as a mixture of feeling swirled within him. Happiness that some form of the man made him know he was alive. Sadness that he wasn¡¯t really there. And Anger that he would just appear and then disappear like that. ¡°Devour those two before they die!¡± Eri snapped back, irritated that he had the gall to shout at her. Her connection to him was strong. She felt the feelings that whirled in him as the thoughts behind them were projected to her. She was confused at first why a man like that had appeared, but as his thoughts ran through his mind as he saw him she quickly understood the purpose of him attacking. However, she didn¡¯t understand why he did it in the manner he did. Before Liam turned to look at Fazil and Calythtis his eyes locked with Gimmel¡¯s. Are you sure about that? There is someone here that¡­ ¡°He¡¯s already seen enough and probably heard enough to know what¡¯s going on,¡± Eri stated. ¡°At least a small part of what¡¯s going.¡± Liam¡¯s thoughts warred inside his mind. ¡°Shit¡­are you sure?¡± He accidentally said out loud. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re just going to have to explain fully to him the stakes after all is said and done. You may end up needing to keep him with your group until you feel he is trustworthy enough¡­that or you can just kill him,¡± Eri stated nonchalantly. Liam scowled at the last suggestion Eri made. ¡°You can decide later. You need to Devour those two before its too late,¡± Eri urged again. ¡°Fine,¡± Liam stated before turning his attention towards the two Demon-kins that were laying on the ground, bleeding profusely. He slid down the abdomen of the deceased Toxo Brood Mother Queen and limped over in the direction of the two fallen Demon-kins. As he approached them he saw their eyes lock on him. They tried to say something, but instead of words a watery gurgle sound came out as blood drooled out their mouths. When he reached the appropriate distance he placed two hands out in their direction before saying in as low of a volume that only they could hear besides Roman and Blair, ¡°You said you didn¡¯t understand why the Deities were hunting Geminis down right? I¡¯ll sate that curiosity for you before you die. Its because a small handful of us have a power that they supposedly fear. A power you both will get to witness and be a part of right now.¡± Fazil tried to move but failed as his body twitched. Calythtis, however, had an expression Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure he understood. She looked¡­happy? Excited? Liam wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but during this short time he got to see her true nature he understood something. She had a thirst. She lusted for knowledge. He wasn¡¯t sure he understood how one could lust for something that wasn¡¯t sexual, but he came to understand that it was a thing. Not wanting to waste any more time, Liam muttered the word to activate the ability he was getting used to. ¡°Devour.¡± Liam¡¯s shadow quivered. A familiar cold sensation slowly ran up his legs. The feeling crept up his body as whispers started to tickle the edge of his mind. Fazil¡¯s and Calythtis¡¯ watched as the shadow underneath Liam circle around his legs and then his torso before making it towards his shoulders and down his arms. Both of their eyes widened as they witnessed smoky raven black tendrils lift up. The tips suddenly split open as razor sharp fangs formed in the make shift mouths. Fazil¡¯s eyes screamed in terror as he stared at the tendril that was starting to grow bigger and bigger as it hovered above him. Calythtis¡¯ eyes, however, had a completely different reason why they were widened. Her eyes widened because she now understood what was going on. That wide eyed expression then turned into one of pure ecstasy. Even though she knew she was about to die, she was happy to have one of the greatest mysteries revealed to her. She tried to laugh. At first it was just a gargled noise, but after some blood had shot out from her mouth she was able to make a proper sound. Her half crazed half elated laughter was the last thing she was able to do before the tendril shot forth and swallowed both beings wholes. [Devour has been used on Fazil, Golden Dokkaebi Demon-kin. Follower of the Vice of Greed. Time to Process: 7 Days.] [Devour has been used on Calythtis, Succubus Demon-kin. Follower of the Vice of Lust. Time to Process: 7 Days.] Thursday Chapter Information Good evening everyone, I will not be posting a chapter on Thursday. I have made an announcement as to why on my Patreon, but i will let you all here know that i have just posted the last chapter of the arc on there. I am going to spend some time making sure the next arc is the direction I have envisioned and make sure that certain locations and events match up with what i have planned. Like I have told them if I can I might get two chapters posted this weekend to make up for the one not going out on Thursday but we will see. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I hope you all have a great day/night, Trippyland Adventure 246 - A new Follower The crazed laughter and gargled screams that Fazil and Calythtis let out right before Liam¡¯s Devour ability swallowed them whole died out and was replaced with silence. Liam stared at the two spots. He didn¡¯t have a smile, nor did he have a scowl on his face. He just had a look of concern. While Fazil¡¯s response was what Liam had expect, Calythtis¡¯ was a cause for concern. That look of pure ecstasy, her half crazed half elated laughter she kept up right until she was completely devoured made Liam think she knew something about the ability he didn¡¯t. While he was still new to it, he didn¡¯t think there were others that knew about it. The way Eri had reacted when he first used it made him think that. So watching Calythtis act the way she did left him confused. Besides that he finally got an answer to Fazil¡¯s race. He was a Golden Dokkaebi. Back on earth a Dokkaebi was a Korean word for Goblin. Many outside of the country knew them as Korean Goblins. So he was right when he thought the Demon-kin was a Golden Goblin. Liam was brought out of his thoughts as he suddenly heard Roman yell out, ¡°Take another step and I¡¯ll knock you the hell out.¡± Liam swiftly turned around and made his way back to the others. As he approached them he got a good look at Gimmel. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was a Demon-kin in disguise and if he was honest he wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about it. Instead he asked the one person who he believed had the answer. Eri. Is that really Gimmel or is it an illusion to deceive us? Liam asked. There¡¯s no Illusion Magic being used. He does have the Field of Illusion, albeit at a higher level than Roman¡¯s, but he isn¡¯t using it. Eri responded. Liam nodded as he thanked the goddess. ¡°Roman, stand down. He isn¡¯t a Demon-kin in disguise.¡± Roman side eyed Liam as he replied, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Liam nodded. He saw Roman¡¯s body slightly relax as he looked like someone had whispered something in his ear. However, his body didn¡¯t completely relax as he stated, ¡°He saw things though. He¡¯s a part of that group and could tell them what he saw. He either needs to be silenced or we need to do something about that.¡± Liam sighed at Roman¡¯s response. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Blair agreed. ¡°He isn¡¯t a part of our group and what he saw could end up hurting you in the long run if we let him go.¡± Liam agreed with what she had said, but there was something they didn¡¯t know. Liam came to a decision. First they needed to get rid of this nasty Debuff that was starting to make them grow irritable and angry by the second. ¡°Artem could you do your thing first so we can clear our minds and approach this situation better?¡± Artem nodded. ¡°Gimmel get closer. I assume you are suffering from the Raging Rabies too?¡± Liam asked. Gimmel nodded and was about to take a step forward but stopped as Roman shouted, ¡°Why are you¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t argue!¡± Liam suddenly yelled, his anger slipping out a bit. Roman and Blair turned their faces at him and saw the struggled expression on his face. They realized what was going on as they recognize the icon by their information in the corner of their eye. Backing down, Roman dropped his fists and moved closer to the others. ¡°Hurry and get closer Gimmel,¡± Liam ordered. Gimmel didn¡¯t say anything. He just got as close as he could without provoking Roman or Blair. Once Artem felt he was close enough he started channeling some mana. Once the mana had built up enough he shouted out, ¡°Pisces Zodiac Ability! Healer¡¯s Territory ¨C Absolute Restore!¡± A pulse of aqua colored mana pushed out from Artem and washed over the five of them. Liam watched as the expressions on each of their faces lightened as their exhausted bodies started to feel rested. Darkish green liquid started to form on their exposed skin as it was pushed out of their pores and fell to the ground. Liam watched as the Raging Rabies icons suddenly vanished while their health, mana, and stamina started to refill. To Liam¡¯s sudden surprise his Spirit Pool was also filling back up. He didn¡¯t know how that was possible and was about to say something, but quickly snapped his mouth shut. His Spirit Pool was a mystery to himself, and he knew the others wouldn¡¯t know anything about it either because they were new here too. As for Gimmel, he was still figuring out what all he could say and what he shouldn¡¯t say. Before deciding that though he needed to find out why he had followed them here and how. After Artem finished using his Zodiac ability, Liam waited a few seconds. His entire body felt refreshed and the lingering feelings of anger that had been threatening to try and take over his mind had disappeared entirely. He took in the feeling of relief and sucked in a deep breath slowly before letting it out while pulling his goggles up to his forehead and sitting on a piece of rubble that didn¡¯t have any wooden spikes from breaks. He then looked at Gimmel and asked, ¡°What the hell are you doing here Gimmel?¡± The question made Gimmel suddenly tense as he looked at the four. Artem and Blair took steps to stand next to and slightly behind Liam. Roman had crossed his arms and stood at the end next to Artem, a bit more in front of the tall Half-Orc. Gimmel felt their gazes on him. As intimidating as they were they only made him feel slightly uncomfortable. However, when he looked Liam he felt a pressure he hadn¡¯t had before. He couldn¡¯t explain it, but he felt like if he wanted to he could swallow him whole. Liam¡¯s eyes had thinned as he stared right into Gimmel¡¯s. Gimmel felt like he could see right through him. A shiver ran through him. He gulped before starting, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Roman sneered as he said, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Liam brought a hand up to stop him from saying anything else. Roman stopped talking and watched the teenager. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± Liam asked. ¡°When I first met you I couldn¡¯t understand. Why would he take you under his wing? You, a Crafter,¡± Gimmel continued. He stopped for a brief moment as he noticed Artem, Blair, and Roman narrow their eyes on him. ¡°You have to understand that while you all are New Arrivals, I was born and raised in this world. Those with the Crafter as a Class aren¡¯t very combative. Everyone knows them as non-combative classes. So when you revealed to me and your friends that you were a Crafter it raised a lot of questions. Especially since you bear the symbol of being his apprentice on your ears.¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman looked confused as they looked at Liam¡¯s ears and noticed the earrings for the first time. They wanted to ask what he was talking about but stopped as Gimmel started back up. ¡°You seemed so confident even after I talked to you after that incident at the Adventurer¡¯s Association. It baffled me. It stayed on my mind for a while,¡± Gimmel stated. ¡°After we received word of you getting attack in the Green Dungeon, I watched as your friends, Knox and Waylon grew frantic. They tried searching for you to make sure you were alright. Chad of course kept saying you were dead. That someone like you, who didn¡¯t understand their true place, bit off more than you could chew.¡± Artem, Blair, Roman, and even Liam sneered at the mention of Chad. ¡°Your friends though believed you were still alive. They said that no matter how bad things had gotten in the past you always had an uncanny ability to make it out. Although they did admit the situations you and they faced weren¡¯t anything near to the dangers this world held. However, they still believed you would be alive.¡± Liam shook his head. He was glad to know that his friends believed that he would be fine, but it didn¡¯t clear the way they treated him. Like he needed to be protected. ¡°That being said,¡± Gimmel said, bringing Liam out of his thoughts. ¡°When you reappeared right before all this chaos happened. I saw how you perfectly threw that dagger and nailed that Toxo Corpse Control to the wall. After I saw that I thought to myself there was more to you than what you were letting us know. I grew curious.¡± ¡°Curious enough to follow us into the mouth of danger?¡± Liam questioned with a brow raised. Gimmel looked at the ground. After a second he nodded. ¡°Yes. I had a feeling that if I followed you then I would get my answer.¡± ¡°How did you follow us? Blair, Roman, and I should have been able to pick you up while you trailed us and yet¡­we weren¡¯t able to,¡± Liam stated. He then asked Eri, Did you know he was following us the entire time? ¡°Yes. I did,¡± Eri stated matter-a-factly. And you didn¡¯t bother to tell us? Liam asked. Normally Eri would have warned him when he was followed. He would like to believe that she would have warned him before revealing his abilities since he would have survived. He believed he knew the answer but wanted to ask anyways. ¡°I thought it would bring a bit of fun chaos to you,¡± Eri replied frankly. He could feel a smile in her voice and an idea suddenly popped in his mind. Are you wanting to¡­ His question trailed off as Gimmel started back up again. ¡°I have my Illusion magic past at level twenty five. I used and ability to mask myself from people¡¯s sight and used another spell to mask my footsteps making me step just a couple of inches off the ground.¡± The four raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°There¡¯s magic that can do that?¡± Blair asked. ¡°That explains why I couldn¡¯t feel the vibrations from your footsteps,¡± Roman muttered as he thought about it. ¡°I¡¯ll need to figure a way to counter that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that we found how he was able to dodge our attempts from spotting him, but what are we going to do now?¡± Artem suddenly asked, surprising Blair, Liam, and Roman. ¡°He has seen us and you Liam use magic that we shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Artem explained. ¡°I know we weren¡¯t out here during most of your fight, but if I¡¯m right you probably used your Zodiac Ability and probably announced that you were Eri¡¯s Champion. The world is hunting for Geminis and I¡¯m sure no one really knows that Eri has a Champion yet right?¡± Liam noticed Gimmel tense at Artem¡¯s proclamation. He had every right to. Knowing that there was a Gemini right in front of you and not turning them in or informing the deity you worshipped would cause problems. At least, that¡¯s what he was starting to believe from what he was told. However, the idea he was starting to form when he confirmed that Eri knew he followed them and didn¡¯t say anything made him curious about something. ¡°So what is your plan now?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Are you going to go back to Chad and the others?¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Gimmel looked perplexed. He looked like he was warring with something only he could see. After a few seconds had past, Gimmel nodded his head and looed resolved. ¡°No. I¡¯m not going back to them. What you said about him using me as a pack mule. I had an inkling that was the case, but a part of me was delusional and thought there was a chance for me to join them. Instead, I want to join you.¡± Roman snarled and threw a hand out in a cutting motion as he said, ¡°Nah uh. No way. I don¡¯t believe him. Why would he want to join us?¡± Gimmel looked at Roman. ¡°I don¡¯t want to join you. I want to join him.¡± Gimmel pointed at Roman first before pointing at Liam indicating who he wanted to follow.¡± ¡°And why do you want to follow him?¡± Blair questioned as she narrowed her eyes on the teenager. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Gimmel commented. Artem placed a hand out to stop both Roman and Blair as he asked with a gentle tone, ¡°Then explain it so we can.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. Unless you knew who I was talking about¡­,¡± Gimmel started, but stopped as Liam interrupted by saying, ¡°They do.¡± Gimmel looked at Liam. Artem, Blair, and Roman looked at him as well with a puzzled look on their faces. ¡°They know who he is, and he knows who they are. He in fact helped my teammates get to me during a time of crisis,¡± Liam stated without context. ¡°Really?¡± Gimmel questioned as he look at the other three with a new light. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Who are you talking about?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Nabal,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Your dagger instructor?¡± Artem inquired. ¡°My mentor now,¡± Liam corrected. He then placed a hand on the earrings and added, ¡°I officially became his apprentice the moment I put these on.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Blair muttered. ¡°Then who is this kid to Nabal?¡± Roman asked. Gimmel frowned and was about to make a comment, but stopped as Liam answered, ¡°This is Nabal¡¯s nephew.¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman¡¯s eyes widened as they looked at him once more. Gimmel made a pose looking a bit smug. That pose lasted a few seconds before Roman stated, ¡°Be that as it may, he could be informing to a deity about all that he saw here. Nabal doesn¡¯t even really know about this and¡­¡± ¡°My uncle doesn¡¯t know about you being a Gemini and a Champion to an unknown deity?¡± Gimmel suddenly asked. ¡°No,¡± Liam stated as he gave Roman a glare. Roman groaned as he realized he said something that he probably shouldn¡¯t have mentioned. Liam then looked back at Gimmel and added, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know anything about this.¡± Gimmel eyed Liam and the others. For a long moment of silent he just stared. After that he asked with what sounded like skepticism, ¡°So are you saying I know something that my uncle doesn¡¯t know anything about?¡± Liam nodded sharply watching and gauging the boy¡¯s reaction. Artem, Blair, and Roman felt their bodies tense for a brief moment before they almost stumbled from where they stood as Gimmel shouted, ¡°Hell ya! I know something Uncle Nabal doesn¡¯t!¡± Liam stared at the teenager with a mixture of shock and disbelief. ¡°Of all the things you focus on you¡¯re saying you¡¯re happy that you know something your uncle doesn¡¯t?¡± Gimmel stared back at Liam with a disapproving stare. That disapproving stare then turned into a grin as he explained, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. All my life Uncle Nabal has acted like a know it all. It seemed like there was nothing he didn¡¯t know. Now, standing here, you have told me that I know something he doesn¡¯t. You don¡¯t understand how happy that makes me!¡± The four looked confused as they looked at each other and then back at Gimmel. Before any of them could say anything Gimmel realized he didn¡¯t refute Roman¡¯s claim from earlier. He then looked at them and hurriedly explained, ¡°As for you worries from earlier you don¡¯t have to worry about me reporting anything to a deity.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Blair asked. ¡°That¡¯s because my clan doesn¡¯t follow any of the deities,¡± Gimmel stated. He noticed the look of skepticism in their faces and cut them off by explaining, ¡°It¡¯s a rule that a much higher and more powerful clan we are under were given. No one is allowed to follow any of the current deities. Not unless instructed otherwise and no one has been instructed otherwise.¡± Liam¡¯s brow furrowed before he said, ¡°You belong to the Suits Clan don¡¯t you? I heard it¡¯s a powerful assassin clan. What clan would have enough power to be able to tell your clan what to do?¡± Gimmel looked surprised at Liam¡¯s question. He thought about the question and decided he would answer. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you since you¡¯re not a part of either of the clans, but since you are my uncle¡¯s apprentice you have every right to know. However¡­¡± Gimmel let the words hang as he looked at the other three. ¡°You can trust them not to spread the information,¡± Liam stated. ¡°I trust them and that¡¯s all you need to know.¡± Gimmel slowly nodded. He was hesitant to continue, but felt he needed to in order to get the others¡¯ stare off of him. ¡°The name of the clan we ¡®listen¡¯ to is the Valdis Clan.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened for a brief moment before he schooled his expression. He wasn¡¯t sure if Gimmel caught it since he didn¡¯t question it, but he quickly made a look that he was trying to think about the name. ¡°I¡¯ve only recently learned about clans, so I have no clue what to make of this,¡± Roman suddenly stated. Liam internally thanked him for being so clueless at times. ¡°However, I did hear there are immensely powerful and old Clan or families out there. Where does the two stand compared to them?¡± Gimmel shook his head understanding why Roman was so clueless. ¡°Our clan is powerful and is highly regarded amongst the other clans, but we aren¡¯t the only powerful assassin clans out there. As for the Valdis clan¡­they are amongst the top fear clan. They have¡­¡± Gimmel shook his head. ¡°No. I think for now that¡¯s all you need to know for now.¡± Roman was about to argue, but stopped as Artem said with a nod, ¡°Thank you for enlightening us with that. However, we still need to figure out what we are going to do with you.¡± He then looked at Liam, who turned to look back at him. ¡°He may be Nabal¡¯s nephew, but your secrets and the secrets we are currently holding are something we can¡¯t just allow anyone to know without full confidence they can or will betray us.¡± Liam looked back at Gimmel. He understood Artem¡¯s concerns. If they couldn¡¯t come to an agreement that Gimmel was someone they could trust to hold their secret then they would either need to hold him as a prisoner or worse¡­kill him before they left the dungeon. Liam didn¡¯t want to go down that route for more than obvious reasons. Gimmel was the nephew of his mentor. He was also someone, while not really knowing all of the facts, was someone who tried to lookout for him in his own way. He was trying to think about what he should do until his thoughts went back to the idea he was forming earlier. It was a gamble on whether he was right or not, but he decided to trust his gut on it. Hiding the smile he was forming he looked at Gimmel and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be an issue. I think he won¡¯t betray us, and I think he won¡¯t go around telling anyone about what we¡¯re currently capable of.¡± Everyone looked at him with a confused expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°If you think about it,¡± Liam started as he turned his head to look at her. ¡°Eri made a choice before this became an issue. In fact, I think she was planning on something after seeing that he was following us and not saying anything.¡± Gimmel tilted his head with a confused look while the other three tried to think about what he meant. Roman, of course, didn¡¯t come to the conclusion. Blair was starting to, but wasn¡¯t fast enough as Artem asked, ¡°Does she plan on making him¡­¡± Liam nodded. ¡°I think that¡¯s what she¡¯s planning to do.¡± Gimmel was confused and was about to ask but stopped as he received a notification. His eyes widened as he read it and then grew uncomfortable. Before accepting or denying it he said, ¡°But the rules of my clan¡­¡± ¡°Matter not in a situation like this,¡± Liam stated. ¡°It is like the others have voiced. You have seen and know more than you should. Not only that, but I think Eri¡­or Eris, sees some potential in you. I mean you did leave a group that could¡­,¡± Liam made air quotes as he said, ¡°Potentially¡¯¡­make you a part of their group and Chad did boast about joining some guild or whatever. And yet¡­in the middle of all that you left them, and their stuff it looks like, to tail me. You even saved me by using¡­¡± Liam¡¯s eyes furrowed as he remembered the wooden doll looking objects. ¡°Dolls? Puppets? What were they?¡± Gimmel blushed as he answered, ¡°They were my puppets. My class is called Fantasy Puppeteer. I can use my Puppeteer Magic to control puppets. However, puppets can be expensive and very costly to maintain. I didn¡¯t have enough money to get some quality ones for my level, so I had to buy the worn and torn ones.¡± Liam and the others stared at him. He hadn¡¯t heard about a class like that. He was very curious on how puppets were made and wanted to know, but he stopped his curiosity and coughed before saying, ¡°I want to learn more about that, but that¡¯s for later. What is being offered to you is something that not many have the opportunity to receive. You look up to your uncle yes?¡± Gimmel nodded, not saying anything. ¡°Is that at a level where you want to be just like him or reach a level where you are respected like him?¡± Liam asked. ¡°At first, when I was younger, I wanted to be just like him,¡± Gimmel started as he thought about it. ¡°His class, his power, everything. However, after I found out what my affinities were I came to the realization that that wouldn¡¯t happen. But still¡­I wanted more than anything to be just like him or at least go out and do what he would tell me. I grew up listening to the stories he¡¯s told me about his adventures with his team. I was entranced with the fights the loot, everything. However, a person who has an affinity with Puppeteering is someone who comes with issues. Maintenance costs, collecting or ordering new Puppets¡­they cost a lot of money. I tried to learn how to make them, but the process to get far enough to be able to is just too time consuming. Not only that, but people see Puppeteers as money pits or expendable allies and use them as decoys or puppet shields. While there are some puppets meant for that not all of them are. There¡¯s a purpose each one serves and people just don¡¯t understand that.¡± Liam grew curious. ¡°What is it you need to learn in order to make puppets?¡± ¡°Puppet making is a sub-section and the first step to learning Golem Crafting which is a section in the Artificer Craft,¡± Gimmel answered. Liam¡¯s eyes sparkled at that. He was curious about what the Artificer Craft held and now he got his first look into it. He heard a cough coming from Artem and Blair which clamped down his urge to hear more. Liam let out a cough himself as he said, ¡°I can understand why you have concerns, but I have to ask once more maybe in different words¡­is your uncle your goal or is your goal much more than that?¡± Gimmel stared at him for a long moment. After that moment had passed Gimmel stated, ¡°Much more than that.¡± Then almost like a flood, Gimmel said, ¡°I want to find a team, comrades that will go on adventures. I want to discover new things and experience them for myself. I want to be the one who comes to my uncle with stories. Stories about things he never experienced or seen before. I want him to be proud. But much more than that I want to pursue this path that I was given and not worry about the issues it comes with.¡± Liam slowly grinned. ¡°Then you should accept the offer that was given to you.¡± Gimmel stared at Liam. His heart was beating fast as he continued to listen. ¡°If you accept that offer, you will be joining a group that, for better or for worse, comes across things or situations that many find weird or impossible. And with our goddess¡¯ nature I don¡¯t think that will ever change,¡± Liam said. ¡°You will have a team that will look out for you as long as you look out for them. If you¡¯re concerned about your puppets then we can figure something out. I have a feeling I know what your uncle is hoping you will do and if you know what this is then you can earn some extra money that way.¡± Liam pulled out his Web Watch and let Gimmel take a good look at it. He knew it was a breach of protocol¡­or at least he thought it would be, but right now he didn¡¯t care. The look Gimmel gave him was all the confirmation he needed. ¡°That look says I¡¯m right. Adding on to that. I am a crafter. I am extremely interested in the Artificer Craft and, when I am able to unlock that craft, could possibly help you craft puppets.¡± Gimmel stared at him with wide eyes. He fought back the tears that were threatening to spill as he started to understand that Liam wasn¡¯t telling him this to pressure him. He understood the man before him wasn¡¯t saying all this out of pity or because of some obligation to his uncle since he was his apprentice. No. Liam was really looking at him. Really considering him for a potential that his deity was seeing in him. Many would scoff at the thought. Many would also disregard him after doing what their deity told them. However, he didn¡¯t see any of that in Liam¡¯s eyes. All he saw was curiosity and excitement. The excitement was for learning about the knowledge of Artificer Crafting, but he could respect that. Gimmel looked back at the notification with consideration. He had his clan teachings, and the rules stuck in his head. However¡­what Liam said and what his Goddess was offering him tempted him greatly. If becoming a Follower of the Eris would give him the opportunity to do what he dreamed of¡­then why let his clan rules and teachings hold him back. Really hoping he wasn¡¯t making a mistake, Gimmel mentally accepted the offer. An aura suddenly washed over him. It was light and¡­weird. It felt like something he had never felt before. No. That wasn¡¯t right. He had felt this feeling before recently. It was when he had first met Liam. A strange feeling had gently touched his skin right before Chad and that one Beast-folk had gotten into an argument. A notification appeared shortly and made his eyes widen. [Congratulations! You have accepted being a Follower of Eris, Goddess of Chaos!] [You have received level two Gifts of Chaos!] [You have received the ability Foolish Bravery!] [You have received an ability from the Field of the Puppeteer ¨C Puppet Reanimation!] [Puppet Reanimation. Description ¨C Any fallen puppets that had been broken or slightly destroyed will reassemble themselves for 30 seconds and attack the nearest target. After the 30 seconds are up they will fully disintegrate and will not be able to be fixed ever again. Please note: if any parts are completely destroyed before using this ability they will not reappear when the fallen puppet reassembles. Please note: when ability has been casted the controller of the puppets has no power or control over them. Mana Cost ¨C 75 MP. Target: Single. Spell type: Chant.] ¡°Holy shi¡­,¡± Gimmel muttered as his eyes started to glisten at the description of the ability he received. Liam smiled widely as he said with a jovial tone of voice, ¡°Welcome to our group of chaotic misfits Gimmel.¡± Adventure 247 - Your role and loot Gimmel stared at Liam. At first he didn¡¯t comprehend what Liam had said. After a few seconds of thinking about the words he let it sink in. Tears slowly started to form at the edges of his eyes as realized that he was now a part of a group. He wasn¡¯t a bag carrier, or an errand boy like with Chad. He wasn¡¯t being told that he was going to be used as a shield like other groups did when they found out about his affinity. He wasn¡¯t told he would be a money pit or looked down upon like the parties who wanted to strike it rich. Instead, Liam looked excited after he told him about the craft needed to make puppets. He wasn¡¯t turned away nor was he laughed at when he told them his dream. Even the others, who stared at him with suspicion at first, gave him a warm smile. They looked like they were accepting him, flaws, and all. Gimmel didn¡¯t think he would find people who would accept him. He thought he would need to do anything and everything just to even get a spot at the bottom of a group. That¡¯s how Chad made him feel. The days of running around trying to get their armor and weapons fixed. Having to find the best deals on potions and even reservations. The promise of joining his party as an official member was nothing but pretty little lies. Lies he made himself believe. Even when those other two older boys mentioned that it was supposed to be a group decision and confirmed that Chad never mentioned his potential of becoming a member¡­All that hard work was surely going to end badly for him. Yet here he stood. Not only was he told that he was welcomed to their group, he was even told that the Deity they were worshipping saw potential in him. At first he didn¡¯t believe it. That disbelief had faded the moment the notification appeared before him. He was now a Follower of a Goddess of Chaos. A deity he had never heard of before. At least he thought he had never heard of her before. After he was able to think a bit more he started to think more about the name Goddess of Chaos, Eris. He felt like he should know who that was, but no matter how hard he thought about it he couldn¡¯t pinpoint where he had heard of it. He wasn¡¯t the best study when it came to Magic Theory. His head was full of the stories his uncle had told him over and over again as well as the possible adventures he would one day tell his uncle about. He couldn¡¯t wait. He looked back at the four who had started conversing amongst themselves. He could hear them chide Liam about not rushing ahead trying to get the Artificer Craft. That he needed to focus on what he already had before him before adding more to his current work load. He laughed at that. Their pestering made Gimmel believe that this Liam guy; an apprentice of his uncle, a member of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web, a Champion to a Deity, and someone who had the Crafter class was someone who didn¡¯t think things through and just did whatever the hell he wanted¡­ Gimmel¡¯s thoughts stopped after that thought. He went over that list once more. Then again. And again. Then he realized what he was stuck on. This guy was a Crafter, yet he could fight. He had seen him fight and when he did, he didn¡¯t look like a crafter. He looked like an assassin. A poorly trained assassin, but he still had the movements of one. The way he used his daggers, his positioning of his magic, and even when he used Shadow Ste¡­ Gimmel¡¯s eyes widened. Throughout all of the ruckus and his emotions overwhelming from being happy at his acceptance to the group, he had forgotten everything he had seen. This guy had both Shadow and Lunar Magic. Two pieces of magic that, even the dunce he was at Magic Theory, knew could be harmful to have at the same time. Not to mention they were both rare magics to have. He was a New arrival which meant that unless he was super lucky and found the magic then he had them at the beginning. Gimmel started to grow frantic as he thought about what that meant. If he had had Shadow Magic since the beginning then that meant he had ties to a certain family. A family that he didn¡¯t want to piss off. The same was the same for Lunar Magic. While it wasn¡¯t well known publicly, everyone in his clan and those connected to certain Assassin Clans knew of only one race and clan that started with the Lunar and they were more secretive than the most powerful clans. However, he is a Half-Beast-kin. A Cat-folk, nonetheless. That clan hasn¡¯t married nor produced any from that specific race. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re realizing the issues now,¡± Eri suddenly stated in Gimmel¡¯s mind. Gimmel let out a squeak as he heard Eri¡¯s voice for the first time. Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman turned their attention on him and noticed he was looking around. At first they weren¡¯t sure what was going on, but then it dawned on them what was going on. They all laughed as Eri continued in Gimmel¡¯s mind, ¡°Calm down. You look like a panicked child that had their favorite toy stolen after just setting it down.¡± Gimmel froze at that admonishment. He gulped before letting out a breath of air. Then with a timid voice he asked, Is that you Eris¡­I mean my Lady¡­God¡­Goddess Eris? ¡°Calm down. Eri will do just fine.¡± Eri stated. ¡°I hate that stuffy formalities stuff. Anyways I need you to focus.¡± Gimmel nodded his head vigorously as he listened. ¡°What I said was true. I do see potential in you and that ability you received after becoming my Follower just proves it. That ability doesn¡¯t show up for just anyone who has an affinity for Puppeteering. It¡¯s a rare ability that no one has seen the full potential of yet. I have high hopes for you,¡± Eri complimented. Gimmel could feel his face warm a bit as a grin slowly grew. ¡°However, that is not the only reason I wished to have you a part of my Champion¡¯s circle,¡± Eri stated. Her tone suddenly growing a bit more serious. Gimmel could not only hear the change of tone, but also felt it. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what he is doing in this world nor how to properly hide the abilities he should be hiding while in front of others. I need you to help him understand this,¡± Eri continued. ¡°He doesn¡¯t realize it yet, but his evolved class has the capabilities of growing into more than a Crafter type class.¡± His evolved class? A crafter type class? Gimmel thought as he scrunched his brows. I don¡¯t understand Lad¡­Eri. Is his class a Crafter class or is it something else? ¡°Fundamentally and informatively it is a Crafter class,¡± Eri started. ¡°However, I think there is more to it than what meets the eye.¡± Gimmel hummed as he brought a hand to his chin. If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­what is his class? ¡°That is something I will wait for my Champion to tell,¡± Eri stated. ¡°He hasn¡¯t realized it yet, but due to everything that has happened since the Tutorial Area, he hasn¡¯t even informed all of his teammates what it is. But I will tell you this¡­I have a hunch it is tied to the reason why he was able to learn Lunar Magic.¡± Gimmel¡¯s eyes widened at that. ¡°We¡¯re going off track. I need him to start acting more like a Crafter, albeit one that is aspiring to be a Combat Crafter. When he¡¯s around others who are not a part of his circle, he¡¯ll need to act like someone who uses crafting techniques when fighting. While he has someone helping him with that aspect, I need you to be able to spot when he does something he shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve already have him using his Shadow Magic as a part of his Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web persona. When it¡¯s just him and his circle in dungeons he should be fine using all that he has.¡± Gimmel nodded as he started to understand what she wanted from him. Since he has experience with his clan, she wanted him to make sure he didn¡¯t make any mistake. He needed to create three different personas. One would be his Crafter persona. Another would be his Fiddler¡¯s Web Persona. The last would be him being himself. Learning to juggle different personas was a part of his clan training so that shouldn¡¯t be an issue. However, he was curious as to why she wanted him to do all of that. His curiosity was strong enough to make him ask. ¡°As you saw earlier, he has many secrets. One of them being my Champion,¡± Eri replied. Why hide that though? ¡°That is a complicated situation that you will learn in the future,¡± Eri answered. Gimmel nodded. He understood that he since he was a new Follower and one that was at the bottom of the totem pole as well, he wasn¡¯t allowed access to important information just yet. He could respect that decision. Alright. I think I can try my best to do as you want. ¡°Thank you. For your first job¡­,¡± Eri started. ¡°Could you please teach him how to make those earring go invisible. If he keeps walking around with them visible then his everyday persona and his Fiddler¡¯s Web persona are going to get found out eventually. I am certain there is a certain spider that has already caught wind. And if she hasn¡¯t then his Lucky Break sub-stat is working overtime.¡± Gimmel blinked a few times after hearing that. He stared at Liam for a long moment and realized she was right. They were out there in the open for the whole world to see. He thought about why he was being so stupid but then a new thought popped in his mind. My damn uncle probably didn¡¯t mention they had that hidden feature.
Liam was happy to see Gimmel¡¯s reaction. He was also happy to know he wouldn¡¯t have to go back to that stupid Elf, Chad. That guy just rubbed him the wrong way. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with him dating his ex-girlfriend. It was more about his attitude. He hated self-pompous asshole who believed the world owed them everything just for being in his presence. His thoughts were taken away from the asshole as Blair suddenly stated, ¡°Liam.¡± Liam turned to look at her. As he did, he saw her squint her eyes in a way that told him she was about to say something that he wasn¡¯t going to like. ¡°You are not allowed to gain any new crafts,¡± Blair bluntly stated. Liam¡¯s mouth opened wide. He was about to protest, but stopped as Artem joined in and said, ¡°I agree.¡± Roman crossed his arms and nodded in agreement with them. ¡°Why?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Because you need to focus on the ones you have right now,¡± Blair replied. ¡°You don¡¯t have the time to learn something new when you are honing your craft with the ones you currently have.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Liam pouted as he looked away. ¡°You may be right about that but¡­¡± He then looked back at them and said, ¡°Its Artificery. That is like peak crafting!¡± The three raised a brow. ¡°If it¡¯s considered Peak Crafting then that¡¯s all the more reasoning you should hold off on learning it,¡± Artem stated. Liam looked affronted by that as he gave them an offended look. He was about to protest, but stopped as Blair said, ¡°No.¡± Liam tried again. ¡°No,¡± Artem interrupted. Liam tried a third time. ¡°No means no,¡± Roman interjected. Liam narrowed his eyes as he looked at each of them. ¡°You know it¡¯s not fair when all three of you gang up on me.¡± ¡°If the others were here they¡¯d agree as well,¡± Artem stated. ¡°But they aren¡¯t here right now so their votes don¡¯t count,¡± Liam said as he crossed his arms. Blair let out a long sigh as Artem shook his head and Roman chuckled a bit. ¡°We¡¯re not saying you can¡¯t learn anything new, but you should really focus on the what¡­three crafts you currently know. At least until you really understand them,¡± Blair explained. ¡°Seven¡­,¡± Liam said as he didn¡¯t look at them. ¡°What?¡± Blair questioned, unsure what he meant by that number. ¡°What do you mean by seven?¡± ¡°I have six crafts¡­not counting the sub-sections of the crafts as well,¡± Liam said as he felt Blair¡¯s stare on him. Before she could say anything Liam explained, ¡°I learned four more while I was away from you. One of the four actually has to do with my class and the others¡­¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered Uncle Naro. He looked at them with some excitement. ¡°That¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t told you guys yet!¡± ¡°Told us what?¡± Artem asked as he felt Liam¡¯s excitement. ¡°There¡¯s this guy, Uncle Naro. He started off with the Crafter Class as his starting class as well. Well, he¡¯s teaching me and guiding me with three of the four new crafts I have. He¡¯s also giving me pointers that have helped my form when I do my blacksmithing and given me some suggestions,¡± Liam started explaining. ¡°Oh yeah Artem. I convinced him to guide you in the Chef class since he is an expert at cooking. I think you¡¯d really enjoy learning from him! He¡¯s also the one who¡­¡± Liam suddenly remembered the deal he and Uncle Naro made. Liam looked down at the ground. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Artem asked, concerned about why Liam had suddenly stopped. ¡°I just remembered a deal he and I made,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Deal? What deal?¡± Roman quickly questioned. ¡°He didn¡¯t make you take some shady deal did he?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No¡­that wasn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Then what was the deal?¡± Blair asked, growing curious. Liam let out a breath of air. ¡°There¡¯s a lot that happened while we were separated. I won¡¯t get into all the details right now, but during one of my lowest nights. He and I made a deal where he said he wanted me to be his apprentice in Rune Crafting and Enchanting. The deal was he wanted me to go with him.¡± ¡°Go with him? Where?¡± Artem asked. ¡°To find you guys,¡± Liam stated as he gave them an embarrassed expression. ¡°To find us?¡± the three repeated. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°To find you guys and see if you all wanted to party again,¡± Liam muttered. They looked at Liam was a confused look. ¡°Why would you try and find us to see if we wanted to party again? I think we all agreed that we would do that,¡± Roman asked with a puzzled look still on his face. ¡°Yeah. We all agreed that we would party outside of the Tutorial Area didn¡¯t we?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°Yeah, but¡­,¡± Liam started to say, but stopped himself. Blair understood what he was thinking. Annoyance stirred inside her. Some of it was towards Liam for thinking what she believe what went through his mind, but the other half was towards whatever caused those thoughts to appear. ¡°You thought that we were all off doing our own thing and that you shouldn¡¯t try to find us because everything we did back in the Tutorial Area was what could amount to what some would say creating good memories?¡± Liam stared at Blair. The look he gave her told her she was right on the money. Blair let out a long sigh. ¡°Good grief. You can be an idiot sometimes you know that?¡± Liam frowned at those words. ¡°So a lot of people keep telling me.¡± ¡°Well, since the three of us are here we¡¯ll tell you our answer,¡± Blair said as she gave him a grin. ¡°I for one would love to continue our adventures.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Artem stated. ¡°It would be kind of awkward if we didn¡¯t want to since us three came all the way here to find you,¡± Roman replied with shake of his head. A smart ass grin then grew on his face as he hiked a thumb at Gimmel and added, ¡°Plus that cringy statement of welcoming him to our group of chaotic misfits would be weird as hell if we didn¡¯t want to continue this.¡± Liam¡¯s cheeks burned. ¡°However, we¡¯re not the others so you¡¯ll have to ask them next time you see them,¡± Blair said as she stared at him. Liam groaned. ¡°Do I have to? You guys already made it clear how stupid I was to think those thoughts.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the three stated. ¡°You made a deal with this¡­Naro. A deal is a deal, and you have to see it through,¡± Blair insisted. Roman and Artem broke out into knowing shit eating grins as one said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear what they say.¡± The other added with a chuckle, ¡°I know right. I¡¯m fairly sure he¡¯ll get an earful from them about how stupid he is.¡± Liam groaned once more. He didn¡¯t have time to say anything else as Gimmel finally stopped talking to Eri and asked, ¡°Hey Liam. Did my stupid Uncle ever mention how to make your earrings go invisible?¡± Liam tilted his head as he turned to look at him. ¡°Noooo,¡± Liam cautiously replied. ¡°Is there such a function? It didn¡¯t say that there was.¡± Gimmel let out a sigh as he responded, ¡°Of course he didn¡¯t. here let me tell you how to¡­¡± Gimmel spent the next few minutes explaining the process. It turned out all he had to do was channel some Shadow Mana into them. Normally one would use Illusion Mana, but since he didn¡¯t have that he found out that Shadow Mana was the next best thing. ¡°Okay. Now that that¡¯s all settled, let¡¯s look over our gains, loot this boss and head out¡­,¡± Liam started to say until he remembered the magic circle that sucked in Soul Orbs. ¡°Shit we still need to destroy that magic circle.¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman looked at each other before looking back at him. This time it was their turn to look sheepish. Liam raised a brow and asked, ¡°What is it you¡¯re not telling me?¡± ¡°We kind of already took care of that,¡± Artem stated. He then explain that while Roman was running rampant in his fiery Minotaur form he had inadvertently destroyed the circle when he ran through it and stomped on the platform it was placed on. Liam let out a long laugh. Through the chaos they had destroyed the circle without even doing much. It seemed like Calythtis¡¯ plan was doomed no matter what. ¡°Alright. Since that¡¯s taken care of let¡¯s take a look at our gains and then finish up here,¡± Liam stated before turning to the notifications awaiting him. [Congratulations! Sub-stat Resilience has reached level 21! Progression to level 22: 89%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Vitality has reached level 21! Progression to level 22: 65%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Stamina Endurance has reached level 25! Progression to level 26: 9%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Cognition Perseverance has reached level 23! Progression to level 24: 10%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Lucky Break has reached level 26! Progression to level 27: 9%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat HP Recovery has reached level 26! Progression to level 27: 25%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat MP Recovery has reached level 26! Progression to level 27: 25%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Stamina Recovery has reached level 26! Progression to level 27: 25%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Will Power has reached level 27! Progression to level 28: 54%!] [Congratulations! Main Class Spirit Weaver Ability Soul Harvest has reached level 22! Progression to level 23: 87%!] [Congratulations! Main Class Spirit Weaver Ability Spirit Weave has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 24%!] [Congratulations! Mental Resilience: Chaotic Meltdown has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 7%!] [Congratulations! Ailment Resistance: Venom has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 76%!] [Congratulations! Weapon Skill: Dagger has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 7%!] [Congratulations! Weapon Skill: Scythe has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 23%!] [Congratulations! Gravity Force Push has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 0%!] [Congratulations! Field of Lunar has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 0%!] [Congratulations! Focus Point ¨C Utility (Lunar) has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 0%!] [Congratulations! Lunar Hand has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 0%!] [Congratulations! Field of Shadows has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 20%!] [Congratulations! Focus Point ¨C Utility (Shadow) has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 20%!] [Congratulations! Veil of Shadows has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 21%!] [Congratulations! Shadow Hand has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 20%!] [Congratulations! Shadow Step has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 92%!] [Congratulations! Field of Discord has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 20%!] [Congratulations! Focus Point ¨C Discord Manipulation has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 20%!] [Congratulations! Strife Inducement has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 20%!] [Congratulations! Discordant Bells of Cacophony has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 54%!] Liam stared at the notifications. While there were a lot that leveled up, he noticed a pattern with the higher leveled ones. Only a few had leveled. This was just a proven fact he was told about before leaving the Tutorial Area. After level twenty it was going to be tougher to level his abilities. He closed his notifications out and noticed everyone was staring at him as they stood by the Toxo Brood Mother Queen¡¯s dead body. It looked like they had looted the body already and were waiting for him to see what was rewarded. As he walked up he noticed there were a couple more items there than normal. There was a pair of daggers. The hilts were a dark green with small spiders etched into it that ran up the handle. The blades curve down slightly before curving up. The next was a black chest piece armor that looked like it was made of both metal and spider silk interwoven together. Along the rib cage were eight spider legs that looked like they were strategically placed to guard certain areas. The last item was a rectangular box that stood up to Liam¡¯s waist. After carefully inspecting the outside of the box he noticed it wasn¡¯t just a box, but something like a luggage trunk. It had two small spider where the strapped that held it shut connected and a spider head in the middle where the top of the box connected with the bottom. Liam was curious as to what was inside this thing. He had never seen something like this happen before. He looked at Artem, Blair, and Roman and they looked confused as well. He then noticed the look of recognition and longing on Gimmel¡¯s face. As he tried to assess it, he understood why Gimmel had that expression. [Arachnid Puppeteer Box. Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Well Crafted. Description ¨C Toxo Puppeteer Box holds anywhere from two to three Spider Puppets. Types of Puppets that can be found in these boxes ranges from: Scout, Fighter, Assassin, Guardian, or Trapper.] Liam let out a whistle. He looked back at his three companions and saw the look in their eyes. He agreed with what they were silently saying and gave them a nod. He then looked at Gimmel and proclaimed, ¡°Well, this is a great start for you. Congratulations.¡± Startled, Gimmel swiftly looked at the others and said, ¡°What?¡± He then saw the look in their eyes and stuttered, ¡°N¡­N¡­No, I can¡¯t accept this. I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve this¡­¡± ¡°Yours broke when you tried to save me remember,¡± Liam stated in a calm voice. ¡°I think you deserve this. Besides, we don¡¯t have the qualifications to use it¡­or them.¡± Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he tried to remember how many were actually in there. He shrugged and said, ¡°We¡¯ll divide the rest, but you are getting this.¡± Gimmel¡¯s eyes started to water a bit. He held back the tears of joy and nodded as he said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. You did the work. Now let me see if I can harvest anything from this bitch and we¡¯ll get out of here, alright?¡± Liam said. Everyone nodded and watched as Liam tried his best to harvest what he could. With the help of Eri guiding him on parts he should look for. Adventure 248 - Report and a Death Sentence It had taken some time before Liam was satisfied with what he was able to harvest from not only the Toxo Brood Mother Queen, but also any of the variant Toxo spiders that either weren¡¯t burnt to a crisp or flattened like a pancake. The useable materials he was able to get were several large flasks of the Toxo Venom, several large bundles of Orb Weaver Silk, spider legs of different sizes, and Toxo fangs. The amount of dead creatures he was able to harvest from gained him two levels in the Gathering Craft ability Harvest, making it now at level twenty-two. Because it was in the twenties, and his increase in understanding how to harvest spider creatures, the quality of the materials he harvested was no longer just Crude or Poor. He was seeing some in the Average quality range. However, that was only possible after he gained a better understanding on how to harvest from the creatures. This was especially noticed when he harvested the Toxo Brood Mother Queen. From her, he was able to get three massive Spider Leg Bones, a bit more lethal Toxo Raging Rabies Venom, a Toxo Queen Venom Sac, and a Poisonous Fog Sac. The last two he needed to be incredibly careful with since one wrong move and he would be infected once again. One thing he was told to try and harvest that made Liam feel a bit weirded out by was the Toxo Brood Mother Queen Heart. Eri had informed him that he needed to harvest it in order to show proof that they had fought and defeated it. This was saved for last so he wouldn¡¯t screw it up. As he was instructed on how to harvest it, Eri had explained the uses this material had. Apparently it was an extremely high leveled Poison material used for things like extremely lethal poisons. If one had an extremely high level in the Herbalism Craft then it could also be used to help grow or increase toxic or poisonous plants. Even if the quality was Crude, Poor, or Average it didn¡¯t matter. You needed a certain amount of experience and levels in the Poison Craft in order to use it. After Liam had finally finished harvesting all the creatures they were ready to leave this place. Roman had teased him about his need to harvest everything that was harvestable, but after Liam explained what he would be able to use the materials for he grew excited. While Roman didn¡¯t use Poison on his gauntlets, Liam explained that once he was at a certain level in the sub-section Poison Craft as well as a certain level in the sub-section Weapon Craft in Blacksmithing, he would be able to make a weapon he could use that would inject poisons into his opponents without fear of it poisoning him. Blair and Artem shook their heads at Roman¡¯s sudden excitement. Gimmel assisted Liam with storing the materials he couldn¡¯t. It had turned out that with his class as a Puppeteer he had a bigger inventory since he would need to store puppets of different sizes and types. As of right now all he had were the puppets that came inside the Arachnid Puppeteer Box. As Liam harvested materials he had opened it to see what the puppets were. There were three inside the box. The smallest spider puppet was the size of Liam¡¯s forearm. That one was called a Toxo Assassin Puppet. The next one was the size of a small dog and was called a Toxo Trapper Puppet. The last one was the biggest one and almost took the rest of the space of the box. It was the reason as for why the box was as big as it was. This one was called a Toxo Guardian Puppet. Gimmel had to explain what each were capable of and why they were categorized the way they were. The Assassins were small and had a camouflage feature to allow them to make stealthy attacks and kills. They could shoot, spill, or even inject poisons thanks to section around the mouth. There you could attach up to three vials of poisons. However, the amount you could attach depended on the quality of the puppet. The Trapper was exactly as the name implied. It was a puppet that allowed the user to trap targets with different types of material depending on what the user supplied it with. The higher the quality the more traps one could place in them. The last puppet, the Toxo Guardian Puppet had thicker layers to it. While it wasn¡¯t as agile or could move fast in long distances like the other two puppets it could take harder hits and not risk being destroyed as easily. Even though it couldn¡¯t move fast while traveling long distances, it could move fast in short bursts. It could also be used as a shield on the puppeteers back or front depending on how it was used. Its main function was just like how the name implied. It was a guardian puppet. Liam, Artem, Blair, Roman, and Gimmel stood in front of the exit portal and stared at it. They were ready to get out of this place and get some food, a shower, and some rest. Even though Artem had taken care of the fatigue in their bodies as he healed them with his Zodiac ability, Healer¡¯s Territory ¨C Absolute Restore, they were mentally tired. ¡°You guys ready to get the hell out of here?¡± Liam asked as he looked at each of them. Roman stretched his arms out as he let out a groan. ¡°Hell yeah I am. I¡¯m ready for a shower and food.¡± ¡°I could go for some food,¡± Artem stated as he rubbed his stomach. ¡°I could use a shower and a nap,¡± Blair stated as she shook her head at the two guys. ¡°Sleep sounds good. All this craziness is starting to wear off and now I¡¯m feeling the crash,¡± Gimmel said. ¡°Do you need to get anything from the room you were using? Or from¡­,¡± Liam started to ask. Gimmel quickly shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have much so I carry everything I own on me at all times.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to expect once we go out, but let¡¯s report to either Brodie or Lyca and then find a place to eat, shower, and sleep.¡± Liam then placed a hand on the exit portal and waited for the notification that appeared. [Completion of the Black Dungeon ¨C Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs has been recorded in your Adventurer¡¯s Identification card. All monsters defeated have been recorded in your Adventurer¡¯s Identification card.] [Would you like to leave the Black Dungeon ¨C Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs? Yes No?] Liam mentally accepted and walked through the portal. A few seconds later, Liam and the others stepped out of the portal. Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman fought the urge that threatened to escape the bottom of their stomachs, but they were successfully able to fight it. Gimmel on the other hand wasn¡¯t so lucky. As the four stared at Gimmel vomit all over the spider webbed and bone filled floor, Liam chuckled and said with a grin, ¡°Upchuck Roulette Strikes again!¡± Gimmel moved his head just enough to both look confused and glare at him before throwing up once more. After he was finished Artem handed him a water bottle to clean his mouth and drink a bit. Once he was done with that he looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What the hell was that about?¡± Liam raised a brow. ¡°What was what about?¡± ¡°The Up¡­Upchuck thing,¡± Gimmel asked. ¡°Oh, you mean Upchuck Roulette. It¡¯s basically¡­,¡± Liam stared to say. ¡°Something you really don¡¯t need to pay much attention to since it¡¯s something he randomly says if someone throws up after stepping through a portal,¡± Artem explained cutting Liam off. Liam went to open his mouth and say something, but quickly shut it as he, Blair, and Roman heard footsteps. They turned to look at the stairway and heard someone shout out, ¡°I heard voices down here! Someone¡¯s finally come out!¡± All five of them quickly took a defensive stance, weapons ready, in case it was more Demon-kin. Their muscles tightened as they heard the footsteps get louder and closer. Liam thought about if they needed to make a preemptive strike to surprise the people coming down. He lowered his stance and was about to rush but stopped as two familiar faces appeared at the other side of the room. ¡°Mr. Brodie? Mr. Lyca?¡± Liam asked, making sure that who he was seeing really was them. ¡°Liam?¡± Lyca questioned as he stared at him. Relief filled him as he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°What happened? Did you guys just come out of the Black Dungeon?¡± Brodie swiftly asked as he looked at each of them. ¡°Yes sir,¡± Liam started. ¡°We just stepped out of it and were about to¡­,¡± Liam started to inform. ¡°What happened in there? What kind of monsters are still inside? Did you get a good look at the boss?¡± Brodie started questioning. ¡°We weren¡¯t able to step foot due to someone tampering with the rules inside. Are enemies still inside?¡± Liam put his hands up and started to make a motion to calm him down. ¡°I can¡¯t answer anything if you keep shooting out more questions sir,¡± Liam responded. Brodie let out a breath of air before he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that we need to clear the dungeon before more monsters come out. The waves might have stopped for right now, but they could start back up again¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that anymore,¡± Liam informed. Brodie was about to say something until the words processed in his mind. He gave Liam a quizzical look before asking, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We cleared the dungeon,¡± Liam answered. Brodie and Lyca stared at Liam with a look of skepticism. ¡°This is no time to kid around. If you¡¯re looking for a way to gain fame I assure you lying isn¡¯t a way to do it,¡± Brodie frowned. ¡°Just tell us¡­¡± ¡°Brodie look,¡± Lyca interjected as he pointed to the portal behind them. Liam and the others turned around as well and watched as the Black Portal started to grow smaller and smaller until it finally fizzled out. Brodie and Lyca stared at the spot with wide eyes and their mouths wide open. Liam, Artem, Blair, and Roman looked at each other with a confused look. Roman was the first to break the silence as he asked, ¡°What happened to the portal? Did we break it?¡± Liam, Artem, Blair, and Gimmel stared at him. ¡°What?¡± Roman asked, sounding clueless. ¡°I¡¯m genuinely curious here.¡± Blair sighed heavily as she muttered under her breath, ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t know if you act like an idiot on purpose or if you really are just one.¡± Roman glared at her. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡± ¡°You guys really did defeat the dungeon,¡± Lyca and Brodie suddenly stated. Roman side eyed them before saying, ¡°That¡¯s what we said we did.¡± The two men looked over everyone. Brodie¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he asked, ¡°What about the proof of killing the final boss? I know you guys are New Arrivals to our world and I don¡¯t think you have been fully informed about protocols when defeating a Temporary Dungeon.¡± ¡°We have it,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Gimmel here isn¡¯t a New Arrival and informed us of what we needed to do. Since I have the Harvest skill I was able to retrieve proof.¡± It was one of the lies they had prepared while he was harvesting the monsters inside the dungeon. That wasn¡¯t the only thing they had prepared either. They knew a report of what happened inside the dungeon was going to be asked of them and they needed to come up with a story that didn¡¯t reveal any of their abilities and skills that needed to be kept a secret. Gimmel had offered to be the one to make the report if it came down to it, but they all made sure to memorize everything they agreed to in case they all needed to make the report. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Can we see it?¡± Brodie asked. ¡°We need to know what the final boss was and the item you harvested will be the best evidence. Depending on the material you could receive a nice reward¡­¡± Brodie¡¯s words trailed off as Liam pulled out a box with no lid on it. Both Brodie and Lyca stared inside to see the Toxo Brood Mother Queen Heart sitting there. Both of their mouths dropped once more as they assessed the material. They then both looked at each other and then back at the five. Their expressions hardened as Brodie asked, ¡°I know you guys just came out, but after seeing what this material is we need to ask you to tell us everything that had happened inside the dungeon. From the type of monsters you fought and the culprits that were inside the dungeon.¡± Liam looked at the others. They each nodded, knowing this would happen. Gimmel stepped forward and told the two men what they had agreed upon earlier. Liam let Gimmel inform both men about what had happened. The only time he said anything was to explain the part about Lucy and her real identity. Artem and Blair chimed in when they had to explain what they had found while they were inside the catacombs and what happened to the missing people that were there. Unfortunately since the bodies weren¡¯t in a condition where they could grab them, and they didn¡¯t realize they could retrieve anything that dropped from their bodies they couldn¡¯t identify who they were. Brodie and Lyca were pissed after hearing that Lucy was really a Succubus in disguise. They were also concerned when they heard about the way she had bypassed the Illusion security they had. However, their concerns and anger weren¡¯t as bad as when they heard about the mayor¡¯s and the other accomplice¡¯s involvement. ¡°Thank you for reporting all of this,¡± Brodie stated after Gimmel finished. ¡°What you have reported is overly concerning and out right betrayal on those who were in on its part. We need to report all this to someone higher up in the kingdom. However, we first need to arrest the mayor and his accomplices who are still on the island¡± ¡°Do you need our help?¡± Roman inquired as he pounded his fists together. ¡°No,¡± Lyca said. ¡°You guys have done enough. More than enough really. We thank you for your cooperation in aiding those who needed it when the break happened as well as the destruction of the Black Portal used to cause all of this. A reward from the Adventurer¡¯s Association will be given to you.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Brodie agreed. ¡°All those who helped will be rewarded. The rewards given will be based on merit, however we need a day or two to get things in order. So for now, why don¡¯t you guys go get some rest? I believe there are a few inns still operational as well as people setting up food stalls to feed those who are hungry.¡± A loud rumble escaped Artem¡¯s stomach suddenly making everyone turn to look at him. Everyone laughed as he looked embarrassed. ¡°Alright we¡¯ll head out now,¡± Liam stated as the five of them headed for the stairs. After a few minutes had passed and the two men knew the young adventurers were out of ear shot, Brodie looked at Lyca and asked, ¡°How much of that do you think was true?¡± Lyca thought about it. He could understand why Brodie was skeptical about what they were told. It wasn¡¯t that they thought the entire report was a lie. They had proof both in the form of materials, equipment, and their A.I.D.¡¯s. It was what they were told about how they fought that made them a believe they were hiding something. ¡°I believe the interactions between them and the Demon-kins were true. Their means of fighting though¡­,¡± Lyca had started. ¡°It seems too good to be true to somehow find a way to release a Boss like that from capture and have both the Demon-kins and the Final boss fight to the death and then killing the survivor due to being weakened. However, the level discrepancy¡­¡± Brodie said ¡°That¡¯s what makes the report given believable. Their levels aren¡¯t high enough to be able to take on all those foes. It would be smart to try and have both sides fight and then take down the weakened winner,¡± Lyca agreed. He had a look of concern. He then shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s really not much we can do or speculate. We weren¡¯t there. They survived and showed the credit they received for killing the Toxo Brood Mother Queen. All that proof shows they were telling the truth.¡± Brodie nodded. ¡°That is true.¡± He looked back at the stairway before letting out a long irritated sigh. ¡°Cleanup is going to suck.¡± Lyca looked at the spiderwebs and the corpses all around them. His nose scrunched a bit as he nodded in agreement. He then looked back at Brodie and asked, ¡°So what are we going to do? Should we go arrest the Mayor?¡± Brodie shook his head. ¡°No. We don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lyca questioned. ¡°What I mean I had received word earlier that there was someone already investigating things,¡± Brodie started to explain. ¡°They had received a list of those who were in cahoots with the Demon-kins and were about to take care of them before all this happened. Now that the threat of the island being overwhelmed is averted. I am sure they are on their way to take care of the problems.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Lyca asked. ¡°It means that the Royal family has already been informed and they should have already sent the order,¡± Brodie cryptically said.
¡°Their plan has failed Mr. Jinkalin,¡± Morshire stated as he wiped away the sweat that was rolled down his forehead as he stood in a wide office room. Several Lion and Tiger-folk stood along the walls, bacs straight and waiting for orders. A fist suddenly slammed down on the desk that separated the two Weasel-folks. A stack of papers wobbled from the force of the blow before toppling over and falling to the ground. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t have eyes you idiotic fool,¡± George growled. ¡°All that support I gave that tramp. I made her my secretary as well as the Head of the New Arrival Agent Department. I basically gave her the materials she needed to get her plan to work. The hush money to get the guards to look the other way when more of her kind tried to sneak their way in. The things I had to do to make sure the Royal Family wouldn¡¯t notice. All that fucking work and for what? For them to stumble at the finish line?!¡± Morshire trembled as he listened to all the things George, the mayor of Cashat Post, had done. While the man had recruited him due to their beliefs aligning he didn¡¯t know the exact extent the man and the Demon-kins went to nor what exactly their plan was. He was only told that the Demon-kins were there to help cull the raff he believed didn¡¯t deserve to live. ¡°We need to get out of here as fast as we can,¡± Morshire stated. Fear and panic of the Royal Family hearing and finding out his involvement of this plan quickly taking over his body. ¡°I have some men taking care of our escape right now,¡± George stated. ¡°We just need to wait until they come ba¡­¡± A knock suddenly filled the room making both men quickly look at the door. George grew a smile. ¡°That must be them now. Come in!¡± The door slowly opened. After it had completely opened up, both Weasel-folk men¡¯s eyes widened. The person who was standing there wasn¡¯t who they were expecting. Instead of it being a Lion-folk or a Tiger-folk under their payroll, an older gentleman with long black hair tied into a ponytail. He had on a pair of rounded black lensed glasses covering his eyes. He wore a navy blue button up shirt, burgundy vest with intricate designs, and an opened black jacket. He also wore navy blue dress pants that covered the tanned boots over his feet. His right hand gripped a well-crafted cat¡¯s head cane. ¡°Xander!¡± Morshire shouted. ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± ¡°Good evening gentlemen,¡± Xander greeted. ¡°I am here to inform you that your treachery and betrayal to the Arcadian Empire has reached the ears of the Emperor.¡± ¡°What?!¡± both of the Weasel-folk exclaimed. ¡°He has sent me to deliver a message to you,¡± Xander continued, ignoring their outburst. ¡°Both you and your families have been stripped of your nobility and duties. All of those who you have under your pay roll have either been killed or detained depending on their reaction to the news.¡± Xander turned his gaze on Morshire, ¡°Morshire, while there is no evidence of you knowing the full extent of what was going on you are to be escorted back to the main island and receive judgement from the Emperor himself.¡± Morshire¡¯s blood ran cold as he heard the news. He fell to his knees as they gave out under him. ¡°George Jinkalin¡­you are to receive your sentence from another,¡± Xander stated in a cold like tone devoid of any emotions. George sneered as he stared at the man while making his way around the desk. ¡°Are you seriously telling me that you came all this way just to tell us all this? What proof is there that will make us believe that what you said is really what the Emperor has decreed? I know you hate Morshire and have been scheming to get rid of him. Not only that, but you have also viewed me, as his benefactor, as a thorn in your side due to different values and ideals. How do I not know that you made all that up just to scare us?¡± Morshire heard the words George was saying and grabbed on to the hope that this was all a lie set up for him to confess. He quickly got back on his feet and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. This could all be a lie, and you are just scheming to get rid of us. Well that won¡¯t work. You¡¯re here by yourself and we have plenty of people that can take you on. In fact, after we capture you we can tell the Emperor this was all your doing.¡± He then pointed a finger at Xander and order, ¡°Guards! Arrest that man!¡± All the Lion and Tiger-folk that stood at attention along the two walls suddenly rushed towards Xander. George and Morshire smirked as they watched their guards rush over to capture the older man. They didn¡¯t think to wonder why he looked so calm and didn¡¯t make a run for it. Instead they watched as a hammer suddenly swung from the side of the door and slammed into the closest Beast-kin. The force of the blow sent him flying backwards and knocking into some of the guards. Needles flew through the air and pierced the necks of the remaining guards, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground. Their legs twitched as they laid there. ¡°What the¡­,¡± Morshire started as two people appeared to stand next to Xander. Issac placed the hammer over his shoulder as he stared menacingly into the room while Amelia looked sharp and cold. ¡°Kind of stupid of you Morshire to think the old man would be alone,¡± Issac stated. Amelia glared at Issac and corrected, ¡°You mean Mr. Xander you muscle brained¡­¡± ¡°Now is not the time you two,¡± Mr. Xander stated calmly. His calm tone made both the male Blacksmith, and the female Alchemist stop and look forward. ¡°Yes sir!¡± they both said in unison as all three of them entered the room. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Morshire started up, bringing all three of their attention onto him. ¡°If you really are here on the Emperor¡¯s behalf then how were you so quick to react? How did you get wind of all this so fast?¡± ¡°Morshire,¡± Xander started, giving the Weasel-folk a disappointed look. ¡°I think it would be best that you don¡¯t say anything more and just come with us. Stupid as you have been, you are still a good craftsman. I am sure the Emperor would¡­¡± ¡°That is no longer the case for him,¡± someone suddenly proclaimed. Amelia and Issac stiffened as they heard the voice. Morshire and George looked around the room as the voice they had heard didn¡¯t come from any particular place. Xander let out a long sigh and shook his head. ¡°So there is more evidence of his betrayal worse than what we believed that has been discovered?¡± Xander asked as he closed his eyes and looked down. ¡°Yes,¡± the voice responded. Xander opened his eyes and stared at Morshire for a long moment. With resolve he stated, ¡°Very well. He has made this bed. It is only right that he now lays in it.¡± Xander then turned around and started to walk away. ¡°Come along you two. We do not want to be here to see what¡¯s about to happen.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Amelia and Issac shouted before they headed out of the room. Issac grabbed the door handle and closed it. After the door closed, George and Morshire looked at each other with confusion. They weren¡¯t sure what was going on, but they believed themselves to be out of danger. That was until a chilling voice stated, ¡°I have you both to thank for showing someone dear to me how cruel this world can really be.¡± Both men jumped at the voice and spun around as they took a few steps back. Their eyes looked around the room for the source. It didn¡¯t take long for them to find it and what they saw chilled them to the bone. Standing on the desk was an inky shadowy bird. This bird was a crow. Shadowy material wisped off its body like smoke. Its red beady eyes stared at them. Morshire and George knew what this bird was. Not what, but who this bird really was. There were many people that used bird familiars as a part of their ability set. However, there weren¡¯t many who used this type of bird. Let alone one that was made of pure umbral power. This was an umbral familiar that many feared. Whenever this umbral familiar appeared that meant he was close by. An assassin that everyone feared. An assassin that went by the name Abyssveil Crow. If he was here in front of them that meant he was hired to kill them. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Morshire sputtered as he stared at the creature. ¡°Why would the Royal Family send you of all people? You have no ties to our Empire,¡± George questioned. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± the voice agreed through the familiar. The shadowy creature then started to change its form. The shadowy wisps still covering the now human appearance of a man who looked to be middle aged and extremely fit. He wore no smile on his face. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t be hired to take care of trash like you, but I made an exception this time round you see.¡± Morshire noticed a calm anger brewing within the eyes of the man as he stared down at them. ¡°Wha¡­What do you mean by that?¡± George asked. ¡°You see, I was in the area for a different matter. And when I arrived I received news that you and a majority of your collaborators had given a certain person a hard time,¡± the man started. ¡°At first I thought it should be fine. It would help toughen him up. However, my thoughts changed after I found out he was ambushed¡­twice¡­and almost died¡­twice.¡± Morshire tried to think about who he was referring to. He had messed with a lot of people over the years and even recently. The fear and panic that was swallowing him from the inside didn¡¯t help as his thoughts became jumbled. ¡°While I am fine with this certain person getting to know how cruel this world is compared to our old one,¡± the man continued. ¡°I am not as callus to stand by when someone tries to kill him. Many tried with his two younger brothers and while those two kind of caused the issues, this one hadn¡¯t gone out of his way to seek problems with either of you.¡± Something tickled the edge of Morshire¡¯s mind as the man spoke. He didn¡¯t know if the person he was talking about was who he was starting to think it was. George on the other hand had no clue who he was talking about, nor did he think he could pinpoint whoever it was. ¡°George, your hatred for half-breeds is what caused your downfall. You were warned by your Emperor plenty of times,¡± the man stated before looking at Morshire. ¡°As for you Morshire¡­did you really have to go out of your way to cause a scene and try to ruin a new crafter¡¯s reputation? I mean how petty can you be really? Not to mention you had to cause a scene big enough to make him almost lose one of the first few friends he had made when coming to a brand new world?¡± It then clicked in Morshire¡¯s mind who he was talking about. It was that Half-breed with the Cat-folk eyes. He felt his heart sink into his stomach as he stumbled on his words. ¡°Tha¡­tha¡­that young man is related to you?¡± The man¡¯s eyes flashed for a brief moment. ¡°That young man is my eldest son.¡± Morshire let out a gasp, however that was all he was able to do right before a murder of crows flew out of the shadowy man¡¯s chest and descended upon not just the two men, but the guards within the room as well, ending all of their lives. Adventure 249 - Seeing the aftermath of the attack Liam and the others stepped out from the Dungeon Tower and took in the rising sun as it peeked over the horizon. After they squinted their eyes and adjusted to the light they took in their surroundings. What they saw made their hearts sink. Many buildings were destroyed. While there were few that were untouched and some had minimal damage, majority of the buildings had walls smashed in, roofs missing, or were entirely razed to the ground. Businesses, homes, and more. The damage wasn¡¯t discretely to one. Liam and the others slowly made their way through the town. Their joy of surviving the Black Dungeon, their gained levels in abilities and sub-stats, and their new equipment quickly gone as they watched the people around them. People were walking around moving debris out of the way to see if there was anything inside some of the buildings that could be salvaged. Adventurers, Merchants, Crafters, Citizens, and even people that only came to visit were moving around helping where they could. The cries, angry shouts, and hysterical wails told the small group all they needed to hear as they saw some people hovered over dead bodies and more. Even though they did their best to try and help those they could while making their way to the Dungeon Tower to stop what was going on, they couldn¡¯t save or help them all. He was just lucky that while his one tracked mind he hadn¡¯t seen the dead or fallen people. There were some people sitting against broken rubble, battered, and bruised. Bandages were wrapped around missing appendages, chests, legs, arms, anywhere they were badly wounded. Liam wanted to help them, but knew he didn¡¯t have much that could. He was low on Minor and Weak Health Potions. If he handed what he had to some there was likely a chance everyone would try to flock him that needed one. He didn¡¯t have the heart nor the energy to fight with those in need at the moment. ¡°Liam?¡± a voice questioned causing him to look in the direction of where it came from. Liam saw Mila with her group helping some wounded people out. She looked tired. Liam noticed red marks around her eyes, indicating she had cried a lot. However, the recognition of seeing him made him think she was crying because she had thought he died during the chaos. He was right as she swiftly got to her feet and ran straight for him. Artem, Blair, and Roman were shocked as she ran right into Liam and wrapped her arms around him. The moment her arms locked more tears started to flow as she mumbled, ¡°You fucking idiot. Where were you!? I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere. I thought you had died. Do you know how worried I was ?!¡± Liam froze as she cried into his shoulder. After everything that had happened back on earth he didn¡¯t have someone who was like this. When he faced hardships and came back barely alive, there was no one to greet him home, no one to be worried about his safety, no one to be afraid that he might have died. He was out of his element because all the people that could do all of that had already been teleported here. So he was unsure of what to do. However, after he felt her arms tighten, he came out of his confused stupor and wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. He whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Things were hectic. I¡¯m alive. We¡¯re alive. We survived. I¡¯m happy to see you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°No thanks to the potion supply you gave us,¡± a feminine voice called out. Liam saw Mila¡¯s team slowly approach them. Vera, the Wolf-folk Beast-kin, had damaged armor. Alphonse and Molly, the Runeborn twins, looked tired and battered. Last to approach Alv, the Red Fox Fox-folk, gave Liam a stoic nod. That stoic expression quickly softened as he gave him a smile and explained, ¡°She looked for you everywhere during and after the waves hit. Some mentioned seeing you run towards the tower and when we couldn¡¯t find any traces of you she thought the worse had happened.¡± Liam gave him an appreciative smile as he said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. We had gotten into some trouble, but we cleared the dungeon and was able to stop the waves from continuing.¡± Mila¡¯s team looked confused as they stared at him. They then noticed the other four right behind him. Alv and Roman locked eyes with each other for a long moment before looking at the others. ¡°Who are you guys?¡± Alv asked cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s not often a Kitsune, a Dragon-kin, and an Orc come to the Empire.¡± ¡°They are my teammates,¡± Liam said as Mila finally released her hold on Liam and got a proper look at each of them. ¡°The Dragon-kin is Blair, the Half-Orc is Artem, the Kitsune is Roman, and the human is Gimmel. Artem, Blair, and Roman are three of the six that were teamed up with me back in the Tutorial Area. Gimmel I met here but he¡¯s now a part of our team.¡± Mila and the others looked surprised after hearing all that. Alv was about to say something, but was cut off as Mila said, ¡°Thank you for looking after my cousin. He can be a handful at times, but at least he¡¯s not as much of one like his brothers.¡± Artem, Blair, and Roman looked at each other. A small grin slowly grew on their faces. ¡°He has been quite the handful that¡¯s for sure,¡± Roman teased. ¡°However, he has helped us just as much,¡± Artem added. ¡°You mentioned you were his cousin?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Mila nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not blood related, but we grew up together.¡± Blair eyed Liam for a brief moment before looking back at her. ¡°You both are family regardless. Can I ask you if there is anything we can do to help? We just got out of the dungeon and are a bit tired, but we can still spare some time to help where it¡¯s needed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mila quickly stated as she looked back at Liam. ¡°What the hell were you thinking?!¡± She placed both hands on her hips and glared at him. ¡°You were nowhere near the right level to take on a dungeon like that one. Are you stupid or something?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Liam took a step back and averted his gaze from hers. ¡°If something happened to you while you were in there no one out here would have known. What could I say to your brothers or father if something happened because you wanted to rush straight for the danger? Huh?!¡± Liam didn¡¯t know what to say to that. She was right about him being an idiot, but at the time he just felt like he had to do it. He was going to say that, but the look on his cousin¡¯s face told him that would be a very bad idea. Mila let out a long breath as she said with some irritation, ¡°I swear. Out of you three I knew you¡¯d be the most excited about a world full of magic and mysteries, but I also thought you¡¯d be smarter than them. But noooo, you have to be just as fucking stupid.¡± Liam grimaced, understanding who exactly she was talking about. Mila suddenly realized she was asked a question and then looked embarrassed as she looked back at Blair and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I swear I didn¡¯t ignore you. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Blair put up a hand as she chuckled and said, ¡°Its fine. For some reason after spending as much time as I have with Liam I can understand why you are lecturing him.¡± Mila¡¯s face turned red for a brief moment. ¡°Has he caused you that much trouble in the short time you¡¯ve known him?¡± ¡°Eh, the amount of trouble he has caused is only equal to the amount of trouble I go along with,¡± Blair stated. Mila stared at her for a few seconds. She then looked at the others. After a few more seconds had passed she said, ¡°If any of you know any Healing magic there are injured people that need help. There are others who could use some help moving things like debris or ruble. Also there are people trying to prepare food and need more hands.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go do that then,¡± Blair stated as she looked at the others. ¡°Where should we met after we help?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a forested area with some crafting spots along the outskirts of the city. We¡¯ll meet there say in a couple of hours? I know we should help, but we won¡¯t be able to do much if we pass out,¡± Liam suggested. ¡°Alright sounds good. I¡¯m going to go see who needs help moving ruble,¡± Blair said. ¡°I¡¯ll join you,¡± Roman and Gimmel stated. ¡°I¡¯ll help out with the healing,¡± Artem said as Mila and the others swiftly looked at him. Their suddenness made Artem feel awkward as he asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Did you just say you¡¯ll help out with the healing?¡± Molly asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Artem replied as he looked down. Liam looked confused as he asked, ¡°Is there something wrong with him helping out with the healing?¡± Molly shook her head. ¡°No. there¡¯s nothing wrong with it. The more help we can get the better. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just what?¡± Roman asked. ¡°It¡¯s just that its underheard of, of someone from the Blood Thirst Plain Clans to have healing magic. Self-healing isn¡¯t something out of the ordinary, but regular healing¡­,¡± Vera explained. ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Liam started. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. Artem here is one hell of a healer so there¡¯s nothing to be surprised about when he says he¡¯ll help heal.¡± Artem let out a sigh as Blair shook her head. ¡°Alright, times a wasting. I¡¯ll catch up to you guys later,¡± Liam said as he left.
Liam let out a long breath as he set down the knife in his hand and poured the chopped vegetables he had just finished prepping. He looked over at the other people who were helping with the cooking. He had picked helping here because he thought he would find Uncle Naro. The man loved to cook so he believed this to be the area he would help out at. However, as time had passed, the bear of a man hadn¡¯t shown up. He was beginning to think it was futile. ¡°Liam. Is that you?¡± a wizened voice called out. Liam turned to see Milly, the Squirrel-folk crafter. She was slowly making her way over to him as he moved away from the cooking area. He was happy to see the squirrelly older woman was fine without a scratch on her. He gave her a smile as he approached her. That smile lasted for two seconds as she suddenly and swiftly smacked Liam on the top of his head. Liam was stunned as he didn¡¯t see any movement from her. She was glaring at him with a look that reminded him of his grandmother when she was angry with him. He wasn¡¯t sure why she was so angry with him, until she yelled at him. ¡°What the hell did I say to you yesterday?¡± Milly glared. ¡°Yesterday?¡± Liam repeated with a confused look. He tried to think back at what she had said. He was about to say he didn¡¯t remember but stopped as the conversation between them played back in his mind. She was against him leaving her house. It had taken him some time and some convincing along with a verbal agreement that he would come right back after doing what he needed to do. Uncle Naro didn¡¯t want him to leave her house, and she had agreed with the man due to a feeling she had. Turned out her feeling was correct. ¡°I¡­,¡± Liam had started to say but was stopped as she placed a finger up and chastised, ¡°Ap. Not a word out of you. You said you would come right back. After the sun had set and all the monsters started attacking the city I thought the worst had happened to you. If Naro hadn¡¯t informed me that you were fine I would have continued to think you were dead.¡± Liam grew timid as she scolded him. That lasted for a second as he realized she had said she had spoken to Uncle Naro. ¡°You saw him? Where?¡± Milly narrowed her eyes at Liam which made him wince. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. A lot had happened,¡± Liam started to explain. ¡°I don¡¯t need your excuses,¡± Milly harumphed. Her scowl then grew into a light warmed smile as she said, ¡°I¡¯m just happy to see that you¡¯re alive. Next time give an old woman some peace of mind and let her know that when things like last night happens.¡± Liam smiled back at her. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Milly shook her head. ¡°As for your question, yes I saw him. It was at my place, while I was still waiting for you to return to.¡± Liam grimaced as she eyed with those words. ¡°He had left a message for you saying it should be safe to meet him at the spot where you guys met later today. He¡¯s taking care of some stuff right now.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate it. I¡¯m really glad to see you¡¯re doing fine and not hurt.¡± Milly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. No corpse hijacking spider can keep this old squirrel down.¡± Liam let out a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to whatever you¡¯re doing,¡± Milly said as she turned and walked away. Liam watched as the older woman walked away. As he did he felt a faint vibration come from his pocket. He looked around before placing his hand in his pocket. There were a lot of people around which made him pull his hand back out. he found a small, secluded area and made his way to it. After he made sure no one was around or looking at him, he pulled out his Web Watch, channeled some mana into it and waited for it to open. [Good Afternoon Phantom Cat. I have a message from Lady Arachne. ¨C Silky] ¡°Good Afternoon to you as well Silky. What is the message?¡± Liam asked in a low hushed tone of voice. [Lady Arachne wishes for you to come to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web¡­.She wishes for you to speak to her about last night¡¯s events and to receive your part of the reward. ¨C Silky] Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he asked, ¡°Is the building still intact? Does she want me to come right now?¡± [Yes. The building is still in place with no damages. And yes. She wants you to come now because there is something she wishes to speak to you about¡­while the other members are out. ¨C Silky] Liam didn¡¯t like that. What could she possibly want to talk to him about while the other members weren¡¯t there? Could something have happened? He knew thinking about stuff without having any details would just lead him to assumptions and assumptions could create problems. With a nod, Liam responded, ¡°Alright. Let Lady Arachne know I am on my way.¡± [As you wish Phantom Cat. ¨C Silky] Adventure 250 - A surprise talk with a Spider Liam made his way over to the building known as Rhythmic Strings. This music store was a front for the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. Inside the building was an actual business for those who were pursuing to learn the Violin or the Fiddle. Usually you¡¯d find Bards or other musical type classes. While the items and the business was legit, many didn¡¯t know that the employees inside were actually members of the association known as the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. Behind it was a rune that, if found, could lead you to the hidden branch. Liam used Veil of Shadows as he walked behind a pile of rubble that was taller than he was. He had to make sure no one saw him and when the coast was clear he used the ability to hide himself from prying eyes watching him go behind the building. After he activated the entrance to appear, Liam used his Spirit Weave ability to disguise himself and made his way inside. After he made his way down the stairs and into the entrance room, he closed the door and looked around. It was just like Silky had said. There was no one around. The place was eerily quiet. Not that it was loud or busy each time he had visited before the incident. However, this time Liam felt uncomfortable. He made his way over to the desk and wondered how he would get Lady Arachne¡¯s attention. He noticed the bell on the desk and decided to ring it. Shortly after the chime of the bell echoed a door behind the desk opened. Lady Arachne stepped out and saw him. She gave him a smile and motioned for him to follow her through the door. He followed her, not saying a word. After he walked through the door he entered a room that looked to be an office. This office space had a desk, dark red carpet, bookcases, filing cabinets, and other office like furniture and needs. On the desk was short stacks of paper, a small ink glass container, and a pure white feather acting like a quill. The room wasn¡¯t fully lit as the Yooperlite stones that rested in a lamp on the desk and in lighting fixtures along the walls were dimmed quite a bit. Liam noticed thin spider webs that covered the corners of the ceiling. Small creatures skittered across them before stopping and staring at him. After his trip into the Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs, Liam felt he could do without being around spiders. However, knowing who the First leg of this branch was, he knew he shouldn¡¯t be too scared¡­unless she wanted to kill him. Then he had every right to be afraid. Seeing her abilities, dampened as they were due to it being a test, he knew that the shadowy eight legged creatures that lived in her shadow¡­at least he thought they lived in her shadow¡­could easily catch him and eat him without any issues. He steeled himself as he approached the desk as Lady Arachne sat in the chair behind it. She rested her elbows on the desk and placed her chin on her interlocked hands. Her smile from earlier still remained on her face as she eyed him. There wasn¡¯t a chair on his side, so he just stood there, waiting for her to speak. After a few seconds had passed, she finally broke the silence and said, ¡°Last night was one hell of a night wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yes. One that I probably won¡¯t forget for a while.¡± Lady Arachne chuckled a bit. ¡°Yes. I think I would agree. You¡¯re still new to our world so having to experience something like that not too long after arriving here must have been quite the cultural shock.¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± Liam nodded in agreement. ¡°We had some really big spiders back on my home world, but nothing quite as huge or as dangerous as what we faced last night.¡± A twinkle shined in her eyes suddenly at Liam¡¯s words. She then lifted her head up off her hands, leaned back in her chair and moved her hands to the arm rests. She looked like she was thinking something over. After a second she said, ¡°The monsters that appeared were pretty big, however¡­I don¡¯t recall seeing any huge spiders. Tell me, where did you encounter these creatures?¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. He wasn¡¯t sure what she had meant and was about to respond by saying he had encountered them inside the Black Dungeon, but before he said anything Eri sent him a message. [Do not answer. That is a quick question. You and your team were the only ones who had entered the Dungeon. She might suspect that you were one of those people. ¨C Eri.] Eri¡¯s message stunned him. She was right. He and the others were the only ones who had entered the dungeon. She shouldn¡¯t know that, yet she asked a simple question that could have revealed that information. That brought up another thing. The Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web was a place that heavily emphasized secrecy on a member¡¯s real identity. Why would she be asking something that would go against that? Liam stared at her for a long moment. He thought about what he should say and when he decided on it he replied, ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t come across any? There were some that appeared around the Crafter¡¯s Association.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lady Arachne asked as she eyed him carefully. ¡°If that is true then I wonder why Cryptic Wing and Midnight Claw didn¡¯t mention anything about there being any. They were fighting against creatures around there and I would assume they would have spotted huge spider creatures if there were any.¡± Liam mentally kicked himself. He had forgotten he had ran into them after leaving the Crafter¡¯s Association. If this association was going to be a part of his life then he really needed to work on this subterfuge. However, even if he had to work on it how would he be better than someone who has worked in this field for so many more years than he? Liam stared at her for a long moment. He really didn¡¯t know what to say. He didn¡¯t know what her angle was and what she wanted. He could try to figure out what it was, but without any facts that would lead to him making assumptions. Instead, he did the only he could. He waited for you to say what it was she wanted. Lady Arachne eyed Liam. While she knew what she was doing and about to do were against the rules of the association, she felt that this young man was too na?ve with certain things. At first she thought he was a pure blooded Cait Sith Beast-folk. However, during the fighting last night she ran into a young man who had the same eyes as he. At first she thought it was a coincidence. That proved to be wrong when she saw the earrings. There was no mistaking the earrings since there was only one pair in the world. And after confirming with the man who gave them to him himself, she was able to put two and two together. He wasn¡¯t a full blooded Cait Sith Beast-folk and was knee deep in everything that had happened. Some of the information he had provided during the meetings seemed to be too good. Now that she was able to see how he had gotten the information it all made sense. She sighed internally. He was lucky she was the only one to catch all this and had ties to his Master. The others wouldn¡¯t do anything amongst the Legs, but the other members? That leverage was worth the weight in gold. While she wanted to have faith in the members of this association she had heard about those outside of this place that sold out their comrades after getting caught and tortured. After finding all this out she felt she needed to educate him a bit. That was the real reason as to why she wanted him to meet her while the others were still out. In turn for giving him this education she could lose his trust, but she made her decision that she would in turn give him something should show that he should trust her with the knowledge she had on him. ¡°You remaining silent is a wise decision,¡± Lady Arachne stated. ¡°Remember every little detail that could lead back to what you were doing and where you were. If you cannot think of a way to divert, avert, misdirect, or lie then remain silent. It will neither confirm nor deny anything the person is trying to reveal about you.¡± Liam¡¯s body tense slightly before he forced himself to relax. ¡°You¡¯ll have to work on your body language more as well. That slight tension, brief as it was, could easily be spotted by someone with a very high level of perception,¡± Lady Arachne stated. She looked into Liam¡¯s eyes after that. She could see the confusion and caution in them as he listened. She decided to throw him a bone and reveal her hand a bit. ¡°The reason why I am asking you and telling you all this is because during the mess of last night there was a small group of low leveled individuals I ran into around the Dungeon Tower. Quite an interesting group at that as well. They consisted of a Half-Orc, a Kitsune Fox-folk Beast-kin, a Dragon-kin, and a Half Beast-kin.¡± She paused to gauge his response. While his upper and lower body didn¡¯t tense, she did notice his cheek bones above the shadowy mask tighten a bit. Not fully mastered, but better. She thought as she continued, ¡°While I tried to instruct them to run away they did the exact opposite. Now¡­I¡¯ll get straight to the point and be frank with you¡­I know you were the Half Beast-kin, Phantom Cat. Or should I say¡­Liam?¡± Liam¡¯s guard instantly went up as he narrowed his eyes. Lady Arachne placed a hand up to stall him from saying anything. ¡°I know this is a breach of protocols and rules, but I bring this up because I want you to be aware of how easy mistakes can be made. Especially when one has items given to them from someone who would never give them.¡± Liam subconsciously touched his right ear with his right hand. Lady Arachne nodded her head. ¡°Yes, your earrings gave it away. I can assure you that no one else by I caught this detail.¡± Lady Arachne sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be proud of you for keeping your identity a secret this long with items like that out in the open for anyone to see or that no one but I noticed it out there. While we don¡¯t pay too much details in people who aren¡¯t targets and we don¡¯t actively try to search for members from the association I think it be wise for you to learn some things to help you better hide your identity.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Liam felt awkward. He didn¡¯t really think much about it. he was focused on other things that he didn¡¯t think to question if his earrings could reveal his identity so easily. His first clue should have been when Gimmel mentioned then back at the Adventurer¡¯s Association, but with what had happened he didn¡¯t. ¡°Now, I know that I have probably broken your trust by telling you that I know. However, I want to regain it by doing this,¡± Lady Arachne stated as she reached for her mask, slid it off and placed it on the table. Liam stared at her as his eyes widened. She was right that he was slightly panicking internally on what she could do with knowing who he was, but all that was smashed as she revealed what she really looked like. His breath caught as he took in her beauty. He knew she was beautiful even with the mask on, but seeing her full face he was entranced. Her black hair with streaks of red really enhanced her pale skin. That combination made her scarlet eyes really stand out in an entrancing way. Lady Arachne giggled a bit as she saw Liam¡¯s reaction. ¡°I am happy to know that my appearance can still make younger men entranced.¡± Liam blushed after he processed her words. ¡°Like I have said earlier. I wish to regain your trust by showing you my face as well as giving you my trust as I reveal to you my real name,¡± Lady Arachne started back up. ¡°I am Vesely. If you approve and can trust me again after me doing this then I please ask that you take off your disguise so we can talk face to face.¡± Liam paused for a moment. What she was doing was essentially giving him her real appearance and real name. If that was really true that is. This was a gamble. She could be giving him an alias and could be using Illusion Magic to hid her real appearance. He really couldn¡¯t tell. However, he knew someone who could tell. Hey Eri¡­what do you think? Liam internally asked. Do you feel any Illusion Magic being used on her to hid her appearance? [Always the cautious one. However, you have every right to be cautious. When dealing with associations like this one, your real identity and looks should always be safe guarded. As for your question¡­No. She is not using any Illusion Magic. As for the name¡­I don¡¯t know. ¨C Eri.] Liam thought as much when it came to the name. He couldn¡¯t assess her to see if she really was telling the truth since his assess only dealt with monsters, items, and materials. He was torn. While she hadn¡¯t been hostile or the like while he has been here and she did make sure no one was around when they had this talk, he really couldn¡¯t understand her motive. Why was she doing this? She could have not told him she knew everything¡­well almost everything about him. She knew his name and part of his race. He guessed if he really wanted to return her trust he needed to ask. ¡°What do you gain from this?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Pardon?¡± Vesely asked, a bit taken aback by the question. ¡°I mean why go through all this? You could have not told me that you knew information, but instead you made sure that we were alone and even revealed your face and name. Why?¡± Liam reiterated. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, part of it is good will towards you seeing as to you are a New Arrival and were sent here way earlier than you should have. Another part is because you are connected to someone I have feelings for. While I wouldn¡¯t do this for anyone, I feel that by helping you understand the mistakes you had made I could get some points with him and maybe he could return some of that favor my way,¡± Vesely explained. Her pale cheeks redden a bit. Liam almost choked after hearing that last part. What did she mean by he was connected to someone who she has feelings for? He didn¡¯t know many people here in this world. Was it someone from his family? If that was true then she knew more than he thought. Liam shook his head. No, that couldn¡¯t be right. To know someone from his family she would need his last name. No one in this world besides his old friends and family knew that. Last names were coveted more than people¡¯s first names here in the association. Since that was the case then it had to be¡­ A light bulb shone in Liam¡¯s mind as the only person she could be talking about appeared. She had to be talking about Nabal. She did have a weird look when his Web Name was mentioned the first time he came here. So that was what it was. Liam chuckled a bit as he thought about it more. Vesely stared at Liam, her embarrassment gone, now replaced with a look of concern. She was about to ask him what was so funny, but Liam raised a hand to stop her. After he got his chuckle under control he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think I just realized who you were referring to. If what you say is true then I have to say, me showing you trust is something I don¡¯t normally do. Especially after all the Demon-kins using Illusion Magic to change their appearance. However, I will return the trust I hope you really are giving me and do this.¡± Liam released his Spirit Weaver ability. The shadows that covered him and manifested as a cloak dispersed. He looked her straight in the eyes and gave her an awkward smile. Vesely took in Liam¡¯s appearance after the cloak disappeared. The ears that looked to have been poking up from inside the cloak weren¡¯t there. The same was with the tail. Everything about him looked human, except for his eyes. they still had the Cat-folk look to them. ¡°Oh my,¡± she said after taking in all the details. ¡°You really aren¡¯t a full blooded Cat-folk.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Nope. I am a bona fide. Half Beast-kin.¡± Vesely stared at him. She felt this next question was pushing it, but she still asked, ¡°And the other half?¡± ¡°Human,¡± Liam quickly stated. Vesely slowly nodded. She had an inkling that he wasn¡¯t, but she wouldn¡¯t push it. there was probably a reason as to why he insisted he was half human. It didn¡¯t really matter. He was growing on her. Now she just needed to teach him how to properly hide the items that could make him stand out. ¡°Moving on pass that. I have to ask. When your master made you his apprentice did he ever explain about the function the earrings have to make them invisible?¡± Vesely asked. Liam laughed. ¡°No. He just left them in a box and said it was my choice if I wanted to become his apprentice and if I did want to accept to place them on. If I were take them off then they would be destroyed.¡± Vesely let out an irritated breath as she muttered, ¡°Of course he did.¡± ¡°However, I did find out about the function this morning. It probably would have been nice if he mentioned it in the letter, but what can you do?¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll have to have some choice words with him next time I see him,¡± Vesely pointedly said as she looked away from him. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he saw it right, but it looked like she was glaring at a spot in the room. He was about to ask what she was doing but she looked back at him and said, ¡°Since you have already figured it out then I guess, if you¡¯d like I can help you with some other stuff.¡± ¡°Other stuff?¡± Liam asked. Vesely nodded. ¡°First, your rewards for the job you did as well as your contributions to last night¡¯s incident. One is your pick of a certain amount of items from the Dark Nest. You can¡¯t pick materials above your ability as well as too many materials. We still need them to sell so we can make a profit.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes sparkled at that. He had his eye on a certain alchemy set that he spotted last time he was in the Dark Nest. He also had that favor he could use while procuring other materials. ¡°I also have a couple of items I¡¯d like to give you,¡± Vesely added as she placed a pair of raven black boots and pitch black pants. Liam assessed them. [Umbral Arachnid Boots. Item Type ¨C Armor (Feet). Item Rarity ¨C Unusual. Item ¨C Quality ¨C Average. + 10% to Sub-stat Speed and Agility when covered in Shadows. Effects ¨C Spider Walking. Spider Walking ¨C Allows the wearer to walk up walls, trees, as well as walk upside down on a ceiling of any surface. Stamina usage will slightly increase depending on the surface wearer is walking on. +5% Stamina drainage if standing still while upside down.] [Umbral Arachnid Silk Pants. Item Type ¨C Armor (Legs). Item Rarity ¨C Unusual. Item Quality ¨C Average. +5% increase to all Shadow or Spider Spells. Effect - Magical Absorption. Magical Absorption ¨C Due to the material and quality of the Silk of an Umbral Arachnid any magical attacks that strike the wearer will be absorbed and lessened by 10%.] Liam¡¯s mouth slightly hung open as he read the description of each item. He had seen Common, Uncommon, and even a Rare item before, but never an Unusual Rarity before. He didn¡¯t know where it stood on the list. He needed to know that. He would ask Uncle Naro later about that. For now, while he liked the items and wanted to accept them right away he also wanted to make sure it was right for him to take them. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound ungrateful or anything, but Unusual Rarity and Well Above Quality items? Aren¡¯t these a bit much as a reward?¡± Liam asked. Vesely looked puzzled at first but then understood why he was hesitant to accept them and why the question. She gave him a warm smile as she answered, ¡°While it is unheard of for someone of your level to receive a reward like this, I have to argue that it is unheard of for someone of your level to enter a Dungeon that is as dangerous as the one you entered and conquered it. Usually a reward matches the level of the dungeon however, I took your level into account and made it as high as I believed was right.¡± Liam listened to the answer. What she said had some merit to it. Another thought came to mind as he thought more about it. He didn¡¯t go in there alone nor did he take care of the dungeon by himself. Does this situation still apply if that were the case? ¡°Really quick. I didn¡¯t take care of this dungeon by myself. Does this still apply to the reward? If it doesn¡¯t then what about the¡­,¡± Liam started to say until Vesely raised a hand up. ¡°This reward only applies to you. While I appreciate that you were looking out for those who went into the dungeon with you, they are not a part of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. You are. So this reward is yours,¡± Vesely stated. Liam stared at her for a long moment. After understanding what she was saying he gratefully accepted the gifts and placed them in his inventory. He was about to ask a question until Vesely started back up again. ¡°Another thing I want to talk to you about is what we discussed the other day,¡± she said. Liam looked at her with a puzzled expression. ¡°What are you¡­¡± He then remembered a conversation he had had with her before he left the branch to take care of a task she had given him. She had offered to help him with understanding his Field of the Shadows more. She even went out of her way to gift him a Knowledge Theory book called Ways to Better Control the Shadows. He hadn¡¯t had the chance to really think about it. Hell, he didn¡¯t have any time to read the book yet. He gave it some thought. As he thought about it he decided he could use some help. Eri had apparently thought the same as she messaged him. [Take her up on the offer. She might have some insight that could potentially help you. No sense in wasting a helping hand. ¨C Eri.] Liam smiled as he thought that it was funny how they were always in agreement when it came to things like this. He looked at Vesely and said, ¡°I appreciate your offer and would like to take some time in getting as much help as I can before I leave this island.¡± Vesely raised a brow. ¡°Oh? You plan on leaving the island? Do you know when?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an exact time frame, but it will be soon. There is someone I¡¯m waiting to get back to me,¡± Liam explained. ¡°What do you plan on doing after you leave here?¡± Vesely asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± ¡°I plan on finding the rest of my team that I formed while in the Tutorial Area. The three you saw last night were half of them,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Interesting,¡± she said as she brought a hand to her chin. After taking a moment she waved a hand in the air. Liam heard the door click, making him look at it before giving her a concerned look. ¡°I locked the door so no one would come in while we have this chat. If you don¡¯t know the time frame then we need to start as soon as possible. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± she asked. Liam nodded. ¡°I do. Then by all means. Where do we begin?¡± ¡°We begin by you telling me what the shadows mean to you,¡± Vesely smiled. Adventure 251 - Learning about Possibilities Liam and Vesely talked for a couple of hours. The first thing she asked him was which of three Focus Points in the Field of Shadows were his highest and what level was it. She was surprised when he answered. She wasn¡¯t so much surprised that the Utility (Shadow) was his highest, rather she was more surprised that it was already at level nineteen. She then asked about the others. He told her that his Affliction was next at level fourteen and Shadow Control was at level eleven. After that she asked him what spells were the highest in each Focus Point. After he answered she looked like she was thinking somethings over. After she finished thinking she told him not to get Shadow Hands to level twenty and to wait on using it until the other two Focus Points were at level nineteen. She had then asked about if he had other elements which he responded that he had Gravity and Lightning. She told him he should try to make Hands out of those elements when he could and surprised him when she informed him that while Hands made of out Elemental Mana were good for crafting, they actually had something that could help out with a fight. Lightning Hand if used to punch or slap opponents, could cause a Paralyze Debuff depending on the level as well as how many times you attack with them. He could also use it to make certain Alchemical ingredients like Liquified Lightning Mana or even to charge some Lightning Mana into Poisons while working his Poison Craft. Gravity Hand had an effect that it would cause a creature to gain a Heavy Debuff if used like the Lightning Hand. Other Elemental Hands had different effects and she kind of hinted that if he wanted to pursue those it could come in handy. While it wasn¡¯t wise to get so many different fields, having different Elemental Hands could help confuse targets or those who sought him out to kill him. Liam liked the idea, but felt he should think more about it after trying to get Lightning Hand and Gravity Hand. It would be awesome to have different types of those Hand abilities and have them create different Debuffs or effects, but at the same time he did think it would be too much for him. As he thought about this he did think of a certain Kitsune who might be interested in it since he was a melee fist fighter. After that she told him he needed to read the Knowledge Theory book she had given him. It would help raise his Shadow Control Focus Point as well as help him get an ability or two that were better than Shadow Orb and Shadow Swarm. The two spells were great if he needed to shoot from long range or when he needed to get extra damage done in conjunction with his Lunar spells, but he felt that the mixture of his Afflictions from both the Field of the Lunar and Field of the Shadows could easily fit that role. As they talked she asked him what the shadows meant to him. He didn¡¯t really know how to answer that question. She had told him to say just what popped in his head without really thinking. He had answered that he felt the shadows were something that helped hide him better when trying to move around when he didn¡¯t want people to see him. He also added that he felt the shadows created the best blinding effect or binding. She nodded at his response halfheartedly as she thought about his answer. She muttered something about that was probably why his Utility (Shadow) and Affliction were higher than his Shadow Control. While his answer was good, it was really subpar at best because he essentially knew next to nothing about what the Shadows could really do. What he could really do with the shadows if he really set his mind to it. However, before he really started thinking more into it Vesely threw him a curve ball that confused him. ¡°Thinking about what the shadows mean to you really helps the field set your path. However, don¡¯t think that everything you believe you think it means to you will go down that way,¡± Vesely sated. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Fields of magic are tricky. If you believe you have a certain Field of Magic figured out because you view it a certain way it will send you a surprise in the form of an ability that has nothing to do with it. For example, did you think shadows could affect the mind in the way it does?¡± Vesely explained. Liam thought about it. She was right. His Affliction spells had effects that were either tied to the mind; like his Blanket of Darkness that blinding and attacked the nerves of the eyes that were directed to the brain and his Shade¡¯s Corruption that had a chance to cause a Confusion Debuff. Plus adding the Whispers from the Beyond Debuff that could appear on both him and the target if exposed to too much Shadow Magic. ¡°Why is that?¡± Liam asked, curious to know more about it. ¡°Before I answer that, tell me, has anyone ever told you about Advanced Fields of Magic?¡± Vesely asked. Liam felt like he had heard about it before. He took a couple of minutes to remember what was said and replied, ¡°I have heard about it before, but I think all was said was some Fields of Magics could receive one if certain conditions were met.¡± Vesely nodded her head. ¡°That is both correct and incorrect. Not all Fields of Magic can turn into Advanced Fields of Magic, that we know of. Fields of Magics are still a mystery and are being studied even to this day. The reason why some Fields of Magics have an Advanced Field is because, like you said certain conditions were met in order to Advanced them. There are also two different types of Advanced Fields of Magic but the topics of those can be learned at a later date. For now what I want to tell is that what we currently understand is the Fields of Magic that we know of are basic. Advanced Fields are the next form of the Fields of Magic.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Fields of Magic are just the beginning of the specified magics it focuses on?¡± Liam questioned as he scrunched his brow. ¡°Yes. Using the Field of Shadows for example, it is the basic for what it Advances to. There are different higher forms after the Advanced as well, but like I said that is something you¡¯ll learn once you get farther into your Magic Knowledge Theory,¡± Vesely explained. ¡°While it is good for you to understand what the Shadows mean to you and for it to create abilities or skills to create a path right for you, what you receive now can drastically change once you advanced into the field. For example, you are already getting abilities that affect the mind. Usually that happens after it Advances to the next form.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°A lot to think about? I know,¡± Vesely nodded in agreement. ¡°You normally wouldn¡¯t learn this so soon, but your level in the field and the path it seems to be setting in has me concerned. I am going to write some stuff down for you to look into and what you should focus on before it advances, but I will say this.¡± Vesely gave him a stern look, ¡°Do not level your Shadow Hand to twenty until your other Focus Points to either nineteen or twenty.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Because you need more Shadow Control practice. While it is amazing you have been able to get your Shadow Hand to the level it is, you probably can¡¯t control it the way you should be able to if you had the Shadow Control Focus Point close to the same level,¡± Vesely explained. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± Liam stated. ¡°What does the Shadow Control Focus Point have to do with my Utility (Shadow) Focus Point ability Shadow Hand?¡± Vesely sighed. ¡°If you have a chance. The next city that has a Magic Tower or Academy seek it out and see if you can get a copy of a Knowledge Theory called Focus Points and how they are tied to their respected Field. It will explain everything. As much as I would love to go into all the details there are still some things I need to ask you not related to this.¡± This made Liam stare at her. ¡°I need you to tell me exactly everything that happened in the Black Dungeon. With that information we can try and see if we can create counter measures to prevent it from happening again,¡± Vesely stated. Liam nodded, understanding what she meant. He spent another hour explaining the events that happened inside. He answered questions that she was confused about and did his best to omit or change the parts that he needed to keep secret. He felt like he did a good job since Eri hadn¡¯t said anything to him during his telling. After that was done, he reactivated his Spirit Weave, donned his disguise, and left the building. Vesely informed him to come again before he left the island so he could shop one last time at the Dark Nest. After Liam left the room, Vesely placed her mask back on her face and let out a sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d go as far as to reveal your face and name to him,¡± A cool and indifferent voice suddenly stated. Vesely turned to look at the individual who had dispelled the Illusion Magic they had used to cover their presence. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and she was happy that her mask was able to hide it as she said, ¡°I felt that it was the best route to make him understand I don¡¯t have any hidden motives. After all, it was you who said he doesn¡¯t trust people easily, Wild Card.¡± ¡°I did say that, but he trusted you way too quickly,¡± Nabal stated. ¡°It seems like he has matured a bit compared to his time in the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°Is it true he talked back to Nalia?¡± Vesely asked. Nabal let out a chuckle. ¡°He did. He also went as far as to call her a Weasel Bitch.¡± Vesely laughed at that. ¡°I wish I was there to see her face. That bitch acts so high and mighty it was about to time someone attacked that ego of hers. But to think a low leveled guy like him would have the gall to do it. I think I understand why you like him so much.¡± ¡°I like his approach to skills and abilities. He has an unorthodox method of using and seeing things,¡± Nabal corrected her. He then smirked as he added, ¡°The fact that he doesn¡¯t stand down in front of those who are stronger than him is just a bonus.¡± ¡°That part of him has me worried,¡± Vesely stated. ¡°He reminds me of three specific individuals. Those three have a lot of eyes on them right now and have had multiple attempts of assassinations on their lives because of it. However, this one¡­it seems like he doesn¡¯t need to do anything. It¡¯s like chaos follows him wherever he goes.¡± Nabal smirked at that. ¡°You¡¯re right about that. That¡¯s why we have someone keeping an eye on him. If anything were to happen I am sure he would be fine.¡± ¡°Speaking of that. What happened to the Mayor and Morshire?¡± Vesely asked. ¡°My leader took care of them,¡± Nabal replied. Vesely raised a brow at that. ¡°Really? I would have thought you would have wanted to do that personally since he is your apprentice.¡± Nabal shook his head. ¡°I am just as shocked as you are. He vehemently stated he was going to do it alone. He didn¡¯t explain why though.¡± ¡°That is¡­very concerning,¡± Vesely stated. Nabal shrugged. ¡°I think he was just bored. He hasn¡¯t had any reason to kill another recently so he might have just wanted to stretch his legs.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s something,¡± Vesely muttered as she eyes Nabal. A smirk slowly formed on her face as she said, ¡°So did you send him here because you knew he would be in my neck of the woods, and I could help him with his Shadow Magic?¡± ¡°To be honest¡­That Shadow Magic is a surprise to me,¡± Nabal stated. Vesely looked surprised. ¡°He held most of his secrets to his chest and didn¡¯t reveal them. Which is a good thing. I believe he still has some he hasn¡¯t or doesn¡¯t want revealed, but he is a mystery to me. I have some ideas or theories, but he keeps surprising me,¡± Nabal stated. A smile grew on his face as he added, ¡°Like for example, did you know my nephew just joined his group?¡± ¡°Gimmel is here on the island?¡± Vesely asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Yeah, apparently he was trying to join some sub-par group, but an elf was just trying to use him as a pack mule,¡± Nabal scowled. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill that elf are you?¡± Vesely questioned. Nabal shook his head. ¡°No. However, I am going to send a letter to the guild they are trying to join and pressure them to not let them in. I¡¯m also going to tell them to personally say it is because of that elf why they are not going to join them.¡± Vesely shook her head. While she loved the side of him that drove him to protect those he cared about, his petty methods when he couldn¡¯t outright kill the person doing the slighting was just¡­petty. ¡°So¡­how long are you here for?¡± Nabal looked at her. He let out a sigh of his own as he said, ¡°I just wanted to check up on him and see how he was doing. We are getting ready to head out to the next place ourselves.¡± ¡°Still trying to find the perfect place?¡± Vesely asked. Nabal nodded. ¡°We have a lead on one, but we¡¯re looking more into it while taking out some competition for the place.¡± ¡°Let me know if you need any help. You know the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web is capable of almost anything,¡± Vesely stated. She then added with a cautious tone, ¡°And that my duties and loyalty to him, as part of the clan, will always waiting.¡± Nabal placed a hand on her shoulder. Vesely gave him a smile as he said to her, ¡°You know he isn¡¯t like the others. He won¡¯t use you like how the others use the other branches. Unless it is something he absolutely needs you to do that he can¡¯t¡­he just wants you to do what you want. If anyone from the clan tries to pressure you or make you turn sides then make sure to let us know.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Vesley smiled. ¡°And currently what I want to do is help that poor na?ve young man not get himself killed.¡± Nabal smiled as he shook his head. ¡°What?¡± Vesely asked. ¡°Funny you say that¡­¡± Adventure 252 - Concerns and plans for the Future After Liam left the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web, he decided he had enough of the day and wanted to get some sleep. He made his way to the area that he told the others to meet and hoped they were there. He didn¡¯t realize how much time had gone while he was talking to Vesely. After her revelation of knowing who he was he was ready to flee out as fast as he could. However, since it didn¡¯t come to that he ended up getting a free lesson on what he should do to grow his Shadow Magic. Which was another exciting thing for Liam. While he was excited to learn more things, he knew he would have to plan how to practice everything. Gimmel and even Eri had informed him earlier that he would have to limit what he used when and where. When he was with his friends outside the dungeons or in a dungeon that allowed other groups to see them, he had to be a combative crafter. When he was doing Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web work, he could use his shadow magic but not his Lunar, Discord, or Sin magic. Inside dungeons where he didn¡¯t have to worry about people seeing things, all were fair game. Liam sighed just thinking about it. This was going to be hard. He already felt exhausted thinking about it, and he hadn¡¯t started any of that. It could also be because he hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep yet. As he approached the rendezvous point he noticed there was only one person there. It was Blair. She was leaning against the wall of the open crafting practice area looking like she was deep in thought. She felt a presence approaching and swiftly locked her gaze on him. It softened a bit as she realized it was Liam and waved. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Liam asked as he walked up to her. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just tired,¡± Blair answered. ¡°I can understand that,¡± Liam said. ¡°Once the others get her well go and set up camp and get some rest.¡± ¡°The others have already gone ahead,¡± Blair proclaimed. Liam was taken aback by this. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the last to arrive,¡± Blair stated. ¡°What do you mean the others have already gone ahead? They don¡¯t¡­,¡± Liam started to say. ¡°We got here a couple of hours ago waiting for you,¡± Blair interjected. ¡°As we waited a Bear-folk male suddenly appeared and asked what we were doing. After we said we were waiting for you he asked why. We told him you were our teammate and was told to meet here and then he laughed. He told us he knew who you were and introduced himself as your Enchanting and Rune Crafting Mentor. He then told us he would lead us to the spot you were going to take us because you were busy with some things.¡± Busy with some things? How would he know¡­does he know that I am a member of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web? Liam thought before mentally shaking his head. No. There¡¯s no way he would know that. He probably ran into Milly, and she told him I was helping with the cooking. Liam brought himself out of his thoughts and said, ¡°So you decided to wait here for me while the others went with Uncle Naro?¡± Blair nodded her head. Liam stared at her. He felt like there was more to it and decided to ask, ¡°So then why do you look like you have a major concern?¡± Blair looked slightly surprised at that before giving a small smile and responding, ¡°Is it that obvious? I must be tired.¡± Liam brought a hand up with a thumb and his index finger slightly apart as he said, ¡°Just a little.¡± Blair shook her head before giving him a stern look. ¡°Liam, he is strong.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know what to make of that. He knew he was strong. He had witnessed how strong the man was first hand when the Demon-kins and Beast-folks tried to ambush him a couple of nights ago. ¡°I know. A lot of people are in this world. However, I feel that there is more to that statement than what I am picking up.¡± ¡°I am concerned¡­,¡± Blair started again, but stopped almost like she was contemplating how to say it. ¡°With?¡± ¡°I know you mentioned that he wanted to go with you to find us, but what I am concern with is why,¡± Blair continued. ¡°Someone that strong claims he wants to be your mentor in a couple of crafts and wants to take you to your teammates to see if you want to adventure again with them? What purpose does he have doing that? What does he gain for doing it?¡± Liam was starting to see what she was concerned with. He would be lying if he said he hadn¡¯t thought about that. There had been plenty of times when he was left to his thoughts that he had the same questions. However, the talk he had with him that night when he was ambushed and attacked then had to fight a Zombified Hobgoblin and then Cindy¡¯s family¡¯s declaration of wanting to cut ties with him so they could protect their family. He had told him about his teammates, the friends he had made in the Tutorial Area. He had then told him about his own group of misfits and the leader he respected. Well he hadn¡¯t told him a lot, but he had brought them up. He wanted to believe the bear of a man was genuine and didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives. He wouldn¡¯t be na?ve enough to believe it was all for good reasons he had to want to take Liam to his teammates, but deep down he wanted to believe. He resolved himself that he would believe until proven wrong. After all, like Blair had said. The man was strong. He could easily make Liam do whatever he wanted if he wished to. Liam gave her a warm smile. ¡°I can understand your concerns. Come. I¡¯ll tell you a story of what happened on a certain day and night and what a bear of a man had done to knock some sense into a cat who was on the verge of losing his mind from being ostracized due to a stupid weasel.¡± As they walked Liam told her everything that had happened that day and night. She asked some questions as he recalled what he could remember. She was surprised by some parts, pissed off by others, and even concerned with a select portion. When Liam felt they were getting closer to the camping spot, thanks to his heightened sense of smell and boy what he was smelling was delicious, he stopped and waited for her response to it all. Liam could tell she was able to smell it too. He heard the light rumble in her stomach as soon as the delicious smell hit their noses. She had to focus hard to not just run towards the smell and looked him in the eyes. ¡°I can understand why you have some trust in him. However, for the sake of you and the others if he shows any signs of distrust I believe it would be best we ditch him.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Liam chuckled a bit at that. He didn¡¯t have any words to say to that. Instead he nodded an agreement and then hiked a thumb towards the smell and asked, ¡°You ready to eat?¡± Blair blushed before she nodded. ¡°I guess that is one good thing about the man. The food smells damn good.¡± ¡°Wait till you taste it,¡± Liam grinned as they entered the small clearing where everyone was at. As Liam and Blair approached the campsite, everyone turned to look at them and smiled. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Roman teased. ¡°Did you find stalls full of materials and lose track of time?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Nah, but now that you mention it I need to restock on somethings before we leave the island.¡± Roman let out a groan. ¡°I won¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I need to find some new ingredients for my Chef Craft, so we have some things to make while on the road,¡± Artem stated as he continued to help Uncle Naro with the finishing touches of the food they were making. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Liam said as he made his way over. As soon as he got there he stared at Uncle Naro who had his back towards him as he poured a hot liquid into a cup. As soon as he finished pouring the contents, he slowly turned to look at Liam. A wide warm smile was already on his face as he reached his hand out to give Liam a warm cup of tea. ¡°This should help soothe your body and soul. I¡¯m glad to see you made it back in one piece. Your friends here have told me quite the tale of your adventures last night. Welcome back.¡± Liam accepted the cup and took a sip, savoring the warm and minty taste that touched his lips and ran down his throat. He smiled back at the giant man and said, ¡°Thank you. I see Artem has already gotten you to teach him some things.¡± Uncle Naro let out a deep belly laugh. ¡°The young man was really eager to learn. You know I have a soft spot for those who want to help around the kitchen.¡± ¡°You call this a kitchen?¡± Roman asked. Blair smacked him behind the head as Uncle Naro laughed once more. ¡°Boy, any place is a kitchen if you set it up right. If that¡¯s your way of saying you don¡¯t want to eat then I¡¯m sure¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kitchen,¡± Roman swiftly stated, changing his tune. Everyone laughed at that. Artem then brought people plates of the food they had made as Uncle Naro passed around cups of tea. Liam watched as Gimmel and Roman stared at the cups with hesitation but gleamed at the plates of food. Blair sat her plate down and took a few sips from her cup, looking like she was enjoying the feeling it gave her. Liam tried to envision the others that weren¡¯t there. He tried to think of how Mercer would act drinking the tea. How Ariyana would praise the food as she giggled at Roman¡¯s comments while her Albino Crocolisk would try and snag a few pieces of meat from her or anyone¡¯s plate. How Avery would be watching or teasing Roman as she enjoyed her food. As he thought about this he realized he was a fool to think they wouldn¡¯t want to join back together to go adventuring. While it was all to his imagination and it could possibly be something only he would wish to see, that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t want it to be true. Uncle Naro sat beside him. He had seen the look on Liam¡¯s face and said, ¡°While I was informed that the half-Orc, Kitsune, and Dragon-kin were a part of your team, it looks like you picked up someone new along the way. I know you had some fears before due to certain events, but from what they had told me it sounds like you do have people wanting to join you on an adventure.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°You were right. About me being an idiot. I had let my fears get the best of me that night. However, these four don¡¯t speak for the others. They said so themselves. I need to find the others and ask them myself.¡± Uncle Naro nodded. ¡°Good to hear.¡± Liam eyed the giant man next to him. ¡°What were you doing during all of the hecticness of last night?¡± ¡°I was completing a task that was given to me,¡± Naro stated. ¡°When everything happened I was on a different island. By the time word had gotten to me about what was going on, you had already gone into that Black Dungeon.¡± Uncle Naro¡¯s face turned to a disheartened one as he looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What were you thinking going into a dangerous place like that? You could have died, and no one would have found out the cause.¡± Liam looked down at the ground. After it was all done he realized how stupid he was. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because Artem, Blair, and Roman were there. That their presence made him believe that they could handle anything. The waves of monsters they had fought weren¡¯t much. A lot of numbers and tricky things to pay attention to, but they were able to get through them just fine. It was really a battle of attrition more than anything. However, after the final Wave Boss, the Toxo Brood Mother Queen, had appeared while trying to face the Demon-kins did it really hit home that he was in over his head. If the Final Wave Boss hadn¡¯t had a grudge against the Demon-kins and had focused solely on him¡­he wouldn¡¯t have made it out alive. Adding in the Raging Rabies, if Artem hadn¡¯t been there to fully cure them then he probably would have succumbed to the venom. Blair and Roman had helped out and even Gimmel saved his life in exchange to losing his puppets. He was a real fool for overestimating his own capabilities. ¡°I¡­just thought it was something I needed to do,¡± Liam started. Naro was about to chastise him, but stopped as he continued, ¡°I was foolish to believe I could do it. But I had half of my team back with me and I just felt like we could overcome any odds that came our way. It was only after it was all over did it really hit me how close we came to death.¡± Uncle Naro waited to see if he was finished. When Liam didn¡¯t have anything else to add to it he let out a sigh and stated, ¡°Well, it is good to see that you have reflected on your actions. While having confidence in your own and those around¡¯s abilities and skills, you must never think that you are invincible. That can and will always lead to death.¡± Liam let out a sigh of his own. ¡°I understand.¡± Uncle Naro¡¯s disheartened expression then slowly turned to a smile as he suddenly stated, ¡°Which is why I have decided that after you see if the last members of your team want to join you I will personally help you grow in your strength.¡± Liam swiftly turned to look at the man. Confusion was plastered on his face. ¡°Oh, come now boy,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°Do you think I am going to just sit by and watch you flounder in this new world you were thrust in? I still need to teach you how to properly fight using your Crafter Class. As I do that I can help the others with the lacking knowledge you all are missing while having a few acquaintances help them out.¡± Liam stared at the man. While he knew Uncle Naro¡¯s skills and abilities were terrifying when he fought, he just couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around as to why the man would go to such lengths for not just him, but his team as well. He didn¡¯t realize it, but his mouth started moving before his brain caught up. ¡°Why? Why go to such lengths for us?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Uncle Naro simply responded. ¡°Do I need a reason to be kind and help out those who need it? I mean, if you are going to run headlong into danger just because you felt like you needed to¡­then why can¡¯t I extend a hand by training and teaching to help increase your survival?¡± He had him there. Liam blushed a bit as he realized not only was the man telling him that he just wanted to do it, but also added in the fact that he knew Liam was going to continue to be stupid every now and then. He couldn¡¯t really argue when put like that. ¡°Okay,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Then when do we leave?¡± Uncle Naro raised a brow at that. ¡°Oh? Eager are we? The Teleportation Tree will be closed for at least two days, except for the authorities. I have secured us a spot midday when they are opening them back up. Spend this time to rest and restock on supplies. I¡¯ll also be helping your friend there work on some of his Chef Craft, he has the potential to grow it well. I can see why you asked me to train him in it.¡± Liam smiled at the praise the man gave his friend. ¡°He has an earnest goal with the craft. I simply wish to see him reach it.¡± Uncle Naro smiled at that. After a few minutes of watching everyone talk amongst themselves, while enjoying the food and beverage, Uncle Naro finally said, ¡°Get some rest. You look like you¡¯re ready to drop at any second. Everyone will still be here when you awake.¡± Liam nodded as he set his plate down. He then found an empty spot and set his tent up. After getting his bed set up he plopped down and instantly passed out. Adventure 253 - Goodbyes and last minute Karma Liam had slept through majority of the night and woke before the break of dawn the next day. He had felt refreshed and not as sore like he did when he passed out. No one else was awake and were all asleep within their tents. Even Uncle Naro was still there, which surprised Liam since he had always disappeared before he awoke. He decided to take this small bit of time to get some light reading in from the book Vesely, Lady Arachne, had given him. The book was called Ways to Better Control the Shadows. He didn¡¯t get far into it, maybe only a couple of chapters and a lot of thinking about the information it was giving him, he received a Knowledge Theory called Controlling the Shadows with Ease. After reading the first chapter he had come to the conclusion that this wasn¡¯t something that would be easy to understand. There were terms and wording he didn¡¯t quite understand at first. He had to reread the first chapter twice and after getting to the second chapter he had to go back to make sure what he was reading was right. The first chapter had talked about how the Shadows were more than what they seemed. That you needed to have a strong will and a strong mind to be able to wield them. Without that you could easily be consumed or even controlled by them without realizing it. Even the races that started with the Field of the Shadows weren¡¯t allowed to practice using the magic without having proper training and understanding. He grimaced after he read a section that stated when starting out with the Field of the Shadows one should only unlock the Shadow Control Focus Point and get it to level twenty before unlocking the other Focus Points. If one did not learn to properly Control the Shadows then there was a higher chance that the Debuff Whispers of the Beyond were to be inflicted upon the caster as well as spells backfiring and causing harm on him. Liam was thankful that he hadn¡¯t had any of his Shadow spells back fire on him yet. The book mentioned that Shadow Orb and Shadow Swarm were basic Shadow spells that were good to practice with, but there was one he needed to have in order to get a better understanding. He received that ability after reading it over and over several times. What it was about and how to effectively use it. That ability was called Shadow Manipulation. Shadow Manipulation wasn¡¯t a spell he could use like the others. It was a spell that was meant for him to use on random shadows and try to either manipulate their shape or make move. Apparently, the spell helped in receiving other abilities that were similar to it but could be used for other purposes. He wanted to try it out but had to stop both his ready and desire to practice when he heard someone getting out of their tent. Liam put the book away and stepped out to see Uncle Naro setting up his Mobile Crafter setup into an outdoor kitchen. The giant of a man noticed he was getting out and asked if he wanted to help prepare breakfast. Liam didn¡¯t decline and washed his hands and face before joining in. Artem woke up not too long after them and helped out as well. After the others had woken up and eaten breakfast, Uncle Naro announced to the other what he and Liam were talking about the day before. They were excited about getting some help learning how the world works and the prospects of getting stronger. However, they understood that it wouldn¡¯t start today. Since they had to wait for the Teleportation Tree to open back up for public use, they decided they would either practice and exercise on their own as well as help out where help was needed in the city. Liam had opted to go help where he could. During his time in the city he had come across some Construction Crafters and asked for some tips to help that part of his Field grow. Thanks to their help and instructions he was able to get his Destruction Points ability to level ten which helped him receive the ability in the Craft called Construct Wooden Creation. The ability Construct Wooden Creation was one that allowed him to make wooden creations with better efficiency. However, since it was at a low level he was only able to make small things. At first he thought it wouldn¡¯t be useful at the moment, but he was proven wrong when merchants that specialized in food sales stated they needed boxes or crates to place their wares in since their stores or stalls were destroyed. He set to work on making them for them and was able to get the new ability to level five. Leveling this new ability also had some surprising affects for another ability he had in the Craft. Small Creation Knowledge had leveled and reached level five as well. When he asked about that, one of the Construction Crafters stated that since he was making small wooden creations it was helping his understanding of how to make them faster and sturdier, and the more he made the more it poured into both abilities. Those weren¡¯t the only abilities he was able to raise during this time. He was also able to level Lumber jack Efficiency to level six due to the wood he needed to use to make the boxes. He joined others who were highly proficient in the Lumber Jack Craft. He learned there was a carpenter craft that handled the wood he chopped but decided against learning it for now. As much as he would love to learn something new he really needed to not overwhelm himself¡­for now. Thanks to his small contribution and the major ones the other crafters made by making better containers and storage creations, the market was able to open up again. All the rubble had been shifted through and cleared out thanks to the citizens and majority of the adventurers, those that helped out, by mid-day that day making it easier for the merchants to set up. Instead of staying within the area they were always confined to, they had spread out throughout the city, strategically being where they would best need to be at. The guards didn¡¯t stop them because even they knew this would be the best thing until they were able to get the construction of the destroyed buildings back up. That night after the long day, Liam decided to make some potions. He was happy to hear that Artem still had some stock of the key materials needed to make his favored potions from the Tutorial Area. Apparently he had either bought or gathered them himself without telling anyone. Thanks to that he was able to make a lot of small vials of each potion. He asked the others if it was alright if he gave some of the stock he made to a friend to help them make some money. They didn¡¯t have any issues with it. Also thanks to that he was able to show off his Brand by putting it on the mark on the vials. Artem was especially impressed with it and asked questions about it. As Liam explained what it was and why it was important to have one as a crafter he looked even more intrigued. On the morning of the promised day of their departure, Liam had received word from Lady Arachne that he should make a stop by the branch and get what they had discussed the other day. Apparently it had taken a lot of talking to, to Silent Saboteur to allow what she had promised. Liam figured he remembered the debt from the other day and was probably going to use it. He was right on that, but he was also wrong because he had his eyes on something he was going to use it on. Before he left the area he tore down his tent and packed up his stuff. Artem and Gimmel were up when he mentioned to Uncle Naro that he needed to do some shopping before they left. The two said they would go with since they needed to grab some stuff as well. As much as he didn¡¯t want to have them follow him, he knew he could come up with a lie that could get him away and allow him to make a stop at the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. With Gimmel the only one who knew he was a member he could convince Artem that he needed to step away. Which was what he did halfway through their shopping. He asked them to meet him at the Cats Paw-ldron around ten o¡¯clock-ish. Artem didn¡¯t question it and agreed since he was distracted by some of the new food ingredients he had spotted. Liam slinked his way over to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web as fast as he could. After activating the entrance and his Spirit Weaver form, Liam entered the place. Lady Arachne and Silent Saboteur were standing at the counter talking to each other when he arrived. Lady Arachne smiled as she spotted him. While Liam couldn¡¯t see the portly man¡¯s face his body language spoke that he wasn¡¯t too thrilled. ¡°You don¡¯t look too happy to see me,¡± Liam stated as he stared at Silent Saboteur. For his part, the man quickly replied, ¡°You can¡¯t see my face, so you don¡¯t know if it¡¯s you that I am not happy to see or the calculating gleam in your eyes. If I didn¡¯t know any better I¡¯d say you look like an owlet you is planning to snag their siblings food for their own.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that. Never in his wildest dreams did he think there would come a day where he would hear a phrase using owl terms. This was the day it seemed. He didn¡¯t want the man to be too upset with him, so he explained what he it was he wanted as well as what other items he wanted to use the favor on. While Silent Saboteur wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled, he did seem more relieved that he wasn¡¯t planning on using the favor to buy a lot of items. There were five items he really needed at the moments. At the moment the Dark Nest only had four of them. The items he asked for were two cauldrons, one was an Average Quality Cauldron for Potion Making and the other a Poor Quality Cauldron for Poison Crafting, a Crude Rune Crafting kit, and a Crude Chemicalized Creation Alchemy specialized set. He wanted to get his hands on a Crude Enchanting set, but they didn¡¯t have any in stock. Due to the price on the items he was offered to either have both cauldrons as his reward or one of the other sets or kits since the price of those items would be more than a handful of materials they had thought he was going to go for. He chose the most expensive item, the Crude Chemicalized Creation Alchemy specialized set since there were a lot of separate items that went with it. With the favor he acquired from Silent Saboteur when his giant owl tried to attack, he received the other items at a decent price. Silent Saboteur wasn¡¯t too devastated after that because he gave the man ten small vials of Weak Shadow Liquified Mana for free. The man was happy with that, but he grew intrigued when he noticed the brand on the vial. ¡°Is this your Branding symbol?¡± Silent Saboteur asked as he inspected it. Lady Arachne inspected one of the other ones and was impressed with the design. ¡°What are you calling your Branding?¡± she asked, curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve been debating it for a while. I am horrible with names so maybe¡­Pawdimonium?¡± Silent Saboteur and Lady Arachne swiftly stared at him. Their silence and Lady Arachne¡¯s disapproving look spoke volumes. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re joking?¡± Lady Arachne asked. ¡°Yeah I am,¡± Liam said with a dry laugh. ¡°I was thinking either Phantom Paw or Bedlam¡¯s Paw.¡± ¡°I¡¯d go with the latter,¡± Silent Saboteur advised. ¡°I take it you have a separate Branding for items you don¡¯t sell at any of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web branches?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Good,¡± the portly man said, approving of his wise decision. ¡°For items you sell at any of our branches you don¡¯t want a name that will be linked to you entirely. Those who know that you are the creator of the branded items will be the ones who give the missions being requested for you. Anyone outside of that shouldn¡¯t know in case there are animosity or conflict regarding you as a crafter. You don¡¯t want people to trail you or try to kidnap you right?¡± Liam shook his head. He did not want that to happen at all. He thought about the name he threw out there on a whim. While it wasn¡¯t one he was serious about it still had the theme of chaos or discord in it. He was alright with that. After Liam finished his purchases he peeked at the time and saw it was getting close to the time he was supposed to meet up with Artem and Gimmel. He thanked the two for their guidance and help during his time on the island. Silent Saboteur asked if he could send out crafting requests whenever he needed things like Liquified Mana or potions and the like. Liam didn¡¯t see any harm in it. They also negotiated that at times he could ask for materials in exchange of money if the amount he made equaled it. Lady Arachne requested that each time he made it to a place that had a Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web branch that he would send word so in case he had questions about his Field of Shadows or if she needed anything from him they would be able to reach each other. After that he asked the two to tell the others thanks and that maybe one day in the future he would visit again. With that out of the way, Liam left the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web and headed towards the area where the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron was. When he arrived there he saw Blair and Roman were with Artem and Gimmel. They had decided to find them and when they were done there they would go as a group to the Teleportation Tree. Uncle Naro had explained that they had to be there by a specific time since they had a reservation ahead of the other people. This was because the place they were going to be teleported to was farther than majority of those who were trying to leave the island. After hearing their reasoning, Liam and the others walked inside the slightly destroyed building. Liam got a good look at the place. Even though the place was slightly destroyed, Farry, Abby, and Cindy still had tables and shelves stocked. They weren¡¯t as stocked as they were last time he was there, but he believed they were working on that. The three looked up as Liam entered the place and were surprised to see him. ¡°Liam!¡± Abby shouted with a grin. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re looking for healing potions or Medicinal Creation items, I¡¯m afraid what you see is what we currently have,¡± Farry stated as he gave Liam a sad look. Liam waved a hand at the man. ¡°I¡¯m not here to buy anything. I actually have a question. When you had my stock of flavored potions, how were the sales?¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Farry¡¯s eyes widened at the question. He started to stammer as he responded, ¡°I completely forgot we still need to pay you for those sales.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­,¡± Liam stopped at that. He had completely forgotten that they said they would pay him for the sales of his product. ¡°I forgot about that to be honest.¡± Cindy raised a brow at that. ¡°If you¡¯re not here to buy and you¡¯re not here for the money we owe you¡­then what are you here for?¡± ¡°I wanted to come by for two reasons. One, I wanted to say goodbye to you three before I left,¡± Liam started. He was stopped from saying the next part as Abby cried out, ¡°You¡¯re leaving?! No! You can¡¯t leave!¡± ¡°Abby!¡± Farry and Cindy half-scolded. Liam gave the little Tabby Cat-folk a sad smile as he knelt down and said, ¡°Yes. I am leaving. I have somethings I need to face and things I need to do.¡± ¡°Is it because of us?¡± Abby asked as she fought the tears that were starting to form. ¡°Is it because of how we treated you when we were threatened and Cindy got hurt?¡± Liam remained silent as he listened. He saw the looks of defeat on Farry¡¯s and Cindy¡¯s faces as they looked at the ground. He knew he needed to respond to this cautiously. If he replied badly or set anything up for misunderstandings then there was a chance this could end differently than how he wanted it to. ¡°Hey,¡± he started with a soft tone. ¡°Me leaving has nothing to do with you or your family.¡± ¡°But,¡± Abby started sobbing. ¡°What happened back then¡­I have no ill will towards you or your family about that,¡± Liam continued. ¡°I understood where Farry¡¯s decision came from. It was to protect you and your sister. I have no issues with that.¡± ¡°But it still wasn¡¯t right or fair,¡± Abby stated. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liam nodded. ¡°However, that¡¯s life. It¡¯s also life with how I decide to act after that. Do I hate you guys when you guys were put in a tight spot? Do I forgive you and pretend it never happened?¡± Abby stared at him. She was sure if she was supposed to answer so she waited. ¡°I choose neither of them,¡± Liam replied. This made the three confused. Even Gimmel was confused by this answer. Artem, Blair, and Roman on the other hand shook their heads. ¡°Do you have to go about this in such a roundabout way?¡± Roman asked. Liam glared at him. He then stood back up and looked at each of the three. ¡°I can¡¯t just blame you for the situation you were put in due to an idiot¡¯s greed. I can forgive you, but I can¡¯t pretend it never happened. So instead¡­¡± Liam looked inside his inventory and pulled out a crate full of the potions and set it down on the closest table. ¡°I can ask that we start over. This is a crate of flavored potions that I wish to donate to getting you the funds you¡¯ll need for either a better repair of the place or to move into a better store. As for the money from the sales from the earlier potions. I don¡¯t know how many was made so for now just use that as well.¡± Farry and Cindy opened their mouths to protest, but stopped as Liam raised a hand and stated, ¡°If you wish to pay me back on the money then next time we meet you can pay me then.¡± ¡°Can you at least take half of it?¡± Cindy swiftly said. ¡°There is a pretty decent amount of money you made, and traveling isn¡¯t going to be cheap.¡± Liam was about to protest, but Blair interrupted by saying, ¡°He would be more than happy to take half.¡± Liam raised a brow as he looked at her. Blair just gave him a smile as she retorted his unasked question, ¡°You¡¯ll be here for hours arguing if I didn¡¯t step in. we don¡¯t have all that much time left before we¡¯re supposed to be at the Teleportation Tree.¡± Liam got a good look at the time. She was right. They still had a couple of hours till their reservation, but he still needed to find his cousin and say goodbye to her. ¡°What this symbol?¡± Abby suddenly asked as she looked at it on one of the vials. Everyone looked at it. no one said anything until Liam answered, ¡°That is my Branding symbol.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your Branding?¡± Abby asked, her tears had finally stopped flowing and she now had an excited look as she looked back at him. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your Brand?¡± ¡°I was thinking maybe the Crafty Paw?¡± Liam suggested, not sure about the name himself. Abby giggled. ¡°That¡¯s funny.¡± Liam was about to argue that he wasn¡¯t the best at naming things, but was interrupted as she added, ¡°But I like it. it fits with the Crafting Symbols placed in the toe beans.¡± She then looked like she had a light bulb moment before setting the vial down and running into the back room yelling, ¡°Wait one moment.¡± Everyone looked at each other before they started talking about somethings. Farry and Liam talked about him possibly sending more potions to them if they wanted to keep selling his Potions and Medicinal Creations. Farry stated he would need to find a reliable merchant, but Liam said it would take some time before he could do it. Farry agreed to that and told him to just send either word or shipments to the Crafter¡¯s Association with his name and business name on it. After they agreed to the terms Abby came back almost out of breath. In her hands was a worn down Herbology Knowledge Theory book. She wanted to give it to Liam so he could learn how to grow the materials for the potions he makes on the go. Apparently there were magical techniques to do this, but they weren¡¯t allowed to be taught until he reached a higher level in the craft. He thanked her and the others before they finally made their way out of the building. They had spent another hour looking for Mila and her group but couldn¡¯t find her at all. After finally deciding to head for the Teleportation Tree, he had found out why he couldn¡¯t find her. She and her team were waiting in a long line that led to the Teleportation Tree. If she hadn¡¯t spot him first and waved her arms like an embarrassingly excited child, he probably wouldn¡¯t have seen her. ¡°Liam!¡± Mila shouted as they approached. ¡°So this is why I couldn¡¯t find you?¡± Liam said as he gave her a hug. ¡°Aw, we¡¯re you looking for us?¡± Vera teasingly asked. ¡°And if I was?¡± Liam teased back with a wink. Vera dramatically placed a hand over her heart and the other over her forehead as she continued, ¡°Oh, what sweet, sweet deity is doing this curtesy of a man searching high and low for us cute girls and their plus two guys?¡± ¡°Probably the Deity of Dreams,¡± Alv commented with a straight face. He then gave a mischievous grin as he added, ¡°Because that¡¯s all it¡¯ll ever be when you¡¯re involved.¡± Vera shoved Alv¡¯s shoulder as she stuck her tongue out at him. ¡°Damn, that was a good one,¡± Roman chuckled. Blair, Mila, and Molly shook their heads before ignoring the two as they started to bicker. ¡°Anyways, We¡¯re leaving the island soon. I did try to find you but couldn¡¯t,¡± Mila explained. ¡°I was a bit preoccupied,¡± Liam said. ¡°Had to take care of somethings.¡± ¡°We¡¯re heading to the Human ruled territory to take care of somethings out there and get some training in. Then in a few months we¡¯re thinking about heading to the Blood Thirst Plains to participate in the Crimson Combat Tournament.¡± Artem suddenly tensed at the mention of the Blood Thirst Plains. Liam noticed it but didn¡¯t comment on it. instead he asked, ¡°Crimson Combat Tournament? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tournament the Orc¡¯s hold every year to test their might. It¡¯s the only tournament they hold where they allow the other races to participate in,¡± Alv answered, a bit excited about it. ¡°I wanted to enter last year, but we weren¡¯t anywhere near ready for it nor close.¡± Mila gave him a smile as she watched his excitement. She then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What about you? Where are you heading?¡± Liam felt hesitant but wasn¡¯t exactly sure why. He swallowed once and then replied, ¡°I am going to go find the last three team members I had from the Tutorial Area. I¡¯m going to see if they wanted to group up again.¡± Mila didn¡¯t say anything. She looked at the people behind Liam before leaning forward and saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know any of them like you do, but please be safe. You never know who might actually be out to kill you.¡± Liam gave her a kind and warm smile. He could understand her reservations. After all that had happened, even Liam wanted to go back to being wary of any and every one. However, he told himself he would do that with reservation from now on. And speaking of reservations¡­He looked at the long line and commented, ¡°Is this for everyone with a reservation to get off the island? If that is so we¡¯re going to be late because of this.¡± Mila gave him a confused look. However, before she could say anything an annoying voice laughed irritably as the man said, ¡°You have a reservation? Don¡¯t lie.¡± Everyone turned to see Chad, Knox, and Waylon slowly approaching them. They glared at the elf and then looked at the two others. Artem, Blair, and Roman stared down at the elf as Gimmel hesitantly took a step to the side. Liam eyed the man once before looking back at Mila. He really wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with him. Chad, who noticed the blatant ignoring Liam was giving him scoffed. He was going to say something else until he noticed Gimmel. With a scowl he shouted, ¡°There you are you incompetent fool. When you disappeared and didn¡¯t return I thought you had gotten yourself killed somewhere.¡± Gimmel tensed as Lian, Mila and their groups stared Chad down. ¡°Now that I know you¡¯re still alive and well, I forgive you. Now get over here and get to your duties,¡± Chad stated with an annoyed haughty tone. ¡°And what duties would that be?¡± Liam asked, warning in his voice. Chad looked back at Liam. ¡°What? Now you¡¯re not ignoring me? Doesn¡¯t matter. This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you.¡± ¡°It actually does,¡± Liam stated. ¡°You see, Gimmel has joined our group. So if you¡¯re trying to strong arm our member into doing pack mule stuff for you then you have another thing coming.¡± Artem, Blair and Roman took a step forward, showing their solidarity in Liam¡¯s proclamation. Chad was taken aback at the showing the group was giving. He then scowled as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother lying. Why would he wanted to join a shitty group like yours?¡± Before Liam could answer, Waylon asked as he stepped in front of Chad, ¡°Are you sure you want to make a group with them?¡± Chad tried to say something, but was stopped once more as Knox added, ¡°I know what we offered might have sounded like a bad thing, but we are serious about giving you a safe place to grow your crafting abilities.¡± Liam stared at each of them in the eyes. He could see they were trying to be genuine and concern. However, their ideas of growth and safety was different from his own. He didn¡¯t need that kind of offer. Plus just thinking about doing work for Chad just rubbed him the wrong way. ¡°You and I have different views on how to grow my abilities. While you think I would be safe, I would just be suffocated,¡± Liam replied. The two men winced at that. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if they knew his words were true or not. He wouldn¡¯t know since before either could say anything, Chad stated, ¡°Look, the guards are coming. Even they know that what you were spouting wasn¡¯t true.¡± Liam turned to see a familiar guard making his way towards them. It was Fred the Bear-folk. ¡°You better just head to the back of the line since he is just going to send you there anyways,¡± Chad smugly stated. Then as Fred approached them he shouted, ¡°These guys were trying to cut to the front of the line. They were claiming they had a reservation when clearly no one has one.¡± After Fred reached them he gave Chad a confused look. ¡°Who are you to tell me what to do Elf?¡± Chad¡¯s mouth dropped at Fred¡¯s tone of voice. Fred turned his gaze from Chad and then back at Liam and his group. With a smile he said to Artem, ¡°So this was the guy you three were looking for. If you had said so from the beginning I would have helped you look for him.¡± Artem gave Fred a grin. Roman joined him as he added, ¡°But where would the fun be in that? Searching and getting to see the city was fun in and of itself.¡± Mila and her group stared at them with some confusion. That confusion then spread to Waylon, Knox, and Chad as Fred stated, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you guys had gotten lost or were held up, so I decided to search the line in case there were any problems,¡± Fred said the word with slight irritation as he glared at Chad, ¡°keeping you from getting to the front. Your reservation is almost up, and we need you to get through so we can start moving the line. Follow me and I¡¯ll get you in.¡± Liam gave the man a smile. ¡°Thank you Fred.¡± He then turned to Mila and gave her one last hug before saying, ¡°If you see your mom or sister tell them I say hi.¡± Mila snapped out of her confusion and nodded. She then had a thought and asked, ¡°What about your brothers and father?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell them anything. I want to see the looks on their faces when I see them personally,¡± Liam replied as he went to catch up with the others. After Liam and his group disappeared down the line, Vera broke the silence by saying in a sly tone, ¡°Huh, looks like they weren¡¯t lying about that reservation.¡± Chad¡¯s mouth snapped shut as his cheeks grew a deep shade of red. He huffed before turning around and stomped his way down to the back of the line. Mila shook her head before saying, ¡°You guys are fools to have him in your group.¡± Knox shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s a good healer. You know how hard it is to find one of those.¡± Mila shook her again. ¡°It has nothing to do with the fact that he¡¯s dating that woman is it.¡± Waylon sighed. ¡°You know as well as we do she had already planned on dumping him before all this happened.¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Mila stated. ¡°If she was planning on doing it she never made it clear with how she acted towards him. But then again she was always good at mind games.¡± Knox and Waylon were about to protest, but were cut off as Mila raised a hand as she added, ¡°Don¡¯t. it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. She made her choice and now she gets to deal with it. Or at least she will after confronting Liam. Also fuck you guys for trying to treat him as a personal crafter.¡± ¡°You know that would be the best for him¡­,¡± Waylon started. ¡°For him¡­or you? I¡¯ll be honest you know as well as I do that he wouldn¡¯t sit still unless it was something he wanted to do himself,¡± Mila said. ¡°You watch. He¡¯s going to surprise you sooner or later and when he does you¡¯ll understand how much you fucked up.¡± She then turned to face away from them. Understanding that she wasn¡¯t going to say anything else, Know and Waylon turned away and headed to find their healer. Liam and his group followed Fred inside the Teleportation Tree. He led them towards an elevator, and they went up a few stories. After they reached the floor he led them down the hall and into a room where Uncle Naro and a couple of Tiger-folks were talking animatedly. As the three turned to see who had entered the room Liam noticed one of the Tiger-folks scowl at him. Liam was confused at first, but then remembered who this guy was. It was Larry from his first day here. This Tiger-folk was here when he first came through the Portal from the Tutorial Area. As for why he was scowling¡­he didn¡¯t like the fact that Liam was a half-breed. ¡°Is there something the matter?¡± Uncle Naro asked as he noticed the man glaring at Liam. ¡°Just that there is some scum that has dared to show their face here when a V.I.P. such as your¡­,¡± Larry started to say but stopped as Uncle Naro¡¯s cold voice said, ¡°Are you referring to my apprentice?¡± Larry¡¯s attention snapped back at the large Bear-folk male. A shover ran down his spine as he felt a powerful wave of pressure cover him. ¡°Wha¡­What?¡± ¡°I asked,¡± Uncle Naro started to repeat himself. ¡°Are you referring to my apprentice?¡± Larry looked back at Liam who was almost within distance and then back at Naro and asked, ¡°Surely you jest.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Uncle Naro asked. ¡°Do I look like I am jesting?¡± ¡°But there are those more skillful who are full¡­,¡± Larry started to say but snapped his mouth shut as he saw the fire starting to brew in Naro¡¯s eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t peg you to be a fool Larry,¡± Naro stated before looking at Fred and adding, ¡°Do you really allow idiots like this one to work here?¡± Fred, who had been listening to the exchange as the approached, replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. We do not¡­However, I have no power over the hiring process.¡± He then looked at Larry and added, ¡°But this one¡­I found out that he was given his position due to family ties to the hiring manager. Maybe I should have a talk with her and see what we can do about filth that can¡¯t see past their idiotic olden day pride.¡± Larry gulped at that. As for Liam, he kept his mouth shut. He really didn¡¯t have anything to say. While the man showed hostility towards him, he never really did anything to him. After seeing him squirm though, he believed karma was working overtime here and he was enjoying it. Uncle Naro turned away from the man and looked at the group Fred had brought. He smiled and asked, ¡°You all got done with everything you needed to do?¡± Liam nodded along with the others. ¡°We¡¯re ready when you are.¡± Uncle Naro smiled once more before saying, ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of here.¡± A portal suddenly appeared in the middle of the room after the other Tiger-folk, who was smart enough to not say anything or ask questions moved to start the machine. Liam stared at it. As he stared at it he was reminded about his time here on the island. From the moment he arrived, the struggle in the dungeons, the training he did to learn more about his abilities, seeing his cousin again for the first time in a long time, seeing and arguing with his old friends, running into three of his teammates and even making new friends. All of it was hectic, but they were able to help him grow. Now he was getting ready to step through another portal just start a new adventure. However, this one would hopefully lead him to the other three. And after talking with them he would start a new adventure with those that wanted to go on it. He was both excited and nervous. However, the excitement got the better of him as he was the first to make his way towards the spinning force of magic and stepped through first. Adventure 254 - A toast to hoping Liam scanned the area the moment he stepped through the portal. The room was spacious and was cooler than the room he was in just seconds ago. The walls were painted blue, and the ground was made of some sort of wood. There was a window showing a dark sky. That confused Liam, but then he remembered the place they had agreed to go to was on the other side of the world. It was a little after noon back in the Arkadian Empire. He looked at his internal clock and saw it was barely past eleven at night here at Wayside Port in the human territory. Eri had told him, and the others who were tied to her, that the place they needed to go was here. They had played it off that Artem, Blair, and Roman had suggested coming to this place because they had last heard about the other three possibly being close by this city. A sudden sinking feeling hit him, making him swiftly turn back around to see if he was alone once more. Before he started to freak out, the teleportation portal lit up and Artem slowly walked out. Liam let out a sigh of relief as he watched the others come out one by one until Uncle Naro appeared, taking the rear. Liam wanted to chuckle as he saw the shirt the giant man was wearing now. On the other side of the portal he didn¡¯t have one on. Now he was sporting something similar to a Hawaiian shirt that tourists wore. He must have put it on before coming through. However, instead of having floral print, it had different style meats. Adding to his attire were a pair of shorts, a straw hat, and a pair of sunglasses. He really looked like the vacationing uncle if he didn¡¯t have the Bear ears and stood taller than the others. Uncle Naro let out a loud laugh after seeing how dark it was outside. ¡°I forgot about the time difference from where we were compared to here.¡± Liam shook his head. Before he or the others could say anything, the single door in the door slid open and two people walked right in. One was a human who stood slightly taller than Liam and the other was a gnome who stood slightly shorter than Roman. Both of these men wore matching light blue and brown uniforms. ¡°Good evening,¡± the human said with a gruff voice. ¡°We are sorry for not being here when you arrived. We weren¡¯t aware of any incoming parties this late in the evening.¡± ¡°May we ask where it is you came from as we look at your identifications?¡± The gnome male ask. His accent almost similar to a French accent. ¡°We have come from Cashat Port, Little Wing Island from the Arkadian Empire,¡± Uncle Naro informed as Liam and the other pulled out either their C.I.D. or A.I.D. to show the two men. ¡°Arkadian Empire huh?¡± the human man said as he paused and got a good look at each of them. he then paused as he looked at Uncle Naro¡¯s I.D. and looked back at the man. As Liam was putting his C.I.D. away, he didn¡¯t notice as Uncle Naro placed a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. The man understood and asked, ¡°How long will you be here at Wayside Port, manner of business, and do you know if you will be leaving through the portal or through a different manner of means?¡± Uncle Naro looked down at the others before he said, ¡°I am not sure how long we will be here, but we at least plan to be here for a few days before leaving. They are new arrivals, and I wish to use your Library and possibly Mage Tower associates to help increase their missing and lacking knowledge as well as help train their magical abilities some. Our manner departure depends on our business.¡± Liam took this cue to chime in. ¡°We are looking for some people. I am not sure if they are here or in a place close by.¡± The two men looked at each other warily before looking at Liam and asking, ¡°Does your purpose for searching for these people have any ill intent or on friendly terms?¡± ¡°Friendly terms,¡± Liam swiftly stated as he gave him a confused look. ¡°May I ask why you would ask if we have ill intent towards people we are searching for?¡± ¡°It is a procedure we must ask. If the reason falls into ill intent we have to ask that you take any fighting outside the town. We do not have the proper means to protect innocents that could accidentally get wrapped up in whatever is planned,¡± the gnome replied as he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I must ask,¡± Roman started. ¡°Even asking and stating that how often does someone listen to that?¡± The two men looked at Roman and gave him a grimace. ¡°Majority do not listen, but there are some who do. So we ask in hopes there are more like that,¡± the man answered. He then looked back at the others and informed, ¡°All looks to be in order. We welcome you to Wayside Port in Geraldo¡¯s Dukedom in the Human territory. The Library is currently closed until tomorrow. There might be some people still in the Mage Tower if you wish to go there, but other than that there are some bars open. A couple are still serving food if you are hungry. Other than that there is only one inn we are aware of that still have some vacancies. It has a pub attached to it and will still be serving food until a little after midnight. It is called The Freaky Fin.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a bit. The name reminded him of a bar back in his old town on Earth called the Battered Beaver. He believed it must be customary in any world to have drinking places named after animals with a weird word that matched the first letter of the animal. Maybe it helped patrons to remember it that way. ¡°Thank you,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°We will seek the inn out and enjoy the refreshments there.¡± ¡°Enjoy,¡± the gnome said.
It didn¡¯t take long for Liam and the others to find the Freaky Fin. The establishment was three stories tall and had another building attached to it on the left side. After they entered and spoke with the woman running the desk, they each got a room and met back at the reception room. There was a door on the left side of the build where they could hear a mixture of laughing, yelling, talks, and music. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. As they opened the door it had gotten louder, and they could see that there was quite the crowd within. A lady wearing a dress stood next to a podium near the door greeted them with a smile. She was beautiful with long blond hair and blue eyes. She looked to be Human since she didn¡¯t have any feature belying that. She took them to an area that had two tables pressed together and empty. There was enough seating and space for more people to sit there, but he figure the lady gave them that table to accommodate both Artem and Uncle Naro¡¯s bigger figures. The waitress, a late teenage elf woman with dark green hair and light green eyes approached to ask if they wished to eat. They placed an order and was informed that if they wished for alcohol they would have to go to the bar to get some since it would be hard to get their drinks to them through the crowd at the moment. After she left Uncle Naro asked, ¡°So what is your plan?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°How do you plan on finding the three you are seeking?¡± He reiterated. Liam thought about it. He had planned on asking Eri where they were and go from there. However, Eri said she wouldn¡¯t tell him exactly where they were, but instead guide him as close as she could and have him search for them himself. ¡°I think it would be best to try and look at areas that they would love or best suit them,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Mercer has a knack and talent for merchantry so I think areas that have markets, or merchant works would be best to find him at. Ariyana loves to dance, loves animals, and loves to drink so maybe places like this where she can let loose or somewhere she can find more animals?¡± Uncle Naro nodded his head as Gimmel listened. Artem, Blair, and Roman looked at each other and smirked. ¡°What about Avrey?¡± Roman asked with a slight teasing in his voice. Liam thought about the Crimson Elf woman. He thought about his time training with her. Her swordsmanship with a rapier was amazing and her magic was enchanting. Even the way she used Blood Magic, although he didn¡¯t see as much of it as her Fire Magic, was amazing. He then thought about others things but stopped as he realized what he was thinking about. ¡°I wonder what he is thinking about?¡± Roman grinned teasingly. Liam let out a cough as his cheeks blushed slightly. ¡°She trains her sword work a lot so many a place that allows one to work on that. Or a Mage Tower. She¡¯s diligent in her training and I believe that is amazing.¡± Roman laughed loudly as Artem and Blair shook their heads. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Liam asked. Roman waved a hand as he said, ¡°Nothing. Nothing.¡± Gimmel gave the three a puzzled look as Uncle Naro stared at them a slight smirk tugging on the edge of his lips. Liam wasn¡¯t too happy because he felt like there was a joke going on and he couldn¡¯t figure it out. After a few second Liam finally said, ¡°Ah I need a drink.¡± Roman slammed an open palm on the table and agreed, ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°I too could go for a nice ale or four,¡± Uncle Naro stated as he stood up. ¡°Lucky for you guys. I can¡¯t drink alcohol for another couple of years,¡± Gimmel grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re a youngster,¡± Roman stated with a grin. ¡°Says the guy who looks like a kid,¡± Gimmel shot back. Artem, Blair, Uncle Naro, and Liam laughed at that. Roman was so caught off guard he sputtered his response. After a few seconds he finally stated, ¡°And here I was about to offer you some of mine if you came with me to the bar.¡± Gimmel¡¯s eyes widened. This time it was his turn to be baffled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Roman laughed at Gimmel¡¯s attempt to apologize. ¡°It¡¯s fine but you¡¯re still coming with me right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come too. I want to see what there is,¡± Artem said as he stood up. Blair stood as well as she nodded, but then pointed a finger at Liam and said, ¡°You should stay here in case our food comes or someone thinks this table is free. We don¡¯t want our table to go to someone else.¡± ¡°But I wanted to get a drink as well,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Its fine. I¡¯ll grab you something I think you might like. It¡¯s on me this time,¡± Roman stated as the five of them started to leave the table. Liam watched as they left. He was confused by their behavior, but he just chopped it up to them wanting to have a drink after what they had been through recently. They weren¡¯t in any danger here. No Immoral Vice worshippers looking to destroy the town. No crazy nobles looking to force people to do what they wanted. No death spiders trying to poison and turn people or creatures into their zombie puppets¡­that he knew of. Nothing like that. Just people looking to drink, eat, and be merry. He looked around and thought about the other three. He knew how they would be if they were here. Avery would want to dance while Ariyana would join her after trying to get people to buy more drinks with that drinking chant of hers. Mercer would sit back in his chair and eye some of the people or he would join the girls on the dance floor. Liam let out a sigh. Sure enough their presence had made an impact on him. Artem, Blair, and Roman were great companions as well as Gimmel and Uncle Naro, but without the other three he felt like there was some fun missing. It didn¡¯t take long before the others arrived. They each had a glass of beer and a shot glass of something golden. Liam looked at it and sighed. Them bringing a shot meant they were going to make a toast. After Gimmel placed a shot glass and a mug of beer down in front of Liam, he quickly ran over to his seat where Roman, who had two shot glasses, looked around the area before sliding one towards Gimmel. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make a toast,¡± Roman stated as he grinned widely. ¡°Liam? Do you want to do the honors?¡± Liam thought about it. He could make a toast and finish it with something Ariyana would always do, but he felt that it wasn¡¯t right without her here to do it. Instead, he said, ¡°To good friends and great companions. May we find the others and hope they wish to continue the adventure we started in the Tutorial Area.¡± He was about to drink, but noticed no one, but Uncle Naro who didn¡¯t care to wait and was already on his giant mug of beer and Gimmel who didn¡¯t want anyone in the establishment to notice him drinking the shot, had taken their shot. They stared at him with grins wide almost like they knew a secret he didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t like this feeling and was about to say something but was stopped as a voice suddenly teased, ¡°With a toast like that I¡¯m not sure if we should continue our journey.¡± Liam froze as he recognized the male voice. ¡°I think we need to redo this. Want to do the honors?¡± a recognizable female voice added. ¡°Hell yeah I do,¡± the last voice, this one full of giddiness and laughter answered. ¡°But you all better join me.¡± In unison, the three voices along with Artem, Blair, and Roman all chanted as they raised their shot glasses, ¡°The Sun is down but our Spirits are high. Last one to finish, is the Next one to buy!¡± Instinctually and out of habit of not wanting to be the last one, Liam slammed his shot glass down with the others. He noticed two hands, one on each side of him, slammed a shot glass down with him as he raised it to his lips and down the contents as quickly as he could. Gimmel stared with a shocked expression as Uncle Naro let out a loud belly rumbling laugh as Liam coughed after the warm liquid burned as it went down his throat. After he finished coughing he swiftly turned around to see Mercer, Avery, and Ariyana stand right before him with wide smiles on their faces. Adventure 255 - Catching up Liam stood there like a deer in the headlights. Shocked, confused, and surprised, he didn¡¯t know which he was. He slowly turned his head to look at the other three people from his original team and saw their grins. They looked like they knew what was going to happen but decided not to tell him. His idiotic expression turned to an embarrassed one then to a frown. ¡°You guys knew? You guys knew and didn¡¯t bother to tell me?¡± A thought then crossed his mind. He sent out a mental thought to Eri and accused, You knew too, didn¡¯t you?¡± [I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about. However, if I did. You should know I wouldn¡¯t have told you since it would bring a little fun chaos like it did. ¨C Eri.] ¡°A little birdie told us you were looking for us,¡± Ariyana grinned. ¡°A little birdie?¡± Liam questioned. [Tweet. Tweet, motherfucker. ¨C Eri.] Liam inwardly sighed before letting out a chuckle. ¡°Well, I wish that little chaotic bird would have said something to me or maybe, I don¡¯t know, those that knew.¡± Liam side eyed Artem, Blair, and Roman for a brief moment before taking in Ariyana¡¯s, Avery¡¯s, and Mercer¡¯s appearances. Besides their new clothes, they looked almost exactly the same. Liam was surprised that Ariyana had a second creature tattoo but decided to wait for her to reveal what exactly it was since he didn¡¯t recognize what the picture looked like. There was a lot he wanted to ask them, but at the moment them being right in front of him made him unsure what he wanted to say first. Liam went to open his mouth, but before he could say anything, Avery raised a hand and said, ¡°If anything that comes out of your mouth isn¡¯t who was the last one to finish their shot then we don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°Tonight is a night we celebrate a reunion. Tomorrow is a day we get down to business.¡± ¡°Hear, hear!¡± Roman and Ariyana shouted. ¡°However, before we designate who¡¯s buying the next round¡­,¡± Ariyana started as she looked at Gimmel and Uncle Naro. ¡°Would you like to introduce us to the two new people here?¡± Liam turned to see who she was looking at. After seeing Uncle Naro down a third mug of alcohol, confusing him on when and where he had gotten the other two mugs, and Gimmel staring at Ariyana and Avery with red cheeks, he let out a laugh. ¡°The teenager is Gimmel, and the Bear-folk is Uncle Naro.¡± ¡°Gimmel and Uncle Naro?¡± the three questioned with a puzzled look. ¡°Is he your Uncle?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°No, he¡¯s¡­,¡± Liam started to say. He then explained about how he met Uncle Naro and why he called him that. After he was done explaining most of the situation, not bringing up all the conflict, Uncle Naro introduced himself and insisted that they all called him Uncle Naro. Liam laughed at all their expressions when he insisted on it. He laughed even harder when they tried to just call him Naro, and he interrupted them like he did with him until he finally went with it. After they finally agreed to the man¡¯s insistence of them calling him uncle, he offered to buy the next round of shots and beers. They didn¡¯t have any issues with that. When he left the table, Liam then explained Gimmel¡¯s situation. According to Mercer, they were informed that there was a new Follower of Eri¡¯s. They weren¡¯t told who it was by Eri, just that they would meet him soon enough. They were even more surprised when he informed them that he was Nabal¡¯s nephew. After some talking with the newest member of the group, Uncle Naro returned with more alcohol. They toasted once more, a proper one this time, and enjoyed the night. Liam was happy to see them once again. He was happy to see them all together, just enjoying themselves with no issues around the corner nor a dungeon they needed to conquer. However, there was still a sinking feeling telling him they were here to just meet and then go their separate ways. That they were just making sure each were fine. He decided not to worry about it until that time came. Which it did¡­the very next morning.
Liam sat at one of the tables the next morning. He was up late last night due to the time change and slept until ten. When he came out of the room and made his way downstairs he found everyone, except Gimmel and Uncle Naro, sitting at a table in the furthest corner of the room. They were talking to each other and looked to have just received their food. Artem saw Liam enter the establishment and waved him over. Liam waved back and made his way over to them. After he reached the table, Mercer stated before he could ask, ¡°Gimmel and Uncle Naro went out to look at some stuff and won¡¯t be back till later. I figured you should be getting up around by now. We ordered you some food.¡± He pointed to a plate in front of an empty chair at the end of the table. Deciding to make a joke, Liam said teasingly, ¡°Oh? Are you sure a little birdie didn¡¯t tell you I was making my way down here?¡± Ariyana, Mercer, and Roman chuckled as Avery, Blair, and Artem shook their heads. [Okay I admit that my part with that was funnier in the moment. ¨C Eri.] I am sooo going to use that against you sometime. Liam smirked. He then asked them as he looked down at his plate of bacon, eggs, and toast, ¡°So what were you guys talking about?¡± The others went silent at the question. Liam caught their silence and stopped reaching for his fork and looked at each of them. He could see their seriousness in their eyes as they stared back at him. He didn¡¯t like that. It felt like a calm before the storm. Not wanting to overthink it and let his mind run a million miles a second, he repeated his favorite mantra, Calm the Storm, a few times. After a few seconds of silence, Ariyana finally broke it. ¡°Artem, Blair, and Roman were filling us in on what had happened when they met up with you.¡± Liam froze. He looked at the three, who just so happened to be sitting on the same side of the table. Artem had his arms crossed against his chest as Blair sat back with her arms on the rests of her chair. Roman was moving his eggs around with his fork. ¡°What all did they say?¡± Liam asked. ¡°They mentioned a bit about the Black Dungeon full of Undead creating spiders and something about Demon-kins using the same summoning circle Gary and Steve used back on the sixth floor,¡± Mercer casually informed. ¡°Also that they were followers of the Seven Immoral Vices,¡± Ariyana added. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°They also brought up something else, but that can wait after you fill in everything on how you happened to get caught up in it all and what exactly happened,¡± Avery said. She then lifted her fork and waved it back and forth between Artem, Blair, and Roman as she added, ¡°These three kept saying they weren¡¯t entirely sure how everything escalated that far.¡± Liam let out a sigh. ¡°How much do I have to say?¡± ¡°All of it,¡± everyone at the table said in unison. They all looked at each other before letting out a small chuckle. ¡°We want to know exactly what happened before they arrived,¡± Mercer explained. ¡°They had mentioned some things happened before they arrived that they weren¡¯t sure of, but we can talk as we eat. We don¡¯t want our food to go cold.¡± Liam acquiesced to their request and between bites he explained what had happened. From the moment he had arrived to after they had finished with the Black Dungeon. He left out some parts, like him running into his old friends and his altercations with Chad as well as his time in the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web since they weren¡¯t things that important to the events. They did ask some questions that led back to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web activities, and he tried to move pass them, but after Eri had told him he could just say he joined an Association that has strict rules on what he cannot say, they all accepted that. He wasn¡¯t sure if they really did, but he felt that Eri had explained what he couldn¡¯t, without giving away too many details. ¡°Damn. You serious had all that happening?¡± Ariyana asked as she gave Liam a look of concern. ¡°That must have been hard. Especially during the time your Stat Shatter Debuff was still active,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°It was,¡± Liam said as he looked down at his plate. Memories of that time replayed back in his mind. ¡°However, it also helped me to understand what I was lacking and what I needed to work on. Sure it was all tough, but I received equally as much positive as I did negative.¡± ¡°Still,¡± Mercer started back up. ¡°If we were all there then maybe you would have had an easier time with it all.¡± ¡°Especially when your old friends treated you the way they did,¡± Avery commented Confused by her words he looked at her. He then saw Ariyana and Mercer staring at him. Liam noticed Avery staring at him. Her eyes were narrowed, ¡°What do you mean by¡­¡± ¡°We are a team. As a team we look out for each other. We don¡¯t allow others to look down or try to devalue our teammates, right?¡± Mercer stated. Liam stared at him. Realization and understanding dawning on him. ¡°So you¡­,¡± Liam started to say, but was cut off as Ariyana said with mock irritation, ¡°I, for one, am quite offended that you would entertain the idea that we wouldn¡¯t want to team up again.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Mercer chimed back in. ¡°I know our time was short back in the Tutorial Area, but are you so eager to cut ties with us that you are trying to make yourself believe we don¡¯t want anything to do with you anymore?¡± ¡°No, I just¡­,¡± Liam tried again. ¡°Ah,¡± Avery cut him off. ¡°Not a word out of you. You¡¯re just going to overthink things again. Just accept that we¡¯re continuing our group changing it from temporary to permanent.¡± Liam was baffled. He couldn¡¯t get a word in edge wise. However, he was also happy. Happy that his worries and concerns were just that. He didn¡¯t have to tip toe around the question. They already knew what he wanted to ask they and they beat him to it. Feeling the weight, he didn¡¯t realize was there, suddenly disappear, he let out a long breath and felt his body relax. That relaxed feeling lasted for a brief moment when Avery asked, ¡°So why was this Chad such a dick?¡± Liam felt irritation and annoyance replacing the weight as he scowled. ¡°Right? I mean he might be a variation of the same race as Avery¡­No offense, but Eri damn he sounds like a prick,¡± Ariyana stated with a sour look on her face. ¡°I think he¡¯s just some entitled dick, but he became worse after he found something out. My pettiness formed¡­well grew more after I saw how he treated Gimmel, after I found out a key piece of information as well.¡± ¡°What key piece was that?¡± Mercer asked. Liam felt embarrassed. After thinking about it, those who didn¡¯t know that he really didn¡¯t care that he and his ex-girlfriend weren¡¯t together anymore, but his actions towards the elf spoke differently. Liam waved a hand as he tried to move on to a different topic. Ariyana beamed as she smelled something juicy was being hidden from them. ¡°Do not try to wave it off and move on to a different topic. There is something there that you¡¯re embarrassed to admit, isn¡¯t there.¡± The others looked at him curiously as she said this. ¡°No¡­.,¡± Liam said. ¡°It¡¯s not worth talking about.¡± ¡°Liam I know that look. Tell us. Spill it,¡± Ariyana demanded as she got excited. ¡°No. The reason is stupid,¡± Liam stated as he went to take a drink. ¡°Is it because you like him? Do you have a crush on him?¡± Ariyana smiled wickedly. Liam, Artem, and Roman spluttered their drinks and coughed. Liam didn¡¯t see that they had taken a drink at the same time as he. Avery and Mercer swiftly looked at him. Mercer with a curious look on his face as Avery had a slightly disappointed one before schooling her facial features. ¡°What¡­,¡± Liam coughed. ¡°What, in god¡¯s name, led you to that?¡± Ariyana pouted. ¡°Aw, so you¡¯re saying that you and he weren¡¯t fighting like an old married couple?¡± ¡°No!¡± Liam exasperated. ¡°He¡¯s dating my ex from Earth.¡± Everyone raised an eyebrow at that. As Liam looked at them he noticed they were all very curious and wanted to know more. Especially Avery, who had for the briefest of moments looked relieved at Liam¡¯s words. He wasn¡¯t sure why she did, but he wasn¡¯t going to ask at the moment. ¡°So it¡¯s a you dated my current girlfriend and now I want to show you she¡¯s with a better man sort of situation?¡± Ariyana asked, not as excited as her earlier theory, but still held a level of I want to know more kind of excitement. ¡°I take it you responded with the I want her back because she¡¯s mine not yours sort of challenge and it just escalated from there?¡± ¡°Probably yes on his part, but a big fat no on mine,¡± Liam replied. This made everyone even more curious. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Ariyana asked, taking control of the conversation even more. ¡°Don¡¯t you want her back?¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s been a few years since we last saw each other. We were dating right when she and my friends suddenly disappeared. Well got transported here. She moved on without waiting and it would just be awkward to be like hey now that we¡¯re both here on the same world again lets date once more.¡± Ariyana nodded. She could see where he was coming from. However, it still didn¡¯t stop her from asking, ¡°So you don¡¯t want to date her again? What would you do if she suddenly arrived and said she wanted to get back with you?¡± Liam thought about it. he remembered how they were back on Earth. He also remembered how her parents looked and treated him while they were dating. If she did suddenly appear and pronounce that she wanted to get back with him, would he do it? As he thought about it, images of Chad suddenly appeared. The way he acted were worlds different from how he was. His clothes and attitude spoke that he came from a well off family, something her parents really liked and sometimes she liked to. He remembered the times she would try to convince him to buy clothes from those stores that douchebags wore. The type of clothes that he hated to wear. If she really chose to be with a guy like him then he knew that she must have changed or revealed her true character. Liam shook his head. ¡°No. First she wouldn¡¯t do that. Secondly, I believe she has moved on just like me. I was just annoyed with the fact that out of all the type of people she would decide to get with, he was the type.¡± ¡°He really was an arrogant douche wasn¡¯t he,¡± Roman chimed in. ¡°A major one,¡± Artem and Blair nodded their heads. ¡°That bad huh?¡± Mercer muttered. ¡°Then its best to just leave them be and have each other. Besides, you don¡¯t need to think about them when you have some cuties here right?¡± Avery snapped her head at Mercer as Ariyana giggled. Blair raised a brow as she watched Mercer look at her. Liam chuckled. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°You lot look like you¡¯re having fun,¡± Gimmel suddenly said as he and Uncle Naro arrived at their table. ¡°Just getting some ribbings in,¡± Roman stated. ¡°A good ribbing is best when done by and with great company,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°However, a good rib is better cooked and eaten with great company.¡± Liam let out a groan. ¡°That was horrible. Why did you think it would be good to turn that into a food quote?¡± Uncle Naro let out a loud laugh as he took a seat near them. ¡°There is never a bad time to make a food quote.¡± His face then looked warm as he stared at Liam. ¡°I take it you have asked them?¡± ¡°More like they told me before I could even ask the question,¡± Liam replied as he gave the man a smile. ¡°In case it¡¯s not obvious, yes they are going to continue.¡± ¡°Good. Splendid even,¡± Uncle Naro beamed. ¡°Then I guess it is time we start.¡± Confused, everyone stared at Uncle Naro. It was Mercer who asked the question they all were wondering about. ¡°Start what?¡± ¡°Why, my dear boy, training,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°There is a lot you need to learn and a lot you¡¯re unfamiliar with. So it¡¯s best to get right to it before we leave this place.¡± ¡°Leave?¡± Avery inquired. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Ah, the destination is not the goal nor the worry. What you should be asking is, what mode of transportation you will be taking?¡± Everyone looked at each other. ¡°Are we not going by Teleportation Portal?¡± Liam asked. ¡°No. We will be going by sea,¡± Uncle Naro answered with a smile. Adventure 256 - Making a game plan ¡°What do you mean by sea?¡± Liam asked, looking just as confused as the others. ¡°I thought it wasn¡¯t safe to travel by sea?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°For those who know what they are doing. I have a friend who has been sailing the seas for many years. She¡¯s basically the queen of it. I have already sent word to her to ask for possible transportation.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Avery and Blair muttered as they grew interested. ¡°Besides¡­you said you wanted to go on adventures, right?¡± Uncle Naro commented. ¡°You won¡¯t get much adventuring by just using portals to travel. Out there, in the wilderness, are dungeons that many don¡¯t know about. Some need to be taken down so the monsters don¡¯t come out anymore. While some are so new they have wonderous loot waiting to be taken.¡± Artem¡¯s, Gimmel¡¯s, Liam¡¯s, Mercer¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement at that. ¡°Now that is what I think sounds like an adventure,¡± Roman commented as he let his thoughts drift to all the possibilities. ¡°However, before we do any of that. I need to assess and see where you need to grow,¡± Uncle Naro stated, dampening their moods a bit. He let out a laugh as he added, ¡°Come on now. Don¡¯t give me those looks. We have three days before she arrives, a day for her to resupply, and then she¡¯ll be leaving the day after. That gives us plenty of time for you to get an idea and a direction on what to work on.¡± Liam thought about his plan. Depending on what they each needed to work on, that should all work out. He wanted to visit the Library in this city and see what there were for him to learn, but that could come after they get a proper assessment on what they needed to work on. He looked at Uncle Naro and nodded. He then looked at the others and said, ¡°I think that should be fine. What do you all think?¡± Mercer brought a hand to his chin and thought it over. Blair shrugged making it known she didn¡¯t care. Roman did the same. Avery looked wary, but she nodded. Ariyana and Artem looked like they were onboard with the plan. Gimmel just sat there. ¡°Everything alright Gimmel?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Hm?¡± Gimmel muttered as he turned his attention to him. ¡°Oh, I was just waiting to see what you all thought.¡± Liam gave him a puzzled look before asking, ¡°Okay, but what are your thoughts?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gimmel asked as he tilted his head and looked confused. ¡°What do you mean, what do I mean?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I¡¯m asking what do you think of that plan?¡± Gimmel stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re asking me for my thoughts?¡± Gimmel asked, now looking surprised. Liam grew even more confused. ¡°Well, yeah. You are a part of this group aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I mean yeah, but¡­I¡¯m the newest and the lowest in the totem pole of this group,¡± Gimmel stated. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Roman questioned, sounding just as confused as the others. ¡°Well, as the newest and lowest rank member does it really matter what opinion I have?¡± Gimmel asked, trying to clarify what he believed the others were confused about. ¡°Yes,¡± Liam said, dragging the word out a bit. ¡°Everyone¡¯s opinion matters.¡± Gimmel was taken aback. ¡°Why do you look so shocked?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Well, usually in groups, parties, clans, or even guilds, the newest and lowest members do really have a say or an opinion on things,¡± Gimmel explained. Uncle Naro laughed. ¡°That¡¯s true for many. However, Little Gimmy, not all are like that.¡± ¡°Little Gimmy?¡± Gimmel questioned, looking a bit horrified by the nickname. Liam chuckled a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t know how others do things, but we aren¡¯t like that here. If you have an opinion, an idea, or even a suggestion, don¡¯t be afraid to voice it. Right guys?¡± Artem, Ariyana, Avrey, Blair, Mercer, and Roman nodded as they gave him a smile. ¡°Besides,¡± Liam started back up. ¡°Besides Uncle Naro, you might be the highest leveled person here.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Gimmel asked. ¡°What level is everyone?¡± Uncle Naro raised a hand up as he looked around the facility. People were starting to come in for lunch and the place was starting to fill up. He then looked at everyone and said, ¡°Let¡¯s move this conversation somewhere else. That way we can talk freely without anyone listening in.¡± Liam was a bit confused by that, but slowly nodded his head. Everyone agreed with the large man and stood up. ¡°So where are we going to go then?¡± Roman asked, curiously. Uncle Naro gave him a grin. ¡°Outside of town and a little into the forest that resides right next to here.¡± Liam let out a sigh. He was starting to think the man just wanted to show off his culinary skills and he couldn¡¯t do that when they were eating and getting drinks here in town. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liam and everyone stood around an open clearing in the forest near the port town. There weren¡¯t any monsters or creatures around. It was a quiet around them, except for the laughter coming from Uncle Naro as he watched the expressions of Ariyana, Avery, and Mercer as he pulled up his high leveled Outdoor Kitchen mode of the Mobile Crafter and started making snacks and tea for everyone. Artem and Liam helped him out. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The three looked at Liam and asked him if Uncle Naro¡¯s ability was similar to his. He nodded and told them that it was the one and the same. He then told them how Uncle Naro had the same starting class as him when he started out. They were impressed and were starting to understand why Liam wanted the man around. With someone who had the same starting class as him, he would be a wealth of knowledge that could help him. ¡°Now that we¡¯re away from possible prying eyes and wandering ears,¡± Uncle Naro started as he passed around cups of tea. ¡°Let¡¯s continue where we left off. I¡¯d like to know what your classes are and current levels. Let¡¯s start with Gimmel since he¡¯s higher than you.¡± Gimmel looked a bit embarrassed when everyone turned to look at him. He took a moment to recompose himself before saying, ¡°I am level nineteen, and my current class is Fantasy Puppeteer.¡± ¡°Fantasy Puppeteer?¡± Ariyana, Avery, and Mercer repeated as they looked at him with curious glances. ¡°Interesting choice. I assume it is an evolved class from your starting?¡± Uncle Naro asked. Gimmel nodded. ¡°I started off with the Rogue class. However, after I found out that I had an affinity with Illusion and Puppeteering I was tasked to level them up. After reaching level twenty in both I was given the choice of this class only.¡± Uncle Naro eyed the young man. ¡°Puppeteering is a costly class. I am surprised you weren¡¯t dissuaded from getting it.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Puppeteering is a class that relies on using puppets. The costs for maintenance, making, or buying new puppets can be on the high end. You don¡¯t see many people with that class due to that unless you are rich or have parents or backers willing to pour money into you,¡± Uncle Naro explained. ¡°There is a craft that can make puppets, but it¡¯s a craft you need a lot of knowledge in in order to do it since it requires different techniques.¡± The three looked eyed Liam with suspicious glances which made him react quickly by saying, ¡°What? Why are you looking at me?¡± Artem and Roman laughed as Blair snickered a bit. ¡°You guys had the same reaction as us,¡± Roman commented. Mercer let out a sigh as he muttered, ¡°I had a feeling.¡± Liam, looking embarrassed, quickly retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I can¡¯t get that craft until later so I¡¯m focusing on what I have now. Just so you know.¡± ¡°Oh? Pray tell, what exactly are you working on right now?¡± Avery asked as she narrowed her eyes. Liam lifted up his hand and pointed a finger up as he listed, ¡°Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Construction Craft here and there, a bit of Tailoring, some Chef crafting whenever I am with Uncle Naro and Artem, and soon I¡¯ll be learning Enchanting and Rune Crafting.¡± He then thought to himself, Not adding the Soul Crafting I still need to work on. ¡°Don¡¯t let him fool you. He hasn¡¯t listed the sub-categories of each of those crafts,¡± Roman called out. Liam swiftly glared at Roman which made him laugh hard. ¡°Geez, we take our eyes off of you for a moment and you decide to pick up more,¡± Mercer stated as he shook his head. ¡°Just so you know, it was Uncle Naro¡¯s idea about the Enchanting and Rune Crafting,¡± Liam stated defensively. ¡°He offered to teach me.¡± Everyone looked at the Bear-folk. Uncle Naro looked at each of them with a serious look as he nodded. ¡°As a Crafter he will need to get as many Crafts under his belt as possible. It will help him grow and evolve his class.¡± The others looked perplexed as they listened to him. ¡°Why are you guys looking like that?¡± Uncle Naro asked. They didn¡¯t respond for a long moment. It was Mercer who broke the silence as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s just that Liam¡­tends to take on too much and will work himself ragged. We¡¯re afraid he might over do it.¡± Uncle Naro stared at him with that serious look for a few seconds before giving him a warm smile. He then looked at Liam and stated, ¡°You have a good group here. For them to be worried about you like that speaks volumes.¡± He then looked at each of them and said, ¡°It will happen. It¡¯s in his nature to get lost in a project he wants to work on. I have seen it myself and experienced it as well. However, you are right to be worried. Keep an eye on him. Make sure he rests when he is supposed to.¡± The others nodded. ¡°Alright, who¡¯s next?¡± Uncle Naro asked as he looked around. ¡°How about you little Kitsune?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Roman. Not Little Kitsune,¡± Roman deadpanned. ¡°I am level sixteen, and my current class is a Mage class.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go next,¡± Ariyana jumped in. ¡°I am level fifteen and also have the Mage class right now.¡± ¡°I am also level fifteen and have the Mage class,¡± Mercer informed. ¡°Level fifteen, swordswoman,¡± Avery said. ¡°I recently reach level seventeen, and I have the Defender class,¡± Artem stated. ¡°Same on both accounts,¡± Blair chimed in. Liam felt out of place as he listened to everyone reveal their levels. Embarrassed by their stares, Liam said in a meek tone of voice, ¡°Level nine¡­Crafter.¡± Artem, Ariyana, Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman stared at him. Roman opened his mouth and was about to say something but stopped. Liam saw the look in his eyes and guess Eri must have said something to him as he snapped his mouth closed. Gimmel and Uncle Naro stared at Liam. The looks on their faces were both shocked and surprised. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Gimmel asked, not believing him. Liam nodded. ¡°But¡­Ho¡­I don¡¯t understand. How were you able to fight like you did against those high leveled monsters and Demon-kin?¡± Gimmel questioned. ¡°I am quite curious as well,¡± Uncle Naro asked as he eyed him. ¡°I can tell you why,¡± Mercer spoke up. Gimmel and Uncle Naro turned their focus on him as he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t think many know this, but Liam actually focused more on leveling his Sub-Stats than his actual level. Before we left the Tutorial Area, he had managed to get a lot of them to level twenty.¡± Gimmel and Uncle Naro¡¯s eye brows rose with their eyes. ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡± Gimmel stated. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have ever heard anyone ever reaching the cap in the Tutorial Area before. How many did you have reach that limit? Are all your Sub-Stats at or above level twenty?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t remember how many had reached that cap, but I can tell you that currently I think I have six left to get that high.¡± Gimmel¡¯s eyes rose a bit more at that proclamation as he let out an impressed whistle. Uncle Naro stared at Liam for a long moment before finally saying, ¡°I guess that can do it.¡± Liam let out a sigh of relief as he looked at Mercer who gave him a swift wink. Uncle Naro nodded his head. ¡°Alright. Besides Liam, you all have roughly the same amount of levels. I guess the first thing we will need you to do is to evolve your classes out of the starting classes they are now. In order to do that we are going to need to have you think about what path you would like to go down while tying it with what you have an affinity for. I can help give you some ideas of the classes you can aim for and what they entail to get there, but I will need you to research some options on what seem interesting to you first.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Can you explain a bit more about how evolving a class works?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°To evolve a class you need to meet certain requirements,¡± Uncle Naro started. ¡°Sub-stats being a certain level, Fields of Magic reaching a certain level, getting Fields of Magic to an Advanced Field, getting your Weapon Skills to a certain level, or reaching a certain Personal level. All of these contribute to a class evolving.¡± Mercer and the others nodded as they listened. ¡°There are other factors to take in when trying to get a class to evolve,¡± Uncle Naro continued. ¡°For example, if you¡¯re trying to aim for a certain type of class that uses specific weapons then one would focus on leveling that Weapon Skill and the stats revolved around it. For certain classes based on magic one would focus on that magic. However, majority of the evolved classes involve more than just one specific thing. So you need to work on Sub-stats, Magic, and Weapon Skills at the beginning so when you reach the higher evolved classes you can focus more on the specific things to reach the class you are wanting to end with. Does that help?¡± ¡°It does. Thank you,¡± Mercer nodded and smiled in appreciation. Uncle Naro¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he remembered something. ¡°There is a couple other things that affect class evolutions as well.¡± ¡°Oh? What are those?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Race and Bloodlines,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°Certain races can affect what kind of classes you are able to get. It can also restrict you from getting certain classes as well. As for bloodlines¡­they can give you specialized evolved classes.¡± Liam¡¯s focus instantly locked in on Uncle Naro. Adventure 257 - A bit of studying and Reassurance Liam¡¯s focus grew only because this was the first time anyone had ever brought up anything related to Bloodlines. He was curious to know more about it, especially since Uncle Naro had mentioned it could affect one¡¯s class evolution. He was curious about that specific part because of how his Starter Class Crafter had evolved into Spirit Weaver. Eri had told him not to mention it to anyone due to it being a Lost Class. If Bloodlines affected Class Evolutions then maybe his class becoming a Spirit Weaver had something to do with it. ¡°Can you explain more about how a Bloodline could affect a person¡¯s class evolution?¡± Liam asked. Mercer eyed Liam for a brief moment before understanding why he was so interested in the topic. He didn¡¯t know much about Liam¡¯s new class. When he was away from everyone he had tried to find books on that specific class or classes based around the name. He didn¡¯t find anything on it. It was Eri who had told him not to bother looking into it since there were probably no books about the class. Instead, she had informed him to focus on finding other things using his merchant talents. He didn¡¯t know why she had him try and procure so many different types of materials until today when Liam listed the Crafts he was currently doing. Majority of the materials he had claimed were supposed to go to him to help him focus on leveling his crafts and crafting abilities. Uncle Naro gave Liam a surprised look before laughing, ¡°Not today. You are not yet ready to learn about Bloodlines since there is a chance you won¡¯t have one. It¡¯s more of a higher level sort of thing.¡± Liam frowned at that response. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that boy,¡± Uncle Naro teased with a grin. ¡°I said I¡¯d help fill in your knowledge where you lack it, but I won¡¯t tell you what won¡¯t apply to you at your current level. For now, just focus on the tasks I give you. Once you get to when you need to know it I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Liam pouted. ¡°So what task are you going to give us, Uncle Naro?¡± Gimmel asked, a bit excited. Uncle Naro looked at each of them. ¡°Gimmel, I want you to take them to the Library and have them find books based on their current Starting Class.¡± Gimmel¡¯s eyes opened slightly bit wider with understanding. ¡°You want them to see what their current classes are capable of and the possibilities they have with certain affinities as well as possible evolutions?¡± Uncle Naro smiled widely. ¡°That¡¯s exactly right. Now, it¡¯s around midday. Spend a couple of hours and then get some ideas on the direction you wish to head and when you get back we can make a plan for that. Sound good?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Ah, but for you Liam I want you to read this book. I personally made it myself,¡± Uncle Naro stated before pulling out a thick book. Interest piqued, Liam took the book in hand and read the cover. The title read, Art of Crafting Combat. The many ways a Crafter can use their abilities and skills in battle. Liam¡¯s brows rose. This was something he didn¡¯t think was made into a book. But of course, leave it to the man who was decimating people left and right like they were nothing. ¡°Only read the first three chapters for now. It is important that you understand the basics of what it is I am trying to teach you,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°I also want you to find one on Mana Manipulation and Control as well as Benefits of using different Mana Types.¡± ¡°I have a book on each of those,¡± Mercer suddenly stated. Uncle Naro raised a brow as he looked at him. ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yes, I came across them at a market when I was trying to learn and understand how merchants work in this world,¡± Mercer explained. ¡°Is that so?¡± Uncle Naro muttered as he looked Mercer up and down. ¡°I take it you have abilities suited for merchantry? Have you applied for an M.I.D. yet?¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°Yes on all accounts.¡± ¡°Good. I will have to think about the best ways for you to use those abilities to the max later after I hear more about your affinities and path you wish to go down.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Mercer bowed. Liam gave the man an appreciative smile. He was starting to think that meeting and befriending Uncle Naro was one of the best things that had happened to him back on Cashat Port. After that, Gimmel led them away back towards the city and towards the Library in the Port town.
The Library wasn¡¯t hard to find. It was around the middle of town but compared to the one they visited back in the Tutorial; this one was smaller only having one story. It wasn¡¯t as eloquent in the design either. Instead, it was a normal looking building made out of wood with a plain design and one color. Even inside the building there wasn¡¯t a lot of eye catching furniture or paintings. It just had a few bookshelves a few tables and chairs and a couple of desks for the people working there. Liam decided to find an open table for them as Gimmel helped the others find what they are looking for. Liam took out the book Uncle Naro had given him. Liam was surprised that the book looked like it went through the proper channels and was printed like the other books he had read. When Uncle Naro stated he had made it he believed he wrote it out by hand. That wasn¡¯t the case at all. As he read the index he noted that Uncle Naro had a lot on the topic. The first chapter was an introduction to the topic, the second chapter was supposed to talk about the many different crafts out there. The third was supposed to talk about the difference between Craft abilities and regular abilities. At least that¡¯s what he gathered from reading the chapter names. After reading for an hour and a half he understood why Uncle Naro wanted him to only read the first three chapters. He had to reread the three chapters several times to make sure he was really understanding what he was talking about. He had to go back to certain paragraphs from previous chapters to make sure what he was reading was right. Like had suspected with the first chapter. It was an introduction to what Uncle Naro called the Crafter Combat Battle Style. He talked about how while Crafter abilities didn¡¯t have the punch or huge impact that regular combat, support, or defensive abilities had, if they were used properly and in certain ways then they could still do the job. He had also mentioned that while using this type of combat style there were two sub-stats a Crafter needed to take into account, Crafter Endurance and Crafter Practicality. While they both were essential for crafting, they played an even bigger part when trying to use the combat style Uncle Naro had made. Using Crafter abilities and skills affected your Stamina Bar. Crafter Endurance helps with the strain on your Stamina Bar the higher you level it up. Crafter Practicality also helps with that by learning how to better do something it takes away the wasted movements used when using a Crafter ability or skill. The less wasted movements used the less Stamina is used. However, Liam had learned that Uncle Naro found something interesting while creating this Battle style. There was another type of Stamina Bar that a Crafter could receive after reaching a certain level in both Stamina Endurance and Crafter Endurance. This was left as a cliff hanger on the first chapter, which annoyed Liam. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. That was just one of the many questions he had. The next few questions came after reading the second chapter. The one about the different types of Crafts. It was highly detailed and separated Production, Gathering, and Construction Crafts. Not only that, but in each of these sections there were parts that stated whether each craft detailed in each section had either attack usage, defensive uses, and support capabilities. They didn¡¯t go into more details on what those capabilities or usages were. Some of the crafts had either one, two, or all three written next to them. That created more questions, but another question came when he realized that the crafts listed were just the basics and none had the sub-categories shown. Did the sub-categories matter? Did each sub-category given different abilities he didn¡¯t know about? Did the crafts not listed have no potential? The questions just kept piling on. The same was for the third chapter. It had talked about the differences between a Crafter Class abilities and skills vs a regular class abilities and skills. The amount of mana needed to be channeled into a Crafter specific spell needed two to three times the amount a regular spell needed to make close to an equal amount. The book said as much, but at the same time it also stated that it wasn¡¯t entirely accurate. For example, the heat of a regular Fire ball spell was hotter than a Light and Burn spell. However, if the crafter focused enough in channeling mana into it and tried to increase the heat by using another spell they could barely reach the same temperature as the regular Fireball spell. However, a Crafter would need to use Temp Check to make sure of the temperature and to many Crafters that was just a waste. As that showed a disadvantage, the book also talked about that there was an advantage the Crafter had when using Light and Burn and that was using materials to make the fire they created last longer. A Fireball did burn hotter than a Light and Burn spell, but it would burn out quicker. People who weren¡¯t Crafters wouldn¡¯t use materials like oils when using their spells. They would use their spells and move on to the next one. Since a Crafter needed to be resourceful they would use what they had to make lasting damage. This reminded Liam of his first time using that kind of strategy. He was fighting against the Spider-tailed Horned Viper. He had taken a gamble and thrown a vial of oil at it and then used his Light and Burn spell. It had worked and created a burn effect as it kept burning over time. He smiled as he thought about that. Those times were tough, and they had to learn things as they fought, but it showed how adaptable they could be. The third chapter also talked about how Crafter abilities may be weaker than regular abilities and skills, but they weren¡¯t so weak to be written off. Majority of the abilities lacked any punch when used, but if used properly they could set up for others to do more damage or help weaken enemies so others could get a killing blow in. Lest not to say the items crafters could make that helped give that punch they lacked, like the Chemicalized Creations and even poisons. There were mentions of abilities crafters could use to pull out poisons, but there would still be some left over in the body that would need to be treated with an antidote or a Healer¡¯s magic. A skill certain crafters could get that if they ingested certain poisons or venoms it would act like a buff to increase resistance and many more. Liam¡¯s questions weren¡¯t how they worked, but rather what he would need to do in order to get them. He didn¡¯t realize how much time had passed as he listed down his questions on a piece of paper while reading and rereading the three chapters. He was immersed in his readings and the thoughts that swirled on what he could do with the Crafter abilities and skills he already had that he didn¡¯t hear when the others said it was time to head back. They had to shake him a bit before he finally snapped back. ¡°Geez you get so lost in your own world when you find something interesting,¡± Roman commented as they left the city and made their way towards Uncle Naro. ¡°Can you blame me?¡± Liam replied. ¡°Do you remember how I was when I first got the Starting Class? I thought I was done for. Even after all the fights we did, I wasn¡¯t really able to rely on my class abilities in a fight. I had to use Weapon Skills and my Fields of Magic to help me through.¡± ¡°I take it you found an answer to help you out with your Crafter Class?¡± Mercer asked, smiling at Liam. ¡°More like I have more questions. Sure I received a couple answers that I didn¡¯t realize I had questions for, but now my questions have increased tenfold,¡± Liam said with shrug. ¡°If you have more questions than before then why do you look so happy?¡± Artem asked. Liam turned his head to look at him. ¡°Because the fun is just starting. Learning new possibilities for something you didn¡¯t know were there can be as much fun as applying them.¡± Blair and Avery shook their heads at Liam¡¯s response. Even though they were shaking their heads they still had a smirk on their faces. ¡°That sounds just like you,¡± Ariyana commented as she gave him a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you stayed the same during the time we weren¡¯t together.¡± Liam felt embarrassed by her words, but at the same time he was curious about something. Voicing it, he asked, ¡°It hadn¡¯t been that long since we were all together so why would you think I changed?¡± Ariyana looked a bit sad after he asked the question. He then noticed the looks on everyone except Gimmel¡¯s had sullen a bit as well. ¡°After hearing what you went through. The way your old friends treated you, the comments that the full blooded Beast-kins said, and even the way that weasel-folk treated you¡­I don¡¯t think many would bounce back from that so quickly. Some would let it get to them to the point it would either change their outlook on things or they would breakdown entirely.¡± Liam saw the others nod, agreeing with her words. He thought about it for a long moment and decided to be honest with them. ¡°I almost did.¡± Those three words made the six look surprised. Even Gimmel had the same look. ¡°After surviving my first encounter with the ambush from Morshire¡¯s men in the Green Dungeon and experiencing a near death fight with the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior¡­hell even after Farry tried to cut ties with me just so he could protect his family¡­I was on the verge of a breakdown¡­¡± The others looked down as they listened. Before any of them could ask or say anything, Liam spoke back up. ¡°However¡­want to know what grounded me? Besides the talk with Uncle Naro.¡± Liam waited to see if anyone would say anything. When they didn¡¯t he answered for them. ¡°It was my time with you guys. When things got rough I thought about our time in the Tutorial Area. How I wanted to go on more adventures with you guys again. The tough times, the fun times, the training with a certain arrogant swordswoman. The teasing and antics a certain Fae woman and Kitsune man used to ease the tension during tense times. The kindness of a certain Half Orc, along with the food he made. The strict words of a Dragon-kin and a Tiefling trying to make sure I didn¡¯t over do things. The meals we shared. Sure we didn¡¯t spend years together, but those were still some of the best times I had after things went to hell back in my world. They were enough to make me not want to breakdown and allow me to fight back against the negative experiences I went through.¡± Liam shrugged before adding, ¡°I don¡¯t know maybe I was just hoping that the time I spent with you guys during the Tutorial Area was more than just making memories I guess.¡± When Liam realized there was silence after he finished he turned to look at them. They had stopped walking and were staring at him. Aw crap. Maybe I said too much. Maybe they are put off by what I said. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said that. Liam thought as he internally panicked. Before he could say anything, Roman broke the silence by saying, ¡°How long did you practice that? Was a mirror involved?¡± ¡°Oh screw you man,¡± Liam swiftly shouted without thinking. His cheeks burned from the embarrassment. ¡°So you¡¯re not denying that a mirror was involved?¡± Ariyana asked with a teasing smile on her face. ¡°There was no mirror, and I didn¡¯t even plan on saying anything okay!¡± Liam shouted. Everyone burst into laughter after that. Gimmel stared at them. Envy and slight jealousy filled him. Without realizing he was speaking out loud, Gimmel whispered, ¡°You guys sure do seem close. I wonder if I could ever get to that level of trust and familiarity.¡± ¡°Sure you can,¡± Blair suddenly said, surprising Gimmel. ¡°You may be young and just recently joined us, but you are a part of our group now,¡± Roman added. Cheeks returning to their normal color, Liam finished, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how long, you have already made some memories with me and even Artem, Blair, and Roman.¡± Gimmel looked at them. Avery, Ariyana, and Mercer gave him smiles as they nodded in agreement. ¡°But¡­,¡± Gimmel started. ¡°But what? Your journey with us had started and before you know it you will be either joining in on the antics of some of us or scolding some of us on things we¡¯re too ignorant on,¡± Liam stated. ¡°What Liam is trying to say,¡± Mercer chimed in. ¡°Before you know it you will have memories you can look back on when you¡¯re not with us. Just like Mr. Sad Sap here.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Liam reacted quickly making everyone chuckle. Gimmel stared at them again. He could feel the difference of being with this group compared to the last few he tried to join. He could tell they were trying to include him and reassure him he had a spot in the group. It wasn¡¯t because he knew a secret he shouldn¡¯t know, but rather that they themselves wanted him there. A smile formed on Gimmel¡¯s face as he thought about it. They wanted him in the group. That one thought was enough for him right now. Now he just had to see what kind of adventures they would have and go from there. Excitement foiled him at that. He couldn¡¯t wait. He turned around and started walking. He then said, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get back to Uncle Naro. We still have a lot of things to do for you to get to the next step.¡± Adventure 258 - Talking Path taking and making a plan ¡°Alright. Now that you have done some research into what your current class is, what they could evolve into and what evolutions are best suited for you with your affinities. I¡¯d like to hear your thoughts on where you see yourself going down,¡± Uncle Naro announced as they sat around in the clearing. ¡°If you don¡¯t have a clear picture then that is okay. No one is expecting you to rush down a path. It is yours and yours alone.¡± Uncle Naro looked everyone in the eyes as he waited for them to organize their thoughts. After a few he started back up, ¡°First start with your current class and then your affinities. What Fields you have and the idea of what class evolution you are hoping for. Roman¡­We¡¯ll start with you.¡± ¡°Well, Like I said my class is mage. However, when I got my Magical Examination back in the Tutorial Area I was told the Mage Class I have is called an Elementalist,¡± Roman informed. ¡°Elementalist, huh,¡± Uncle Naro muttered. ¡°What was your highest elemental affinity and the second?¡± ¡°My highest was Lightning and the one that came in second was Earth,¡± Roman answered. ¡°I have unlocked the Focus Points in Fire, Air, and Water as well though. Water is my weakest one currently.¡± Uncle Naro nodded. ¡°What about the Field of Illusions? As a Kitsune, that field would usually be a must. Especially if you attack with magic from afar.¡± ¡°I have it,¡± Roman affirmed. ¡°However, it was also revealed that I have an affinity for close combat. Hand to hand specifically. So I don¡¯t fight from afar but up close.¡± Surprised by this, both Gimmel and Uncle Naro stared at Roman. ¡°I must say, that is a surprise. Sure you hear a rare few Kitsune fighting in the frontline of their groups, but not many do,¡± Uncle Naro stated as he started thinking. I am going to guess many of the traditional Elementalist Class evolutions weren¡¯t to your liking?¡± Roman shook his head. ¡°No. They were too focused on attacking from the backline. With my affinity with close quarters combat I am thinking of going down the pugilist path with elemental abilities.¡± ¡°A wise choice. We¡¯ll talk more on what you need to focus on in order to reach a good class that suits that idea,¡± Uncle Naro said before looking at Ariyana and asking, ¡°And what of you little miss?¡± ¡°My mage class was revealed to be Charmer,¡± Ariyana started. ¡°I have an affinity with Charm Magic and Plant Magic being my second.¡± ¡°An interesting mixture,¡± Uncle Naro smiled. ¡°However, as a Nature Fae it doesn¡¯t surprise me at all.¡± Ariyana¡¯s eyes widened at that. ¡°You know my race? I thought I was hiding it pretty well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been around a lot longer than you little missy. Of course I would be able to tell. Were you given a specific fighting style as well during your examination or were you just told you were a backline fighter?¡± ¡°I was told to look into the Dancer Fighting style,¡± Ariyana answered. ¡°Back in the Tutorial Area I was acting like a backline fighter and used my spells because I couldn¡¯t really find anything on the topic, but now I¡¯d like to be a mixture of the two. As for what other Fields of magic I have¡­I got the Field of Illusions and Field of Taming.¡± ¡°Field of Taming?¡± Gimmel questioned sounding a bit bewildered. ¡°Yes¡­Why do you look so confused?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°The only way to get that is if you have an affinity for it, you found it in a dungeon, or you bought it as a Knowledge Theory Book,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°The first option is out because it wasn¡¯t on the list of affinities you mentioned. To be honest I want to rule out the last one as well since the price for that book isn¡¯t small. However, I also don¡¯t believe you would find it in a dungeon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we did though,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°We got it as loot from an E.F.M. I even got my first tamed creature from that same floor monster.¡± Both the teenager and Bear-folk stared at her. ¡°What creature did you tame?¡± Gimmel asked, curiosity getting the better of him. ¡°An Albino Crocolisk named Bartholomule or Barty for short,¡± Ariyana smiled brightly. ¡°I also have a cute little Echo Toad I found being bullied by other bigger toads in the forest I wound up in. her name is Tabitha.¡± ¡°An Echo Toad?¡± Liam asked, curious about the creature. ¡°Yeah,¡± Ariyana beamed. ¡°Want to meet her?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time for that later,¡± Uncle Naro interjected before she pulled out her creature. ¡°I am quite amazed and fascinated that you found and were able to tame those creatures and that you have that field.¡± Ariyana smiled. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. As for the ideas I had for the path I want to go down. Something I can utilize my Charm, Plant, and Illusion magics along with maybe the Dancer fighting style. My taming side doesn¡¯t have to be fully incorporated, it¡¯s more of something similar to a kind of hobby.¡± ¡°A hobby?¡± Uncle Naro questioned. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve always wanted a pet. After they gave me the Knowledge Theory Book on the Field of Taming, I feel like I can live out that want I had as a child with many different kinds,¡± Ariyana said sheepishly. ¡°I know its childish¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Uncle Naro interrupted. ¡°That is not a childish thing to want. In fact you might be able to incorporate it into your path, but we can talk more about that later.¡± Ariyana smiled deeply at that. Uncle Naro then turned to Mercer and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°My Mage class was determined to be the Bard Class,¡± Mercer replied. ¡°I had a high affinity for Bard, Ice, and Water. As for a weapon style, I use the Bow. I did unlock the Ice while I was in the Tutorial Area and then Water shortly after we left. I am thinking of incorporating Air into my repertoire, but I am unsure as of right now.¡± ¡°I think adding Air Magic would be good,¡± Uncle Naro nodded, agreeing with his judgement. ¡°With it you can get the Field of Sound, and I believe you can do well with that.¡± Mercer nodded. Uncle Naro looked at Artem, who became timid upon the stare landing on him. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I have the Defender Starting Class,¡± Artem said. ¡°My affinity is Healing Magic.¡± ¡°Healing Magic and¡­,¡± Uncle Naro pressed. ¡°Just Healing Magic,¡± Artem said. ¡°I did get the Water Focus Point though. I feel like it could pair well with Healing Magic, but I¡¯m not sure how accurate that feeling is. As a Defender I switched from sword to mace. I also use a shield.¡± Uncle Naro stared at Artem. After a moment he said, ¡°I find it strange that as an Orc¡­¡± ¡°Half Orc,¡± Liam interjected. Uncle Naro turned to look at Liam and blinked a couple of times. After he blinked he said, ¡°Half Orc huh¡­While that could be the reason that is still a very rare case.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°The Orc race, half or full, don¡¯t have anyone who is a Healer. They use self-healing abilities, but none of them use Field of the Healer,¡± Gimmel jumped in. ¡°It has been heavily speculated that they can¡¯t unlock that field. We think this because any time anyone who has that field uses magic they get very¡­angry and look down on those who use magic from that field. They also have a motto that says, ¡®The Strong have no use for magic that weakens the body¡¯s strive to survive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a stupid motto,¡± Avery stated as Artem looked to the ground. Liam and Uncle Naro watched him and the expression on his face. Liam had a feeling he had met some people who were Orcs and heard their opinion on the matter. He didn¡¯t ask and believed he would say something if that was the case. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°It is, but that is their motto,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°They revere the strong and look down on the weak. That is why they are known as the Blood Thirst Tribes. However, that will be something we will talk about another day. Artem, I have some ideas of what kind of paths you can go down if you choose to continue using Healing Magic.¡± Artem quickly lifted his face to look at the Bear-folk. ¡°You were right to think Water Magic pairs well with Healing Magic,¡± Uncle Naro smiled. ¡°However, that is not the only magic that can pair well with it. Air is another example.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Artem asked. Uncle Naro nodded. He then looked at Blair after seeing the happy look on Artem¡¯s face and said, ¡°And what about you?¡± ¡°I have the Defender class as well,¡± Blair started. ¡°My affinity is with Gravity Magic. I switched from sword and shield to Battle Axe. I want to find a class evolution that uses Gravity Magic with frontline skills and abilities.¡± ¡°The Dragon-kins are well known for their strong defense and strength so it doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± Uncle Naro commented. ¡°However, having an affinity for Gravity Magic is something that does. I don¡¯t think I have ever come across one that has ever had that kind of affinity.¡± Blair watched him as he looked to be deep in thought. At first she believed she wouldn¡¯t get an answer. During her studying she couldn¡¯t find anything on the Defender class using Gravity Magic. They used more Body Strengthening, Self-buffs, and even other elements, but nothing on anyone using Gravity. ¡°Yours is going to be tough, but I think I might have a couple ideas on what you can do,¡± Uncle Naro said before letting out a sigh. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you. Your path will be tough and is new territory that I know of. However, I can look around and see what I can find if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Please,¡± Blair said, feeling hopeful and grateful. Everyone looked at Avery next. Without being prompted she said, ¡°My class is Swordswoman with an affinity for Fire. I use a Rapier as my weapon, and I was told I could go down the Magic Swordswoman path. I do have the Focus Point Air as well as Water, but the Water Focus Point I recently got so I haven¡¯t leveled it up as much.¡± Liam eyed Avery. Like him she was hiding a Field of hers and he was curious as to why she was hiding it. From the looks Ariyana, Artem, Mercer, and Roman had for the briefest of moments, it looked like they were curious as well. That field was the Field of Blood. The way she had used the Blood Magic from that field told him she could excel in it and maybe Uncle Naro could help her with that, but he felt there was a reason as to why she was withholding that information. ¡°A Magic Swordswoman is one path you could go down, but I think there might be others you could be interested in as well. Variants of that class style at least,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°Really?¡± Avery asked, her interest piqued. ¡°Yes,¡± Uncle Naro nodded. He then looked at Liam and stated, ¡°Have you read the books I asked you to?¡± With a boyish grin on his face he answered, ¡°I got lost in the one you gave me. I have a lot of questions to ask you that I either was confused on or had a lot of interest in. Like that bar specific to Crafters.¡± Uncle Naro smiled as Mercer¡¯s attention fell upon Liam. The look on his face told him he wanted to know more about this new bar. ¡°I knew you would be curious about that. However, it is a bit too soon for you to learn about that. Let¡¯s take things one step at a time before trying to jump forward.¡± Liam looked slightly dejected but understood why he was telling him this. He then paid attention as Uncle Naro started back up. ¡°Alright from the sounds of it I have an idea on a starting point with your training. It¡¯s not as bad I thought it would be, but also not close to where you could be.¡± Roman scrunched his face as he listened. Confused he asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. We only just arrived to this world not too long ago. How could we be both not as bad and not as close where we could be?¡± Uncle Naro smiled at him. ¡°While you may have just arrived to this world recently majority of the people here haven¡¯t. they have either been here longer than you by a few months to years. The world isn¡¯t going to hold you newly arrived standards for long. You have a couple of months to get used to how things work, or you get left behind. If you don¡¯t work hard to get to a proper understanding like we natives then you will be treated badly. There are a few things I wish to have you do to get used to the world as we travel.¡± Everyone didn¡¯t like what he had just said. However, they didn¡¯t try to fight it either. Liam got to experience firsthand how somethings worked in the Arkadian Empire. He wasn¡¯t sure if the others had close to a similar experience, but their silence spoke they had experienced something during their time apart. ¡°As we travel through the seas with my friend we will be making stops at islands that either have wild Dungeons that need to be conquered or have you take on Dungeons that are known in port cities. This should help you to get used to different types of dungeons and creatures. You will also be taking on quests you will grab from each Adventurer¡¯s Association we pass through,¡± Uncle Naro informed. Everyone looked excited for that. Not waiting for questions, Uncle Naro continued, ¡°During this time I will have you all evolve your classes and get you further on your path. I will be having you do this for the next few months to prepare for the Tournament in the Blood Thirst Plains. There you will test yourselves against other Newly Arrived people that decide to participate. They have singles, doubles, and teams.¡± Artem¡¯s excitement dimmed a bit at that. ¡°If you do not wish to participate I will not force you, but I would like you all to think about it,¡± Uncle Naro stated before looking at Liam and Gimmel. ¡°Liam, your participation is mandatory. Gimmel You will be taking on the league for the natives version of the Newly Arrivals.¡± Liam and Gimmel both nodded their heads. ¡°After that we will be traveling by land towards a certain tower called the Tower of Fable,¡± Uncle Naro informed waiting to see their reaction. Gimmel was the only one who looked awestruck. ¡°What¡¯s the Tower of Fable?¡± Roman asked. Gimmel whirled on him and replied before Uncle Naro could respond, ¡°It is a tower full of challenges. Each dungeon is a multi-colored one based on fables we have here. The monsters are tough and unique to those dungeons, but the rewards are worth it.¡± ¡°The rewards can range to one of a kind weapons, armor, Knowledge Thery books that can give rare magic, or even items that can evolve class based abilities or skills,¡± Uncle Naro stated. He then looked at Liam and said, ¡°There is a certain item I hope you can get from there that can evolve your Mobile Crafter ability.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at that. ¡°What item is that?¡± Uncle Naro brought a finger up and waved it back and forth before saying, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. Half the fun is knowing there is something you could get and finding out for yourself once you do¡­if it drops. There will always be an item at the end of each dungeon in that Tower that will help someone in the group you are in. However, you can only attempt this tower once and your sub-stats have to be at least around level thirty but lower than forty to forty nine to be able to take on the tower.¡± ¡°How come? Why that specific range of levels?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°Because after you hit level fifty in any of your sub-stats then you will be in the Advanced range,¡± Gimmel answered. ¡°Advanced ranged?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Uncle Naro started back up. ¡°From level one to twenty nine you are considered beginners and are still learning how your class works and considering the path you want to tread on. From level thirty to forty nine you are within the Intermediate range. Here you have grown and are working on polishing the abilities and skills you received from either having one or two evolved classes. At level fifty you have found your path and only have three more class evolutions left till you reach a class that you have forged and made.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Mercer muttered as he wrote this down. As he wrote this he stopped and looked like a question had formed. After thinking it out he finally asked, ¡°What about Personal Levels? What do they represent?¡± ¡°That is an excellent question,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°At first many people thought that it was the Personal Levels that created the caps and requirements for special dungeons and areas, but we found out that was wrong when someone with a Personal Level of thirty one and a sub-stat at fifty tried to take on the Tower of Fable.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Ariyana asked. ¡°The tower rejected him,¡± Uncle Naro stated bluntly. ¡°Rejected him? How?¡± Roman questioned. ¡°It created a barrier that refused to let him in,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°This man decided to try and level his Strength Sub-stat so he could hit harder to help his team. He trained it as he waited for them to reach a respectable level for the tower. He stopped raising his Personal Level by training his sub-stat as he waited for them thinking if he had that specific one that high then they would be able to get through each dungeon easier. That had been his folly in the end unfortunately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting and all, but that doesn¡¯t really answer my question about what Personal Levels represent,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Personal Levels are just another means to help get you stronger,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°That¡¯s all you should know¡­for now,¡± Uncle Naro said as a smile slowly grew on his face. Liam and the others groaned. ¡°It¡¯s one of those you will find out when you need to sort of things isn¡¯t it?¡± Liam asked sounding exasperated. Uncle Naro let out a belly laugh. ¡°Yes. Yes it is.¡± Liam shook his head as he waited for Uncle Naro to finish laughing. Once the man did he started back up. ¡°Okay, getting back to what I was saying. For now those are the things I have planned for you all. And to get started you all will need to have at least one of your fields along with a Weapon Skill reach level twenty before we leave this place. So pick between a field of magic or a weapon skill you want to work on and get it to it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± they all said, looking confused. ¡°You heard me¡­oh and one more thing,¡± Uncle Naro started again. I have a rule. For today if any of you don¡¯t level at least once or twice before I finish making dinner then you will not receive dinner from me. You will either have to make it yourself or go back into town and find a place to eat.¡± Liam¡¯s and Artem¡¯s bodies tensed as their eyes widened. While they, Roman, Blair, and Gimmel had gotten to enjoy Uncle Naro¡¯s dinners and fell in love with it, the others did not fully grasp the threat there. Avery was about to say something as she gave the man a that¡¯s not really a punishment kind of look, but was stopped as Artem yelled out, ¡°Let¡¯s go everyone. We got work to do.¡± Ariyana, Avery, and Mercer looked shock at Artem. Normally he wasn¡¯t the first one to jump at the prospect of training. For him to be the one to say something and try to get everyone else to get to work, they knew they were missing something. Not wanting to argue they all got up and started planning out what they wanted to work on. As they started walking away, Uncle Naro suddenly said, ¡°Not you Liam. I have something else planned for you.¡± Confused, Liam turned around and looked at the man. Before he could ask what he had planned, Uncle Naro suddenly pulled out a massive War Hammer, a giant cleaver that looked suspiciously like a Meat Cleaver, and a War Axe. Still confused on what Uncle Naro was getting at, Liam waited to see what he would say. Liam regretted waiting to hear what the man had to say. With a wide grin, Uncle Naro said, ¡°You and I are going to go over some techniques before we have a nice little spar.¡± Adventure 259 - First day of Practice Liam stared at Uncle Naro and the weapons that were beside him. While they each looked well-crafted and the designs were amazing, he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he meant by going over techniques. It was one thing with the meat cleaver like weapons, but the War Axe and Hammer? He knew he didn¡¯t have the stats to properly wield those yet. ¡°As much as I appreciate learning new techniques, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to swing the War Hammer or War Axe properly,¡± Liam stated. Uncle Naro let out a loud laugh. ¡°You¡¯re right about that, but you won¡¯t be swinging these types of weapons.¡± Liam¡¯s brows creased as he stared at Uncle Naro. ¡°What do you mean? Then why did you bring them out?¡± ¡°Because these weapons fit me perfectly,¡± Uncle Naro stated as he gripped the handle of the War Axe and War Hammer. Sure enough, both weapons looked like a normal hammer and axe in his hands. Compared to Liam¡¯s hands these weapons were perfectly suited for him. That was when Liam understood what Uncle Naro meant. He looked back at Uncle Naro and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any weapon skills in any of these weapons nor do I have my own.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°While you have a cleaver for cooking, I don¡¯t want you using that for fighting since its bad form to use a weapon to cook with. Also it isn¡¯t suitable for fighting. I have some Crude Quality ones I picked up for you to practice with. The same for a Battle Hammer and a Battle Axe more appropriate for your size. Don¡¯t want you using a dagger or a sword in place of an axe.¡± Still confused, Liam asked, ¡°Thank you, but can I ask why do I have to use those three weapons in particular? My daggers and my sword have been working fine when trying to cleave through enemies and I didn¡¯t have any issues with my sword when I chopped through a tree during a fight once.¡± Uncle Naro let out a sigh as he listened to Liam. ¡°As great as that is, you must understand something,¡± Uncle Naro started, his tone changed to a teacher-like one that didn¡¯t want to burst a students bubble over something they were proud of. ¡°You are a Crafter. As great as it is that you¡¯re able to do that with those weapons, they aren¡¯t the right tools for the job.¡± ¡°The right tools for the job?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Yes,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°Tell me, would you try to smith a weapon with a sword?¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam frowned. ¡°For starters, the sword wouldn¡¯t help you mold the ingot. It might help thin it out, but then you¡¯d also ruin your sword that way.¡± Uncle Naro nodded. ¡°Would you use a hammer to chop a tree?¡± ¡°No. I mean, if you swing hard enough you could knock the tree over, but the resource would be in bad shape,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Exactly,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°Are you seeing what I am saying?¡± Liam thought about it. he was right. There was always a right tool for the right job, but they weren¡¯t talking about crafting, they were talking about battle¡­After he thought that Uncle Naro¡¯s words from earlier replayed in his mind. You are a Crafter. Crafter¡¯s weren¡¯t exactly fighters in the sense everyone understood a fighter was. No they were creators, gathers, and sometimes they were destroyers. While their abilities were meant for that, Liam had a short time to learn ways they could be used in fights. Just like abilities were great for certain situations, the tools meant for those abilities and skills were the same. They were meant to be used in those specific kind of situations when needing to use those abilities. Uncle Naro saw the look of understanding starting to grow in Liam¡¯s eyes. To help further hit his point home with the younger man he asked, ¡°Tell me, when you used Cleave with your daggers or sword, were their times it didn¡¯t work, or you felt a lot of resistance?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened as he recounted the times he did experience that. He didn¡¯t quite understand it during those times. He had written them off as if his abilities wasn¡¯t high enough to get the clean cuts, but now that he was talking to Uncle Naro he started to believe it that maybe there was something else causing the issue. ¡°That look tells me that you have,¡± Uncle Naro started back up. ¡°That is because of two reasons. One is, what you probably already thought, the level of your Cleave skill. The other is the tool used when applying the skill. Sure you can use a dagger or a sword to cleave through something, but if you use a Cleaver weapon then you¡¯ll have an easier time. Make sense?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°It does¡­¡± After he said that he had a thought suddenly appear. ¡°If that is the case then am I supposed to learn how to switch from weapon to weapon and know when the best time to do it quickly during battle?¡± Uncle Naro smile widely. ¡°Yes. Now you might be wondering how you would be able to do that since it would require you to take time to open your inventory, place your weapon or weapons on hand then pull it out. However, there is a way to by pass all of that. Another benefit of being a Crafter.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes grew with interest as he asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It is called a Crafter¡¯s Tool Belt,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°It¡¯s something that I made and not many know about.¡± Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then how would I be able to make one?¡± Uncle Naro chuckled. ¡°I will show you one of these days, however, that will involve you getting leatherworking and leveling that up along with your Tailoring. For now I you can use the one I will make you.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes brightened at that. ¡°However, you will only get it after you get the Weapon Skills, Axe, Cleaver, and Hammer to level ten each,¡± Uncle Naro informed. Liam again grew confused. ¡°About that, I was wondering¡­I use those types as tool for crafting¡­why don¡¯t they level when I use them during crafting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you are still a beginner. Once you have reached the intermediate ranks in both crafting and Weapon Skill of the weapon associated with the craft then you will be able to level them up that way,¡± Uncle Naro answered. ¡°Why though?¡± Liam asked. ¡°That sounds like a waste of time. Do all crafters do that?¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°No. Not all. Just those serious about crafting,¡± Uncle Naro said. Liam nodded. ¡°Okay, where do we start?¡± Uncle Naro smiled. ¡°We will start right now. Go ahead and grab this.¡± Uncle Naro pulled out a Crude Quality Meat Cleaver like knife. ¡°I know you have the Cleave skill from the Chef Craft. I want to go over some techniques with you that could possibly help when trying to cleave limbs apart.¡± Liam and Naro spent a few hours working on the three Weapon Skills he was tasked to receive and level up. He had reached all three to level five which made Liam happy. He practiced the motions for Cleave over and over from different angles. Once he reached a comfortable familiarity swinging it, Uncle Naro threw in a curve ball by showing him a Cleaver Weapon Art Skill called Slice and Dice. Liam had to try and follow the movements with his eyes and was surprised that he wasn¡¯t able to. Uncle Naro explained that it was a movement that wasn¡¯t supposed to allow the target to follow unless the target had really high Perception. Liam had prided himself for that sub-stat being one of his highest ones, but after the demonstration of the move and being told that, he was reminded that he was still not that strong. After spending hours of practicing the movements over and over, he felt like he had gotten it down and was surprised when Uncle Naro clapped and told him he had done it. He then told Liam to practice it and level that Weapon Art Skill so that way it would be easier to use later on. That was when he had to inform Uncle Naro about his¡­predicament. Uncle Naro was surprised when he was told about how he couldn¡¯t receive Weapon Art Skills in a normal manner. Than he had to practice the moves over and over to get the muscle memory down right. Instead of looking at him like he was wasting time, Uncle Naro seemed intrigued. In fact, he was ecstatic about this new way of doing it. This new bit of information, however, did change his training menu he had for Liam. Not by much, but enough that any new Weapon Art Skills he had planned for Liam to practice were going to need more time for him to learn and get the muscle memory down for them. The spar he had planned for Liam was now postponed for a later date after he learned other Weapon Art Skills for the Hammer and Axe. The hammer he was given to practice with was a one handed one with a short handle and a double blunt end. The size of the blunted ends were almost similar to the hammer he used for Blacksmithing except that hammer was slightly smaller. As for the Axe, it looked almost like a hatchet. There was nothing special about it. Both were Crude Quality and didn¡¯t have any cool designs. For right now he didn¡¯t need any cool looking practice tool. He did, however, start to get ideas of how he could make one of each through his Bone Forging. Especially for the Cleaver. During that time, the others had practiced their respected interest. Artem practiced his Water Focus Point trying to get it to level ten. He had reached that target point not too long after Liam reached level five in his Axe Weapon Skill. Roman decided to spar with Avery. He worked on his Unarmed Combat Weapon Skill reaching it from level fourteen to level sixteen. Avery focused on her Rapier Weapon Skill, getting it from level fifteen to level seventeen. They were both surprised how hard it was to level their Weapon Skills. Liam could understand. Even throughout all the battles he had so far, his Dagger Weapon Skill was only at level nineteen. His Throwing Weapons Weapon Skill was the closest thing to it, and it sat at level seventeen. Ariyana worked on her Charm and Plant Magic. Both were at level fourteen when she started before they reached level fifteen. She was excited when they reached that level because she had received a new ability in both of them. In her Plant Focus Point she had received the ability called Pod Shooters. Pod Shooters was an ability that created three plant-like creatures with the flower crowns formed in a way to shoot little stone bullets. They were stationery, but they were flexible and if they landed an attack the damage done was decent. In her Field of Charmed, her Senses Focus Point was what reached the level and gained a new ability called Depth Scramble. The ability Depth Scramble reversed the depth perception of the afflicted target. If they focused on something that was close to them they would think its farther, and a farther target looked closer. It lasted for five seconds, but every second being afflicted by that could mean the difference in a battle. Mercer worked on both his Bow and Ice Magic. He would create a few icicle targets and then try to shoot them from where he stood. He raised his bow from level twelve to level fifteen and his Ice Focus Point from level fourteen to level fifteen. As he waited for his mana to recharge he also practiced his Violin practice as well. Even though he didn¡¯t raise that, Liam could tell he had been practicing it a lot while he was away. Gimmel took out his three Toxo Puppets and practiced moving them one by one before trying to move all three at the same time. He had a hard time moving them all but was able to get them to crawl. It was a big difference compared to when he moved them one by one, but it was progress he said. He didn¡¯t reveal to them how many levels he had gotten, but it was enough for him to meet the quota since he was able to eat with them. Blair on the other hand had a hard time with her choice of focus. She decided to practice her Gravity Focus Point. She wasn¡¯t able to get her Gravity Magic up two levels, but with her channeling Gravity Mana she was able to get that from level five to level seven. Uncle Naro said it was still impressive and allowed that since she would need to level that more to get better use of her Gravity Magic. She wasn¡¯t happy, but even she knew that Gravity Magic was hard to level up. That night after dinner, Liam decided to do some crafting. He decided to use his Mobile Crafter for Blacksmithing and had a separate table where a batch of Minor Minty Health Potions was brewing. He had found out that leveling his Potion Making category in Alchemy was now a lot harder than before if he had done it in single vials. Mass creating them in the cauldron was now his new way of making them to help his leveling in the category. It was going to be slow, but making bigger portions was helping compared to the small amounts he was doing beforehand. As they were being worked on, he decided to try and put his idea he had on making a Cleaver with his Bone Forging. The first one he made was so horrible he re-smelted it and didn¡¯t bother showing anyone what it looked like. His next few attempts weren¡¯t any better, but he noticed the slight improvements here and there. However, no matter how many times he tried during that night he couldn¡¯t get it right. When Uncle Naro asked him what he was doing, he looked at Liam and just laughed. Feeling embarrassed, Liam was beginning to think his idea was not possible. However, after Uncle Naro finished laughing he told him he would first need to practice making the weapon through regular Forging. After he was able to make a few he would then be able to make a usable one through Bone Forging. After making three Cleaver weapons through regular forging and leveling his Forging from level thirteen to level fourteen, he decided to call it a night. His cauldron full of Minor Minty Health Potion mixture also done, he poured them into vials and labeled them with his Branding. Avery, Ariyana, Mercer, and Artem decided to go back to the inn while Liam, Blair, Gimmel, and Roman decided to pitch a camp with Uncle Naro where they were. After Liam placed his tent up, he pulled out a small Yooperlite Stone lamp he hung inside his tent and worked on reading the Mana Type Knowledge Theory Books Mercer had on him. That was until he knew everyone around fell asleep. Once he had confirmed they were all asleep he switched to work on his Shadow Manipulation. As he practiced his Shadow Manipulation he found it to be harder than what the book had stated. He went back to the book and read over the chapter explaining the ability a few times. Each time he went back to the book and tried to manipulate the shadows around the tent all he had got was a few quivers before they flat out refused to move. He still couldn¡¯t figure it out and decided he was missing something. He figured he would try something different and started to channel his Shadow Mana. After channeling the Shadow Mana, he decided to focus on a small section of shadows that was in the corner of the tent. It rippled a few times as he focused on it. He then sent some of the Shadow Mana he had channeled towards it and to his surprise the small bit of shadow shoot towards the palm of his hand. Eyes wide open, Liam stared at the small blob of shadow that had landed on his hand. Testing it out, he flipped his hand upside down and saw the blob of shadow stuck to his hand. He flicked it to the side of the tent, and it shot out and splattered where he had sent it. It stuck there like a piece of goo. Intrigued by this, Liam decided to get a closer look at the small shadowy blob. He went to poke it and to his shock the blob slowly extended into the form of a tendril and poked his finger back. Adventure 260 - Manipulating Shadows and creating a heavy Hand Caught off guard, Liam fell backwards as he retracted his finger away from the blob of shadow on the tent wall. As he fell backwards, the tendril disappeared, and two notifications appeared. One was a text notification from Eri laughing and the other was a level up notification. [Congratulations! Shadow Manipulation has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 21%!] Confused, Liam stared at the notification. Not too soon staring at it, a new message appeared from Eri. [You have nothing to fear. That tendril that was forming was due to your Shadow Manipulation being active. ¨C Eri.] What do you mean by that? Liam mentally asked. [Shadow Manipulation is an ability that helps you manipulate shadows. However, at the lower levels you can¡¯t do much with it. Bringing your finger close to it made it want to reach out to you like you were trying to reach out to it. It felt your desire to touch it and in turn was manipulated to help you in doing so. ¨C Eri.] Liam thought about that. He didn¡¯t know how to feel seeing her say it felt his desire, but if what she was saying was true, then he could understand how the tendril came to be. Is that how Shadow Manipulation works? It works on the desire the user has to do what it wants? Liam asked. [Yes and No. Actions and orders given to the Shadow being manipulated will carry out your desire. Shaping the shadow takes a more¡­creative hand. ¨C Eri.] Shaping the shadow? As in forming the shadow into a shape like a square or circle? Or¡­ Liam said, waiting to see if he would get more context. [Basic forms like shapes could work, but I meant like shaping the shadow into a creature or person. However, that takes practice and higher levels into the ability. You will need to shape the shadows into things like circles, squares, triangles, etcetera and manipulate them to do things in order to get a good feel for them. ¨C Eri.] Makes sense. Liam nodded, understanding what she was saying. For now, practice with the one to get a better feel for it and then after a while try manipulating two shadows. It will take some time, but I feel you will get the hang of it soon. ¨C Eri.] Liam nodded once more before looking back at the blob. He focused on it as he placed an open palm, upwards, and tried to manipulate it to come back. It took some time as it felt like it wanted to stay where it was. The feeling reminded him of sticky gum stubbornly not wanting to be removed from the place it was stuck to. After it finally came back to his hand, he brought his free hand up and slowly went to poke it. Once more, a small tendril emerged from it. Not feeling surprised by it this time, Liam brought his finger up close enough for the tips to touch. What did surprise him was the feeling the shadowy tendril had. It was cold, like a lifeless corpse. It sent a shiver down his spine as it reminded him of the time he was surrounded by shadows. After taking his finger away from it and watching the tendril go back into the blob, he tried shaking his hand about. The way it shook reminded him of Jello. He chuckled at the thought. He then had another thought. One that brought a curious and wicked grin to his face. Without any time wasted, Eri sent a message that made Liam happy. [That is an evil thing to think about¡­but it can be done with enough training and practice with the ability. Are you sure you are my Champion and not Death¡¯s? ¨C Eri.] Last time I checked yes. Liam said while staring at the message. Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be a chaotic thing if I was able to do it? The person wouldn¡¯t know what was going on. Which, in turn, would make their mind go into a chaotic mess? [I mean¡­yes, but¡­there is a limit to what kind of Chaos I can receive from your actions. And that kind of chaos¡­I could or could not go for it. It will depend on the person and the situation. If they are weaker than you then no, but if they were stronger then by all means¡­do it. ¨C Eri.] Liam nodded. He shelved the idea for now. He was nowhere near where he needed to be to pull it off. For now he would practice and get an understanding on what he was capable of. For the rest of the night, he practiced. Before finally going to bed he reached level five in the ability. The next day Liam and the others met up back in the camp site they had made their own. Uncle Naro made breakfast with Artem¡¯s and Liam¡¯s assistance. Thanks to his participation, Liam was able to get his Food Prep to level ten, Culinary to level ten, and Large Feast to level six. After they were done eating, Uncle Naro had asked everyone what their agendas were. Roman and Avery said they were going to get some parring in to help level their Weapon Skills. Mercer said he was going to practice a bit with a new instrument he had gotten in town before going back to his Icicle Archery training. Blair claimed she wanted to get in as much Gravity Magic training as she could while Artem said he was going to practice his Water Magic. Gimmel wanted to practice with his puppets again. Ariyana claimed that she wanted to get some more charm practice in as well as practice her new spell out in Plant Magic. Liam didn¡¯t say anything because he knew Uncle Naro already had his plans in mind. Uncle Naro nodded at each of their plans, but instead of saying they were good he had his own ideas. ¡°While it is best that you all get something to level twenty as soon as possible, it is not wise to only focus on those specific things. If you do then there is a chance that your class evolutions will go down a different path than what you want,¡± Uncle Naro said. Everyone stared at him. They didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so they just listened to what he had in mind instead. ¡°While it is my plan to get you to evolve your classes, we shouldn¡¯t rush it in a way that it will harm you instead of help you,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°What I mean is, if you focus on a specific thing then you could miss out on other possible class evolutions that you could get,¡± Uncle Naro explained. This confused everyone. Naro could see it in their eyes and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s say you,¡± He pointed at Roman, ¡°Only focused on the Weapon Skill Unarmed Combat and didn¡¯t progress in your Focus Points in the Field of the Elements. There is a chance that your class evolution will only show a class like Street Fighter or Pugilist. If you went ahead and took any of those two classes then your Elementalist Mage class would be taken out. While you would still have your magical abilities from the Focus Points in Field of the Elements, the damage would be lessened than if you had gotten a class that incorporates both your elemental magical abilities and your Unarmed Combat. Does that make sense?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°So what you are saying is don¡¯t limit your training to focus on a specific thing when there is a chance you could get something better and more suitable to you if you train other things along with your main focus?¡± Mercer asked, making sure he understood what the man was saying. Liam listened to this and thought about his current Class, Spirit Weaver. While it was true he didn¡¯t know or understand what had triggered the class evolution, he was starting to worry that he might have missed something. He had only received one choice for his class evolution and from the sounds of it, with how Uncle Naro was explaining it, you could get multiple choice when the time was right. ¡°That is correct,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°While you all have the perfect idea of where you want to take your path, sometimes you won¡¯t get classes that suit it. Sometimes you could get a class that hinders what you have been working hard for or gives you something you never even thought of.¡± ¡°Hinders your hard work?¡± Artem repeated with a worried expression. Uncle Naro waved a hand. ¡°You always have the right to decline it and try to work on what you¡¯re lacking so you can get a class that better suits you, but that is something no one would ever tell a New Arrival.¡± Mercer scrunched his brows. ¡°Why? I think that is information we should have so we don¡¯t screw our path.¡± ¡°It is but depending on where you go when you come here or the race you are, many people view you as potential rivals or even hinderances. So they believe it is best not to tell you these things to hinder your growth, so they do not need to compete with you,¡± Uncle Naro explained. ¡°That¡¯s stupid. Why would they think of Newly Arrivals as competition or potential rivals?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Because there are always those who are better than you,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°Think of it this way. Say you¡¯re a native and have been working hard to get to where you are. Then out of nowhere, someone not from this planet arrives and they are better than you at it. How do you think they would feel?¡± ¡°Not good,¡± Ariyana answered as she looked down at the ground. Liam noticed some recognition in Uncle Naro¡¯s words and was curious about it. ¡°Exactly,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°And that is why they do that. So they don¡¯t have to feel that way.¡± ¡°I still think it¡¯s stupid,¡± Mercer muttered under his breath. Uncle Naro shook his head. ¡°Anyways, back to the main point I was making. Go ahead and get a level in the main focus you have. After you are done with that we are going to do some Mana Type Training. We¡¯re going to try and get your Mana Manipulation and Mana Control in the respected Mana types you wish to focus on before you start training something different. Alright?¡± Everyone nodded their understanding before getting up and moving to the places they used to train yesterday. As Liam stood up, Uncle Naro stated, ¡°Not you. Instead of working on the Weapon Skills, I am going to have you work on crafting. The specific ones for today are going to be Blacksmithing and Tailoring.¡± Liam looked a bit confused at that. ¡°Blacksmithing because I want to see the weapon you have envisioned for the Cleaver. Tailoring because it¡¯s one of your lowest leveled ones besides Rune Crafting and Enchanting,¡± Uncle Naro explained. Liam nodded his head. ¡°Alright, which should I do first?¡± ¡°Tailoring,¡± Uncle Naro instantly stated. ¡°Blacksmithing will require a lot of focus and when the others are ready for Mana Type Training I don¡¯t want you to stop what you¡¯re in the middle of and possible ruin the materials you are using. Materials used in Tailoring won¡¯t do that. You can stop at any moment and the materials wont cool down or need to be reheated.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Liam stated as he nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go do that then.¡± Liam spent the next couple of hours working on making a few cloth caps and gloves. They weren¡¯t the best thing to look at and he definitely wouldn¡¯t try selling them. It didn¡¯t matter who paid him. Even if they tried overpaying he wouldn¡¯t give it to them. Instead he decided they would be best for fire kindle. Uncle Naro laughed at his reaction over the items. He tried telling him that it was alright, and it happens, and he should still try to sell them. With an embarrassed look Liam vehemently refused and stated his pride as a Crafter was on the line and he wouldn¡¯t allow such disgraces to be seen on the market. As Uncle Naro tried to argue that it was fine, Roman came along and asked if a wild animal had snuck in and used the caps and gloves as a chew toy. Liam glared at Uncle Naro and waved a hand out to prove his point. Uncle Naro stared at Roman and decided right there and then he was going to add a little bit of laxatives in his next meal for doing that. It wasn¡¯t all bad though. He was able to unlock the Weaving Sub-section in the Craft and gained a couple of skills tied to the craft. Those abilities were Needlework and Mend. Needlework helped Liam focus a lot more when a needle was in his hand and allowed him to weave the needle easily through materials. Mend was a skill that allowed him to see the spots where the seams were beginning to tear and rip and be able to fix it. At the current level, the fixes weren¡¯t great, but after time you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the rip was there unless it was beyond saving. After the others finished the tasks they were given they were instructed to pick a Mana Type and try to work on manipulating it and controlling it. Liam decided to work on Gravity. With Vesely¡¯s advice on trying to make a Gravity Hand, Liam focused on the task. Unlike Shadow Hand and Lunar Hand, trying to make a Gravity Hand was a lot harder. He wasn¡¯t sure why it was harder than the other two, but he didn¡¯t allow it to dissuade him in trying to make it. After a while he went over to Blair, who he knew was working on her Gravity Mana, to see how far along she was. He was impressed that she was almost to level ten. They spoke for a bit trying to discuss what they felt and the plans they had for using the Gravity Mana. Blair had mentioned that she wanted to learn how to use the Gravity Mana and create an aura with it. Liam was impressed with the idea. He hadn¡¯t thought about making an aura with the mana. When Uncle Naro walked by and asked what they were talking about, he heard what Blair had planned. ¡°That is a good goal to have with it, but¡­,¡± Uncle Naro started to say. He saw Blair tense at the word and placed his hands up to placate her. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s impossible to do. It¡¯s just that¡­it¡¯s a lot harder to do than other things.¡± ¡°Why is it harder to do than other things?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Because you need a lot of understanding and practice with the Mana Type. A Gravity Aura is a lot harder to create than say a Lightning or Fire Aura. Like the magic itself, Gravity Mana takes a lot of time to understand and work with,¡± Uncle Naro explained. ¡°Like all Mana Types when trying to create something out of it to help you better control and manipulate it, you need to have understanding. What does Gravity mean to you? How do you think it works? How would you control it? Manipulate it? How would you utilize it? For you Blair, I would try doing something small.¡± ¡°Small?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°Yes,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°If your goal is a Gravity Aura then I suggest making a shape that exudes gravity from it. Something that can move freely and around so you can practice your control and manipulation.¡± ¡°Like a hand?¡± Liam asked. Uncle Naro and Blair looked at him. ¡°What?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of creating a Gravity Hand. I heard that Hand type magics are great for Crafters.¡± ¡°They are¡­,¡± Uncle Naro said as he eyed Liam. ¡°However, unless you can shape the hand with the Mana Type they are usually hard to make. Some Crafters take years to make them. Once after they make one they use their first Hand type as an example for others.¡± Liam took that into consideration. When he was trying to make a Gravity Hand he wasn¡¯t thinking about how his Shadow and Lunar Hands were similar in shape. No, he thought he had to make a whole new hand shape entirely. If it was that simple then maybe¡­ Uncle Naro turned to look at Blair and was talking more to her about making a condense circle made entirely out of Gravity Mana when they felt something being formed right by them. They turned to see what it was and were surprised to see Liam with a pulsing purple and black hand taking shape right in front of Liam. Blair shook her head as Uncle Naro just stared at it, slightly disbelieved and slightly in awe. Liam smiled as he stared at it. His smile grew even more when he received three notifications. [Congratulations! You have created Gravity Hand!] [Congratulations! Gravity Hand has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 0%!] [Congratulations! Gravity Mana Type has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 0%!] Adventure 261 - Lessons on what not to do with something you don’t fully understand. [Gravity Hand. Description ¨C A Magical Hand made out of Gravity Mana. Faint pulses of gravity exude from this hand. Depending on how the user wields it, it can either increase gravity of an object or lighten it.] Liam smiled at the description. This was something Vesely, or Lady Arachne, had suggested he make. This and the Lightning Hand, which he planned on making next. After dismissing the notification he turned to see Uncle Naro staring at him. He couldn¡¯t read the look on his face entirely. He had seen awe, surprise, curiosity, and at the end confusion before going neutral. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he made a mistake but decided to wait for him to respond. After a few moments of silence, Uncle Naro finally asked, ¡°How did you do that?¡± Taking some time to think about his response. Mixing some truth with a lie, Liam replied, ¡°I just thought about what you said. I saw someone use a magic similar to this and thought about the shape they used. Keeping that in mind, I thought about Gravity itself. How would I use it to help me? I remember someone saying that Hand type magics were helpful to Crafters and thought about how specifically this Hand would help me. Besides helping me with Crafting, I thought about how it could help me in fights.¡± Uncle Naro nodded his head after bringing a hand to his chin. ¡°I thought about the effect one of my Gravity Enchanted daggers had and thought that maybe the Hand made from the same Mana Type could possibly have the same effect. If it did then I could use it as an extra hand, no pun intended, in a fight,¡± Liam explained. Internally, he was hoping that would be enough of an explanation to help him out of how easy it was for him to make it. To Liam¡¯s luck and surprise, it was enough as Uncle Naro removed his hand from his chin and said, ¡°That¡¯s an excellent idea. I¡¯m impressed you were able to create one just from seeing a different version of it.¡± Blair shook her head, knowing full well that he had Hand Magics from two other Mana Types, but she also knew he couldn¡¯t say it since he was hiding those two magics. She stopped shaking her head immediately as Uncle Naro turned to look at her. ¡°The idea behind his Gravity Hand is almost similar to what I was going to suggest you make. Except, instead of a hand, I was thinking a sphere could be beneficial to you,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°A sphere?¡± Blair questioned, curiosity and interest on the subject. ¡°Yes, a sphere you can use to float around you,¡± Uncle Naro started to explain. ¡°The sphere can and will have a purpose both in and out of battles. While inside of a fight, you can use it to hit weapons or armor and increase the weight on them with each contact. It won¡¯t have any damage output, but increasing the weight of an enemies equipment can both hinder them and create opportunities for you or your teammates.¡± Blair liked this idea. ¡°And what about outside of battle?¡± ¡°Outside of battles,¡± Uncle Naro started back up. ¡°You can use it as a practice tool. One that can help you understand it better and the Magic associated with the Mana Type. The more you study it, practice with it, the more you can learn from it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but what is the point of it?¡± Blair questioned, looking like she wanted to understand more. Liam could agree with her question. Learning to control and manipulate Mana Types was a good and all, but there had to be a deeper meaning behind it. If all there was to it was increase the power of said Mana Type, then Channeling the mana would suffice. He knew it was great for those crafting since you needed to guide the mana in some cases, however, that wasn¡¯t true for all of Crafting. The same could be said outside of those who did not wish to craft. ¡°The purpose of this is to help you grow more. Learning how to properly Channel, Manipulate, and Control Mana Types isn¡¯t to help you strengthen a magical attack,¡± Uncle Naro started to explain. Liam noticed the others had stopped what they were doing and were listening in on the conversation. Mercer already had his notebook out and was writing in it. ¡°It¡¯s for you to get a better connection to the Mana Type you wish to grow with. By studying it and understanding what that Mana Type means and works to you will help shape your Magic in that Field or Focus Point. You can use it to gain new abilities or make current abilities grow. It will also help when it comes time for it to advance. Whether it is an Advanced Field of Study or beyond, understanding the mana used in the respected Field or Focus Point will also help shape your future Class evolution.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Liam heard Mercer mutter softly. ¡°Not everyone views things similarly,¡± Uncle Naro stated. He pointed to Liam and added, ¡°Take Young Liam here for example. While the use of Gravity Mana has some similar points you can relate to, not everything he currently knows about it and will use it matches with what you know or want to do with it, correct?¡± Blair nodded. ¡°Yes. While using it to hinder enemies is something I would like to do with it, the Hand form isn¡¯t the right image I have.¡± ¡°And what kind of image do you have?¡± Uncle Naro pressed. Blair thought about it. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure if it¡¯s what you can call an image, but I thought about using it in a way where any enemies around me are hindered while I and those I deem friendly are not. Maybe even be able to help them out. That¡¯s why I was thinking about an Aura.¡± Blair looked at Artem. ¡°His Healing Aura is what gave me the thought. How it washes over and heals those who need it while ignoring those who are enemies. I want something like that, but in a gravity version.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good start,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°A bit broad and a lot the current you can handle, but it is a good goal to endeavor for. For now let¡¯s start with the sphere. With that you can get better ideas of its uses and eventually get there.¡± Blair nodded. She was getting some inspiration from this talk and thought deeply about what they had talked about. After focusing on it she channeled her Gravity Mana and tried to make a sphere. Everyone waited and watched in silence. Blair looked to be in complete focus and concentration as she lifted her hands out in front of her, palms facing each other. Her face would periodically frown before going back into a neutral expression. Her body would tense then relax and tense again before relaxing once more. After a minute had passed, Liam felt it. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He felt something start to form right in front of Blair. He activated his Mana Sight and saw Gravity Mana start to float from both of her hands and connect in the middle of the space between them. There, the Gravity Mana started to swirl. However, instead of swirling around, the mana swirled inward. Right towards a spot. Liam had to blink a couple of times to see it properly, but a small black orb had started to form. It was really small at first, but after more and more Gravity Mana swirled right into it, it started to grow. An outline of Purple surrounded the black orb as it grew and grew. Liam watched as she poured every bit of Gravity Mana she had Channeled into it. And after the last bit of Gravity Mana escaped her grasp, it stopped growing. Liam deactivated his Mana Sight and got a better look at the sphere floating between her hands. A pulse of purple light weakly emanated from the middle of the sphere where a black orb rested. To Liam¡¯s surprise, not only did the light pulse out, but it pulsed back in a few seconds after going out. Sweat had formed on Blair¡¯s head and was slowly rolling down her forehead. As she opened her eyes a smile formed on her face. She looked at everyone and said with a soft joyous voice, ¡°I did it.¡± Artem, Ariyana, Avery, and Mercer cheered as Roman, Gimmel, and Liam clapped. Uncle Naro stared at Blair. The look of awe and surprise etched on his face, much like the one he had when Liam made his Gravity Hand. He the scratched the back of his neck as he shook his head. A smile grew as he said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. I didn¡¯t expect you to get it so quickly. Tell us, what is the ability called?¡± After focusing on the notification, Blair read out, ¡°Gravity Sphere. Like what we were going for, it is an orb that, when struck against a piece of equipment, will increase the weight of the equipment. It says it can stack up to five times. It can¡¯t cause any damage and if hit with a magical attack will disperse. It will float around me and with focus on it I can move it, but it looks like it won¡¯t move unless I command it to.¡± Uncle Naro nodded. ¡°A bit better than what I originally thought of. The fact that it needs to be hit by a magical attack instead of a physical one is good. If someone or something stupid enough to try and hit it with a weapon then they are only causing trouble for themselves. However, for it to only target equipment means you are limited on when you can use it. Maybe after leveling it up that can change.¡± Blair nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking.¡± Uncle Naro looked at the others. ¡°That is two of you who have grown. Can the rest of you catch up or will you let them leave you in the dust?¡± The others yelled out their responses to the call before they went back to what they were doing. As everyone left, Roman remained and was looking at Liam and the Gravity Hand floating around him. He then looked at Uncle Naro, who in turn was staring at him. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Uncle Naro asked. ¡°I was just wondering if a Hand Type Magic would be beneficial to the path I am trying to go down,¡± Roman stated. Uncle Naro raised a brow. ¡°Oh? Why do wonder that?¡± ¡°Well, I thought after seeing Liam¡¯s Gravity Hand that, since I am a melee hand to hand type fighter, maybe if I had extra hands that can cause different effects and maybe some damage along with them, that I could have a versatile fighting style? I don¡¯t know how exactly to word it if I¡¯m being honest.¡± ¡°I think you worded it just fine,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°At least worded it in a way that expresses your desire to use your melee capability while adding magic to it. It is an interesting idea.¡± Uncle Naro looked at Liam. ¡°You mentioned before that you have the Lightning Focus Point correct?¡± Liam nodded as Uncle Naro looked back at Roman. ¡°You have a strong affinity for Lightning correct?¡± Roman nodded. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you both work together on creating a Lightning Hand. Since Liam was successful in creating a Gravity Hand then he should be able to make one. And while he does you both can talk about the process to help you both succeed.¡± Roman smiled widely. ¡°That sounds like a great idea.¡± Liam and Roman started to discuss how they both felt about Lightning Magic. While they both agreed that they felt Lightning was a great source of magic that could stun or paralyze an opponent for a certain amount of time, that was where their similar thoughts ended. Liam believed the element Lightning was also a great conductor for energy and charging things up. While Roman nodded in agreement that is was a good way to use it, he also thought it was a waste of potential. He believed Lightning was a powerful force that if utilized correctly could be fast and strike in more than one place at once. Liam could see potential in what he said, but just like how Roman didn¡¯t envision his use of the element, he too couldn¡¯t envision that route for himself. One of the reasons as to why he thought this was because of the lack of attacking magic outside of his Shadow and Lunar Magics. Even his Gravity Magic lacked any offensive power. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but he was starting to think that the seal he had on him limited his spells outside of the Shadow and Lunar Fields. If that was the case then he was going to have to get creative with what he was going to get. If that meant getting into a mindset that shaped his Mana Types in a Utility or Support style of magic or in ways that could benefit his Crafting Classes, then that¡¯s just what he would need to do. Both Gravity and Lightning had great capabilities in those aspects. After drawing up those theories he wanted to think about other Mana Types that he could draw upon to help that. While having an arsenal of Mana Types on hand he didn¡¯t want to clutter himself and potentially ruin any path he had. He needed to talk to Uncle Naro and see what he thought before proceeding. After Roman and Liam finished discussing their ideas and understanding, they decided to practice trying to form and create a Lightning Hand. After an hour of practice and raising the Lightning Mana Type a level, Liam was finally able to create a Lightning Hand. To his satisfaction, the definition the ability provided showed that it was exactly what he needed the ability to be. [Lightning Hand. Description - A Magical Hand made out of Lightning Mana. Faint pulses of lightning exudes from this hand. Any strikes made with the Lightning Hand with send a ripple of lightning from the point of contact and into the target, making a numbing sensation at the spot. If same spot is struck, the numbing sensation will create a Paralyze Debuff on that spot for 2.5 seconds.] Roman started and analyzed the Lightning Hand Liam had created. He took note in the shape and structure of it. After doing this for a few minutes he decided to try it out again once more. After fifteen minutes had passed, he was finally successful. Both he and Liam high fived each other in celebration before Liam asked if there was any difference between their Lightning Hands. To Liam¡¯s surprise and grumbles, there was a slight difference. Roman¡¯s Lightning Hand, while having the same effect, had another effect that helped cause some damage. Roman¡¯s Lightning Hand didn¡¯t just causing a numbing sensation and a Paralyze Debuff if striking at the same spot. His Lightning Hand could be used like an actual punch where if it hit a target it would be like his own fist was striking. Not only that, but it had a five percent chance to cause a small discharge where a wild stream would shoot out from the hand and strike at a random part of the opponent¡¯s body. Roman cheered at that as Liam, while happy for his teammate, was a bit peeved he couldn¡¯t have that effect as well. Seeing the difference in both of the Lightning Hands though showed proof about Uncle Naro¡¯s words earlier about how everyone views mana types differently. Because they both had different views and understandings on it, both abilities had different effects. As Liam finished thinking about this he noticed a curious expression on Roman¡¯s face as he stared at his Lightning Hand. Curious about what he was thinking, Liam asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roman muttered as he looked at Liam. ¡°Oh, I just had a random thought.¡± ¡°Oh? What thought was that?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I was thinking¡­,¡± Roman started before looking back at his Lightning Hand. ¡°What if I tried to use my Lightning Hand as a sort of gauntlet.¡± Liam thought about what he meant. ¡°You mean like wearing the Lightning Hand over your own?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Roman stated. ¡°How cool would that be?¡± ¡°I mean, it would be pretty badass to see but¡­,¡± Liam started to say, feeling like there could be some draw backs to it. ¡°But what? I think it should be possible to do,¡± Roman stated as he hyped himself up. ¡°I¡¯m going to try it.¡± ¡°Roman I don¡¯t think you sho¡­,¡± Liam started to say. He was stopped as Roman didn¡¯t hear him and placed his fingers through the wrist end of the Lightning Hand. The moment his fingers plunged halfway through the Lightning Hand, shocks of lightning shot out and towards Roman, striking his chest and arm, and causing him to scream out in pain. Adventure 262 - Fields, Focus Points, and Roots As hard as he could, Roman yanked his hand free, grabbed his wrist, and stared at it. The sudden noise caused everyone to stop what they were doing and rush over. They asked out what had happened and were concerned. Blair, Avery, and Artem scanned the area in case there were any threats. As Uncle Naro approached them he asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Roman clicked his tongue as he grimaced at his hand that he shook a few times to get feeling back into it. ¡°After I made my Lightning Hand I had a cool thought that maybe I could use it as a gauntlet¡­¡± Before Roman could add more to it, Uncle Naro let out a long sigh as he brought a hand to his forehead and shook his head. He then responded, ¡°I was hoping there wouldn¡¯t be a case, but it seems that there¡¯s always one in a group.¡± Curious, Liam asked, ¡°Always one of what in a group?¡± ¡°Someone who tries to reach for more than they should,¡± Uncle Naro replied. Everyone stopped and looked at Liam at those words. Feeling their stares on him, he embarrassingly asked, ¡°What? I¡¯m getting better.¡± Uncle Naro raised a brow as he looked at him. He then let out a laugh as he said, ¡°That¡¯s right. This group has more than one.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Liam protested but was stopped as Uncle Naro waved a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. It¡¯s in your nature to try and reach for more than you should,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°As a Crafter you will always have a sudden urge to try and push for more. Especially when you¡¯re hyper focused.¡± Liam grumbled at that. ¡°Anyways, how¡¯s your hand?¡± Uncle Naro asked as he looked back at Roman. ¡°A little numb, but I¡¯m slowly getting some feeling back into it,¡± Roman replied. Uncle Naro nodded his head. He then looked at everyone and announced, ¡°I must say that I am surprised with everyone¡¯s progress today. While it is rare to make Hand Types so soon, let alone two, I am especially impressed with the Gravity Sphere Blair made as well as Artem being able to make an Aqua Sphere and a Healing Sphere.¡± Everyone looked to Artem and Blair. A mix of cheers and shoulder or backs pats were given to both party members. ¡°I plan on making a small feast to celebrate each of you creating something that will help you down the line,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°Although I need to make adjustments to some of your training, I think you all are coming along wonderfully. Go ahead and train one of your lowest sub-stats, Weapon Skills, Fields of study, or Focus Points for now. I will help guide and give tips in things I have knowledge in to help you if you need. In a couple of hours I will start making dinner.¡± Everyone nodded, acknowledging the instructions. Uncle Naro looked at Liam and said, ¡°Go ahead and practice with the three tool weapons you were working on yesterday. I am hoping you get them to level ten before we leave this place.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Liam said as he started to walk away. ¡°Ah, before you go though. I have one more thing to add,¡± Uncle Naro said. Liam turned around and saw Uncle Naro pull out a pile of old armor and weapons. ¡°Separate these into two piles,¡± Uncle Naro started to instruct. ¡°The piles don¡¯t need to be organize. One pile you will be practicing to repair while the other will be used in conjunction with your Weapon Skill Hammer training.¡± Liam raised a brow at that last bit. ¡°I want you to use Spot Frailty to help level it up and after spotting the fail spots strike those spots,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll get something good from doing it. If not¡­then we¡¯ll try something else.¡± ¡°Something good from doing that?¡± Liam repeated quietly as he thought about it. he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was he was hoping he would get, but that didn¡¯t stop the feeling of excitement growing inside him. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get right to it.¡± For the next hour Liam stared at each piece of armor or weapon he had chosen to be his Hammer Weapon Skill practice. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of how poor the condition of each piece was in, but it was easy for him to spot the frail spots. After spotting each weakened section he would grip his hammer and strike the spot. His Spot Frailty ability, a Blacksmithing ability, was at level five when he started. After a while he was able to get it to level ten. As soon as it reached level ten the ability had changed a bit. Instead of just showing the frail spots, the spots had started to show colors. Green, yellow, and red. After running some experiments with this new development he was able to determine what the colors represented. The colors represented the level of frailty. Green meant the frailty was just starting to show. After striking those spots a few times he watched them turn to yellow. Yellow represented the frailty wasn¡¯t as fresh but not in danger of being destroyed so easily. Red, however, meant it was barely hanging on and ready to break at any moment. His practice after experimenting with the different colors that appeared earned him another level in the ability. He also leveled his Hammer Weapon Skill to seven thanks to that. However, after reaching the end of the pile he had deemed his Weapon Skill practice pile he never received what Uncle Naro was hoping he would get. Instead of lamenting on it he switched focus and practiced the other two tool weapons. He raised his Axe Weapon skill from level two to five and his Cleaver from five to seven. He didn¡¯t receive anything from raising their levels, but he felt like he was close to one. He felt something strange when practicing with his Axe, but when it was time to stop that strange feeling went away. He had informed Uncle Naro of what he discovered with his new development on his Spot Frailty, and he informed him that it was an ability that helps when repairing, but it was also great to use in a fight against an armored opponent. If he continued to practice it, it would also expand from equipment to creatures with hard skin and carapaces. Hearing that excited Liam. After dinner that night, Uncle Naro had him work on repairing the old and broken armor and weapons. It was a slow and tedious process, but thanks to some tips and tricks from Uncle Naro, he was starting to get a better feel for it and understanding. Thanks to the amount he worked on, he was able to level the Repair Section in his Blacksmithing to level fifteen. That opened the Categories on what he could repair and the level it had in it. Both Weapons (Iron) and Armor (Iron) were at level fifteen. Bone Weapons appeared in the Category section, but it was at level zero, probably because he had never repaired one before. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. After everyone went to bed he decided to do some reading. He read more in the book Vesely had given him and practiced his Shadow Manipulation until it reached level seven. After that he decided it was time to go back to the basic books he had on him to see if there was anything he had missed back in the Tutorial Area. He came across the copies Extract to Distill, My Potion be Still and Toxicology when visiting the market to gather some supplies. He was surprised to find that he was able to understand certain sections easier this time round. Thanks to that his Knowledge theory in both raised a couple of levels. After that he decided to read the Medicinal Creations for Beginners Knowledge Theory he had bought back at the Cat¡¯s Paw-ldron. After reading it for a while he was able to raise his Knowledge Theory on the subject a couple as well. The next day, Uncle Naro had surprised them by insisting that they went to the Mage Tower that was in town and open up a couple new Fields of study or Focus Points. They weren¡¯t sure if it was a good idea and debated on voicing that. Liam had no issues asking about it. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t adding more right now just hinder or hurt us?¡± ¡°If you just added random nonsense then yes,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°However, I¡¯m not asking you to do that. After thinking over the ideas of what you would like to do I have carefully thought about the best possible Fields of Studies and Focus Points that could help you. For example,¡± Uncle Naro pointed at Artem. ¡°You wish to grow more with your Healing Magic. I believe opening the Field of Barriers will help especially since your starting class is Defender. By adding Barrier Magic you will be able to shield yourself and your comrades as well as set up a small safe zone to heal any injuries during a fight.¡± Artem thought about what he said. He nodded his head as he liked the idea. Uncle Naro then pointed at Roman and said, ¡°I know you said you want to blend your Unarmed Combat with Elemental Magic; you only have a couple unlocked. I think it would be best if you unlocked the other Elemental Focus Points including Gravity. While that one won¡¯t be your strong suit it will still be wise for you to have it.¡± Roman nodded his head agreeing with the idea. Uncle Naro then looked at Liam and said, ¡°You should as well.¡± Liam opened his mouth to disagree, but was stopped as Uncle Naro continued, ¡°You don¡¯t need to level the Focus Points themselves if you don¡¯t want to. You just need them so you can work on getting their Mana Types Mastered. As a Crafter it will be essential for you to have them.¡± ¡°But won¡¯t having them unlocked affect my growth?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Not if you don¡¯t focus on them entirely,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°Like I said, you don¡¯t need to focus on leveling them. As long as you don¡¯t get them to level ten it won¡¯t be an issue.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°You all know about your Mystical Landscape and the roots growing right?¡± Uncle Naro asked. Everyone nodded their heads. ¡°Well, those roots are what create your foundations for your future growth. When they first appear they are weak,¡± Uncle Naro explained. ¡°As you level them those roots will strengthen and grow. At level ten they are considered to be strong enough to be added to your foundation and are rooted into your future growth. So long as you do not reach level ten they will have no hold on that.¡± ¡°But then why have them if you do not plan to root them into your growth?¡± Roman asked, still not sure why Liam should do this. ¡°While it would be something no one else would do, Crafters need it in order to get the Mana Types so they can channel or manipulate the Mana Types during crafting sessions,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°Then should he unlock other ones besides the Elemental Focus Points?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°No,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°While I said unlocking the Elemental Focus Points would help him, anything else he doesn¡¯t plan on adding to his future growth would just clutter his roots. And the reason for that is, other Mana Types are considered more Focused Specialties. Elemental Mana Types are common and common Mana Types are always useful as Focused Specialty Mana Types are only needed for select people or creations. He will learn how to siphon Mana Types from others when needed later on, but for now it will be best if he focused on the common elemental ones.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes brightened at the mention of him being able to siphon Mana Types from others. That sound both extremely useful and fun to do. Sure he would have to wait to be able to do it, but now he had something to look forward to. Mercer wrote down the information and said afterwards, ¡°It sounds like the Crafter class is more complex than they led us to believe back in the Tutorial Area.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because those who don¡¯t know the true value a Crafter has will only look down on it,¡± Uncle Naro smiled. ¡°Alright, now let me tell you what all you need so you can get that done and get back here. We only have until tomorrow to get as much practice in as you can. On the ship you¡¯ll be limited to what you can practice.¡± Everyone nodded and left to do as he instructed. Liam unlocked the other Field of the Elements Focus Points and stared at them. While Uncle Naro had explained why he should get them and insisted he would be alright, he still had mixed feelings about it. Those mixed feelings were pushed to the side when Artem went up to unlock the Field of Barriers. Liam noticed his hesitation when he was up there. He looked at Mercer who caught it as well. When they locked eyes, Mercer leaned in and whispered, ¡°He mentioned to me about a certain Field of study he had read about but wasn¡¯t sure if he should get it. Both he and Avery had found it and thought about getting it, but he¡¯s hesitant on it because he¡¯s not entirely sure if it will help or hinder him.¡± ¡°Did he seek advice from Uncle Naro about it?¡± Liam asked. Mercer shook his head. ¡°He said he wanted to think about it himself and didn¡¯t want his decision to be based on what someone else thought.¡± While Liam could understand that, he also thought it was a waste to not seek advice. Uncle Naro was a veteran when it came to things like this. However, he understood that Artem might not have wanted to seek advice from the man mainly because their classes were entirely different. After standing there looking unsure, Liam noticed a sudden change in Artem¡¯s facial expression. At first they had widened a bit then hardened then he looked relieved. Liam thought about why his face had gone through those changes but then realized he was talking to Eri. She would have some advice and know what to say to him that wouldn¡¯t make him think someone was planning his path for him. She must have given him the pros and cons of the specific Field of Study and let him decide on it. After a few seconds he turned away and looked resolved. ¡°All good?¡± Liam asked. Artem gave him a smile as he responded, ¡°All good.¡± He then looked at Avery and Mercer and said, ¡°I went through with it.¡± Both of them nodded and gave him a warm smile. ¡°Went through with what?¡± Roman questioned as Avery went up to unlock her choices. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Artem replied. After they were all done, they quickly made their way back to Uncle Naro. Blair had unlocked the Field of the Berserker, Roman unlocked the rest of the elemental Focus Points as well as Field of Reinforcement, Mercer unlocked the Field of Senses, Gimmel the Field of the Bard as well as Field of Senses, and Ariyana unlocked Field of the Dancer. Ariyana was confused by that since she thought it was a battle style and not an actual Field of Study. It turns out that like Magical Field of Studies there were Field of Studies focused more on physical things. The Field of the Dancer was one such example. As for Avery, she unlocked Field of the Senses, and the surprise Field Artem did as well. To her¡¯s and everyone¡¯s, minus Gimmel, surprise though, her Field of the Senses was completely different than Ariyana¡¯s and Mercer¡¯s. Gimmel had explained that for Fields of Studies did that. While one person would be granted certain Focus Points others would be given different ones. For many they would get the basics if it was something they unlocked at the beginning of their journey. It was a sign that the Field of Study didn¡¯t have a path carved out for them yet. For those that received different Focus Points than the others it was a sign the Field of Study was a right choice and was already working to help strengthen a foundation for their path. After getting back to Uncle Naro he had them tell him everything they had received to see if everything went without any issues. When Avery told him about the different Focus Point choices she had received he looked like he had already planned for it to happen and was happy with the outcome. His only surprise was when Artem revealed what other Field of Study he had chosen. It was called Field of Forces. Adventure 263 - Having some time to show off new abilities Uncle Naro stared at Artem after he had revealed to him what he had picked up along with the Field of Barriers. He didn¡¯t have his usual smile, nor did he look upset. Instead he had a neutral expression, barring anyone from knowing what was going on in his mind. This had brought silence to everyone. They didn¡¯t expect this kind of reaction. While Artem waited to hear what the bear of a man wanted to say, they did as well. However, they stood by his side showing their unity. Even Gimmel, who was usually unsure of where to stand, stood with them. Uncle Naro took note of this as he looked them over. As his eyes landed back on Artem he started, ¡°It looks like everyone was aware of you making this choice¡­¡± ¡°Not entirely true,¡± Artem interrupted. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like he needed to clarify it. ¡°Mercer knew I was on the fence and what Field it was. The others only know the reason why I didn¡¯t come to you and ask.¡± Uncle Naro raised a brow. ¡°Oh? May I ask why you didn¡¯t come to me and ask?¡± The tone in his voice slightly startled Artem. It wasn¡¯t one that sounded angry. Instead, to him, it was full of curiosity and interest to learn why. This made Artem feel slightly uncomfortable. Not in a bad way, but rather one where a child felt like they should have discussed a choice that affected their future with their parent before making it themselves. Artem didn¡¯t like that feeling. He swallowed and replied, ¡°First, I would like to say that I am grateful you are helping us with carving a path for our growth and class evolutions. While following your instructions on looking into our starting classes and more I came across some information that I found could help me with an aspect of my abilities.¡± As Artem stopped to gauge Uncle Naro¡¯s reaction he noticed the man nodded, encouraging him to continue. ¡°That aspect was my healing. I have two abilities that are aura based. One is from my Actual Field of the Healer and the other is my Zodiac ability, Healer¡¯s Territory ¨C Absolute Restore. After coming across the material on Field of Forces and seeing there was a Focus Point on Aura Force, I thought it might be helpful to my abilities. Plus after creating the Healing Sphere and Aqua Sphere and you instructing me on focusing my practicing with them towards auras¡­I just thought it would be a good fit.¡± Artem¡¯s momentum was starting to slow as he got to the end of his last sentence. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had a sound argument with picking the Field of Study and Uncle Naro¡¯s unchanging expression didn¡¯t help at all. After a few seconds, waiting to see if Artem would continue or not, Uncle Naro asked, ¡°Alright¡­But I still would like to know why you didn¡¯t come to me and ask about it.¡± Artem gulped. He took a couple of breaths, trying to steal his resolve. After he felt he had enough resolve he said, ¡°Because I felt that it was something I needed to decide for myself. I didn¡¯t want to feel like my choice on the field was decided by someone else and that I had control of my own path.¡± Uncle Naro¡¯s face finally showed a reaction. It confused everyone because what he did wasn¡¯t what they had expected. Uncle Naro had grinned. He then let out a loud belly aching laugh as he said, ¡°Well done.¡± Slightly stunned, everyone stared at the man. ¡°You¡¯re¡­you¡¯re not mad or upset?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Mad or upset?¡± Uncle Naro repeated. ¡°Why would I be?¡± ¡°Be¡­Because I didn¡¯t come to you first or ask for your opinion,¡± Artem stated. ¡°You know for an Orc, a Half-Orc even, you¡¯re pretty meek and self-conscious,¡± Uncle Naro suddenly stated. He then shook his head and replied, ¡°I have no reason to be mad or upset. Your path is your own. If you wish to seek my advice or go about it on your own. It¡¯s your call. I am just simply helping where I can and if you take that help is on you. Please do not think I am trying to control how you grow. I am simply trying to give you ideas on how to grow without you stumbling into walls as you do. The training I give you is only a courtesy I am giving due to out of respect to my little Crafter disciple. That and I took a liking to you all. I won¡¯t be offended if you decide to make your own choices or refuse to take on the training I give you.¡± Artem let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I will say that it was wise of you to get that Field. A little soon for what I had planned, but I did think to advise that Field of Study to you eventually,¡± Uncle Naro informed. ¡°For you to come across it and make that decision on your own shows you are really taking your ideals into consideration.¡± That bit of praise made Artem feel good. Uncle Naro looked at everyone else and asked, ¡°Did anyone else get anything we didn¡¯t discuss? Or feels the same as Artem here?¡± No one said a word. Liam eyed Avery for a brief moment but didn¡¯t linger in fear his looking at her would bring about an unpleasant situation. Instead, he figured he would ask her in private when Uncle Naro wasn¡¯t around. Which would be soon since Uncle Naro insisted everyone go back to the Mage Tower and practice their more destructive Magics there. Gimmel decided not to go with everyone. He opted to still work and get more familiarized with his puppets in the forest. After they had made their way back to building and procured a room for them all, Liam approached Avery. Before he could ask his question, Avery brought a hand up to stop him and said, ¡°I know what you want to ask. It has to do why I didn¡¯t say anything about my Field of Blood and the fact that I had also gotten Field of Force.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Like with how you haven¡¯t mentioned to him about your Shadow or Lunar Magic, my Blood Magic I recently found out is something I shouldn¡¯t flaunt around,¡± Avery informed. Everyone looked at her at those words. Avery noticed and let out a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t really tell anyone why, but what I can say is it doesn¡¯t have the best reputation and is tied to a few things not so¡­pretty.¡± Liam remained quiet as he hoped she would elaborate more on it. Avery saw the look in his eyes and decided to acquiesce as she let out a sigh, ¡°First of all, remember when I was afraid that with the magic I would turn into a Vampire, or it was associated to Vampires?¡± Liam nodded, remembering that conversation. ¡°Well, the place I appeared at when we all got separated when leaving the Tutorial Area had some information I came across about my Blood Magic,¡± Avery continued. ¡°Apparently people don¡¯t take too kindly to it due to the stories of those who had the field previously.¡± ¡°What do you mean stories of those who had the field previously?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Well, the majority of the stories I came across always lead to two things depending on how you received the Field of Blood,¡± Avery said. ¡°The first method, and quite frankly I agree why people don¡¯t view the Field of Blood so kindly, is through acts of drinking the killed enemies blood.¡± Ariyana¡¯s face went pale as looks of disgusts appeared on everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°That is disgusting,¡± Artem stated. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re joking right?¡± Ariyana questioned. Avery shook her head. ¡°I wish I was. For the longest time people believed that was the only way to get the field. Many who wanted that field would partake in this ritual until finally they received it, however, what they didn¡¯t know was¡­there was a price taking that route.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Avery nodded her head. ¡°They would have a crave for blood. The urges for it would happen even outside of dungeons. It would get so bad that they would kill innocent people for it. And eventually after consuming more and more of it their race would transform them into a Vampire.¡± Everyone stared at her. They were both dumbfounded and appalled at the thought of people willingly drinking blood to the point of it making them kill people for more just to satisfy their hunger. ¡°What about the other one?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Hm?¡± Avery muttered. ¡°Ah the other one is it is linked to a Clan that actually receives the field as a racial benefit.¡± Liam looked at Avery. ¡°Like the Crimson Elves?¡± Avery stared at Liam for a long moment. With a sad look she shook her head. ¡°No. The Crimson Elves are more fire based in nature than blood.¡± Everyone looked at her again, confused by this information. ¡°But you received it when your race was revealed right?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Yes. I thought it was a racial benefit as well, but the actual race that receives it as a racial benefit is an old and powerful one. One that apparently hasn¡¯t been seen in a New Arrival¡­at least not that I know of.¡± Liam contemplated what she was saying. So the reason why she didn¡¯t want to reveal her Field of Blood was because people would think she drank her enemies blood in order to get it. She could argue that she received it when her race was revealed, but without her having the actual race that it coincides with, no one would believe her. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°So what do you plan on doing then?¡± Liam asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Avery inquired. ¡°I mean you have the Field of Blood. We know you didn¡¯t receive it through nefarious means,¡± Liam said as he pointed to everyone here. ¡°Are you going to refuse it and not use it? Or are you going to let it grow and become part of your arsenal?¡± Avery looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°I¡¯m going to grow it of course. I just figured I¡¯d practice it when there weren¡¯t prying eyes like I assumed you were going to do.¡± Liam smiled at her. ¡°By the way, why didn¡¯t you tell Naro you had Shadow and Lunar Magic? Also that you already received a Class evolution?¡± Avery asked. ¡°All three are complicated matters,¡± Liam stated. He then explained everything he had found out through Eri and Vesely on their respected matters and knowledge. He also informed them what he had discovered about his new Class abilities and what he had made. They all looked surprised and interested in what he had said about his discoveries. Mercer was concerned about his reveal on his only method of replenishing his Spirit Pool and that he needed to collect the Spirit Orbs to both replenish and use for his class abilities. ¡°So then we¡¯ll need to make sure that you can collect the Spirit Orbs when Naro isn¡¯t around right?¡± Mercer asked. Liam nodded. He then explained to them the plan he and Eri had made to hide his Shadow Magic and why it was necessary for him to learn this Crafter Battle Style from Uncle Naro. As he went into this he decided to tell them that he was a part of an underground association, but he couldn¡¯t tell them what due to security issues. Security being Silky. They all agreed it was wise he didn¡¯t tell them everything and that they understood if he had to disappear every now and then when visiting cities or towns. Mercer looked like he was going to explode since his curiosity was getting the better of him on this underground association, but he redirected it to a new question. ¡°What about your Lunar Magic and Spirit Weaver abilities?¡± Mercer asked. Liam stared at him. While he could use Spirit Weaver for his Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web his other Class abilities were just sitting there. The same could be said about his Lunar Magic. He didn¡¯t want to have it be left in the dust as his other abilities grew. After thinking it over he looked at Mercer and just shrugged. ¡°To be honest, until I can figure out when and where I can openly use them¡­I will just have to stick to places like this and dungeons no one can see me to use them and practice them,¡± Liam replied. ¡°In certain dungeons and situations I will probably still use my affliction spells because they are too good to not use them, but for the most part I am going to try and master what I learn from Uncle Naro so I can play the part.¡± ¡°Seems like a wise choice,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Speaking of your Class abilities¡­can I see it in action. The Soul Crafting that is.¡± Everyone turned to look at him, curious and wanting to see it as well. ¡°Alright, I guess I can show you,¡± Liam said. Liam activated his Mobile Crafter and chose the Blacksmithing option. A small Blacksmithing workshop like area appeared in the place he chose was a good place. Stones began to push up and form into a small domed forge with a chimney. A second area had formed into a flatter version of the domed forged as an anvil appeared in between the two. A small area close by the flattened forge had pushed down making a small pit. Liam¡¯s face scrunched as he thought about what would normally go in that pit close by the Smelter. Before he went to start the fire in the forge he looked at everyone and said, ¡°Before I light it up I want to show you the difference between the flames. First is my regular Light and Burn spell.¡± He chanted the Light and Burn spell and created a regular small flame on the palm of his hand. ¡°Yes, yes, we all know what a regular flame looks like,¡± Roman commented. ¡°Show us what we really want to see.¡± Liam shook his head and smirked as Ariyana appeared behind him and smacked the Kitsune behind the head. He shook his head before looking back at his Blacksmithing area and guided the flame into the forge, lighting it up. He took in a deep breath and as he slowly let it out he closed his eyes. He activated his Phantom Sight as he opened his eyes, making everyone¡¯s gazes fall right on them. ¡°What?¡± He asked as he looked at them. ¡°Your eyes,¡± Ariyana started. ¡°What about them?¡± Liam asked as he raised a brow. ¡°They are glowing a beautiful ghastly green,¡± Mercer replied, seeming entranced by them. ¡°Are they?¡± Liam asked, confused, and concerned about that. If his eyes glowed that color then he definitely needed to be careful when using this ability. ¡°Yeah,¡± Avery said in almost a whisper. Liam stared at her for a while. When he realized what he was doing he let out a cough and looked back at the forge. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know. I didn¡¯t realize they did that. I¡¯ll have to be more careful in the future.¡± Mercer and the others nodded. Liam took in another breath as he readied himself once more. When he was ready he whispered, ¡°Anima Forge.¡± Everyone watched as lines of ghastly green smoke poured out of his body as it ran up to his shoulders and down his arms. Liam, not paying attention to any of them, focused as he guided the smoke towards the forge. He made sure to guide the smoke to the base of the flame and reenacted what he did last time when he succeeded. To everyone¡¯s surprise and amazement, the color of the flame had turned from the familiar reddish orange color they knew fire to have and start to darken to a blue then to a dark green before matching the same color of his ghastly green eyes. When it completed its transformation an eerie and warm feeling pulsed out from it shocking everyone. Liam cut off the smoke, knowing he had successfully activated his Anima Forge. He was award with a notification telling him the ability leveled, which made him smile. He then looked at everyone and asked, ¡°Alright now that the forge is ready¡­who wants to see me make a Soul Core?¡± Everyone lifted their hand at once, which made Liam chuckle at the sight. ¡°I guess you¡¯re all eager to see this at play?¡± ¡°Uh yeah,¡± Roman stated as he swiftly looked at Ariyana to make sure she wasn¡¯t around him. Liam chuckled at Roman before looking back at his Anima Forge. He then gripped his Spectral Lantern as it manifested itself by his hip. He pulled it away from his body and focused on the Soul Orbs within. As he went through the list of Soul Orbs he decided to make a Soul Core from a creature he had recently fought before coming to this new place. The glass door on one of the side opened up and a small Soul Orb floated out, making everyone surprised. He realized they had always seen him suck the Soul Orbs within his Spectral Lantern but never seen him pull one out. Turning his attention back to the material he chose he looked and assessed it. [Flawed Soul Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. Item Type ¨C Crafting Material (Spirit).] Nodded at the material, Liam pulled up the notification he needed to begin the process of creating a Soul Core. [Soul Core Creation. Please pick the main component you wish to use in order to craft a Soul Core Orb.] Liam mentally chose the Flawed Soul Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo and read the next notification. [Main Component chosen: Flawed Soul Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. Materials Required: 10 Spider type Soul Orbs or 10 Toxo related Soul Orbs. Materials Available: Flawed Soul Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo x 35, Flawed Soul Orb of the Toxo Body Infiltrator x 27, Flawed Soul Orb of the Toxo Corpse Controller x 22, Flawed Soul Orb of the Toxo Disease Spider Carriers x 30. Please select 10 Soul Orbs you wish to use in crafting the Soul Core Orb.] Like last time, Liam noticed the colors and the words next to each option of materials. Each option of material to use had the word compatible, except for the Flawed Soul Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. That one had the words Very Compatible next to it with a dark green color. The other options were different. While they had the words Compatible they were a light green. ¡°Must be because they are Spider and Toxo materials but not the same Soul Orbs as the main component,¡± Liam muttered to himself as he mentally clicked on ten of the Flawed Soul Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. After doing so another notification popped up. [Soul Core Creation: Main Component ¨C Flawed Soul Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. Materials selected to forge: Flawed Soul Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo x 10. Soul Power needed to craft: 10 S.P. Chances to increase Attributes of final Product: 100%. Would you like to start the process to craft Soul Core Orb? Yes No?] Liam smiled. He got the answer he was wondering about during his first attempt at making a Soul Core. If the Soul Orbs were Very Compatible then the chances of the Attributes increasing were a hundred percent. He mentally accepted and readied himself for the next part. As soon as he accepted, he felt his Spectral Lantern hum. The main component he chose floated towards the middle of the Soul Flame inside the Anima Forge. Everyone watched with wrapped fascination as ten more Soul Orbs escaped from the Spectral Lantern before the door closed. Each of the Soul Orbs made their way in front of him, before going inside the Anima Forge. Each new Soul Orb that had entered the forge didn¡¯t enter the flame like the main component. Instead, they floated and slowly spun around the main component above the flame. They watched as ghastly green smoke poured out of Liam¡¯s body once more and made its way in a thin line down his arms and to his hands. They noticed that this time the smoke didn¡¯t move towards the flame or any predestined areas. Instead, it rolled off the palms of his hands and slowly disappeared like fog dispersing. Once the ghastly smoke started doing this he focused on manipulating and guiding the spirit smoke into the burning forge. Remembering what he needed to do, he thinned the smoke and started the process of filling each Soul Orb within the Forge. Everyone watched as Liam worked on his crafting project. They were amazed and shocked at what they were seeing. How the ghastly green smoke moved about within the Anima Forge. They held their breath afraid that if they made any noise they would ruin Liam¡¯s concentration and thus failing in crafting the Soul Core. As much as Mercer wanted to keep watching the process of how Liam made this, his attention was brought to the man himself. To be exact, his attention was on his eyes. The ghastly green eyes that glowed had a small thin trail of smoke rolling off from the corner of his eye lids. Not only that, but they were pulsing. He didn¡¯t know what that meant. He was both fascinated by this as well as concerned for his friend. That he knew of this whole Soul Crafting was new territory. While he knew Liam loved to craft and loved to make new things, he wasn¡¯t sure if this Soul Crafting was safe. Especially if it was making his eyes pulse a ghastly green while allowing some sort of smoke to leak out. Before he could think more on the issue, Mercer heard a gasp which made his look back at the Anima Forge. He realized he had missed a lot because the ten Soul Orbs that were floating around the eleventh Soul Orb shattered before the only Soul Orb started to spin. The flame inside the Anima Forge started to brighten making it hard for everyone to see what was going on. Liam, who realized while the flame was brightening that he was an idiot for forgetting to wear his goggles, squinted, but didn¡¯t close his eyes entirely. He focused really hard on the product he was making, making sure he didn¡¯t mess up. After a while he finally reached the end, which brought the brightness of the flame down allowing everyone to see the final product. Liam reached inside and pulled the product out and placed it on the anvil as chime sounds echoed in his mind bringing forth a few notifications. [Congratulations! You have successfully crafted Soul Core Orb ¨C Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo!] [Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo ¨C Filled. Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Flawed. Description ¨C An orb filled with the soul of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo. Usages: Bind this Orb into a piece of equipment or item to give it + 10% to attacks, + 10% to poisons, + 15% to Trapping Abilities.] [Congratulations! Non-Combat ability ¨C Spirit Channeling has reached Level 2! Progression 3: 0%!] [Congratulations! Non-combat ability ¨C Spirit Control has reached Level 2! Progression to level 3: 0%!] [Congratulations! Non-combat ability ¨C Spirit Control has reached Level 2! Progression to level 3: 0%!] Everyone stared at the object sitting on the anvil. They were fascinated, amazed, and even awestruck by it. All of that quickly turned to shock and fright when Liam scared them by pulling out a Soul Orb and using Devour on it right by their faces. Adventure 264 - One last Night of quiet training before the storm Liam smirked at their reaction. The smirk wasn¡¯t because he knew it would scare them, but because he had forgotten they had never really seen him use the ability to devour a Soul Orb before. Since he had forgotten that he didn¡¯t realize they would jump so high or scream at the sight of his shadow tendril with teeth. He was also thankful for all those times he had used Devour to replenish his Spirit Pool. It had reached level fifteen thanks to that, and the ability had developed an additional effect or rather it adapted its way of being used. The new addition to the ability allowed him to have a third Devour available only for devouring Soul Orbs to replenish his Spirit Pool if his other two Devours had been used on living creatures. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why or what brought this change on, but if he had to make a guess it would probably be because of the he had been using this ability mainly to replenish his Spirit Pool. He also wasn¡¯t sure how it was able to determine the difference between the two. Another mystery he needed to figure out when it came to the ability. He chuckled a bit after seeing their reactions. The others either had a hand on their chest and stared at him wide eyed or were openly glaring at him. He raised a hand up and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had completely forgotten you had never seen that before.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Avery asked, still glaring daggers at him. ¡°That was my devour ability,¡± Liam replied. ¡°I used it to devour a Soul Orb so I can replenish some of my missing Spirit Pool. ¡°Do you need to do that every time in order to replenish it?¡± Ariyana questioned eyeing Liam warily. ¡°Unfortunately, yes,¡± Liam responded. ¡°At least until I figure something out.¡± Ariyana shivered as she rubbed her arms and said, ¡°That sucks. That thing was creepy.¡± ¡°I thought the same thing at first, but¡­,¡± Liam started to say as a teasing grin started to form. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it¡¯s kind of cute.¡± Ariyana grimaced before looking away. ¡°So you took ten Soul Orbs of a creature and fused them together with one to make this?¡± Mercer questioned as he rediverted their attention back to the object Liam had just made. ¡°Kinda like that,¡± Liam replied. ¡°From watching the process and crafting it myself it¡¯s more like I melt down what¡¯s inside the Soul Orbs and bring it to the main component to strengthen it¡¯s potential before fashioning it into a useable object?¡± Mercer looked back at Liam with a raised brow. ¡°You don¡¯t sound too sure of yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not entirely sure if that¡¯s the best way to describe it. This is all new to me,¡± Liam stated. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of making this?¡± Blair asked as she went to assess the Soul Core. ¡°It says you can bind this into a piece of equipment or item, but why would you?¡± ¡°Is that all you can see?¡± Liam asked. With a confused expression, Blair assessed it once more before nodding her head and saying, ¡°Yes. It only gives the name of the object and a small description of it.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered. He then looked at Mercer and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± Mercer assessed it himself. He then tried to determine the value with one of his other abilities before his eyes widened. ¡°Yeah and I can¡¯t use True Value on it. I only get question marks.¡± Liam brought a hand to his chin and tried to think about why that was. His thoughts didn¡¯t get far as Mercer asked, ¡°Why? Is there more to the item that we can¡¯t see?¡± Liam nodded his head before he explained, ¡°Yes. Depending on the Soul Orbs I use to make the Soul Core, I can add sub-stats and increase effects. For example, This Soul Core, Orb of an Orb Weaver Trapper Toxo, when I bind it to a piece of equipment or object I can add ten percent to attack, ten percent to poisons and fifteen percent to Trapping Abilities.¡± Mercer¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing that. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying this is like an enhancement item to equipment or objects? Have you tried binding the first Soul Core you made yet?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No, apparently I haven¡¯t reached the required level to receive that type of skill or abilities yet.¡± Mercer nodded as he started thinking. ¡°I see. Then my advice is to practice this whenever you can. While you¡¯re here you should try to do it. Do you have enough materials?¡± ¡°I should have enough to do a couple more, but I will need to gather more materials in the future if I wish to raise this craft up high enough to try and get what we are seeking,¡± Liam informed. ¡°Alright, when we¡¯re in dungeons your main priority is to collect more Soul Orbs and when we reach the end of a dungeon, if we have time, you should forge out a Soul Core to help level your Soul Craft,¡± Mercer said before looking at everyone else. ¡°Is that alright with everyone else?¡± A few shrugs and nods were given in response with a few, ¡°That sounds fine.¡± Or ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Although their responses weren¡¯t loud and were nonchalant-like, he knew they wanted to see what he could do with this new crafting option. The possibilities were as mysterious as they were intriguing. For the next three hours they each worked on the magics they wanted to focus on leveling. Mercer switched between his lower leveled Ice and Water Magic spells with occasionally practicing his Senses and Bard Magic. Ariyana worked on her illusion Magic and her new Plant spell. Roman worked on his new elemental spells leveling them up here and there. Blair worked on casting her Berserking spells while using Gravity Magic. Liam worked on his Shadow Manipulation while replenishing his Spirit Pool after each successful Soul Core Orb. Avery and Artem worked on their respected Magics, Avery with Blood, Fire, and Air and Artem with his Barrier, Water, and Healing, also worked tried out their new Force Magic. They had explained to everyone that the Field of Force had three Focus Points, but you were only allowed to pick one of three. While this field was considered as part of the basic Fields of Studies to pick from, it was also deemed a dangerous one if you didn¡¯t know what you were doing. If someone had picked it before they had any other fields or any training they would be stopped and advised to wait. What made this field dangerous to pick right at the start was because it was meant to help strengthen both your abilities or skills as well as your body or mind. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The three Focus Points to choose from were: Energy, Chi, and Aura. When explained further they had found each Focus Point had another name. Energy was also known as Life Force, which affected a person¡¯s health pool. Chi was also known as Physical Force which affected a person¡¯s Stamina Bar. The last, Aura, was also known as the Spiritual Force and affected their Mana Pool. They weren¡¯t entirely sure how each affected what they said they did, but it did mention that mixing these forces in anyway was dangerous and could have negative effects on a person¡¯s body, mind, or even their growth. While this warning was stated several times it never really explained more than that. Artem had chosen the Aura Focus Point of the Field of the Forces. Like he had explained to Uncle Naro, he had chosen it to help his understanding and strengthen the Aura abilities he already had. Avery, on the other hand, had chosen the Energy Focus Point. Her reasoning on choosing that Focus Point was due to her Field of Blood. Her Blood Magic required blood in order to use it. While she was away from everyone she had a hard time leveling the abilities due to not having any on hand. She had come up with the thought of using her own if the situation called for it, however, that would cause some issues. She didn¡¯t like the idea of cutting herself in order to use the magic she had. That¡¯s where the Energy Focus Point of the Field of Force came into play. After looking into it and reading it had to do with Life Force and was tied to a person¡¯s Health Pool she had believed it revolved around a person¡¯s blood. Blood was essentially the Life Energy of a person and could be related to a Health Pool. If that was the case then she could possibly find a way to strengthen her blood and her body in a way that if she needed to use her own blood then she could possibly not bleed out from using her own body as a source. Everyone was slightly worried that she had misinterpreted the whole thing and that maybe it didn¡¯t have anything to do with blood at all. However, their worries were alleviated when she started to practice with it and found that her Blood Magic resonated with it. At first it was just a feeling, but after making a small cut to allow a small amount of blood to swim out, she was able to feel her control over her blood strengthen and her Health pool stopped dropping. After that she worked with the small amount she had with the cut still fresh. During her time working with it she had a surprising discovery. Her health had grown a bit with the levels she had received with the two Fields. It had seemed that as she worked on her Energy Force and Blood Magic it was also leveling her Vitality sub-stat along with it. That kind of discovery held implications she wasn¡¯t entirely sure about, but she believed there was potential there. Every now and then, Liam felt his eyes wander towards her and watched what she was doing in between crafting and replenishing. He was surprised to see her thin a line of the blood she had control over and try to spin it around or swirl it. After some time she pulled out her sword and tried to wrap a thin line around the blade. It looked like a red swirl effect. Albeit, each attempt she made to do so, the blood she was manipulating smeared across the blade making her lose control over it. After watching a few attempts, Liam¡¯s curiosity got the better of him. He stopped what he was doing and made his way over to her. After reaching her, he asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Avery turned her gaze from the blood she was focusing on towards him. ¡°Hm?¡± Liam pointed to the line of blood she had pulled away from the blade. The liquid looked to be wanning from a perfect line to little orbs separating from the line. Avery quickly looked back at the blood and focused harder to make sure she didn¡¯t lose control. As she focused on this, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m trying to see if I can coat my blood on my blade. I thought if I could do that, then I could use my Blood Magic easier and in a way no one could tell. However, every time my blood touches my blade it mixes with the metal, and I lose control over it. I have to concentrate harder just to pull it off the weapon.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered as he thought about what she was trying to do. Avery noticed the look in his eyes and asked, ¡°Do you have any ideas that could help me work on that?¡± Liam stared at the blood and her blade. He thought about the time he watched her circle the blood around it right before the crimson liquid bled when touching it. Every thought and idea he had was not at a level she was at with her control and manipulation. She would need to work on leveling that in order for her to get where she wanted to be with it. However, there had to be a way she could practice with the intention of it leading to that. Liam let out a sigh as one idea appeared. It was a tedious one that would require her entire focus on it. However, if she was able to do it and finally reach a level that could led her to what she wanted to do, then she would be able to pull off more than she thought. ¡°I don¡¯t have an answer that could lead you to what you what right away, but¡­,¡± Liam started as Avery turned her gaze on him. While she was trying to fully focus on what she wanted to do, she was eager to hear any ideas or advice. Liam continued, ¡°Instead of trying to bring the blood to the metal, why not try to get it as close as you can and practice moving both the blood and the blade. I think it will help with both your manipulation and control over the blood as well as help you get an idea on how to move both together as one.¡± Avery thought about it. She looked back at her rapier and the blood. After thinking about it she nodded. She liked the idea, and she also understood the possibilities it could bring. She asked, ¡°How close should I try to bring it?¡± Liam thought about it and then replied, ¡°Try a couple of inches away and slowly bring it closer as you practice moving it and the blade around. After you start to get comfortable bring it closer and closer until its barely touching it. that way it¡¯s not close enough that you fail from a twitch or a random spasm.¡± ¡°Alright. Thanks,¡± Avery grinned. Liam waved before turning around and walking back to his forge. Thoughts of his Shadow Manipulation started to swirl in his mind. Just that one interaction and hearing what Avery wanted to do with her Blood Magic brought on ideas he didn¡¯t think were possible. At least for the moment they weren¡¯t. Not until he grew his own control and manipulation over the subject. A grin formed on his face. He was excited to try something new. Something he could use to increase his creativity with shadows. If he tried what Avery was doing then maybe he could also do more with other weapons as well. There was only one way to find out, however, he needed to raise the level higher first. After spending time working on their abilities, Liam and the others made their way back to Uncle Naro and Gimmel. He was in a good mood since he was able to level his Soul Core in Soul Crafting, Anima Forge, Mobile Crafter, and Shadow Manipulation up a few times. He still wasn¡¯t at a high enough level that he was able to learn anything new from his Soul Crafting, but he was still happy with leveling it as much as he did. The others were happy with their progress as well. Avery was a bit frustrated with her progress with moving her blade and line of blood in sync, but she was able to move it around slowly enough to not get them to mix. Artem¡¯s progress with the Aura Force in Field of Force wasn¡¯t a lot, but like Avery he was able to understand a small bit of it that it helps raise his Mana Pool some. Ariyana, Mercer, and Blair didn¡¯t get any breakthroughs that helped them get something new, but they both were able to get more familiarized with the Focus Points and Fields they worked on. Roman on the other hand was getting great progress with his training. After leveling the Focus Points he had gotten from Field of the Elements he switched back over to working with his Lightning Hand. He practice with it while doing punches. As he did so he not only raised his Manipulation and Control over it, but he was able to move the Lightning Hand faster than he was able to the last time he practiced with it. He was slowly integrating it with his fighting style that it looked like he had grown a third hand that wasn¡¯t magical. After getting back to Uncle Naro they each informed him of the success they had. Except for Liam and Avery, who hid the parts they weren¡¯t going to share, they told him everything they did work on. Happy with their progress he told them to get some rest after eating the meal he had prepared for them. Except for Liam who he had some equipment for him to repair before bed. Liam smiled at the pile. It wasn¡¯t as small as earlier and majority of the items looked to have more problems than the ones he was given before. He dove right into the pile without complaint. It had taken him a few hours and while he worked hard on the pile he had got to enjoy a drink Uncle Naro helped Artem make as well as listened to the tunes Mercer practiced. All in all it was a pleasant night for them. One they would wish to still have after experiencing what was to come. Adventure 265 - Unexpected news and a change to the destination Liam woke the next morning to the sounds of Uncle Naro calling for them to get up. At first, Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. Uncle Naro¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound distressed, but it also didn¡¯t sound too happy. After finally getting up and out of bed, Liam made his way out of the tent to see the others doing the same. Those who hadn¡¯t camped out with them before during these couple of days decided to last night to make it easier to eat breakfast and get ready for departure. After everyone fully came out from their tents, still in their pajamas, they looked at Uncle Naro who was sitting next to a fire that he had recently started. With a yawn, Liam asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? Is everything alright?¡± Uncle Naro lifted his gaze from the fire pit and towards them. ¡°Yes, sorry. I had just received news from my friend and wanted to inform you of some changes that have come up?¡± ¡°Changes?¡± Mercer asked as he and the others sat down. Uncle Naro nodded his head. ¡°She and her ship were supposed to arrive here today, and we were to make way after they stocked up on some supplies. However. That plan has changed since they were delayed due to some unanticipated events out at sea.¡± ¡°Unanticipated events?¡± Mercer repeated as he looked at the man. ¡°What kind of unanticipated events could delay a ship of people?¡± ¡°The kind that either stops ships from coming to shore due to high traffic or restrict access to port,¡± Uncle Naro stated. Everyone looked at him confused. They were not sure what he meant nor what he was talking about. When it came to anything to the sea their knowledge was lacking by a lot. ¡°Can you explain it better? What do you mean by high traffic or restrict access to port?¡± Liam asked, trying to gain a sense of understanding. ¡°There have been rumors going around recently of islands with dungeons either crumbling and deteriorating, essentially destroying anything on the island or transforming into something new entirely,¡± Uncle Naro started to explain. ¡°Well, I guess transforming into something new entirely isn¡¯t exactly accurate. It¡¯s more like the island regained all the lost resources that it once had before people took them. The animals, plant life, ores¡­everything just magically reappeared as if they were never taken before.¡± ¡°Deteriorating an entire island? Like a poison or a plague was spread?¡± Ariyana questioned still trying to grasp the situation. Uncle Naro shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard much of a toxin or poison that could do that to not just life or object but to a dungeon as well. It also doesn¡¯t sound like something a poison, or the like could do. I don¡¯t have all the information, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that.¡± ¡°What about the other issues? Materials, plant life and the like suddenly reappearing. Any clues as to what could cause that?¡± Mercer asked. Uncle Naro thought about it. He looked like he had some ideas, but after a shake of his head he said, ¡°Not entirely.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Roman interjected. ¡°I¡¯m still not fully awake and a little lost, but what does all of that have to do with your friend¡¯s ship being delayed?¡± To Uncle Naro¡¯s surprise it was Mercer who answered, ¡°If I had to gather a guess. Due to the islands either having no room for docking or not allowing anyone on the island, they couldn¡¯t gather supplies to continue their way here. Making them turn back around to an island or continent that they had previous been to that allowed them to dock before attempting their way in this direction.¡± Uncle Naro nodded his head. ¡°A lot of her supplies were nearing their limit and if they tried to push on then they would reach their expirations. Adding in the damages from fighting monsters. They need to repair their ship.¡± ¡°Makes sense. So what do we do now?¡± Artem questioned. ¡°We make our way to them,¡± Uncle Naro stated. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he was still tired or missed something, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how they would do that. So instead of trying to figure it out he just asked, ¡°How do we do that?¡± ¡°We take a Teleportation Portal to the next island that has a Dungeon Tower, spend a day there and then take another one to a different island do it again and then finally take one to where she is,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°That¡¯s what I think we should do. It will give her enough time to fix her ship and plan out all the supplies she needs, and you all can get some work together inside a dungeon and more practice what do you think?¡± Liam looked at the others. They were now starting to look fully awake as they looked at each other. Not seeing any issues with the new plan, Liam turned to look back at Uncle Naro and said, ¡°Sounds good to us. We could use a good dungeon run to get back into the swing of things.¡± Everyone nodded at Liam¡¯s words as Uncle Naro liked their response. He then stood up and announced, ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s have some breakfast, break camp, and then head for the Teleportation Area.¡±
Liam stepped forward and through the teleportation portal into a new room. Like the last one, this one didn¡¯t have much to make it stand out. it was a plain room with white marble looking flooring, walls, and ceiling. However, instead of having a window it had a few Yooperlite Stones placed throughout the room. An elvish man stood at a desk with a human man by his side. They both wore matching uniforms of grey and blue. They both looked at Liam as he stood staring at them. They were about to say something but stopped as everyone else started making their way through. Their gazes were neutral until Uncle Naro stepped through. They widened as they took in the entire group. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Is that everyone?¡± the human man asked as he held his clipboard. ¡°It is,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°Right then, manner of business here in Felis?¡± The human asked. ¡°Adventure,¡± Uncle Naro answered. ¡°I am having this group here take on a couple of Dungeons for practice and experience before we leave tomorrow for the next island.¡± The elvish man didn¡¯t take his eyes off of Uncle Naro as the Human wrote down his response. ¡°Alright, we just need to take a quick peek at your identifications, and we¡¯ll have you on your way.¡± Everyone pulled their Adventurer Identifications out and handed them over to both the Human and the Elvish man. Once when the Elvish male looked at Uncle Naro¡¯s identification, he went to open his mouth, but stopped as Uncle Naro said, ¡°Are we good?¡± The Elvish man noticed the look in his eye which prompted him to not say what he was going to say, but instead nod and reply, ¡°If you wish to head to the Adventurer¡¯s Association then just make a right three blocks down, then a left two down, and a right four after that. It¡¯s not a big one, but you shouldn¡¯t miss it. We do not have a Merchant¡¯s Association nor a Crafter¡¯s Association, but the market place we have here will have anything related to them if needed.¡± Uncle Naro nodded his head as he smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for that information. How about inns?¡± ¡°There are a few in town. Majority of them are near the Adventurer¡¯s Association. Any near there are worth the price, especially if you¡¯re just here for the day and are leaving tomorrow,¡± the human answered. Liam and the others made their way out of the room and through the building after that. The moment they stepped out the hot sun came down on them. The smell of salt in the air and the sound of waves ebbing and flowing gave them the sense that they were closer to the ocean than they were back in the other city they came from. Traffic of people and creatures pulling wagons filled the street and sidewalks showing the city was full of life. Shouts of sales, chatter of citizens, and annoyed voices filled the air. The buildings were made out of wood and the businesses around them looked to be booming. Out in the distance over the roofs of the town Liam could see trees. He surmised that there was a forested area like the places he¡¯s already been to. ¡°Mmm, can you feel that breeze?¡± Ariyana asked as she closed her eyes and took in the soft breeze that flowed over them. They each took it in and felt cooled down from the sun thanks to it. ¡°Alright, so what are we going to do first? Get a room? Or are we going to make camp like the last place?¡± Mercer asked as he turned to Uncle Naro. ¡°Since we¡¯re not going to be here for long grabbing a room should be fine,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°You¡¯ll want it after all the dungeon runs you will be doing today.¡± ¡°All the dungeon runs?¡± Roman asked with a raised brow. ¡°Yes,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°After grabbing a room we¡¯ll head down to the Adventurer¡¯s Association and have you get a few quests to complete. Liam, I want you to get some Harvest quests. It will help you understand how to harvest more monsters as you grow the ability.¡± Liam nodded his head in response. He agreed he needed to gain more knowledge and the best way to do that was by getting gathering quests. Not wanting to waste any more time, they made their way towards the inns they were told about closest to the Adventurer¡¯s Association. After securing a room and placing some of their stuff in the rooms they all met in front of the inn. The rooms were limited so they split it in a way where the girls got a room, Uncle Naro, Gimmel, and Roman got a room, and Mercer, Liam and Artem got a room. The boys had to pick straws on which room they were separated into. As much as Liam respected and grew to like Uncle Naro, he didn¡¯t like the fact that the giant man snored like a bear. They quickly made their way to the Adventurer¡¯s Association, listening to Roman¡¯s grumbles and slightly making fun of him about it. Once they entered the building they understood why the two men from earlier had said it was smaller. The length of the building was smaller, and the building was one story compared to the one in Cashat Port. The sitting and eating area was cut in half and the amount of people working in this location was less as well. Even though the building was smaller, and the staff was smaller, the quest board was still full of quests and there were plenty of people grabbing what they believed would be best for them. Uncle Naro led the group to a section of the Quest boards that didn¡¯t have many people and looked over what there was. After looking over each of them he turned to Liam and the others and said, ¡°Go ahead and grab the Aqua Wolf Pelt collecting Quest, the Windy Roc Feather Collection quest, the Tree Logging Gathering quest, the medicinal herbs gathering quest, and the Wave Rider Crab Hunting quest. After you finish those we will see if there is any time for more, but I think this should be a good start.¡± Mercer nodded before grabbing each quest Uncle Naro had listed off. They then made their way to the counter to register for the quests. Besides Uncle Naro, the staff graciously admitted them to their requested quests. Apparently the staff were excited these quests were taken and even offered a slightly higher pay upon completion because no one bothered taking these ones any more since they were beginner type quests. After they left the counter, Uncle Naro explained, ¡°I picked these specifically for two reasons. One was for the fact that they looked like no one had taken them in quite a while. Usually when there are quests that sit around for a certain amount of time the completion reward will rise because they need the supplies from them. For the Hunting one, there is a specific material that drops from it that the Association can use. Well, sell to crafters. The shell.¡± ¡°The shell?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Yes, the shell has some armor like qualities. The Wave River Crab¡¯s shell can sometimes have Water properties on it if you¡¯re lucky. They are a good source to sell to crafters who are interesting using the material to make certain items, but we¡¯ll talk more about that another time,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°As for the second reason why I chose these quests for you is because they will serve as good practice to see how your new abilities and skills work as well as to help you relearn your teamwork.¡± The group looked at him and took in what he was saying. While a good challenge was always great for them and was up their alley, taking on quests that were easier than what they were used to would help them connect, learn, and readjust their teamwork. During their fight against the Toxos as well as the undead creatures they controlled, while they were able to fight well together like in the past, Liam did feel like they weren¡¯t in sync. Especially him who had practiced fighting by himself for a bit. He also needed to test out what Uncle Naro had been teaching him these past couple days with the Cleaver, Hammer, and Axe. He wasn¡¯t completely comfortable using them in a fight, but if he didn¡¯t get practice in switching between each Tool Weapon, then he would never get better proficiency using them. ¡°Also, I would like to give some advice for your future,¡± Uncle Naro started back up again, bringing their attention back to him. ¡°If there is anything I think you should always do whenever you go to new Adventurer¡¯s Association; Even if you¡¯ve become powerful, I believe you should always look for quests no one picks up anymore. While you would be overqualified to do them, it would not only help the Association out, but you could use them as solo practice to try new things out.¡± Liam and the others took in his advice. What he said made sense. Practice was always great and while fighting harder opponents could yield great results, there was always a chance you could make a mistake and either get hurt or worse¡­die. Taking on lower quests that no one took anymore could reduce the risks and help you understand flaws or mistakes in your attempts. Liam nodded in agreement with the idea. He would take that to heart and do as he advised. ¡°Before we head out I have one last thing to add,¡± Uncle Naro started back up before looking at Liam. ¡°When taking on the Wave Rider Crab, I want no one to engage with it except for Liam.¡± Adventure 266 - To the Crab Beach! ¡°Are you serious?¡± Ariyana, Avery, Gimmel, and Mercer questioned with wide eyes as Artem, Roman, and Blair raised a brow. ¡°Quite,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°While the creature is a boss monster in the dungeon and is stronger than its normal mob version, it is a good creature to test your limits out after using them during the fights before it. I am also limiting your use of magical abilities well. You are to use only the weapons I have had you practicing with these past couple of days and can use only Crafting skills and abilities.¡± ¡°Can he really take on a boss like that at his level using only what you are limiting him to?¡± Gimmel asked swiftly, concerned for Liam¡¯s safety. Uncle Naro nodded his head as he looked at the youngest member of the group. ¡°If he is serious about learning my Crafter¡¯s Fighting style then he will need to get used to what he has. This world is not fair and there are times when you will be separate from others and will have to face foes you are not properly equipped to fight against.¡± Uncle Naro looked back at Liam and said with a serious look and tone, ¡°A Crafter is adaptable and versatile while crafting. It is also true in a fight if one starts to learn to focus not just on the task at hand, but also their surroundings.¡± Uncle Naro smiled. ¡°I want you to learn and understand this early on before you start to develop bad habits. My only advise for you is to learn that you are a Crafter, and the world is a material waiting to be used.¡± ¡°I am a Crafter, and the world is a material waiting to be used,¡± Liam quietly muttered as he thought about those words. The others stared at Liam as he thought about it. He nodded his head a few times before looking back at the bear of a man and said, ¡°Alright. I will give it a shot.¡± Not really liking it, Mercer stepped in and asked, ¡°Are we allowed to step in if he is about to lose?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°I may be giving him this as a challenge, but I am not callous enough to deny him any help from dying.¡± Mercer nodded his head in response. ¡°Alright, then we will not step in when he fights the Wave Rider Crab. Is there anything else we will need to do?¡± Uncle Naro shook his head. ¡°Not this time round. For today I want you all to spend some time reworking on your teamwork. The first dungeon will be Liam and the original group members. After that you will be splitting into smaller groups so Little Gimmel can rotate and get better synchrony with you guys. Restrictions will be placed on each of you so you can work on the things needed to further grow the foundation of your path. How does that sound?¡± Everyone looked at each other. Each of them didn¡¯t have any issue with the proposal. While they didn¡¯t like the fact they would have restrictions placed on them they saw the reasoning behind it. They also felt they could let Liam be the only one to have restrictions placed on him to help him grow. If he had to do why shouldn¡¯t they? When no one had any issues to say about the proposal, Uncle Naro turned and started out the building. ¡°Then let¡¯s head out. Time is wasting away, and you have a lot to do today. We¡¯ll have a lunch break after your second dungeon run today.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long for Liam and the others to reach the Dungeon Tower. Unlike the one in Cashat Port, this Dungeon Tower was only two stories tall. After they entered the building they saw the number of dungeons within were less as well. Not all of the colors were present, but there was something different about the dungeons here. They were two toned meaning they were Multi-Colored Dungeons. From what they could see each dungeon had a blue color mixed with them, meaning the dungeons had a water element to either the terrain or the creatures. The dungeons they saw were light blue and light green, light blue and light brown, and light blue and light yellow. Uncle Naro led them to the dungeon that was light blue and light brown. Like the Dungeon Tower in Cashat Port, there was a picture behind the Portal and a sign beside it. The picture was a sea with rocky ground. Three different Crab creatures were scattered on the mural mixed with the terrain. Crabs that resembled a Hermit crab lined up a rocky ground. Small weird looking crabs ran across the beach, and lastly a giant crab rested in the water as waves formed around it. ¡°Now before you all enter I wanted to give a little caution,¡± Uncle Naro started. Everyone turned to look at him and waited for him to continue. ¡°Even though the colors of these dungeons are light do not mistaken them as easy. Multi-colored dungeons have been known to increase in danger depending on what the dungeon is. Places like this won¡¯t allow low leveled adventurers in. Only after taking on a couple of dungeons and succeeding does the Association allow people to take these ones on. Okay?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°I wish you all luck then,¡± Uncle Naro smiled. ¡°Not that you¡¯ll need it. If you come back without succeeding I will have to question all of you and reevaluate your training. If that happens they just know you will wish I hadn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Words of encouragement huh?¡± Roman smirked as he took the warning as a challenge. ¡°That is both half correct and half wrong,¡± Uncle Naro stated as his smile turned a little less playful. ¡°I meant it when I said if you cannot succeed taking this dungeon on with a group of your size then you will need even harder training if you wish to take on any other dungeon.¡± Roman¡¯s smirk faded as he understood what he was getting at. Instead, he gave the man a nod before looking at the others and asking, ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?¡± Liam shook his head before focusing on the sign. Mercer, Avery, and Blair did the same to get a better look at what they were taking on. It read, ¡°Stoney Crab Beach. Dungeon Type ¨C Wave. Restrictions ¨C Party Amount allowed ¨C 7. Rules ¨C Survive and defeat the monsters of each wave. Defeat the Wave Boss Monster in order to move on to the next Wave location. Defeat the Final Wave Boss Monster in order to beat the dungeon.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°A Wave Type Dungeon huh,¡± Liam muttered as he looked at Artem, Blair, and Roman. They each smirked knowing what he was thinking. They had gotten some experience taking on a Wave Type Dungeon when they entered the Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs. They had to take on waves of Toxo Spiders in order to make it to the end where Vice worshiping Demon-kins were waiting. ¡°Let¡¯s go in shall we?¡± Mercer asked as he placed a hand on the Portal. A notification popped up in front of Liam, taking his attention away from everything else as Mercer did this. [Do you wish to enter Stoney Crab Beach with Party Members: Mercer, Artem, Avery, Ariyana, Blair, and Roman? Yes No?] A small bit of excitement and happiness swelled up inside Liam as he read the notification. He didn¡¯t realize he had stared at it longer than he should have and almost missed the fact that everyone had already entered the dungeon. He quickly accepted mentally and stepped through the portal. As Liam stepped through and reappeared on the other side he felt that familiar lurch in his stomach swirl and threaten to come up. He breathed out a few times to try and fight the feeling. He was successful as he felt the feeling recede and slowly looked at the others. Artem and Avery were hunched over, liquid escaping their mouths. Mercer and Blair stood up right breathing in and out slowly a few times as they pulled out a bottle of water each. Ariyana hand a hand against a rich dark rocky wall looking queasy but not showing any signs of liquid wanting to escape. Roman on the other hand was laying down on his back, arms and legs sprawled out on the ground. Before he questioned Roman¡¯s¡­interesting choices, he grinned and looked at the two who were starting to come around and said with some excitement, ¡°Upchuck¡­¡± That was when Avery swiftly pulled out her rapier and pointed it at Liam and said with a threatening voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­¡± However, Liam didn¡¯t let her finish as he quickly said, ¡°Strikes again.¡± Avery scowled and tried to reach forward to cut him but missed as Liam used Shadow Step to appear behind her, out of harms reach. Avery went to spin around and tried again, but as she spun her balance made her falter as she felt off due to the uneven terrain. Liam swift moved forward and out of the way of the blade as it pointed down at a forty-five degree angle and almost got him on the hip. Not wanting to stick around, he hopped over to Roman, looked down at him and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Roman opened his eyes and Liam noticed they were slowly spinning around before he squinted and replied, ¡°I had a sudden wave of dizziness after coming out so I figured I¡¯d lay on the ground and see if I can feel any creatures around us as we got our barring back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a smart idea,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Did you pick up anything?¡± Roman pointed down the rocky path they were on as he responded, ¡°Nothing super close, but I feel a faint rumbling in that direction.¡± Liam lifted his head up to look in the direction of where Roman was pointing and got a better look at their surroundings. They were currently standing on a rocky, uneven path with walls of rock and stone on both sides. The path was wide enough for them to be able to spread out without any issue if they needed to fight. Above them on the top of the rocky walls was nothing but clear blue skies and a hot sun beating down on them. A light breeze blew through the opening and over them bringing the smell of salt. Liam focused on his heightened hearing and could hear light waves crashing down out in the distance. He couldn¡¯t hear any other noise but that. ¡°Hm,¡± Liam muttered as he stared down the path to see if he could spot anything. Even with his heightened sight he could see anything out of place or out of the ordinary. ¡°Do you see anything?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Nope,¡± Liam responded as he shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I don¡¯t hear anything either.¡± ¡°Hm, okay,¡± Mercer responded before looking at Ariyana. Before he could ask his question, Ariyana had her response ready, ¡°I don¡¯t feel any plant life around that I can use.¡± Curious and confused, ¡°Liam asked, ¡°Plant life you can use?¡± Ariyana looked at him and gave him a look that told him that she had forgotten about something. ¡°That¡¯s right, you weren¡¯t there. When I became an Apostle of Eris, I received an ability in my Plant Focus Point that allows me to feel for any Plant Life and use them to scout as either eyes or ears¡­well the equivalent to a plant eye or ear that is. It¡¯s called Plant Force.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at that. ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool.¡± He then looked at the others and asked, ¡°What all did you guys get?¡± ¡°I received an ability called¡­,¡± Artem started to say until Roman interrupted him by informing as he stood up, ¡°Now might not be the best time for this. I feel the rumbles in the ground starting to grow and make their way to us.¡± Liam felt a bit annoyed, but he understood. He quickly pulled up the Dressing Room function and chose the armor he was going to wear for now. Besides some items he needed to eventually switch out, he had on the cloak he had gotten from the Ooze he had fought, the Toxo necklace, his potion leg halter, and a Crafter¡¯s Tool Belt Uncle Naro had gifted him. The Crafter¡¯s Tool Belt was bland with its single color of tan. The quality was crude, but that was to be expected since he was still a beginner. He would need to master the tools he could use at his disposal and learn more after that. For now he was only focusing on three. The Meat Cleaver, the Hammer, and the Axe. Each item hung on the loops that were on his side. However, each item was much smaller than their normal size. That is thanks to the Enchantments and Runes Uncle Naro placed on them. Liam didn¡¯t know what type of Enchantments or Runes were used or how they were used. When he asked Uncle Naro about it, he only stated that he would have to learn what they were, and how to recreate them. He did explain that thanks to their combination they were able to make any tool, placed in the loop, smaller than their normal size and would make it easier for the user to carry as many as the loops could hold. This was something he really liked after understanding it and really wanted to know how to make. He wanted to know if there were improvements, issues, flaws, and more. After asking Uncle Naro these questions, he was once more rebuffed by saying he would have to learn about them once he was ready. This had made Liam a bit disappointed, until Uncle Naro said that he should pay attention when he used it for himself. To watch how it feels when switching from tool to tool or when placing them back in. Even though the man did not say it out loud, he was basically telling him to figure out issues that he came across so he would be able to know what to correct when he was ready to make one himself. Liam¡¯s focus was now straight forward. He didn¡¯t pull out any weapons like the others since he had his instructions to use the tool weapons he was getting used to. Since he didn¡¯t know the type of monster they were about to come across he didn¡¯t pull any out. He did, however, activate his Perception of the Control Tower and was surprised to see everyone¡¯s stats. Compared to his, everyone¡¯s health and mana was higher by a lot. Just a reminder of the difference in Personal Levels. Not letting that sway his focus, he just smiled and focused on the real thing at hand. They were growing in a different way than he was. And that was good too. Those thoughts disappeared as he felt a rumble start to happen under his feet and on the sides of the walls. Trying to make sure his balance wasn¡¯t lost; Liam pushed his legs down and tried to keep his feet flat on the ground. After a few seconds had passed, the rumbling stopped making the pathway and the walls quiet once more. The group didn¡¯t move as they looked around, trying to spot any signs of movement. They didn¡¯t see anything. Liam, Blair, and Roman focused their hearing, but just like everyone¡¯s sight, there was nothing. Mercer slightly turned his head to Roman and asked, ¡°Picking up anything?¡± With a confused face, Roman said, ¡°No. Everything is suddenly silen¡­¡± Before he could finish that sentence, an explosion of rock and soil shot out from a few spots on the ground and two to three areas on the walls, revealing crabs that stood slightly taller than Artem and carried a massive dome shaped rock over their backs. Adventure 267 - Trying to get back into the swing of things As the terrain exploded with creatures appearing after the dust settle, Liam got a better look at. There were a total of six oversized rocks the stuck out from the ground and the walls. Each one had different designs. One swirled upwards like an ice cream, another was blocky, another was circular, and more. Shortly after the dust settled, six long legs emerged from the hole underneath the rock-like shells. A pair of hook-like pincers came out and around with a pair of stalky eyes and four whiskers underneath them. To Liam they looked exactly like oversized Hermit Crabs with rock shells for protection. He decided to assess them while they still had a moment to see what they were dealing with. [Stone Crusher Shell Crab. 780/780 HP. 64/64 MP. Level ¨C 10.] [Stone Crusher Shell Crab. 825/825 HP. 85/85 MP. Level ¨C 11.] [Stone Crusher Shell Crab. 780/780 HP. 64/64 MP. Level ¨C 10.] [Stone Crusher Shell Crab. 825/825 HP. 85/85 MP. Level ¨C 11.] [Stone Crusher Shell Crab. 780/780 HP. 64/64 MP. Level ¨C 10.] [Stone Crusher Shell Crab. 780/780 HP. 64/64 MP. Level ¨C 10.] Looks like they are the same kind of creature, and their different shells aren¡¯t indicators for something else. Liam thought. He then shouted, ¡°Stone Crusher Shell Crabs. A couple are level eleven while the rest are level ten. Health between high seven hundreds and low eight hundreds.¡± Liam¡¯s words reached the others as they readied themselves for a fight. Ariyana and Mercer took a few steps backwards as Blair and Artem stepped in front of the group. Avery and Roman stood on the outsides of the two in front as Liam placed himself in the middle. Before anything could happen, A purplish orb with a black center formed on the right side of Blair as an aqua colored orb appeared right behind Artem. These were the Gravity Sphere, and the Healing Sphere Blair and Artem were able to construct during their Mana Control and Manipulation training. Brandishing his wooden shield and mace, Artem rushed towards the first Stone Crusher Shell Crab as Blair gripped her axe and ran towards the other hermit crab-like monster closest to that. Artem jumped up right before coming within attacking range and swung down as hard as he could on the creature¡¯s shell. Blair did the same as her fellow Defender, except before jumping up she had her Gravity Sphere bounce against the rock-like shell. A smile grew on her face as she came down swinging her axe as hard as she could while forming a rocky scale coating over the blade. Liam noticed the slight change in the creature after the Gravity Sphere had made contact with the shell, but waited to hear the results After both Defender landed their attacks they jumped backwards to dodge the creature¡¯s hook -like pincers from crashing into their sides. Without wasting any time, Blair announced, ¡°Their shells act like armor. My Gravity Sphere acknowledges it as equipment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Liam responded. Before he could map out a plan of action for himself, he felt several new things happening all around him. He looked at the others and noticed sphere made out of their chosen Mana had formed except for Roman. He had only made a Lightning Hand and after seeing the creatures they were about to fight had rock like shells he looked frustrated that he couldn¡¯t use what he had learned. That didn¡¯t stop him as he channeled Earth Mana before chanting a spell that caused Spikes to emerged underneath one of the Stone Crusher Shell Crabs in the back. A low pitched tune with a strong hollow feeling to it suddenly filled the air, making Liam turn his sight back to see Mercer had a flute out and was already starting on the defensive buffs. To his surprise, the sphere that was next to him pulsed with visible music notes coming out from it. When the notes escaped the sphere, Liam felt the music Mercer was playing have a stronger effect. Instead of receiving the two point five percent buff to his Resilience he was familiar with, he received a twelve percent buff. The surprise didn¡¯t end there as the Resilient Defense song continued to play through the sphere as Mercer switched to a faster pace song giving him a seven percent buff to his Agility and Speed sub-stats. Liam wasn¡¯t sure how he was able to pull off playing two songs at once, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain about it. His focus then switched over to Ariyana as she chanted her Entangling Roots spell onto one of the Stone Crusher Shell Crabs no one had focused on yet. After roots shot out from the ground and wrapped around it, she channeled as much Plant Mana as she could before chanting another spell. ¡°Seeds of life I spread and call upon thee, Root into the earth and sprout up for me. Unleash the power hidden within, attack and destroy all the vermin. Pods full of ammo, Shoot to your hearts content. Pod Shooters!¡± Three seeds the size of Ariyana¡¯s palms appeared before her as they materialized. She then threw the seeds not too far in front of the creature. Each seed drilled into the rocky ground, disappearing from sight. A couple seconds later three dark green stems sprouted from the holes made from the seeds drilling. They grew three feet before finally stopping as the buds turned a whitish color and opened up. In the center of the pedals was a dark hole. Each flower then looked like it was taking in a deep breath before spitting out a hard object that flew faster than Liam thought could happen and smashed into the creature. After the first shots were fired, the flowers breathed in again and repeated the process over and over. At first they smashed into different spots of the shell, but after a few volleys, they were starting to land on the same spot over and over. Cracks started to form in these spots, causing the Stone Crusher Shell Crab to thrash harder trying to free itself. Liam took in this information before looking at Avery. Avery, while having a small fiery sphere follow behind her, raced over to a different Stone Crusher and swung her sword along certain divots and lines barely noticeable. She cursed before ducking and dodging a horizontal swing from one of its pincers, jumping backwards and channeling some Fire Mana. She then chanted a spell, forming a ball of fire on her palm. The fiery sphere that hovered by her side flashed a couple of times before sending a few small motes of fire into the fireball on her palm. Liam was surprised to see the ball of fire burn glow brighter and looked to be hotter than it was just moments before. He then watched as she threw the ball of fire right at the shell of the creature. As the Fireball made contact, it exploded and wrapped around the swirling rock-like shell. A charred black spot showed where the fireball had landed as steam rose off the location. The creature let out a screech as it flailed its hook-like pincers up and down while shifting left and right, almost like it was trying to put out a fire that wasn¡¯t there. As he stared at the creature¡¯s behavior, Liam came to the conclusion that the heat the fireball had left, must had heated up the inside. The more he watched the more he noticed little things that started to buzz inside his mind. The way the shells could have fire felt within even if the shell blocked the fire. The cracks that were forming on the shell of the Stone Crusher Shell Crab Ariyana¡¯s Pod Shooters were striking, and even Blair¡¯s announcement of her Gravity Sphere acknowledging the shells as equipment. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. If that was the case then maybe his Blacksmithing ability could be useful. He looked at the Stone Crusher Shell Crab Avery was fighting, activated Spot Frailty, and grinned. During his time thinking things over, Avery had landed three more Fireballs. Each spot had a yellow color signifying that the shell was starting to lose durability in those locations. He turned to look at the Stone Crusher Shell Crab Ariyana was fighting and saw the cracks were turning a dark red. Even the spots where Blair and Artem were hitting were catching up to the same color. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam muttered as he reached his right hand over the hammer on his belt loop. He then races over to the Stone Crusher Shell Crab Avery was fighting against and yelled, ¡°Heads up.¡± Avery jumped back to dodge an attack from the creature, turned her head to see Liam leaping forward. He pulled the hammer off the belt loop and gripped the small handle with both hands. A couple seconds later, the hammer¡¯s head bulked out as the handle grew in length. It went from a small construction like sized hammer to a small single handed War Hammer. Liam brought the weapon over his head and then back down as hard as he could on the spot he noticed was turning red. The force of the attack shattered the rough stone structure of the shell, revealing pure white fleshy skin. Not missing a beat, Avery chanted a Fireball spell, allowed the rest of her Firey Sphere to infuse with it and threw it at the exposed skin. Liam pushed against the shell and jumped away before the fireball landed. As the ball of fire collided against the skin, it sank into the shell and washed over the creature hidden within. As Liam¡¯s feet touched the ground he switched direction and ran towards the next creature. He locked on to the spot that was closest to being destroyed, swung his hammer behind him, got in as close as he could and then swung. A giant amount of shell exploded upon contact. Liam went to turn to rush towards the next creature, but as he did so his eyes widened as Blair¡¯s axe was heading for the spot where Liam had exposed. Blair tried to pull back on her swing and voiced a complaint as Liam dropped to his knees and slid up the swing of the weapon. ¡°Dude, watch where you¡¯re moving,¡± Blair complained after her weapon crashed into the monster, slightly above where she was aiming. With a grimace, Liam called out, ¡°Sorry, my bad.¡± He ran away from the fight and decided to head towards the next creature. It had several spots ready to be exposed and thanks to Ariyana¡¯s Entangled Roots holding it in place, the monster couldn¡¯t dodge the attack. However, as Liam jumped to hit one of the spots, he heard Ariyana shout out, ¡°Look out!¡± Liam turned his gaze to see an object flying straight for him. One of Ariyana¡¯s Pod Shooters had decided to attack the same spot he was aiming for and didn¡¯t stop when Liam jumped in to help. He took the attack on the back of his left leg as he continued forth with his own attack. He wasn¡¯t sure what these plants were shooting, but Liam found out first hand they were solid and hurt¡­ a lot. ¡°Shit! Are you alright Liam?¡± Ariyana called out as he landed. Liam moved out of the way as fast as he could before getting hit once more. He was glad he did because the Pod Shooter didn¡¯t care if he was in the way or not. ¡°They don¡¯t distinguish friend from foe?¡± Liam asked, slightly annoyed, but at the same time understood he was an idiot for not asking first. ¡°Apparently they don¡¯t,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. Sorry about that.¡± Liam waved a hand as he used his other to rub where he was hit. ¡°No, it was my fault for not asking first. But now we know. I¡¯ll leave this one to you.¡± Ariyana shook her head as she said, ¡°Sounds good.¡± Liam made his way away from that creature and towards the one Roman was fighting. It seemed that the attacks Roman was landing were doing damage both to the creature and its shell. He aimed for one of the spots on the shell that was ready to be exposed and ran for it. He yelled out a warning as he approached it and was thankful Roman heard him before he started chanting a spell. The spot he smashed his hammer on shattered a small area of the shell, revealing the creature¡¯s unprotected flesh. Feeling good about not getting in Roman¡¯s way with that attack, he went to make his way to the next creature until he noticed the Stone Crusher Shell Crab he had just attacked focus its ire upon him. The creature brought one of its hook-like pincers to the side and swung. Liam switched from using his Spot Frailty to Cleave. He locked on to a spot he could attack to cleave as he went to put his Hammer back and switch it to his meat cleaver. However, upon switching he felt a sharp tingle zap his fingers. He lost focus on what he was about to do to see what happened right as the hook-like pincer rammed right into him, knocking away from the fight and into the rocky wall. After colliding into the wall and sliding to the ground, the Stone Crusher Shell Crab charged Liam. He went to get up and was about to move out of the way but stopped as Artem rammed into the side of the creature¡¯s shell. He used enough force to knock it on its side. Blair took that moment to attack it with Avery by her side. Artem ran up to Liam and asked as he looked him over, ¡°Are you alright? What happened?¡± Liam thought back to what had happened as Artem chanted a new healing spell he hadn¡¯t heard before. Not really listening to his words, Liam remembered placing the hammer back on his belt loop and went to grab his meat clever tool weapon. That weird feeling he had got only happened when he went to pull out the meat cleaver. However, no matter what Liam tried to think, he couldn¡¯t figure out what had actually happened. A notification suddenly appeared in front of him before he could think any more on it. What was written on it gave him what he was looking for. [Warning! User cannot wield two different Weapons at the same time. User does not have a high enough level in Weapon Skill ¨C Hammer and Weapon Skill ¨C Cleaver to be able to wield both at the same time. User does not have appropriate skill or ability to wield two weapons of different calibers.] So the reason why I felt that zap was because I tried to use both the hammer and the meat clever? Liam thought as he raised a brow. That doesn¡¯t make sense. I know that I had put the hammer away before¡­ Before Liam finished that thought he remembered how long it took the hammer to take its actual shape. He hadn¡¯t thought there was a possibility of the same happening in reverse. This was the first time he had used the equipment as well as taking and placing the tool weapons in and out of the loop. They were already placed there when he received it. ¡°The possibility of that being the reason isn¡¯t low enough to discount,¡± Liam muttered as he slowly stood back up. ¡°There, all done,¡± Artem said as he looked at Liam who was brought out of his thoughts. ¡°Did you figure out what happened?¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°I have a vague idea I can go off of, but not entirely sure.¡± ¡°Well, whatever it was, don¡¯t let it distract you like that again,¡± Artem stated. ¡°We can¡¯t have you taking big hits like that. Also¡­you need to keep a better view of your surroundings. I know you¡¯re trying something new due to the restrictions given, but¡­we can¡¯t have you jumping in front of everyone while they attack. It¡¯ll cause friendly fire.¡± Liam shook his head. While he wasn¡¯t entirely happy about the comment, Artem was right. That hit alone took out a little more than a quarter of his health. Even if his resilience grew higher and he wore better armor, it wouldn¡¯t do much for his lower Health Pool. He was kind of like a glass cannon except he wasn¡¯t the heaviest hitter there. He was just glass. Not only that, but he didn¡¯t have any excuses for not paying attention to what his teammates were doing. He had just assumed that they would sync with whatever he was doing, or their attacks wouldn¡¯t hit him, but that assumption almost cost him his head and some lumps. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll have to do better,¡± Liam stated as he looked back at the battle field. As both he and Artem turned to look, they felt a tremble shake the ground beneath them. the last of the Stone Crusher Shell Crabs had just fallen. A little down the path an explosion of dust shot out into the air revealing six more of the same creatures. ¡°Hm,¡± Liam stated as he looked at them. ¡°I wonder how many we will need to fight before the first wave boss arrives.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for him to get his answer. Liam didn¡¯t attempt to switch between his tool weapons, opting to stick with the hammer. He focused on making sure he didn¡¯t in his teammates way as he attacked spots until they shattered and revealed the flesh underneath. This time he focused on a single target and created more exposed areas instead of switching after getting a single area before moving on to the next target. After they had finished fighting this next wave of Stone Crusher Shell Crabs, a new rumble shook the ground. This one was different from the last two. The reason for that became known as a single creature emerged from the left wall. This one was taller than the last creatures and was wider as well. The shell was completely different from the others as it looked like one massive piece of rock instead of a shell. Six long legs emerged and spread out from the hole as two long eye stalks came out with two meaty pincers and a gapping maw full of razor sharp teeth. As the creature revealed itself, Liam took the opportunity to assess it. [Mud Shaper Hermit Crab. 1,200/1,200 H.P. 540/540 MP. Level ¨C 13.] Adventure 268 - Mud Shaper Hermit Crab ¡°A Mud Shaper Hermit Crab?¡± Liam and Mercer muttered at the same time. ¡°A what?¡± Artem and Blair questioned as they readied themselves. ¡°A Mud Shaper Hermit Crab,¡± Mercer repeated. ¡°Judging by the name I believe it should have Water and Earth Magical abilities. The shell looks tougher than the ones we have currently fought against. We are going to need to test it to see if we can crack it. Liam, any ideas?¡± Liam was slightly taken aback by Mercer. He wasn¡¯t taken aback in a bad way or annoyed that he was taking charge, but just surprised since he hadn¡¯t done this before. Liam quickly thought about how to test it out. After looking at the creature that was still standing there, he started creating ideas on how to test the shell out. ¡°Blair, can you get into the air and try to hit the top of the shell as hard as you can? Artem, try and get the monster¡¯s attention so it doesn¡¯t focus on Blair when she makes her attempt,¡± Liam announced. ¡°Mercer, can you buff their Resilience?¡± ¡°On it!¡± Mercer responded as he recreated that same orb from earlier, before playing his song. Liam felt the effects of the song take hold as the music washed over him. He then turned his focus on Artem and Blair. Artem swiftly ran towards the giant hermit crab. A small Aqua Sphere followed close behind him as he ran. The creature¡¯s eye stalks focused on Artem as he ran. It went to lift one of its pincers as Artem approached striking range. Using the weight of its pincer, the creature slammed down as hard as it could to hit Artem. Artem swiftly lifted his shield up to block the attack and felt the ground sink slightly as the weight of the pincer came down. After he successfully stopped the attack, Artem swung his mace upwards, barely hitting the jaw. He then jumped backwards as he felt the pincer lift upwards. He dodged the second attack as the creature¡¯s pincer smashed into the ground. As Artem continued to keep the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab¡¯s attention, Blair materialized her wings, unfurled them, and jumped into the air. Her axe rested on her shoulder as she gripped it tightly. She made her way over the Wave Boss and as soon as she felt like she had a position, she readied her weapon, folded her wings and dived towards the creature. Before crashing into it, she sent some mana into the weapon, causing it to hardened up as rock-like scales formed on the blade, and swung her weapon with all her might over her head and down right onto the rock shell. A loud thud echoed around them. The Mud Shaper Hermit Crab¡¯s attention shifted from Artem and towards Blair right after the contact was made. As Blair began to move, the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab swung its right pincer in an arc to try and hit Blair. Everyone watched as a line of water followed the pincer¡¯s trajectory. Luckily for Blair, her wings pushed hard enough to miss the line of water. Liam and Mercer watched as the water landed on the rocky terrain. To their surprise the hard surface softened and sunk down a bit. Before either of them could say anything, the line created from the water rose up into four small balls of mud like substance. As the four mud balls finished rising into the air, their wet spherical form hardened. The Mud Shaper Hermit Crab¡¯s eye stalks followed Blair¡¯s movement before swinging its meaty pincer forward sending the four hard mud balls right at her. Blair didn¡¯t see them coming as she continued to make her way back to the group. ¡°Crap,¡± Liam muttered as he watched the hardened mud balls get closer and closer to Blair. An arrow suddenly flew past everyone and slammed into one of the mud balls. The hardened mud ball exploded upon contact. A stream of water swiftly shot through the air a moment later and pushed the second one towards the rocky wall. Blair¡¯s hearing kicked in as soon as she heard the two mud balls make contact with opposing forces and pushed her wings down, bringing her whole body up into the air right in time for the third and fourth hardened mud balls to fly past underneath her. She turned around and sneered at the oversized hermit crab before dropping down to the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be able to do that,¡± Blair stated. ¡°None of us did,¡± Ariyana agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll need to watch out for when it uses water. It made those mud balls after the water hit the ground and softened it up,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°Good work on stopping the first two, Mercer and Artem,¡± Liam stated before turning to look at the creature once more. He quickly used Spot Frailty to see if Blair¡¯s attack had any impact on it. To his disappointment, the attack barely did anything. He clicked his tongue before informing everyone, ¡°Mercer, you were right. The shell is a lot tougher. We might need to focus on hitting the same area or areas over and over if we wish to crack the shell.¡± ¡°I was afraid of that. What do you think we should do?¡± Mercer asked. Liam thought about it. So far he really didn¡¯t know all of their improvements or new spells. Since he was also limited with the restrictions placed on him by Uncle Naro he couldn¡¯t really think of leading or strategizing with everyone without having all the facts. He did notice something though. It had looked like Mercer had a better grasp on everyone¡¯s new skills and ability. If that was the case then he needed to do what he felt was right. ¡°Mercer, take the lead on this,¡± Liam announced as the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab started to move once more. Artem and Blair took the front once again, parrying the strikes as it got closer to them. ¡°What?¡± Mercer questioned as he, Ariyana, Avery, and Roman looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m not fit to lead this fight right now. I am ashamed to say it, but with the limitations placed on me, I¡¯m basically back to zero and have to readjust everything,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Mercer, you have a better grasp on things with everyone here. I¡¯ll just get in the way since I¡¯ll have to fight up front.¡± Mercer looked both surprised with the assessment and conflicted. While he did ask the others their new skills and abilities and how they worked, he had believed Liam did the same just like back in the Tutorial Area. He hadn¡¯t taken in the fact that since Liam was learning a new fighting style to help create the illusion that all he could do was use crafting abilities, that he didn¡¯t take the time to take in everyone else¡¯s new skills and abilities. He wanted to refuse, but after looking into Liam¡¯s eyes he could see that Liam had complete trust in him. He looked at the others who were still there and saw the same in their eyes. With a gulp he said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it. Since I have Perception of the Control Tower as well I think it would be for the best.¡± Liam nodded as he smiled. ¡°Alright then,¡± Mercer shouted as he looked back at the creature. ¡°We need to either shatter that shell of its or get underneath and do some damage. Roman, try and use Stone Spike whenever you can. If you get the chance, try and blind it with Sand Gust. Avery, see if you can land some Fireballs or a Fire blast on it. If you can land them on the same spot then do it. Ariyana, use Pod Shooters on the left wall and do the same. After that try using your Leaf Projections in areas that will help Avery land increased damage. If there is a need use Mirage and Misdirection when needed. Same with you Roman.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Avery, Roman, and Ariyana yelled out as they split to do what they were told. Mercer turned to look at Liam and asked, ¡°Any ideas on how you can contribute to the fight?¡± Liam stared at Mercer as he thought it over. ¡°Right now all I can think is to use my hammer to chip away at spots of the shell and use Spot Frailty to see where parts are starting to lose durability.¡± Mercer brought a hand to his chin. ¡°Is that all you can do?¡± Liam looked confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know all you can do and what skills or abilities you have from the crafts. Spot Frailty is a Blacksmithing skill you picked up right? Is that all you can use?¡± Mercer asked. Before Liam could answer, they heard a shout coming from the front line. The shout brought their attention back to the fight as they saw the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab start to foam from the mouth. Confused they watched as the bubbles start to grow bigger and bigger before they floated away from the creature¡¯s mouth and towards the two defenders. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Get away from those bubbles!¡± Mercer shouted, making everyone stop what they were doing and move backwards. He didn¡¯t know why the Wave Boss decided to spit bubbles the size of a basketball, but he didn¡¯t want to take the chance of them being too dangerous. Not too long after Artem and the others moved farther back from the floating bubbles did one slowly go down and land where Artem once stood. The bubble popped and a layer of liquid splashed out causing a circle of rocky terrain to soften and sink. ¡°Shit, it wants to create more of those mud balls,¡± Mercer swore as he knocked an arrow and fired it at a bubble. He did this several times, popping several bubbles before they could make their way towards the ground. The bubbles exploded as the arrows sailed through them. however, more than half of them sent a light liquid to the ground. The liquid that touched the rocky terrain wasn¡¯t as big as the one from earlier, but it was still big enough to be the size of a baseball. Mercer cursed as he noticed this. ¡°Fuck, it looks like no matter if we pop them or allow them to hit the ground they are still going to give that creature the chance to make more mudballs.¡± Liam didn¡¯t pay attention to what Mercer had said. Instead his focus was on the spots the other liquid had fallen upon. Instead of them landing on the ground, they had hit the Wave Boss¡¯s rocky shell. To Liam¡¯s surprise, much like the rocky terrain, the spots that landed on the shell also softened and sank in a bit. Liam activated Spot Frailty and noticed the areas that were hit with the liquid that came from the bubbles had changed from dark green to a light yellow. Not only that, but a notification had suddenly appeared. [Focus Point Gathering Craft Skill ¨C Mining Strike Accuracy suggested. Activate Mining Strike Accuracy to strike rocks? Yes No?] Mining Strike Accuracy? Liam thought as he stared at the notification. Why would that activate¡­ Before Liam could finish that thought Mercer snapped him out as he yelled out, ¡°Mudballs incoming! Artem get a barrier up! Everyone get behind him!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Artem shouted as he started chanting. Liam looked around and noticed that all the bubbles had popped and the areas they had softened now had hardened mudballs floating. He then saw that everyone was running to get behind Artem. He didn¡¯t know what Mercer meant by getting a barrier up, but still ran towards the others. As he reached them Artem had finished chanting. As soon as he finished a translucent wall shot up in front of Artem. It was taller than him by a couple of inches and was wide enough to cover his body and a little more. It had appeared right on time as the hardened mudballs began flying towards them. The objects slammed into the shield wall with as much force as they had accumulated during their flight. The first three didn¡¯t do much as they were the closest to it, but as more and more started to hit the shield, Liam noticed cracks start to form. ¡°Come on,¡± Artem muttered as he focused as much as he could on the shield. Liam and the others looked surprised as they watched the spherical objects slam into the translucent shield Artem had made. They had forgotten he had picked up the Field of Barriers. They were thankful he had gotten it after seeing it protect them from the flying hard mudballs being stopped by this strange barrier. The barrier Artem cast lasted till the very last hardened object which smashed the last bit of durability of his barrier but slowed it down enough for him to black with his shield. Liam was impressed with how well it had worked. He made a mental note to ask Artem more about it later. The Mud Shaper Hermit Crab let out a hiss of dissatisfaction as it started moving once more forward towards them. Artem and Blair once again parried the strikes and attacked when they had an opportunity. As they did this, Liam noticed that the creature was slowing down a bit with each crawl forward. A purple sphere with a black center caught his attention as it floated back and forth between hitting the creature and moving behind Blair. After watching this, Liam came to the conclusion that, since the Gravity Sphere only had a five stack limit, Blair was making sure the timer of those stacks were being refreshed over and over again. Since Liam had some time he once more looked at the spots where the shell had come into contact with the liquid the bubbles sprayed on it. The notification reappeared saying the same thing. As he continued to stare, Mercer¡¯s words from earlier came back to him. Is that all you can do? Mercer¡¯s words replayed a few times as he started to remember his fight against the Zombified Hobgoblin Warrior back in the Goblin Forest. He had used his Lumberjack ability and his Mining ability in both that fight and the fight before it. He had more options than just his hammer in this fight. The only issue was he didn¡¯t have a pick axe tool weapon. Instead he had a regular one. Would that be useful though in this fight? Uncle Naro¡¯s advice suddenly played in his mind as he tried to think it over once more. You are a Crafter, and the world is a material that is waiting to be used. He had thought he understood what he had meant when he said it, but seeing the fight before him and thinking about what he could do to help the fight go better, he was starting to see the advice was more of a reminder. A reminder that he wasn¡¯t limited to just a single style of fighting. He had all these different things he could use. All these different skills and abilities, just waiting to be used when the time was right. And what better way to get through stone than to mine it. The only question was, which of the spots should he focus on that wouldn¡¯t get any attention. He then noticed there was a spot on top of the shell. If he could find a way to get up there then he could not only decrease the durability of the shell from up there, but he could also use another aspect of his Crafter abilities. His mixture of oil and Light and Burn. Liam turned towards Mercer as he started to think of how he could get close enough to do this. He needed to have distractions. And what better way than to have others hit the spots that were starting to weaken as well. While they attacked those spots he could find a way to the one on top and do what he does best. If he was thinking this through, there was a chance the Wave Boss wouldn¡¯t pay attention to someone mining through the rocky shell since he wasn¡¯t attacking and doing damage. He was just gathering resources. ¡°Mercer!¡± Liam shouted as he saw the Tiefling release an arrow. Mercer turned to look at him. He noticed the look on his face and asked, ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°There are four spots that have started to weaken on the shell,¡± Liam started as he pointed towards them. ¡°Some of the liquid from those bubbles earlier landed on the shell and created weak spots.¡± Mercer looked at what he was talking about and noticed the small holes that had formed earlier. Mercer understood what Liam was getting at. ¡°We need to focus those areas right?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°If you can get the others to focus on those spots, and if I can find a way up there then I think I can get through the shell and use my Light and Burn combo to cause some damage.¡± ¡°We could have Blair fly you up there while the others distract the monster,¡± Mercer suggested. ¡°Worth a shot,¡± Liam agreed. Mercer wasted no time after that as he shouted out commands. ¡°Ariyana, try and hit the indent that¡¯s located on the front right side of the shell, the only that closer to the bottom. Roman, use your Fireball on the one that¡¯s in the middle section of the shell. The one above the head of the monster. Avery you do the same on the left side of the shell. Blair, can you give Liam a ride to the top of the shell?¡± Ariyana, Avery, and Roman shifted to their designation locations without a word. Blair spared a glance at the two men who were behind them and gave them a questioning look as she asked, ¡°I can, but is it safe for him up there?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Liam said as he gave her a grin. Blair noticed the grin and recognized it for what it meant. He had a plan, and he would try and find a way up there even if she refused. She shook her head and sighed before asking Artem, ¡°You got this for a second?¡± A fireball suddenly exploded right above one of the eye stalks of the creature causing it to hiss and glare at Roman. Before it could try to attack him another fireball exploded on one side the monster as Pod Shooters materialized from the wall and started pelting it. the Wave Boss¡¯s attention was split as it tried to decide which of the three was the bigger threat. ¡°Yeah, I think I can manage,¡± Artem stated before using his taunting ability. Blair ran over to Mercer and Liam while placing her axe away. As she approached her wings rematerialized and opened wide as she asked, ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Liam responded as he took the hand that she stretched out. Blair gripped tightly to his wrist and hand as she pushed off the ground as hard as she could. Liam¡¯s weight was different than when she flew with her weapon, so the launch was a bit rocky before she was able to smooth it out. She reach the area right above the monster and asked, ¡°Where do you want to be dropped at?¡± ¡°Anywhere on top should be fine,¡± Liam stated. Blair nodded before releasing her grip right above the monster. As soon as Liam landed he pulled out a pickaxe from his inventory and looked for the spot he saw earlier. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find it. he raced over to it and saw the notification from earlier reappear. He didn¡¯t waste any time and accepted it as he swung the pickaxe over his head and then down. His accuracy increased as he swung, but before he could land a hit, the monster moved slightly which caused his striking point to be off just by a hares length. Liam cursed a bit, but then noticed that he was able to increase the hole not in depth, but by length. A notification had appeared before him, but Liam minimized it as he saw it was just informing him of a material he had gained. He then thought about what he just saw. He activated his Spot Frailty and saw the area he had struck turned from a dark green to a light green. ¡°I should make the hole bigger,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°If I do that then my accuracy will have a better chance of landing,¡± Liam grinned as he got to work. He kept swinging and swinging. Making the small hole grow in both length and depth. What was once a hole that was inches wide and deep was now a couple feet wide and a few inches deep. He kept going and going. Ignoring the notifications that were popping up. His focus was on the task before him. The hole was starting to get deeper and deeper. The color of the shells durability all around him had changed from the greens and were in the yellows. A big area had finally reach the reds when a devastating sound echoed in Liam¡¯s ears. The tip of his pickaxe had shattered. And to make things even worse, Liam heard his teammates shouting, ¡°What the hell is it doing now!?¡± Adventure 269 - From Rocky to Sandy Liam peeked over to see the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab moved its pincer from right to left, spraying a line of water in front of it. As the liquid touched the rocky terrain, it sank a couple feet down. Standing up on the shell gave Liam a better view than the others. He watched as the muddy liquid started sloshing around within the indent created. From the movements it was making Liam understood the Wave Boss wasn¡¯t going to create hardened mudballs from this. He had a bad feeling about this as the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab started spraying more water back and forth, creating more mud. Not entirely sure what the creature had planned, Liam shouted, ¡°We need to stop it! Its creating a wave of mud!¡± The others reacted to Liam¡¯s words as soon as they heard them. Liam¡¯s attention switched back to the task he was working on. He looked at the broken pickaxe he was just using. There was an uneven line showing where the tool had broken. He then looked down and saw that the tip hadn¡¯t shattered but was snapped off as the broken tip remained stuck in the spot he had last struck. He thought about what he needed to do. He couldn¡¯t use the broken tool anymore which meant his attempt of mining the shell was no longer an option. The shell suddenly shook as his teammates spells struck against it. He felt his footing shift underneath him as he almost fell to his side from losing his balance. As he corrected his balance his sight was down on the spot where the broken piece of pickaxe was. He activated his Spot Frailty and stared at the shade of red that specific area was as well as the area around it. While the area was red, the area where the pickaxe was imbedded in was a slightly darker shade. He didn¡¯t have much time to think it through, but instead allowed his gut to guide his action. Liam reached for the hammer that was on his belt loop and pulled it out. He waited until it grew to its normal size before lifting it over his head. However, before he could swing it down, the shell shook up and down, causing Liam¡¯s feet to lift off the shell a few inches before coming back down on it. his knees buckled and his grip on his hammer loosened enough for him to drop it. He looked back over the edge as he gripped tightly on the shell to make sure he didn¡¯t fall off. One of the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab¡¯s pincers waved wildly as the other was brought up in front of its face. Upon further inspection, he saw an arrow sticking through one of the eye stalks. Steam was also rising from the lower jaw were bubbles started frothing cooling down the last bit of fire that was on its lips. He then noticed a half built wall of mud that had grown several inches from the ground. Liam was impressed that they were able to hit the eye stalk as well as get it to stop its attack midway. However, due to them landing both of those strikes he had almost fallen off the shell. Grinning, Liam knew what he had to. He needed to finish his part so the shell would be exposed, and they would have an easier time landing attacks. Liam released his grip on the shell and pushed himself to his feet. He assessed the movements the giant hermit crab was making, trying to make sure he wouldn¡¯t fall over again. He bent his knees when the shell rose and extended them when the shell dipped. As he accumulated to the shell¡¯s movements he stepped forward. slowly, but surely he made his way back to his hammer and the spot where he needed to attack. As soon as he got there he raised his hammer over his head and waited before striking. He knew he needed to attack at the right moment so he didn¡¯t miss or else he would have to redo it. Once he felt the right moment came, he swung as hard as he could. However, right before the hammer came down on the broken pickaxe piece, the shell tipped slightly, causing his aim to go off by a hairs width. Liam cursed as he knew he couldn¡¯t stop it, but to his surprise, the hammer had hit the piece at an angle, causing the slightly broken arc of the pickaxe to curve upwards and peel off a nice chunk of the shell. Even though this wasn¡¯t what Liam wanted, he wasn¡¯t going to complain. The areas around the cracked shell went from light red to dark red. Instead of Liam stopping there to pour in the oil and chant Light and Burn, Liam instead started slamming his hammer around those areas, widening the exposed frail skin of the creature even more. As soon as he had widened it enough Liam placed his hammer back on the loop, pulled out a vial of oil, dumped the contents of the vial on the exposed skin, chanted his Light and Burn spell, and dropped the flame on the oil. Before Liam could clench a fist in victory, he felt the shell he stood up suddenly dip forward towards the head. Where he stood was higher up and instead of sliding off the shell, he felt his feet no longer touching it and was flying in the air towards his team. Before he could register anything, he felt his body hit the ground and rolled sideways across the bumpy, rocky ground. He felt a couple pair of hands grab his shoulder and leg, stopping him from rolling even more. The pain from landing on the ground after flying and rolling over several different sizes of rocks quickly caught up as his bones and muscle ached. He breathed heavily trying to regain the air that was knocked out of him before looking at Artem and Blair. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Artem asked. ¡°Does he look alright?¡± Blair quipped. ¡°Artem, heal him! His health dropped by a lot from that!¡± Mercer shouted out. ¡°Alright!¡± Artem responded as he started chanting. Fighting through the pain and loss of wind he was trying to get back, Liam raised a hand up and pointed towards the top of the shell before informing, ¡°Hole¡­exposed¡­finish¡­it¡­¡± Blair looked up at the area Liam had stated. As the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab dipped his head down, she noticed the spot he was talking about. With a wicked grin she called out, ¡°Roman! Avery! Let¡¯s get up there!¡± Roman and Avery didn¡¯t need to be told twice before they started running. They both jumped on the small amount of hardened wall of mud that had stopped being made when it took an arrow to the eye and a fireball to the face. It was sturdy enough for both of them to use it as a springboard to get themselves into the air high enough to land on the shell. As soon as they landed, they slid to a halt on both sides of the exposed shell. Their footing was suddenly thrown off due to the thrashing the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab was making due to all the pain from the flames that was spread within the shell. They were both about to fly off, until roots suddenly sprouted from the rock surface of the shell. They both looked to see Ariyana had smiled and waved indicating this was her handiwork. Without wasting the help given, they both started chanting the spell for their Fire Blast. ¡°Fire, powerful and deadly. I request you take form and explode hotter and brighter than before. Engulf my enemies with your brilliance. Fire Blast!¡± A powerful blast of flames erupted from their palms. The heat emitted from the flames burnt the roots that held them in place as the force of both the flames erupting and colliding against the creature caused them both to fly backwards towards the walls. Unlike Liam and his unreadiness of falling, Roman and Avery cushioned their falls by landing feet first against the walls and bending their knees before using it as a spring board to jump back towards the others. Blair used this moment to fly up into the air, her axe gripped tightly in her hands. As soon as she reached the height she wanted, she divebombed for the exposed area that was currently on fire. She then sent mana through her axe, making it sharper and slicker than usual. As she picked up speed she then swung her axe as hard as she could over her body and under her feet causing the rest of her body to follow and spin. Her timing was perfect as soon as she reached the area, the bladed part of her axe dug deep into the crispy flesh that was burning hot, causing blood to explode outwards. Blair pulled her axe out with all her strength, brought it back up and over her head before swinging it back down, once, twice, three times. As she pulled it out once more, she felt the Wave Boss¡¯s body shudder before dropping down. A notification appeared before them all causing them to breath in relief. [Congratulations! Wave Boss 1: Mud Shaper Hermit Crab has been slain!] Liam stood with the others. The aches and soreness he had felt from the fall and tumble had lessened thanks to Artem¡¯s healing. He looked at Blair who had dropped down from the shell, blood splattered across her chest, skull helmet, legs, and arms. A look of disgust written over face. Before she could complain, Artem had started chanting a spell and created a Water Orb and offered to wash Blair off. She gave him a smile of appreciation and used it to wash the blood off of herself. After she was finished she looked at the others and asked, ¡°Do we continue now, or do we want to want for Liam to harvest all that he can?¡± Mercer looked at Liam and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It might take some time since I haven¡¯t harvested them before¡­,¡± Liam started to say until Ariyana asked with a confused look, ¡°I meant to ask earlier when it was brought up, but can¡¯t you just harvest instantaneously?¡± Everyone looked at Liam who shook his head and explained, ¡°No. I can¡¯t do that anymore. After my class evolved my Class Ability, Harvest, had evolved into Soul Harvest. Since the class ability was tied to my Harvest Skill the levels stayed the same, but the ability to instantly harvest a creature disappeared. Now I have to harvest creatures regularly like anyone else.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Interesting,¡± Mercer said as he stared at Liam. He then realized he said that out loud and swiftly said, ¡°Interesting that it split like that. It sucks you can¡¯t instantly harvest creatures anymore though.¡± Roman, Ariyana, and Artem chuckled at Mercer as the others shook their heads. Liam shook his head as well as gave a slight chuckle as he said, ¡°So that¡¯s the issue. Are you all fine that I try and take some time harvesting the creatures or do you want to move on?¡± The others looked at each other. They shrugged before Mercer stated, ¡°It should be fine if you want to take some time to harvest the creature. It will give us some time to look over our notifications and replenish our resources. Plus didn¡¯t Uncle Naro want you to harvest them?¡± Liam snapped his fingers as he remember that was the case. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right about that. Alright I¡¯ll get on that then.¡± Liam then turned around and went straight for the slain Stone Crusher Shell Crabs. As he made his way over to the closest one he brought up the notifications that were awaiting his attention. [You have successfully mined Chunk of Mud Shaper Shell.] [Warning! Material you are mining has a tougher density that current tool, Crude Pickaxe, can handle. Damage to tool, Crude Pickaxe, has accrued.] So that¡¯s why my pickaxe broke. Liam thought as he read similar messages until he reached the one that stated his Crude Pickaxe was about to break due to low durability and the one that told him it had broken. That¡¯s a first though. I didn¡¯t think I would be able to mine it even though the material was tougher than my tool. I¡¯ll have to ask Uncle Naro more about that later. He looked at the rest of his notifications and was surprised at some of what he had seen. [Congratulations! Spirit Stat Luck Sub-stat Lucky Soul has reached level 19! Progression to level 20: 71%!] [Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Hammer has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 100%!] [Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Hammer has reached level 9! Progression to level 10: 10%!] [Congratulations! Gathering Craft ¨C Mining has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Congratulations! Gathering Craft ¨C Mining has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 57%!] [Congratulations! Mining Strike Accuracy has reached level 4! Progression to level 5: 100%!] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Congratulations! Mining Strike Accuracy has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 57%!] [Congratulations! You have received the Gathering Craft ¨C Mining skill Rock Breaker!] [Congratulations! Rock Breaker has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!] [Congratulations! Rock Breaker has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 5%!] Liam was confused as to how or why his Lucky Soul had leveled, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. He was both happy that his Gathering Craft Mining had leveled so much and surprised he had received a new skill from it. He pulled up the description of the skill and read it. [Rock Breaker. Description ¨C A Mining ability that makes it easier for the person to break through rocks when mining. By using the Gathering Craft Mining ability Mining Strike Accuracy the user can locate easier spots to strike at to break through rocks.] So it¡¯s a skill that can be used to break through rocks easier and one that can stack with Mining Strike Accuracy. Liam thought as he dismissed the notification. That will come in handy if we have to fight these monsters or others like it in the future. Liam was happy with the growth. Even if his participation was as great as the others, he was able to assess what was best to use in the fight. even though it had costed him his pickaxe, he was still happy he learned something new. He looked at the creature he was about to harvest and looked it over. He didn¡¯t know where to start, but after looking it over he decided to start by cleaving the legs and the pincers. Liam spent almost an hour harvesting what he could from the creatures. Some of the creatures were either too badly damaged to harvest or had impossible due to not having the proper tools. As his understanding on how to harvest the Stone Crusher Shell Crabs grew he had found out that the shells could be harvested as well. However, they could only be harvested with a pickaxe due to the earth materials mixed within them. Liam had cursed himself when he found that out. He would need to make a pickaxe that could withstand the hardships of mining the rock-like shells. However, that didn¡¯t stop him from feeling happy with what he was able to harvest. The legs and the pincers he had cleaved came back as both a cooking material and a blacksmithing material. He had discovered the meat inside the shell of the legs and the pincers were edible if cooked right. He could understand that, but the shells of the legs and pincers, that he wasn¡¯t sure of. He just chalked it up as another thing he needed to ask Uncle Naro about. After he was done with the Stone Crusher Shell Crabs he made his way over to the others who were standing around the first Wave boss. As he approached he heard them discussing something, but as they saw him they had stopped talking and looked at him. Confused he stared at them and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Majority of them shrugged as Mercer stated, ¡°We looted the Wave Boss a few minutes ago and were discussing who should get the item that was dropped.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the item that dropped?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°A pair of greaves,¡± Roman replied as Mercer showed him the shin and feet armor. They were dark brown in color with a rock like design. Even though the design looked like they would be stiff, when Mercer moved them the ankle sections moved like they had no restrictions to them. Not wanting to waste any more time, Liam assessed the equipment. [Mud Shaper Greaves. Item Type ¨C Armor (Feet). Item Rarity ¨C Common. Item Quality ¨C Average. +10 to defense. Effect ¨C Mud Slide. Description - Allows the wearer, when running really fast and slides both feet on the ground, to soften any rocky or earthy areas creating a line of mud that the user can use as they wish. Requirements ¨C Field of the Elements Focus Point Earth and Water. Both Focus Points need to be level ten or higher.] Liam was impressed with what he read. The effect, even with the requirements to use the effect it had, was interesting and if used right, could be very helpful. He looked back at everyone as they stared at him and asked, ¡°So what is the issue again? I think we all know who would be the best at using these.¡± Mercer shook his head as the others let out a chuckle. Mercer then said, ¡°We wanted to make sure you didn¡¯t want them since you had both of those Focus Points unlocked as well.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°While I do have them unlocked I don¡¯t really plan on leveling them to ten. The effects on these greaves require you to be level ten or higher in both of those Focus Points. I¡¯m only using them for the Mana Type Manipulation and Control.¡± Mercer shrugged before handing the pair of greaves to Roman. Roman smiled as he grabbed the pair of armor and placed them in his inventory. Artem looked confused before asking, ¡°Not going to put them on?¡± Roman shook his head before explaining, ¡°Not yet. My Water Focus Point is only at level eight. So I can¡¯t use the effects just yet.¡± ¡°Ah my bad,¡± Artem said as he understood. ¡°All good,¡± Roman said before turning to look at Liam. ¡°Are you going to harvest the Wave Boss?¡± ¡°Yeah. It shouldn¡¯t take too long since I can¡¯t harvest the shell,¡± Liam stated. ¡°Why can¡¯t you harvest the shell?¡± Avery and Ariyana asked as they looked confused. Liam looked slightly embarrassed as he replied, ¡°I need to mine the shell in order to harvest it and well¡­I kind of broke my pickaxe during the fight.¡± Everyone stared at him for a long moment before they broke out into laughter. ¡°How did you do that?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Turns out the Mud Shaper¡¯s shell was stronger than the others and since my pickaxe was a Crude Quality tool it couldn¡¯t hold up. I¡¯m actually surprised I was able to mine as much as I did.¡± Mercer placed a hand on his shoulder as he said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to get you a new one after we finish today.¡± Liam smiled as he looked back at the man. ¡°Actually I might make one. I have an idea and new materials I think will be perfect for the task.¡± Mercer raised a brow at Liam¡¯s words. ¡°Oh? Then I look forward to seeing it when it¡¯s done. For now hurry up so we can move on to the next part.¡± Laim ran up to the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab¡¯s body as he pulled out his meat cleaver. It didn¡¯t take long for him to finish the task. After that they made their way down the rest of the rocky path. To their surprise what awaited them at the end of the rocky terrain was a sandy beach with waves from the sea moving the water back and forth on the edge. The smell of the sea was stronger as well as the heat of the sun beating down on them. Everyone looked around to see if they could spot anything, but there was nothing moving nor could be seen in sight. Roman placed a hand down to see if he could hear or feeling anything, but instead frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mercer asked as he and Liam noticed the look on his face. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t feel or hear anything,¡± Roman said. ¡°What do you mean? Doesn¡¯t that just mean there is nothing around?¡± Artem asked. Roman shook his head. ¡°No. this is different. Normally when there are no monsters around I can still feel the earth beneath us. This¡­however¡­feels like nothing. Like there is no earth. Like there is an absence of earth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Ariyana said as she looked back out. ¡°It is,¡± Avery agreed. ¡°Let be on our guard then as we proceed,¡± Mercer stated as he took a step off of the rocky terrain and onto the sandy beach. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out what it means later. We need to hurry and¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence the sand in between them and the waves started to rumble. After a few seconds dozens of white oval shell creatures emerged from underneath the sand. They looked to be two feet tall and three feet long. Fast clicking claws pointed forward as their six pointed legs moved about in an agitated fashion. High pitch shrieks escaped their small mouth filling the air causing the group of adventurers to wince at their sounds. After the last creature emerged and faced them, each of the small creatures suddenly broke out into a sprint, which shocked the group, straight for them. Adventure 270 - The Annoyance of a Sand Flea Crab ¡°What the hell are those things?!¡± Ariyana shouted as she looked at them with slight disgust. Liam swiftly assessed them as the creatures skittered towards them. [Sand Flea Crab. 575/575 HP. 420/420 MP. Level ¨C 12.] [Sand Flea Crab. 625/625 HP. 480/480 MP. Level ¨C 13.] [Sand Flea Crab. 575/575 HP. 420/420 MP. Level ¨C 12.] [Sand Flea Crab. 625/625 HP. 480/480 MP. Level ¨C 13.] ¡°They are Sand Flea Crabs. They range between level twelve and thirteen,¡± Mercer called out as he pulled out his flute and started playing his Resilience Defense song. Artem placed his shield right in front of him and readied himself as Roman took a spot behind him. Avery placed herself behind Blair as she started channeling Gravity Mana before chanting a spell. Ariyana, lost on what to do, panicked a bit as Liam pulled out his hammer and studied the skittering crabs before them. Liam noticed something strange as he watched the creatures sprint towards them. It wasn¡¯t all of them, but the ones who were heading towards Blair¡¯s direction. They had subtly changed their direction the moment Blair started channeling her mana. That subtle change of movement became more apparent after Blair started chanting. All the Sand Flea Crabs halted their forward momentum and split left and right, away from the group before they dove into the sand, disappearing from sight. This confused everyone, including Blair, who had finished her spell and was holding it right in front of her. Liam looked left and right, trying to figure out what the creatures were going to do next. He took a step forward and felt the unevenness of the sand beneath his feet. After walking and fighting on the rocky terrain, the feeling of walking on sand was completely different. It felt like it was harder to move, and he would need to put more strength into his legs if he needed to run. Rolling to dodge wouldn¡¯t be possible either since the ground was too soft. He¡¯d just fall to his side and barely move at all. Liam looked at the others as they moved forward as well, their sight down on the sand coming to the same conclusion as him. He then noticed Blair¡¯s spell start to pulse a few times. It looked to be going unstable. He was about to say something but realized he didn¡¯t need to as Blair flung it out closer to the water. The moment she did, the sand started vibrating all around them. Everyone¡¯s guard went back up as the sand in front of them start to part as the Sand Flea Crabs reemerged. Liam scanned the creatures before them and noticed something was off once more. There were a few missing. Liam¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Roman¡¯s ears suddenly twitched as they heard a noise from behind. All at once, the three spun around. Blair swung her Axe upwards as she took a step between Avery and Artem. Roman launched an uppercut after taking a step while Liam hopped between Ariyana and Mercer as he swung his hammer in a twenty five degree angle downwards. Avery and Artem turned in time to see Blair¡¯s axe slice through a Sand Flea Crab as Roman¡¯s fist punched another in the gut. Ariyana and Mercer watched as Liam¡¯s hammer smashed into a Sand Flea Crab, knocking it off course and right into another one. All four of these creatures were in the air almost within striking distance of their targets. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Ariyana shrieked. ¡°Sorry!¡± Liam shouted back, realizing how close he was to hitting her with his own weapon. ¡°How did you¡­,¡± Mercer started to ask until remembered. ¡°That¡¯s right. You guys have heightened hearing.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam stated as he moved as fast as he could for the two Sand Flea crabs that were on their backs, their claw like feet skittering in the air as their claws open and closed in a panicked fashion. Liam slammed his hammer down on the closest one as hard as he could. A could of sand exploded into the air causing Liam to close his eyes. After the sand settled he looked at the spot his hammer was and grew confused. The head of his hammer wasn¡¯t on the underbelly of the Sand Flea Crab he had attack, but instead was in a small crater of sand. He had felt impact on the creature when he struck, but the creature was nowhere to be seen. Liam shook his head to bring him back to the fight. He then brought his hammer back up and made his way over to the Sand Flea Crab. As he took a step towards it, Liam saw the sand ripple in front of the creature struggling on its back. A second later, the Sand Flea he had attacked popped up from the sand. Blood dripping from its side underneath its shell, showing that Liam¡¯s strike did cause damage. Liam tried to sprint towards them, but the loose sand slowed him down. Instead he watched as the Sand Flea Crab that had reemerged tipped over its fellow creature and dove back into the Sand with the other one. Liam clicked his tongue before scanning the area once more. He tried to listen for any sounds that indicated they would try and attack him. Nothing was noticeable from the front. He looked to his left then to his right, nothing on either side. Listening for their movements proved to be harder than before since the others were chanting spells or shouting out warnings while attacking and defending. He could feel the vibrations of their spells hitting the sand or the bodies they collided with faintly across the sand. Deciding to believe they had moved from attacking him to attacking the others, Liam started to turn away. As he turned away that¡¯s when he felt it. It was faint at first and he had first thought that he was feeling it wrong, but the feeling was growing and growing the closer it got. It was Earth Mana being channeled. What made him believe he was mistaken about it was the Earth Mana being channeled was moving. He looked around to try and see if he could figure out where it was coming from, but no matter where he looked it didn¡¯t feel like it was coming from either direction. Behind him, to this left, right, and not even from where the others were fighting. Although he felt some similar mana types being channeled, these specific two Earth Manas being channeled were different as they got closer and closer. He activated his Mana Sight and tried to figure out where it was coming from. When it activated his eyes widened. The Sand Flea Crabs were coated with Earth Mana as they moved around quickly across the sand. Their bodies had a light glow outlining their bodies as they jumped around, skittered across the sand, or dove into it. Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed before they widened with realization as he watched a couple dive into the sand. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The light glow of Earth Mana had grew in color right before they submerged. The color continued to grow even more as they swam deeper into the sand beneath everyone going from one side of the fight to the other. Coming to this realization, Liam instantly looked down. Before he could set his eyes right below him, he pushed himself as hard as he could to jump backwards right as both of the missing Sand Flea Crabs jumped out from the sand and snapped their claws on nothing but air. As soon as Liam¡¯s feet dug into the sand, he pressed forward with his hammer and swung it horizontally into the underbelly of the Sand Flea Crab he had damaged earlier. That Sand Flea Crab flew across the sand and bounced a few times before rolling into a group of Sand Flea Crabs that were about to attack Blair. The other Sand Flea Crab dove back into the sand and swam away. Not wanting to waste any more time relaying this new information he discovered, Liam shouted out, ¡°Mercer!¡± Mercer tore his eyes off of the target he had set his sight on to look at Liam. Before he could ask what was going on, Liam beat him by shouting, ¡°Use your Mana Sight!¡± Mercer raised a brow before doing as Liam said and then looked back at the fight. His eyes widened as he saw what Liam was seeing. He then shouted out for the others to do the same. They were surprised at what they had seen. Grins grew across their faces as this discovery helped make things easier. Thanks Mana Sight they were able to defend against the creatures while they were skittering across the sand and be able to follow the ones that dove into it and surprise attack them as they jumped out of the sand. They all collapsed onto the rocky terrain that bordered the sand after the last of the Sand Flea Crabs died. They breathed heavily as they pulled out water bottles and took generous gulps. Sweat ran down their faces and bodies as the heat continued to beat down on them. ¡°Good going on that Mana Sight discovery Liam,¡± Ariyana said as she fanned herself with her hand. ¡°how did you figure that out by the way?¡± Avery questioned as she sat up and looked at him. ¡°Lucky break if I would sum it up,¡± Liam stated before taking a sip of water. After he gulped and put the bottle away, he continued, ¡°I felt something weird during the fight when the two I was facing dove back into the sand. I didn¡¯t know what it was nor where it was coming from, but after watching you guys fight the creatures and slightly felt the same thing from your guys¡¯ direction, I figured it had to do something with mana. So I activated my Mana Sight and after seeing what I saw, well, you know the rest.¡± ¡°Still though,¡± Roman stated. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have figured that out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because your dense,¡± Ariyana giggled. ¡°Hey!¡± Roman protested before quieting down and looking back at the sand. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind Roman?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about a couple of things,¡± Roman replied before looking back at him. ¡°Uh oh, you might not want to think too hard now,¡± Ariyana grinned teasingly at him. Roman frowned but didn¡¯t take the bait. This made Ariyana stop her teasing as she recognized he was being serious. ¡°I think these Sand Flea Crabs have a high control and manipulation over Earth Mana.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Artem questioned, curious about Roman¡¯s thoughts on the topic. ¡°Well, for starters they know when we¡¯re on the sand or not there,¡± Roman started. ¡°Have you noticed that the next wave hasn¡¯t made an appearance yet?¡± The others looked at the sand and realized that they had been resting on the rocky terrain for quite some time. So much that they weren¡¯t sure how long their break has been. They looked at Roman once more as he continued, ¡°It was the same when we first stepped foot onto the sand. They didn¡¯t make an appearance until one of us did. If that¡¯s the case then they are using the pressure on the sand to tell them when someone is there. Since none of us is touching the sand they believe no one is here, regardless of this being a wave dungeon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually a very good observation,¡± Avery stated, sounding very surprised at Roman. ¡°That¡¯s not the end of it either,¡± Roman continued. ¡°I was watching how they moved especially after Liam figured out their trick with Mana Sight. They are using their Earth Mana Manipulation and Control to help their bodies move easily around in the sand. You guys felt how hard it was for us to run and fight in the sand right?¡± Everyone nodded their heads and murmured a yes. ¡°Well, they are using their Mana Control and Manipulation over Earth Mana to move freely through and on top of the sand. I just don¡¯t know how they¡¯re doing it though,¡± Roman said as he started getting annoyed. ¡°I think it has to do with them channeling the mana,¡± Liam said. Everyone¡¯s gaze snapped at Liam. They were curious by what he meant as well as confused since they didn¡¯t see these creatures stopping to channel mana. Wanting to know more by what he meant, Roman asked the question everyone was burning to ask, ¡°What do you mean by them channeling their mana? Do you mean the coat of Earth Mana they had over them? Wouldn¡¯t that be the excess Mana that was channeled?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m right about this, but I think they are channeling Earth Mana as they move.¡± Mercer¡¯s instincts took over as he quickly asked, ¡°What makes you think that? That we know of so far, you need to stand still when channeling mana.¡± ¡°See I thought that as well, but when I watched them move around and dive in and out of the sand I saw they had a consist amount covering their bodies, at least when it came to them moving around on top of the sand,¡± Liam stated. ¡°When they were underground the Earth Mana was growing more and move. Almost as if they were building it up as they swam within the sand.¡± ¡°Do you think the sand has Earth Mana in it and they were just drawing from it while swimming around in it?¡± Artem asked. Liam brought a hand up to his chin as he thought about Artem¡¯s hypothesis. While it was a good guess, it didn¡¯t feel right to him. Mainly because of one thing he saw and didn¡¯t see. He then shook his head and said, ¡°No. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you think that¡¯s the case?¡± Blair asked, curious to know what Liam thought. ¡°When they are swimming inside the sand there isn¡¯t any indication they are pulling or drawing any mana from the sand around them. instead, the Earth Mana is growing and pushing out from their bodies,¡± Liam said, confident in his answer. ¡°Hm,¡± Mercer muttered as he thought about it. The more he thought about what he saw and what Liam was saying he was starting to see it from Liam¡¯s perspective. ¡°I think you might be right about that,¡± Mercer said as he stared at the ground, trying to keep his thought process going. ¡°I did see that the Earth Mana was growing and not being sucked in, but I have to ask¡­would we even be able to tell that? That if they were sucking in the Earth Mana from the sand instead of growing it? What makes you completely sure that they aren¡¯t pulling it from the sand and that there isn¡¯t any Earth Mana within the sand?¡± ¡°Two reasons,¡± Liam said as he looked at them. ¡°First, the obvious. If the sand had Earth Mana then we would be able to see it with Mana Sight. The entire ground would be glowing the Earth Mana color.¡± Liam saw nods all around as they agreed with that reason. Mercer then asked, ¡°And the second?¡± ¡°My experience with crafting,¡± Liam smiled. Confusion and eye brow raises filled their faces as they waited for Liam to continue. ¡°Thanks to all the crafting I¡¯ve done, especially with Poison Making through Alchemy, I have witnessed mana being sucked from objects into another. It¡¯s not a subtle thing. It is very noticeable.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Mercer said as he quickly pulled out a notebook and wrote into it. ¡°So if Artem¡¯s theory is wrong and yours is right then do you think it¡¯s an advanced application of Mana Manipulation and Control?¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°It could be. We won¡¯t know until we figure it out or ask Uncle Naro after we leave this place.¡± Mercer¡¯s eyes beamed at the prospect of new knowledge. Roman, on the other hand, looked resolved. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on in his head, but he was curious to see what he was thinking because it would mean he wasn¡¯t the only wanting to see if what he believed was going on was correct. And knowing Roman was higher in Earth Mana Type Manipulation and Control, that would mean he would figure it out before him. ¡°Alright,¡± Roman suddenly stated as he stood back up. ¡°I think we¡¯ve rested long enough.¡± Roman punched a fist into palm as he finished, ¡°Let¡¯s take on this next wave.¡± Adventure 271 - Toad and Trance During the next wave, Liam and the others made sure to have their Mana Sight activated before the Sand Flea Crabs approached. Instead of getting surprised by their sudden emergence, they were able to watch the creatures swim their way up to the surface of the sand. As the creatures made their way up to the surface, Liam looked at the others. He noticed Roman watching more intently than the others. To Liam this was unusual for the Kitsune to be focusing so hard. After the Sand Flea Crabs emerged the group swiftly went into action. Like last time there were a dozen of the creatures. Artem and Blair tried their best to attract aggro from them, but like last time a few dove back into the sand and swam around to catch the group off guard. However, unlike last time they were ready for this. Liam used his hammer to attack one of the Sand Flea Crabs that tried to jump and attack Mercer as he shot an arrow at the underbelly of another who jumped at Artem¡¯s side. Avery swiftly spun around, ducked, and stabbed her rapier through the middle of the underbelly of the Sand Flea Crab that tried to attack her. She drove her weapon deep enough for some blood to spill out and tried to manipulate it. She was successful in pulling a small amount of blood, but not all of it. Mercer and Liam turned to make sure the other side was fine, but were shocked as they noticed Roman was distracted as he stared at one that was running across the sand and didn¡¯t see the Sand Flea Crab that had jumped out of the sand behind him. Before anyone could react though, a small pocket of air collided into the shell of the creature and knocked it through the space between Roman and Artem. Roman, realizing something was wrong snapped out of the trance he was in and spun his attention around. Liam and Mercer looked at Ariyana and were surprised to see a small smokey emerald, green toad with deep purple eyes sitting on her right shoulder. The toad took in a deep breath, its throat growing with the air it sucked in, before firing another small pocket of air at another Sand Flea Crab that was running towards Roman. ¡°Get your head in the fight Roman!¡± Ariyana shouted. ¡°One of those nasty creatures almost got you!¡± Frowning, Roman turned around and punched another right on top of the spot where its head was protected. The shell cracked at the sudden use of force causing the Sand Flea crab to cry out in pain. Roman grabbed the edge of the shell, where the cracks were starting to form, with both hands and pulled the broken pieces apart. With more of its skin exposed, Roman reeled his right fist back and threw another powerful punch into it, knocking it out. Liam watched Roman¡¯s movements before looking at Mercer who looked back at him. There was both a look of concern and slight confusion written on his face just like Liam¡¯s. Without saying anything, Mercer gave him a shrug before getting back into the fight. This round didn¡¯t take as long as the last, but once it was over they quickly made it back to the rocky terrain to recuperate and restore the lost stamina. After confirming nothing was going to emerge while resting, Ariyana whirled on Roman and asked, ¡°What the hell was that about?¡± Roman stared at her. For once, he didn¡¯t retort or say anything back. Instead, he looked to be thinking. This gave everyone pause as they watched him. No one said anything as they waited for him to speak. A minute had passed, and Ariyana was about to ask again, but stopped as Roman said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts watching those Sand Flea Crabs.¡± ¡°Watching those Sand Flea Crabs?¡± Artem repeated as he grew curious. ¡°Why are you watching them when we¡¯re supposed to kill them?¡± Roman looked conflicted as he looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Roman sighed. ¡°I just feel that there¡¯s something I can learn just by watching them. I thought I was on to something earlier before Ariyana saved my rear.¡± Everyone stared at Roman with a shocked and surprised expression. Feeling some annoyance starting to build he asked, ¡°What? Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°Because you just admitted that I saved you,¡± Ariyana swiftly responded before a teasing grin formed and added, ¡°Is it my birthday? Are you feeling sick?¡± Roman¡¯s face flustered as he sputtered, ¡°I didn¡¯t say you saved me. I said you saved my rear as in you covered for my mistake.¡± ¡°Uh huh, sure,¡± Ariyana teased as her grin widened even more. ¡°An¡­Anyways,¡± Roman started back up as he turned away from her. ¡°I felt like I was on to something right before getting that moment. I lost it after that though, so I can¡¯t really say what it was I was thinking.¡± Liam listened to Roman and thought about what he was saying. He then thought back to the look Roman had during the fight before the Sand Flea Crab tried attack him from behind. He couldn¡¯t put a finger on it, but the focus Roman had on his face reminded him of something. Something he had both felt and done a couple of times before. ¡°Roman,¡± Liam started. He waited for the shorter male to look at him before asking, ¡°When you were watching the Sand Flea Crabs did it feel like your body was both in control and not at the same time? Or did it feel like all sound around you was getting quieter?¡± Mercer stared at Liam for a moment as he asked the question before watching Roman¡¯s expression. His question tickled the back of his mind on something he had read once but couldn¡¯t remember what it was. He saw as Roman frowned and opened his mouth before closing it, bringing a hand to his chin, and muttered, ¡°Did I feel like I was¡­?¡± With a frustrated expression he said, ¡°Yes, no¡­kind of.¡± Roman let out a frustrated sigh before continuing, ¡°I felt like I had control over my body¡­but there was a brief moment where I felt like I couldn¡¯t move my body. Almost like I was in some sort of¡­trance? I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the right word.¡± Mercer¡¯s mind instantly locked on the word as soon as Roman said it. He remembered there was a few books on different types of trances people could get themselves into without realizing it. He then looked at Liam and saw he was starting to draw some conclusions of his own. Before Liam could say anything Mercer quickly asked, ¡°You¡¯ve experienced it before haven¡¯t you?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Liam looked at Mercer, surprise on his face. Curious, Liam asked, ¡°What do you mean? Experienced what before?¡± ¡°A state of trance,¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Its when a person becomes so focused they lose themselves. Another definition of it is when a person brings themselves into a semi-conscious state where they are not fully aware of themselves or their surroundings. There are also instances where a person¡¯s body moves on its own while their conscious watches the movements their body makes to show them what to do. Other instances help bring out the person¡¯s mind so they can spot errors easier and make corrections before they happen. There are other things that happen when a person enters a type of trance, but I¡¯ll only use those couple as examples.¡± Liam looked even more surprised at Mercer¡¯s words. While he did have moments where his body moved on its own and left him to watch have happened, along with times where during a crafting session he had spotted issues as they arose and had to correct them on the spot without really knowing how, he never had an answer to what they were. ¡°I came across a few books on Trances and the different types of trances,¡± Mercer continued. ¡°There is a Crafter¡¯s Trance. A Trance that those who are crafting get that gives the crafter a chance to make a better quality item or a successful chance at making an item on the first try. A Battle Trance. A trance a person can get into while in the middle of a fight that helps them make less errors and minimizes wasted movements. That is not to be confused with a Trancer¡¯s magical spells that can place people or themselves into things like a Berserker¡¯s Trance, Fighter¡¯s Trance, ectara. There are plenty of other trances, but the one I believe you were getting into Roman,¡± Mercer pointed at Roman before continuing, ¡°Was called a Mystical Trance.¡± ¡°A Mystical Trance?¡± Roman asked, repeating the word. ¡°It¡¯s a type of Trance where a person who is fixated on learning something that deals with magic slips into when they come across something that resonates with them or are dead set on learning and they are on the cusp of grasping it,¡± Mercer explained. ¡°I think what you were experiencing was the beginnings of entering that type of trance.¡± Everyone looked at Roman after Mercer finished explaining. While they had a good laugh at him when Ariyana had teased, the sudden realization that Roman was truly beginning to learn something instead of making a battle mistake was eye opening. Not only did this understanding meant it was a sign for Roman to grow in power, but they took it as a sign that they too could have this happen to them. Liam saw the realization on each of their faces and the hopes they held. He was going to say something to them, but stopped as his eyes fell upon the newest member of their group that was still chilling on Ariyana¡¯s shoulder. During their time talking about Roman, Liam had completely forgotten about the strange looking toad. The toad realized that he was staring at it and looked at him. The toad croaked once and then again before placing a webbed hand on Ariyana¡¯s cheek, grabbing her attention. ¡°Hm?¡± Ariyana muttered as she looked at the toad. Liam watched as the toad croaked a couple of times before looking at him. He was both amazed and surprised as he realized Ariyana understood what the toad was trying to say to her by looking at him with a confused look. As soon as she saw Liam staring at them she let out a laugh and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know its rude to stare at a lady Liam. Its even more so that you¡¯re doing so without introducing yourself. Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s a shy girl?¡± Liam was flabbergasted as he watched the smokey emerald green toad shift is body to move slightly under Ariyana¡¯s hair. Lady? Shy? Liam thought as he noticed the others¡¯ attention start to shift towards them. Stuttering a bit Liam finally said, ¡°I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to be rude. I was just surprised. I¡¯ve never seen a to¡­¡± ¡°Young lady,¡± Ariyana interrupted. Liam paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°A young lady like¡­¡± He waited for Ariyana to fill in the blank that even the others were waiting for. Ariyana let out a sigh before saying, ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned her name before. However, since I know crafting probably takes up more space in your brain I¡¯ll give you a hand.¡± Ariyana reached for the toad and pulled her to her lap as she sat down. The toad stepped back against her stomach before slightly looking away from all the eyes that were now on her. ¡°This is Tabitha the Echo Toad. Or Tabby for short.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes shone with recognition. He remembered her talking about her. However, since Uncle Naro was in a hurry to get them going with their training she didn¡¯t reveal her. With as much of a welcoming smile as he could muster, Liam said, ¡°Hello Tabby, I am Liam.¡± Tabby¡¯s eyes shifted to looked at him. After a few seconds she let out a soft croak which made Ariyana giggle. ¡°Tabby, you are going to have to get over your shyness sooner or later. This is the team I told you about. The ones who were there when Barty and I met each other.¡± Liam watched as Tabby responded to her in her own way. He then watched as the others introduced themselves one by one. She looked to be more responsive with Avery and Blair than with Mercer and Roman, but it was Artem that had received a different reaction. After Artem introduced himself, Tabby shot out a small pocket of air that hit his left chest area. This made Artem confused as concern grew on his face. The others laughed at him as Ariyana stated, ¡°Tabby, what was that about? Artem is a nice guy that stands in the front to protect us.¡± Tabby croaked several times as Ariyana picked her up to face her. Everyone laughed as they watched the interaction go between them. During the laughter, Roman stated as he elbowed Artem, ¡°Maybe she did that because she likes you.¡± Artem stared at him as both brows furrowed. As he said something to Roman and Blair smacked the back of his head, Mercer asked, ¡°Can you understand what she is saying?¡± Ariyana, pulling her attention away from Tabby and placing her back on her lap, looked at Mercer before giving him a smile and said with a lot of confidence, ¡°Nope. Not at all.¡± Mercer chuckled a bit before saying, ¡°That¡¯s too bad. You seemed to be able to with the way you¡¯ve been talking to her.¡± ¡°I cant understand what she is saying. At least not right now,¡± Ariyana went to correct. ¡°One of my Tamer abilities from the Focus Point Creature Husbandry called Creature Empathy is supposed to eventually allow me to understand what they are saying, but that won¡¯t happen until we grow as a Tamer and Tamed Creature as well the ability reaches a higher level. For now I can get a sense of what they are saying through their feelings.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mercer muttered as he wrote this down. ¡°That explains how you were able to understand she was feeling shy when Liam was being rude.¡± Liam frowned at Mercer after hearing that, but kept quiet as Mercer continued, ¡°But were you able to understand why she attacked Artem?¡± Ariyana looked puzzled as she said, ¡°She didn¡¯t attack him.¡± Everyone looked confused as they heard that. Avery quickly said before anyone could say anything, ¡°But she shot that weird air bubble thing at him. If she wasn¡¯t attacking him then what was she doing?¡± ¡°Its called Air Pocket not air bubble,¡± Ariyana corrected before looking down at Tabby. ¡°To be honest, I am not sure why she did it. She did the same to me when I first met her and asked her to allow me to tame her. The small Air Pocket didn¡¯t hurt when she did it to me.¡± Ariyana looked at Artem before asking, ¡°Did it hurt you?¡± Artem shook his head. ¡°No, it more surprised me than anything.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Ariyana muttered as she looked back down at the creature. Tabby was looking at Artem before shifting her body around and looked back at Ariyana. She then hopped back to her shoulder and wiggled her way under her hair and out of sight. Ariyana let out a giggle before saying, ¡°Alright. Alright. I wont pry anymore into it.¡± She then looked at the others and said, ¡°She¡¯s done with the line of conversation. So let¡¯s move on to what we are going to do next.¡± ¡°About that,¡± Roman started back up as the others turned to look at him. He looked a bit uncomfortable as their eyes landed on him. He then looked resolved as he announced, ¡°I would like to step out of this next wave.¡± Adventure 272 - Sand Flea Swarm ¡°What do you mean you want to step out of this next wave?¡± Artem asked as they all stared at Roman. ¡°I mean, if it is true that I was that close to a Mystical Trance and it affected my senses during the fight then I want to stay where I won¡¯t be a burden to anyone if it happens again,¡± Roman explained. ¡°If I am close to understanding something then I want to try and understand it. I don¡¯t want to miss an opportunity because I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get it again.¡± Liam saw the resolve in Roman¡¯s eyes as he listened. While he understood why that others were concerned he also didn¡¯t want him to miss this chance to gain something even if his chances of actually gaining anything was low. Mercer did say he was at the beginning of entering one and didn¡¯t know the whole process of going through a full one or if it was possible to do so after the source of the trance was gone. He looked at Mercer who turned to look at him at the same time. They both nodded their heads in understanding. As they both looked back at Roman Mercer stated, ¡°Alright. That should be fine, however, if any issues arise then we are going to need your help. Even if you are in a full state of Mystical Trance. Alright?¡± Roman nodded. He understood that he still had an obligation as a member of the team to help when they really needed it. He then smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank us,¡± Ariyana stated. ¡°You are a member of this team and if you grow from this then it will only help us in the long run.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Avery nodded in agreement. ¡°So don¡¯t waste it and gain something useful.¡± Roman slammed a fist into an open palm and grinned as he said, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Alright, now that that is settled. Is everyone ready?¡± Mercer asked. The rest of the group nodded. Their manga and stamina had fully replenished, and they were raring to go. Artem and Blair took the front. Before they stepped onto the sand everyone activated their Mana Sight. As soon as their feet touched the sand it started shaking all around them. The dead bodies that rested on the surface of the sand started to sink into it, disappearing from sight. After the bodies disappeared, they focused their sight to the sand to see where the next wave of creatures would surface from. Their brows furrowed as confusion settled on their faces. Dozens balls of Earth Mana started to swim from both sides and make their way towards the middle of the sandy area underground. The movements of the Sand Flea Crabs confused them as they watched the creatures swimming not upwards towards the surface, but rather in a circle that tightened slowly with each new Sand Flea Crab that joined in. The circle of Sand Flea Crabs kept getting tighter and tighter until they finally looked like one mass of Earth Mana. Moments after that the giant mass of Earth Mana surged upwards not too far away from them. The moment the top of the Earth Mana touched the surface, Sand exploded upwards into the sky causing debris of sand and dust to cover the entire area. After it finally settled their eyes widened as they took in what had happened underneath the ground. Ariyana blanched as she watched a swarm of Sand Flea Crabs swarming over each other. Their bodies wriggled and squirmed over each other going in, out, and around. They looked like a nest of snakes or worms that formed together to make a ball of themselves, but instead of a giant ball, they looked like a giant version of themselves without skin holding them together. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Avery questioned as she stared at it. ¡°Ho¡­how are they doing that?¡± Artem asked, uncertainty forming in his voice. ¡°They are using Earth Mana to hold themselves together,¡± Roman shouted, amazed by what he was seeing. Liam snuck a glance at him for a moment and noticed a slight shine to his eyes. It flicked a couple of times before softening. The Mystical Trance must be starting. Liam thought before looking back at the swarm of creatures before them. He assessed them to see if he could get anything and was surprised at what he saw. [Sand Flea Swarm. 6,000/6,000 HP. 4,580/4,600 MP. Level ¨C 14.] ¡°I think this is the second Wave Boss,¡± Liam called out. ¡°How the hell are we supposed to fight and kill that? Are we supposed to separate them or try to kill it while it¡¯s in this form?¡± Avery inquired as she gripped her weapon tightly, unsure what to do. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure,¡± Mercer said, wavering at the sight of the conglomerate of creatures. Liam could see their bodies tense as confusion filled them. It wasn¡¯t at a level where they felt despair, but if their confusion and uncertainty continued to grow, Liam felt it would reach it. Mercer turned to look at Roman and was about to call out to him, but Liam stopped him as he said, ¡°We can do this! We need to figure out what its capable of first. Don¡¯t let your guard down. Roman will join us when we need him.¡± Mercer looked back at Liam. He saw the resolve in his eyes and gripped his hands into fists tightly. He realized he was letting his uncertainty cloud his mind after seeing the creature. They had no experience fighting a monster or monsters that did this before. He knew that fighting in the sand was wearing on them and they were starting to get tired even after the time they took to take a break in between fights. The sun beating down on them and making them sweat so much wasn¡¯t helping either. He needed to harden his resolve on taking charge. Liam agreed to let him do this, so he needed to get a better at not letting the unknown get the better of him. Understanding his mistake, Mercer swiftly asked, ¡°Liam, do you have any Chemicalized Creations on hand?¡± Liam looked back at him before looking at his inventory. After looking over what he had he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have much, but I do have a couple.¡± ¡°Want to start this fight off with one then?¡± Mercer asked. Mercer thought it was a good idea, but after seeing Liam¡¯s hesitation he thought differently. He quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Liam replied quickly. ¡°They were fast when they were separated and could dive into the sand. I¡¯m not sure I can get one off on them fast enough. Maybe if we can restrict their movement then maybe, but unless we can get a for sure thing, I don¡¯t think it is wise to waste one as a test.¡± Mercer nodded understanding what he meant. He felt stupid for not thinking about that. He was right. They didn¡¯t know how fast the creatures would be when they were like this. They could be fast or slow, but adding in the fact they could dive into the sand was also a factor they needed to take in.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Ariyana try using Entangled Roots on it. Blair, try landing a Gravity Well as well. Artem, protect Blair if it tries to attack her,¡± Mercer called out. ¡°On it!¡± the three responded. Liam watched as Ariyana and Blair started chanting. The Sand Flea Swarm¡¯s wriggling and squirming body rippled as in unison they turned to look at Blair. It was only for a moment, but after they locked onto Blair, their massive, swarmed body moved towards her. The tightly curled bodies that acted like the legs skittered swiftly across the sand as the ones that formed one of the pincers reached out to strike at her. The swarm of Sand Flea Crabs that acted like the pincer were stopped as Artem quickly stepped in front of Blair with his shield raised. He had sent mana through his shield, activating the wooden spikes. Liam heard a few snaps and shrieks as the spikes dove into the swarm and snapped off as the bodies that had taken the spikes head on swam back inside the body. Liam saw Artem¡¯s legs get pushed into the sand as he slid backwards a bit from the force of the strike. He then saw as the creatures acting as the other pincer started to move towards Blair, but suddenly stopped as the whole body began to move away. As the body began to move away roots suddenly erupted from the sand around the middle of the body and tried to wrap around it. However since the body was made of several creatures moving around, the roots only sank into the body. Ariyana scowled as the body swiftly maneuvered away from the roots, not a single one trapped. ¡°Entangled Roots is a no go!¡± Ariyana shouted with frustration. ¡°They are moving too fast for me to set this Gravity Well down to catch it!¡± Blair called out as the swarm of bodies got out of range. ¡°We need to lure it into a place where she can use the ability,¡± Liam suggested to Mercer. Mercer nodded. He then asked, ¡°How long can you hold that spell for before you have to use it, or it disappears?¡± ¡°Half a minute,¡± Blair stated. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then!¡± Avery shouted before racing towards the swarm. Liam followed her, pulling out his hammer and getting ready to engage. Both he and Avery approached the swarm from both sides, trying to get behind it. Ariyana and Artem tried running as well to help them out. Their movements were slowed due to the sand sloshing around and causing them to push harder than on solid ground. As soon as Artem got within distance he tried to slam a foot down and let out a taunting roar, but as his foot slammed on the sand, dust was kicked up and flew into his open mouth. He let out a cough cancelling his taunt. Ariyana ordered Tabby to shoot Air Pockets at the creature as soon as they got within distance. While the pockets of air was successful on hitting, the amount of damage done was miniscule. A couple points of damage was received from the attack. However, the one Sand Flea Crab it did hit was pushed into the swarm, disappearing from sight. Liam reached a spot he felt was right to try and attack the creature. He pushed off his back leg, but as he did he felt the sand underneath him slide causing him to almost fall face first into the sand. At the same time Avery tried to attack as well from the other side. Her burst through the sand wasn¡¯t as bad as Liam¡¯s, but when she drove her Raiper into the swarm, the blade missed. The creatures opened a hole big enough for the blade to enter and swam around it. After successfully dodging attacks from all sides, the Sand Flea Swarm¡¯s attention fell back on Blair who had thrown the Gravity Well at it after taking a few steps forward. The massive creature dove into the sand and disappeared from the surface right before the ball of gravity landed where Blair threw it at. Annoyed, Blair shouted, ¡°Is it me or did they seem wary of my gravity spell and ran from it?¡± ¡°You noticed that too huh?¡± Liam said as he made his way back to Blair and joined the others while watching the massive ball of Earth Mana swimming around underneath them. ¡°I don¡¯t think physical attacks will do much,¡± Mercer called out while watching the swarm underneath as well. ¡°We might have to use magical attacks to damage it. Ariyana, even though Tabby¡¯s attack didn¡¯t do a lot of damage maybe you can try and have her use that attack to knock one out?¡± ¡°I can try,¡± Ariyana stated as she waited for the creature to resurface. ¡°Liam see if you can time one of your Chemicalized Creations right when it surfaces,¡± Mercer suggested before looking at the others. ¡°Blair, if you can find a way to use a Gravity spell on it try to. Artem, either use your Water magic to try and attack of shoot some of the creatures out or your barrier magic to shield us before they attack. Avery, use either Fire Blast or Waves of Ignition when you have a chance.¡± Everyone nodded and tried to get ready as they noticed the swarm of creatures start to make their wave back up to the surface right after Blair¡¯s Gravity Well dispersed. Liam quickly grabbed one of his Chemicalized Creations he had left. He didn¡¯t think to check which one he had before watching where the creatures were going to jump out at. He tried to match the speed they were swimming at and threw the vial right at the spot. His heart sank right as the vial landed into the sand and didn¡¯t break. He was about to panic and question why it hadn¡¯t until he realized that the sand wasn¡¯t as hard of a surface as the ground. The sand had cushioned the vial¡¯s landing causing it to just lay there until the creature¡¯s reemerged. The vial then went flying into the air along with chunks of sand. Liam didn¡¯t have time to worry about his Chemicalized Creation vial as an icicle flew past him, right for the swarm of creatures. A hole was created as the Sand Flea Crabs separated enough to allow it to fly through their body and out the other end. As they did this another hole was created as a jet of water shot through one of the sides of the swarm¡¯s body. Avery had already positioned herself on the other side of the swarm and had chanted a wave of ignition spell. She ignored the jet of water that flew past her just inches away from her shoulder. After she released a wave of flames, a bunch of the Sand Flea Crabs on her side stopped and shook their bodies. Before the flames could connect with them, a wall of sand shot up into the air, guiding the flames up before the sand moved like a way on top of her trying to crush her. Avery cut the spell off and began sprinting away from the wave of sand. She barely made it out of the way right before the massive pile fell down. Breathing heavily, Avery cursed. However, that curse was cut short as a single Sand Flea Crab flew through the air and rolled a couple of times in her direction off to her left. Confused, she looked at the direction it had come from and saw Ariyana grinning as Tabby took in another breath and shot an Air Pocket at the bodies that made up the right pincer. Another Sand Flea Crab flew out, scrambling its legs and clacking its pincers in frustration. Blair took the opportunity to swing her Axe up and through the creature¡¯s body, severing it in half and killing it before it could land back onto the sand. Avery¡¯s attention went back to the Sand Flea Crab that had landed near her and saw it was on its back. She swiftly ran through the sand, legs starting to tense with each movement, raised her rapier in the air and stabbed down into its underbelly. She guessed she had pierced the heart as a loud screech escaped its razored mouth before ceasing all movement. The swarm of Sand Flea Crabs all let out a loud ear piercing shriek in unison causing everyone on the battlefield to cover their ears. They then spun around and stared at Ariyana who had her eyes closed from the sudden noise and raced towards her. However, before they could attack, a solid translucent shield suddenly appeared right in front of her and took the brunt of the attack. Tabby slapped a webbed foot on Ariyana¡¯s cheek, causing her to open her eyes and gasp at the scene before her. The shield Artem had gotten up right in time was starting to crack. But that wasn¡¯t the thing that made her stomach drop. The Swarm of Sand Flea Crabs started to swallow the shield and make its way around it and towards her. Without needing any motivation to run, she started sprinting as fast as she could away from them. With their focus on Ariyana, Mercer chanted another Icicle Lance spell and threw the small spear of ice right at the creature¡¯s side. This time the spell landed and hit one of the creatures. A blue sheen engulfed the monster and caused it to start to slow down, but as that happened it was pulled back within the body being replaced with different ones as they moved in out and around each other. The Sand Flea Swarm didn¡¯t remove its eyes on Ariyana as another Air Pocket was shot from Tabby, causing another Sand Flea Crab to be dislodged from the swarm body. Liam swung his hammer upwards as hard as he could, causing a lot of damage, but not enough to kill the creature. Avery, finished the kill as she sliced her sword down its underbelly, opening it up and allowing blood and guts to gush out of it. The Sand Flea Swarm, angry at Ariyana and Tabby for knocking its fellow creatures out, raised its right pincer, causing a wave of sand to rise up in a wave like fashion high above Ariyana¡¯s head. It swam up to the top before it reached its peak height and followed the sand down right over Ariyana. Everyone yelled out as they watched the sand wave tumble on top of her and grew worried. That worry dissolved as a voice called out, ¡°Looks like we can say we¡¯re even now on you saving my butt from earlier.¡± Adventure 273 - Evolution through Trance Everyone turned to the right to see Roman, holding Ariyana in his arms in a princess carry fashion. Ariyana coughed a few times before replying, ¡°Yeah. Yeah. Can you put me down now? It¡¯s kind of awkward being carried by someone almost half my height.¡± Roman grinned teasingly. ¡°Now can do princess. That creature is about to race back this way, and I don¡¯t think you can run well in the sand.¡± Frowning, Ariyana retorted, ¡°I¡¯m not a princess and even if that¡¯s true it¡¯s not like you can¡­¡± Her voice died down as she looked at Roman¡¯s feet. As she did this everyone else noticed something was off too. The first thing they noticed after getting a better look was Roman¡¯s feet weren¡¯t sunk in the sand like everyone else¡¯s. Instead, he was standing on the sand like it was solid ground. The other thing they noticed was that Roman had a constant glow of Earth Mana around his entire body. The last was a small Earth colored orb that was pulsing out in a constant flux sending Earth Mana towards his body. Before Ariyana or anyone else could say anything, the Sand Flea Swarm sprinted straight for them. Roman took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. After he did this Ariyana noticed the focus in his eyes right before he started running away. The swarm of Sand Flea Crabs gained in speed as they focused on catching the two. Tabby shot an Air Pocket after an Air Pocket at the Swarm each time it tried to reach a Sand Flea formed pincer at it. Each shot landed against a Sand Flea Crab and made it fly out of the swarm. Artem swung at one of the creatures with his Mace as Liam slammed his hammer against another. Artem was able to hit his mace on his target three more times ending its life before it could escape into the sand. Liam¡¯s target was only hit twice and was able to escape before the final blow was struck. Liam clicked his tongue before looking to see if there were more for him to attack. Artem and Avery were finishing off the ones that Tabby knocked out as Mercer chanted his Icicle Lance spell. As Liam scanned the area he noticed there was one missing from the group. Before he could call out he felt a surge of mana being channeled in the air. Liam looked up to see Blair channeling Gravity Mana. After channeling what she believed to be enough, she chanted her Gravity Well spell. As soon as she finished the last of the words, a purple orb with a pitch black center formed in front of her. She watched the Sand Flea Swarm¡¯s movement and tried to time when she would throw it while aiming. After feeling like she had a good trajectory, she threw the spell down right in front of the creatures. Liam watched as the Gravity Well Orb soared through the air. With the Sand Flea Swarm¡¯s full attention on Roman and Ariyana, the creatures didn¡¯t see it coming their way. That was Liam thought, until the orb reached a certain distance from them. Liam wasn¡¯t able to tell the moment, but as soon as it got close enough, all the Sand Flea Crabs within the storm of bodies suddenly stopped, locked eyes on the orb, and the swiftly sank into the sand. Liam was about to let out a frustrated scream, but then noticed something around the Gravity Well orb. There were several of the Sand Flea Crabs stuck within the spell¡¯s radius. Their legs skittered in the air as their pincers clacked violently. Angry and scared shrills escaped their mouths as they realized they were trapped with heir underbellies exposed. Mercer quickly snapped a few arrows into them. It had taken five arrows each to kill them. Roman let Ariyana down as they stared at the dead floating creatures within the spell. Before anyone could say anything, Roman¡¯s ears suddenly twitch making him snap his head around to see the Sand Flea Swarm burst out from underneath the sand. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the swarm of Sand Flea Crabs had opened the middle of the body as they continued to swim around each other to reveal a light brown Sand Flea Crab that was bigger than the others. Its eyes glared at each of them as sand poured out of its mouth in a frothing like manner. Liam quickly took this time to assess the creature to see if it was different and got his answer. [Sand Flea Swarm Chief. 500/500 HP. 420/650 MP. Level ¨C 14.] ¡°That must be the actual Wave Boss,¡± Blair stated as she landed on the sand, her axe gripped tightly in her left hand. ¡°What is it doing? Why hasn¡¯t it attacked us?¡± Ariyana asked, unsure what to do. ¡°I think it¡¯s because of the Gravity Well,¡± Liam replied. ¡°It¡¯s wary of it and doesn¡¯t want to lose any more of the creatures that makes¡­¡± Liam rolled his hand trying to come up with the best word. After a moment had passed and he couldn¡¯t find an appropriate one, he just finished with, ¡°whatever that is.¡± ¡°Such an articulate way to say it,¡± Avery teased with a smile before looking back at the creature. Liam ignored her, knowing full well he would only embarrass himself if he tried to defend himself. Instead he asked, ¡°Got any ideas Mercer?¡± ¡°We need to figure out how to separate that specific one from the others,¡± Mercer said. ¡°I think that is what is holding them all together.¡± ¡°Okay, how do we do that?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°I think¡­,¡± Mercer started to say until the ground beneath them started to rumble. Everyone quickly looked at the Sand Flea Swarm. They went on high alert as the sand beneath the swarm of creatures started rippling outwards. The ripples started off small as it moved like a wave outwards before stopping just inches away from them. those small ripples then started to grow, inch by inch until a foot rose up and crashed down, mimicking a wave from the sea. ¡°What the hell is it doing now?¡± Avery scowled as she looked at them before looking at her companions. ¡°I don¡¯t know. How the hell would I¡­,¡± Ariyana started to say until she realized what it was going to do. ¡°We need to run. Now!¡± Before anyone could ask what she figured out, the sand rose beneath the Sand Flea Swarm, lifting them up high into the air. Artem, Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Liam turned around and started running away from the rising sand. Being in the back of the group, Liam noticed Roman wasn¡¯t moving. He then saw a shine flash in his eyes before Roman started running. However, instead of him running away with them, he was heading towards the rising wave of sand. Liam turned around as Roman sprinted past him and shouted, ¡°Roman!¡± Everyone stopped and turned around to see what was going on and watched as Roman reached the base of the sand wave. They all reached out and shouted his name, but stopped as they saw him race up the wave. Liam saw Roman¡¯s lips move, almost like he was chanting something, but couldn¡¯t hear it through the shrieks and shrills of the Sand Flea Crabs that were swimming faster and faster on the tip of the sand wave. They then watched as the Orb of Earth shot into Roman. With their Mana Sight still on, they watched as all the Earth Mana shift from around his body and to his right fist after pushing off of the sand and dove right into the mound of sand that formed the top of the wave. A couple moments later, Roman burst through the sand underneath the Sand Flea Swarm.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. His right fist, where all the Earth Mana had coalesced to, was covered in sand that hardened before two small spikes and one large one formed. Right before he came into contact with the swarm of creatures, Roman threw a hard right punch. Their stomach dropped as everyone watched as his body was engulfed into the swarm. However, their fear of him being attacked and swallowed by the swarm disappeared as the Sand Flea Swarm Chief erupted from the top of the swarm, the large, hardened spike on Roman¡¯s right fist plunged into its underbelly. The large wave of sand stopped moving the moment the Wave Boss was separated from the swarm body and came raining down, along with the panicked bodies of the Sand Flea Crabs that couldn¡¯t maintain its swarm body. To everyone¡¯s delight, majority of the creatures fell within the radius of the Gravity Well spell and were sucked up, underbellies exposed as the rest either fell on their backs or were able to dive right into the sand to get away. Avery¡¯s eyes fell on the creatures that were trapped with the gravity spell. An idea popped in her mind, and she quickly ran back to the edge of the spell, channeled as much Fire Mana as she could, chanted a spell, and released a wave of fire onto the trapped creatures. Mercer joined her as he shot arrow after arrow on the creatures that weren¡¯t getting the wave of flames directly on them. Liam watched as Roman pulled his fist out and away from the Wave Boss and punched him once more. The force of his punch was powerful enough to send the creature flying away from him. Not wanting to let the monster reach the sand, Blair opened her wings and pushed herself as hard as she could off of the sand and rocketed towards the creature. She carried her axe underneath her as she flew, but the moment she was within striking distance, she gripped it with both hands and yanked as hard as she could upwards into the air, slicing the creature in half. Not wanting to be the only ones not doing anything, Ariyana, Liam, and Artem went on taking care of the creatures that weren¡¯t trapped in the Gravity Well and were either burning to a crisp or becoming a pin cushion. It had taken them a few minutes before the final creature was finally slain before the notification appeared before them. [Congratulations! You have defeated the 2nd Wave Boss Sand Flea Swarm Chief and its Sand Flea Swarm!] Liam fell to his back on the sand as he breathed heavily. He could feel his body grow heavy from all the running he did. He let out a few laughs before coughing a few times. He reached into his inventory and pulled out a water to cool his parched throat. After he finished drinking he heard Roman let out a loud roar of victory. Surprised that it had taken him this long to celebrate their victory, Liam sat up and was about to say something but stopped as Roman¡¯s body lit up. Everyone was shocked and confused on what was going on. Liam was confused as well, but not like the others. He was confused because this felt familiar. He felt like what was going on with Roman was something that had happened to him as well. Trying to remember what why it felt familiar he wracked his brain. Right before he gave up, he finally remembered why it was familiar. He had the same thing happen to him when he evolved his class. Remembering that, Liam quickly stood up and shouted, ¡°You evolved your class?!¡± Artem¡¯s, Avery¡¯s, Ariyana¡¯s, Blair¡¯s, and Mercer¡¯s eyes widened as they looked from Liam to Roman. Roman turned around and grinned widely at them before giving them a nod and shouting, ¡°Hell yeah I did!¡± ¡°Holy shit Roman!¡± Avery yelled out as she swiftly got to her feet. The others let out gasps and their own congratulations as Blair asked, ¡°What did you get?¡± Trying to calm himself, Roman responded, ¡°I got three different options. My first was Pugilist. My second was Stone Mage, and the last was Earthen Pugilist.¡± ¡°Knowing you, you probably went with the Earthen Pugilist, right?¡± Ariyana asked, already knowing the answer. ¡°Yeah,¡± Roman stated. ¡°While the pugilist path was what I was aiming for, the regular pugilist class was straight physical based, no bonuses to magic uses or anything. Stone Mage was a straight Magic class with a focus on Earth Magic. While I use Earth magic a lot, being just a mage class with no focus on punching things isn¡¯t what I want. The last class, Earthen Pugilist is mixture of both, giving me a bonus to using Earth Magic and I can still punch things.¡± ¡°There has to be more than just that though right?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Was there a description of the class or anything that explains it better?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. There was. Hold on,¡± Roman stated, his excitement still showing full on his face. ¡°It says, The Earthen Pugilist is a start down a path for those who are interested in learning how to blend the elements with martial arts. The Earthen Pugilist is a foundation class to learn how to create a strong body by blending Earth Magic on the body and fists. Through learning applications of using Earth Magic on the body, the user can learn how to utilize magic with a melee attack style thus paving the way to learn how to wield the other elements.¡± Mercer let out a whistle as he wrote down what Roman had stated. He then continued to write more as Roman continued, ¡°I think I only got this class thanks to what I learned from the Mystical Trance.¡± ¡°Oh? Why do you say that?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Well thanks to you guys for allowing me to watch the Sand Flea Crabs, I was able to learn how to channel Earth Mana as I moved around instead of having to stand still. Thanks to that, before I ran up the sand wave I felt like there was something missing from what I was trying to learn. After charging in and jumping through the sand, I was able to gather the sand around my fist and harden it. After I did that I learned an ability called Stone Fist. Stone Fist allows me to gather materials related to rocks and stone around my fist, compress it, and use it as an attack.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Artem stated as he patted Roman on his shoulder. ¡°I also received a couple new Class related abilities and skills. I have to look them over really quick before I tell you all what they are,¡± Roman stated as he looked back at his notifications. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll have Liam harvest what he can and loot the wave boss as you do that,¡± Mercer informed as he looked at Liam. Liam nodded before pulling his Spectral Lantern out and harvested the soul orbs hovering around. He then made his way over to the first Sand Crab Flea and tried to harvest it. After harvesting the Sand Flea Crabs that were still around, Liam had learned there wasn¡¯t a lot he could get from them. Their meat wasn¡¯t edible. It wasn¡¯t because they were poisonous or anything, their meat was just not fit to consume for people. They could use it for fishing bait, but that was it. Their shells, however, still had Earth Mana lingering on them. It took him a bit to realize that, but after he had finally realized it, he broke off the shells into small pieces before learning how to properly harvest them into slightly bigger pieces. He made a mental note to ask Uncle Naro why the Earth Mana was still lingering on them and what exactly he would be able to do with them. He quickly made his way over to the wave boss and asked, ¡°Did anything good drop?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± Mercer replied as he handed the object to Liam. Liam looked at it and recognized it as a necklace. Liam laughed as he stared at the design. Even though the material was made out of metal, the shapes the metal took was that of a Sand Flea Crab. They were connected to each other through their pincers pinching the other pincers. He assessed it to see what the necklace could do. [Sand Swarm Earthen Necklace. Item Type- Accessory (Neck). Item Rarity ¨C Uncommon. Item Quality ¨C Average. + 10 to defense. + 10% increase to Earth Magic. Effect ¨C Sand Cushion. Description ¨C By channeling Earth Mana into the Sand Swarm Earthen Necklace, a swarm of sand will gather and soften physical blows being landed on any part of the wearer¡¯s body.] ¡°Well that¡¯s interesting,¡± Liam muttered after reading it. He looked back at the necklace and thought, The effect this necklace has is pretty handy for someone who uses Earth Magic. You can essentially use it to train Earth Mana Manipulation during a fight much like my fiery liquid vial. However, even with that effect I still think it looks too funny. He then looked at Mercer and asked, ¡°Going to give it to Roman?¡± Mercer looked at him then at the others who shook their heads. Roman was still standing off to the side reading his notifications, not knowing what they were planning. Mercer then looked at Liam and said, ¡°I think its unanimous. Hey Roman! Looks like you¡¯re getting another piece of loot.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Roman muttered before looking at the others. He then spotted the necklace in Mercer¡¯s hands, read the notification after assessing it and said, ¡°Sweet, that will be helpful for sure. And the design looks pretty sweet too.¡± Ariyana¡¯s and Avery¡¯s mouth dropped at Roman¡¯s words as Liam, Artem, and Blair shook their heads. Mercer held back the laughter that was bubbling inside him. Before it could escape his lips, the ground started trembling. The strength of this trembling was enough to knock everyone off their feet. Alert and slightly panicky, the group looked all over for what caused the shaking. Their eyes widened suddenly as they found what changes were made. The changes came from the sea. Adventure 274 - Wave Rider Crab Liam stared dumbfoundedly and amazed as he saw the scenery had changed a bit. Two lanes of flat harden stone had surfaced and reached out from the beach to the sea around one hundred and sixty feet. The length from one set of hardened stone lane to the other was around three hundred and sixty feet long. In between both lanes were circular stone platforms roughly sixty feet in diameter. They spaced out long enough that a person could jump from one to the next. The circular platforms looked to have a pattern of their own as well from one lane to the other. Two lined up next to the lanes up and down. The next one was s single one that lined up ¡°What the hell is that about?¡± Roman asked as they all stared out. ¡°I think that¡¯s where the final wave will be?¡± Ariyana said, questioning herself. Liam stared at the layout. He wanted to agree with Ariyana, but at the same time he felt like it was something more than the final wave. No matter how he looked at it the whole set up screamed that was where the final Wave Boss was going to be and nothing else. He looked over at Mercer and noticed he was thinking the same thing. ¡°You ready? It looks like that fight is going to be tougher than we all thought it will be.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Artem questioned as the others turned to look at him. ¡°The final boss,¡± Mercer started back up. ¡°Did you forget that Liam was tasked to fight the finally boss of this dungeon by himself?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened as they instantly remembered what Uncle Naro had said. They looked at the set up in the sea and then back at Liam. It was Avery who broke the silence after a minute as she asked, ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± ¡°Yeah man. I don¡¯t want to doubt your capabilities but fighting a boss with a set up like that¡­¡± Roman stated. ¡°Are we even sure that the final Wave Boss will be what shows up here? I mean don¡¯t we have to fight some creatures before it¡­¡± Roman¡¯s words faded as he remembered his time in the last Wave Type dungeon. While he, Artem, and Blair did fight a swarm of Toxo creatures, they essentially were called there through the boss¡¯ ability. He quickly looked at Mercer and was about to ask but was stopped. ¡°Before you ask, no this creature does have any minions it uses in fights,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°It¡¯s a boss that uses the waves to its advantage. Its name isn¡¯t just for show. It actually does ride waves.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Blair asked. ¡°I read it in an Aquatic Monster book,¡± Mercer stated. ¡°I¡¯ve been studying up on some monsters since the other day. I didn¡¯t remember seeing anything on Stone Crusher Shell Crab or Sand Flea Crabs, but I do remember coming across a Wave Rider Crab.¡± Liam¡¯s interest piqued. ¡°Oh? What do you remember reading about it?¡± ¡°I remember a bit,¡± Mercer started as he thought about it. ¡°I know that unlike the other creatures that have been using Earth Magic or a form of Earth Magic, the Wave Rider Crab uses Water Magic. Besides creating waves here and there, it can also shoot out bubbles and other water spells to try and knock you into the water. If you get knocked into the water then you need to get out as fast as you can before it tries to drown you.¡± ¡°That sounds nasty,¡± Roman commented before looking at Liam and asking, ¡°Are you going to be alright? If you need us to¡­¡± Liam gave him a smile before kindly interrupting, ¡°I appreciate it, but I need to do this. if I can learn how to master this fighting style then it will be helpful in the future.¡± ¡°How so? Why do you need a cover?¡± Ariyana asked, feeling slightly stressed. ¡°Can¡¯t you just say you are a crafter and leave it at that? Why go through all this just to make a cover?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so no one will suspect my other persona,¡± Liam stated. ¡°If I have to fight others or creatures with the eyes of those who aren¡¯t a part of this team then I need another style to use so no one will suspect me.¡± ¡°But why do you need another persona?¡± Ariyana questioned, still confused. ¡°It¡¯s a rule for the Association I joined,¡± Liam explained. ¡°Can¡¯t have anyone knowing who I am and risk those who are stronger than me to track me and kill or kidnap me. It¡¯s also for everyone else¡¯s security.¡± ¡°This¡­Association¡­is it an evil one?¡± Avery inquired as she eyed Liam. Liam let out a laugh. ¡°There are some jobs that can be considered evil¡­depending on the ones doing it or what the job entails. However, I don¡¯t think the association is evil. While there are jobs that I don¡¯t want to consider taking, you have the option of doing the exact opposite of it. It¡¯s all tricky and hard to explain so let¡¯s end that conversation for now.¡± ¡°Agreed. We all have things we are considering or have considered to join. We are a team and must respect each other¡¯s decision as well as trust that no one is doing something that is against the group or will put us in jeopardy,¡± Mercer stated. Liam looked at the man. The way he worded that made his curiosity grow and want to learn what he meant, but he quickly shut that down. He needed to focus and get ready for the fight. While he was confident that he would be fine when Uncle Naro had first told him of his task, that confidence had faltered a bit. He had believed he would be fighting this creature on land. This would be the first boss fight where he would have to fight with water surrounding him and with mechanics that were almost video game like. ¡°Ah, one more thing before I forget,¡± Mercer started back up. Liam looked at him ready to hear what he had to say. ¡°I just remembered reading a small section about the waves created by the Wave Rider Crab. Apparently the waves will wash over all those platforms, but they won¡¯t wash over the lanes.¡± Liam was surprised by that. He would have thought that maybe the waves wouldn¡¯t be as bad in certain places, but for them to cover all the platforms and not the lanes was a surprise to him. ¡°Thanks,¡± Liam said as he stretched his arms and legs a bit. He wanted to make sure he wasn¡¯t stiff before having to do more running around. He was happy for the small fact that he wasn¡¯t going to have to fight in the sand.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Alright¡­Here I go,¡± Liam said as he made his way to the rocky lane on the left side. He heard the others calling out good lucks and you got this as he made his way over to the set stage of his fight against the last Wave Boss. He believed that the moment he had touched the rocky lane the boss would have appeared like how the Sand Flea Crabs did when they had touched the sand. However, nothing happened. The light waves that were rolling back and forth were still moving and nothing made an appearance. He looked towards the rocky platforms and thought maybe he would have to go out there. Liam stared down at where the platform and the water connected. He wasn¡¯t sure if the platforms were floating or a solid mass that shot up from the bottom of the floor. He believed that the latter was the case since the platforms didn¡¯t move with the small waves, but at the same time he believed it could be a trick, and it would move once he stepped on it. As the waves moved back bringing the water with it he saw the platform continued a bit further in the water. He tried to see if he could see further down, but the color of the water clouded any further perception. Making his decision, he jumped onto the platform. As soon as his feet touched the stone, he was prepared for it to dip into the sea a bit just in case. To his surprise it was sturdy and didn¡¯t move at all. He took a peek over to see if he could see if he could get a better look now that he was closer, but the cloudy water was still blocking any sight. Not wanting to waste any more time on the subject, Liam made his way from one platform to the next. He took his time not wanting to waste any unnecessary stamina usage. It took him five minutes to get to the single platform in the middle of the area. He waited for his stamina to regenerate to full before hopping on it in case it was the trigger to start the fight. As soon as his feet touched the middle platform, the light waves stopped moving and the water became suddenly still. Liam went on full alert as soon as he noticed that. He scanned the water all around him, waiting for something to happen. A single bubble surfaced to his right before a second one popped from his left. A third in front and fourth behind. After the fourth the watery area all around him had bubbles constantly appearing and popping as soon as they escaped the watery surface. The bubbles kept appearing for almost a full minute until they finally stopped. Liam kept scanning the water, waiting for the Wave Boss Monster to appear. He grew confused as to why it hadn¡¯t appeared, but that confusion disappeared as something emerged from the water not too far away from the platform from the sea. A second thing appeared not too far from it and looked familiar. Liam peered at them and tried to think about what he was seeing. It was two black orbs attached to cerulean, blue stick like objects. He stared at them for a few seconds more before he finally realized what he was looking at. They were eye stalks, crab eye stalks. They quickly disappeared back into the water before ripples were formed from the water indicating they were making their way towards him. Liam quickly moved to the back of the platform in case the creature decided to jump out from the water and onto it. He didn¡¯t want to get pancaked before the fight happened. He readied himself for what was to come. After a few seconds had passed, Liam felt a powerful vibration under his feet causing him to drop to a knee so he wouldn¡¯t fall backwards into the water. A second vibration happened soon after, not as powerful as the first and was accompanied by several others. Liam recognized the rhythm of the vibrations and realized the monster was walking up the stone platform, answering his question from earlier on if whether or not the platform was attached to the ground. Finally something broke the surface. The first thing to make an appearance was a long dark cerulean, blue spike like leg that stabbed into the platform almost like it was gripping it. Then a second, a third, and a fourth. A large crab claw appeared next. The tip of the claw dug into the platform as well before moving in a way that looked like the creature was pulling itself up. After pulling its entire body out from the water, Liam got a better look at it. the creature was thirty feet long. It was a cerulean color all over with white wisps that looked like waves over its smooth shell. The creature¡¯s claws were different sizes. The left claw was almost twice in size than the right. Liam took a moment to assess it to see the information it would allow. [Wave Rider Crab. 2,050/2,050 HP. 2,000/2,000 MP. Level ¨C 15.] Hm, a bit of a jump there in the health department compared to the first wave boss. I wonder what determines the health for creatures and bosses. Liam thought after scanning the information. He took another look at the creature and realized why the platforms were as big as they were. The Final Wave Boss took up half of the platform. If he were to think of it with game logic, melee and frontline fighter would be on the same platform as the boss while long ranged attackers would be on other platforms. However, he knew he shouldn¡¯t be thinking about this with video game logic. That was his bad habit back in the Tutorial Area. This was real life and real life fights rarely went the way video game boss fights went. He had to be ready for anything. Ready to recognize patterns the boss would have. Ready for attacks he wouldn¡¯t expect. Ready for¡­ The Wave Rider Crab¡¯s body suddenly twitched as it clicked its claws quickly several times. Then without warning, it lifted its heavier claw and started moving. It didn¡¯t move forward though. Instead it followed the edge of the circular platform and swiftly raced towards Liam. It¡¯s bigger claw raised to a position where it looked like it was trying to ram into him. Liam quickly snapped out of his shocked state from seeing the speed the creature could move in and raced forward just in time to dodge the creature from slamming into him. Liam ran to the center and locked his eyes on the creature as he pulled out his hammer. The Wave Rider Crab slid to a halt and raised both claws clicking them together. Bubbles started foaming from its mouth not too long after that. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what it was trying to do, but he waited patiently before making a move. He remembered the fight against the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab. That Wave Boss had an attack where the bubbles it made softened the stone so it could shape it like mud. Liam wasn¡¯t sure if the Wave Rider Crab had the same ability and was waiting to see. However, when the three foot bubbles formed and escaped the creature¡¯s mouth, instead of them falling down to the ground they flew forward. Liam watched as four bubbles floated out towards his direction. Each floated in different angles so they weren¡¯t stacked in a line. They weren¡¯t particularly fast, but they also weren¡¯t very slow. Not wanting to take the chance to find out what would happen if they touched him, Liam stepped out of their way. He kept his eyes on all the bubbles so he wouldn¡¯t make a mistake on touching them, however, as soon as he turned his eyes away from the one that had floated behind him he didn¡¯t see it start to ripple as it stopped. After a few ripples, the bubble popped. An explosion of wind suddenly pushed against Liam¡¯s back causing him to be pushed forward and hit the bubble in front of him. That bubble popped and the force of it caused him to ping pong to the bubble on his left. After colliding into that bubble he was thrown violently to his right, right next to the edge of the platform, his back facing away from the Wave Rider Crab. After getting his balance back, and his ears stopped ringing, he heard shouts coming from the beach. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what they were saying at first, however, just seconds after registering they were yelling at him, his Danger Sense filled his entire back side. Adventure 275 - Bubbles, Jet streams, and Waves Oh My Liam swiveled his head fast enough to see the Wave Rider Crab quickly making its way towards him. He forced himself not to use Shadow Step, since he was trying to get used to his new crafting fighting style and tried to roll out of the way. As he rolled, the Wave Rider Crab had reached his location. He was able to dodge being hit by the first set of legs by rolling in between them, however, as he tried to fully get out of the way he didn¡¯t see the bigger claw coming and was struck in the side. The force of the claw striking him was enough to send him flying off of the platform. To his surprise and luck, he landed on his side on the edge of the next platform. His body rolled as soon as it touched down. He didn¡¯t waste any time and swiftly got back to his feet only to see the Wave Rider Crab turn around to face him, bend its legs and jump onto the same platform. Liam ran to make space between them. What he didn¡¯t account for was the weight of the Wave Rider Crab. As soon as it landed on the platform, Liam¡¯s feet was launched a couple inches off of it due to the force of the Wave Rider Crab roughly landing. His knees buckled and he fell onto them after coming back down. He scrambled to his feet once more and turned around to face his opponent. Bubbles were starting to froth all around the Wave Boss¡¯s mouth, and he stood ready to dodge the bubbles that he believed the creature was going to shoot out once again. However, as Liam stared at the creature¡¯s mouth he noticed slight differences from the creature. Last time the Wave Rider Crab had its mouth closed when it formed the concussive bubbles. This time its mouth was closed and drops of liquid spilled out from the corners and the middle of the mouth. Liam didn¡¯t like the looks of this and started to sprint to his right. He did so just in time. As soon as he moved a powerful Jetstream of water was shot in the direction where he had stood. The Jetstream was cut short as Liam sprinted as fast as he could towards the Wave Rider Crab. As soon as he got within striking distance, Liam lifted his hammer as high as he could and struck down with all his strength against the larger claw. His hammer bounced back a bit after landing the blow. Reverberation shook down his hand and up his arm, making Liam grit his teeth. Jesus Christ that hurt! How hard is the shell of this crab¡¯s claw? Liam thought as he retreated out of striking range. Liam activated his Spot Frailty to see if he had done enough damage to cause the shell of the claw to start to lose durability, however the spot his hammer struck was still dark green. Liam clicked his tongue as he tried studying the giant cerulean crustacean. He stared at the giant claw and then at the smaller one. He wasn¡¯t sure why the two were different or if the smaller claw had a purpose at all. He would need to be wary of it just in case. After his attack with the bigger claw he was starting to get an idea what its purpose was for. The durability was great and the force of it striking led him to believe its purpose was both a shield and a blunt weapon. Liam glanced at his Health Pool briefly and even though it was already starting to tick by up slowly, a third of it had been taken away after getting hit by that claw. He needed to figure out a way to attack and not get hit by that bigger claw. Luckily for him he had also determined the bigger claw was slow when used to attack. Maybe that¡¯s the purpose of the bubbles? To push someone to the edge so it can ram them with the bigger claw? Liam thought. He then noticed small bubbles start to form once more around the monster¡¯s mouth. This time the mouth was open. Liam watched to determine if his theory that he was forming earlier was right. To his satisfaction he was right. Four three foot bubbles formed and were blown one by one towards him in the same fashion as earlier. As Liam moved away from them he thought to himself, Froth from the mouth wide open equals concussive bubbles. When closed a jet of water. Got it. Now can I use that to my advantage, or is it useless to use? As Liam moved out of the bubbles trajectory he noticed the floating bubbles had changed course. As they changed direction the two in the back had skimmed each other and caused them both to pop. The air that escaped out of them washed over the other two and caused them to pop as well. Liam was both intrigued and surprised. He didn¡¯t think the bubbles would change direction when he moved which helped him to find out they were homing and locked on to him. After watching them change direction and watched the two that had touched each other, he hadn¡¯t expect them to pop. He would have believed they would connect them form a bigger one. However seeing them react in that fashion both gave him an idea on how to get rid of them and a possible use for them. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work and the timing would need to be close to perfect, but he had time to test his theory out. He quickly made his way back to the center of the platform and waited to see if the monster would use that bubble attack again. To his delight, the Wave Rider Crab did as he had hoped. It sent out four more bubbles after him. Instead of running to his left or right, Liam waited for the bubbles to get closer. After they reached a certain distance he jumped back a bit creating enough room between him and the bubbles so they wouldn¡¯t pop. He kept doing this getting closer and closer to the edge of the platform. He gauged the distance and believed he was just the right amount for his plan and stepped within the range that he thought he needed to be for the Wave Rider Crab to start moving. To his delight the creature started skittering around on the left with the bigger claw leading the way. Liam watched the crab and the bubbles and waited. He wanted to time this right to see if his theory was correct. Once he believed the timing was perfect he started sprinting to his left. He looked over his shoulder and watched as the Wave Rider Crab approached the bubbles that had started to turn. The two back bubbles barely touched and popped causing the other two to pop as well. The concussive air wave that escaped from the bubbles shot out just like he wanted as the Wave Rider Crab got close, however, the massive creature wasn¡¯t close enough to receive the force from the air blast. Instead of the air blast hitting the creature and knocking it off balance like he was hoping, the amount that did touch the crab before settling only knocked the larger claw upwards a bit, making it come to a halt to allow time for it to come back down.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Even though his timing was off and only the larger claw was affected by the bubbles, he had received his answer. The air blasts that came out of the bubbles were enough to cause the creature to be off balance and possible fall back into the sea. With that discovery, Liam ran away from the edge of the platform and back towards the middle of it. Ready to try this again. Once more, after the Wave Rider Crab rebalanced itself, it shot out four more bubbles and waited. Liam readjusted his timing and went through the same process, however this time he waited a bit more before making a run to his left. This time the bubbles exploded right in front of the Wave Boss, causing it to throw its larger claw up into the air bringing four of the front legs along with it. Liam watched waiting for it to fall into the sea. However, even though it was unbalanced and swinging both claws around, the momentum it had going up was slowly coming to a halt. Liam tried to calculate if it would fall or not for a split second before coming to the decision that he wasn¡¯t going to take the chance of being wrong and sprinted towards the crab. As soon as he reached within striking distance he swung his hammer under then over his head gaining as much momentum and force as he could before slamming it down in the middle of its under belly. Liam heard a soft crack as the head of his hammer connected, however, he wasn¡¯t able to see if it did enough damage to lower its durability since it fell backwards into the sea. Liam raced over to see if he could spot where the creature was. He looked in and remembered that he wasn¡¯t able to see anything before. He then remembered how the creature emerged from the water and ran back towards the middle of the platform. Unsure where the Wave Rider Crab was, Liam slowly scanned the water around the platform. Nothing was spot. Not a single bubble or ripple. As he continued to do this he noticed something. The water was strangely calm. That calm didn¡¯t last long as the water slightly and slowly dipped before it returned back. That small dip happened again, but this time it dropped a little more before returning to the same height. He found that strange. He then heard water drop on water as it happened again. It wasn¡¯t entirely quiet, but it also wasn¡¯t loud. As the water dipped again it dropped a bit more but as it returned back to its normal height a layer of water rolled over the spot he was staring at. The sound of water hitting water grew a bit more causing him to look to his right; the area of the platform that faced the sea. Waves were starting to form. As soon as he noticed the waves crashing against the platform, a bigger one than the others had crashed against it causing water to spray upwards. He then noticed two eyestalks poking up from the water out in the sea. Another wave of water crashed against the platform, causing the water to not only spray upwards, but a small amount ran across the floor of the platform. It didn¡¯t take long for Liam to put two and two together what was going on. Seeing how violent the waves were starting to get and remembering what Mercer had told him earlier. This was probably the Wave Rider Crabs way of getting a wave high enough for it to ride. He didn¡¯t waste any time to wait and find out if his hunch was correct. He bolted to the platform to his right. As soon as he reached the edge he jumped. As his feet touched down a stronger wave crashed against the platform spraying even more water. A small amount of water had sprinkled on him, but he ignored it as he pressed on to the next platform. He jumped again, but as he jumped a spray of water shot up and drenched his legs and feet. Not only did he get drenched, but the force of the water had pushed his feet backwards a bit causing him to roll as he came back down. Liam spared a glance back at the sea as he reached the edge of the platform he was on now. His eyes widened at the size of the wave coming his way. He let out a slur of curse words as he jumped in the air. Right as he landed onto the next platform the wave that was heading towards him rolled over it and collided with his legs. The force of the wave was enough to knock him off his feet and drag him close to the edge of the platform. After the water had stopped, Liam stared out towards the sea and saw the next wave must be the final one since it rose twenty feet into the air with the Wave Rider Crab riding on top of it. Liam¡¯s heart thumped fast against his chest as he realized he needed to get to the rocky lane as fast as he could before it could collide with him. He swiftly scrambled back to his feet and ran as fast as he could towards the final platform before the rocky lane. He made it to the next platform and was pushing his legs as hard as he could trying to pick up as much speed as he possibly could. In the corner of his eye he could see the wave getting closer and closer. Panic was slowly creeping in as the wave swallowed half of the platforms that were closer to the sea. The one he was located on was the back platform on the right side of the watery arena. Each step his feet took more of the platform to his left was swallowed. By the time he reached the halfway point of the platform he was on the other ones were completely swallowed. He pushed it out of his mind and focused on trying to make it to the rocky lane. As he approached the edge of the platform, the wave had already swallowed a quarter of it. As he reached the edge, Liam pushed off his feet and leaped towards the rocky lane. In the corner of his eye he was the wave was coming down with the Wave Rider Crab falling down on the platform he had just escaped from. However, before he could get completely out of the way. The edges of the wave collided onto his left shoulder and side. The pressure rocked his body causing him to dip to his side. A thunderous boom crackled in the air as the Wave Rider Crab crashed down onto the platform Liam was just on. However, Liam wasn¡¯t able to see or understand why as he gritted his teeth and braced himself for impact as the corner of the rocky lane quickly came for his face. His left shoulder and side collided with the wall of rocky lane due to the pressure of the water that came down. Luckily for Liam, he was able to grip the rocky lane with his right hand and hold on with dear life as his right foot hooked into a hole. After the wave finished coming down, he pulled his body up to the rocky lane and rolled away from the edge. He breathed heavily feeling the muscles in his body throb as he gulped for air. He waited a bit before peering at his health and stamina. His health had dropped below half while his stamina was down to a quarter. He pulled out a health and a stamina potion and quickly downed them before getting back to his feet. He looked back out into the watery arena. As his eyes landed on the platform he was just on they instantly widened as he whispered out, ¡°Well fuck me.¡± Adventure 276 - Take the extra Hands and Challenge yourself. As Liam stared at the platform he had just jumped from his eyes followed each line of cracks that were formed. His mind worked double time as he understood the implications of this meant. It meant that each time the Wave Rider Crab did that wave attack, whichever platform he was last on that the creature crashed on to would slowly destroy it. Liam activated Spot Frailty and saw each crack sport a yellow color. This meant that the platform would be completely destroyed with a second attack. If that was the case then he needed to kill the monster before all four outer platforms were destroyed. Seeing the state of the platform and thinking about how hard the Wave Rider Crab¡¯s shell was while adding what he had to do to get to what he was thinking it¡¯s weak spot was¡­The feeling of being able to handle killing this monster by himself was now starting to feel a lot tougher. He shook his head a couple of times trying to stop the slight dread and anxiety that was forming in his mind of failing the task. He needed to keep calm and think of a way of doing this without needing to ask the others to step in and help. This was for not just his sake, but the others. He needed to learn how to handle tough creatures as a Crafter. He needed to learn how to fight as a Battle Crafter like Uncle Naro. However, the more he was thinking into this the more he was kicking himself for not being better prepared. He should have made more Chemicalized Creations. That was his first mistake. His next mistake was his tools. He was solely focused on the three tool weapons Uncle Naro had him practice with. The fight against the Mud Shaper Hermit Crab revealed that a pickaxe could be used as well. If that was the case then what about other crafter tools? He had a needle for Tailoring, but he was up against a creature with a hard shell. Would a needle really be helpful in a fight like this? Once more Liam shook his head. His current needle wouldn¡¯t be able to help him. It was of Crude Quality and would easily break, just like his pickaxe. Plus he didn¡¯t have any proper skills or abilities appropriate for it. He didn¡¯t have any other crafter tools he could use. If that was the case then what about Crafter skills or abilities? He quickly thought about what he had. The abilities from his Focus Points in the Field of the Crafter didn¡¯t have much that could do damage. His Construction Craft Focus Points didn¡¯t have much help. Both Construct Wooden Creation and Small Creation Knowledge wasn¡¯t going to be helpful with anything. Destruction points only showed him where the best places to strike a place that would help speed along the destruction of a constructed object. His Gathering Focus Point wasn¡¯t helpful in this fight either. Lumberjack Efficiency and Mining Strike Accuracy were only helpful when mining and chopping down trees. Harvest wasn¡¯t much helpful here too since it could be used only after the monster was dead. Temp Check, Item Understandace, and Crafter¡¯s Endurance from his Production Craft Focus Point were useless as well. Light and Burn was something he could use if he dumped oil on the creature, but getting close enough to do that would be a chore and since they were near the sea the creature could just wash it off when knocked into it. You have more than what you believe you have at your disposal. Eri suddenly stated in Liam¡¯s mind. Huh? Liam muttered as he grew confused. You¡¯re overthinking this. Eri continued. Before you start wasting time thinking over the skills and abilities you gained with Crafts you have currently trained with. Think about the one ability you have honed into your fighting style while in the Tutorial Area. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched as he took her words to heart. The one ability that I have honed into my fighting style while in the Tutorial Area? But I can only currently use Crafter ability and skills and if I think about that then it would be the Light and Burn combo with oil and like I thought before it would just wash it off by hopping into the sea wouldn¡¯t it? Liam heard Eri sigh before responding, While it is true that you did do that as well, I wasn¡¯t talking about. Besides there¡¯s a way around that issue, but we¡¯ll address that after you realize how stupid you are. Think about the one ability you learned that you didn¡¯t realize it was a Crafter¡¯s bread and butter until recently. Liam gave an incredulous look as he was taken aback. What do you me¡­ Liam started to reply until he looked down at his hands. As a Crafter his hands were his bread and butter when creating things. However, what Eri was getting at wasn¡¯t his physical hands, but the Mana created versions. Hand Type Spells. Hand Type Spells, according to Uncle Naro, and to even Vesely, were spells that Crafters used to help them during crafting sessions. Whether they were used to bring ingredients from different spots of the crafting room when a Crafter couldn¡¯t step away from the process to using them to pour in, guide mana, or help stabilize a crafted item being crafted, these Hand Type spells were really the bread and butter to a crafter. However, before he could get excited he remember the only Hand Type spells he had were Shadow Hand, Lunar Hand, Lightning Hand, and Gravity Hand. He was trying to stay away from using Shadow Hand for two reasons right now. One was he needed to level up his other Shadow spells before allowing that spell to reach level twenty. The other was, he was trying to avoid using any Shadow spell when fighting as a ¡®Crafter¡¯. When it came to his Lunar Hand, he was told not to use any Lunar abilities and still didn¡¯t know when or if he could reveal that he had the Field of the Lunar. His Gravity Hand and Lightning Hand he had just learned recently; so unlike the other two where their levels in Mana Control and Manipulation was past ten and allowed him to summon more than one, he would only be able to use one of both of them and if he was going to use Hand Type spells in a fight then he would need to use more than one. While using those two would help him out he felt they were also lacking. Ugh, you¡¯re doing it again. Eri stated with a dissatisfied tone. While I understand your concerns about using your Shadow Hand, you can still use Lunar Hand. Liam¡¯s brows scrunched. What do you mean? Did you say¡­ I know I said you shouldn¡¯t use Lunar Magic since it would cause issues due to how rare it is, but I think maybe we are making things more complicated than it should be limiting your magics to different personas. Eri explained. I¡¯m not saying you should just outright use it openly right now. it will bring too much attention. For now you should use Lunar Magic when there are no outsiders around. In this fight just limit it to the Lunar Hand, but after this you should start utilizing Lunar Magic more and more. Liam thought about it. She was right about them making things more complicated with creating multiple personas and limiting magics to each one. His Lunar Magic was the only thing left out. He needed to work on it if he wanted it to grow, but since they didn¡¯t have a way to incorporate it they were left at a standstill with it. Creating a third persona would be too much work and would spread him thin. Liam liked the change of plans. He nodded his head in agreement with her plan. Using his Lunar Magic with his Crafting Fighting Style could open up more routes for him. The Afflictions especially would be helpful in fights. However for this fight he would only be able to use the Lunar Hand and¡­ Liam¡¯s eyes widened as his mind went back to his surroundings. He was still in the middle of a fight and instead of paying attention to his opponent he was having a leisurely conversation with Eri. He swiftly scanned the watery arena and looked to find where the Wave Rider Crab was only to find empty platforms and calm waters. You don¡¯t have to worry about the Wave Rider Crab. Eri informed as she felt Liam¡¯s sudden concerns. Just like the Sand Flea Crabs, it won¡¯t reappear until you step back out there. Think of this area as a safe zone. For now at least¡­After you get it to half health it will attack this area if you spend too much time here. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t be talking to you and distracting your thoughts if you were in danger. Liam let out a breath of air as his body relaxed a bit. Okay so going back to what we were talking about¡­I should use Lunar Hand and Gravity Hand or Lunar Hand and Lightning Hand in this fight right?The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. No. Eri quickly replied. Liam felt his body twitch as slight irritation stirred. What do you mean no? Did you just say¡­ No. Eri said again. Before Liam could say anything else she quickly added. You¡¯re going to use those three plus Earth Hand. Liam blinked a couple of times before saying, But I don¡¯t have Earth Hand. And how would I use more than one type of Hand Spell? I haven¡­ Liam stopped his words as he realized that wasn¡¯t true. He remembered he had use two different types of Hand Type Spells. He was able to do it, however, when he was losing his mind while in the Harbinger of Chaos class. He hadn¡¯t been able to pull it off again since those times. No, that wasn¡¯t right. He hadn¡¯t tried to pull it off when not using that class due to Eri¡¯s warning. He remembered his discussion with Eri about it. They were both compatible and opposite elemental forces. He still didn¡¯t understand how that was possible. How could something be compatible and opposite? That was something he needed to figure out another time. However, now he had Lightning Hand and Gravity Hand and Eri wanted him to learn Earth Hand too. Maybe he could pull it off. He just needed to understand how. You need to learn how to make it. Like Naro had said, once you learn how to make one, learning the others will become easier. Eri stated. I would have you learn Plant Hand as well, but having too many Hand Type spells active at once at your current understanding will only burden you than help you. What do you mean? Liam asked, slightly confused. It will take a lot of focus for you to wield Lunar Hand, Lightning Hand, Gravity Hand, and Earth Hand all at once. You won¡¯t be able to have them move on their own like you would when using Shadow Hand or Lunar Hand alone. So you will need to move them yourself while trying to fight off the Wave Rider Crab at the same time. You will also need to pay attention to your Mana Pool since it will drain it having so many out at the same time without proper understanding of what you are doing. Liam sighed. So what you are saying is I am going to do something that is both stupid for trying out for the first time in the middle of a fight without any proper training and incredible if I can pull it off? Potentially. Eri said, sounding a bit amused. However, you are my Champion so you should be able to pull it off. If you can¡¯t then maybe I should reconsider finding a different Champion. Even though Liam could tell she was trying to motivate him, he still responded to the bait. ¡°You really know how to motivate me don¡¯t you. Fine, I¡¯ll take your challenge and show you that I am worthy of the title you bestowed me.¡± All he got in response was Eri laughing merrily in his mind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mercer and the others stood on the beach, watching Liam. They were a bit concerned after watching him slam into the edge of the rocky lane. Especially Mercer since he was the only other person who had Perception of the Control Tower. He had seen Liam¡¯s Health Pool drop and continued to drop along with his Stamina Bar as the wave pummeled him. He felt relieved when the wave had stopped pouring down and he was able to pull himself onto the rocky terrain he had held onto for dear life. He felt even more relieved when he saw Liam¡¯s health and stamina go back up. ¡°He must have taken a Health and Stamina Potion,¡± Mercer muttered to himself. ¡°What was that?¡± Avery asked as she turned to look at him. ¡°Hm?¡± Mercer responded as he looked back at her. ¡°Oh, I was saying he must have taken a Health and Stamina Potion since both of those rose up.¡± Avery¡¯s brows furrowed as she asked, ¡°How do you kno¡­¡± She stopped herself as she realized the answer. ¡°Ah, you have Perception of the Control Tower too right? If so how much damage did he take from that hit?¡± ¡°His health dropped under half, and he had a quarter of his stamina left,¡± Mercer answered. Before Avery or Mercer could say anything else, Roman asked, ¡°What is he doing?¡± Both of them turned to see Liam staring out at the watery arena. He just stood there looking like he was contemplating something, but what he was thinking was a mystery to them all. ¡°He better get back out there before the Wave Rider Crab comes back out and attacks him,¡± Artem stated, worried for Liam. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that for now,¡± Mercer informed. ¡°It won¡¯t reappear until he steps back out onto the platforms.¡± Everyone looked at him, confusion as to why he knew that. But before anyone could ask they remembered he had said he had read about the creature in a book. They nodded, each relieved that he had some time to breath and think. That relief was quickly replaced as they saw the state of the platform Liam had jumped from before the wave crashed down. It really didn¡¯t look good from where they stood. ¡°Do you think he has a chance?¡± Ariyana questioned as she stroked Tabby¡¯s head. ¡°Of course he does. Why would you think he wouldn¡¯t?¡± Roman asked as he crossed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t think he would, it¡¯s just that he¡¯s limited to just using Crafter style skills and abilities. If he were to use everything he has then I wouldn¡¯t put it past him. But since he can¡¯t¡­,¡± Ariyana left the rest of the sentence to hang as she wasn¡¯t sure how to finish it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Blair stated, clearing the awkward silence that was created a moment ago. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Ariyana asked, unsure herself. ¡°He¡¯s not using everything,¡± Blair said. ¡°That¡¯s because he can¡¯t,¡± Ariyana argued. ¡°You were there when he was told he needs to only use Crafter¡­.¡± Blair interrupted as she clarified, ¡°He too focused on the Crafter tool weapons he was given. He¡¯s not thinking about what else he can use that is considered Crafter skills or abilities. I think him standing there is him realizing that.¡± Ariyana stood there dumbfounded. She couldn¡¯t think of what else he had that was considered Crafter skills or abilities he could use in a fight. She knew it hadn¡¯t been long since they had regrouped, but these last two waves she hadn¡¯t seen him use anything but the tool weapons he was given. There was that thing with the pickaxe, but she hadn¡¯t seen it with her eyes and didn¡¯t think a pickaxe would be helpful in this fight. Before she could ask for further clarification, she saw Blair and Roman grin as they said, ¡°Sounds like he figured something out.¡± Ariyana raised a brow as she looked over at Liam. On his face was grin he usually wore when he was presented with a challenge. Even though she thought it was funny to see him have it, she was confused as to what he was planning. ¡°What did he say? I couldn¡¯t hear anything,¡± Artem and Avery questioned. ¡°Something about knowing how to motivate him and showing he is worthy of bearing the title he was bestowed with,¡± Roman said. ¡°Best guess is Eris gave him a nice talking to,¡± Blair said as she kept her eyes locked on him waiting to see what he was going to do. Mercer let out a laugh at what they had said. He felt if there was anyone who could get him to stop being so tunnel visioned it would be her. As he watched him he felt something strange coming from his direction. He recognized it as mana being channeled and used Mana Sight to see what he was channeling. Was it Gravity Mana? Lightning Mana? He surely wouldn¡¯t use Shadow or Lunar¡­His thoughts stopped as he unconsciously questioned out loud, ¡°Why is he channeling Earth Mana?¡± Roman laughed as Blair chuckled. Everyone activated their Mana Sight and saw what Mercer did. They were just as confused and curious as Mercer as they watched Liam channel the mana. While they knew he had unlocked it through the guidance of Naro, they were entirely sure what he was planning on doing with it. Without them having to wait long, they watched as he molded the mana he had channeled and created an Earth Hand with it. This scene still confused them, while having an Earth Hand was good and all, they weren¡¯t entirely sure why he made it. Having an extra hand could be helpful, but since he could only make one of the Earth Hands and not two like his Shadow Hand and Lunar Hand, they didn¡¯t think it would be¡­ Shortly after creating the Earth Hand, they watched as he started channeling another elemental mana type. This one was Lightning. A Lightning Hand was created not too long after that. ¡°Okay¡­an Earth Hand and a Lighting Hand,¡± Roman said as he tried to think why he created the two. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he could make two Hand Spells that were different, did any of you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s made a Shadow Hand and a Lunar Hand before, but that was when he wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind,¡± Mercer said as he grew curious as to what Liam had planned. ¡°Why Earth and Lightning?¡± Artem asked. Before anyone could say anything they felt another type of mana being channeled. All of their attention was focused on Liam as they watched him look like he was straining as he channeled Gravity Mana this time. After channeling enough of it, a Gravity Hand came to life. ¡°A third Mana Type Hand Spell?¡± Ariyana gasped. ¡°Was he always able to do this?¡± ¡°No, he had just gotten those three Hand Spells just recently so there¡¯s no way he¡¯s ever tried doing this before,¡± Mercer responded. Curiosity and worry both growing within him. His focus was on both Liam himself and his Mana Pool as he noticed it was slowly ticking down. It had dropped a third of its full pool and was ticking down two mana points a second. There was obvious risks to using more than one type of Hand Type Spells they weren¡¯t aware of and were now seeing. He was just happy Liam was limiting himself to not using¡­Mercer¡¯s eyes widened as Liam¡¯s Mana Pool started dropping fast. He then saw the familiar color of pale white that represented Lunar Mana start being channeled. With concern he quickly said, ¡°What the hell is he thinking?¡± ¡°I thought he wasn¡¯t going to use Lunar Magic,¡± Ariyana commented. ¡°He wasn¡¯t,¡± Avery stated. ¡°However, I think that might have changed after he had his chat with Eris.¡± No one said anything. If the goddess who blessed him did indeed speak to him not too long ago then it was safe to say that what he was going to do right now was something she had suggested. If that was the case then all they could do was watch and see what he was going to do with this situation. After Liam created the Lunar Hand, he quickly pulled out a Mana Potion and downed it. After that he placed the vial back in his inventory. They could see his focus was strained as he grinned widely. He then let out a weird battle shout before jumping right onto the broken platform and getting the fight going once more. Adventure 277 - Next phase As soon as Liam¡¯s feet touched the platform the water all around him and the platforms started bubbling violently. Liam scanned the waters to see where the Wave Rider Crab would reemerge. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would appear on the platform he was on or on the middle one where it had made its first appearance. He didn¡¯t have to wait long to receive an answer as the bubbles all died down except for a patch by the platform in the middle of the watery arena. Liam started making his way over to that one as he saw the legs of the Wave Boss monster appear. As he ran from platform to platform, he stared at the monster¡¯s information that had reappeared above it. he wanted to know how much damage he had done from that strike. He was hoping he had done a lot since he had heard a noise indicating something broke when his hammer struck the underbelly. [Wave Rider Crab. 1,845/2,050 HP. 1,892/2,000 MP. Level ¨C 15.] Liam was both happy and disappointed after seeing that. He was happy he was able to do slightly above two hundred damage, but at the same time if he was only able to do that much damage each time then he was going to run into trouble with the outer platforms being destroyed before he could kill the creature. He needed to find another way to damage the Wave Rider Crab so he wouldn¡¯t have to stress about that. He would need to adapt and find the best way to use these different Hand Type Spells. As he moved from platform to platform he thought about how he could utilize each Hand Type Spells. He came to the conclusion so far that there was a benefit and two negatives during this time. The benefit he believed they had was he didn¡¯t need to focus on having them follow him wherever he went. Due to them having a radius they could move around in, if he ran out of the original area he was standing in then they would move automatically with him. One of the negatives was that he would need to move each one, one at a time when using them as he fought. This wouldn¡¯t be like the time when he used Shadow Hand. There was only one he had to focus on moving. This time he needed to move the right hand at the right time. However, since he didn¡¯t fully understand the full capabilities of each hand he need to learn on the fly. Another thing he realized was that even though his Lunar Hand was past level ten and should be able to move on its one with only his intent, he wasn¡¯t able to do that since there were three other Hand Type Spells activated at the same time. He didn¡¯t anticipate that would happen and made the situation feel like it was back at level one all over again. The second negative he was starting to both see and feel was the mana cost. His mana was slowly ticking down four every five seconds. At full, he would have between fifteen to sixteen minutes before running out of all of his mana. He would need to keep an eye on his Mana Pool just in case he was wrong about that. By the time the Wave Rider Crab had fully emerged from the water and was standing on the platform, Liam had reached the middle of the back platform next to it. He slid to a halt as he watched the large crab run around the area it was on until it was closer to the platform he was on. It then jumped and landed hard on it, sending a powerful rumble that shook the entire platform. Liam was prepared for it this time and jumped right before the Wave Rider Crab collided with the ground. His knees still felt a bit wobbly after landing again, but this time he didn¡¯t fall over. It was progress. He then stood there and noticed the monster was starting to foam from the mouth. He peered in closer to make sure if the monster¡¯s mouth was closed. As soon as he got his answer liquid started to drip from the middle of the closed mouth and the sides. He quickly right to his left this time and dodged the stream of water that was shot at him. After dodging the stream he sprinted straight for the crab. As soon as he got within striking distance, instead of swinging his hammer, Liam focused on his making his Lightning Hand form a fist and threw it at the creature. The Wave Rider Crab swung its smaller claw at the Lightning Hand and Liam watched as sparks discharge upon impact. He glanced at the creature¡¯s health and noticed it had dropped by twenty. Before he could think on it, the Wave Rider Crab suddenly started to move to its right. Liam, without thinking, reacted. To his relief, he had stopped the bigger claw from crashing into him by swinging his hammer horizontally from his left side into it and mentally sending his Earth Hand towards it as well. He felt his feet slide a bit upon impact, but he was able to stop himself from being thrown off his feet and towards the water. He quickly thought about his Gravity Hand and had it slap the bigger claw. He smiled as he felt this was going a bit smoother than he thought it would. However, that smile lasted for a brief moment before he realized a three foot bubble was forming right beside him. With his focus on his accomplishment with stopping the bigger claw from sending him flying by blocking it with both his hammer and Earth Hand and then using his Gravity Hand to cause a heavy debuff, he didn¡¯t realize the Wave Rider Crab had him right in front of its mouth where he can either use a Jetstream or its bubbles. Liam didn¡¯t have enough time to jump out of the way as a single bubble appeared and popped. The shockwave of air that escaped from the bubble sent him flying away from the crab and towards the middle of the platform. As soon as his body hit the platform, Liam rolled twice before positioning his body enough to roll onto his feet and face the monster. As he fixed his glance on the creature he noticed that he wasn¡¯t the only who was affected by the bubble. The Wave Rider Crab was on its two back legs, swinging its claws around, trying not to fall back into the sea. As the Wave Rider Crab did this, Liam noticed something in the middle of its underbelly. As quickly as he could, he activated Spot Frailty and saw four light red lines around the area he had struck with his hammer. Looks like I did more than I thought. Liam thought as the Wave Rider Crab had finally caught its balance and came back down. Its bigger claw came down slightly faster than the last time it had tried to correct its balance. While the rumble from its impact hadn¡¯t changed much, the speed of it falling and the sound of it hitting the ground sounded different. Liam wasn¡¯t sure how or if adding more weight to the bigger claw was a good idea, but he thought that if he could make it so it was harder for the Wave Rider Crab to swing it or even pick it up to defend then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it. As his thoughts ran in his mind, he was brought out of them as he noticed liquid started to slip out of its closed mouth. Liam jumped to his right, dodging a jet stream of water before running back towards the monster. This time he was on the side where the bigger claw was. Like last time he stopped right within distance of the striking. The Wave Rider Crab brought its bigger claw up to defend, however, instead of defending against Liam¡¯s hammer, a combo of Earth Hand and Gravity Hand started pummeling against the shield and blunt weapon of the crab. At first when Liam mentally focused on using the two Hand Type spells the speed in which they moved was slow. After a few seconds of only focusing on them their speed slowly increase. The increase speed the two Hand Type spells wasn¡¯t much, but it was better than the slow movements they were making earlier. As Liam focused on moving the two Hand Type Spells, he risked a glance at the information on top of the Wave Rider Crab¡¯s head. Its health was dropping but not by much. He was doing five points of damage every other strike. At the same time he saw that the bigger claw was bobbing up and down. At first he wasn¡¯t sure why that was until he saw the debuff next to its information. That was when he put two and two together. The reason why the Wave Rider Crab was receiving damage every other strike was because the Earth Hand was the only one of the two doing damage. While it looked like his Gravity Hand could do some damage it really wasn¡¯t. instead it was keeping the Heavy Debuff it caused with every strike it made. That Debuff was making it hard for the Wave Rider Crab to its claw up in the air. However, since it could only be stacked so much, the Debuff was already at its full stacks. The strikes it was continuing to make was only to keep the stacks up at full capacity. That was okay. If he could keep whittle the creature¡¯s health down while making sure it was hard for it to hit with its claw could be helpful. Learning to wield these new two Hand Types spells would benefit him not only in adding more to his arsenal, but also leveling the Mana Control and Manipulation to make it easier for future use would be great for him. But was that all he should do? At the beginning of this fight he only used his hammer to get a better understanding of it while using Spot Frailty. Now he had made an Earth Hand and had Gravity Hand, Lightning Hand, and Lunar Hand activated. While it was tough trying to work his focus switching between these two he still had two others that were just hanging around. Not only that he was just standing there. This was a good opportunity for him to try and attack with his hammer while utilizing all four of his Hand Type Spells. However, there was a chance he could fail and get hurt badly in the process. Could he risk that?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Liam felt stupid for even thinking that. If he were to grow he would need to take risks like that. That¡¯s how he had grown over these past couple of months. If he tried to take the easy route each fight then he wouldn¡¯t really grow at all. Well, he¡¯d still be able to grow, but the speed in that growth would be really slow. Not only that he wouldn¡¯t see opportunities for new ways to use his abilities and skills. With a nod he made his decision. However, before he made any move to stop what he was doing he noticed something. As the two Hand Type Spells went back and forth hitting the Wave Rider Crab¡¯s claw Liam thought he saw something strange. For a brief moment as the Earth Hand and Gravity Hand passed by each other they had almost brushed. During that brief moment a brownish dark purple swiftly and suddenly sparked between the two. That brief moment of distraction almost costed him. The Wave Rider Crab swung its heavy and large claw at Liam. Due to the Debuff the claw was afflicted with, its movement was slower than usual, allowing Liam to dodge it in time. After Liam dodged the attack two three foot bubbles formed out from its mouth. Instinctually, Liam mentally threw his Lightning Hand at the front bubble, causing both to pop. Since Liam was farther away from the two exploding bubbles, a breeze blew over him. The force wasn¡¯t enough to knock him backwards, but it was enough to destroy the Lightning Hand and knock the Wave Rider Crab onto its back legs. Seeing that his Mana Pool was starting to get to the point where it would be dangerously low, Liam decided to knock the monster into the sea. He raced forward and swung both his hammer and his Earth Hand into the underbelly of the creature. His Earth Hand punched the spot he had struck last time while the blunt end of his hammer hit a spot slightly below it. As the creature fell backwards into the sea, Liam saw a few chunks of its shell explode outwards to his feet. After the monster disappeared into the sea, Liam quickly grabbed the pieces and placed them into his inventory before running straight for the same platform he had when the Wave Rider Crab used its wave attack. Since he knew it was going to come, he was able to make it to the rocky lane before the final wave was formed. After making it to the rocky lane, Liam pulled out a Health, Mana, and Stamina Potion and drank each one while watching the massive wave making its way towards the platforms. As he watched he noticed something different happen this time. Instead of the Wave Rider Crab aiming for the last platform Liam was on like last time; it instead fell down on a random one. The platform it had crashed down on was the back platform on the other side of the watery arena. ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Liam muttered as he stared at the platform that was just used as a landing pad for the wave. ¡°Did it attack that one since I made it onto this strip of land before it made its way towards me?¡± As the wave calmed down, Liam recreated his Lightning Hand. Before he jumped back onto the platform he thought about that strange thing he had seen. The brownish dark purple spark that flashed as the two Hand Type spells didn¡¯t happen by sheer coincidence. There had to be a reason as to why that happened. He looked at the two Hand Type Spells and decided he would test something out. With a mental command he slowly made the two get closer to each other. He watched as the few inches between them closed in. Before they got close enough to touch he saw the same spark happen again. Instead of one spark though, several of them discharged before repelling both Hand Type spells. You¡¯re not ready for that yet. Eri suddenly said in his mind. Surprised, Liam asked, Not ready for what? What just happened there? You¡¯re not ready to try and merge Hand Type Spells together. That¡¯s why the Earth Hand and the Gravity Hand sparked and repelled each other. That is something you can and will be able to do after getting better Mana Control and Manipulation on the Mana Types. Eri explained. For now just focus on trying to move all four together while fighting with your weapon. Liam was shocked at what he heard her say. He knew there had to be a reason for the sparks to fly, but to find out that there was more to the Hand Type spells than he originally thought, that was a good discovery in itself. He grinned before replying back, Fine. I guess I won¡¯t push my luck¡­for now. He heard Eri¡¯s laughter in his mind before jumping back into the watery arena. While he had to put testing that out for now until he reached the appropriate level, he had a goal he wanted to meet before finishing the fight. He scanned the area, waiting for the Wave Rider Crab to appear once more. It appeared on the platform near the rocky lane on the other side of the watery arena closest to the sea. Liam made his way over to it. He glanced at its information as he made his way over. [Wave Rider Crab. 1,123/2,050 HP. 1,640/2,000 MP. Level ¨C 15.] Liam was actually surprised at seeing how much the Wave Rider Crab¡¯s health had dropped. He also noticed that the debuff it had was no longer there. Time must have ran out while it was under water. As for the damage side of things, he knew he was doing damage with the Earth Hand, he didn¡¯t think he had caused enough to drop that far with that second strike against its underbelly. Liam thought about that once more as the image of broken shell pieces falling away from the crab¡¯s body came to mind. The increase in damage could have happened because he cause the shell that protected the underbelly to shatter. I can test out my Lightning Hand along with my Earth Hand next time I need to attack¡­Liam thought as he hopped from the platform he was on to the next. His thought was cut short after he noticed two very abnormal things. The first was the fact that the sea was starting to bubble all around the platform he was on. He had made it to the middle platform of the watery arena when he noticed the bubbles. The other thing was the Wave Rider Crab was waving both claws into the air while screeching. Liam¡¯s brows furrowed as he stared at the Wave Boss. He didn¡¯t know what it was doing or what it had planned, but the way it was waving that larger claw around. He was about to create some theories, but stopped as he saw the monster slam his claw down as hard as it could. A loud crack echoed in the air making Liam¡¯s blood run cold. The creature lifted its claw upwards and slammed it down two more times before slightly moving to its left. More loud cracks echoed in the air with each strike. It didn¡¯t take long for Liam to understand what it was doing as he saw cracks on the smooth floor of the platform start to form. That fucker is trying to destroy the platform! Liam thought as he started to run towards the edge of the platform he was on. He had almost reached the edge, but remembering the bubbles that were popping all around platform he was on. Before he could get within range of jumping, three forms swiftly ejected from the sea and blocked his route. These new forms looked like they were smaller versions of the Wave Rider Crab. They had smooth cerulean, blue shells and stood up to Liam¡¯s waist. They weren¡¯t as wide as the Wave boss and instead of having two different sized claws, they had two small thin like claws that looked like they could skewer anything they decided to poke at. Liam assessed these creatures to get a better idea of what he was fighting. [Wave Sword Crab. 975/975 HP. 700/700 MP. Level ¨C 12.] [Wave Sword Crab. 984/984 HP. 710/710 MP. Level ¨C 13.] [Wave Sword Crab. 975/975 HP. 700/700 MP. Level ¨C 12.] Liam stared at these new monsters. He let out an irritated groan as he glanced at Mercer¡¯s direction for a brief moment. He distinctively remembered the Tiefling saying there wasn¡¯t going to be any other monsters in this fight. Before he could internally curse Mercer some more, loud cracks reverberated through the air reminding him he needed to focus on killing these creatures as fast as possible. Liam gripped his hammer and struck down as hard as he could at the closest Wave Sword Crab. His hammer struck true as it slammed down hard on the shell. However, he had to jump backwards as quickly as he could as the creature he attacked lunged its right long claw at his stomach. He was surprised by its reach as he watched it get closer to puncturing him. With a swift mental command, Liam sent his Earth Hand flying in to knock the claw¡¯s trajectory off to the right, making the claw missed in the nick of time. His relief didn¡¯t last long as the other two crabs lunged forward as well. Liam focused as hard as he could on throwing his Earth Hand to block another strike while having his Lightning Hand hit the other. Sparks of lightning ran over the Wave Sword Crab¡¯s body, causing it to momentarily freeze in place. The other crab¡¯s claw was knocked off to the side as Liam slammed his hammer down on its shell as well. The third crab, the one that tried to skewer Liam first, lunged forward once more. Liam sent his Lunar Hand to slam down on the shell right in front of its eye stalks. As it slammed down, a bright pulse of light flashed causing the creature to let out a shriek of pain and stagger backwards a couple of steps. Liam capitalized on this at struck the creature with his hammer. At the same time, Liam tried to focus on having his Lightning Hand fly over to the crab his Earth Hand had blocked and strike it while his Earth Hand flew other to the other and punched the creature in the eye stalk. The fleshy part exploded upon impact causing Liam to wince for a brief moment. He recomposed himself quickly as the crab in front of him swung both claws wilding trying to land a strike on Liam while blinded. The crab with the missing eye stalk backed away shrieking allowing Liam to focus on the other two. He stepped back and focused his mind on having his Lightning Hand and Earth Hand to attack the blinded crab as his Lunar Hand went and blinded the last crab. After landing both attacks on the crab, Liam lifted his hammer up over his head and struck down as hard a she could on the crab. Its shell suddenly exploded as blood flew out. the crab¡¯s legs shook a couple of times before finally giving out. Liam swiftly focused his attention on the crab on his right. This time as he struck he tried to focus on having his Lightning Hand, Lunar Hand, and Earth Hand attack this creature. Before having his Lunar Hand strike down he made sure his trajectory was good and slammed his weapon and all three Hand Type Spells down before closing his eyes. He heard a painful gurgled shriek before he opened his eyes again to see he had killed this crab. Feeling confident that he was getting used to attacking with three Hand Type Spells while swinging his weapon, Liam tried to move even quicker when attacking the last Wace Sword Crab. Liam was grinning as the final small crab died. He felt like he was getting better the more he fought. He was starting to believe he was on to something and could utilizing this fighting style more with this new addition. His happiness was quickly replaced with worry as the sound of something big being destroyed filled the air. Liam quickly turned his attention on to the creature he had momentarily forgotten about and saw the platform the Wave Rider Crab was on fall apart and disappear into the sea. Liam¡¯s skin filled with goosebumps as he quietly muttered, ¡°Fucking hell.¡± Adventure 278 - One last push Liam waited before jumping to either platform closest to him on the left side if the watery arena. Since the Wave Rider Crab fell back into the water after destroying the stone platform it was on, he wasn¡¯t sure if it would climb back onto a different platform or do its wave attack. He soon got his answer as a pair of legs surfaced from the water and gripped onto the broken platform that was behind the one it had recently destroyed. That answers my question. Its aim is for the outer platforms. Without them I will need to try and swim to the rocky lanes and I¡¯m not sure I can beat it in terms of swimming. Liam thought as he jumped towards the next platform. As soon as his feet touched the ground he scowled. Three new Wave Sword Crabs appeared on the other side of the platform. Making it a bit difficult for me to get to you huh? Liam thought as he mentally prepared himself and raced towards the three new contenders. As Liam approached the three, he focused both the swing of his hammer and a punch from his Earth Hand onto the crab in the middle. He tried to have the Lightning Hand attack the Wave Sword Crab on the right and his Lunar Hand on the one on his left. However, his Lunar Hand didn¡¯t respond to his mental command while his Lightning Hand delayed its attack by a couple of seconds and was slow to move. Liam quickly jumped backwards to dodge the attack from the Wave Sword Crab on his left after landing both attacks on the Wave Sword Crab in the middle. The one on his right tensed up after his Lightning Hand connected with it. Liam then mentally commanded his Lunar Hand to strike the crab on the left as he swung his hammer down on the crab that was attack by his Lightning Hand. He had mentally commanded his Earth Hand to attack with him, but like his Lightning Hand from the previous attack, its movement was delayed and only struck down a couple of seconds after his hammer landed and he moved away from it. My control over these hands still isn¡¯t the best. I was able to move smoother earlier probably because I wasn¡¯t trying to make them all move at the same time while swinging my weapon. I¡¯ll have to try and change that as I keep fighting. Liam thought as he focused even harder on making his Lightning Hand attack the left crab while having his Earth Hand attack the middle crab once more with his hammer swinging down. To Liam¡¯s surprise, his Lightning Hand move slightly faster than earlier. A grin grew on his face as he lifted the hammer up from the dead crab. It¡¯s not much, but its progress. He then used his Lunar Hand to blind the crab on his right before turning to the one on his left and attacking its side with his Earth Hand and the top of its shell with his hammer. His Earth Hand moved at normal speed making Liam think his Lunar Hand moved slower. He wasn¡¯t sure since he had his back facing that one. He jumped to his left to dodge a strike from the Wave Sword Crab he was attacking and then jumped back in with his hammer over his head and coming down while his Earth Hand punched it from the front. He focused hard to make his Lightning Hand attack the other while he was in motion and to his surprise the Lightning Hand move quicker than before. It moved at normal speed along with his Earth Hand. This was better than he had hoped for. Now he needed to keep being able to move the two at the same time while trying to get a third Hand Type Spell to move to his will. It didn¡¯t take long for the last crab to die after he was able to move two Hand Type Spells while swinging his weapon of choice. He spun around to look at the Wave Rider Crab Boss. As he did so he let out a dissatisfied noise as he watched the second platform on the outer left side fall apart. He mentally cursed himself for wasting time trying to get used to moving more than one Hand Type Spell while swinging his weapon. If he had finished these crabs quicker then there was a chance he could have stopped the destruction of the platform. An exceedingly small chance, but a chance he was willing to try for. Now he had to figure out if the Wave Rider Crab was going to make its way over to the other side or if it would finally try and fight him head on. His answer came quickly as the Wave Rider Crab emerged from the sea and onto the platform he was on. Coming to me are you? It saves me time trying to run to the next platform. To Liam¡¯s relief the Wave Rider Crab was the only creature to appear this time. He prepared himself as he noticed the Wave Boss monster¡¯s mouth started to bubble as liquid dripped from the corners of its mouth. Liam jumped to his right and was about to start running forward as a jet stream of water shot out, however, he realized something was different this time as the Wave Order Crab kept the stream going and started to move to its right making the line of water follow Liam. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed as he kept running just to stay away from the stream of water. He kept running until the Wave Rider Crab made it back to its starting point. After the jet stream of water stopped being spray, Liam took this chance to try and strike at it. As soon as Liam got close enough, he jumped up into the air while bringing both his hammer and his Earth Hand over his head. He watched as the Wave Rider Crab boss lifted its massive claw up to defend itself. As that happened he mentally sent a command to his Lightning Hand to float around and hit the creature in the face. As his body, weapon, and Hand Type Spells went to strike, Liam tried to focus as hard as he could on his Lunar Hand, but failed to get it to move. He didn¡¯t let it bring him down as he landed a strike with his weapon and both Hand Type spells. After landing those, he swung his hammer around and swung down once more bringing his Earth Hand and Gravity Hand down with it. He didn¡¯t stop there as he attacked once more with his hammer, Gravity Hand, and Earth Hand. He did this combo two more times. When he went to strike a third time he noticed the Wave Boss start to shiver a bit. The Wave Rider Crab then lowered its massive claw down enough for its mouth to be see. A three foot bubble was starting to form as Liam swung his hammer down. In a panic he mentally sent his Lunar Hand in to slam down right in front of the eye stalks. The Wave Rider Crab let out a loud shriek as it turned its body and swung its massive claw around. The claw slammed into Liam and sent him flying, however at the same time the claw hit the newly formed bubble and made it pop right in front of it knocking the massive crab backwards to try and balance on its back legs. After Liam hit the ground and rolled back to his feet he sprinted towards the staggered creature. He noticed the exposed section on the Wave Rider Crab¡¯s underbelly that Liam had created. He smirked as he focused his Lightning Hand to strike that specific spot while having his Hammer attack right above it and his Earth Hand right below. More of the exposed area grew after landing the blows while surges of lightning raced along its exposed skin and into the shell. The Wave Rider Crab shrilled loudly before falling backwards into the sea. Bubbles formed around the ripples of water before separating into three pools of bubbles. Three Wave Sword Crabs climbed up from the sea as the water below started to form waves. Liam, knowing the Wave Rider Crab was starting up its wave attack, didn¡¯t want to stick around and try to fight these monsters. Instead, he turned around and ran towards the platform in the back. As he landed on the next platform, three Wave Sword Crabs appeared blocking the path to the next platform. Cursing out loud, Liam didn¡¯t slow his speed. Instead, he increased it and decided to try and maneuver past them. He barley dodged the strikes as he approached them, however when he jumped into the air to the next platform, one of the Wave Sword Crabs was able to run one of its sharp claws against his left leg. As he landed he took a quick glance at it and saw the cut wasn¡¯t deep. Only feeling a slight stinging sensation, Liam push forward as three more Wave Sword Crabs appeared on this platform. The left crab moved more towards the left platform while the right crab moved in the path for the right back one while the middle waited where it was. Liam made a choice to move for the back right one and as he did the other two crabs started to make their way to the other crab. Liam noticed this and thought of a plan. Right before reaching the group of crabs he swiftly changed directions towards the other platform. After successfully dodging the crabs on that platform he had two more to get through in order to get out of the way of the wave that was starting to raise the Wave Rider Crab. He made his way through the next set of crabs and was now on the back platform that had cracks on it thanks to the first attack the Wave Boss had made. To his surprise no Wave Sword Crabs appeared on this platform. Glad to know he wouldn¡¯t have to face any creatures, Liam sprinted as fast as he could to the rocky lane. After he landed on it, he quickly pulled out a Mana and Stamina Potion and drank them as the wave came crashing down on the back platform. Liam heard the platform exploding from the impact as the Wave Rider Crab fell down on it. After he finish drinking the potions though, his widened in alarm. Pieces of the rocky platform shot towards him as a wave taller than his head came up and over him. He didn¡¯t have any time to react as he realized there was nowhere he could run. Instead, he embraced for impact and hoped it wouldn¡¯t hurt as much as he thought it would. As the wave came crashing down on him two decent sized rocks hit his head as the force of the water knocked him off his feet. He brought his hands up to cover his face right before he was flattened. Pain erupted along his forearms and head as he hit the ground and a few more rocks hit him from behind. After the wave died down, Liam slowly stood back up. His entire body was drenched. His head and cuts both pulsed and stung as the sea water touched his open wounds. He took a look at his health really quickly and was shocked to see it was close to a quarter left. He cursed for his bad luck as he pulled out a health potion and drank it. While the health potion healed his wounds and replenished his health. He still felt a small bit of pain thump a couple of time on the back of his head. He waited for a few seconds for it to go away, but instead of disappearing it only lessened. Liam wasn¡¯t sure why, but he decided to push his concerns off to the side for now. He looked out at the watery arena and saw that three of the four outer platforms were now completely gone. The final one was fully intact, but after this last round he believed the Wave Rider Crab was going to try and change that. He needed to finish the fight this round. If he didn¡¯t then he would be stuck out there and had to try and swim through the waves when the Wave Rider Crab did its wave attack. He didn¡¯t want that.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He took stock of his Hand Type Spells and saw they were still intact. He was happy they didn¡¯t disappear after that surprise attack. He slowly made his way over to the last out platform, taking his time to think about how he was going to try and finish the Wave Boss out for good. His combination of hitting the larger with his Earth Hand and Gravity Hand while attacking with his hammer was good, but the damage wasn¡¯t much. Meaning it would be slow and arduous fight till the end. However, now that there was an exposed area, he could try and mix his Lightning Hand into the mix and try to land a few strikes there. The lightning damage should increase the amount done to it. he would need to time things right while keeping an eye out for when the Wave Rider Crab tried to use its bubbles to knock him off the platform. He would also need to make sure not to allow the bubbles to pop right in front of it so it wouldn¡¯t fall into the sea. If it fell into the sea one more time then it would be dangerous. He would also need to make sure it didn¡¯t do its little tantrum stomp on the platform either. He was going to need to push himself in this last push. Liam took in a deep breath before slowly letting it out. He did this two more times before jumping onto the platform. He scanned the water the moment his feet touched the surface and waited. Like he thought, the Wave Rider Crab was making its way onto the other side of the outer platform he was on. He readied himself as he stared at the creature. He then let out a slew of curses as three Wave Sword Crabs made their way onto the platform as well. Liam¡¯s annoyance filled him as he stared at the creatures. The slight pain that thumped in the back of his head increased just slightly. Having to fight the Wave Rider Crab and making sure it wouldn¡¯t fall back into the sea or destroy the platform while he was on it was hard enough, but adding in the Wave Sword Crabs had made the difficulty of his task increase even more. Resigning himself to this situation, Liam took in a deep breath and slowly let it out while mentally repeating the words, Calm the Storm. He did this a few more times. Each time he let out a breath he felt his body relax. As his body began to relax, his mind began to calm down. The annoyance of the three Wave Sword Crabs appearing, the urgency of needing to make sure the Wave Rider Crab doesn¡¯t destroy the platform, the pain that was rhythmically thumping on the back of his head that had slowly disappeared. He could still feel the thumping, but no pain was felt. Instead it felt like a beat from a drum that he could focus on. He then noticed the rhythm of the thumping was keeping in time with the beating of his heart. This rhythm helped his mind calm down even more. He closed his eyes to focus more on this. He felt that what was happening was familiar. Minus the rhythmic beating, he remembered his mind had done this before a couple of times. After Roman¡¯s experience and their talks about what he went through, Liam now had a name for this phenomenon that has happened a couple times alright. He was about to enter a Trance. Which type of Trance? He didn¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t want to get excited as he thought about the possibility of what this meant and kept his mind calm till it finally became tranquil. The moment his mind became tranquil, he felt something within him start to stir. It started at the center of his body and then pulsed out. Last time this pulse swam through his veins. This time it not only pulsed through his veins, but also through something else. Without thinking, Liam felt his Mana Sight activate. Through that he saw four thin lines flowing from both hands. These thin lines were color coated and connected to his Earth, Gravity, Lightning, and Lunar Hands that were floating above his head. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he was seeing or what this meant. When he created these Hand Type Spells and had Mana Sight activated he had never seen these thin lines before. However, now that he was seeing them he saw a change happen. The thin lines grew in size. At the same time, Liam felt his body start to slowly move on its own. He had released his grip on his hammer and pulled out his Meat Cleaver. His Lightning Hand had moved and grabbed the weapon. Lighting Mana outlined the weapon the moment it took the tool weapon. After that he grabbed the small hatchet axe that was on his belt loop and handed it to his Lunar Hand. Just like with what happened with the Lightning Mana, Lunar Mana outlined the Hatchet Axe tool weapon. After that he passed his hammer over to his Earth Hand and watched as Earth Mana outline it. Liam, trying not to ruin the experience he was having, kept his excitement of learning something new down. At the same time he felt his Danger Sense light up all over the front of his body. As he opened his eyes he saw one of the three Wave Sword Crabs was swiftly approaching him. It was almost within striking range as it lunged its sword claw straight for Liam. With a smooth motion, Liam watched as his Lightning Hand swung the Meat Cleaver across the space in front of him and through the Wave Sword Crab¡¯s arm. At the same time his Earth Hand swung upwards underneath the creature¡¯s underbelly while his Lunar Hand slammed the hatchet down on the shell of the creature. The force of the hammer¡¯s blow allowed the hatchet to drive in deep into the shell cutting right into the creature¡¯s brain, killing it on the spot. While it was surprising to Liam that he was able to move the three Hand Type Spells with ease and no issues, that wasn¡¯t what had him shocked. It was the tool weapons that each hand was wielding. In the past whenever Liam handed his Shadow Hand a dagger it only carried the weapon. What he was seeing right now was something completely different. Sparks ran along the blade of the meat cleaver as his Lightning Hand held on to it. A rocky surface started to form on the blunt end of the hammer, much like how Blair¡¯s Battle axe did when she ran manna through it. A lunar pulse flashed along the bladed edge of the hatchet as well. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but if he had to make a guess, he guessed it had something to do with the elemental mana that outlined the tool weapons when he handed them over. Without warning, Liam felt his body begin to move again. It jumped into the air right as a tremor ran along the surface of the platform. Liam¡¯s sight fell upon the Wave Rider Crab and noticed it had started to do its ground and pound movement on the platform. To his surprise the Wave Sword Crabs weren¡¯t immune to it. Their bodies were several inches off the ground and coming back down fast. A crack ran along the area the Wave Rider Crab had hit. It lifted its massive claw up and moved to the right before stopping and lifting it up as high as it could before slamming it back down. Liam¡¯s body jumped once more right as it crash down, allowing him to not be affected by the tremor. After his feet touched the ground he ran as fast as he could and got within striking range of the next Wave Sword Crab. This creature was coming down from being lifted off the ground making it vulnerable to attacks. Like the last Wave Sword Crab, Liam swung his Lightning Hand as fast as he could. This time it didn¡¯t just cut one of the creature¡¯s arms, but also a couple of its legs. The miss appendages didn¡¯t matter because the forceful impact of the earthy hammer slamming into its underbelly and the lunar hatchet that chopped into its shell killed it quickly. Not only did Liam see sparks of lightning crackle as the meat cleaver sliced through the arm, Liam also saw pale white flashes light up within the shell after the hatchet broke through the shell. Liam¡¯s body once more jumped in the air to dodge the next tremor the Wave Rider Crab created. While in the air he noticed the Wave Rider Crab was now half way around the platform. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Liam¡¯s body ignored the final Wave Sword Crab and sprinted straight for the Wave boss. He heard the shriek of the Wave Sword Crab from behind him as his body continued straight for the final wave boss. He watched as the giant crab lifted its massive claw up and over its head before slamming it back down. Liam jumped into the air missing the tremor. As his body soared forward his four Hand Type Spells raced ahead of him. The Wave Rider Crab stopped moving and was about to launch another attack on the platform, but as it came down, Liam¡¯s Earth Hand swung the rocky covered hammer upwards colliding into it. The strength of the strike was enough to soften the massive claw, but not stop it from hitting the ground. However, since it had softened it there was no tremor when it hit the platform. The Wave Rider Crab foamed at the mouth and was about to shoot a Jetstream of water. However, the Lunar Hand holding the hatchet swiftly slashed at one of the eye stalks, chopping it clean off. A pulse of lunar light flashed causing the remaining eye to be blinded. The Wave Rider Crab opened its water filled mouth to let out a gurgled painfilled shriek releasing a small flow of water. Liam¡¯s Lightning Hand holding the meat cleaver dove right into the water and slashed at the inside of the creature¡¯s mouth. Sparks of lightning discharged inside the monster¡¯s mouth and danced all along the creature¡¯s shell. Liam watched as the wave boss¡¯s health plummeted down quickly. He was almost there. Just a couple hundred more until it finally died. The Wave Rider Crab lifted its massive claw once more and tried to crush Liam with it. Liam¡¯s Earth Hand swung his hammer to counter, however upon impact the handle of the hammer snapped. Liam felt a bit of dread wash over his body as the massive claw continued to come down on him. To Liam¡¯s surprise and luck his body jumped backwards, barely dodging the attack. A tremor ran through the platform underneath Liam. He heard an angry shriek behind him indicating the Wave Sword Crab that was probably making its way towards him got caught up in it. The creature lifted its massive claw once more in the air as Liam touched the ground again. As it lifted in the air he noticed that even though his hammer had snapped it still did some damage. A small area of the shell under the bottom part of the claw had broken and revealed unprotective skin. Liam¡¯s Lightning Hand soared towards it as his Lunar Hand swung the hatchet upwards and his Gravity Hand slapped the claw. Sparks of lightning discharged out of the exposed shell as the hatchet broke off a chunk of the shell right by it. his Gravity Hand slapped the claw a few times, stacking its debuff on it till it hit the max amount it could land. The massive claw fell down fast as his Lunar Hand ran the hatchet across the shell from the exposed area. A thin crack followed the blade of the hatchet exposing a small bit of the skin underneath. Liam¡¯s body ran forward towards the claw. As soon as he reached the claw he dug his hands into the cracked line and started pulling back. He could feel the crab trying to lift its massive claw up but due to the debuff it had received from his Gravity Hand along with the paralyze debuff from his Lightning Hand, it was having a hard time. Liam could hear the shell start to crack as a small part of the shell he was pulling started to move. He could hear the protests the Wave Rider Crab was making as it tried to move away. At least he thought the Wave Boss was trying to move away. Instead the monster was repositioning itself to allow its other claw to race towards Liam¡¯s face. However, before it could reach Liam, the meat cleaver his Lightning Hand was hold sliced through the joint of the arm severing it completely. After a couple more pulls from Liam, a giant chunk of the claw¡¯s shell broke free. Liam threw the piece away before he put an open palm out and above the creature¡¯s exposed skin. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what the trance was going to do next but when he heard himself chant the Light and Burn spell he grew confused. That confusion quickly disappeared as the orange and red flame changed into an eerie ghastly green as his body muttered, ¡°Soul Flame.¡± Liam quickly jumped backwards as the eerie flame quickly dropped onto the exposed skin. At first nothing happened. He thought that maybe the Soul Flame had died out before it could do anything. However, after a few seconds had passed the Wave Rider Crab started to shriek loudly as smoke began to escape from the exposed areas of its shell. It started thrashing about violently soon after that as ghastly green flames began to grow through the shell. Liam was shocked to see what he was seeing. The shell hadn¡¯t melted. There wasn¡¯t any signs of the shell cracking, besides the two areas created by him. It just looked like the flames that were engulfing it were flowing through the shell almost like the fire was a ghost itself. Liam continued to watch as the creature violently thrashed about on the platform running in circles all around him. He was quite surprised that even though it had the debuff going, the creature was able to move around so quickly even with its massive claw being dragged around. He chalked it up to that¡¯s how bad the pain must feel. What made him think that was how quickly the creature¡¯s health bar was dropping. It wasn¡¯t ticking slowly like when he used his afflictions, but instead it was dropping fast. As the boss¡¯s health swam down to zero, Liam felt his Lightning Hand suddenly swim through the air behind him and slice through something. He turned to see the last Wave Sword Crab laying there, all chopped up. Shortly after that he received a message that made him smile. [Congratulations! You have defeated the Dungeon¡¯s Final Wave Boss, Wave Rider Crab of the Stoney Crab Beach!] Adventure 279 - Gains, Confusion, and Pain Liam let out a sigh of relief as he felt his control over his body start to come back. The trance he was in was finally ending. As the tranquil mindset he had started to ripple again, he tried to think about what he had witnessed. He was able to move all of his Hand Type Spells with ease, however the reason for that was the lines of mana that connected him to them. They were really thin at the beginning, but once they grew then he was able to move them without any resistance. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why that was, but he had a theory that it had to do with either the level in manipulation and control. It was either that or something he was still missing. He would need to ask Uncle Naro more about it when he had the chance to. Besides that he felt he had received a bonus insight into something he hadn¡¯t considered. That was his Soul Flame. He had believed it was something that he was only able to use during his Soul Crafting. However, after that last part of the fight he was now convinced he could use it in fights. An even bigger surprise was the fact that the flames had gone through the shell of the creature. He looked at the Wave Rider Crab and stared at its body. The Soul Flame had disappeared shortly after the creature had died allowing him to be able to inspect the shell better and what he saw surprised him. There were no scorch marks anywhere to be see. In fact, the creature didn¡¯t even look like it had taken any fire damage at all. Normally whenever a creature or object was caught on fire there were signs of fire damage. However, there were none to be seen on the Wave Rider Crab. Liam narrowed his eyes as he inspected the creature more. He still couldn¡¯t find any traces. However, the more he stared at the dead body the more a weird feeling started to creep up his spine. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but the more he tried to figure it out the more the feeling filled him. He looked at the dead Wave Sword Crabs he had killed earlier and then back at the dead Wave Rider Crab. He didn¡¯t get the same feeling from the smaller crab monsters like he did from the final wave boss. He wasn¡¯t sure why that was. He then tried to think about what was different between them. Besides the fact that the smaller ones were mobs, and the bigger one was the final boss of the dungeon there really wasn¡¯t much different. He had fought both types while under the trance and even killed them¡­ Liam¡¯s mouth opened slightly. He had killed the wave boss with his Soul Flame. Could that have any impact? I was so enamored with how the trance showed me how I could use it that I didn¡¯t think about if there were any adverse effects. Liam thought as he activated his Phantom Sight. As soon as he activated the eye ability and looked at the dead Wave Rider Crab a slew of curse words escaped his lips. ¡°What the hell? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Artem suddenly asked as he and the others appeared behind Liam. With a disgruntled expression Liam said, ¡°I fucking burnt the Soul Orb.¡± Looks of confusion spread across everyone¡¯s faces as they stared at the irritated Liam. They weren¡¯t sure what he meant since they hadn¡¯t seen him use any fire type abilities. That last bit of the fight was obscured to them because the crab monsters positioned themselves in a way that it blocked most of what he did. They hadn¡¯t even seen him kill the wave boss and didn¡¯t know the creature had died until they had received the notification. ¡°What do you mean by you burnt the Soul Orb?¡± Roman asked, breaking the silence. ¡°Exactly how it sounds. I burnt the Soul Orb,¡± Liam replied as he stared menacingly at the dead boss. The Soul Orb of the Wave Rider Crab was growing smaller and smaller by the second as a flame engulfed it until it finally winked out of existence. ¡°We know what you mean, we are asking how did you burn the Soul Orb,¡± Ariyana reiterated. ¡°Hm?¡± Liam muttered as he looked back at them. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys see what happened?¡± Mercer, Blair, and Avery shook their heads as Artem explained, ¡°No. These creatures blocked our view during that last bit of the fight. We didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Can you explain what happened during that last part?¡± Mercer asked, interested in hearing exactly what they had missed out on.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Liam said, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± He then explained about how he fell into some trance and how he was able to move his Hand Type Spells easier. He explained what he saw and felt and how he killed the Wave Rider Crab. After he got to the point of figuring out he had burned the Soul Orb he noticed the looks on everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°You entered a trance? Damn congrats man,¡± Artem said with a grin. ¡°First Roman, now you. Did you get anything good from it?¡± Avery asked, looking both happy for him and slightly annoyed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like the type of trance I was in though,¡± Roman stated. ¡°That¡¯s because yours was a Mystical Trance,¡± Mercer started to explain. ¡°The one he had was probably a Battle Trance.¡± ¡°A Battle Trance?¡± Ariyana and Blair repeated. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a bit different than the Mystical Trance,¡± Mercer started to explain. ¡°A Battle Trance is one that helps to show the user the potential of their battle prowess to a certain extent. It takes over the person¡¯s body and both guides their movements and increases their abilities. This lasts for a certain amount of time since it strains the body, mind, and even magical capabilities. Theres more to it, but that¡¯s all I was able to find. Speaking of which¡­¡± Mercer looked at Liam. ¡°Are you feeling any strain anywhere?¡± ¡°Any strai¡­,¡± Liam started to say until a migraine suddenly thumped against Liam¡¯s skull. The sudden pain caused him to swiftly bring a hand to his head before falling to a knee. Artem and Blair quickly reached out to him and caught Liam before he completely fell to the ground. They both had worried looks on their faces as they gently brought him down. They could feel his arms flexing and relaxing every other second. After setting him down they looked at Mercer. ¡°Ah, there it is,¡± Mercer nodded. ¡°Kind of a delayed response wasn¡¯t that?¡± Roman asked. ¡°The strain and pain usually comes after the body starts to relax,¡± Mercer stated as he looked down at Liam. ¡°It happens so the person can try and get out of a bad situation before succumbing to the pain.¡± Mercer bent down and studied Liam as he gripped the sides of his head. He could see the muscles in his legs and arms tense and relax as well. ¡°Hm¡­yeah he must have overworked himself more than he thought.¡± ¡°Ya think?¡± Ariyana said with a concerned look. ¡°This isn¡¯t something new for him though,¡± Avery commented. ¡°No matter how many times we tell him not to he always finds a way to do it.¡± ¡°Except this isn¡¯t something he can¡¯t control¡­at least not yet,¡± Mercer said as he stood back up. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Blair asked. ¡°Well, a Battle Trance is something you can put yourself into after you understand it and master it,¡± Mercer started back up. ¡°I have heard you can get it as an ability or skill, but I don¡¯t know the terms of getting it than having to experience it a certain number of times. Besides that it comes and goes as it pleases. Usually when a person is too stubborn to understand what they can do or overthinks everything.¡± Everyone fell silent before looking down at Liam. In silent agreement, they all agreed that it sounded right in Liam¡¯s case before bursting out in laughter. Liam, although in pain, knew what they were laughing about. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Ha, ha very funny. Ouch.¡± The pain of his migraine pounded once more as he said this causing him to regret saying anything. The others laughed even more.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Alright, alright. I think we¡¯ve teased him enough,¡± Mercer commented. ¡°I¡¯ll go loot the boss. Liam when the pain has subsided go ahead and harvest the boss and then we¡¯ll head out. for now look at your gains.¡± Liam grumbled under his breath but did as he was suggested. To his surprise he had a few notifications waiting for him. [Congratulations! Sub-Stat Resilience has reached level 22! Progression to level 23: 15%!] [Congratulations! Sub-Stat Vitality has reached level 21! Progression to level 22: 0%!] [Congratulations! Sub-Stat Magic Practicality has reached level 21! Progression to level 22: 5%!] [Congratulations! Sub-Stat Lucky Break has reached level 27! Progression to level 28: 0%!] [Congratulations! Sub-Stat Zen has reached level 25! Progression to level 26: 1%!] [Congratulations! You have unlocked Battle Zen!] [Battle Zen has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 25%!] [Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Cleaver has reached level 8! Progression to level 9: 34%!] [Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Hammer has reached level 10! Progression to level 11: 4%!] [Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Axe has reached level 6! Progression to level 7: 100%!] [Congratulations! Weapon Skill ¨C Axe has reached level 7! Progression to level 8: 0%!] [Congratulations! Field of the Lunar has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!] [Congratulations! Field of the Lunar has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 10%!] [Congratulations! Focus Point - Utility (Lunar) has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!] [Congratulations! Focus Point - Utility (Lunar) has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 10%!] [Congratulations! Lunar Hand has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 100%!] [Congratulations! Lunar Hand has reached level 13! Progression to level 14: 10%!] [Congratulations! Focus Point - Earth has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Congratulations! Focus Point - Earth has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 10%!] [Congratulations! Earth Hand has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Congratulations! Earth Hand has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 10%!] [Congratulations! Gravity Hand has reached level 3! Progression to level 4: 100%!] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Congratulations! Gravity Hand has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 10%!] [Congratulations! Lightning Hand has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Congratulations! Lightning Hand has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 10%!] [Congratulations! Your Control and Manipulation over Gravity Mana has reached level 14! Progression to level 15: 25%!] [Congratulations! Your Control and Manipulation over Lightning Mana has reached level 15! Progression to level 16: 0%!] [Congratulations! Your Control and Manipulation over Lunar Mana has reached level 11! Progression to level 12: 100%!] [Congratulations! Your Control and Manipulation over Lunar Mana has reached level 12! Progression to level 13: 2%!] [Congratulations! Your Control and Manipulation over Earth Mana has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 100%!] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Congratulations! Your Control and Manipulation over Earth Mana has reached level 5! Progression to level 6: 0%!] [Congratulations! Main Class ability ¨C Soul Flame has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 40%!] Even though Liam was happy to see so many notifications about his growth, he felt confused about a couple of them. His first item of confusion had to do with the Battle Zen he had received. He had listened to Mercer¡¯s explanation of a Battle Trance, even through the pain of the migraine pounding against his skull. However what he had received was a Battle Zen not a trance. Was there a difference between the two? If not then why would they be named differently? This was something he would need to ask either Mercer or Uncle Naro about¡­after his migraine went away. His other item of confusion was his Soul Flame. When he received the ability it had not mentioned anything about it being a Class ability. He had believed it to be tied to his Soul Crafting. If that wasn¡¯t the case then when did he receive it as a Class ability? Liam thought about it. He tried to think about it, but the migraine was pounding so hard it had taken all of his focus to try and endure the pain. Instead of trying to fight it and think through the pain, he decided he would just wait for it to end. His migraine had taken around thirty minutes before the pain became manageable. He hadn¡¯t realized that his legs and arms were also going through a similar thing since his head took all his focus. He could feel the ache and soreness in his bones as he tried to get up. After taking a few more minutes before finally moving around, he made his way over to the dead Wave Rider Crab. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he had gain knowledge from harvesting other crabs or if it was because he moved slowly due to his sore arms and legs, but he was able to harvest a lot from the Wave Rider Crab. Besides being able to harvest the shell, he had received cooking ingredients called Wave Crab Meat. He was able to retrieve a lot from the larger claw, which Liam was surprised about, but he was also able to receive a good amount from the legs and smaller claw. To his surprise the main body didn¡¯t have any cooking ingredients. Instead, like the eye stalk, the main body had nothing but Alchemy ingredients. Due to how low his knowledge was on harvesting crabs, the ingredients and materials didn¡¯t turn out the best, but he was happy, nonetheless. He had also taken his time to use Soul Harvest to collect the Soul Orbs from the three Wave Sword Crabs. He grumbled a bit about his mistake from earlier with the Wave Rider Crab Soul Orb, but to his surprise, the Soul Orbs of the Wave Sword Crabs that he had killed earlier and were swept into the sea, due to the wave attack, had floated up from the sea and were collected as well. He accepted that as a consolation prize and dropped the issue. After that he made his way to the others who were waiting for him on the rocky lane on the right side of the watery arena. An exit portal had arrived there after he killed the Wave Boss. When he arrived they had informed him of the only item that had dropped. It was a necklace that increased Water Magic damage. It also had an effect called Bubble Pop. Like the Wave Rider Crab¡¯s ability, the user could channeled some Water Mana into the necklace and create a three foot bubble that would float outwards in front of the user and pop within a foot of a target. When the bubble popped it would release a shockwave of air, knocking any creatures within a two foot radius backwards or sideways, depending on where they were standing within the radius. Unlike the Wave Rider Crab¡¯s ability, it would not knock back the user. The necklace was called Wave Crab Necklace. Not a remarkably interesting name, but that was alright. it didn¡¯t need an overly complicated name. Everyone had come to an agreement that Artem should receive the necklace. They were just waiting for Liam to give his opinion on that since he was the one who had killed the monster. After he gave his approval on giving the item to Artem they made their way out of the dungeon, ready for the next hell that was awaiting them. Adventure 280 - Finishing up the day strong Liam wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of how he was feeling before stepping through the portal or if his luck had finally stopped, but the second his body fully emerged through the portal, he felt a rush of bile race up and spew out from his mouth. This surprised everyone who was in front of him, making the jump forward trying not to get anything on them. After they had gotten out of range they swiftly turned around and looked at Liam. Before anyone said or did anything Uncle Naro quickly appeared with a bottle of water in hand. He made Liam drink it after he finally stopped. He didn¡¯t realized he was on his knees until he tipped the bottle back to drink the liquid inside. His eyes locked on the others as he drank. As he drank the water he noticed a glimmer in Roman¡¯s and Ariyana¡¯s eyes and frowned as the two gleefully said in unison, ¡°Upchuck roulette strikes again.¡± Everyone else in the group stared at them. Uncle Naro and Gimmel, both looked confused as the others burst out in laughter as Liam flipped them the middle finger. He knew it would come back and bite him in the ass, but he hadn¡¯t predicted both Ariyana and Roman to be on the same page. As the laughter died down and the confusion from the two out of the loop people turned their focus on Liam, Uncle Naro said, ¡°Let¡¯s clean this up and then we can discuss how everything went. If we don¡¯t clean this up we can get into trouble with the guards.¡± After a few minutes had passed they all sat outside the building. Liam and the others explained their fights and what they gained from each boss fight. Liam, of course left out his use or even being able to use Lunar Hand. Gimmel was shocked at what he heard and looked excited each fight that was recalled. Uncle Naro had a surprised expression as well, but it was mixed with a thoughtful one as he looked like he was going over things in his fight. ¡°First off, I want to congratulate you all for getting through the Crab Beach Dungeon,¡± Uncle Naro started. ¡°The growth you have received will help you for future fights.¡± He then looked at Roman and said with a smile, ¡°Congratulations on evolving your class into Earthen Pugilist. It might focus more on Earth Magic with your close melee fighting style, but it is a good start to understanding how to utilize elemental magic into your chosen fighting style. The fact that you were able to gain that through a Mystical Trance is even better since it proves you have aptitude with magic.¡± Uncle Naro then looked at Liam and said, ¡°I was worried at first seeing your reaction upon stepping through the portal. The instant negative reaction spoke that there was a chance something extremely bad had happened¡­but after hearing what you accomplished it makes sense.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked as he stared at Uncle Naro. Even though he looked fine, he still felt like he could throw up again at any moment. ¡°You are experiencing a phenomenon known as Magical Overuse Exposure,¡± Uncle Naro started. ¡°It is something that happens when a person goes beyond their magical and physical capabilities. You creating more Hand Type Spells than what you¡¯re capable of as well as pushing them to a point that you are able to wield them easily without any proper knowledge and practice thanks to Battle Zen; it drains and strains both your physical body and your mana pool. It won¡¯t show up as a debuff, but instead is lingers in the body. After some rest you will be fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did you say Battle Zen? Wasn¡¯t what he went through a Battle Trance?¡± Mercer asked. Uncle Naro shook his head. ¡°No, what he went through is a Battle Zen, not a Battle Trance.¡± Uncle Naro then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Have you received it as an ability now?¡± Liam slowly nodded his head before quickly placing a hand over his mouth. The movement of his head nodding almost sent him into another vomiting fit. Everyone swiftly took a step back, just in case. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°A Battle Trance is something that will happen when a person is close to achieving something they have been trying to understand or need to understand,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°A Battle Zen is something that increases a person¡¯s abilities and skills in battle. While both puts then into an out of body-like state, a Battle Trance is a temporary mental state where a person is not fully conscious or in control of themselves. Their focus is more on what the Trance is trying to teach them. While a Battle Zen is a state of calm attentiveness that takes control of a person¡¯s body to guide their actions allowing them to see what they are doing. It places their mind and body into a tranquil state and increases their abilities and skills while in battle.¡± Mercer looked amazed at this. He then looked confused about something and asked, ¡°Wait. You said a Battle Trance is something that will happen when a person is close to achieving something they have been trying to understand or need to understand. Are you saying you can¡¯t get it as an ability? I thought I read somewhere that a person can get it as an ability.¡± ¡°You can get it as an ability, however, the ability called Battle Trance is something a Trancer can receive as a Class ability,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°It is more of a support ability that can help train a person than an ability that can be used in battle. It is used to place a person into a trance while training to help them grow. It is ill advised to use it so many times or when a person isn¡¯t close to understanding something. It can hurt them or a person rather than help.¡± ¡°It can hurt then than help? What do you mean? If that¡¯s the case then how would they know when to use it?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Also, how can someone receive a Battle Zen as an ability then? Is that also a Trancer ability?¡± Mercer brought a hand up to his chin as he corrected himself, ¡°No, if that was the case then Liam, who isn¡¯t a Trancer, wouldn¡¯t have gotten it.¡± Uncle Naro smiled. ¡°A Trancer receives an ability that helps them determine when a person needs the ability used on them. As for the Battle Zen¡­¡± Uncle Naro looked at Liam and contemplated for a moment. ¡°One needs to meet certain requirements. One of those requirements is experiencing moments of Battle Zen-like moments a few times. The other is having both your Sub-stat Will Power and Sub-stat Zen at minimum level twenty five. If you do not mind, Liam what are your levels in those two sub-stats?¡± Liam stared at Uncle Naro for a few seconds. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should say or not. However, if what he was saying was true then he had already deduced roughly what his levels in the two were and there was no point in hiding it. ¡°After that last fight my level in the Sub-stat Zen reached level twenty five. As for my Sub-stat Willpower¡­its twenty seven almost twenty eight.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Liam noticed a slight reaction from Uncle Naro as Gimmel¡¯s eyes widened. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why they had both reacted to his answer, but he had a feeling it might have to do with the time frame of his arrival from the Tutorial Area and now. Maybe it was unheard of having Sub-stats that high so quickly, but he still wasn¡¯t sure what the norm was. Uncle Naro nodded his head as he mumbled to himself about something. After a few seconds he said, ¡°Alright, looks like some adjustments are going to need to be made.¡± He then looked at Liam and added, ¡°I was going to have you learn more about Hand Type Spells and how to properly utilize them in fights, but since you¡¯ve taken the first step into it already I have no choice but to skip some of the training I had planned for you. It looks like we might have found a proper path for the Crafter Battle Style that might suit you best.¡± Curious, Liam asked, ¡°Oh? What is this proper path for the Crafter Battle Style are you talking about?¡± ¡°It is something I call the Mana Hand Battle Style,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°As you experienced it utilizes Mana Hands in fights. We will talk more about it later. However, I must restrict you from using so more than two Hand Type Spells for now until you have better knowledge and experience wielding the ones you currently have.¡± ¡°Speaking of Hand Type Spells¡­I have a question,¡± Liam stated. Uncle Naro and everyone looked at him for a moment, waiting to hear what he had to say. ¡°When you had us unlock more Fields and Focus Points you said I didn¡¯t have to worry about the other Elemental Focus Points becoming an issue with my path since they won¡¯t be leveled past ten. However, and I am surprised I didn¡¯t think about it before, won¡¯t those Focus Points level past ten each time I use the specific Hand Type Spell?¡± Uncle Naro stared at Liam as the others realized what he was asking and looked back at Uncle Naro. Uncle Naro held Liam¡¯s gaze for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and saying, ¡°I will admit that I may have omitted somethings and didn¡¯t tell you everything. Yes, those Focus Points will level as the specified Hand Type Spell levels, but I promise you it won¡¯t affect your growth in a negative manner.¡± Liam and Mercer were about to open their mouths but stopped as Uncle Naro raised a hand and continued, ¡°As long as you only focus on those Hand Type spells there won¡¯t be any negative effects. However, if you level any other spells in those Focus Points then there is a chance that you will see some changes.¡± ¡°What about my Lightning and Gravity Focus Points?¡± Liam asked. ¡°I have leveled a few spells in those Focus Points already. Will that negatively affect me down the path you are trying to create for me?¡± Uncle Naro thought about it for a long moment. He didn¡¯t say anything as he stood there deep in thought. After a while he shook his head and said, ¡°No. if anything those two might actually help you with certain aspects. Especially with Advanced Crafts. We will talk more about that at a later date. For now we need to send the next group in with Little Gimmel here. Liam, stay out this time so you can rest a bit. Once you are feeling a bit better I will have you work on a couple of things while we wait.¡± Liam nodded in understanding as he watched the others leave. For the next few hours Liam took that time to rest up. After he felt better Uncle Naro had him create A Fire Hand, Water Hand, Air Hand, and a Plant Hand. After he finished creating those, Artem and the others had finished running the Stoney Crab Beach Dungeon again with Gimmel. After a short break Uncle Naro replaced Ariyana with Liam and had them take on the Light Blue mixed with Light Yellow colored dungeon called The Crackling Eyrie. This dungeon was full of flightless birds with Lightning Magic. The first set of creature they had to fight were Kiwi looking birds called Sparking Kiwi that sparked every other second, making them hard to deal with without the proper equipment to prevent getting shocked. The second set of creatures were called Aquatic Rail. They were slightly bigger than the kiwi monsters that stood around knee height to Liam and shot blasts of water at them. The final creature, the dungeon boss, was something called Thunder Blast Grebes. To Liam it looked like a mixture of a swan and a goose with the top feathers sticking up in a mohawk like fashion. Its attacks ranged from sending out small waves of water when it flapped its wings towards them instead of away. It also shot a mixture of water and lightning at them in a gun like fashion making them either have to rely on Artem¡¯s shield or their agility and speed Sub-stats. During his time in this dungeon, Liam focused using his meat cleaver tool weapon and switched between using his Lightning Hand, Earth Hand, Gravity Hand, and Plant Hand. Thanks to using those he was able to get his Weapon Skill- Cleaver to level ten and gained the chance to start dual wielding the tool weapon. His Plant Hand reached level four, his Earth Hand, Lightning Hand, and Gravity Hand level eight. Even his levels in Mana Control and Manipulation in those respective elements had leveled up a few times. The loot they had gained wasn¡¯t much and none of them were interested in them. They had chosen to sell it later. After leaving the dungeon Uncle Naro took Liam out of the group and had the others run it again with Ariyana taking his place. This time being out of the group Uncle Naro had him use his Mobile Crafter Class ability and forge a couple of hammers, meat cleavers, and pickaxes so he could get better at making them. After he was finishing making three of each of them the party had reemerged from the dungeon. The day was slowly coming to an end and they still needed to finish the quests they had picked up. The last things they needed to do in order to complete the quests were in the final dungeon they had yet to enter. It was a Free Roam style dungeon like the Goblin Forest Green Dungeon back on Cashat Port. Thanks to it being a Free Roam dungeon they weren¡¯t restricted on the size of their party. In that Free Roam dungeon they hunted down and harvested Aqua Wolf pelts, feathers from Windy Roc birds, and gathered the requested herbs. While moving through the small forest like area near the beach, Liam spent some time cutting down some trees to collect the wood for the Tree Logging quest. Thanks to that he was able to raise his Lumber Jack Gathering Craft as well as his Lumberjack Proficiency skill up to level nine. After leaving the Free Roam dungeon, Uncle Naro stood waiting for them with a massive grin. A burnt orangish red color peered through the open door filling the entire room telling them that the sun was starting to set. Even though they had picked these quests up earlier that day, they weren¡¯t entirely sure if they were going to finish them in time. Looking at Uncle Naro¡¯s smile they could tell he was happy that they were able to do it and that he had no doubt in them completing the quests. ¡°Let¡¯s go turn these quests in and then clean up before dinner,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°We¡¯ll need to go to bed early tonight since we have to head out at first light.¡± He then turned around and headed for the door. Liam and the others made their way towards it. Small groups of people were coming in and out as they made their way towards. Before reaching the door a group of five people wearing cloaks over their heads walked past the group. As the last person made their way past Liam, a strange feeling washed over him, sending shivers down his spine. Liam, confused with what was going on, stopped, and slowly turned to look at the group. To his surprise, the last person who had passed him was doing the same thing. Liam¡¯s eyes focused on the facial features within the hood. When his eyes fully took in this person¡¯s features, his body tensed, and he gritted his teeth. It was a Demon-kin. Adventure 281 - A night full of questions and a moon full of answers Liam clenched his fists as he stared at the person in front of him. The cloaked Demon-kin looked to be staring at Liam with confusion as well. As they both stared at each other Liam took in more of the Demon-kin¡¯s features. This person stood slightly taller than Liam and seemed to have a slender physique. They had emerald irises in their eyes and short raven black hair that barely showed from under the cloak. The person¡¯s lips were thin, but also a bit feminine at the same time. The skin of their face was a solid purple. The way the pointy ends of the horns barely poked out from the sides of their heads made Liam look at their forehead. Sure enough there were signs of the base of the horns right there. However, when he looked back at the horns he noticed something different. This person¡¯s ears were shaped like a Demon-kins at all. He focused hard to see better inside the cloak and noticed they were shaped more like an elf¡¯s ears. That¡¯s strange. Liam thought as he looked perplexed. He then stole a glance at the Demon-kin¡¯s companions. One was tall and bulky, about as tall as Artem, but shorter than Uncle Naro. The cloak barely covered their entire body. From what Liam was able to see from their hands, they had scales covering their skin. Another stood slightly shorter than Roman. Around the area where their ears would be, he was able to see slight protrusions. The last two members of the group were close to Liam¡¯s height. The one that was slightly taller had a sword handle slightly sticking out of the cloak and looked like the cloak was slightly tight around the arms. The last member of this person¡¯s group looked like their cloak was too loose. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because their physique was slim, or the cloak was just too big for them, but unlike how the others had their arms crossed or close to a weapon. This one just had their arms dangle by their side. ¡°Why do I sense something familiar on you?¡± the Demon-kin questioned. The Demon-kin¡¯s voice sounded feminine, but also had a husky feel to it. Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he heard the question. If she¡¯s really a demon-kin and is asking why she senses something familiar on me that could only mean one thing¡­She¡¯s a follower of the Seven Immoral Vices. Liam glanced around to see how many people were around them. The group that this woman was with had stopped and were now standing behind her. They had curious expressions on their faces while the group Liam was with were standing behind him as well. There were other people walking around, going in and out of the building as well as the dungeons. Liam didn¡¯t want to cause a scene that could potentially get people harmed, but at the same time he didn¡¯t want these people to escape and do something that would eventually cause harm. Not entirely sure what to do, Liam decided to take a gamble and ask as quietly as he could, ¡°Which do you follow?¡± The female Demon-kin¡¯s eyes narrowed as she replied, ¡°What did you just ask?¡± Liam stared at her, not changing his demeanor at all as he repeated, ¡°You heard me. Which do you follow?¡± ¡°I am not sure what you are asking, but I can feel it is laced with hostility. Tell me¡­why is that?¡± the woman asked as continued to stare down Liam. Liam was about to answer, but was stopped as the woman added, ¡°Just know this. If you are one of those Vice Follower cunts then I will kill you where you stand.¡± Liam saw the Demon-kin¡¯s companions suddenly tense, looking like they were ready for a fight. Judging from the way the female¡¯s eyes shifted, his companions probably did the same thing. Liam felt his slowly churning anger suddenly disappear as confusion replaced it. The female Demon-kin noticed it as was filled with the same amount of confusion. Finally after a few seconds of silence Liam said, ¡°Wait¡­aren¡¯t you a follower of the Seven Immoral Vices?¡± ¡°No,¡± the female Demon-kin glowered. ¡°I kill any of those fuckers whenever I come across them.¡± Her eyes suddenly narrowed as she stared at Liam and questioned, ¡°Are you one of them.¡± Liam let out a loud high pitch laugh. His laughter took everyone aback making not only the Demon-kin female both irritated and confused, but those around them confused as well. ¡°Fuck no I¡¯m not,¡± Liam finally said after calming his laughter down. ¡°I am sorry. With what you said and seeing that you are a Demon-kin, I just thought that you were one of them.¡± The Demon-kin woman frowned at what she had just heard as she stared at Liam. She looked annoyed as her mouth formed a half scowl showing a few sharp teeth hidden within. ¡°How do you know that I am a Demon-kin?¡± Liam pointed to the side of his head as he responded, ¡°The horns.¡± The woman placed a hand up to one of her horns and felt them. She then said with an annoyed tone, ¡°God damn it. It slipped again.¡± Liam raised a brow as he stared at her. ¡°It¡¯s part of one of my racial benefits,¡± the woman explained. ¡°I¡¯m half Tiefling. I¡¯m not used to the ability to hide it. the ability slips whenever I¡¯m not focused on it, which is why I wear a hood. You¡¯d be surprised how many people automatically assume you¡¯re an Immoral Vice follower and try to attack you on sight.¡± Liam winced at that comment. ¡°Yeah. My bad on that. I guess you can say that my last few run ins with those guys have left a bad taste.¡± The woman shook her head as she stated, ¡°You know your own response made me believe you were one of them. What made you ask the question if you¡¯re not one yourself?¡± Liam looked around before lowering her voice and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve had some followers try to attack me on sight.¡± ¡°Why would they attack you on sight?¡± the demon-kin woman questioned looking a bit suspicious. ¡°It might be due to something I have done to a few of their followers,¡± Liam said vaguely. The Demon-kin woman raised a brow, still suspicious of him. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re not going to elaborate on that, are you?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Liam smiled. ¡°Anyways to answer your first question, I am not sure why you sense something on me.¡± His smile then vanished as a serious look replaced it. ¡°But I can say I feel the same.¡± ¡°Hm¡­,¡± the woman responded as she stared at Liam for a while. ¡°I find that strange, but if you aren¡¯t a part of that Vice follower bullshit then I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. Judging from your words I can assume you fight them too?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°You can say that.¡± The woman shrugged as she said, ¡°Good enough for me. I¡¯m taking my leave now. I¡¯ve got shit to do.¡± The half Tiefling woman then turned around and started walking away with her group without a second thought. Liam watched as they headed for the Free Roam dungeon and disappeared. Not a second after that Uncle Naro appeared by Liam¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Someone you know?¡± Liam turned his head to look at him and responded, ¡°Nope. Never met them in my life.¡± He then saw a strange look on Uncle Naro¡¯s face that he couldn¡¯t comprehend. After a few seconds Uncle Naro finally said, ¡°Might be for the best. You should stay away from them in the future as well.¡± Slightly taken aback by his words, Liam asked, ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Although it was faint, I could feel a nasty power off of them,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°I can¡¯t be entirely sure what it is, but I feel like something very powerful is helping in hiding what that power is and if something powerful is going to such lengths to do that, then it could only spell trouble for those who try and get close.¡± Liam stared at the man for a long moment before he finally turned and started walking away. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Liam took one last at the dungeon portal before turning around and following the others.
¡°Interesting, ¡° Eris muttered as she stared into the pool of liquid. Her stare wasn¡¯t on her Champion, but rather on the half Tiefling girl that had walked over to the dungeon portal. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to run into one of them so soon.¡± She shifted her attention back onto her champion and slightly chuckled. I don¡¯t blame you for assuming this little girl was an Immoral Vice follower, Liam. However, you mustn¡¯t think every Demon-kin is one of those cultists. Especially when it comes to half breed Demon-kins. That cult doesn¡¯t allowed half breeds of any type into their ranks. Even if the followers of Lust mate with anything and everything they fancy. Eris made a look of disgust at the thought. She tried hard not to gag as she shook her head and continued thinking, However, you should know exactly what she is. Eris realized something as she thought that. Or maybe you wouldn¡¯t. I guess I never did tell you how to tell. She shrugged. Oh well. You¡¯ll figure it out sooner or later. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s completely subtle with her power leaking out like that. Even that Bear-folk felt something off with her. Eris brought a hand to her chin as she started thinking about something. She had remembered something the Bear-folk had said earlier that day. A smile slowly spread across her face as thoughts started running through her head. ¡°Hm¡­I see. That could be the cause for those mysterious incidents going on. It certainly does fit one of the issues that has arisen. And if the cause of that is because of that one¡¯s magic then the cause of the other will be due to their opposite¡¯s magic which means¡­the other might appear soon as well since opposites attract.¡± Eris¡¯ smile turned into a playful one as other more fun thoughts filled her mind. She looked back at the liquid and watched her champion talking to an Adventurer¡¯s Association member. ¡°You truly are a magnet for trouble, aren¡¯t you Liam? It looks like more fun will be heading your way my adorable little champion. I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of chaos you can bring those two.¡±
Liam and the others walked out from the Adventurer¡¯s Association building, pockets slightly bigger, not by much, due to the rewards they received and the loot they decided not to keep. While upgrading their current equipment with loot they found in the dungeon was a good idea, Uncle Naro lectured them it was not a good idea to upgrade with just any item. The current items the members had recently decided to keep like the boots Roman received and the necklace Artem kept from the Stoney Crab Beach was a good idea. The items they got from the other two dungeons weren¡¯t that good at all. Instead Uncle Naro suggested that they waited till they reached a town with a better market or one that had a Crafter¡¯s Association with better crafters there.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. After they were done with the Adventurer¡¯s Association they made their way to a restaurant to grab some dinner. At first, Liam and the others thought Uncle Naro was going to make them dinner outside of the town like he had in the previous town they were at. Instead, he told them it was good to try local cuisines every now and then. Especially those who were interested in pursuing the higher levels in the Chef Craft. His reasoning was it helped the chef get inspired when it came to recipes as well as it helped understand different spices and flavors that one never thought about before. While his advice to Artem sounded great, Liam believed the bear of a man wanted to eat others cooking and not wanted to cook himself. He was a food connoisseur after all. They had spent some time eating and talking about what the plans for the next day were going to be. Uncle Naro stated they were going to get up early and try to get through the portal before a crowd formed to use the facility. He wanted them to get to the next island so they could get some more dungeon diving experience in as well as some practice he wanted them to do. While they were tired from the day¡¯s events, they each were slightly excited. After seeing Roman¡¯s opportunity to gain a class evolution and Liam¡¯s Battle Zen and discovery of using multiple Hand Type Spells, they were curious to see what they could experience or gain through their own efforts and fights. They wanted to evolve their classes and grow as well. After some time enjoying the food and drinks, Uncle Naro told them all to go to bed. Like he had explained he wanted everyone to get as much rest as they could so they could get up early and not be exhausted when they arrived at the next island. After arriving to the inn they were all staying at, Liam didn¡¯t enter the building. Instead, he found a bench and decided to sit there and stare up at the stars. He did feel a bit tired and was wanting to lay down, but before that he wanted to get some thoughts in order. The thoughts he wanted to think about pertained to that cloaked group they had ran into when leaving the Dungeon Tower. Before he could properly get them in order and think about them, he felt two presences sit down next to him on the bench. He let out a sigh before turning his gaze from the stars and onto the two people. It was Blair and Mercer. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Mercer asked, curious to know what was on his mind. ¡°Yes¡­no¡­maybe?¡± Liam responded. He really wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Does it have to do with that group?¡± Blair questioned. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam replied as he looked down at the ground. ¡°What about them has your attention?¡± Mercer inquired. ¡°Did that woman say something that¡¯s bugging you?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah, but it also has something to do with what Uncle Naro had said as well.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lie. I was curious what she had said to you that had made you so tense at the beginning. For a moment I thought you were going to try and kill her,¡± Blair commented. ¡°What did she and Naro say? I wasn¡¯t able to hear anything when you all talked so low,¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I thought she was a follower of the Seven Immoral Vices when I saw she was a Demon-kin,¡± Liam said as he looked at Blair. He turned to look at Mercer and added, ¡°I didn¡¯t really think that there was a possibility that just because she was a Demon-kin she wasn¡¯t a follower. What had my hackles raised even more though was what she first said.¡± ¡°Which was?¡± Mercer asked as he stared at Liam. ¡°Why do I sense something familiar on you?¡± Liam responded. Both Blair and Mercer were confused by this. Liam could understand why they were confused. He hadn¡¯t really told them everything yet that pertained to his encounter with the Demon-kins that were followers of the Seven Immoral Vices. He guessed it was time he told them that. ¡°There is a reason as to why I had automatically assumed she was a follower of that damn cult,¡± Liam started. ¡°It pertains to why those damn Demon-kins were so adamant on killing me whenever I came close to them.¡± Blair glanced at Mercer who had glanced at her. Before Liam could continue they both looked around the area to make sure they were alone. When they couldn¡¯t hear or see anyone close by, they nodded for Liam to continue. ¡°It has to do with what happened right before my class evolution came about. During our fight with the Lich on the sixth floor of the Black Tutorial Dungeon,¡± Liam said, pausing for a moment. He could feel their stares on him. ¡°I don¡¯t know when or where it had happened, but my Devour ability had been used and was devouring something majority of my time in the Tutorial Area. Right before my class evolution happened, I had received a notification that told me I received an ability called Hubris Aura.¡± Mercer¡¯s and Blair¡¯s faces scrunched. They didn¡¯t say anything, but instead waited for Liam to give more context. When he noticed they weren¡¯t going to say anything, Liam continued, ¡°It was later after we had left the Tutorial Area when I learned more about it. Hubris Aura belongs to a Focus Point called Pride from the Field of Sins.¡± Blair¡¯s and Mercer¡¯s face showed even more confusion as they looked at each other and then back at Liam. They tried to process what he had just said but weren¡¯t able to fully understand what he was getting at. Liam let out a sigh before explaining, ¡°The Field of Sins is what the followers and even the Seven Immoral Vices use. It¡¯s a field only they can use, and they don¡¯t like anyone that¡¯s outside of their little cult having it.¡± Mercer¡¯s and Blair¡¯s eyes slowly widened as they understood what he meant. However that was quickly replaced with even more confusion. ¡°Wait, how did you get it and how did they know you had it?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°I¡¯ll answer the second question first,¡± Liam started back up. ¡°When I received the ability I didn¡¯t have the Field or the Focus Point, only the ability. And since I didn¡¯t have the Field of Sins as well as the Focus Point Pride, they were able to sense the ability in me¡­on me¡­I¡¯m not one hundred percent sure how it worked, but they just knew I had it and they went completely nuts. To the point they would lose all reasoning and wanted to kill me on sight.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Mercer inquired as he stared at Liam. ¡°Are you saying any member of that cult can sense it on you and they try and kill you if they do?¡± Blair asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case anymore,¡± Liam started to say, but stopped as he felt a bit uncomfortable with this next part. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Blair asked, suspicion laced in her words. ¡°When I received my Level two Gifts of Chaos, one of the things I received was the Field of Sins. And when I received the field it detected the Hubris Aura ability and automatically rooted the Focus Point Pride.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°You seriously have the Field of Sins unlocked and rooted in your Mystical Landscape?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam said as he stared at the ground. ¡°And to make matters¡­worse¡­or interesting, depending on who you ask, it is connected to my Seed of Discord instead of my Seed of the Arcana.¡± Blair let out a sigh before saying, ¡°Why am I not surprised.¡± Mercer and Liam looked at her, both confused as to what she meant. She caught this and explained, ¡°Really? You both don¡¯t see how it makes sense? I mean sure it doesn¡¯t make sense that you have an ability, Field, and Focus Point only a cult like that would have, but for you to gain it and it connected to your Seed of Discord, it makes sense. Our Matron is the goddess of what again?¡± ¡°The Goddess of Cha¡­,¡± Liam started to say until it clicked. ¡°Are you saying I received the Field and focus point because having it would be a form of creating¡­¡± Blair nodded before Liam could finish his sentence. ¡°Not only that, but she did mention that what you receive as a gift is random didn¡¯t she? You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll get until you get it. it fits her theme so well.¡± Liam let out an annoyed sigh as he threw his head back and faced the stars. ¡°Of course it would be her fault.¡± ¡°Can you really blame her though?¡± Mercer asked with slight amusement. ¡°I mean, she is staying true to her nature.¡± Liam shook his head at Mercer¡¯s words. ¡°So you think they can¡¯t tell anymore since you received the field and the Focus Point, but you haven¡¯t said how you got it,¡± Mercer rounded back. Liam was hesitant to answer this one. While it was one thing to talk about the Sins Ability, it was another on how he got it. After a few seconds had passed, Liam straightened his posture before looking at them and saying, ¡°You both saw my Devour ability the other day right?¡± Mercer and Blair nodded. ¡°Well, my Devour ability has a chance of¡­acquiring abilities, Fields of Study, Focus Points, and other things after its finished devouring Soul Orbs. I don¡¯t know when I had used the ability in the Tutorial Area, but I had Devoured a creature called a Spirit of the Prideful Wraith. After my ability had finished processing it, that was when I received the ability.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Mercer asked as he stared wide eyed at Liam. Even Blair looked to be shocked at what she had heard. Liam didn¡¯t say anything. He only opted to nod as he waited for them to fully process what he had just explained. After a few seconds had passed, Mercer broke the silence by asking, ¡°Have you experimented with the ability? Wait, knowing you, you probably already have. How often have you successfully received something from devouring Spirit Orbs? Do you receive more abilities, fields, focus points or what? How many new abilities and Focus Points have you received through this cheat like ability?¡± Liam was slightly taken aback by Mercer¡¯s shotgun round of questioning. Blair let out a sigh before motioning Mercer to stop. Mercer noticed her hand moving and realized what he was doing. With an embarrassed grin, Mercer apologized to Liam. ¡°Sorry, my curiosity got the better of me there.¡± Liam looked at both Mercer and Blair with slight confusion. He wasn¡¯t sure what to think. He had thought they would look at him with horror, but instead they just looked at him like normal. ¡°Huh. To be honest I thought you¡¯d both have a different reaction to it.¡± Blair shrugged before replying, ¡°Maybe if I hadn¡¯t seen you use the ability to swallow a Soul Orb so close to my face then maybe you would have¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes for a brief moment making Liam swiftly apologize for that. She gave him a slight smile at that, but then turned serious as she said, ¡°How many people know about that ability and what its capable of?¡± ¡°What its capable of? You two and Eri,¡± Liam replied. ¡°The others only know that it can help replenish my¡­resource.¡± Blair and Mercer nodded at that. ¡°Might be for the best. You can tell the others if you want, but you should probably keep all of its capabilities a secret for now. I assume you have told Naro?¡± ¡°You assume right,¡± Liam nodded. As much as he was growing fond of the man and trust was starting to form, he still couldn¡¯t fully trust him. Not fully yet at least. Maybe one day he would, but for now that day wasn¡¯t today. ¡°Okay so going back to the main issue at hand,¡± Mercer started back up. ¡°After hearing all of this. I can assume the reason why you were so on guard and ready to kill at a moment¡¯s notice is because of your experience with Demon-kin that follow that cult. Since she said that she felt something familiar on you, you thought she was talking about the Field of Sins ability right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam replied. ¡°However, after talking with her though for that brief moment and finding out she hates anyone from that cult, it was revealed that that wasn¡¯t what she was talking about right?¡± Mercer questioned. ¡°Yup,¡± Liam said. ¡°Then what was she talking about?¡± Mercer asked, just as confused as Liam had been after they left the Dungeon Tower. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± Liam replied as he stared at him. ¡°I have no idea what the hell she could mean by that. However, it gets even more confusing adding in Uncle Naro¡¯s words.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it something about feeling a nasty power off of that girl and how he thought something powerful was helping hide it? Also something about trouble for those who try and get close with someone who has someone powerful enough to try and hide it?¡± Blair asked, trying to repeat what the man had said. Liam chuckled a bit. ¡°Almost entirely word for word.¡± ¡°I swear I wish I had the type of hearing you both have. It would help with collecting information from random people so much better,¡± Mercer commented as he looked at them with slight envy. ¡°Don¡¯t go saying that now. Sometimes it¡¯s a curse than a blessing,¡± Liam stated. Blair nodded in agreement. ¡°Going back on topic,¡± Mercer said with a slight chuckle. ¡°I think he might be right on this. if she has some powerful ability that makes him concerned and if we add what she had asked you upon your first encounter, it might be safe to avoid her and her group until we can figure out what she meant by that.¡± ¡°I agree, but¡­,¡± Liam started. ¡°It¡¯s just so damn annoying not knowing what she meant.¡± ¡°I can agree with you there,¡± Mercer said. ¡°Even I am starting to get annoyed not knowing.¡± Liam shook his head with a mock taken aback expression. However, before he could make fun of Mercer, the three heard voices start to approach the area they were in. They turned to look for the sources and found people were slowly starting to make their way back to the inn. Some of the people looked to be completely drunk while others were sober and annoyed with their drunk counter parts. ¡°Looks like we might have to pick this conversation up another day,¡± Blair commented before she stood up and stretch. ¡°Besides¡­I don¡¯t know about you, but I am sore and tired from all that running around. Especially in that beach area.¡± ¡°Yeah that part sucked,¡± Liam and Mercer said in unison. They looked at each other right after that and after a brief moment of pause they burst out in laughter. Blair rolled her eyes before saying, ¡°You guys are so funny. Come on. Let¡¯s head to bed. He have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Liam said as he slowly stood up. Before he followed the others inside, he took one last look at the stars and thought, As much as Uncle Naro was wary of the woman¡­I really didn¡¯t feel anything bad from her¡­besides he intent to kill me if I was an Immoral Vice member. Liam chuckled at that thought. Not like I wouldn¡¯t have done the same if she was one. Oh well. Liam went straight into the building and fell asleep the moment he got into bed. His body ached and was sore. His mind was full of all the things he wanted to try as well as what he wanted to make. He was sleeping well and was having great dreams about stuff he wanted to do. However, all good things in his dream had to come to end. Liam¡¯s end of his dreams caused him to jump awake as loud explosions thundered across the sky. Liam rushed over to the window of the room to get a better look after screams and cries danced across the sky. What he saw shocked him so much, he didn¡¯t have words for it. Buildings were on fire and people were fighting in the streets. ¡°What the hell happened while I was asleep?¡± Adventure 282 - Gathering information through the chaos Liam swiftly turned to see if Mercer and Artem were still in the room. They were both still there. Mercer was slowly sitting up looking like he was half asleep still as Artem laid there passed out. A loud explosion rattled the room causing Mercer to fully wake up while Artem started to stir. Mercer looked around and saw Liam making his way over to Artem. Confused and concerned, Mercer asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liam started as he started shaking Artem. ¡°There¡¯s fires burning and people fighting. My best guess is that something is going down and we need to either get out of here or prepare to fight.¡± Mercer was half way out of bed when a fist pounded against their door. Before anyone could respond, the door flew open and Roman, Avery, Ariyana, and Blair raced in. This woke Artem up. He was so confused as to what was going on his only response was to pull his blanket up to his chin looking like an embarrassed teenager getting caught naked under the covers. A high pitch squeak escaped his mouth causing everyone to look at him. ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that never happened,¡± Artem said, cheeks burning hot. Blair quickly cut Roman off as she stated, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Uncle Naro wants us to meet up at the Teleportation building as soon as we can. Artem hurry up and get your girly butt out of bed so we can head out.¡± Roman narrowed his eyes at Blair and muttered, ¡°I thought we didn¡¯t have time for that.¡± Blair glared at him challenging him to say more. Roman swiftly turned around, not taking up that challenge. As the embarrassed half Orc did as he was told and Mercer changed into his clothes, Liam stared out at the mess outside. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he wanted to. He thought about the ways he had that could get the information he wanted to and weighed the pros and cons of using them. His ever faithful instigator must have known what he was thinking because within a few seconds he received a notification. [Do it. Use your Phantom Cat persona and head to a roof top that isn¡¯t on fire. ¨C Eri.] Liam nodded before looking back at the others. They must have received a message from Eri as well because they looked like they had just finished reading something before nodding and looking at him. ¡°Be safe,¡± Blair replied. ¡°We¡¯ll get to the rendezvous point and meet you there,¡± Avery stated. ¡°We¡¯ll come up with a lie to tell Naro. So just hurry up and go,¡± Mercer said with urgency. Liam nodded before switching his armor to his Phantom Cat set in the dressing room setting and activated Spirit Weave with his Shadow Moon daggers as the target. Everyone watched with fascination as his shadowy cloak materialized. They saw the hood form cat-like ears and a tail on the back end and were amazed by it. After he was done, he activated Shadow Step and disappeared leaving behind a small cloud of black smoke. After he disappeared Ariyana broke the silence as she muttered, ¡°Do you think the tail is real and if he has actual cat ears under the hood of the cloak? Cuz if that¡¯s an accessory thing then I want one just like it.¡± Everyone stared at her. ¡°What?¡± Ariyana asked as she watched a couple of them shake their heads. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering is all.¡±
Liam reappeared on the roof of the building. He saw people running around screaming. It didn¡¯t seem like fighting had reached the area around him since no spells or weapons were being used. Instead it looked like these were civilians trying to run towards the port or the teleportation building. Before Liam decided to make a move, he pulled out his Web Watch, channeled some mana into it and opened it. As he watched Silky make her way towards the pitch black center of the watch, he asked, ¡°Silky, do you have any information on what is going on right now?¡± After Silky disappeared into the watch she replied back. [I apologize Phantom Cat. I have no current information on the events ongoing¡­.There is no Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web Branch in the area, and I sense no members nearby. ¨C Silky.] ¡°That¡¯s okay Silky. I figured it might be a long shot,¡± Liam said as calmly as he could. ¡°I am going to try and see if I can gather any information I can. Do you think the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web would value that information?¡± [The Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web would welcome any information on events like these¡­whether it be for clients curious or to make preparations for future similar events¡­Please collect as much information as you can and pass it to me at your earliest convenience. Also please be careful. I feel¡­strange powers at play here. ¨C Silky.] Liam smiled at her concern, but then frowned at her last words. ¡°Alright, thank you for the warning,¡± Liam said as he waited for the small spider to exit the dark hole of the web watch before closing it. I wonder if that strange power she felt is connected to that one girl that Uncle Naro was wary about. Liam shook his head before focusing on where to head to first. He made a decision and Shadow Stepped away. Liam used the roof tops to make his way through the town. As he moved he watched as groups of people continued to run away. The direction he was heading towards was getting louder and louder with shouts of anger, cries of pain and sorrow, and even cackles of laughter. The laughter concerned him the most because it wasn¡¯t coming from a single person nor from a single area. It was coming from groups of people before explosions came about. A couple of times Liam had to redirect his movements to different rooftops due to fire, lightning, and even icicle explosions erupting from buildings he was aiming for. He stopped a few times to see if he could get a better look at the people attacking, but failed as their cloaks concealed their faces. What he did see was that none of the attackers were Demon-kin. Even though the hoods on the cloaks remained on their heads and covered their faces, the sleeves moved about revealing their skin. From what he was able to see, it seemed like the attackers were a mixture of humans, Beast-kins, and some sort of aquatic race he had yet to learn of. After a couple of minutes he was able to see the destination of his picking. However, he stopped several blocks away as he felt his Danger Sense light up all in front of him. He stopped and tried to make sense of where the danger was coming from. Usually his Danger Sense would warn him by putting pressure around the area he was going to be attack at. While he did feel that sense of dangerous pressure, it was completely different. This sense of pressure was only noticeable when he thought about continuing forward towards the Dungeon Tower. Confused by this, Liam tried to look around to see if there was anyone this sense of pressure was coming from. [Don¡¯t go anymore forward Liam. In fact, don¡¯t spend too much time there. ¨C Eri.] Liam¡¯s face looked confused as he asked, Why? What¡¯s going on? [Look below. ¨C Eri.] Liam did as he was told. As he scanned the area down below he noticed something strange. There were bodies laid in the streets unmoving. Not only that, but upon further inspection the clothes and skin of each person looked completely strange. The spots all over the clothing of each person laying there looked like it was stiff and brittle while their skin looked thin, wrinkled, and even took on a shiny red appearance. As his gaze lingered on the closest body he noticed the spots were slowly growing. He was about to mutter something but stopped as the sound of something heavy crumbling echoed in the air. Liam¡¯s gaze looked forward just in time to see a patch of wall from the Dungeon Tower suddenly crumble apart and fall down to the ground. He then noticed several other spots on the wall that look strange. He activated Spot Frailty and was shocked at what he saw. The entire building was glowing yellow and was slowly changing colors. The several spots that looked really strange had a light red and was slowly turning dark red before they crumbled apart. ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Liam muttered. [Liam time to go. ¨C Eri.] Liam was confused what she meant until his Danger Sense filled not only his front side, but his back side as well. Without wasting a single second, Liam used Shadow Step to move backwards and away from the spot he was just standing at. After he reappeared on the rooftop of a building not too far, a sudden spark of lightning came crashing down where he once stood. Liam scanned the area to see where the attack came from, but stopped what he was doing, pulled out his daggers, duck as he deflected a sword strike aimed for his back, and spun around his attacker. He then kicked the leg of the cloaked individual and shouted, ¡°Are you the one responsible for all this?¡± The cloaked swordsman regained his balance before spinning around and sprinted for Liam once more. Liam parried with both of his daggers as the attacker thrust his sword straight for Liam¡¯s heart. The swordsman threw a left punch as they continued forward only for Liam to push his weapons off of the attack, spin under the punch and around his attacker once more. Liam was about to use back stab on the person until he felt a strange pain suddenly explode in his left kneecap causing him to buckle and fall down. His body then rolled off the edge of the building and onto the ground were a pile of bags full of grain rested.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Liam let out a cough as he rolled off the top of the pile and onto the street. He tried to get to his feet, however as he tried to put weight on his left side, the pain from earlier burned hot. He placed a hand on his pant leg and tried to pull it up, but before he could he felt his Danger Sense flare up across his back indicating something was about to attack him. He pushed his body forward right in time to dodge a strike from the cloaked swordsman who had dropped down from the roof. As Liam spun around he saw the attacker race towards him once more and tried to attack. Liam sheathed one of this daggers and reached for one of his throwing daggers and threw it at the aggressor. The cloaked individual swung his sword down to block the attack and was about to attack once more but stopped as Liam jumped forward with both of his daggers already within striking distance of the man¡¯s face. However, before Liam could finish his attack, the pain on his left kneecap disappeared and reappeared on both of his wrists, causing him to release his grip on his weapons and fall straight into the cloaked person. Before the cloaked swordsman attacked Liam, they heard someone shout, ¡°Stop. We need one alive to learn more of what their plans were here.¡± Even though Liam was in pain he was still able to focus on the voice and it sounded familiar. The swordsman plunged his weapon into the ground while swiftly and elegantly grabbing Liam¡¯s wrists and pulled them both behind his back. Liam let out a painful grunt as he fell to his knees. Anger filled him as he tried to wriggle free from his captor. Each movement, however, only sent jolts of pain through his hands and arms. He could feel the cloaked individual grip tighter as Liam struggled making it futile for him to move. ¡°Stop moving you damn cultist,¡± the cloaked swordsman stated, hostility leaked heavily in his gruff voice. ¡°What? Cultist?¡± Liam grunted through the pain. ¡°That¡¯s what you are, aren¡¯t you?¡± the new voice asked as she and three others appeared in front of Liam. Liam looked at the four newcomers and glared. ¡°I ain¡¯t no damn cultist you bastards.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re no cultist then what we¡¯re doing up there?¡± one of the four in front of him accused. This voice belonged to a female. ¡°I was trying to see what the hell was going on,¡± Liam seethed. ¡°The building, clothes, and people¡­Is all that decay your doing?¡± ¡°And if I said it was?¡± the lead figure questioned. ¡°What would a cultist like you do when I¡¯ve marked you with something similar?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened at that. If what she said was true then that would make sense why his grip loosened so easily when the pain hit. Not only that, but now that he was focusing a little more he did feel like he was losing all sensation in his wrists and that it was slowly spreading up his forearms and hands. However, the area he was first hit, his left kneecap, didn¡¯t have that pain anymore. He tried to think what that meant. ¡°Are you not going to answer me, cultist?¡± the woman in front of him asked. Liam scowled as he said, ¡°Like I said. I¡¯m no damn cultist. I can¡¯t stand those Seven Immoral Vice bastards! I¡¯d rather take out as many as I can and die before becoming one of them!¡± The group of people looked confused as Liam. Liam could feel the grip on his wrists loosen a bit. As soon as he felt that he wrenched his hands free and used Shadow Step to disappear and reappear behind the group in front of him. The group of five cloaked individuals spun around. The three that were now standing in front of the lead woman got into a stance and was about to attack Liam, but stopped as their leader ordered, ¡°Stopped!¡± The three kept their eyes on Liam and stayed in their attacking stances, ready to attack just in case. The leader of the group made her way to the front with the cloaked swordsman beside her. She then said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone in their ranks use a move like that before.¡± She then looked like she was contemplating something as she looked at Liam even more as she muttered, ¡°Never seen any of them wear something like that either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled mistress,¡± the shorter member of the group snarled. ¡°Just because we haven¡¯t seen either of those before doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t have anyone who can use that type of magic or that kind of armor.¡± ¡°True, but at the same time we know they work in groups and never alone and yet no one else is here,¡± the leader stated. The others didn¡¯t have anything to say to that. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what they are talking about. However, he did know there was something more going on than he thought. He decided to take another route as he stood tall with his hands by his side. ¡°I am Phantom Cat from the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. I came here to gather information on what the hell was going on. I thought I would get more information where the most damage was at but stopped when I felt a strange powerful magic spreading from the tower,¡± Liam stated. He thought stating this would be risky, but at the same time he didn¡¯t know what else to say to get them to understand he wasn¡¯t a damn cultist. ¡°Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web?¡± the hooded female behind the leader commented. The leader turned to look at her and asked, ¡°Do you know them?¡± ¡°I have heard of them. I don¡¯t know much, but from the rumors I have heard they are not part of the two cults we are against,¡± the female replied. The leader nodded. However before she could say anything, the hooded swordsman said, ¡°How do we know he isn¡¯t lying?¡± ¡°They should have a way to show proof they are a member¡­some sort of pocket watch I think,¡± the hooded female said. Liam tensed at the information the female gave out. With caution he said, ¡°You seemed to be well informed.¡± The hooded female shrugged as she replied, ¡°Information is power.¡± The leader looked at Liam and said, ¡°If you are a member then you should have the item my companion spoke about. Show us the proof.¡± Liam stared at her. He winced as he tried to ball his hands into fists making him loosen his grip. He then lifted his hands up and said as he gambled on a thought he had. ¡°I would love to, but since my wrists are in this state I don¡¯t think I can properly pull out my item. Why don¡¯t you deactivate the spell so I can properly pull it out?¡± Four of the five hooded individuals went on alert as they listened to Liam. The leader, who seemed a bit surprised at Liam¡¯s words stood calm as she asked, ¡°What makes you think that I can deactivate whatever I have done to your wrists?¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond. Instead he pointed to his left kneecap before pointing to his wrists. He didn¡¯t want to voice what he assumed just in case he was wrong. He waited for a response after that and felt confused as the woman laughed. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± she stated as she started to get her laughter under control. ¡°You are quick on the uptake there. Many of my enemies don¡¯t figure it out until it¡¯s too late. Luckily for you the ability to keep everything I try to decay is sealed once more or you would be shit out of luck.¡± As she waved her right hand through the air, the hooded swordsman flinched as he protested, ¡°Mistress, why are you¡­¡± ¡°I have a good feeling that he won¡¯t attack. In fact I¡¯m starting to think we may have made a mistake,¡± the woman stated. Liam felt the pain in his wrists suddenly vanish. He clenched both hands a few times to make sure the pain was completely gone before looking back at the group. He then said as he slowly reached into his pocket, ¡°Since you have jumped the gun and attacked me so blindly¡­¡± Liam watched as the four hooded figures crouched down and were ready to strike but stopped suddenly as Liam pulled out his Web Watch and finished saying, ¡°Allow me to end your suspicions and show proof that I am telling the truth.¡± Liam dangled the Web Watch in front of them to show the others. He then watch the leader of the other four look at the hooded girl. The hooded girl gave her leader a nod of confirmation, making Liam wonder how she would truly know that this was a genuine Web Watch. However, at the moment he wanted other information. Information more prudent based on the events going on. ¡°I apologize for attacking you. With this damn cult running amok and doing whatever the hell they are doing, we didn¡¯t want to take any chances,¡± the leader replied. ¡°Do you know what is going on here? Is this the Seven Immoral Vices doing?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°It isn¡¯t that damn cults doing,¡± the leader suddenly hissed. ¡°We thought it was them, but the cultists that we came across inside of the Free Roam Dungeon was completely different. As for what they were doing we aren¡¯t entirely sure.¡± ¡°What cult do they belong to if it¡¯s not the Seven Immoral Vices?¡± Liam inquired. ¡°Don¡¯t know. I¡¯m still new to this gods forsaken world and don¡¯t know every fucking lunatic cult that exists,¡± the female sneered. ¡°However, what I do know is this cult was doing something I did come across before.¡± Curiosity filled Liam as he asked, ¡°Oh? What was that?¡± ¡°None of your gods damn business,¡± the female quickly snapped. ¡°Just know that it was nothing good.¡± Explosions erupted in the background causing everyone there to look back at where it was coming from. As he stared at the fiery mushroom cloud grow a notification suddenly appeared in front of Liam. [Time to go. Everyone is almost at the Teleportation Portal room and that Naro guy is starting to get agitated that you¡¯re not there. Also the damage and fights is getting closer and closer to that area. ¨C Eri.] Liam clicked his tongue as he turned around. He was about to say something to the group but stopped as a small piece of cloth was sent flying towards him. ¡°Take this,¡± the woman stated. ¡°I have a feeling that you might be able to find someone who can figure out what this cult is since you belong to that little web group of yours.¡± Liam snatched the piece of cloth in the air and took a quick glance at it. The cloth was pure white, but the symbol on it was a deep raven black circle with wisps of black escaping the edges of the circle and a crimson red eye in the middle. Liam froze for a moment as he stared at the crimson eye. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like he recognized it. [Liam, you have to go now! ¨C Eri.] Liam snapped out of his thoughts before placing the object into his inventory. He then looked back at the group and saw they were gone already. With a shake of his head, he muttered quietly, ¡°Fine then¡­don¡¯t say goodbye. Jerks.¡± He then used Shadow Step to get to the roof top and raced towards his new destination.
Eri stood there with her arms crossed across her chest and with an indescribable look upon her face. She watched as Liam hurried over to the others. While her gaze was stuck on her champion, her thoughts were locked on something else entirely. Her plan was to have her champion run into that woman with her group while getting information on what was happening. While she knew what was going on, she hadn¡¯t known who all were involved in this little event. She didn¡¯t think they would be involved. Eri¡¯s nails dug into her skin, causing indents and almost blood to be drawn. When she realized how hard she was gripping her arms, she relaxed her nails and let out a sigh. Rarely did things go outside of her scope when she had eyes on her champion, but when it did it did in a way she wasn¡¯t really prepared for. ¡°So they really are active once more,¡± she muttered to herself. ¡°I know I heard the S.I.V.¡¯s had some connections with them due to Liam¡¯s last encounter with the demon fanatics, but I thought they were just saying that to cause a stir. But now¡­maybe they really are backing them up.¡± Eri¡¯s thoughts went back to the symbol Liam had seen on that piece of cloth. She had felt it through her link that Liam seemed familiar with it and that made her both confused and curious. However, answers to that could be obtained another time. Right now she had to think about the possibilities of her champion running into more of these god damn lunatic fanatics. Her champion had a run in with a member not too long ago and it left a bad taste in her mouth how things both went down and ended. Could the same happen again this time round? She thought about the members in Liam¡¯s group. While they were gaining power and growing, they were still too weak. Except¡­there was someone currently in his group that wasn¡¯t. Someone who had been on this planet for a lot longer than any of the members in Liam¡¯s little group. She could¡­no. trying to have him forgo his current patron deity and claim him as one of her own followers would only bring issues her plans. She refocused on Liam and watched as he ran into the Teleportation Portal room. She was no longer clad in his Spirit Weave form and had changed his armor for something else. She watched as Naro yelled frantically at the young man. he had both a look of anger and worry on his face. As he scolded Liam that mixture had turned into relief before they started running through the portal one by one. Her thoughts ran back to her previous line of thought. She would need to have patience. Patience that her champion and apostles would grow in strength and slowly gain more followers as they met new people. She would need to wait and see how things turned out and hoped that their next encounter with anyone from that damn cult would go better than their first. Because if they didn¡¯t¡­they would die. Adventure 283 - A possible new problem Liam stepped through the Transportation Portal and moved away from it allowing more people to step through. His mind was whirling, and his emotions were all over the place that he didn¡¯t feel the swirling mess sloshing in his stomach. Instead, he marched for the door wanting to get some air. However, before he could reach the door, two uniformed guards approached him and waved their arms out to stop him. ¡°Stop where you are young man,¡± a human male instructed. The look on his face was one of worry. He seemed alarmed and tensed. ¡°We need to go through the procedures before letting you out and we have some questions to ask about what happened on the island you were currently on,¡± a woman added. This woman had light blue skin and shimmering scales that covered her face and hands. Liam wasn¡¯t sure what race she was since he had never seen it before. Liam stopped and clicked his tongue. He didn¡¯t want to waste any time and go over what he had discovered. He felt that if he didn¡¯t get out of this room soon then Uncle Naro and the others were going to hound him what he had learned. Before stepping through the portal he had a scolding from Uncle Naro for running off into the midst of chaos. When he explained he wanted to find any clues as to what was going on, Uncle Naro yelled at him even more. He told him he was an idiot for thinking that he could thinking he would be able to do that. He also told him he was lucky for not getting caught or hurt from friendly fire or from enemy attacks. Liam felt annoyed being scowled like a child and was about to argue, but the look on Uncle Naro¡¯s face gave him pause. While his words were harsh, his facial expression spoke differently. He looked relieved that Liam had made it back to them safely. Uncle Naro must have caught what Liam had seen because a moment later he turned around and told him he was going to have him tell him everything he had found. Before that happened Liam wanted to talk to Silky and relay all he had found out as well as show her the symbol on that piece of cloth. He couldn¡¯t do that with everyone around. Before Liam could say anything else, the others started to enter the room one by one. The two guards turned to look at who had entered the room and were about to instruct them on what they wanted to do, but stopped as Uncle Naro stepped in. The two guards stared at him for a brief moment. They looked like they were confused and unsure if the person they were looking at was right. Before they could say anything, Uncle Naro pulled out one of his identifications and handed it to the male guard. He then said, ¡°these young ones are with me. I apologize if any of them has caused any issues, but it has been an¡­interesting night and I believe everyone is on edge.¡± The guard¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the identification handed to him. He showed the blue scaled woman, and she gave a similar reaction as she looked back at the man. The male guard then looked at Liam and had a mixed expression on his face. The woman didn¡¯t waste any time as she said, ¡°We understand. We apologize, but we must go through the proper procedures before allowing you to leave the building. If we could ask for your cooperation on that we will be more than happy to get this done as fast as we can so you and your members can get some rest.¡± The man jumped in, ¡°We do have to inform you though that due to the influx of recent people coming in, I think the inns will be full. Since this incident has happened we are allowing people to camp near the town in the small, forested areas we have if they so wish to.¡± Uncle Naro nodded his head. ¡°Thank you for that information. Camping is just fine for us. Also, after you let the young ones go I will be more than happy to give up what information I have on what happened on the island we were just on.¡± The two guards nodded, happy to get some information they could pass on to their superiors. Like they had promised the procedures went quickly and Liam and the others were on their way to find a spot to set up for the night. Uncle Naro stayed behind to tell the guards all that he knew. Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure what all he had found out, but figured he would find out later when he came to him for his findings. The group walked in silence as they walked through the busy city. Even though it was in the middle of the night plenty of people were walking around. Taverns, restaurants, bars, and even inns were full of people. As they walked they heard that everyone that was currently awake and moving about were majority of the people who had escaped to this island like they did. Children cried as they were confused about the events of what happened while parents tried to comfort them. Single men recalled their actions to impress the women at the bars while others called them out on exaggerating. Some people looked lost while others were angry. Guards were seen walking around making sure the peace was instilled between these people and the locals who were confused on the matter. After walking to an area Uncle Naro had suggested to them to go to, they each carved out an area and set up camp. It didn¡¯t take long for them to get everything together and after they were done they all looked to Liam. Liam could feel their gazes on him. He knew what they wanted to ask, but he still wanted to process it all and talk to Silky before telling them. if he had to be honest, he wasn¡¯t sure if he had enough information that could be helpful to answer their questions. Even after talking to that strange woman, he felt like there was more he wanted to know compared to before he talked to that group. He noticed Mercer¡¯s body language and before his companion could open his mouth, Liam said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Everyone stared at him. They weren¡¯t sure what he was apologizing for. Instead of asking what, they decided to wait to see if he would elaborate more. Which he did as he added, ¡°I need some time to process and understand what I learned.¡± Mercer, Avery, and Blair looked at each other for a brief moment as Artem and Ariyana glanced at each other. However, it wasn¡¯t any of them nor Gimmel who said anything, but Roman instead as he said, ¡°Take your time. Once you have your thoughts in order let us know.¡± Everyone turned to look at him. They each had a surprised look upon their faces, which made Roman uncomfortable as he asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Mercer started. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit strange to hear you be the patient one.¡± Roman frowned at that. ¡°Even I know there are some things that need to be understood before you talk about them. This sudden attack was strange and so were the people attacking. If Liam found anything out then it wouldn¡¯t be strange if that information was delicate.¡± Everyone still had the same look on their faces as they continued to stare. However, before Roman could snap at them, Liam stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to find a quiet spot and organize my thoughts. I¡¯ll be back in a bit. You guys should get some rest for now and we can talk about it in the morning.¡± Avery, Blair, Gimmel, and Mercer quickly looked at him. Gimmel swiftly asked, ¡°Do you want some company?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No. I need some¡­quiet time to process and go over everything.¡± He patted his right ear as he said this drawing confused looks from Avery, Ariyana, Artem, Blair, Mercer, and Roman. Gimmel understood what he was talking about as a flashy of his earring appeared and disappeared. Even though Gimmel wasn¡¯t a member of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web, he had some knowledge about certain things about the underground association from his uncle. He understood that Liam patting his ear and flashing the earring to him meant he needed to report what he found to his Web Watch. He nodded in understanding and said, ¡°If you need us just let us know.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Liam nodded as he flashed them a quick smile before leaving the area. He walked out far enough that he was now standing on a cliff that stared out into the vast body of water. He focused on his heightened hearing to see if anyone was close by but found no one. Feeling that he was far enough from people listening in on him, Liam pulled out the mask inside his inventory and put it on as he channeled some of his mana into his Web Watch. [Hello Phantom Cat. I am glad to see you were able to get away unharmed. ¨C Silky.] ¡°Silky, were you able to listen in on my conversation with that group of cloaked individuals?¡± Liam asked. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if Silky was able to hear everything while she was in his pocket or not and this would be the best time to fully understand her abilities. She was silent for a long moment which confused Liam. Normally when he asked a question she would be quick with an answer. Her not saying anything made Liam feel a bit uneasy. Finally after a couple of minutes she responded. [I am sorry Phantom Cat. There was a certain period of time where I could not hear nor feel anything around me¡­I had feared that something had happened to you¡­Upon thinking back on this issue my ability to feel mana and hear around had not returned until you summoned me. ¨C Silky.] Liam frowned at that. He hadn¡¯t had Silky for long, but when he received her no one had told him that there was a chance something like that could happen. Wanting to learn more about this he asked, ¡°Can you tell me more about that? Is there a reason why that happened?¡± [I am sorry Phantom Cat. There is no known causes that I am aware of that could do that¡­All I know is what I felt at the time before everything was¡­cut off¡­ - Silky.] What she felt? I didn¡¯t feel anything around me besides that pain¡­ Liam thought before thinking more about it. Both Silky and Uncle Naro had warned him about that woman having a strange power upon her. Could she be the reason? If so then what power did she have that could do that? ¡°Can you tell me what you felt?¡± Liam asked, even more curious. [It is hard to explain¡­It was like a powerful pressure that suppressed my entire being¡­It felt like if I tried to move or do anything then that suppression would harm me in an unexplainable way¡­I had deemed the situation dire so I remain as still and inert as I could¡­I can say that I have come across a situation similar to this before, but at the same time different¡­ - Silky.] Liam read her message with full focus. At the end of her message, he grew even more confused and curious. This was the first time she had brought up having this issue. Why hadn¡¯t she told him about having a similar problem before? ¡°What do you mean you have come across this problem before? When did this happen and why didn¡¯t you tell me about this?¡± Liam questioned. [I apologize for not mentioning this problem before. However during the time this problem had happened the situation was both unique and strange. However, that issue resolved itself not too long after it had occurred, so I wrote it off as a situational and environmental cause¡­ - Silky.] A situational and environmental cause? Did I ever come across any phenomenon or situation that would warrant an issue similar to this before? Liam thought as he ran through his memories to try and come up with an answer. As he did this a certain incident did pop up in his memories. His eyes slowly widened as his mouth opened slightly. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if what he was thinking was the right time, but if he was right then if she was cut off to all things happening during that specific time was a heavens sent for him. If he was wrong then he could have a potential problem on his hands. There was only one way to get that answer. He calmed his beating heart as he asked, ¡°Tell me¡­when exactly did this happen?¡± [It was during your fight with the Seven Immoral Vices worshippers in the Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs¡­You were saying something to them right before the powerful pressure descended down¡­When the problem had corrected itself you were in the middle of the fight with the final boss monster¡­However, unlike the pressure that made me feel like I would be harmed in an unexplainable way¡­this power made me feel like I would go completely insane if I tried to do anything¡­I had taken measures to protect my mind by cutting myself off from any contact outside of the Web Watch until I felt the strange power disappear¡­ - Silky.] Liam felt a wave of relief wash away from him as he read this message. She didn¡¯t hear him say anything about receiving the Gifts of Chaos from Eri or his Zodiac power as well as him being a Champion. That secret was still safe. He was happy to know that if he used that power then she would need to cut herself off from the world outside the Web Watch and a misunderstanding would be created leading it to whatever would be going on and not be directed towards himself. His happiness was short lived as he tensed up as a new thought suddenly popped up in his mind. Wait¡­if the incident when he activated his Champion form as well as receiving the Gifts of Chaos was similar to the time when he was in that cloaked group¡¯s presence¡­Not only that but it was a different type of pressure when compared to during the fight with the Demon-kins then did that mean¡­ [Phantom Cat¡­can you tell me what happened earlier when I was cut off from the outside world? ¨C Silky.] Silky¡¯s question snapped him out of his thoughts. What she had told him brought up a lot of questions¡­questions that needed a lot of time to be thought over. This was something he would need more heads on to make sure he didn¡¯t overthink it or wasn¡¯t jumping to conclusions. He would also need to make sure he placed Silky far enough away from him, so she didn¡¯t listen in on that conversation. Deciding to push his theories off to the corner of his mind for another time, Liam went into what he and the cloaked individuals had talked about. He even asked Silky if she would be able to see or scan or whatever she could do to get a better look at the symbol on the piece of cloth he received. She told him to hold it close by the Web Watch and when his did several pairs of eyes appeared within the black void of the Web Watch Silky was within and stared at it. After a few seconds had passed, she had told him she had scanned the image. She then spent a few minutes trying to see if she had any knowledge on the symbol. After she was done she had informed Liam that she had a hit on the symbol, however, the knowledge behind it was locked and required authority of one of the eight Legs of the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web to unlock that information. She had suggested his next visit to one of the Web Branches he should sell the information he had gained as well as offer the symbol as proof. While offering the symbol he should also ask for the lock to be undone for her so she could inform him more on it. He thought her suggestion was good. Especially if it would help them to learn more about those behind the symbol. They talked a bit more after that. He asked her for her advice on what she believed he should focus on when it came to the Fiddler¡¯s Spider Web. She had told him that his main focus should be on crafting. Even though the merits was lower than if he did assassination quests she believed he would gain more renown and more offers if he crafted items that people wanted. It would be a slow start, but the more he made and the more he offered the more people within the association would notice. Information Gathering was a good secondary choice to do as well. Offering up the information he had gathered on the island would be a good start and would show that he was willing to dive into dangerous situations to get what was asked even if it wasn¡¯t tasked of him. After they finished talking, Liam closed his Web Watch and looked at the time. It was still a couple hours away before the morning sky would arrive. He was a bit tired after the events of the night, but at the same time he had some energy left he could burn. He decided to work on leveling some of his Shadow Magic abilities. He was able to get his Shadow Orb and Shadow Swarm up a couple of levels after some practice and his Shadow Manipulation had reached level nine after some practice as well. He couldn¡¯t work on his other Shadow abilities since they either required targets to land the spells on or a part of his Utility Focus Point, which he was trying to stay away from for right now. he would use them in a fight if need be, but he wanted to save that for when he got his other Focus Points caught up. Something he had discovered when he leveled his Shadow Magic abilities and didn¡¯t realize had happened was he had received a couple of new Ailment Resistances. One was called Hex and the other was called Decay. They were both now at level five each. He had to think about where they had come from for a bit, but after a minute he realized it must have come from that woman. After thinking back on that encounter he came to the decision that he really didn¡¯t want to have to deal with that again. He thoroughly believed that the pain he felt was worse than his own afflictions that he could cast. He also wanted to get his afflictions to that same level of pain. It was affective when trying to disarm enemies. After the sun started to bleed into the sky, Liam decided it was time to head back to the camp. As he entered the camp he found Uncle Naro sitting there next to a warm fire. In his hand was a mug of what Liam believed was herbal tea due to the aroma he could smell. The Bear-folk was staring at the fire until Liam had approached the fire. His gaze slowly turned to him and with a tired smile he patted a make shift seat next to him and said, ¡°Come join me. I¡¯ll make you a cup and then I would like to discuss what we both had discovered.¡± Adventure 284 - Early morning discussion Liam sat there holding a cup of warm tea in front of the fire. Uncle Naro sat beside him, a mug of the same liquid in his big hand and a hand on his knee. They sat in silence for a few seconds enjoying the taste of the tea. The area around them was a lot quieter than it was earlier in the night. After taking a few sips Uncle Naro asked Liam to tell him what he had found out. Liam talked about how he skirted his way around, avoiding areas that were heavily filled with fights. He didn¡¯t explain how he did it, but just that he took a route that didn¡¯t have anyone around. Uncle Naro didn¡¯t say anything as he said this, just stared at him. Liam then explained that he came to a halt after feeling his Danger Sense activate in a weird way. This prompted Uncle Naro to ask what he meant by feeling his Danger Sense activate in a weird way. At first, the bear of a man looked surprised that Liam even had Danger Sense, but felt like his way of moving around made a lot more sense if he had that. Liam explained how he had understood the ability. That it would only activate if there was a powerful attack that could hurt him and where it would vaguely hit as well as the different feelings he would get from it between if it was an attack he could handle versus one that he wouldn¡¯t survive from. He did admit he wasn¡¯t entirely sure on that one since he¡¯s always tried to avoid taking hits whenever it flared up. After explaining that he told him how his Danger sense had flared this time round, Uncle Naro nodded and looked like he understood what Liam was unsure about. ¡°It seems like this is the first time you have come across something we like to call Aura Pressure,¡± Uncle Naro stated as he looked at Liam. He saw the confused look on the young man¡¯s face and continued, ¡°Aura Pressure is a force that spreads from either one or a group of people who carry the same aura. This aura is powerful and affects the surrounding area. Depending on the type of aura it can either be good or bad. The one your Danger Sense felt was a bad one. Can you tell me what you saw around the area this pressure was coming from?¡± Liam explained what he saw. From the deterioration of the Dungeon Tower he saw with his Spot Frailty, to the way the clothing look and the red spots on the bodies that were laid across the ground. Uncle Naro¡¯s face deepened as a frown formed. He looked to be in thought and was thinking some things over, but Liam felt like he needed to add the part about his fight with the cloaked individuals. He explained his fight with them and what he experienced with the leader of their group, but didn¡¯t say exactly how he had gotten them to stop. He only said they came to the realization that he wasn¡¯t an enemy and they stopped. Uncle Naro looked even more confused as Liam explained all of this. After a few seconds he finally asked, ¡°Did you receive any new Ailment Resistances after that fight?¡± Liam nodded his head. ¡°I reached level five in these two new ones. They are called Hex and Decay.¡± Uncle Naro looked like he was taken aback by what he said. This made Liam feel uneasy. So much so he asked without thinking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have you heard of these two before?¡± ¡°I have heard of Hex. It¡¯s an evolved version of Curse Magic. It amplifies Ailments, physical or mental, type spells as well as allows the user to duplicate it again by passing any cooldown the spells have,¡± Uncle Naro explained. ¡°However, Decay¡­I have only heard the name and the fact that no one should ever have that.¡± It was Liam¡¯s turn to be taken aback. ¡°What do you mean? Why is it a fact no one should ever have that?¡± Uncle Naro turned his gaze upon Liam. He looked like Liam was stupid for a brief moment before letting out a breath of air. ¡°I forgot that you are new to this world and are still ignorant of this world. however, at the same time I also forget that there are somethings even natives to this world have forgotten¡­¡± Liam stared at Uncle Naro. He was growing confused. It was one thing if it was something that he wouldn¡¯t know right away since he was a New Arrival, but if this was something that the natives had forgotten¡­what did that really mean? The look on Uncle Naro¡¯s face, coupling with his demeanor, told Liam this was something important. However, if the natives had forgotten this then how important was it really? ¡°The reason why I said it was something no one should have is because it belongs to a group of fields called the Lost Fields,¡± Uncle Naro informed with a serious look on his face. Liam felt his mind stir. He didn¡¯t understand what he meant by that. However, when he heard the words Lost it made him think about the craft he had unlocked recently. It had also made him think back on his talk with Eri about his Main Class. She had called it a Lost Class. ¡°Uncle Naro,¡± Liam started, feeling slightly nervous to ask the question he wanted. However, he felt this was a good time to ask since he seemed to know something about Lost Fields. ¡°Why are they called the Lost Fields? Also if there are Lost Fields then are there other things considered Lost? Like classes, crafts, skills, etc.?¡± Uncle Naro eyed Liam for a long moment. After that moment had passed he finally said, ¡°It is good that you are curious about things. I will warn you that there are some things you shouldn¡¯t allow your curiosity to lead you down. Luckily, for now, this isn¡¯t one of them. Sometime in the future we will touch more on this with everyone else, but for now I will sate your curiosity so you can understand the extremities of your findings.¡± Liam stared at Uncle Naro. His mind was buzzing loudly. He was right that his curiosity could one day lead him down a path of no return, but at the same time he also believed that what was the point of wanting to sate your curiosity without taking risks. Of course his past experiences could give him the answer to that question, but he was trying to ignore that¡­for now. ¡°Yes, there are things like Lost Classes, Lost Crafts, and even Lost Skills. However, the reason as to why they are lost is different from the Lost Fields. We will touch base on those a different time. As for the Lost Fields, like the name implies, it is lost. It¡¯s not called a Lost Field because no one knows why it can¡¯t be unlocked, unlike the other Lost things. No, everyone knows exactly why these Fields can¡¯t be unlocked. It is called a Lost Field because the way to unlock the fields is lost to everyone forever.¡± The answer Uncle Naro gave him about the Lost Fields was¡­underwhelming. He was expecting a complicated answer, not something as simple as the way to unlock them is lost to everyone forever. Hiding the slight annoyance he felt brewing, Liam pushed, ¡°Okay, but why is it lost to everyone forever?¡± Uncle Naro stared at Liam. Liam could feel the seriousness in his eyes and even more so in his voice as Uncle Naro responded, ¡°There are two reasons for it. Some are lost because those who had the knowledge of how to unlock them died out many years ago and the others¡­¡± He paused for a long moment. Unsure if he should say this next thing. After coming to a decision he finally said, ¡°The others, like the Field of Decay, you can only get from a Deity. And the Deity that you can get it from is one of the Lost Twelve¡­¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Liam felt alarmed as Uncle Naro suddenly looked like he was in pain. Liam swiftly stood up and was about to reach a hand out to Uncle Naro but stopped as Uncle Naro raised a hand telling him he was fine. ¡°Sorry, I just received a warning from my Patron Deity warning me to stop.¡± Still slightly panicked, Liam asked, ¡°What do you mean? Why did your Patron Deity warn you to stop? Is the information that confidential?¡± Uncle Naro let out a breath of air as he leaned back a back allowing his head to look towards the sky. ¡°It never was. It was common knowledge, but I guess now I understand why many have forgotten about it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asked. Uncle Naro shook his head as he looked back at the young man. ¡°I can¡¯t say. Not now at least. I was just informed that I am not allowed to talk more about the subject and should drop it for now.¡± Liam noticed the annoyed look on Uncle Naro¡¯s face. He could also see slight traces of concern and worry. He then heard Uncle Naro mutter quietly under his breath, ¡°What the hell is going on? You¡¯ve never interfered like this before you damn hammer brain.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t sure who or what Uncle Naro was talking about, but he could feel a pair of eyes on him, making him swiftly look around the area. No one was around or moving about from what he could see, but the feeling he felt was still there. He then felt a familiar pressure wash down on him, making him clench his teeth as pain pounded against his head. Uncle Naro quickly looked at Liam as he let out a grunt of pain. Anger filled his voice as he growled, ¡°You are going too far Usar. Stop this at once or I will revoke my blessing from you!¡± The pressure and pounding pain quickly disappeared shortly after that, the sudden disappearance made Liam feel light and caused him to drop to his knees, dropping his cup of tea to the ground. He took in gulps of air as he panted. The feeling of eyes on him disappeared with it as well. Uncle Naro placed his mug down and reached for Liam. He placed his large hands on Liam¡¯s shoulders and asked with a lot of concern in his voice, ¡°Are you alright? How do you feel?¡± Liam took measures to control his breathing and calm his heart down as he stared at Uncle Naro. A chime sound echoed in his mind as a notification appeared in front of him. [Congratulations! Mental Resilience ¨C Divine Eye has reached level 16! Progression to level 17: 56%!] Liam closed the notification and then responded, ¡°What the hell was that about?¡± Uncle Naro sighed before responding, ¡°That was Ursa, my Patron Deity. I don¡¯t know what he was doing, but from the pressure I was feeling I think he poured in a good amount of mana to do it.¡± The notification he received about his Mental Resilience leveling up told him exactly what the so called Deity was trying to do. He had felt and gone through the same ordeal through what he later found out was a champion to another Deity. This Deity was trying to look into his stats and information. However, thanks to the Primeval Veil Eri had gifted him with, the deity had a hard time scrying every bit of his information. That was probably why the Deity channeled as much mana as he did. He probably believed that if he just threw in more power he would be able to get what he wanted. ¡°Do all Deities do that? Do they all do whatever the hell they want?¡± Liam asked, surprised at the growl that was underlying his voice. Uncle Naro let out another sigh before replying, ¡°Most do, yes. However, Ursa has never done this before. He¡¯s also never been one to stop one of his own followers from talking about stuff unless it has to do with secrets from his clergy.¡± ¡°Does he also always have eyes on all of his followers as well?¡± Liam asked, realizing he had never considered this before. He was trying to keep a low profile while trying to get stronger before he set out to do as his own Matron Deity has tasked him with. Well, she hadn¡¯t tasked him with whatever she was truly planning yet, but he knew she was waiting to do it. ¡°That¡¯s the part I am confused about,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°He isn¡¯t one to do that. This random moment of his is truly puzzling.¡± Liam could see the confusion on the man¡¯s face. He understood that Uncle Naro had no idea what was going on. However, now another issue had presented itself. Since this Ursa Deity had tried to look into Liam¡¯s information using the Divine Eye, he must have noticed that certain information was sealed off from his sight. He could either pass it off as insignificant or something suspicious. He was really hoping for the former instead of the latter, but he¡¯d have to wait and see. ¡°Let us end this discussion here for now,¡± Uncle Naro suddenly stated. It was subtle, but Liam felt the man¡¯s body suddenly tense for a split second through the grip of his hands. The tension had come and gone so fast he had almost missed it, but from the look in the man¡¯s eyes, the distant expression one would get after receiving a notification, Liam knew something was up. He didn¡¯t like that. Like how Eri would send him messages through notifications, there was a chance Ursa could do the same. He didn¡¯t know for sure, but if he had to guess if that was the case then he would throw all his eggs in that basket. I¡¯ll need to prepare some countermeasures in case something goes wrong after this. Liam thought to himself after slowly standing back to his feet. He noticed Uncle Naro¡¯s gaze was now focused on him. There wasn¡¯t any signs of the man wanting to hurt him or restrain him, so he readied himself for whatever the man would say next. The words that came out of the bear of a man¡¯s mouth was not ones he was expecting. ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯m not sending you into the dungeon today, after all that had happened last night I am sure everyone is confused and tired. I¡¯ll have everyone work on some things to train for the day. After you have rested though I have a lot I want you to get through today. Majority of it will be crafts and the other part will be getting your Mana Hands levels as high as we can get them. It seems that you have sparked an interest in Ursa, and he wants me to get you to ready to learn¡­a certain fighting skill.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam spluttered. He was ready for the deity to try and convince Uncle Naro to either attack him or restrain him so he could pry open the sealed information. However, the deity was interested¡­in him? What did he find interesting about him? Before Liam could ask this, Uncle Naro sensed the question coming and beat him to it by informing, ¡°He finds it interesting that you are a Crafter looking to learn how to fight. He sees the potential you could have especially since you are similar to me in that aspect. He is also allowing this because you have some Beast-kin in you. And as a fellow Beast-kin you should have this fighting skill. As a half Beast-kin it will be tough, but it could come in handy for you.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Liam stupidly responded. He really wasn¡¯t sure what to think about this. However, he felt this was a good opportunity that he couldn¡¯t pass up. Even Eri agreed with that feeling as she sent him a message saying to accept it. After taking a moment to collect himself, he finally said, ¡°Alright. Tell him I said thank you for allowing me to receive this opportunity.¡± Uncle Naro let out a laugh as he said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go thanking him yet. This fighting skill isn¡¯t easy and will have some backlash if done wrong. However, your first hurdle to even start learning this fighting style will be whether or not you can unlock the Field required to learn it.¡± Liam¡¯s curiosity peaked at this. What could this field be that he would need to gain in order to learn what this Deity was offering him? Not only that, but it was something he could receive only because he was half Beast-kin. If he was thinking right, that meant this was a racial field of study exclusively for the Beast-kin. That made him even more excited. Liam nodded his head. ¡°I will do all that I can to make sure I get that field,¡± Liam said confidently. Liam¡¯s confidence and words made Uncle Naro laugh out loud again. ¡°Then get some rest so we can get you to that starting point.¡± Liam turned away and made his way to his tent. Upon his way, a smile grew on his face. That smile didn¡¯t have anything to do with what he was just told or offered. No, it was there because through his heightened hearing he could hear his teammates making their way back to their beds from their tent entrances. It seemed that they had felt a disturbance and were ready in case anything happened. Even if Uncle Naro was a lot more powerful than they all were, they were ready to fight back and make sure he was safe. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. Even though his old friends were ready to disregard him as useless, he had made some really good friends that were ready to stand and either protect or fight alongside him no matter who their opponent was. He couldn¡¯t have asked for better friends. Adventure 285 - Sense the Danger Even though he was excited and wanted to get to training, Liam¡¯s body had other plans. The moment his body laid down he was out. He hadn¡¯t realized how tired he really was before that due to Ursa¡¯s sudden interest and his excitement upon learning he would try and learn something only Beast-kins could learn. However, once laying down a body could not fake anything, especially after getting comfy. He had slept for a few hours before finally getting back up. It was an hour and half close to noon when he finally woke up. Everyone was hard at work doing their own specialized training and weren¡¯t close by. Only Uncle Naro was there waiting for him to wake up. He had a snack prepared for him to munch on before he had to start his training. The man explained that it wouldn¡¯t be good for him to eat too much right now since he was about to do some physical training and also lunch was slowly approaching. To start off the training, Uncle Naro had him run a certain amount of distance. He would jog a small portion and every time he heard a whistle he would have to sprint until he heard another whistle. He had to keep this up for ten minutes. When he finished he was exhausted. Exhausted and smiling. This training helped raised his Stamina Endurance, Speed, and Stamina Recovery Sub-stats by one level. After he was done resting for five minutes, Uncle Naro then had him wear heavy armor and do it once more. This was harder due to the weight of the armor he was told to wear. The amount of time was shorter since the weight was heavier, but thanks to that he was able to raise his Body Strength Sub-stat by two making it reach level twenty one. The next bit of training had Liam trying to dodge wooden objects being thrown at him. He was allowed to try and catch them and throw them back, however the only thing he was allowed to target when throwing them was any object being thrown at him. Liam did try to attempt doing that, but whenever he tried to catch an object a second object would fly and knock it out of his hand before he could close his grip. After ten minutes of this training he was able to catch only one object and instinctively move his hand out of the way before another wooden object knock it out. However, when he tried to hit an object being thrown at him he could only miss and be pelted by objects that came in faster than they were being thrown when he didn¡¯t catch one. This training helped raise his Fine Motor Sub-stat to level twenty five and his Reflex sub-stat to level twenty seven. After he was done with that it was time to make lunch. Artem had arrived to help with that. By the time the trio had finished making the last item everyone had arrived. As they ate together, the group went over all they were doing throughout the morning. Liam listened to their growth and was surprised in Ariyana¡¯s and Blair¡¯s growth. Blair was able to grow her Gravity Orb more along with getting more levels in the Focus Point and some of the abilities. Ariyana on the other hand was able to get her Field of the Charmer close to level twenty. She was excited about this because she felt she was on to something. Uncle Naro had told her to stop and focus on her Field of the Senses and field of Illusions now as well as practice more with her weapon skill. He informed her that while it was good she was almost at level twenty with Field of the Charmer, it would be a good idea to get other areas she utilizes to catch up. After lunch was over, Uncle Naro had him practice creating each of his Mana Hands and try to control them to move around and grab objects around the camp site. Besides his Shadow Hand and Lunar Hand, that he was trying to hide for now, each of his Hand Type spells leveled a bit. Those under level ten had reached at least level ten while those who were over received one or two levels. Through this training he was also able to level his Control and Manipulation over different Mana Types by a few levels. While he was training his different Hand Type Spells, he noticed Artem approaching him. He stopped what he was doing and asked him, ¡°Everything alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, everything is fine,¡± Artem responded. ¡°I was asked to come over here after I raised my Water Focus Point up a couple of levels so I can practice my Field of the Healer.¡± Liam looked confused after hearing this. From what he understood the best way to work on leveling that field was to practice on those who needed healing. They were fighting monsters nor was any one hurt around them and since the two situations weren¡¯t present¡­how was he going to practice. Instead of wasting time trying to think about it, Liam just asked, ¡°How are you going to practice that field when there isn¡¯t anyone hurt?¡± ¡°There is someone hurt,¡± Uncle Naro suddenly stated as he walked up to them. Artem and Liam turned to look at the man. Liam then looked to his left and then to his right before turning around and back to Uncle Naro. ¡°Who?¡± As soon as Liam asked he saw a smile slowly growing on the man¡¯s face and suddenly had a bad feeling. That bad feeling was solidified as Uncle Naro answer, ¡°You.¡± He then held up one hand and rolled it as he quickly clarified, ¡°You are not hurt right this second yes, but you will be hurt soon throughout our sparring session. He will be healing you each time you get badly hurt.¡± Liam was quickly taken aback by this proclamation. While a part of him was excited for an opportunity to spar and try to learn from him, another side remembered the night he witnessed the bear of a man fight solo against the Demon-kins disguised as Beast-kins. An involuntary shudder ran down his spine remembering the scene. ¡°We won¡¯t be fighting with weapons, so you do not have to worry about getting cut anywhere,¡± Uncle Naro said nonchalantly. Liam felt his body relax for a split moment before understanding what he meant. If they were not going to spar with weapons then that meant they were going to spar unarmed. Fist to fist. Out of all his Weapon Skills, besides the Bow Weapon Skill, his Unarmed Weapon Skill was pretty low. It was still around level five. It was his second lowest level in that area. Which meant him landing a punch or anything of the like would be very tough, especially when going up against someone who had more time to train the Weapon Skill. Uncle Naro saw the look on Liam¡¯s face. He quickly understood what was running through his mind and let out a slight chuckle. ¡°You have nothing to fear. I say this will be a spar, but really I will be training you and correcting mistakes that I see.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he asked, ¡°And how are you going to correct these mistakes?¡± Uncle Naro raised a fist as he said with a smile, ¡°Through tough love.¡± Another involuntary shudder ran down his spine. A thought suddenly appeared in his mind as he stared at Uncle Naro¡¯s fist. ¡°May I ask why unarmed combat? Yesterday you were adamant on me focusing on using the tool weapons.¡± ¡°You will be training with the tool weapons whenever there is a chance, however, due to new developments you keep surprising me with I have been changing up your training regimen,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°I will admit I didn¡¯t think to try and train you to receive the Beast-kin exclusive Field. However, Usar believe there is a chance you can obtain it even though you¡¯re not a full blooded Beast-kin.¡± ¡°What is this Beast-kin exclusive Field of¡­,¡± Liam asked, still not sure what it was. Uncle Naro raised a hand up to stop him. ¡°No more questions. We are going to start. You attack and I will counter wherever I see an opening.¡± Liam frowned at that. However, from the way the man¡¯s facial expression looked and the stance he had suddenly taken, Liam could see he wasn¡¯t going to answer any more questions. Instead of trying to press for more information, Liam stretched his arms a bit and popped his neck before getting into a stance of his own. Liam brought both hands up to protect both sides of his chin. He studied the giant man in front of him and the stance he brought himself into. Uncle Naro had bent his knees down enough to put himself into a horse stance. He had his left hand rested next to his side, balled into a fist, while his right arm was extended outwards in front of him with his hand opened, palm facing Liam. From what Liam could see, the man had a solid stance. The placement of his feet, his arms, and hands were in perfect harmony. Liam didn¡¯t like that. He couldn¡¯t see any opening no matter where he looked. Without an opening he had no place to strike. Uncle Naro could see the frustration in Liam¡¯s eyes as his pupils moved quickly, scanning every part of his body. While he could appreciate the young man in front of him being cautious and knowing that it was futile no matter where he struck, that wasn¡¯t the point of this spar. No, he had other things he wanted to teach him and try to ingrain into his body. Unfortunately, this lesson required him to be a bit¡­heavy handed.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°What are you waiting for? Attack,¡± Uncle Naro instructed. Liam slightly scowled before deciding where to attack. He moved as swiftly as he could as he approached the man. Liam leaned to the inside and readied a strike, however, before he threw the punch, he stopped moving and went to spin around the man¡¯s massive palm and went to throw a spinning back handed strike. Before Liam could finish the spin, a powerful burst of pain suddenly erupted into his side right as his Danger Sense flared up around the spot. He then felt his feet get swept up into the air as he flew towards a tree and crashed into it. After his body collided into the tree, Liam opened his mouth and allowed a small amount of liquid to escape from within. He then fell to the ground, gripping his side. The pain that had suddenly appeared throbbed as he tried to gasp for air. Artem stared wide eyed at Liam. He was unsure what had just happened. One moment Liam was running, then spun around Uncle Naro¡¯s giant palm. Not even half way through the spin Uncle Naro was suddenly a step forward and Liam was halfway flying towards the tree/ ¡°What are you waiting for Artem? Your companion has been hurt and is in need of healing,¡± Uncle Naro stated, the tone in his voice was full of resolve, strictness, and a tinge of sadness. Artem snapped out of his stupor and ran towards Liam. As soon as he reached him he started channeling his mana. He stopped as Uncle Naro instructed, ¡°Do not channel any Healing Mana into the spell. Your goal for this is to only use Heal or Healing Aura. You will need to familiarize yourself with those spells without channeling any mana into them so you can know exactly how much you can heal while also becoming more comfortable using them.¡± Artem nodded as he began chanting. As he chanted Uncle Naro added, ¡°I am going to rotate between three different types of strikes. Each strike will do different amounts of damage. Every time I land a hit you will heal him. Your training Artem will be to determine which healing spell is best used on the amount of damage landed. Heal will be for bigger amounts of damage while Healing Aura will be for lesser damage. Do I make myself clear?¡± Artem nodded as he focused on healing Liam. Liam was staring the man down. While he knew this spar was going to be one sided he really didn¡¯t expect Uncle Naro to openly admit that he was going to get hit so hard each time. From the sound of his voice Liam understood that he wasn¡¯t going to land a hit. If that was the case then what was all that talk about teaching him something? Was there a lesson in this? If so what was it? After Liam was done replenishing his health thanks to Artem he stood back up. Uncle Naro had already reset his stance to the same one before. With a nod, Liam understood he wanted him to attack. This time instead of trying to spin around the palm, Liam ducked under the man¡¯s arm, but still let his right hand be thrown into a straight punch. This time Liam felt his right arm get swatted to the side which brought his momentum from going to his left back to his right. However he didn¡¯t get far as he was ping ponged back to his left side, rolling across the ground till he stopped. Artem rushed over and inspect the damage over his body. Artem was unsure so he decided to go with Healing Aura. Before finishing the first part of the chant, Uncle Naro had told him to stop. He then lectured Artem about how there was more damage done than the amount he had guessed. Artem felt embarrassed for being called out for guessing, however he didn¡¯t let it get to him. He understood he was still far from understanding how to be a proper healer and this was good practice for him. After Artem finished healing Liam, he got back up and saw Uncle Naro reset his stance. Liam let out a sigh as he prepared himself once again. After being thrown around several more times, Liam finally allowed his irritation to go as he asked, ¡°Okay, I give up. What exactly are you teaching me here? Besides how hard you can hit and how far I can fly after being swatted away like a fly?¡± Uncle Naro raised a brow at him. Liam almost swore he saw the bear of a man hide a chuckle before he responded, ¡°The lesson I am teaching you hear isn¡¯t something you can learn for strategic purposes, but more instinctually.¡± ¡°What does that even?¡± Liam questioned, his irritation filling him. ¡°It means I am teaching your body to learn something rather than your brain,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°And that is?¡± Liam asked. Uncle Naro let out a sigh before said with a disappointed look, ¡°Sometimes you can be pretty damn smart and other times you¡¯re denser than a gulip chasing its own leg.¡± Liam looked incredulous. He didn¡¯t know what a gulip was, but from the analogy he just used it must be pretty damn stupid. Liam let out a sigh as he tried to calm himself, ¡°I am sorry. I am just having a really hard time trying to understand how this will help me learn a new field. You haven¡¯t really told me what the name of this field is let alone what it is. Also if this is a Beast-kin exclusive Field of Study wouldn¡¯t it be best if Roman and Blair were here as well?¡± Uncle Naro waved a hand. ¡°While it would benefit them, especially for Roman¡­but they are full blooded Beast-kins it will be easier for them to handle the training. However, for you¡­it¡¯s a different story.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Liam questioned. He was genuinely curious what the difference was between him and the other two. Did being a half breed Beast-kin have that much of a disadvantage? ¡°It is because you are a half Beast-kin¡­,¡± Uncle Naro started to say. ¡°What does that have to do with the price of beans?¡± Liam asked. Uncle Naro looked at him with a confused expression with some suspicion. He was about to ask something, but stopped as Liam quickly said, ¡°Sorry, I mean what does being a half Beast-kin have to do with it?¡± Uncle stared at Liam for a long moment before finally answering, ¡°It has a lot to do with it. For one, your heightened senses aren¡¯t equal to a full blooded Beast-kin. At lower levels it might seem that you are, but that¡¯s only because you and the other two are slowly adapting to them. You have to sharpen your instincts harder and more than them as well. Not only that, but your ability to move like a fully blooded Beast-kin isn¡¯t the same as well. Not unless you train your reflexes the same way. I am not saying this because I believe full blooded Beast-kins are better than halfblooded ones, it¡¯s just that you will need to put in more work in order to receive this type of field.¡± ¡°And what is this field?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It is called the Field of the Beast,¡± Uncle Naro answered. ¡°It is a Field of Study that helps Beast-kins get in touch with their inner beast. It raises their heightened senses to new heights as well as can unlock a feral side of themselves. So in essence, it can help you fight like a beast. If you can unlock this field and learn the abilities from the Focus Points it will help you fight easier by utilizing your racial heightened senses.¡± Liam stared dumbfoundedly after hearing that. While he had used his heightened hearing, smell, and sight for more scouting purposes he hadn¡¯t really thought about using them as an advantage in a fight. There was merit behind this Field of Study. Liam then thought about the current fighting style he was trying to learn. Having to switch from tool weapon to tool weapon in a fight required something he believed he was lacking. Maybe this was it. the missing piece to his issue. Not only that, but when utilizing his Hand Type spells along with this field of study then there was even more potential. However, that would require him getting certain abilities from the Focus Points. Liam shook his head trying to stop himself from spiraling down that rabbit hole. He would cross that bridge when he got there. However, now he had a new question. Well it was a question he had asked already, but didn¡¯t get a real straight answer to. ¡°Okay, I see what you are saying, but what we are doing here isn¡¯t helping my heightened senses at all,¡± Liam started. ¡°That being the case what are you training right now?¡± ¡°A different type of sense that you showed me is growing,¡± Uncle Naro stated as a small grin formed. ¡°Every race has a different name for it, but I believe the name the Beast-kins have for it is apt. It¡¯s your Danger Sense.¡± Liam blinked once, twice, three times. He was training his Danger Sense? How? In what way? By having it flare up over and over again? If that was the case then he could just do that fighting really strong monsters. Uncle Naro noticed the look on Liam¡¯s face and shook his head. ¡°It seems like it either hasn¡¯t produced any results or you haven¡¯t noticed it yet.¡± Liam cocked his head as he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean you should think back and see if you remember when we started this to the last bout. Has anything changed?¡± Liam thought about it. Their first bout his Danger Sense had flared up right as he had gotten hit. Same with the next time. And the next time. They all flared up at the same exact¡­Wait a second. Liam suddenly thought as he replayed the last bout in his mind. There was a slight change during the last attempt. His Danger Sense had reacted just a split second before the attack landed. It was subtle and wasn¡¯t much, but there had been a slight changed. Liam thought about what that meant. He then thought about what Uncle Naro was saying. If he needed to train his senses to help him fight better in order to get the Field of the Beast and Danger Sense was a part of those sense then he was essentially training his Danger Sense to gain enough experience to get a better at reacting to dangerous situations through exposure of a higher level individual continuously beating the ever loving crap out of him. Liam¡¯s body shuddered. While he didn¡¯t like the ¡®tough love¡¯, Uncle Naro had so graciously called it, it did have some promise. He had relied on his Danger Sense during majority of his fights. It was also thanks to his Danger Sense he was able to dodge lethal attacks. If he could train that sense to better heights then it could help save his ass even better. Liam gulped as he looked back at Uncle Naro. While he liked the idea, he really didn¡¯t like the feeling of getting hit by Uncle Naro. The man hit like a train most of the time. Not only that, but his speed and reflexes were nuts. However, there was nothing Liam could do about that. The man was higher level in every aspect of sub-stats, skills, and abilities. The only way to dodge or not get hit so hard was to out level the man, but as of this moment that was a laughable conclusion¡­for now that is. Liam let out a sigh before bracing himself. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this.¡± Uncle Naro smiled widely. ¡°That¡¯s a good response. Now come at me. Come get a beating from your Uncle Naro.¡± Adventure 286 - From a beating to needlework to projects Liam would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t feel sore after getting knocked off his feet and crashed into almost everything after so many times. He also would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t get anything from that training at all. Even though he wasn¡¯t able to dodge, defend, or even counter any of the man¡¯s attacks, he was able to raise a few sub-stats. [Congratulations! Sub-stat Resilience has reached level 23! Progression to 24: 100%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Resilience has reached level 24! Progression to 25: 100%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Resilience has reached level 25! Progression to 26: 10%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Body Endurance has reached level 26! Progression to 27: 100%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Body Endurance has reached level 27! Progression to 28: 17%!] [Congratulations! Sub-stat Perception has reached level 26! Progression to 27: 85%!] He was actually pretty impressed with the level ups. Resilience and Body Endurance were understandable since he took a beating. He would be surprised if he didn¡¯t get any level ups those since they revolved around a person taking hits and toughing their bodies. However, his Perception gaining a level was a big surprise. Towards the end of their sparring, Liam wasn¡¯t sure if Uncle Naro was slowing down, but he was slowly able to see the movements of the man¡¯s body before he struck. It was small bits of details and there were still instances where he couldn¡¯t see it all, but he was slowly getting used to seeing the man¡¯s form and movements. Even though he was able to start to see some of the details of how and where he was moving to strike, it meant nothing if he couldn¡¯t keep up and react to it. That was where his Sub-stat Reflex came in. If his Reflex levels were still low then he wouldn¡¯t be able to react like he would against someone who was around or under his level. He couldn¡¯t really complain though. Even though this was his first sparring session, he still came out with more than he originally thought he would. Even his Danger Sense felt better. He was able to feel his Danger Sense start to react better when Uncle Naro went to attack him. At first his Danger Sense react right before he had been struck. Then it started catching up the more he was exposed to Uncle Naro¡¯s power. In the end he was able to feel it a couple of seconds right before he was hit. This wasn¡¯t the greatest way to train his ability, but then again he really doesn¡¯t know how to besides being exposing constantly to danger. After they wrapped up the training, Uncle Naro had him use his Mobile Crafter to create an area for him to craft. From then to dinner he focused on his Repair section in his Blacksmith for a bit before switching over to creating a couple of tool weapons. After dinner Uncle Naro had him switch his station over to an Alchemy one. He replenished his stock of Chemicalized Creations using the Extracted Mana from the different Manat Types he was working on which helped level those a couple more time getting most of his Control and Manipulations over the Mana types close to level ten. After that he had Liam work on making Health, Mana, and Stamina Potions. While they were processing, He had him work a bit on his Tailoring skills which were still horribly low. While he had gained some speed making things through Alchemy and finding a proper groove through his Blacksmithing, he found his ability to create cloth like things very slow. His needlework was so bad it had Ariyana laughing and making fun of him. To him he just couldn¡¯t find a good rhythm of sliding the needle in and out without either pricking his finger, missing the right area for the needle to go in or come out through, or just messing up entirely. Uncle Naro was shocked to see this. After watching him get the hang of Blacksmithing and Alchemy so well he had believed tailoring would be a breeze for him. After inspecting the ¡®finished¡¯ products he had made, even he was baffled with what Liam was doing wrong. He had asked Liam to try again so he could watch and after a minute into it he found what the problem was. ¡°You¡¯re not infusing your mana onto the needle,¡± Uncle Naro stated as he looked like he figured out the easiest problem. Liam stared at Uncle Naro with an extremely confused looked on his face. He looked down at the cloth in his hands and the needle and string before looking back at Uncle Naro and saying, ¡°It never said that in the book I received back in the Tutorial Area.¡± Uncle Naro shook his head as he said, ¡°If it didn¡¯t say that in the book you were given then you were given a faulty copy. Technically your instructor is supposed to tell you this but seeing as you didn¡¯t get one then the person who gave you that book was petty and wanted you to fail. Majority of the Tailor mentors are like that.¡± Liam frowned at that. He didn¡¯t really like the person who was trying to teach everyone back in the Tutorial Area and they seemed kind of shallow and shady. The person didn¡¯t really want to teach Liam and claimed they had their hands full with a bunch of people. Maybe he just didn¡¯t like him and thought he wouldn¡¯t do well as a tailor? Liam shrugged shortly after that, not really caring that the person didn¡¯t want to help him. He had three great teachers as it was when it came to crafting. Liam looked back at the needle and asked, ¡°So how does infusing my mana into the needle help me with tailoring?¡± ¡°Infusing your mana into the needle will coat the tool with your mana which will give the tool a smoother surface as well as sharpen the needle end. Through doing that it will help ease the needle through the fabric like a hot knife through better. It helps ease through any resistance and makes your needlework easier to handle,¡± Uncle Naro explained. A sudden thought came to his mind that made him look like he had a brilliant idea. ¡°I had almost forgotten that.¡± ¡°Almost forgotten what?¡± Liam asked, looking both slightly scared, and confused. ¡°You can using this method of Tailoring as training to help you understand how to infuse not just the needle tool, but also your tool weapons,¡± Uncle Naro stated. ¡°This will help you with the Mana Hand Fighting Style. After you get some experience through practicing on your needle you can practice doing it on a much bigger Needle Tool Weapon.¡± This caught Liam¡¯s attention. He didn¡¯t know what this Need Tool Weapon was, but if this training would help him understand how to infuse his mana into his Tool weapons then he was all for it. What more, if he could add a tool weapon that could pierce through skin, armor, or any type of exterior armor then that would be helpful. A light bulb brightened in Liam¡¯s head as he thought about another use for a Needle Tool Weapon.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Liam brought a hand to his chin as he muttered, ¡°If I had a tool weapon like that and if I leveled my Poison Crafts even more and combine the two¡­I could essentially have a better way to poison my enemies.¡± A smile slowly grew on Uncle Naro¡¯s face as he heard Liam muttering to himself. Liam noticed the look on Uncle Naro¡¯s face as he slowly came back to the present. ¡°What?¡± Uncle Naro shook his head before he answered, ¡°Nothing, just glad to see you are thinking like a crafter. A Needle Tool Weapon is one of the best tool weapons you can have to apply poisons, venoms, paralytic applications, and more. I can make you one, but I will need to find some materials to use. I would like to find some materials that are sturdy and wont easily break after so many uses as well as not rot from all the poisons that you could apply on it. Preferable one that can last for a while.¡± Liam thought about what he was saying. He didn¡¯t have a lot of understanding for majority of the metals when it came to blacksmithing. He knew that the lower end metal materials weren¡¯t the best to use when it came to applying poisons. Especially stronger poisons. They would rot and destroy the materials after a while. That was if the materials weren¡¯t mixed with a certain type of material that would slow the process down depending on the amount mixed into it. The material he was thinking about was the one he liked best so far. That material was bones. Liam thought about that a bit more. Bones were great when it came to mana and poisons. It of course depended on the factors of the bone its self. Quality, creature it came off of, size of the bone, etcetera. If a creature had been exposed to poison due to its nature then it would be the best to use when a person wanted to apply several different types of poisons after a while. Also if a person knew how to clean the object correctly and after each use then it also helped keep the durability of the object a lot longer. However, did he have any kind of bone material that fit this category? Liam smacked his forehead after feeling stupid for thinking that question. He had come across a plethora of bone materials that had been exposed to one of the deadliest venoms he had ever heard and seen. He had Toxo spider bones. Liam looked at Uncle Naro and asked, ¡°Do you think you can make it out of bone materials?¡± Uncle Naro looked at him with a raised brow. ¡°I could¡­but like I said I would need to find the materials in order to make it.¡± ¡°I think I have the perfect materials,¡± Liam stated as he opened his inventory and searched for the items. Uncle Naro kept a raised eye brow as he stared at Liam. He tried to think about what the young man was talking about and opened his mouth to say that there wasn¡¯t any way he could have the type of bones that would be perfect to use for what he had in mind but stopped as Liam turned towards a wide open space and pulled out a massively long spider leg. Naro stared at the limb and was lost for words. He quickly snapped out of it and assessed the material. He believed that no matter what the creature was it probably still wasn¡¯t good enough. However, the moment the information appeared in front of him he was left stunned. The leg before him belonged to a Toxo Brood Mother Queen. A creature that could easily kill anyone who didn¡¯t have the proper equipment. The venom it produced was one of the most dangerous ones out there, besides a small list that he knew of. He looked back at Liam and was wondering how he had managed to get it when he remembered what had happened back at Cashat Port. He had forgotten that he, Artem, Blair, Gimmel, and Roman had faced a dungeon that housed these creatures. A sudden thought formed in his mind as he looked back at the leg. If he had this, what other materials did he harvest while inside that dungeon? Liam saw the look on Uncle Naro¡¯s face. The look of surprise and shock was so evident Liam almost laughed. When it had changed to a curious one, Liam knew what was going on in his mind. Instead of waiting for the question, Liam decided to beat him to it and said, ¡°I have a couple more of these and a lot of different sized ones from other Toxo spider creatures. Uncle Naro looked at him. Excitement grew on his face as he said, ¡°Good. Good. This one leg will do with what I have planned. I might be able to make a few other things from the left over materials if you¡¯re alright with that. I just need to ask about one more thing?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Liam questioned. ¡°Did you pick up any Toxo silk string or the like?¡± Uncle Naro asked. Liam grinned. ¡°Yes I did. I have some ideas for some of it, but I can give you some if you need it.¡± Uncle Naro slapped Liam¡¯s back as he let out a loud belly rumbling laugh. ¡°Spoken like a true craftsman. Yeah. I¡¯ll need some. Not a whole lot for the project in mind.¡± Before Uncle Naro could say more, they heard Artem grumble unhappily, ¡°Why did you suddenly bring that thing out? I just recently gotten over my nightmares from that damn dungeon.¡± ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Mercer questioned as Liam and Uncle Naro turned to see the others make their way over. Artem looked like he had waves of cold chills running down his spine as Blair nodded her head looking like she approved of something. Roman let out a laugh at Artem as he patted the man on the back showing some comfort to the half Orc¡¯s dismay. Gimmel shook his head as he stared at the leg while Mercer, Ariyana, and Avery stared at the material with amazement, shock, and curiosity. ¡°You know, you forget how big something is until you stare at a leg that once belonged to it after someone harvests it,¡± Gimmel commented as he looked over at Mercer. ¡°That is one of the legs that belonged to the Toxo Brood Mother Queen spider Liam and the others had to fight back in that dungeon we talked about.¡± Gimmel then looked at Liam and asked, ¡°This is one of the smaller legs right?¡± Liam nodded and saw the shocked expressions the three who weren¡¯t with them on that adventure gave after hearing the leg before them was one of the smaller ones. Avery studied every inch of the harvested limb with focus and amazement. She had pulled out her spider themed Rapier sword she had gotten in the Tutorial dungeon and compared the two. Ariyana and Mercer looked back at Liam before looking at Artem, Blair, and Roman. They both looked like they had finally believed something they had once thought was a lie. Mercer was the one who said what they were both thinking as he looked at Liam. ¡°You know¡­I believed you guys were exaggerating about the size of the monster¡­but if you¡¯re saying this leg was one of the smaller of the limbs it had¡­¡± He let his words trail off, not entirely sure what else to say. Ariyana swiftly looked at Artem and said, ¡°You¡¯re serious? You really fought something that huge?¡± Artem shuddered after remembering it. He didn¡¯t say anything, only nodding. Ariyana, still baffled, asked, ¡°And you didn¡¯t run? I mean, I know you wouldn¡¯t run out on your friends, but¡­you¡¯re afraid of spiders¡­¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Artem responded quickly. ¡°Like really, really afraid spiders,¡± Ariyana continued. ¡°Uh huh,¡± Artem muttered. ¡°And this was a really, really big spider,¡± Ariyana added. ¡°The biggest one I had ever seen,¡± Artem said, paling a bit after replaying images of the creature in his mind. Ariyana stared at Artem, blinking a few times before slowly walking over to him. Artem and everyone watched her approach him and motioned him to bend a little. Slightly confused Artem did as she asked and stiffened as she patted his head and said, ¡°Good job. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± She then walked away from the area not wanting to look at the limb anymore. As she walked away, Artem looked extremely confused before looking at the others. His face then reddened as they all held back chuckles and giggles. Not wanting to deal with their teasing, Artem turned and walked away as well. Liam looked back at Uncle Naro and asked, ¡°Do you need the string now or later?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it this exact moment. I¡¯ll let you know when I do,¡± Uncle Naro said. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking this right now though. I have some things I need to do to prepare for a session. You get some rest for now.¡± He then looked at the others and said, ¡°The same with the rest of you. We¡¯re leaving first thing in the morning so get as much rest as you can.¡± Everyone else shouted out affirmations before getting ready to get to sleep. Liam went through a series of stretching that helped him unwind after all the training he had done. After that he walked into his tent and changed into his sleepwear. He turned off the Yooperlite lamp that hung over the middle of his tent and hopped into his cot. He could feel his bone ache a bit before they felt relaxed. He was a bit more tired than what he had believed himself to be and was slowly fading to sleep. His body began to feel light as his mind began to drift away. He was just moments away from completely falling asleep when a chime sound suddenly echoed in his mind. Liam grumbled a bit as a notification had appeared. He was about to minimize it and deal with it in the morning but froze as the first two words on the notification caught his attention. [Secondary Class ¨C Shadow of the Devourer ability Devour has finished processing Fazil, Golden Dokkaebi Demon-kin. Follower of the Vice of Greed.] Adventure 287 - The gamble he knew nothing about [Secondary Class ¨C Shadow of the Devourer ability Devour has finished processing Fazil, Golden Dokkaebi Demon-kin. Follower of the Vice of Greed.] [You have received the Focus Point ¨C Greed in the Field of Sin!] [You have received the ability Avaricious Potency Absorption. Avaricious Potency Absorption - Absorbs random levels from a random sub-stat from a target through touch, temporarily increasing the user¡¯s sub-stat that was absorbed. The absorbed levels will decrease from the target while the user has them for a short period of time. Once timer is up, user will be left in a weakened state according to the sub-stat that was temporarily increased. Cooldown: 10 seconds. Mana Costs: N/A Range: single target. Spell Type: Non-Chant, channeled, touch.] Before he could say or even react another set of notifications appeared making Liam stunned. [Secondary Class ¨C Shadow of the Devourer ability Devour has finished processing Calythtis, Succubus Demon-kin. Follower of the Vice of Lust.] [You have received the Focus Point ¨C Lust in the Field of Sin!] [You have received the ability Passionate Caress. Passionate Caress ¨C Weakens and relaxes a target¡¯s body while placing the target¡¯s mind into an almost pleasurable state while distracting them from the user¡¯s touch that is slowly draining their health. Effects are only in effect and last while the user has a hand on the target. Once the hand has been removed from target draining of the health will stop immediately. The after effects of the relaxed body and pleasurable state of mind will last depending on how long the user held on to the target. Cooldown: 10 seconds. Mana Costs: N/A Range: single target. Spell Type: Non-Chant, channeled, touch.] [Warning! You have more than one Focus Point active in a Field that only allows one Focus Point to be activated. Multiple Focus Points can not be deactivated or removed due to having an ability within each active Focus Point within the Field of Sins. To circumvent this, each Focus Point within the Field of Sins will only be allowed one ability. You also must keep the levels of each ability around the same level or the effects of the abilities when used will have diminishing results.] Liam stared dumbfoundedly at each of the notifications he had received. If he were honest, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he would get from devouring both Fazil and Calythtis back in the Toxo spider dungeon. He wasn¡¯t sure he was going to get anything at all. However, he had and it was not only an ability from each of them, but a Focus Point in the Field of Sins as well. Something he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he wanted to have since it would only spell trouble for him in the future. Not only that, but the fact it mentioned he wasn¡¯t supposed to have more than one Focus Point within the Field of Sin and that it would circumvent this by only allowing him one ability was confusing. Why was he able to get these, let alone have anything from the Field of Sin, if he wasn¡¯t supposed to? Did his Devour ability really bypass all this? [That Devour ability really is a scary thing. But I am glad my theory worked, and it produced the results I hoped it would. ¨C Eri.] Liam read the message from his Matron deity and was stunned. Narrowing his eyes he asked, You hoped this would happen? Why? Doesn¡¯t me having this Field, Focus Points, and abilities cause a lot of issues? What¡¯s going to happen when someone finds out that I have these? Those who aren¡¯t a follower of that damn cult will think I am, and those crazy bastards will want to kill me on sight when they find out about this. [If they find out, you mean. To be honest all you have to do with those in the Immoral Vice cult is kill them before they try to kill you. Also they won¡¯t be able to sniff you out like back on Cashat Port. ¨C Eri.] Liam¡¯s brows furrowed at that. What do you mean? What changed from then to now? [You know have the appropriate Field of Study and Focus Point that Hubris Aura ability belongs to. I think the reason why they were driven mad was because you didn¡¯t have those and they were able to sense the ability since it didn¡¯t have a way to hide it. I don¡¯t know the finer details since the whole thing isn¡¯t under my nature, but i believe that¡¯s how it works. ¨C Eri.] Not under your nature? Liam thought to himself. What the hell does that mean? [Nothing you have to think about right now. For now all you need to know is that the gamble has paid off. ¨C Eri.] Gamble?! What gamble? Liam quickly questioned capitalizing on that small bit. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of gamble she was making, but he knew he sucked at gambling and if his life was on the line then he believed he would have lost a lot more than he would have gained if he was aware of it. [Not the kind you¡¯re probably thinking about. The gamble I was making was whether you would get more Sin related abilities since you used Devour on those two. And look¡­it worked out well in the end. Those two abilities will come in handy when you use them. Especially in the higher levels. ¨C Eri.] Speaking of which¡­ Liam started to say as he formed the questions in his mind. How is this possible? I can understand having the Hubris Aura, but how is it possible I can have these other Focus Points and their abilities when the Field of Sins doesn¡¯t allow you to have more than one? Can my Devour ability really bypass that block? [I wouldn¡¯t call it a block¡­more like a restriction placed on it due to how powerful the powers of the abilities from those Focus Points. Going off the three you have right now, they might just seem pretty strong right now, but what about when they reach higher levels? They will grow even stronger. As for the last questions, I am not entirely sure. ¨C Eri.] Liam thought about what she had just said. She was right that the three abilities he had from the three Focus Points in the Field of Sin did look pretty strong. One had an effect that could turn someone doubtful and meek. another could drain a target while making their bodies relax and their mind clouded, and the last could steal levels in a single sub-stat. While the fact that abilities could grow in power as you leveled them wasn¡¯t entirely new to Liam, it was the possibilities of how they could grow. For example, that last one could be very powerful if it could steal a lot of levels in multiple sub-stats. If he could do that then he could potentially cripple a target to the point they wouldn¡¯t be able to defend themselves. Of course the ability has a bit of a backlash, but who was he to say if that went away after a while or not. Liam shook his head. He was starting to see a small picture as to why the Field of Sins restricted anyone unlocking it to only one Focus Point. A Focus Point in a Field of Study allowed someone to gain abilities or skills related to that Focus Point. To prevent people from being too overpowered checks and balances were set in motion. The Field of Sins wasn¡¯t the only example where a Field of Study was limited to only one Focus Point being unlocked. The Field of Forces was another example.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. What would happen if a person unlocked a second or all three of the Focus Points in that Field of Study? Liam didn¡¯t have all the information on that field, but from what he understood it had to do with auras, life force, and physical force. If someone was able to unlock and work around a way where they could utilize all three they would grow exponentially. The more Liam thought about this, the more he had to agree with Eri¡¯s earlier statement about his Devour ability being scary. If he was able to unlock more Focus Points, regardless of whether it limits him to only one ability to a Focus Point or not in a Field of Study that restricted more than one Focus Point, just by devouring a target that had it¡­he could potentially grow stronger in ways that many would be fearful, jealous, envious, or all the above. A sudden thought brought Liam out of his spiraling theories. With a frown, Liam asked, You were hoping I would be able to unlock more Focus Points and gain abilities related to them in the Field of Study¡­why? [Are you really asking a question you already have the answer to? ¨C Eri.] Liam let out a sigh. She was right. He had the answer, but still felt compelled to ask it. Her response said all he needed to confirm what he already knew. Almost like she was waiting for him to say it, Liam whispered the words she had sent at the same time in a message, ¡°Because it would create a lot of chaos when people found out.¡± [Exactly. There is no better way to create chaos than to reveal you have a Field of study tied to a cult that you have no ties to. Add in a bit of flavor that is you have more than one Focus Point and a single ability to those Focus Points¡­ah I can just feel my nature stirring just thinking about it. ¨C Eri.] Once more, Liam let out a sigh as he shook his head. I think I feel a headache stirring more than anything. [Why do you say that? ¨C Eri.] I say that because once it gets out that I have that, I will have not only the Seven Immoral Vices after me, but those who are strongly against them after my life as well. Liam stated. [Well yeah. That¡¯s where the best chaos will be created. After they find out they will send people after your life and since you are my Champion you will escape every attempt they try to make, which in turn will create more chaos. I see no issue here. ¨C Eri.] I love the confidence you have in me, but did you forget I am still low in levels? Liam countered. I can¡¯t exactly fight or try to run away from stronger opponents. My fight against those Demon-kins back on Cashat Port was only possible due to favorable circumstances since the final Wave Boss of that dungeon wasn¡¯t killed and they had tortured it enough for it to focus on them majority of the fight. [But you still won and killed the final Wave Boss of that dungeon¡­I know you are still growing in power which is why I¡¯m not having you run off into the sunset stirring people left and right. After you have acquire adequate amount of power I will have you reveal your true powers in a way that so much chaos will be powering in to me, I wont know what to do with it. ¨C Eri.] Liam slightly chuckled before a yawn escaped his lips. The sudden appearance of the notifications and what they brought with them had made him forget he was on his way to falling asleep. Now that his excitement and worries were somewhat quelled, sleep was trying once more to claim him. [Get some rest my worry wort champion. You need to be in top condition tomorrow so you can get started on leveling up your new abilities and get strong enough to spread my nature across the world! Hahahaha. ¨C Eri.] Liam shook his head once more as a small grin formed on his face while laying his head down. He closed his eyes as he felt the sweet call of dreamland urging him forward. Before completely falling asleep he muttered softly, ¡°Goodnight my chaotic and psychotic Matron goddess.¡±
Eri laughed a bit to herself as she stared through the liquid. She had heard that last bit her champion had said and found it amusing. While in the past she would have killed anyone who would have called her psychotic, she felt no ill intent by his words. No, what she felt was something akin to how she acted, playful and teasing. That bit of humor slowly died out as she thought back to what Liam had received. While she had told him she was gambling, she hadn¡¯t really told him the full extent on the gamble and the theory she had made the gamble on. The theory was based on his ability to use Devour on people and that it could give him Focus Points, Fields of Study, and abilities. The gamble she had made was that the root that belonged to the Field of Sins wouldn¡¯t have a negative reaction. Thus she had gambled on his potential, his growth, and even his life not being destroyed. There was a lot of things Liam didn¡¯t know about when it came to the seeds. Why they were called seeds, why they were planted within people, and why there was something called a Mystical Landscape? There were other major things that revolved around the topic of Seeds, but everything was all too much for them to really think about right now as they were both growing and learning about the world. In this world it was common for people to learn when they reached the appropriate level or power. It was all about timing. With Liam and his group, however, timing wasn¡¯t always right since he found ways to learn what he needed to wait to learn or gain it through means he still didn¡¯t understand. The major culprit behind that was his Devour ability from his Shadow of the Devourer class. That single ability is not only allowing him to gain things he shouldn¡¯t be able to have, but it was also making him grow in ways many wouldn¡¯t believe possible. The fact that he was able to gain a Sin Focus Point ability and not have both the Field of Study and the Focus Point was a testament to that. Having that ability without either of the two was actually a lot more harmful than he realized. Having an ability that activated without his intent would have landed him in more trouble than he would have wanted. She also didn¡¯t want that for him since she needed him alive. That¡¯s why she was thankful and confused that he had received the Field of Study and Focus Point when he accepted the Level Two Gifts of Chaos. While even she wouldn¡¯t know what he would have gotten, she was hoping he would have gotten something to help with that. She never had expected him to receive the two since he was not a follower of that cult, but it seemed like her nature was true to its core. For what better way was there to create Chaos than to have received the Field of Study and the Focus Point while not being a Demon-kin and a follower of the Seven Immoral Vices. After seeing him receive that she had believed his problems would be solved, however, there was a nagging question that kept forming in the back of her mind the more she watched him and the Demon-kins during his fight in the Decaying Land Entrance of the Toxo Catacombs¡­What would happen if he devoured more followers of the Seven Immoral Vices? Specifically, what would happen if he devoured followers of the different Focus Points? Back in the olden days, if one tried to attempt unlocking another Focus Point in Field of Study that restricted you from it, you would suffer major consequences. Now adays, a notification would appear telling you, you couldn¡¯t do it. She thought that was stupid. She had plenty of entertainment watching people suffer from being too greedy. Albeit, since the ability Devour was still a mystery her curiosity was great, and she wanted to know what would happen if he tried. The results¡­he was successful where many failed. The consequences¡­a restriction on how many abilities he would get in those Focus Points. The best outcome she could ask for. Seeing the results made her wonder if the others had tried this out yet. Especially her sister. Even though she told Liam she had no idea about the finer details since it wasn¡¯t in her nature, she failed to mention who¡¯s nature that exactly was. She shrugged. It was details he didn¡¯t need to know yet. Now that she had gotten the answers she wanted she needed to plan out what else he should get that would help create the best chaos he could make. Gaining more Focus Points and abilities in the Field of Sins was a great starting point, but there were other Fields of Studies, Focus Points, and abilities he could get that could possibly make the biggest wave of chaos¡­like maybe gaining ones from the other eleven? Eri shook her head. That was too much, even for her to hope for. She may have succeeded with her gamble here right now, that didn¡¯t mean she would win that gamble¡­at least not yet. She needed him to grow stronger and sturdier. She also needed him to gain more knowledge. Oh well, one thing at time. Eri looked at the surroundings near Liam¡¯s camp area. She noticed something interesting as she stared at the ground. A smile slowly grew on her face as she recognized what was happening. Ideas and plans formulating in her mind as she silently muttered, ¡°Speaking of the other eleven. I didn¡¯t expect you to run into the next so soon. Maybe you can get another fruitful encounter out of this.¡± Eri sat down on her stone hard bed and let her mind work the possible ways this could go. There was a chance for chaos to be made if Liam played his cards right. However, with that Naro guy there it could be a bit hard for him to go off on his own and do what she would like him to do. Oh well, she will just have to wait and see how this played out. She grinned widely looking forward to the scene about to go down. Adventure 288 - A familiar taunting power Liam slowly began to stir as he felt something tickle the edge of his nose. Out of instinct he swatted whatever it was that was the culprit and tried to go back asleep. A second later the culprit once again tickled the edge of his nose. He swatted once more only to have something soft come back and run along his closed eye lids and forehead. Liam flailed both hands around his head before opening his eyes to see what the pain in the ass insect or object was. However, as he opened his eyes and stared at the thing, he grew confused. It was a dark purple flower hanging from a single vine. Wait, why is there a vine hanging over my head with a flower¡­ Liam started to think until he looked around his tent. To his shock and surprise, a bush was sitting over the entrance to his tent with several vines that went up and dangled several more of the dark purple flowers. Liam tried to assess the plant. He didn¡¯t get anything from the bush, but the flowers produced some information. [Midnight Iris. Item type ¨C Material (Alchemical). Item Rarity ¨C Rare. Item Quality ¨C Average. Description: ???????] ¡°A Midnight Iris? When the hell did this get here?¡± Liam asked himself as he stared at it. ¡°I don¡¯t remember there ever being a bush here when I fell asleep.¡± Liam looked down at the ground and noticed the ground, which was once just a mixture of dirt and small patches of grass was now fully covered with grass that looked like it hadn¡¯t been taken care of for weeks. This confused Liam even more. None of what he was seeing was there before he passed out last night. Liam looked at the walls of his tent before looking at his internal clock and concluding it was still night time. Only five hours had passed when he finally fell asleep last night. Curious on how the outside area looked, Liam started to move off of his tent. A couple of the long bluish-green vine stalks waved the flowers in front of Liam¡¯s face. He was about to reach out and pluck them to get them to stop rubbing against his face, but stopped as Uncle Naro called out, ¡°Liam, are you up?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam responded. He was about to ask what was going on, but was interrupted as he was asked, ¡°Do you have a strange plant inside your tent?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know where it came from. It wasn¡¯t here before,¡± Liam replied, concern starting to fill him as he was starting to wake up more and hearing the strange tone in Uncle Naro¡¯s voice. ¡°Do not touch it,¡± Uncle Naro swiftly stated. ¡°The same goes for any of you that are up and see plants inside their tents. Once Liam gets out we will help you clear a path out of your tents so hold on.¡± Liam heard the others respond before Uncle Naro asked, ¡°What kind of plant is in your tent Liam?¡± ¡°It says it¡¯s a Midnight Iris,¡± Liam replied. ¡°Since I don¡¯t hear you panicking that means you haven¡¯t tried to harvest it yet. Good. I am glad I got to you in time,¡± Uncle Naro stated making Liam swiftly look back at the plant. With much concern and worry in his voice, Liam asked, ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Oh, if you try to pluck the flower that¡¯s on top of the vine that its attached to, a black liquid will spray and blind you for hours if it gets anywhere near your eyes,¡± Uncle Naro said matter-of-factly. ¡°How am I supposed to harvest it then?¡± Liam asked as he eyed the plant warily. ¡°You have to pull it from the ground. Be careful when you do though because that same black liquid will pour out from the bottom. If you can, collect the liquid in a container. It makes for a wonderful component in Chemicalized Creations and Poison Craft,¡± Uncle Naro explained. As much as he was wary of the liquid Uncle Naro had told him about, the mention of something being helpful towards Chemicalized Creations and Poison Crafts had him more than eager to harvest them. He put on his goggles and a pair of gloves before setting out a few containers and getting to work. After he was done and was finally able to get out of his tent, Liam helped Uncle Naro free the others. Uncle Naro helped Liam learn how to harvest the plants that had grown in each tent. They had just finished with Artem¡¯s tent and was about to help Ariyana, who was the last one, when they heard her yell out, ¡°Barty! No! Bad! Spit it out now!¡± Before anyone could react, Artem swiftly ran towards Ariyana¡¯s tent. As he reached down to grab the zipper, his wrist was suddenly snatched away from it. Artem swiveled his head swiftly to see Uncle Naro staring down at him. Before Artem could protest and fight against him, Uncle Naro sternly said, ¡°Do not blindly rush in there. You do not have the proper knowledge on how to deal with plants.¡± ¡°I know that, but¡­,¡± Artem started to growl in protest, but once more he was stopped as Uncle Naro pulled him to the side and said, ¡°I have the proper knowledge let me handle this.¡± Artem stumbled backwards. After regaining his balance he stared at the bear of a man. While he understood what the man had said was right and agreed that he was ill equipped in the knowledge department in this area, there was still a part of him that wanted to make sure she was alright. He huffed a few times as he stood there, waiting in case he needed to rush in. All the tension and worry he had built up suddenly vanished as he saw Barty, Ariyana¡¯s Albino Crocolisk shaking his violently back and forth. In his jaws was a bush slightly bigger than his mouth. He looked like a dog with an overly sized chew toy as he shook the plant. Weird noises escaped his mouth as he opened it, allowing the bush to fly towards the side. He chased after it and quickly snapped his jaws on another section of it. The scene gave even Uncle Naro pause as he assessed what was going on. He looked at the distraught woman and asked, ¡°Did you assess the plant?¡± Ariyana turned her gaze from Barty and towards Uncle Naro. She had a worried expression on her face and quickly said, ¡°Can you help me stop him? I don¡¯t know if that plant was poisonous, but he seems to be drawn towards it and wont part with the bush. He ate the flowers that were in full bloom and¡­¡± ¡°Ariyana, focus!¡± Uncle Naro sternly ordered. The sound and crispness in his voice caused her to stop and even made Barty pause for a brief moment before going back to playing with the bush. ¡°Did you assess the plant?¡± Ariyana stared at him for a long moment before finally processing what he had asked. She nodded her head quickly before saying, ¡°Yes. They were called Crocolisk Tears Daylilies.¡± Uncle Naro relaxed at her words. She looked confused as she watched him do this and was about to question why he looked so relaxed, until he informed, ¡°That¡¯s the best case scenario in his case.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mercer questioned, asking the question everyone had on their mind. ¡°How is that the best case scenario for Barty?¡± Uncle Naro turned to look at him and responded as he looked back at Ariyana, ¡°Young Crocolisks are drawn to this plant like cats are drawn to catnip. While they are great for certain potion recipes, they are also used as catalysts for evolutionary growth in young crocolisks. There are other catalysts like this they can find that can help trigger new evolutionary growths, but in the case of young Barty here and his mother Ariyana, this catalyst is perfect.¡± ¡°Catalyst? Evolutionary growth?¡± Ariyana asked, still trying to process what he was talking about. ¡°What are you talking about and why is it perfect for him and me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you have a plant affinity,¡± Uncle Naro replied. ¡°His current affinities are Earth and Water. This catalyst, the Crocolisk Tears Daylily, will allow him to develop a new affinity as well as new abilities. It will allow him to evolve in a way that it will allow him to use Plant abilities. Creatures such as he can sense what they believe will be best to help them grow and in honor of you he chose an evolutionary path that will allow him to be closer to you.¡± Everyone looked at Barty who was still shaking his head around with the bush in his mouth. He released it and was about to chase after it again but was stopped as Ariyana swiftly scooped him up and held him closer to her as she hugged him. She said in a relief and happy voice, ¡°You idiot¡­You don¡¯t have to change to be closer to me. I love you just the way you are.¡± Barty made a happy chirp noise as he dangled in her arms. All of his legs remained still as he closed his eyes and looked like he was smiling. Liam was both amazed and terrified at the sight. He almost made note on how much bigger he had gotten. His tail almost reached the ground even though Ariyana was standing up straight. ¡°I am happy you felt like you wanted to evolve in a way that makes you feel closer to me, but next time don¡¯t scare me like that until I know what the hell is going on, okay?¡± Ariyana said to the happy looking Crocolisk. He let out another happy chirp before she let him down. ¡°Now come on. Form back into a tattoo.¡± Barty looked sad after she said that. He let out a said noise before doing as she said. She then looked back at Uncle Naro and asked, ¡°You are sure he will be fine?¡± Uncle Naro nodded. ¡°Yes. The flowers still need to be digested and will take some time after that, but him eating those flowers will be fine.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ariyana said as she composed herself. ¡°Thank you. And sorry for freaking out like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine, but now is not the time for us to be pussyfooting around,¡± Uncle Naro started back up. He turned around to look at everyone and order, ¡°Everyone needs to pack their stuff up as fast as they can. Something strange is going on and we need to get out of here¡­now.¡± Everyone nodded before changing into their clothes and breaking down camp. It didn¡¯t take Liam long to get everything done on his end. His Crafter skills and abilities helped him understand how to take everything down as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thanks to that he was standing next to Uncle Naro, who was staring out towards a certain direction. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what was out that way since he hadn¡¯t taken any time to explore the island. However, he did hear that there were buildings outside of town that were abandoned due to negligence on taking care of the structures or no one needing to use them anymore. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure. However, the more he stared out in that direction the more he was starting to understand something. Whatever the cause of what was going on was coming from that direction. The feeling he was getting wasn¡¯t like the feeling he had got back on the last island. No. this one was different. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was though. Even though the feeling wasn¡¯t the same as the other he was still getting vibes not to go there.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You can feel that?¡± Uncle Naro asked, not taking his gaze from staring off in that direction. ¡°Barely,¡± Liam responded before side eyeing the man. He could see a confused and concerned look on his face as he continued to stare. ¡°What does it feel like to you?¡± Uncle Naro asked. Liam looked back in the direction of the strange power. He took some time to try and put it into words. However, no matter how hard he tried he couldn¡¯t find the perfect ones. Instead he just settled on, ¡°Trouble.¡± Uncle Naro let out a single short chuckle before replying, ¡°Good. You¡¯re learning.¡± Liam could feel both appreciation and sarcasm in his words. So in turn Liam said, ¡°Kinda hard not to when you have someone who can literally beat it into you.¡± This cause Uncle Naro to look at him with a raised brow. He then responded with mock hurt, ¡°Your words wound me. It hurts me more than it does you to give you a lesson in tough love.¡± Liam shook his head as he said, ¡°Somehow my bones protest against that statement.¡± Uncle Naro let out a loud chuckle. ¡°I guess they could.¡± Liam was about to add something snarky, but before he could, he felt something suddenly pulling all of his attention. It wasn¡¯t close, but it wasn¡¯t far either. It was familiar, yet it was foreign. Liam wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was, but he did understand one thing. This feeling was calling him. Inviting him to come¡­to challenge whatever it was. Liam sucked in a sharp intake of air as he fought the urge to suddenly start running towards the taunting feeling. He could feel it down to his very core and he wasn¡¯t sure why. This was a first for him. He had never felt this urge, this need to chase after the source of this feeling. He had felt the cause of it suddenly come to a stop. It almost felt like it was searching for something, like it too had felt what he was feeling. Like it was searching for¡­him. What the fuck is this¡­feeling. This¡­urge¡­ Liam thought to himself. It¡¯s like every bone, every muscle, every cell wants to chase after¡­whatever that is and fight it and claim dominance¡­ Uncle Naro noticed something was wrong with Liam and was about to say something, but then froze as he looked like he was staring at something off into the distance. His eyes narrowed as a scowl appeared on his face and he muttered, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± He suddenly paused. ¡°But¡­¡± Another pause. ¡°A¡­¡± He paused once more before letting out an irritated sigh and growled, ¡°Fine¡­I understand¡­¡± Liam, who was finally able to control whatever urge that was, was confused as he watched the bear of a man muttering to himself. It took him a moment, but he figured out he must have been talking to Usar, his Patron Deity. Before he could ask what was going on, Uncle Naro turned and looked at the others who were staring at Liam. After coming to a decision, Uncle Naro called out, ¡°Avery, Roman, Mercer, and Blair.¡± The four swiftly turned their attention to him after hearing their names called out. They weren¡¯t sure what was going on, but from the sound of his voice they knew something was up. ¡°You four will follow Liam and find out what is going on.¡± ¡°What?¡± Avery questioned, shocked at his declaration. Even Liam was shocked at what he had just heard. He wanted to ask what he meant, but before he could open his mouth he felt his body feel¡­excited. He wasn¡¯t sure why it felt excited, but he kept his mouth shut and fought back against the feeling. ¡°Ursa has informed me that he believes Liam going to investigate will help him in a way,¡± Uncle Naro said, the words sounding irritated and annoyed. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to have him go, I believe there is some merit to it. there might be some strong people to fight for him to gain an opportunity. However, I don¡¯t want him going alone. You four are close in speed and can keep up with him.¡± Uncle Naro looked at Artem, Gimmel, and Ariyana and said, ¡°I want you three to stay with me. Artem is not as fast. Gimmel, you are still learning how to work those puppets, and Ariyana isn¡¯t quick enough yet to make certain snap decisions.¡± The three were about to protest, but after a single look from him they remained silent. He let out a sigh before adding, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is my Patron is hoping for, but I can trust that with your Danger Sense¡­¡± Uncle Naro turned to look at Liam. ¡°You can determine if the situation you are running into is too dangerous for you to handle¡­If it does end up being too dangerous¡­try to get as much information on what¡¯s going on and then make your way back to the Teleportation building. We will be waiting for you there.¡± Liam nodded. He understood that Uncle Naro really didn¡¯t want to have him go, but he saw an opportunity in having him at least try to get information for him. Liam let out the air he held inside before asking, ¡°Just to clarify. He wants me to go towards that strange power right? The one in that direction?¡± Liam pointed towards the area both he and Uncle Naro were recently staring at. ¡°Yup,¡± Uncle Naro nodded. A small involuntary grin slowly grew on Liam¡¯s face. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why his body felt the way it did, but he knew it had to do with that feeling. As for why his body felt so excited¡­the area he was heading towards was the same direction that new taunting presence was heading towards as well. ¡°Alright,¡± Liam said before starting to sprint. ¡°Hey!¡± Avery and Roman shouted as they and the other two chased after him. Uncle Naro watched as they ran. He grew confused as he kept an eye on Liam. He felt like something strange was making him move. It was like he was excited about something. Like he was itching to fight and possibly kill something. ¡°Was it my imagination or did Liam look like he was grinning?¡± Artem suddenly asked. Uncle Naro looked at the half Orc. As he turned to look back in the direction the five ran towards he had a bad feeling. Instead of following his hunch and wanting to follow them, he followed the orders his Patron gave him. [Send the young Cait Sith out towards the source of that power. Do not follow. ¨C Ursa.] As much as he respected his Patron Deity, he also hated him at times when he sent vague messages like that. He would do that from time to time. However, whenever he did that it was because there was a battle to be fought. One that was worthy of whoever he sent. A tough and hard fight that could help grow a Beast-kin. And if he was sending out Liam¡­then he did see some potential and wanted the young man to grow. While that was great and on the same page as he¡­he believed Liam wasn¡¯t ready for the type of battles Ursa sent them into. He would have to have faith in Liam on this one as well as placing his hopes that Ursa wasn¡¯t sending the young man to his death.
¡°Liam, what the hell is going on?¡± Avery asked after catching up with him. The others were close behind. Blair had her wings out and was flying behind them, barely keeping up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Liam started as he followed the direction of the power he was feeling. His senses were also keeping note where that other power, the taunting one was. It was approaching their destination much quicker than them. ¡°Just tell us what you do know,¡± Mercer requested. Liam tried organizing his thoughts the best he could. He didn¡¯t know where to start so he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I think we might be heading towards another Champion¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?!¡± Avery shouted. ¡°What makes you so sure that we are?¡± Mercer asked. ¡°And when you say another Champion¡­do you mean¡­¡± ¡°I mean one like me,¡± Liam replied as he ran through the tall grass. He dodged roots and vines that had grown out in ways that would make it easy to fall down and trip if one wasn¡¯t paying attention. ¡°And¡­it¡¯s hard to say, but this power feels kind of similar to the one I felt back on the last island we were on.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Blair inquired. ¡°Are you saying that one cloaked woman was a¡­¡± ¡°I believe she was. It would only make sense since she was able to feel something similar or familiar on me to her and the same with me,¡± Liam stated. ¡°And you¡¯re saying it¡¯s the same here?¡± Mercer questioned as he hopped over a thick root that was sprawled across the ground. ¡°Do you know whose Champion they are?¡± Before Liam could respond a sudden pulse of strange mana washed over the land before passing through them. They each felt a strange power course through their bodies. The power felt like it wanted to make them go backwards. Not like it was trying to blow them backwards but make them go backwards in an unnatural way. They focused hard to resist the effects the power was trying to make them do. To Blair¡¯s surprise it was easy for her and the same for Liam. However, Mercer and Avery looked like they were having a harder time. It was only for a long moment, but the two were able to push through it and continue forward with Liam and Blair. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whose Champion they are and Eri is remaining silent on the topic for some damn reason,¡± Liam responded as he stopped and spun around a tree that had suddenly sprouted from the ground and grew to be full grown. ¡°I would say maybe someone that deals with plants, but it doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Avery, Mercer, and Blair agreed as they dodged bushes and other plant like things that suddenly appeared in their path. Another wave of power washed over the land and over them shortly after running some more. Blair and Liam felt some pull this time as they resisted the effects of the power. As for Avery and Mercer, their movements suddenly slowed down a bit as they felt a harder tug from the power. Liam and Blair grabbed their hands and pulled them forward, allowing them to escape from whatever the power was trying to do to them. ¡°You¡¯re right about it not having to do with plants. That power is definitely something else,¡± Mercer said as he tried to find the correct words. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure what it is, but it feels¡­weird.¡± ¡°It feels somewhat familiar to me,¡± Blair said as she remained behind Avery. ¡°Speaking of feeling familiar¡­,¡± Liam stated as he felt the taunting power come to a stop. From where he felt the power it seemed like it had arrived at the place they were heading towards. A grin began to grow over his face as he felt them getting closer and closer to both the power they were looking for and the source of the power that felt like it was taunting him endlessly. ¡°I need you guys to do me a favor.¡± The other three looked both confused and concerned as they stared at Liam. They saw the grin on his face and recognized it. It was slightly similar to the one he wore when he lost his mind after his Zodiac power and Eri¡¯s nature mixed together. While it looked like Liam was still in control of his mind, he also looked like he was fighting against some invisible opponent for that control. ¡°There is another power that arrived to where we are going,¡± Liam continued. "I am not sure why, but every inch of my body is being drawn to it. Like that power is taunting me¡­urging me to hurry up and get there so we can fight¡­It feels both familiar and foreign to me though, so please make sure I don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± The three glanced at each other. Concern even more etched onto their faces. They weren¡¯t entirely sure what was going on, but they could feel the pleading in Liam¡¯s words, no matter how mask it was. They were about to respond, but before they could, several waves of that strange power washed over them. Liam and Blair felt the waves grow stronger and stronger with each passing, almost like the power was trying to push back anyone and everyone it deemed as an enemy. Avery and Mercer, who had some issues earlier trying to resist it were now struggling even harder to. Liam stopped and noticed Mercer¡¯s body stop mid jump. Avery was the same. Then, at the same time, their bodies slowly started to reverse. Almost like time was making them go backwards and away. Liam grabbed their wrists as Blair placed a hand on both of their backs. They were lucky they were so close when this started happening. Both Liam and Blair struggled to stop their companions from going backwards as pulse after pulse washed over them. They were having a hard time trying to keep them from going backwards. Liam felt his body straining as Blair flapped her wings as hard as she could over and over. The power effecting the two friends was slowly starting to bleed over Liam and Blair. Then all of a sudden the pulses stopped. All four flew forward and rolled across the ground, hitting every twig and root until they came to a halt. After they stopped they let out grumbles of pain and irritation. Liam slowly got to his feet and was about to say something until he felt something different fill the air. His body tensed up as the power touched his core. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he felt he knew exactly what it was. Exactly who it was. An image of a person¡¯s face appeared in his mind as he felt it in his core. He now understood why he wanted to race towards that power. He spun around and faced the direction the power was emitted at. The other three noticed the look on Liam¡¯s face. They saw recognition and eagerness. They were about to ask what was up, but then felt urgency as Liam sprinted away from them and towards the direction they were heading. ¡°Shit, after him!¡± Mercer cursed as they pushed their sore muscles harder to try and keep up. The three pushed past giant leaves and flowers. They jumped over fallen down tree trunks, uprooted roots, and branches. It felt that the foliage around them had grown bigger than normal as they raced forward. They kept this up for a couple of minutes until they spilled out into a clearing of sorts. They slid to a halt as Liam stood not too far from the edge of the strange forest. They took in their surroundings as they went to stand by Liam. However they tensed and locked eyes upon the people who were staring back at them. There were four tanned cloaked individuals standing off to the right. Their bodies were in a fighting stance and positioned in a way so they could have eyes on both Liam and his group and the other group that stood next to a woman with a tanned cloak on. However, this woman¡¯s hood was off reveling a slender tanned skinned woman with runic looking tattoos running down her face, neck, and arms. She had braided black hair, and her eyes and tattoos were dimming from a blinding blue color. However, no matter how strange the woman was, Liam¡¯s and the other¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on her. Instead their eyes were on the familiar leader of the other group that was standing by her. Their eyes were locked on Jude. Adventure 289 - A brawl created through misunderstanding ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± a sharp feminine voice demanded. It was one of the four cloaked individuals off to the side. ¡°Are you with those cult bastards?!¡± a deeper and gruffer voice questioned. This cloaked individual was taller than the others and was holding onto a bastard like sword. ¡°Or are you with them?¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond as he and the other four kept staring at Jude and his team. They too were staring at them with puzzlement and curiosity in their eyes. All except Jude, who had a grin on his face. ¡°So you were here on this island, Liam,¡± Jude stated. The tone in his voice told Liam that he had some inkling that he was, but he wasn¡¯t too sure how he thought he was. ¡°If you don¡¯t answer us we will strike you where you stand!¡± A third person declared. ¡°Stop!¡± The tattooed woman standing near Jude demanded. Her one worded command made the other cloaked individuals pause before looking at her. She looked at Jude while glancing at Liam and said with a thick accent that sounded a bit like a middle eastern accent from Earth, ¡°I heard you say a name. Do you know these people?¡± Jude grinned wider as he stated while staring at Liam, ¡°Yes. You can say they are friendlies in a way.¡± ¡°In a way?¡± the woman repeated as she stared intently at Liam. Her gaze looked him up and down and the more she stared the more she felt something¡­familiar from him. Liam, feeling the gaze of the woman on him, finally looked at her and felt a mixture of two powers emanating off of her. One was the same power that had tried to impede him and his three companions, and the other was something he faintly recognized. He couldn¡¯t remember exactly where he had felt the power from, but the more he stared at her the more the second power grew familiar. Liam activated Mana sight and saw a strange sight. Surrounding the woman was a cloak of translucent rainbow of colors. Liam wasn¡¯t able to tell what exactly the colors were or what they represented due to them fading away, but there was a mixture of colors he did recognize that was moving away from her and back towards Jude. The colors were a mixture of dark blue and fiery orange. Piecing together what it was he had felt just moments before the other power had diminished and disappeared, Liam concluded that Jude had done something. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he had done, but he was sure of two things. This woman was connected to that strange power and Jude helped either control it or made it disappear. Liam wasn¡¯t sure Jude had the power to make another¡¯s disappear, but he didn¡¯t want to rule it out. Instead of playing the guessing game and assuming, he asked as he looked at Jude before pointing to the woman, ¡°I take it she was the source of the strange power moments ago that has made all the plant life suddenly grow? And you were the cause of it suddenly disappearing Jude?¡± The cloaked group tensed up as they all shifted to face Liam. Mercer swiftly pulled out his bow and had an arrow ready as Blair gripped her axe. Avery readied her rapier as Roman balled his hands into fists as the three prepared for any fighting. Liam remained unfazed as he kept his eyes on Jude and the woman next to him, awaiting for an answer. Jude stood there, almost like he was waiting for something. The members of his party stood there behind him not doing anything as well. To Liam it felt like they were waiting for something to happen. Or maybe for someone to do something. The woman was about to step forward and say something, but Jude threw a hand out to stop her. With a confused look, she looked back at Jude who shook his head while staring at Liam. Liam watched this and thought about what was going on. Ideas, theories, possibilities ran through Liam¡¯s mind as he tried to figure out Jude¡¯s angle. However, every time he tried to think about what he was doing his thoughts went back to one thing. The type of man Jude was. Liam subtly glanced at the cloaked members and noticed how tense they were. He saw one of the members of the woman¡¯s team look at the woman and Jude. Liam judged the person¡¯s body language and concluded that he was creating some misunderstanding as to why Jude and the woman remained silent. As the person looked back at Liam and slightly lowered their stance, Liam understood what Jude was doing. This fucker wants to see how much I¡¯ve grown. Liam thought as he looked past the man and towards his team. He could see it in their eyes as well. Each of them were curious. Well, I guess I could play along and indulge them a bit. Liam looked at the other four and whispered, ¡°Step back a few and don¡¯t engage.¡± Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman looked confused as they glanced at Liam. They didn¡¯t lower their weapons and kept them in the ready just in case. Mercer, who was the closest asked back in a whisper, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Trust me,¡± Liam said. He was about to say more, but was stopped as the cloaked male with the bastard sword shouted, ¡°What are you whispering about over there?¡± When Liam didn¡¯t respond, one of the females questioned, ¡°Are you deaf? We asked you a question?¡± Liam slowly turned his head to look at the group. With an irritated tone in his voice he said, ¡°What does it matter to you? I asked them a question and they didn¡¯t answer. Are you going to ask them if they¡¯re deaf?¡± Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman looked confused as if they couldn¡¯t figure out what Liam was doing. Mercer scanned each person to see if he could get a better idea and when he locked eyes with Henry, Mia, and Theodore he quickly understood. He let out a sigh as he lowered his bow and looked at Avery who was to his right. Avery noticed Mercer¡¯s movements and when she looked at him she saw him mouthed something. After understanding what he was saying she too gave an annoyed sigh before tapping Roman¡¯s shoulder and pulling him backwards. Blair, who watched the exchange with the two, took a couple steps backwards, understanding something was going on. ¡°Kala doesn¡¯t have to answer you,¡± the man with the bastard sword growled before getting hit on the back of the head. He spun around and yelled, ¡°What the fuck was that for?¡± ¡°You are such a freaking moron,¡± the female behind him hissed. Before he could say anything she scolded, ¡°Why would you freely give him her name like that? Now he knows her name.¡± ¡°So what if he does,¡± the man scowled. ¡°We just need to kill him before he tries to flee.¡± The man looked back at Liam. ¡°Look at him. He¡¯s a small guy. I could snap him in half if I want to.¡± Liam scoffed at the man¡¯s words as he shook his head. ¡°If you really think that then I welcome you to try to.¡± The man sneered as he questioned, ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you asked me earlier if I was deaf, but I think it turns out you¡¯re the one who is,¡± Liam mocked. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat it once more for you. If you really think that then I welcome you to try it.¡± To help emphasize his words, he formed an Earth Hand and a moment later a Gravity Hand. With as much focus as he could, he motioned the two hands in a mocking way that Liam hoped egged on the man. To his luck, the man with the bastard sword snarled, ¡°Gladly.¡± He then raced forward towards Liam. As he ran the cloak moved back enough for Liam to see the man was wearing a slightly damaged chest piece of armor. He quickly activated Spot Frailty and saw there were a few red spots before the cloak covered the armor once more. Liam made notes on wear the spots were as the man approached Liam.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The mad lifted his bastard sword up in the air before swinging down with all of his might in a vertical angle. Liam pivoted his left foot to the other side of him, allowing him to dodge the attack. As he did this he had his Gravity Hand slap the weapon twice before having his Earth Hand slam into the man¡¯s stomach. The power in the Earth Hand caused the man to slide backwards just a few inches. Kala reached out to try and stop her teammate and Liam from fighting, but was stopped by Jude. She turned her head to protest, but was interrupted as Jude said, ¡°Let them go at it. He understood what I want. I want to see how much progress he¡¯s made.¡± Confused by his words, Kala looked back at Liam and her swordsman before looking back at Jude and asking, ¡°I thought you said they were friendlies?¡± ¡°I said in a way,¡± Jude corrected. Kala gave an incredulous look as she said, ¡°And what does that even mean?¡± ¡°It means watch the show and enjoy what you¡¯re about to see,¡± Jude stated. ¡°He¡¯s already shown us something within the first few seconds. I know he¡¯ll show us something even more interesting soon.¡± Kala shook her head before looking back at Liam and her teammate. She didn¡¯t know why it came to this, but she was also curious as to what Jude had meant. She didn¡¯t see anything out of the norm as she watched. Her teammate was attacking like he normally would. He had powerful strikes and each time he swung his sword more power would pass through thanks to his racial benefits as a Goliath. The indents in the ground was proof of that with every miss he made. Her eyes narrowed at that. His attacks were powerful yes, but the size of the indents he made with each miss and strike colliding with the ground seemed more impactful than normal. She then noticed that his muscles looked to be more tense with each swing than usual. It was almost like he had to put more power just to swing the weapon. Not only that, but his attacks were getting slower with each swing. That was weird. This was not adding the fact that the young man was easily dodging and landing his own attacks on her teammate with ease. However, his attacks weren¡¯t landing anywhere fatal, just on the armor. Why was he attacking the armor? Kala¡¯s eyes stared at the Gravity Hand and the Earth Hand. Now that she was actually looking at them, she really handed seen anyone use these type of spells before. They looked like hands made out of mana, but the mana was based on different types. That indeed was interesting, but still not something worth being excited about. ¡°Quit running away like a coward and fight me,¡± the man scowled, anger filling him as he started to pant. ¡°I¡¯m not running away. I am fighting you,¡± Liam said in a mocking tone. ¡°Like hell you are. You are barely hurting me and just attacking my chest armor while you dodge my attacks and slap my sword. What do you hope to accomplish with that?¡± the man panted. When Liam dodged once more and had his Gravity Hand slap his sword as his Earth Hand slammed into his chest piece, he let out an annoyed breath before shouting to the other cloaked individuals, ¡°Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me?¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± one of the females said. ¡°You were the one who said he could snap him. You also get angry when we help you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you always snipe my kills with your so called helping,¡± the man said as he enunciated the last word in a mocking way. ¡°I actually need your help this time. He¡¯s a slippery bastard and for some reason my swings are getting heavier and heavier. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of something he did, but I don¡¯t have any Debuffs so I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going on here.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± the female stated as she pulled out two clean looking daggers and raced over towards Liam. The other two looked like they wanted to join them but stopped and looked at Kala before reacting. Kala shook her head no as she turned to them. This made them both confused, but they remained where they stood and watched as the female swiftly made her way over. Kala eyed the young man¡¯s four teammates and noticed they remained where they stood. While they looked like they wanted to join the fight, none of them budged. Even when the second member of her team raced over. Kala thought this was strange and wanted to ask Jude more about this but remained silent and just watched the fight continue. Liam felt the presence of the dagger wielding female and readied himself. She quickly ran around until she was facing his back before sprinting right for him. The bastard sword wielding man saw her and decided to help set the stage by trying to have Liam focus all his attention on him. He raised his weapon up in the air again, he felt his muscles strain a bit as he did so but pushed through as he swung down with all his might. Liam side stepped away as the blade came down, dodging the attack. As he did this the dagger wielding female appeared right behind him and went to thrust both daggers right into his back. A grin grew on her face as she thought this was checkmate, but as soon as the tips of the blade pierced through Liam, they slide right through his body and was shocked as it turned into black smoke. The dagger wielding female hopped a couple of times as her weight followed through with her attack. After she regained her balance she looked to her left and then her right to see where he was. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck suddenly straightened as she heard the sound of crackling noises. Her eyes widened as she went to turn around to attack, but as she spun and sliced her daggers across the air she realized he wasn¡¯t as close as she had believed him to be and connected with nothing but air. Sparks of lightning suddenly erupted across her skin as something punched her right in the gut. She slowly looked down to see a handmade of lighting had slammed into her stomach. One of the only areas not protected by her armor. One second later Liam¡¯s Earth Hand traded places with his Lightning Hand and not only knocked the wind out of her, but also sent her flying right into the sword wielder. The man quickly dropped his sword to catch the girl, which proved to be a mistake, as soon as the girl landed in his arms, Liam appeared right in front of them with a hammer, which was slowly growing into its rightful size, being swung horizontally towards the man¡¯s left cheek. The man didn¡¯t have enough time to react as the strange weapon collided into him and sent him and the girl flying to the side. After rolling a few times, the man came to a halt and dropped the girl on the ground. Feeling the pain from the attack pounding against his cheek, the man let out an angered roar before running straight at Liam. Liam stepped his right foot back, bringing his hand holding his hammer along with it and waited for the bull rushing male to draw in closer. As soon as the man got within distance, he tried to reach out and grab Liam¡¯s head and shoulder, but missed as Liam dropped his stance lower, took a step in and swung his hammer right at one of the dark red spots on the man¡¯s chest piece armor. A loud crack, snap, and pop echoed in the air as the armor piece splintered, the cracks grew quickly and connected to the other cracks. As soon as the last crack connect, the armor piece broke into pieces, revealing a bare wide chest. Liam sent both his Lightning Hand and Earth Hand right into the man¡¯s stomach. The blow was enough to knock the wind out of him and sent him to his knees. He lifted his head up and was about to try and attack Liam once more, but as he did, a clever meat was flying in his face. This shocked the man because he didn¡¯t know where it came from. Then he was even more confused when he noticed the weapon wasn¡¯t being held by Liam or any person. Instead the tool weapon was being held by the Lightning Hand. A dark shadow caught his attention right above him, causing him to look up. His eyes widened as he saw the Earth Hand held the hammer that had attacked him right above his head while the Gravity Hand gripped a hatchet like tool. ¡°I think that should be enough,¡± Liam stated as he stared at the man. He then looked at Jude and said, ¡°Next time you want to know, do it yourself. Don¡¯t have someone else¡¯s team members do it for you, you lazy bastard.¡± Jude let out a loud laugh as he clapped his hands. ¡°Well done. It looks like you haven¡¯t been idle since the last time we met.¡± ¡°You think?¡± Liam sarcastically said. A sudden thought suddenly came back to his mind which caused him to frown. He then said with much complaint in his voice, ¡°Speaking of the last time we met. Fuck you and the others for running off and leaving me to deal with that fucking Nalia bitch.¡± Jude let out another laugh. In the middle of his laughter he tried saying, ¡°It¡¯s your own damn fault for being the last one to leave.¡± ¡°I was fucking knocked out and stuck in that bed. How the hell was I supposed to get out when you guys did when you didn¡¯t even wait for me or let me know you were heading out,¡± Liam complained. Mercer made his way over to the Goliath man who remained on his knees staring at Liam and Jude with confusion. As he approached him, he pulled out a health and stamina potion and handed them to the man. Blair was already over by the dagger wielding girl doing the same. Kala, the two members of her team that didn¡¯t rush in and fight, and even the two who did looked back and forth between Jude and Liam. Kala decided it was probably best if she was the one who asked the question they all were thinking, ¡°What is the relationship between you two?¡± Jude looked at Kala with a grin and stated, ¡°He¡¯s my rival. A crafter who stands on the battlefield and also someone like you and I. A champion to a deity that isn¡¯t supposed to still be around.¡± Adventure 290 - Making suggestions to help Time out ¡°What?!¡± Kala questioned as her head quickly snapped back at Jude. ¡°Bullshit!¡± the Goliath male shouted. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s a crafter. Crafters can¡¯t fight at all or even come close to handling themselves properly in a fight. I should know. I tried to fight one back in the Tutorial Dungeon and they were wiped across the floor.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± the dual dagger wielding woman agreed. ¡°He easily dodged Falin here and puffed out into that strange black smoke like a ninja when I tried to attack him. There¡¯s no fricking way he¡¯s a crafter.¡± ¡°No matter how much you refute it,¡± Theodore chimed in, a grin slowly growing on his face as he looked at the Goliath male, Falin. ¡°He truly is a damn Crafter. We all can attest to it. Which means you, a big bad bastard sword wielding man, got your ass kicked by the one class you have been looking down on.¡± Liam raised a brow at Theodore¡¯s words as he looked the others behind him. Avery and Roman looked confused as they stared at him. Blair looked like she was trying to decipher his words as well while Mercer shrugged at Liam. Liam looked back at Jude and noticed he saw his confusion. Clarifying, Jude stated, ¡°We¡¯ve met them before at a bar and this guy got drunk and went on a rant about how those who crafter, whether it was their class or not, were weak and relied too much on wasting time making things that training and practice could do better on.¡± ¡°So you know these guys?¡± Liam questioned as he looked at Kala. He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the situation. Jude shrugged. ¡°About as much as I know Aranis and Inyis. Like I said, I met them once at a bar. They all get really chatty when drunk. Kala here told me about how her power sometimes goes out of control, and it makes it hard for her to keep it in check. I happened to appear on the island when things started to go a bit hectic for her when she was trying to fi¡­¡± ¡°What the hell do you think you are doing?¡± Falin questioned. ¡°Why are you revealing such information to outsiders like that? Kala, I told you he couldn¡¯t be trusted.¡± Jude turned his gaze upon Falin. The smile on his face may have looked genuine, but from Liam¡¯s experience with the man, he had just thought of something he thought was fun and wanted to test it out on him. Probably a new ability or an old one with a new application towards it. However, before he could say or do anything, Kala snapped, ¡°Falin, could you stay silent for just a moment? Would it kill you to not jump at everything that is said?¡± Liam watched as Kala¡¯s body language changed from the confused, discomposed state she was in, and into a stern, commanding one. Liam could feel she was finally out of the bewilderment she seemed to be stuck in when he arrived and wanted answers. She snapped back at Jude and stated in a demanding tone of voice as she pointed at him, ¡°And you. I know I may have slipped and said that to you when I was in a drunken stupor, but I didn¡¯t think you would flap your gums so easily to someone else. My Patron said I could trust you and that you could help me in that situation, and I trusted him, but for you to just say it to an outsider so easily¡­¡± ¡°First off,¡± Jude cut her off. ¡°I do not care whether your Patron told you to trust me. It was dumb and ignorant of you to even let that slip to someone you barely even know. Even if your Patron told you to, it is still an idiotic thing to give away any information that could potentially hurt you in the future.¡± Liam nodded at Jude¡¯s scolding. He was shocked to admit it, but he had a point. Ones, he would have said as well if Jude hadn¡¯t beaten him to it. He could see Kala¡¯s body tense up, most likely agreeing to his words, even if involuntarily. ¡°Secondly,¡± Jude started back up as he pointed to Liam, ¡°He is not some outsider. If you had listened to what I had said earlier, he is one of us. Also I mentioned those facts to him because, like you, he couldn¡¯t control his powers. In fact he went completely insane when he activated his for the first time.¡± Liam averted his eyes and looked a bit sheepish as Kala looked at him. Jude continued as he said, in a surprisingly praising way, ¡°And because he is my rival, I know he must have found a way to learn to control his senses and figured he could enlighten you on ways that might benefit you.¡± Kala looked back and forth from Jude to Liam. Her face, while still stern, grew a bit puzzled. She then asked, ¡°Why do you keep calling him your rival? If he is one of us, then wouldn¡¯t he be an ally or friend? Especially with our certain¡­predicament?¡± ¡°I call him my rival because of two reasons,¡± Jude said as he looked happy to explain. ¡°One, he¡¯s the only one I haven¡¯t officially beaten in a fight. We had one back in the Tutorial Area, but the fun battle I was having was ruined when someone decided they wanted to tamper it by applying debuffs on him. The end result may have been what everyone else says was my win, but I don¡¯t agree with it. I have my doubts that I could have truly won if he wasn¡¯t Debuffed like he was.¡± Falin tensed at his proclamation. Liam and his crew noticed it as well as the other individuals a part of Kala¡¯s crew suddenly twitch as they turned to look at Liam. Kala then questioned, ¡°Is he truly that strong?¡± Jude let out a chuckle. ¡°Strong? Maybe. Smart, yes. He used methods in his fight many didn¡¯t think were possible. He is good at applying spells in different ways. For example, those hands made out of mana. I have heard of them. Crafters use them to help with their crafting sessions. They are supposed to help with channeling the mana type or something into the object being crafted or could help carry materials.¡± Liam narrowed his eyes as he stared at Jude. He was surprised that he knew so much on them. It made him wonder if the guy had looked into what a Crafter was capable of and what they could do. ¡°Many look down on Crafters yet look how he used those hands in his little skirmish against your two people,¡± Jude said, pride in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t do that. Not against him at least. I know he will be a wonderful rival. One I want to fight and win against at full strength. However, as much as he has grown now, even I can see he is learning something new and hasn¡¯t mastered it yet.¡± Jude looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Right?¡± Liam nodded. He didn¡¯t want to give away too much, but since he was strangely praising him, Liam decided to say, ¡°I am currently learning a new fighting style that will highlight my capabilities. I have met someone who has created this fighting style known as the Crafter Fighting Style and am currently learning from him.¡± Jude¡¯s grin widened at that. ¡°Good. I look forward to seeing it when you have it down.¡± ¡°What about the other reasons?¡± Kala asked, still curious. Jude looked back at her, almost forgetting she was there. ¡°Just like how Lolita is your natural opposite. Like how whenever you see her, or even being in her presence, you have this sudden urge to fight her. He is like that with me. He is my natural opposite.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kala said, being taken aback. She looked at Jude then back at Liam. ¡°If your Matron is the Deity of Order making you Harmony. Then that means¡­¡± ¡°His Matron is the Deity of Chaos,¡± Jude frowned at hearing what his Seed ended up being. Liam starred at Jude. He understood why he was frowning. After hearing what Jude¡¯s seed was, it made even him frown. He couldn¡¯t possibly see Jude representing harmony in any way possible. Then, without warning, Liam chuckled a bit. Jude¡¯s frown deepened as he stared at Liam and said, ¡°Yeah, yeah laugh it up.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Liam placed a hand in the air as he said between chuckles, ¡°Sorry, that chuckle came out of nowhere¡­But really¡­Harmony? I don¡¯t see it.¡± Jude looked slightly embarrassed as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it either, but it makes sense after my Matron explained it to me. Harmony is another form of Order. And if you really think about it, it should also make sense to you since it¡¯s the opposite of whatever your seed is. What is your seed by the way.¡± Liam starred at Jude. He wasn¡¯t really sure if he should say it, but after receiving a message from Eri telling him it was safe to, he replied, ¡°Mine is the Seed of Discord.¡± ¡°Damn it, why does yours sound so much cooler than mine?¡± Jude complained. Liam shrugged. Seeing Jude embarrassed by the name of the seed he got from his Matron Deity made Liam want to tease him a bit, so he jabbed with a sly grin, ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably because my Goddess is cooler than yours.¡± Avery, Blair, Mercer, and Roman suddenly laughed at that. Liam was holding back the chuckle he was holding in as he stared at the man. He didn¡¯t know why, but deep down he was loving this. ¡°Really? You really went there?¡± Jude deadpanned as he stared at Liam. Liam waved away the message Eri had sent him. It was just her laughing over and over. He then controlled his laughter as he stared at Jude and said with a controlled tone, ¡°Sorry. Couldn¡¯t help myself there. Anyways, getting back to the problem at hand.¡± He looked at Kala and then asked, ¡°You¡¯re having some problems controlling the power your Patron gave you right?¡± Kala nodded, unsure what to make of Liam¡¯s and Jude¡¯s banter. ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t always happen whenever I use it. Its random.¡± Liam nodded as he thought about it. His first conclusion was to see if her deity had done what Eri did for him. He asked her, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it applies to you, but my Matron created a skill to help lessen the power that courses through me whenever¡­¡± Liam trailed off as a sudden thought came to mind. The ability he was about to talk about was something he had only because he had a seal on him due to his second class being much stronger than his first. Not only that, but he was a Gemini, and his issues really only came to life after he activated his Zodiac ability Class Fusion. She would need to have the same conditions as him in order for him to suggest this. However, the likely hood of that being possible was astronomically low. ¡°What?¡± Kala asked, confused by his sudden silence. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Liam started back up. ¡°I just realized that what I was about to suggest was something that needed certain¡­conditions.¡± ¡°Conditions?¡± Kala questioned. ¡°What conditions?¡± Liam waved a hand out in front of him giving a dismissal gesture as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Jude stared at Liam and tried to figure out what he meant by conditions. He had an inkling on what some of those conditions were, but not all. Deciding to see if he could get some insight, he asked, ¡°Does one of the conditions involve a certain Zodiac type?¡± Liam raised a brow as he looked back at Jude. Slowly he replied, ¡°It might. But that is just one of them.¡± Jude let out a sigh. ¡°Liam, I said she is like us. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Lai replied, unsure where Jude was going with this. ¡°That also includes the Zodiac,¡± Jude said as he watched Liam¡¯s confusion. It looked like Liam understood where he was going with it, but just in case he added, ¡°Apparently anyone who is a Champion of them is the same Zodiac.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam asked as he stared at Jude. He was about to ask another question but was stopped as Eri decided to chime in and move the conversation along. [Liam, I believe we¡¯ve had this discussion before, but just in case. What my sister¡¯s champion is saying is true. And to help you move along with helping this Champion of Time¡¯s problem I will also say, yes she also has a seal like yours. I am also ninety percent certain Cronos has already done what I did with you, so you can thinking about a different method. ¨C Eri.] Liam frowned and furrowed his brows as he read Eri¡¯s message. There was some things that caught his attention and made him think. Even though he had believed the probability was really low, this bit of information proved that it wasn¡¯t impossible. This young woman having a seal like his on top of being a Gemini made him question a lot of things. She¡¯s the Champion of Time? Seriously? Also Cronos? Like the Titan that ate his children Cronos? Also are all the Champions like this? Wait¡­how many are actually out there in the same predicament as us? Do they all have seals? If that¡¯s the case then maybe¡­ [Liam. I need you to focus here. You do not have all the time in the world here¡­no pun intended¡­Anyways, you might actually have a way to help her. ¨C Eri.] Really? What way is that? Liam asked, still stuck on some of his thoughts from earlier. [It will depend on how much she has trained her Will Power and Zen Sub-stat. She will need to try that to help, but there is a Knowledge Theory you have that you use to help calm your mind whenever it starts to overload, or you need to calmly assess things. Calm the Storm. Whenever she starts to get out of control she can use this to help calm herself. It¡¯s not a for sure way, but it can help until she finds a method that helps her out better. ¨C Eri] Calm the Storm? Liam repeated. While he had used it to help him think better when things got dicey he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how well it could help Kala and her situation. Albeit, the more he thought about it the more it seemed like a good solution for now. Eri was right, until she found a better method that could work for her this was probably the most helpful way. Liam looked back at Kala and noticed she, Jude, and the others were staring at him with strange looks on their faces. Slightly concerned, Liam asked, ¡°What? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°You looked like you were zoning out there,¡± Jude stated. Liam frowned at that. He then realized it must have been because he was talking to Eri and was lost in his own head again. He shook his head before replying, ¡°I was just talking to my Matron. She had informed me that what I was originally going to suggest was probably already addressed by your Patron.¡± Kala looked like Liam had poured cold water over her as she looked dejected. Before she could say anything Liam continued, ¡°However, she did offer an idea.¡± Kala looked a bit more hopeful at this and waited to hear what Liam had to say a bit more. ¡°I have a method that I use to help me calm my mind whenever I start to overthink things. I have used it plenty of times in fights and whenever I feel overwhelmed I calm down. It¡¯s a Knowledge Theory called Calm the Storm.¡± ¡°Calm the Storm?¡± the other cloaked females repeated as she looked at Liam. ¡°I have heard of that Knowledge Theory before.¡± ¡°You have?¡± Kala questioned as she looked at her. The cloaked female nodded. ¡°I came across it back in a library on one of the island we had visited. I think it was three days ago.¡± ¡°You could probably find it in many libraries I think. I came across it back in the Tutorial Area so it¡¯s probably a more common book than we think it is,¡± Liam offered. ¡°Keep in mind that this knowledge Theory isn¡¯t a solution, but more of a way to help you for now. You might have to try different things to see what better helps you. Also she mentioned something about training your Will Power and Zen Sub-stats.¡± ¡°My Will Power and Zen Sub-stats?¡± Kala repeated as she looked like she was thinking something over. She then started mumbling some things that didn¡¯t make sense to Liam, but from the look in her eyes he could tell it wasn¡¯t towards him, but to her own mind whispering resident. She nodded a few times before finally saying, ¡°Yeah that makes sense and could probably work.¡± She then looked at Liam before giving him a bow and saying, ¡°Thank you. Yours and your Goddess¡¯s suggestion might be the best help I could have asked for. You know it¡¯s a bit strange that you hold the Seed of Discord and yet have something that helps create harmony.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, it does seem odd,¡± Jude said as he stared at Liam. ¡°Do you want to trade seeds? I think the Seed of Harmony would probably suit you better.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? Hell no. I like my seed thank you very much,¡± Liam said as he faked looking offended. Jude was about to say something, but stopped as Kala jumped back in, ¡°Too bad I can¡¯t get Lolita to listen to me for a good moment to tell her about this suggestion. She could use it as much as I do.¡± Liam looked confused as his brows scrunched up. Jude noticed the look on his face and informed, ¡°Lolita is Kala¡¯s rival. She¡¯s the Champion of Atrophy, a Hex Witch that specializes in Debuffs and curses. I think she has the Seed of Decay. I don¡¯t know. All I know is it hurts like a bitch if she lands her magic on you.¡± ¡°Wait, does she look like a cross between a Tiefling and an elf?¡± Liam asked. Kala and Jude looked at Liam with surprise as soon as he described the woman. ¡°Yeah. Have you met her before?¡± Kala asked, concern and worry on her face. ¡°Met her? I guess you could say that. We ran into each other on the last island we were on yesterday morning. There was a big battle going on and a strange power was slowly destroying the people and the buildings before we could escape,¡± Liam explained. As he talked about his experience from yesterday morning¡¯s fight he could see the look on Jude¡¯s and Kala¡¯s faces and understood that the woman he ran into was really the one they were talking about. Before Liam could say anything a sudden message appeared in front of Liam. It looked like Jude and Kala had received something as well since they looked to be staring at something. All three champions quickly closed the message they had received and turned to their groups. The message wasn¡¯t long, and it wasn¡¯t a good one either. It had only two words. Jude, Kala, and Liam repeated those two words as they readied their weapons and looked their members in the eyes, ¡°Incoming enemies.¡±